"Hahahaha!"
Recoome threw his head back and laughed thunderously as he looked down at Vegeta, who barely reached his waist.
Striking an exaggerated bodybuilding pose, he shamelessly shook his hips at him.
"Shorty, you've got guts! Lord Recoome is going to take real good care of you, just like a cute little puppy!"
"Shut up and die!"
The last thread of Vegeta's restraint snapped instantly.
Without another word, the ground beneath his feet exploded as he launched forward like a missile, his fist driving straight into Recoome's face.
Bang!
A heavy punch slammed into Recoome's jaw.
Then came a relentless barrage. Knees, elbows, sweeping kicks, each strike landing with a dull, brutal thud.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Vegeta roared, venting every ounce of frustration he had built up on Namek onto this towering brute.
Finally, he clasped his hands together, a brilliant violet light erupting from his palms.
"Galick Gun!"
Boom!
A massive beam of purple energy swallowed Recoome whole. The explosion sent shockwaves rippling across the landscape, even making Frieza's distant ship tremble. Smoke billowed, obscuring everything.
Vegeta landed, breathing heavily, a cruel smile curling on his lips.
"Hmph. That's what happens when you—"
"What happens when you what?"
A mocking voice cut through the smoke.
Vegeta's pupils shrank.
Recoome stepped out.
His armor was torn to shreds, exposing bronze skin and a patch of chest hair. His hair was slightly messy.
But he was completely unharmed.
He even casually adjusted the single remaining wrist guard on his arm.
"Was that supposed to be a massage? Not bad strength, but your technique needs work."
He grinned, flashing a set of gleaming white teeth that sent a chill down the spine.
"Now it's Lord Recoome's turn."
Before the words had even fully left his mouth, he moved.
Fast. Unbelievably fast.
Vegeta barely registered a blur before a massive hand clamped onto his head.
"Get down!"
Boom!
His face was slammed into the rocky ground, cracking the earth apart.
Before he could recover, Recoome grabbed him by the leg and swung him around like a ragdoll, smashing him into the ground over and over again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Even Goku and the others winced at the sickening impacts.
"That's brutal…"
Trin covered his eyes, peeking through his fingers.
"Vegeta's getting wrecked."
Minutes later, Vegeta lay in a crater, drenched in blood. One eye was swollen shut, several ribs broken, his breathing faint and uneven.
"This is the Saiyan Prince?"
Recoome planted a foot on his chest and opened his mouth wide. A terrifying pink glow began gathering deep in his throat.
"Goodbye, little puppy! Eraser Gun!"
"Vegeta!"
Goku couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward.
A hand stopped him.
"Relax, Goku," Krillin said calmly, not a trace of panic on his face.
He turned slightly and tapped Aki's slender waist.
"Aki, go show them what you can do. Can't have people thinking the women on our side can't fight."
Aki had been gently peeling an orange for him. At his words, she set it aside immediately.
She stood.
The soft, gentle aura around her vanished, replaced by something sacred and cold, like a distant deity.
"Yes, Master."
With a light step, she drifted forward like a violet feather.
Recoome was just about to fire when he suddenly sensed danger. Instinctively, he shut his mouth and swallowed the energy, choking violently.
"Cough… Who are you? That bald guy's maid?"
His eyes lit up as he looked her over.
"Well now, a beauty! I don't hit women, but if you'd like to dance with me—"
"Close your filthy mouth."
Aki's voice was cold as ice.
Her gaze was filled with pure disgust, as if she were looking at something that didn't even qualify as trash.
"Oho! I like the attitude!"
Recoome laughed and reached out to grab her shoulder.
"Come here, baby!"
Just as his hand was about to touch her—
Boom!
A surge of emerald energy erupted from Aki's body. It was not violent, but overwhelmingly heavy, like an entire forest pressing down at once.
The life force of Namek's sacred trees, evolved through resonance with Krillin's energy.
"Thorn Dance."
Aki raised her hand lightly.
The ground exploded.
Countless glowing vines, thick as giant serpents, burst from the earth and wrapped around Recoome's limbs in an instant.
"What the hell is this?!"
Recoome struggled, but the vines were tougher than any alloy. Worse, they were draining his energy at a terrifying rate.
"Flower Burial."
Her fingers curled slightly.
The vines tightened. Sharp thorns pierced into his flesh.
Above him, a massive, radiant purple energy flower bloomed.
"AAAAAAARGH!"
Recoome screamed in agony.
His strength was being siphoned away, his once indestructible body now as fragile as paper.
"N-No… My power level is over forty thousand… how…?"
From the crater, Vegeta forced one eye open.
His worldview shattered once again.
That woman who had been quietly peeling fruit…
She was this strong?
At least sixty thousand in power, with terrifying precision.
"…Monsters. All of them. Even the maid is stronger than me…"
Tears of frustration slipped from his eyes.
Boom!
Gritting his teeth, Vegeta forced himself up and, while everyone's attention was on Aki, fled without hesitation.
"Oh? He's quick to run," Krillin remarked casually.
No one paid him much mind. The battle wasn't over.
Aki pressed her hand downward.
Boom!
The massive energy flower detonated.
Recoome's huge body was blasted into the sky, turning into a streak of light that vanished beyond the horizon.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Captain Ginyu's scouter exploded with a sharp crack.
"T-That's impossible!"
Jeice staggered back, pale with fear.
Aki gracefully lowered her hand. Her aura faded, and she returned to her gentle, elegant demeanor.
Turning back, she gave a slight bow, a faint blush on her face as if seeking praise.
"It's taken care of, Master."
Krillin nodded in satisfaction and shrugged at the stunned Goku and the others.
"Looks like the women of Namek can be pretty scary when they get serious. Watch what you say next time."
"Damn it!"
A blue blur shot in from the side.
Burter, the self-proclaimed fastest in the universe.
Taking advantage of Aki turning away, he launched a sneak attack.
"Not proud of hitting a woman, but for the honor of the Ginyu Force… die!"
His speed reached its peak, his hand slicing toward the back of Aki's neck.
"Watch out!" Goku shouted.
Krillin didn't move. He just sighed.
"That's cheating."
The next moment, he vanished.
Not a blur. Not speed. He simply disappeared.
Burter's strike hit nothing.
Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hey, tall guy."
He turned sharply.
Krillin stood behind him, holding a black marker, smiling harmlessly.
"Let's play a little game."
--------------------------------
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