"What's this? Some type of worm?" My vision was blurry, and my thoughts were jumbled. It was hard to think, hard to breathe, and hard to even process what was going on. However, deep inside of me, a small, instinctual thought burst outward.
"...Change."
In an instant, my entire world changed. My head was cleared, my vision solidified, and the world around me wasn't blurred anymore. I became taller, rising from lying flat on the ground to becoming roughly three feet tall. As I glanced down, a thin, pink body greeted me.
I looked down, glancing at my past form. A small, pitiful-looking slug, which was rolling around in the brown, dusty surface of this planet. Had I spoken with such a pathetic body? I felt a bit bad for the creature whose body I had just taken, but it was either him or me.
I turned away from my prior form as I gained a brain capable of thinking, and got ready to truly begin my life.
In my first body, I discovered how it felt to be mindless.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Walk, maggot!" I took a step forward, my head aching, and my heart pounding as I walked in a straight line. Chains connected my hands together, giving me just a bit of room to move my arms as I held a pickaxe.
"If you don't make the quota again, then you're in big trouble, rat! You're always one of the slowest workers!" A foot slammed into my back, jutting me forward as I almost tripped, but I kept my face blank as I didn't react.
Instead, I raised the pickaxe in my hand and slammed it into the mineral in front of me, chipping away at it. My arms were sore, and even in my past life, I'd never done anything this labor-intensive.
All around me, small, pink alien-like creatures were doing the same. They had thin arms, legs, and overall skinny, muscleless bodies. If you were looking for efficient miners, we were the exact opposite of that. Unfortunately, the body of the alien I had stolen was just a simple mining slave on this planet.
To dial it back a bit - once, I was a normal person, living a normal life. I was a human on Earth who enjoyed the everyday life that every human did. Then, I got hit by a boat.
Yup, a boat. Not a car. Not a motorcycle. Not a train. Not even a plane - but a damn boat! I was just swimming one day, and then, BAM! Boat right in my face!
It was a lot more complicated why I was in that position in the first place, but I didn't want to think about that right now. Instead, I continued to swing my pickaxe as I thought over my situation in this new world.
After my death, I had been reborn - though I hadn't even known it. I had become a 'Zyle Slug,' which was essentially the equivalent of a worm on this planet, which was called 'Zyle.' Then, out of pure instinct, I had switched bodies with a mining slave and had become that mining slave.
That instinct was still within me, and even as a Zyhite watched over me, it urged me to take his body. In comparison to my small body, which was a race called 'Zylow,' the Zyhite's were the rulers of this planet and the upper-class. They were tall, standing at around 6 feet tall compared to my 3 feet, and all looked almost humanoid. The 'almost' part was because they were all jacked up to a 10 in the muscle department, and were like walking brick walls with purple skin.
The mineral mine I was in now was a typical place for a Zylow, as the two races shared the planet Zyle, but the Zylows were nothing more than slaves. They were born, they worked as slaves to gather materials for the Zyhites to use as they lived in luxury, and then they died. That was the life cycle of a Zylow.
But, even as my instincts screamed at me to turn around and take the body of the guard watching over me, I held back. I was glad that I had enough thought to take my time and was composed enough not to pull the trigger as they pushed me around. Right now, it wouldn't make sense to change bodies with a simple guard. Instead, I was waiting for one man in particular - the 'Owner.'
While most Zylows were too busy suffering and wallowing in pity to pay attention, I had been listening closely to the Zyhite guards' conversations and had figured out my way out of this life of slavery. The Zyhite's here were essentially minimum-wage workers - they worked for a man who owned and oversaw countless slave mines across Zyle.
Who would've thought that this random planet would have discovered capitalism? Maybe that was just a destined path for any society, but it worked out for me in this situation. Once a year, the owner of the mine would come visit the mine to ensure everything was running as he expected. The Zyhite guards were hired and fired pretty often, as per usual with expendable workers, and as a result, only the 'Slave Camp Manager' would be allowed to meet with the owner once he arrived.
Luckily, that 'once a year' was coming up only two weeks after I took over this body. If I risked taking over the body of a guard early, then I'd have to blend in with the other workers until I could figure out who the manager was, and then use the manager's body to jump to the owner's.
So, instead, I chose to stick it out and suffer for two weeks as a Zylow. From what the guards were saying, I had deduced that the owner would pretty much be given a private tour by the manager of the entire mine - including this room, where I mined every day. He would come oversee the operation for a single day, and that was when I would strike.
I'd take the owner's body, instantly ascend to the top of Zyle society, and figure out where the hell I was. I had never heard of a planet called 'Zyle' before in my previous life, and I wasn't sure where I had been reincarnated. This could be as simple as it was another planet within the same world where I had lived on Earth, and it just hadn't been discovered yet, or I could be in an entirely different universe.
But, right now, there was no time to focus on that. Instead, I simply slammed my pickaxe forward, continuing to mine as I bided my time. Soon, the owner would know how it felt to be a slave.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is the fifth quarry, sir! It's one of our most efficient ones! Currently, it generates around-"
"Blah, whatever. Just show me the inside, and move along," Behind me, two voices spoke, and the day had finally come. I glanced over my shoulder, still swinging my pickaxe down so as not to draw any attention to myself.
For the first time, I saw the manager of this slave camp - a large purple Zyhite that didn't look too dissimilar from the guards, as he looked human-like and had a strong jaw, but along with it a misshapen and somewhat ugly face.
To his side was who I assumed was the owner - and, judging by his clothing, I was likely correct. When I had thought about this very man, I had always assumed he'd be an old, fat, balding purple man, as most people who built up wealth over a long life tended to be, but he was actually the opposite.
Similar to the jacked and muscular guards, the man definitely hit the gym daily, but leaned out more than the muscle-mass steroid-using guards. He still had a bald purple head, but along with it was a handsome face with a sharp jaw, and he was wearing a pretty fancy-looking suit.
"This is so boring, babe… when are we leaving?"
And, by his side, was the first female Zyhite I had seen - which was, notably, not a muscular monster like the men were. She looked almost humanoid aside from her pink skin, and had long, dark-purple hair, along with smooth skin and a fit body that was evident through her skimpy outfit, which consisted of booty-shorts and a crop-top.
"Soon, soon," The owner grunted back, brushing past the manager as he stepped into the mining cavern, then glanced around the dark tunnel at all the Zylows, "Disgusting little creatures, huh? They make me sick… but they do good work."
He scoffed as he glared around, and the manager looked too afraid to say anything as he turned back to the door.
"Alright, just show me the next room, I've seen enough. I might get sick from looking at these bastards so muc-"
"Change," My voice was low, sounding like a murmur as I stared directly at the owner's face. A second later, a beam of bright yellow light shot out from my mouth, and at the same time, one shot forward from his mouth as well. My soul popped out of the small pink body, launching forward past his, and then suddenly I was much taller.
My eyes went wide as I felt my new body - it was strong as hell! I didn't know if it was just because I'd been in the Zylow for two weeks now, but I felt like I had not only a lot more strength, but more energy than I'd ever had in my entire life - this one and my past one! I frequented the gym in my past life, but right now, I feel like I could bicep-curl a car!
"W-What the hell was that?! What the hell did you do?!" As I was admiring my new body, the camp owner was 'admiring' his own as he panicked, looking down, and then to me as I was sure a million thoughts crossed his head.
"T-That's me! B-But, I'm here? I'm short… W-What did you do?!" He hissed, glaring at me, but unfortunately for him, he was no longer in charge.
"Hey, that little creature just attacked me. You saw that, right?" I asked, glancing over at the manager, who nodded rapidly at my words. I wasn't sure if he really saw the change-beam or not, but either way, he wasn't going to argue with his boss.
"I-I apologize for that, sir! I'll deal with him right away!" The manager stomped forward past me, raising his hand at my former body.
"What are you doing, you damn moron?! Figure out what the fuck just happened, or it won't just be your job, but your head, and your entire family who-" My eyes went wide as the manager's palm glowed with a bright light, and then a second later, a pure-yellow ball of light shot forward.
It slammed into the small, pink being that was now the former owner, and shaved through him in an instant. In an explosion of smoke and blood, his head was vaporized - one second it was there, and the next, the headless corpse fell onto its back as a pool of blood formed around it.
Was that… a Ki blast? It had been fast, and I wasn't entirely focused on the attack since I didn't expect it, but it certainly looked like one. There were a lot of worlds that used similar light-based attacks and techniques, so I couldn't be certain, but in that moment, I felt like I learned a lot about this new world.
I wasn't just on some random planet, in a random world. No…
I was in Dragon Ball. I was in Dragon Ball, with a technique that let me switch bodies by saying 'change.' All the puzzle pieces clicked together, and I wasn't sure if I should be ecstatic or curse my luck in that moment.
I was in Dragon Ball, and I was fucking Ginyu!
In my second body, I discovered how it felt to be weak.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hah. I still don't know why you pity those little worthless creatures, Yaka!" The man in front of me shouted, lashing out with a powerful punch. I leaned to the side, letting it brush past me as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Power that you're born with means nothing," I replied bluntly, leaning again as he followed up with another punch, and then stepping forward as my own arm shot forward, "I will respect strength that is gained, but this power we are born with doesn't set us apart from them."
"Hah!" He quickly crossed his arms, letting the punch hit his guard as he slid back a bit from the blow, "Who would've thought the owner of slave camps would have such a change of heart!"
Right now, I was standing in a large training ground, which was in the middle of a castle-like structure. Towering stone walls rose high into the air around us, and numerous servants went about their duties, cleaning and preparing my dinner for the night. I could say without a doubt that I had chosen the correct body to steal - because this guy was fuckin' loaded!
His name, or my name now, was Yaka. And, on Zyle, I was pretty much the equivalent of a trillionaire - yes, not a billionaire, but a trillionaire! I was the sole member of a prestigious family that made its fortune from slave labor, and I had more money than I knew what to do with. The prior owner of the body had used these funds to pretty much bully Zylows and have origies with strippers, but I didn't intend to follow his lifestyle.
Instead, over the past year, I had been using that money to explore Zyle and get a better grasp of this planet. It definitely wasn't what I expected after my first experience was mining in a cave for hours on end, because Zyle was actually… pretty nice. It was no Earth, but if there was any random alien planet in Dragon Ball to end up on, this one was towards the top.
It had a genuine society, with a government put in place, and grand architecture in the same way Earth did. There were jobs, sporting events, good food, and even pets - but, what made it most like Earth was its currency. A bill with the face of some old Zyhite on it, and which acted in the same way a dollar would on Earth - and, just like on Earth, having enough money gave you damn-near unlimited power. Picking this body, which was the richest on all of Zyle, was definitely the right call.
"I just came to my senses," I hummed, ducking as the man across from me spun in place, his leg lashing out at my head, but sailing over it. I used the position against him, stepping forward before he could stabilize, and slamming a punch directly into his gut.
"Guh!" He spat out, the force causing him to stumble backwards and then fall onto his ass.
The man didn't look too dissimilar to most of the Zyhite's here, looking like a purple-skinned human with huge muscles, a sharp jaw, and a pretty handsome face. His name was Yoka - yes, only one letter off from this body's 'Yaka.' I wasn't sure if it was partially because of our similar names, but this man was my best friend - or, the best friend of this body, more like. Because, overall, I definitely didn't consider the man a friend or really like him all that much.
But, he did have one use - he was damn good at fighting! Or, at least I thought he was, but I had never fought a day in my life before taking over this body, so I didn't really know. Over the past month, I had been training with him daily, learning how to genuinely fight and how to manipulate the energy in my body.
I'd also taken the time to pull some information out from him, but unfortunately, it seemed that Zyle had no contact or even knowledge of any other planets in the universe. There were a one-planet society, so nothing he told me could confirm that I was really in Dragon Ball.
But, as I learned to manipulate the energy in my body, which the Zyhite's called 'Zyli' but that I was pretty sure was Ki, my belief about the world I was in just grew stronger. The energy could be used to enhance your physical attributes, making you overall stronger and faster from having more of it, as well as create blasts and beams of energy.
Essentially, it sounded a lot like Ki, and that was because I was pretty sure it was Ki. The existence of Ki only further led to my assumption that I was indeed Ginyu, which gave me a lot of information. I knew that Ginyu's purple-alien body wasn't his first one, but I didn't expect this planet, Zyle, to have been his original home. Or, maybe this hadn't been his original home, but he had taken one of the bodies after invading the planet?
Somehow, he had found that stronger body, and then came into contact with Frieza to serve under him. I didn't know how, as this planet was cut off from any contact with the rest of the universe, but I had one prevailing theory: Zyle would one day be conquered.
Frieza, or more likely the Frieza Force, would likely find this planet and massacre every living being on it in order to sell it. I didn't know when that would happen, as it could occur in just a few weeks, or possibly decades from now, but I did know one thing: I needed to be prepared.
Which was why, for the past year since I took over this body, I had been training daily with Yoka. At first, it had been a very one-sided training, as while this body was strong and brimming with Ki, I didn't actually know how to fight. I could only rely on the instincts ingrained into this vessel, and as a result, I had gotten my ass kicked a lot of times.
But, as I walked forward and offered a hand to Yoka, who was still sitting on his ass after taking a fist to the chest, I found out I was a quick learner. It had only taken me a month to start getting a few sparring wins here and there, and after six months, I was handily stronger than him. Now, after an entire year, I could defeat him pretty effortlessly.
Which was actually quite the feat - as Yoka wasn't just a random Zyhite. No, he was this body's best friend, but the way to become best friends with a trillionaire wasn't simple - you either had to have money yourself, or have another quality that made people with power see you as an equal. In this case, Yoka had gotten this body's attention by being the strongest man on all of Zyle.
Or, he was. Now, that was pretty clearly me. It didn't fill me with extreme confidence, as regarding the grander world of Dragon Ball, this planet was definitely lower on the power spectrum. I could barely summon a Ki blast capable of destroying a large mountain, much less an entire planet. But this body was certainly talented, and I didn't intend to give it up anytime soon. It was brimming with potential, and I wouldn't mind keeping it for the rest of my time in this world.
I had learned a lot in the past year, but there was still much more to learn. I couldn't relax yet, as the looming threat of Frieza was forever hanging overhead.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yaka! Yaka! Look this way!"
"Yaka! Can my children get a picture with you?!"
"Yaka, are you ever going to enter the arena again?!"
"YAKA CAN YOU SIGN MY TITS?!"
I ignored the screams below me, casually flying over the streets of Zyle's biggest city, known as Zygin. The people here really weren't very good at naming things, as pretty much every city just had a variation of 'Zy' at the front.
Since my taking over of this body, five years had passed, and they had been action-filled years. As time continued to pass, and there was no sign of Frieza, I had become more comfortable on this planet, and had used all my power to my advantage. With limitless amounts of money and the most power on the entire planet, it hadn't been difficult to rise to power.
I had fought in the 'arena' - a colosseum-esque battleground used to determine the strongest man every year, and which was the biggest sporting event on Zyle. And, every year for the past four, I had won it - rising to fame not just for my riches, but also my power. I had then used that fame to rise even higher, amassing my riches and power to take office, and eventually, become this planet's version of a King - that being a 'Zyruler.' Very creative name, right?
From then, I had ended the slavery of the Zylows, and then worked to start including them in normal Zyle society. It wasn't easy, but I was close to turning this planet into a true utopia, with World Peace and everything!
But, while there was no Frieza invasion yet, and I was starting to doubt if it would ever happen, that didn't mean I slacked in my training in the slightest. I continued to train my body, Ki, and fighting abilities as I soared further beyond Yoka and beyond anyone else on this planet. At this point, I could create a Ki blast strong enough to destroy entire mountain ranged, but I knew that wouldn't be enough. If Frieza really came for this planet one day, having the power to destroy mere mountains would be nothing compared to his power, or even the power of his average soldiers. And, unfortunately for me, I was about to find out that I had much less time to train than I originally thought.
"Yaka, there's a problem," I glanced to my side as I landed in front of the towering structure that was my mansion-like home, and was instantly greeted by my longtime training partner, Yoka.
"What is it?" I raised an eyebrow at him, and at his next words, my eyes went wide.
"A spaceship," He said bluntly, reaching down as he held up a Yaka-pad - one of the many improvements in technology I had used my endless supply of money to create over the past years, and which was pretty much just a tablet - which had a small picture on it, "It crashed into Zylom city just a few minutes ago, and the person inside…"
My eyes were wide as I stared at the picture, because it looked very familiar - a round, white ball, with a purple-red window on the front, which was pulled outward as it was lowered down.
"A Saiyan pod," I muttered, my eyes wide at the sight, and Yoka just looked at me curiously.
"You know what it is?" He asked curiously, and I nodded quickly as I became a bit urgent.
"Do you know who was inside of it?! When did it land?!" I pressed, speaking quickly as Yoka leaned back a bit from my urgency.
"J-Just a few minutes ago! A-And, there was a man inside of it, but not like one I've ever seen before," Yoka answered quickly, looking a bit nervous at my intense gaze, "I-It was a being who looked similar to us, but with white skin! White skin, and he was wearing strange-looking armor! He was very short, and… here… I think there's a picture…"
Yoka swiped his finger on the tablet a couple of times, navigating to this planet's version of a texting software, and then pulling up another picture that had been sent to him. This time, it showed a figure standing a few feet in front of the pod, and my eyes widened.
True to Yoka's words, the man had white skin - because he looked very similar to a human. However, calling him a 'man' was a bit of a stretch, as the short figure looked like they were a late-teenager as they looked to be short with a small, but muscular, frame. Their face was still a bit chubby, and they had spikey brown hair on top of their head. Overall, I'd say they were around 18 or 19, maybe 20, years old.
"A Saiyan," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at the picture. The boy was wearing the typical Saiyan and Frieza Force armor, with two protruding shoulder pads and three going down past his waist. However, he wasn't any Saiyan I recognized, which at least helped me learn a bit more about this world.
"I'm early," I said the words bluntly, ignoring Yoka as he gave me a confused look.
I was in the world of Dragon Ball, but I was early in the timeline - at least, I was before the Saiyans were sent to near-extinction by Frieza. I had suspected as much, as while I had the Ginyu 'Change Beam' technique, I wasn't certain if I truly was Ginyu. I could've just coincidentally had a similar skill to him, and while all the purple Zyhites looked somewhat similar to what I expected Ginyu's race to look like, I had been a bit doubtful about truly being Ginyu. If Ginyu were a Zyhite, then that meant that he would've done something similar to what I had done on this planet, that being taking the strongest body he could find. Now, this Saiyan's appearance confirmed it to me: I was Ginyu.
I was on the planet he had grown up on, and there was even a possibility I was in canon Ginyu's same body right now. I didn't look all that similar to him, as while I was purple, my face was more ridged and much less ugly. But, there was a good chance that Ginyu would've been in this body at one point, and then just chosen a different body that suited his style better later on. This one certainly wasn't the strongest, as while it was quite strong, I had been the one to make it the strongest - with no small amount of help from this body's insane learning potential. And, as I was confirmed to be Ginyu, a lot more was confirmed as well.
I was early in the timeline - before the Ginyu Force had been formed, before Planet Vegeta had been destroyed at Frieza's hands, and before any of the events of Dragon Ball. I had suspected as much, but it meant a lot for me, and how I could continue to act in this world. I had hoped that I would've been either far after, or far before, the main events, and that I wasn't even Ginyu in general, so I wouldn't have to fight for my life, but that was out the window now.
Right now, I was in a lot of danger as this Saiyan arrived. Everything I had spent building up over the past four years on Zyle could be erased right here, and it would all depend on me. The Saiyan looked to still be a child, which meant I had a good chance of defeating him. While I didn't have a scouter or any surefire way to gauge my own power level, I knew that I wasn't anywhere near someone like Frieza, as I could, at best, destroy a large chunk of the planet at full power - not an entire planet with an effortless attack. But a Saiyan child wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful as Frieza was either, so I still had a chance. I could defend this planet and ensure that everything I had set up over the past years wasn't wiped away.
"Follow me," I said bluntly, not giving Yoka a chance to respond as my legs tensed. Then, I launched upwards and took flight.
I blasted forward through the air, the ground blurring under me as Yoka followed at a much slower pace behind me, and I headed towards Zylom city. As I did, despite covering literal thousands of miles, it only took me around a minute to reach my destination. And, as I did, my eyes went wide.
Zylom city was a large, towering city - one of the biggest on all of Zyle. It had literal skyscrapers, crossing streets, and a population that exceeded nearly every other city on Zyle. But right now, I couldn't see any of that.
Instead, in front of my eyes, was pure destruction. Smoke filled the air as fires ran along the city, citizens were running in fear, and craters littered the floor. It looked as if the apocalypse had come early, as the once proud city stood in ruin. My body tensed at the sight, as it confirmed my suspicions. It was only a child Saiyan who had arrived here, but that didn't mean he was weak. In just a few minutes, he had torn an entire city to shreds.
"Z-Zylom?" Yoka stuttered behind me, his eyes going wide with horror as he stared at the destruction in front of us. As he spoke, my expression hardened as I steeled myself and then narrowed my eyes.
I wasn't an expert on sensing energy, as it wasn't a natural ability for Zyhites to have, and I didn't have an Earthling teacher to show me the ropes. But, through trial and error over the past few years, I had gotten a pretty good grasp of it. As a result, as I narrowed my eyes, I could lightly sense all the energy signatures in the city in front of us, as well as a massive one that stood out from the normal civilians.
I wasn't experienced enough in sensing energy to get a good read on just how powerful he was, but the Saiyan's power at least dwarfed the average Zyhite in the city, even if that wasn't saying much. In the end, to find out just how I matched up against him, the only thing I could do was meet him personally.
"Keep your guard up. Don't relax for even a second," I told Yoka bluntly as I launched forward, bursting through the air and in the direction of the Saiyan's energy signature. The destroyed city blurred around me as Yoka followed me, and finally, I reached the Saiyan.
He was standing in the middle of a road, casually waving his hand as a ball of Ki turned a building into a sea of flames. My eyes went wide at the casual destruction of an entire building, but my eyes shifted and narrowed quickly as I took advantage of the situation. As his back was turned to me, I took the chance to launch forward with my fist raised. I wasn't a slimy fighter or anything, but in a situation like this, I had no shame in using a sneak attack. This wasn't a battle in the colosseum - this was a situation of life or death, and I'd do whatever it took to ensure I was the one living.
However, as my fist neared the back of his head, the short Saiyan abruptly moved - spinning around and effortlessly catching my fist. I grunted, glaring at his chubby face as I quickly yanked my fist back, and then backpedalled a bit to create space.
"That punch… was pretty good," The Saiyan muttered, looking a bit surprised as he reached down into a pocket in his armor. He pulled his hand back out, then placed a green scouter on his face, and clicked the side of it once, "Almost 300? On a planet like this?"
I clicked my tongue in annoyance at his words, as while he sounded impressed, I had a better idea of where a power level of 300 stood in the grand scheme of this world. In the early days of Dragon Ball, it was a power level high enough to be nearly unbeatable, as Master Roshi had destroyed the entire moon with a power level lower than that. But once Z came around, and the stakes were raised, it became a pitifully small number. Even someone like Raditz, who was an early-story villain who was immediately outclassed by all the Z-Fighters before the next arc, was many times stronger than 300.
Sufficient to say, it was pathetically weak. As I realized that the last four years of my life, where I'd trained my ass off daily to become by far the strongest person on Zylom, essentially amounted to nothing, I was a bit discouraged. But now wasn't the time to be discouraged. Instead, I shifted into a fighting stance and narrowed my eyes at the Saiyan.
"You've impressed me. You're worthy of hearing my name before your death, warrior," The Saiyan smirked over at me, raising his hand as he jutted his thumb into his chest, "My name is Gherk, and I'm a Saiyan Warrior from-"
He was promptly cut off as I lunged forward, my legs tensing and bursting off the ground as my fist shot for his face again. He was caught off guard by the sudden attack and barely managed to lean backwards and avoid the punch by mere inches.
"W-What the hell?! You honorless bastard!" Gherk hissed, stumbling back as I didn't answer him, instead lashing out with another fist aimed for his gut. His arms shot upward, crossing in front of his stomach and managing to block the blow as he slid back a few feet.
"I was impressed by your power level, but I should've expected as much from a lowly creature like yourself!" Gherk grunted, uncrossing his arms as he tensed and shifted into his own fighting stance, "You know nothing of honor!"
Honor? I would worry about honor when there wasn't a Saiyan trying to destroy my new home! Actually, I probably wouldn't, because honor meant nothing in a battle to the death. When you were dead, all your honor died with you.
"Shut up and fight," I grunted back, my hand flashing upwards as a small Ki blast launched towards him. Gherk's hand shot up in response, slashing to the side and sending the Ki blast launching away, but his eyes went wide as he did.
It only took a second for him to deflect the Ki blast, but that second was more than enough for me to lunge forward. With his vision blocked by the Ki blast, and then his own hand, he wasn't prepared as my fist snapped forward. It made contact, smacking directly into the front of his face, and sending his head snapping backwards.
"G-Guh! You-" Ghrek started to yell angrily, but I didn't give him the chance to recover as I stepped forward, taking advantage of his disorientation. My other fist shot upward, slamming an upper-cut into his gut, and get let out another grunt of pain as he slumped over the blow.
However, that was the least of his worries, as my first hand pulled back and opened into a flat palm. A ball of Ki formed on my palm, and then shot point-blank into Ghrek's face. It exploded outwards in a cloud of smoke as he stumbled backwards, clutching at his face in pain.
"YOU BASTARD!" He finally screamed, glaring at me venomously as his body tensed again, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
"Can you be any more cliche?" I just muttered back, my body still in a fighting stance as my eyes narrowed at him. I had put pretty much all of my strength into those punches, and if it had been any Zyhite I was fighting, they would've already been dead.
The short exchange confirmed a few things for me - firstly, that his power level was definitely a lot higher than mine. The lack of damage he took proved that. But it also confirmed to me that he wasn't a very experienced fighter. That made sense, since he looked to be barely 18 or 19, and was on the younger side. He wouldn't have been in as many battles compared to myself, who had been fighting tirelessly in the colosseum for the past four years, as well as training with Yoka.
In the end, it was skill vs. power. I had the upper hand in terms of skill, but he had the upper hand in terms of power. It wouldn't be an easy fight, as I'd have to wear him down slowly while ensuring I didn't take too many blows in the process. If he was tanking my attacks like they were nothing, then I had to assume that he had enough power to hit like a truck. I was in a bad, but not unwinnable, position, where I had to land significantly more blows on him than he had to land on me.
As he glared at me, and then his legs tensed, I quickly realized just how Herculean of a task this was about to be. He launched forward, and I felt like my eyes had skipped a frame. One moment, he was roughly a dozen feet away from me, and then suddenly, his fist was about to slam into my face. The world seemed to feel the same, as a trail of wind blasted out behind him, and rubble from the street went launching outwards, after he had already moved.
I tilted my head, my fist shooting upward again as his fist barely brushed past my cheek, and I responded with a fist to his gut. He grunted from the blow, but as I wasn't able to put my full power into the upper-cut while dodging his attack, he wasn't all that bothered by the punch. Instead, his other fist launched forward, and when I tried to twist my body out of the way again, I was too slow.
"F-Fuck," I hissed as the fist pounded into the side of my head, and my feet were pulled off the ground entirely from the force. I was sent flying sideways, but I quickly lashed out with my arms, placing my palms flat against the ground as I pushed down and flipped back onto my feet as a result.
I didn't even have time to breathe as I landed, as Gherk was already on me again, his shadow casting over me for only half a second before his attack made contact. I crossed my forearms in front of my chest and braced, right as his knee drove into my guard like a battering ram, and I was sent skidding a few feet backwards. My breath was dragged out of me in a choking cough, and my boots scraped backwards as I dug trenches into the broken street. I grunted, spitting out a glob of blood casually as my arms were aching from the impact, and my ribs screamed in protest even with blocking the blow. When I suspected he would have the strength to hit like a truck, I was definitely right.
"Where'd the confidence go, huh?! You're nothing without cheap tricks!" Gherk snarled at me, his lips curved into a cocky grin as his body tensed again, "Come on! Don't get scared now!"
This prick was really starting to piss me off, but I didn't let him get in my head. Instead, I tensed my body, and I was ready as he shot forward again. His fist moved so quickly that I could barely keep track of it, looking like just a blur of knuckles. I twisted as quickly as I could, and it was barely enough as the punch grazed across my cheek and ripped open skin. I countered with a quick, straight jab to the center of his chest, but it only staggered him slightly as he barely felt it. My leg swept forward quickly, slamming the side of my foot into the middle of his leg, and ripping his balance out from under him.
As he fell harshly onto the ground, I followed up by leaning forward and swinging my fist towards his chest. However, as he hit the ground, his body shifted, and he shoved himself to the side and then leapt to his feet faster than I was prepared for.
As I was still leaning forward, he slammed both hands together overhead and brought them down like a hammer. I yanked my body back up, barely raising my guard in time, and the pavement beneath my feet cracked as his fists hit my guard. My legs buckled under the force pinning me down, and I barely remained standing as my spine screamed and black spots danced in my vision. I was certain now - not only did he hit like a truck, he hit like a fuckin' eighteen-wheeler!
"Regretting your cowardly actions now, huh?! Where's all that confidence gone-" Ghrek started to mock as his hands pressed down onto my guard, but he was cut off as I lashed out with my hand, slipping straight through his crossed arms, and it cracked right into his nose.
The weight lifted off my guard as his head snapped backwards with a pained grunt. However, he recovered quickly, his leg instantly lashing out and aiming for my gut. But, before it made contact and sent me into a world of pain, a Ki blast zipped through the air and made contact with his side. I grinned as a cloud of smoke appeared in the air, and I backpedaled to create space as a figure landed next to me.
"Took you long enough," I smirked lightly at Yoka, "Were you having fun watching?"
"I wish I were. I couldn't find an opening to intervene," Yoka shook his head lightly, his face steeled as he looked nervously at Ghrek, "He's way too fast. I can barely keep track of your movements, but I couldn't even see him moving at all."
Fair enough. I had long since surpassed the point where Yoka could give me anything except a good spar, so I didn't think he'd be much help in this fight. But, so far, me and Ghrek had been pretty even, as I'd avoided taking many major blows and had landed a lot in return. If we were of equal strength, I'd be easily ahead, but with the power gap, I'd say we were about equal right now. Yoka, even if he wouldn't be much help, could be exactly what I needed to bridge that gap.
"But… he's really strong, isn't he? To be able to stand up to you, Yaka…" Yoka trailed off, his face uncertain as his hands clenched into fists, "Can we… can we win this?"
I blinked, glancing over at Yoka with a bit of confusion. The usually confident, loud, and boisterous Yoka looked… nervous?
"Whether we can or not is irrelevant. We must, or else, we'll die along with everyone else on this planet," I answered bluntly, "Why ask such a question? Words are useless now. We must fight, or else, we will die."
"Hah… that's easier said than done. You've changed a lot over the past few years, haven't you, Yaka?" Yoka grunted back. I could see that his clenched fists were shaking lightly, and sweat formed on his brow as he looked at Ghrek, "How can you be so logical in a situation like this? Do you not feel fear, Yaka?"
For a moment, I didn't respond because I didn't know how to. Fear? Right now, I certainly didn't feel fear. I felt the desire to defeat the Saiyan in front of me and protect the planet that I had grown to love over the past few years. I felt anger that he wanted to take that away. And, I felt uncertain about whether I could defeat him. But, fear?
Truly, I couldn't remember the last time I had felt fear. When I was still in the body of that small, useless snail? Maybe, but I didn't remember it. Even when I had been a weak, enslaved Zylow, I hadn't feared my captors, and instead only felt anticipation at taking their bodies. Now, in this body that had defeated countless men in the Colosseum, and had rarely even come close to being defeated, I certainly hadn't felt fear. This situation was no different.
"GRAH! You're really pissin' me off now! A two-on-one?! I won't mess around any longer, you pricks!" I narrowed my eyes as Ghrek screamed angrily, his power blasting outward in a white veil around him, and the ground cratered under his feet. Then, my eyes snapped open and went wide as he vanished into thin air.
"FUCK!" Or, more specifically, he looked like he vanished into thin air as he moved faster than my eyes could even track. In a split second, he appeared in front of me, and his fist was in my gut.
My body was flung backwards, my abs feeling like they had just shattered from the single blow, and I was sent flipping head over heels with spit flying from my mouth. Finally, I slammed roughly into the ground and clutched at my abs as I pushed myself to my feet. As I did, my eyes went wide with horror as I looked forward.
"Hah, so only one of you is strong? That makes things easier," Ghrek chuckled, his hand clutched around Yoka's neck and squeezing the air out of it. My four-year best friend on this planet clutched at the hand desperately, but he wasn't given any reprieve as Ghrek raised his palm, and then a point-blank Ki blast slammed into Yoka's face.
A moment later, Yoka's struggling ceased, and his body went limp. He was dead.
I was conflicted as I stared at the sight, anger welling up inside of me. Yoka was really dead, just like that, in a single instant.
Was he a racist, slave-owning, immoral piece of shit? Yes. But he was also my best friend.
For that reason, I pushed myself to my feet shakily, ready to avenge my friend. But I blinked as I did, glancing down and wondering why my balance felt so uneven. Why my hands were shaking. Why I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. Had his attack injured me more than I thought? But he hadn't hit my legs, and an injury shouldn't increase my heart rate so drastically. Was it because I was angry? No, I had been angry before, but it was never so debilitating.
As I glanced back up at Yoka's leftless corpse, my body felt cold, and a chill went down my spine. Ah, it wasn't because I was angry. I glanced down, looking at my hand as it twitched and shook.
It's because I was afraid.
In that moment, it confirmed to me that never, in life or the last one, had I ever truly been afraid. I had maybe felt small pulses of anxiety or nervousness - the kinds that come when taking a major test in school, or giving a presentation. I had felt the increase in adrenaline that came from skydiving or driving far over the speed limit, but never had I felt true fear.
It felt hard to move, as my legs suddenly became anchors. My blood felt cold, and no matter how hard I tried, my heart wouldn't slow down. My body shook involuntarily, and I felt an urge within me spring up, demanding that I run away. Demanding that I protect my own life and flee from the Saiyan in front of me.
"Ah… so this is what you felt, Yoka?" I muttered, glancing forward at my dead friend, "I can see why you were so worried now."
The fear of death staring you down, where only your own actions could prevent it, was like nothing I had ever felt before. Right now, I was undoubtedly, unashamedly, afraid. And, as Yoka stood by my side despite feeling this fear, I had only gained more respect for the man. He might've been a piece of shit, but he was a brave piece of shit.
"Hah! What, now that you're alone again, you're not feeling so tough anymore, huh?!" Ghrek shouted toward me, sweeping with his hand as he tossed Yoka aside like a rag doll, "Don't worry, you'll be joining him soon enough!"
In that moment, I opened my mouth, and a single word almost came out. Right now, I had a way to alleviate all this fear, and a way to protect my own life - I just had to say one word, and then the powerful Saiyan's body would be mine.
"No… I won't make the same mistakes he did," I muttered, referring to the actual Ginyu. The man who had valued power above all else and had thrown away his body to take Goku's. He had failed because he didn't know how to fight with that body, nor how to utilize Goku's power.
It was the easy way out, and anything that was easy would never be worth anything. There was a reason that an undeserved victory would always feel hollow, and I wouldn't take the easy path.
"I'll kill you," I said simply, shifting into a fighting stance, even as my body protested. My breathing sounded like a roar in my ears, my heart was beating beyond its limits, and my limwere bs shaking lightly. But Yoka had fought with this fear, even if only for a few seconds before his death, and I would too.
"Kill me? You damn moron!" Ghrek smirked back, shifting back into his fighting stance as well, "I haven't forgiven all your dirty tricks! As much as I enjoy a good fight, you don't deserve one!"
As he finished speaking, he shot forward, bursting through the air and reaching me in the blink of an eye. But my eyes narrowed, and I was ready. I shifted to the side, letting his fist burst past my face and hit nothing but air. As it did, my leg swept forward, knocking him off balance as my own fist made contact with his face.
Ghrek grunted as he stumbled backwards from the force, but he wasn't bluffing about not taking the fight lightly anymore, because he caught himself quickly. From the close distance, I could smell his blood as a small trickle ran from his nose, which mixed with the smell of my own blood. His armor was scuffed, and a large crack ran down the center of the breastplate, but it was clear he was still mostly fresh, while I was already breathing heavily and feeling the strain of the battle.
My muscles screamed, and my lungs burned. The punch he had landed on my gut had done a number on me, and I could feel a warm wetness spreading across my stomach as blood flowed down onto the ground below. But I couldn't focus on that, because as Ghrek stabilized himself, he let out a loud, pissed off roar.
"Bastard!" He screamed, and a flare of white Ki shot up around him again.
He shot forward again, moving a bit faster this time, and I barely managed to lean to the side as his fist shot for my face but brushed past. His other fist followed up, and I managed to barely block it as I jerked up my forearm, but the force made my arm ache and feel numb. Luckily, the adrenaline in my body did some heavy lifting, so I completely disregarded the pain.
"You're getting sloppy!" Ghrek grunted as he stepped forward, his fist shooting forward, but then abruptly feinting. His leg shot upward unexpectedly, and then I was sent flying as his knee slammed into my gut.
I was sent flying backwards, but I quickly righted myself as I flipped in the air and landed on my feet. I skidded backwards, my boots tearing through the broken pavement as I dug trenches into the street.
"Has any ever told you that you talk way too fuckin' much?" I grunted back, spitting out another glob of blood. As I did, Ghrek shot forward again, and I braced myself.
I could already tell this was going to be a long fight. He was faster and stronger, but I was a better fighter, and I had to use that to my advantage. That was my only way to win here.
As he neared me, I didn't dodge this time. Instead, I met him head-on, cocking back my arm as he did the same. We both launched our attacks forward, the air breaking around our knuckles as our fists collided in the middle of the air, and a shockwave of force blasted out from the point of impact. Dust and debris were sent flying from the impact, and the sheer force of the blow sent me sliding backwards, with more trenches being torn in the ground under me as my arm was screaming in protest, but I held my ground.
"You actually managed to match-" Ghrek grunted, but his eyes went wide with surprise as I stepped inward, showcasing to him just why I had decided to take his punch head-on.
I twisted my body, my other arm cocking back, and then springing forward as the entire force of my body went into the blow. This was something I had quickly realized was pretty unknown on Zyle - proper technique. Back in my original world, this was the very basics of boxing, as you wanted to put as much strength into your punches as possible. To do that, you needed to generate power not just from the muscles in your arms, but from your entire body.
My fist uppercutted towards his gut, my body twisting as air twisted around my fist. Then, with a satisfying loud smack, I made contact. My fist twisted into his gut, causing Ghrek's eyes to go wide as blood and spit flew from his mouth. His entire body was picked up off the ground by the force of my punch, and as I followed through, he was sent flying backwards like a rag doll.
"GUH!" He spat out as his back slammed into the ground roughly, the street denting lightly under his weight, and I smirked at the deadly Saiyan.
"You'd do better if you didn't talk so much," I mocked him lightly, but I didn't let myself enjoy the small victory. I knew this fight was far from over.
"SHUT UP!" Ghrek snarled, shoving himself to his feet as an aura of white Ki spiked up around him for a third time, "YOU'RE JUST A DIRTY BASTARD!"
His anger wasn't for nothing, and I quickly regretted pissing off a Saiyan, as he only seemed to become faster as a result. He blitzed forward, breaking through the air as it swirled around him, and he threw a flurry of punches. His arms moved even faster than before, coming as a blur of motion that I could barely keep up with, but I certainly tried my best.
I dodged and weaved, my body aching with every movement, and I was forced to hold up my arms to block a few of his punches, but each one sent a jolt of pain through my body. I was a better fighter, but he was just too strong. Each blow sent pain reeling through me, and I could feel the bones in my arms physically cracking - I was getting worn down, and even if he was bloodied, bruised, and breathing heavily, he was far from finished. In this war of attrition, I had no way of winning. He was simply too strong and too tough.
I needed to change the dynamic, and I needed to do it quickly. As he threw another punch, I didn't dodge or block - instead, I lunged forward, letting his fist brush past my cheek and draw blood as my shoulder slammed into his chest. He grunted from the impact, stumbling backwards as I drove my shoulder into him, but I didn't stop. He was strong, but I was taller and heavier, and I used my weight and frame to my advantage. I kept driving forward, my feet tearing through the pavement as I shoved him back like a linebacker.
"Get off me, you bastard! What kind of dirty shit are you trying?!" Ghrek hissed, his fists slamming down onto my back as he hammered down at me, but I didn't give in.
I grunted from the impacts, my spine screaming in protest as it cracked and dented from the force of his simple blows, but I didn't let up. I kept pushing him backwards, my shoulder digging into his chest as I forced him to stumble backwards off-balance. I shoved him all the way across the street, my shoulder digging into his chest enough to bruise it, until he slammed into the side of a building with a loud crash. The building groaned, the wall cracking and crumbling from the force of the impact, and I gave him one final shove. He was flung backwards, falling onto his back as the wall crumbled and concrete fell onto his lying body.
I leapt back, creating some space between us as I raised my hands, and then launched a volley of Ki blasts. I knew that a mere collapsing building wouldn't be enough for someone like him. The Ki blasts exploded against the building, engulfing Ghrek in a cloud of smoke and fire as not just the wall, but the entire building started to crumble. Concrete slabs tumbled down from above, creating a mountain of debris where Ghrek had once been, and completely blocking him from my vision.
I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. My body was sore and bruised all over, so each breath caused a fresh wave of pain from my bruised ribs, but I didn't let my body quit on me. The world swam at the edges of my vision, black spots appeared within the dizzying world of flames around us, and I stumbled slightly as my legs felt weak. I had to end this, and I needed to end it soon. My body couldn't take much more of a beating.
For a moment, there was silence as Ghrek didn't break free from the pile. The only sounds were the crackling of the fires and the distant screams of the city's terrified inhabitants. For just a few seconds, I wondered if I had actually killed him with my Ki blasts. Then, reality was thrust upon me again.
With a loud explosion, the pile of debris was launched outward, streaking past my face in a blur. Then, from the smoke, a figure stumbled out. Ghrek stood there, his armor tattered and burned from the explosion, and a large gash on his forehead dripped blood into one of his eyes, but despite his wounds, he was grinning. A wide, maniacal grin stretched across his face from ear to ear, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Damn Saiyans, huh?
"Now this is a fight!" Ghrek roared, his grin doing the impossible as it got wider, and his Ki surged even higher than before.
The white veil shot up around him again, sparking in the air as his Ki filled the air. It was an immense amount, as a tidal wave of power literally washed over me and made my skin crawl. I had been pushing him, but I had only been making him angrier and more exicted. And an angry, excited Saiyan was one of the worst things you could ever be fighting against. My heart rate started beating quickly again, my blood-coated hand feeling cold, but I shoved down the gnawing fear in my gut. I had gone too far now, and I had no intention of backing down to this bastard.
"You're going to pay for spilling my blood, you useless bastard!" He shouted, his eyes flashing with rage as he seemed to share my sentiment.
Then, my eyes widened, and I tried to brace myself as he simply vanished. I had seen such a thing in the show - where someone moved so quickly that their opponent couldn't even see them - but it was a whole different monster to experience it. In a split second, before I could even move, a fist slammed into my jaw and snapped my head to the side. My vision swam, and I could taste blood as my teeth rattled.
I stumbled backwards, my feet tangling in the rubble, and then another fist slammed into my gut. I doubled over, my vision going white with pain as blood flew from my mouth. A third punch slammed into the front of my face, and my entire world spun again. I lost control of my body for a second, slumping to the side as I crumpled to the ground and was on the verge of unconsciousness. For a second, I resigned myself to my fate - I was simply too weak. I would have to take this Saiyans body, and give up on avenging Yoka entirely.
Then, I felt a surge of anger. Not at Ghrek, but instead, at myself. I was fuckin' Ginyu! I was fucking Ginyu, I was given a new chance at life in a world I could only have dreamed of entering, and I was about to lose pathetically at the very start?! To some no-name Saiyan who hadn't even appeared in the series?!
My eyes snapped back open, being bloodshot as blood pooled around my slumped body, and I was more than a bit pissed. I sure as hell wasn't going to lose to this fucker! I didn't train for years just to be beat by a young, no-name, low-class Saiyan!
"FUCK YOU!" I shouted bluntly, shoving myself off the ground as I lunged forward and my fist shot for Ghrek's face.
He was caught off guard by the sudden outburst, clearly thinking I was down for good as he towered over me, and my fist made contact. His head snapped back, and he stumbled backwards, a trail of blood flying from his mouth. I didn't give him a chance to recover as I stepped forward again, my fist shooting for his gut. He managed to block it, jerking up his arms and crossing them in front of his gut, but the force still sent him skidding backwards.
"I'm not losing to you, you fucking Saiyan!" I cursed, my body screaming in protest as I lunged forward again, my fist swinging widely for his face.
This time, he recovered and managed to dodge, but I was ready for it. My other fist shot forward, curving upward and making contact with his temple. His head snapped back again, his eyes glazing over slightly as he took a harsh blow to the head, and his body crumpled to the ground. He hit the ground hard, his arm bending unnaturally, and his body going limp in a split second. I raised my hand instantly, firing a final Ki blast into the man's limp body, which exploded into a cloud of dust.
I stood there for a moment, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath, and blood flowed down my face. It also flowed down my arms, legs, torso, and pretty much every part of me, as if someone had poured a massive jug of red paint over me. I was sore all over, aching in pain as blood pooled around me, but as I looked down at Ghrek's unconscious form, a surge of satisfaction welled up inside me. I had done it. I had beaten him. I, a Zyhite from a backwater planet, had beaten a Saiyan warrior.
"Take that, you fuckin' prick," I muttered, but karma came for me quickly.
Ghrek's eyes snapped open, as if his consciousness had been summoned by my words, and he was suddenly lunging through the smoke. He was on me in an instant, a blur of motion that my exhausted body couldn't hope to track. A fist slammed into my gut, and I was sent flying backwards. I slammed into the side of a building, blood flying from my mouth as the force of the impact knocked the wind out of me. I slumped to the ground again, my vision swimming as I reached up, clutching as my bleeding skull.
"You're a tough bastard, I'll give you that," Ghrek grunted, dragging his feet as he approached me, and then stood over me. He was bruised and bloodied, but he was still standing. And he was grinning with the same annoying maniacal grin that made my blood run cold.
"But this is the end of the line for you," He muttered, raising his hand as a ball of Ki formed in his palm, "I'll admit that you gave me more struggle than I expected on this low-ranking mission, but it ends here. You're dead now, you honorless fuck-"
I glared back at him as he spoke, the words sounding muffled as my ears were ringing, and my chest pounded as blood trailed out of my mouth. My hand clenched into a fist, and I forced my sore, broken body to move. I lunged forward, taking advantage of his monologuing as I tackled his legs, and Ghrek went falling back onto the ground. As he did, I lunged forward, tackling him as I pinned the smaller Saiyan to the ground.
His Ki blast flew into the air as he fell, exploding harmlessly into the empty sky as it missed me entirely. He looked up at me with shock, but before he could speak, I slammed my fist into his cheek. His head snapped to the side, and a spray of blood flew from his mouth.
"You and your cheap tricks-" he grunted, but before he could say more, I slammed my fist into his face again. His head snapped back, the back of his skull conking off the ground below, but I wasn't finished.
As he yanked his gaze back to me again, ready to throw me off of him, my head slammed forward. My bloody, sore forehead slammed into his, causing his eyes to go wide as his skull snapped back again.
"Guh!" He sputtered, spitting blood into my face as I reared back as well, my own skull throbbing from the headbutt.
My teeth gritted as I ignored the pain, and then I leaned forward, my arm going sideways as it pressed into his neck - pinning him to the ground with the side of my forearm and choking him.
"ARGH! YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!" Grek hissed out angerly, his body tensing and twisting as he tried to throw me off. He reached up, slamming his palm into my face as he tried to push me back, but I did what I needed to in order to survive. I wasn't proud of it, but in that moment, I didn't care.
I held on tight, and I opened my mouth, then bit down hard on the bloody hand pressed into my face.
"GRAH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Ghrek roared, but I ignored him as my other hand clawed at his face.
My fingers, slick with my own blood, found purchase on his cheek, and I dug my nails in deep. He screamed again as blood welled up from the fresh wounds, and I was only fueled on by the sound. Right now, I was the weakling. I was the cornered animal, and I would fight with everything I had. I wasn't lucky enough to be able to care about something like pride or honor.
As I held him down, one of my fingernails tearing off as I clawed into his face, my knee shot upward, slamming into his gut again and again, and his struggles weakened with each blow. His armor was already cracked and dented, but with each knee, it cracked further. Finally, with one last powerful knee to the gut, the armor under my knee gave way, and it shattered into pieces as it left a large hole in the chestplate. My knee slammed into the flesh underneath, and Ghrek's eyes bulged as the air was driven from his lungs in a painful gasp.
"H-honor… l-less… b-bastard…" He gasped, his struggles growing weaker and weaker as he became air-deprived.
I didn't respond with words, instead pulling my head back and then slamming it forward again. My forehead cracked into his nose, and with a sickening crunch, it broke - spraying a fresh coat of blood onto my face. As the blood drenched my face, I could feel the bone give way under the force of the blow. Ghrek was dazed now, his eyes glazing over as he struggled to stay conscious. His body was limp, and he was barely fighting back anymore.
I shifted my position, my hands wrapping around his throat as I pinned him to the ground and didn't give him the chance to recover. His eyes went wide with a mixture of fear and rage as he realized what was happening. As he realized that he was truly about to die here.
He tried to struggle, but he was too weak. His hands slapped weakly at my arms, but I held on tight. I squeezed, my fingers digging into the soft flesh of his neck. His eyes bulged even more, and a gurgling sound escaped his lips as he fought for air.
"Is… is this what you wanted, fucker?" I grunted, my face inches from his as I choked the life out of him, my bloodshot eyes boring into his fearful ones, "You wanted a fight? You wanted to kill everyone on this planet? You wanted to kill me? You were having fun, weren't you? You were excited about the fight! Are you still excited now?!"
His struggles grew even weaker, his face turning a shade of purple as the oxygen was cut off from his brain. His eyes, which had been burning with rage just moments before, now held much more than a hint of fear. He was scared. No, I would even say he was downright terrified right now.
"I-I can't… I can't… I can't… die… on this… weak… planet…" He managed to gasp out, but the words were barely audible. His hands stopped slapping at my arms, and fell limp at his sides as his strength faded entirely.
"Even in your final moments, you talk too much," I grunted, my grip tightening even further.
Finally, Ghrek's body went limp, his head falling to the side as the last bit of life left him. His eyes stared up at the smoke-filled sky, vacant and lifeless. He was dead.
I stayed there for a moment, my hands still wrapped around his throat as my body was trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. Then, with a final, shuddering breath, I let go.
I slumped over, my body giving out as I collapsed onto the ground next to the dead Saiyan. My vision was blurry, as the world looked like a hazy mix of red and gray colors from all the fire and smoke. The sounds of the burning city were distant and muffled, as if I were underwater. My body was wracked with pain, my chest was heaving, and I felt like even a light gust of wind could kill me.
But I was alive. I had won.
"Did you… see that… shit… Yoka?" I muttered, staring up at the blank sky above me. He probably didn't, because right now, King Yemma was probably sending that bastard best friend of mine straight to hell.
I chuckled at the thought, and I continued to lay there. I didn't know how long I was there, as my consciousness was on the verge of fading and black spots filled my vision. I could barely bring myself to even keep my eyes open, but I forced them to. Soon, someone would come to see the results of the battle, and they would help me.
"...The hell? Ghrek lost?"
Unfortunately, as a muffled voice rang in my ears, and I forced my neck to tilt upwards, it wasn't someone friendly. My pained eyes went wide, staring as the man in front of me looked very different from a Zyhite, and in fact, very Saiyan-like.
He was on the shorter side, looking to also be on the younger side, as he seemed to be around the same age as Ghrek, that being his late teens or early twenties. He had long, messy black hair that spiked out from his head, a thin, weasely face, and a crooked nose. His body was much skinnier than Ghrek's had been, as he didn't seem to have much muscle on his frame at all. He was also wearing the typical Saiyan armor, but his barely looked scratched, as compared to Ghrek's destroyed uniform. He stood in the ruins of the street, looking over at the corpse of Ghrek next to me.
"He lost to one of these weaklings? Ha… I guess we're the lowest ranking squad for a reason, huh?" Another voice muttered, and a woman stepped up next to the man. She had shorter black hair, with a thin, pretty face, which was set in a cruel sneer as she stared at Ghrek's body. Her body was surprisingly thin for a Saiyan, though she had muscular thighs and a thick lower half that contrasted with her thin upper half.
"That's true, but I expected more from him," The male shook his head lightly, looking with disappointment at Ghrek's corpse, "He's the weakest of our group, but he had such large ambitions. At least he took them down with him, right?"
Ah, so that's why they hadn't even spared me a glance yet? He assumed I was dead?
For a moment, I felt a bit stupid.
My fight had all been for nothing. The battle I had thrown everything into, to protect the home I had enjoyed for the past years, and to avenge Yoka, had been useless. Ghrek wasn't the only Saiyan here, and if this man's words were to be believed, then he was also the weakest. I had just risked my life and given everything I had in a meaningless battle.
Slowly, my mouth opened as I stared down the male Saiyan, who was still looking pitifully at Ghrek. I had trained this body for years, strengthening it and becoming so comfortable within it that I felt like I had been here my entire life, but it was time to discard it. I was already on the verge of death, and I couldn't take on the rest of the Saiyans.
"Change."
A beam of light shot forward, and in the blink of an eye, I wasn't lying on the ground anymore. Instead, I was staring down at my former muscular body, which was twitching in pain.
"W-What?! AREGHH! It hurts! It hurts!" I watched my former body scream as the Saiyan was shoved into it, "GRAHH FUCK! I'M DYING! HELP! SOMEONE HELP! AERGHHH!"
As I stared at the sight, I felt a bit better about my fear. He was experiencing the pain I'd just suffered through for an entire battle, and after just a few seconds, he was already rolling in pain. I raised my hand, and a small Ki ball formed before it shot forward into the Zyhite. My former body exploded in an explosion of debris, and the former Saiyan's life came to an end.
"W-What was that?" The woman next to me hissed, peering forward as he glanced worriedly at my torso, "He shot some kind of beam at you!"
"Just a weak attack, I guess," I shrugged in response, perfectly filling the role that the Saiyan had left, "I didn't even feel it. That weakling was about to die anyway, so I guess he just wanted to get one last attack in, huh?"
It felt strange to go from near-unconscious and lying in a pool of blood to casually holding a conversation in just a few seconds, but I kept my composure.
"Well… if you're fine, then whatever," The woman scoffed, turning as she glanced away, "We should finish up here, and then regroup with the others. I'd prefer not to spend any more time on this pathetic planet than necessary. I miss Planet Vegeta already."
I felt a bit offended on behalf of Zyle, but I had to accept reality. This planet I had lived on, grown to love, and had ushered into an age of near-utopia, was, in the grand scheme of the universe, nothing. It was a planet that a simple group of weak Saiyans could conquer in a few hours.
"You're right," I simply nodded at her words, ignoring any anger in my gut, "Let's finish this quickly."
Unfortunately for Zyle, I had no way of defending it. There were more Saiyans here, and I couldn't take them all on at once. I had to let the planet die so I could live.
As the woman next to me raised her hand and fired a flurry of Ki blasts at the surrounding buildings, picking up where Ghrek had left off in destroying the city, I gave one final look to Yoka's corpse, and then to the bloody, deceased body that I had been inhabiting for years. On this day, my third body died.
In my third body, I discovered how fear felt.
I turned away, raised my hand, and a flurry of Ki blasts shot forward as I destroyed the city I had come here to protect. My third life was over, but my fourth life was just beginning.
In my fourth body, I would discover how it felt to live as a ruthless Saiyan.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Thanks for reading! Another maybe one-shot that I wrote a bit ago but decided to finish now!
I'm going to continue the previous one, The Fisherman, on a less regular update schedule (probably being updated around once a weekish on Patreon, every other week publicly) than the other stories, but with longer chapters.
I also enjoyed writing this one, so if you guys enjoyed it, I'd be down to continue it as well. Let me know if I should or not!