The mountain air was heavy with tension. Dust swirled across the battlefield as four figures stood locked in silent anticipation. Frieza remained perched on his floating throne, chin resting lightly on his hand, eyes narrowed with boredom. Vegeta stood tall with arms folded, his gaze locked on Frieza. Beside him, Goku's expression was serious, watching every movement.
But Raditz's eyes never left Zarbon. Nappa cracked his knuckles, his teeth grinding in rage as he finally stepped forward.
Frieza's tail swayed lazily, his lips curling into a mocking grin.
"Zarbon." His voice carried sharp authority.
"You will deal with this one. Do not lose… because if you do, I'll kill you myself."
Zarbon flinched slightly, then bowed his head.
"Yes, Lord Frieza." His emerald eyes flashed toward Nappa, filled with disdain.
"You always were trash, Nappa. A soldier fit for nothing but following orders. I'll crush you quickly."
Nappa spat on the ground, his aura flaring to life like a wildfire.
"Orders…? I've spent half my life choking on your orders, Zarbon. Not today. Today, I fight for myself!"
---
Nappa roared and charged, his massive frame cutting across the battlefield with surprising speed. Zarbon raised his arm, easily deflecting the first punch, but Nappa followed with a vicious elbow aimed at Zarbon's jaw.
The impact sent Zarbon stumbling backward. The ground cracked beneath his boots.
"Tch… still as brutish as ever," Zarbon hissed, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip.
Nappa grinned savagely.
"Brutish enough to smash your face in!"
He lunged again, unleashing a barrage of heavy punches and knees. Each blow was raw, full of years of pent-up hatred. Zarbon blocked, dodged, but the sheer force rattled his arms. The mountain terrain shook with every impact.
Goku whistled softly.
"He's not holding back."
Vegeta smirked faintly.
"Of course not. Nappa's rage has been boiling for years. Today, he gets to release it."
Frieza, however, only yawned, his red eyes half-lidded.
"Pathetic. Even if he wins, he's still a monkey. Entertaining, perhaps… but nothing more."
---
Nappa's onslaught pushed Zarbon into the side of a cliff. Nappa grabbed his arm, swung him around, and slammed him into the ground hard enough to crater the stone.
The ex-commander gasped, coughing blood. Nappa loomed above him, his aura blazing.
"How does it feel, Zarbon? To taste defeat at the hands of someone you thought beneath you?"
Zarbon snarled, wiping blood from his chin.
"Don't… get ahead of yourself!" He leapt up, delivering a spinning kick to Nappa's chest. Nappa staggered but caught Zarbon's leg mid-swing, then hurled him across the field.
The earth split apart under the impact.
Raditz clenched his fists, his heart pounding. This… this is Nappa's fight. He's showing what we were never allowed to show.
But Frieza's voice cut through the chaos, cold and sharp.
"Zarbon… remember what I told you. If you lose, you won't just be humiliated. You'll die by my hand."
Zarbon froze, his face pale. Then his expression hardened, rage boiling in his veins.
"I will not lose. Not to him! Not to trash like this!"
---
Zarbon's body began to glow with a sickly green aura. His elegant features twisted, muscles bulging, his jaw elongating. His once-handsome face contorted into a monstrous visage.
Raditz's eyes widened.
"He's… transforming!"
Goku's brow furrowed.
"So he was hiding his real power."
Vegeta's smirk faded slightly.
"Finally showing his true form. Nappa will have to dig deeper than ever before."
Zarbon let out a guttural roar as his body completed the transformation. His monstrous frame towered over Nappa, his voice now guttural and cruel.
"Now… let me show you the power of my true form!"
---
Zarbon lunged forward, his speed now doubled. Before Nappa could react, a brutal punch buried itself in his gut. The Saiyan's eyes bulged, saliva flying from his mouth.
"Guhhh—!"
Zarbon grabbed his head and slammed him into the ground. Rocks exploded outward. He lifted Nappa by the throat and pummeled him with blow after blow, each one breaking bone, drawing blood.
Raditz growled, fists trembling. Damn it, Nappa!
Zarbon laughed, his monstrous fangs glinting.
"Pathetic! You thought you could defeat me? You were always beneath me, and you always will be!"
He hurled Nappa across the battlefield. The Saiyan crashed into the ground, barely able to move.
---
Bloodied and broken, Nappa struggled to stand. His vision blurred, but the fire in his eyes had not dimmed.
"No… not yet. I won't fall here. Not before I prove myself!"
As Zarbon charged in for the finishing blow, Nappa summoned every last shred of ki left in his body. His aura flared violently, a desperate final burst.
With a roar, he met Zarbon head-on and drove his massive fist into Zarbon's gut.
The impact echoed like thunder. Zarbon's eyes bulged, spit flying from his mouth as the shockwave split the ground.
"You… worthless monkey…!" Zarbon snarled, clutching his stomach. His energy flared, his clawed hand forming a deadly ki sphere aimed at Nappa's head.
Nappa fell to one knee, gasping for air, too drained to move. His vision dimmed.
This… this is the end…?
---
Before the blast could land, a blur of black and brown slammed into Zarbon from the side.
Raditz's boot connected with Zarbon's jaw, sending the transformed warrior skidding across the dirt.
Raditz landed in front of Nappa, his aura flaring fiercely. His wild hair whipped in the wind as his teeth bared in fury.
"Enough, Zarbon!" Raditz shouted, his voice trembling with rage.
"If you want to finish this fight, then you'll have to go through me!"
Nappa looked up, blood dripping from his lip.
"Raditz… don't. This was… my fight…"
Raditz shook his head, eyes blazing.
"No, brother. You've done enough. You've proven yourself. Now it's my turn."
Nappa's eyes widened. For the first time, he saw not the weak, ridiculed Saiyan he once knew, but a warrior standing tall, ready to carry the weight.
---
Zarbon rose to his feet, clutching his gut, his monstrous face twisted in fury.
"You miserable monkeys! I'll tear you apart one by one!"
Raditz's aura flared higher, his power level climbing with every breath.
"Try it, Zarbon. This time, you won't humiliate me. This time, I'll fight as a Saiyan warrior!"
From his throne, Frieza chuckled, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Interesting… perhaps this won't be as boring as I thought."
Vegeta crossed his arms, his smirk returning faintly.
"Let's see if Raditz can finally live up to the Saiyan name."
Goku's eyes narrowed.
"Raditz… don't hold back. Show him everything."
The ground trembled as Raditz and Zarbon's auras collided, and the second stage of the Saiyan vengeance began.