The night post Negi's scalding at the hands of her King, after having easily taken care of the rejects where Zukki resided, she was now laying in her bed in the nude. Next to a much taller male who had been absolutely wiped out, his body covered in scratch marks and welts.
If smoking was a concept on this planet she would probably be lighting one up right about now. Instead she rested her hands behind her head looking up at the ceiling. Pondering about her situation. No matter how she spun it, Negi couldn't grasp the concept of teaching another person how to fight. She could observe how someone fights, play one out to her satisfaction, notice all their weaknesses, but that truly was it.
The King knew this about her. He had seen her combat skills first hand more than a handful of times.
Negi couldn't scream at the girl to thrust harder like–and she turned her head to the man beside her. Remembering about an hour or so ago when she was in fact screaming for someone to thrust harder for genuine results.
("Improvement is not impossible, but something tells me, the king has some kind timeline that he just isn't transparent about") Negi continued to mull over. Looking at the male's tail as it had drooped over his body.
"Hmm" she exhaled somewhat satisfied as her mental exhaustion creeped over her.
The next couple of days wouldn't be any more eventful than usual, aside from the re-evaluation the bottom of the barrel had to deal with. Negi would actually have to be passively involved with that. Something she could have never guessed in the past. Even if it was to be an extra obstacle for Zukki so that she doesn't luck her way out of the rejection base too soon.
***
General Nappa had returned to his home that night and was able to sleep well knowing his Mate Zana. His mate was one he had known all his life, an older saiyan middle class squad leader whom he had worked with plenty of times. A rare person he respected among the lower classes.
It was only recently that they had sworn to be only together. Based on some tradition fancied on a planet she helped conquer a while back. It helped that Nappa's affection had long since grown for her and hardly anyone else.
Of course this union was similar to how the king took a wife, although most Saiyans did not care to follow in this as it was a royal tradition rather than a race wide ideal. Negi's habits were more along the norm. A child could tie mates together for significant portions of their lives. More often than not these families had been broken up when sent to war.
So of course they planned to sire a child sooner, but Nappa had been given the honored duty of instructing the king's child. To be the one to train the crown prince of the saiyan race, it has to be one of the highest honors.
That very next morning he had to wake up early to meet with the prince while his mate had to return to battle. Both needed their sleep, however it was his affection for Zana that drove him to quiet the obnoxious neighbor.
***
After seeing off Zana, Nappa made it to the capital at what he thought was the earliest hour. Only to find a short stack with a prematurely receiving hairline admonishing him with his fierce gaze. If it were any other brat Nappa would want to slap the look on their face, but this was the prince. Aside from his distinct look that mirrors his father, he also wore a red cape that distinguished him as royalty hanging from his shoulders.
"General Nappa, I'm shocked to see you arrive so late. But I will forgive this impertinence as you have finally chosen your mate" Prince Vegeta had started to sound utterly arrogant but he flashed the general a smirk of acknowledgement at the end.
The prince held himself like a larger than life figure. Despite inheriting the immense vanity and pride of his father, he could fully grasp the concept of respecting certain facts. Such as the undeniable difference in his current strength with his instructor and general of his family's highest level fleet of warriors.
Nappa was not yet scared of the boy, however he had understood the immense growth of this genius of battle and connected that with his king's sheer presence.
"Thank you for your patience Prince Vegeta" he said with the ability to keep his tone strong in the face of royalty.
"Oh relax nappa, until my power has overlapped yours you must refer to me as Vegeta. Unless we are with father..hm hm" Vegeta seemed to be amused by the idea of confusion that would occur in such a situation.
Turning on his heel Vegeta led the way into the building and headed towards the training facility.
"Come Nappa, we have lots of work to do. I want to finish the final advanced forms today"
("Sheesh, the boy is already exuding the aura of a leader. I wonder where we'll go under his rule.") Nappa mused inwardly while following his prince's lead.
Many saiyans saluted the prince on his way but he only gave them a nod of his chin. Aliens made it their jobs to get out of the way. Anyone below him was but an ant on the path to his ascent to the throne.
Once they arrived at the training facility Vegeta would place his scouter aside and unclip his cape. Approaching the lead alien in this department before making his demands.
"Have the cultivars ready. I'll need them for my training. At least a half a dozen within the hour" said the prince.
The aliens didn't even need to glance up at Nappa before getting to work on his new assignment.
The two saiyans would move to enter the nine hundred square foot metal box they used to train in. It was specifically made to contain blasts of energy from upper middle class saiyans. That would be plenty for the effort Vegeta had planned to put forth.
The door would close behind the pair while the boy took his stance a few feet away from his instructor. A stance that was already rather close to the one he would always be known for. Index and middle fingers curled over his forehead, his dominant right arm blocking his chest to protect his second vital point.
Nappa observed this stance and moved in taking a few steps to meet the prince. The steps on the metal floor filled the silent room.
The large burly man launched his arm downward, right fist chopping down in a moderately fast strike. As this was a purposefully reduced speed, Vegeta was able to see it coming and weaved in easily.
His aim wasn't as obvious as a head on strike to nappa's face. Vegeta's eyes glanced left before he attacked right. Jumping in and kicking at the side of the big man's knee.
Nappa scoffed at the obvious ploy but respected it. It took not much more effort to push the kid away with his left arm.
The prince respected this retaliation as well and backfliped using Nappa's momentum. Though as he landed he bounded back in. Since his arm was up from the retaliation, Vegeta planned to go for the mid section this time. A flurry of straight lefts and rights intending to wound the large man's diaphragm rather than the obvious vital section like his chest.
They both knew Vegeta at his current level couldn't genuinely wound the general, however as he started to quicken his pace, it seemed as though he was trying to do so. The prince had a serious gaze about him as he was locked into this fight as if it were as serious as a real one.
Nappa used his right palms to block the first couple of strikes. At this speed he ended up having to use both hands.
Vegeta falling back down from his attacks that had him suspended in air, having learned to fly not so long ago, he dropped beneath the man's legs. Immediately he went for the back of the legs at the weak points once again without regard for his general's well-being.
Nappa having lost sight of Vegeta leaped up to avoid any attack and twisted his body around, suspending himself to look down at the attack he dodged.
"Nice try Vegeta, but in the future you'll have to accept smart tricks like that won't work on all your enemies"
"Hmph" scoffed Vegeta while jumping to meet Nappa.
He was less experienced in the air, but he didn't let that bother him. The warm up session was going to intensify from here on out.
Nappa initiated for once as his large boot came crashing down. Immediately he was moving at what Vegeta could consider his own max speed. Instead of getting crushed he stepped back.
The metal floor made a loud clanging sound as a result. Nappa then followed up with a fist as his arm the size of a cannon launched into the prince's gut.
Vegeta could only cross his arms to block this one feeling the crushing strength behind Nappa's attack. With a groan he stepped to the side before actually jumping to attack the burly man's face. He understood the necessity of changing up his attack targets.
This didn't matter for the juggernaut with much higher reflexes and many years of experience under his belt. Though instead of crushing the prince entirely he would take his attacks and counter. Nappa blocked the strike with his forearm which must have felt like steel as his muscles clenched. His arm made a barely audible thud sound as it was struck.
His response was a left cross that crushed the prince's arm as he was able to bring it up in defense. Despite this he could not brace for impact and was sent into the wall.
In spite of the difference between their power levels, Vegeta hit the wall and bounced back. Flipping over Nappa in a feint using his moderate aerial control. Stopping just behind the man's head to deliver a spring air round house kick.
Of course the superior fighter blocked this with his wrist, but the prince continued to push into this attack creating a minor test of strength between them. Vegeta gritted his teeth while trying to drive this attack home only to let up and fall to the floor at the last second.
Landing on a handstand he intended to smash his two feet into the side of the man's knee. It would be a gruesome sight if not for the large man's resilience. Instead of a shattered knee that unsatisfying thud resulted once more.
Vegeta clicked his tongue unsurprised at this point. What he got next was a clubbing blow to his face knocking him out for the first time in the fight.
A few moments later when Vegeta woke up he was greeted with a silver pouch being handed to him.
"All warmed up?" Nappa handed him the pouch.
"That should suffice. You know your hide is pretty tough Nappa." He said while taking the pouch and uncorking the top. "I looked forward to the day I can put a dent in it for the all the times you made me bleed"
He laughed a tiny bit at his own threat as if it were a par for the course. After he sipped his pouch filled with a mysterious liquid.
"As do I, prince, I'll show you the advanced forms now since you seem to have mastered the rest at this point."
"Hmm, call me prince once I've done it." He clenched the empty pouch before preparing to bring it to the disposal unit. "Have the scientists finished making the cultivars yet? I'll want to test my new forms on them right away"
"They should be ready in a few moments Vegeta"
"Good now get started with your demonstration" he demanded after discarding his trash.
***
After an inspiringly short period of time Vegeta had grasped the new fighting forms his instructor had displayed for him.
The truth of the matter is that saiyans as a race are freeform when it comes to their style of fighting. Up until the nobility, that is, those with higher ranks tend to adopt specific fighting habits. Over the years they ended up distilling a merciless type of hand to hand combat. One that emphasizes crushing an enemies spirit and body over the course of especially long bouts.
After a brief session of learning the last few forms Nappa had to teach the young prince he expected the scientists to be done with his real training partners. Vegeta steps out of the room, Nappa following right behind him.
"The new breed is around your previously recorded power level Vegeta. You'll have to put the new forms I taught you to work"
"Oh i hope they are, i really don't want to be disappointed" Vegeta then turned to the closet alien "you, are the little pink men ready" he demands.
"T-the cultivars? Sir" the alien squeaked out
"Yes, did I stutter?"
"They are here. Place these in the damp pots filled with dirt and they'll be ready to fight in just a moment" he said while pointing to the metal pods filled with brown dirt.
When the alien tried to hand Vegeta the seeds and instead he nudged his chin towards Nappa who took the seeds in one hand and the pots in another. Once again they were in the other room where Vegeta anticipated his training partners.
Nappa dug small holes in the potted soul and placed each one of the seeds. Upon closing up the holes the wet dirt was enough to immediately jostle with life.
Three pink veiny dome shaped heads popped out of the pots. Slowly the dirt birthed three short creatures with sharp white three pronged claws.
"Kreek" they each made ear graining sounds as they made their presence known. All three with deep fully red eyes that bore down at the prince.
"Oh look, they can glare, how cute" vegeta comments while taking a fighting stance. "Looks like these don't know their places yet"
Nappa stood back and let this scenario play out.
In front of Vegeta were three pink cultivars. With strength comparable to the Prince a few weeks prior. The technology that created them had been consistently improving and the energy stored in their bodies made them fierce adversaries. In return it seems they aren't programmed to be entirely loyal. It wouldn't matter in the long run as their individual lives were fleeting.
Surprisingly the full pack didn't attack at once like rabid animals. Two slowly circled widely around the prince while the middle one stepped forward. Inching carefully as if he was ready to spring into action at once.
Although arrogant, the prince couldn't underestimate three of these plant freaks.
("I'll need to wound each one them right away.") He mentally decides as they close in on him.
"Eeyaa" finally the middle one lunged forward. His right claw is in the shape of a spear towards Vegeta's throat.
Vegeta couldn't catch this attack on his first reaction, instead he parried the blow with his left arm. Pushing it only aside slightly with the intent to break it at the elbow. His right hand came chopping down.
The pink plant man still had limbs to react and so it used its other arm to spear Vegeta before he could land his attack. Instead of trading damage, Vegeta leaned away from the spear thrust while abandoning his attack.
Instead of attacking from this position, Vegeta, acutely aware of his other adversaries, kicked the current pink plant man far away with his right foot. Sending the cultivar into the back wall.
Just as he did this, plant man B and C sent a double flurry of claw thrusting his way. Using his peripheral vision and reflexes to dodged an innumerable amount of attacks all aimed to stab him. Back and forth he weaved until he figured away out of this mess.
Feinting a leap but leaning down and shifting his body up the plant men fell for it. Their gaze shot up briefly enough that when Vegeta moved low he was able to sweep one of them off their feet. Then as they realized what happened he had already punted the fallen one over into the last one he knocked away briefly leaving him with a proper one v one.
With a smirk he hasn't just decided to stop his momentum yet. He expected a retaliation and so from another low position he struck the pink plant man's elbow as it was out stretched.
A sickening crack could be heard as even these creatures had bones to break. The arm bent in the wrong way and it screeched in pain.
"Ooh, looks like that hurts now doesn't it?" he said while aiming for his knee. "Let me help you with that".
His foot then crushed the creature's knee sideways making it crumble in agony.
"Kreee" the two returning pink men screech as they return to battle.
Perfectly in sync they threw out a barrage of straight punches and kicks that kept momentum and left little openings to dodge.
Vegeta finds a chance to test his strength against a decent scenario. Clenching his teeth he jumped into the fray. Nothing that couldn't kill off the cripled one yet.
As the attacks came raining down he weaved through. With his swift sideways exit snuffed by a side kick, which he blocked, the prince felt another kick heading his way. Catching the shin he gripped it until his fingers were tearing a chunk out.
The first one had begun to attack again with his two partners injured. With it landing after the blocked kick it thrust its claw spear. A predictable maneuver out of hasty desperation.
"Hmm hehe haha" The Prince felt in control of the fight and laughed out arrogantly.
He had already weaved outwards, raising his arm up and cutting the air downward with his hand. Vegeta's chop cracked the short pink creature's collar bone.
It was around this moment that Nappa noticed the first cultivar that Vegeta had injured. It was building an attack that could easily go under their radarless eyes. With a raised eyebrow he watched as the prince was ignorant to a building pink steam leaking from the oddly shaped head.
The pink creature's head split open in two before green acid gushed out. The acid shot through the air at an unimpressive speed. That didn't matter as Vegeta let his guard down.
The moment the acid made contact with the armor it sizzled. One of the universe's strongest materials barely protects the princes back as it burns for the briefest moments. He had spread his arms out, looking as if he reacted desperately to move away from the pain, to no avail.
Vegeta, feeling the skin on his back getting eaten by the corrosive splatter yelled out in agony. His body tensed as an invisible pressure arched around his body.
"You.." the normally arrogant prince started. His tone was laced with emerging anger. "You dare spew that disgusting stuff at my back!"
Lighting crackled around him as the energy in his body struggled to release. Even Nappa could feel the danger in Vegeta's emotions. In spite of his overwhelming strength, rushing out hastily was pointless. This should be a lesson that the boy would need to learn.
Vegeta gritted his teeth and waved his palm out in front of the alien who spit acid at him. In the next moment the air shifted away from the prince. A gust of air billowed out and a flash of light carved up the air between him and his obvious target.
In the brief moment the energy blast was airborne it's loud existence fought for decibels against the mad prince's angered roar. The explosion in close proximity drowned out all other sounds for a brief moment.
Without intervention the metal box floor shattered. The creature and its footing cooked out of existence. A hole opened up to the floor below.
Nappa wanted to end this and get the prince healed up, but before he could step in the rest of the cultivars were slaughtered.
The anger fueling the prince drove a fist through one of the fear gripped creatures. The other had its head kicked off. Both taken out with brute strength alone.
The prince had a scowl on his face as the large man stepped towards him. Nappa mistook this moment to approach and nearly got his head blown off. Instead he caught the rapidly fired upper straight that Vegeta threw in reaction to being approached.
"Calm down, Prince Vegeta, we need to get the doctors to get that skin healed."
Although the boy regrets his impulsive actions just now, there is no way in hell he would take a knee to anyone at the moment. No apologies would be uttered today.
"Hmmm" he responded by standing down and walking to the exit. "Open up! And get this fixed"
His demands did not fall on deaf ears. The doors opened up right away and a clean up creep arrived only to be shoved aside. Their paths crossed the annoyed Prince. Who then moved to a stool before ripping his armor off.
Pointing at the chemically burnt part of his back he commanded
As Nappa watched Vegeta take a brief trip into a healing pod he mulled over the prince's progress as of this moment. The room was calm now that the boy was in his pod. The aliens seemed almost relaxed.
("I wonder what the King was like at this age. Usually the contracted aliens would be terrified of me too..but well i was never so brash about my strength like this one.") He mused.
Nappa was deep in thought. How his responsibilities had shifted ever since then King produced an heir. Or was it before then? Allowing subversive factions build underneath his nose, sending genuine prospects to that rejection camp, or making warriors into instructors.
("I'm doing a great job, but I've never seen Negi look so stressed.") The thought of that insane woman flashed in his mind. Then he had to cover his face, pulling the skin down when the wrong image entered his mind. (" Forgive me Zana, I can't unsee that..")
While continuing to desperately forget what had to be peak Saiyan femininity Nappa worried that he could misstep training the King's son. Should he correct this anger problem..or have the kid accepted it? The general was no eloquent fighter, but the bone crunching combat style had always been the way of nobility. Breaking the spirit of a warrior came first in their battles. Vegeta couldn't be angered so easily or his own spirit would falter before getting the chance to attack others.