Chapter 15

Bulma and Kuririn had quickly been filling Gohan in on what had taken
place during the past few days -- everything from Bulma’s disappearance
to Gohan’s arrival back at the cave. Bulma was carrying the dragonball.
They were nearly to Saichorou’s house, and they were flying at a
breakneck pace. Time was of the essence!

"So, do you really think that this Saichorou can awaken hidden ki in
me?" Gohan asked. "I mean, Piccolo taught me how to fight, and he may
have already caused me to find all of my dormant energy."

"You’d be surprised," Kuririn commented, reflecting on his and Bulma’s
experiences with the wise old Namek. "Bulma and I have improved in all
aspects tremendously. True, we aren’t as strong as Vegita, but you
might help us tip the scales in our favor. I think it’s highly possible
that you could get a big boost too, Gohan."

"I hope so," he said. "We’ll need it if we’re gonna take on Vegita."

"One thing’s for sure," Bulma said quietly. "We’re going to need Goku’s
help to win against Freeza. I don’t know about this one, guys. Even
Goku’s going to have trouble with him."

They could see Saichorou’s house on the pillar up ahead. They were
nearly there! But suddenly Bulma felt a huge rush of ki bombard her
senses all at once, and she gasped. Kuririn was about to ask her about
the terrified expression on her face, but suddenly felt the cause of
this new anxiety, and he called for them to stop.

"Kuririn!" Bulma shrieked, beginning to panic. "It’s Vegita, Kuririn!
He’s following us!" She was trembling violently, and her eyes were wide
with fear.

"I know," Kuririn replied gravely. He sighed. "Bulma," he said. "Take
Gohan and the dragonball to Saichorou’s. I’ll hold Vegita off for as
long as I can while you go. Now listen!" He commanded, seeing that she
was about to protest. "You have the dragonball, the dragon radar, and
the knowledge required to build and repair a space ship. Right now
you’re our best shot at getting home, and I can’t let you fight Vegita
again. Now get outta here! He’s almost here!"

"Come on; he’s right!" Gohan said, pulling Bulma away. "I don’t like it
either, Bulma, but we have to trust Kuririn here."

Finally Bulma relented. "You be careful, Kuririn!" She called out as
they sped away. "Don’t get killed!"

Kuririn just turned around to face Vegita. He gritted his teeth
nervously. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Bulma and Gohan raced for Saichorou’s house. Within seconds they were
at the door, and Nail was right there waiting for them.

"Piccolo?" Gohan wondered aloud.

"Nail!" Bulma cried breathlessly. "This time you and Saichorou really
are in danger! I’m afraid we’ve led Vegita right to you!"

"Saichorou and I could sense that you were being followed," he said,
nodding. "Don’t panic. Just send the boy in and come back out here to
guard the entrance with me."

Bulma nodded, and grabbed Gohan’s hand. "Come on!" She exclaimed. She
and Gohan ran inside onto the platform. Dende was already there,
waiting for them.

"I’ll take Gohan to Saichorou," he said. "Don’t worry, Bulma. You go
help Nail."

"Thank you, Dende," Bulma said, handing Gohan the dragonball and
turning to go out the door. "Say hi to him for me!"

"I’ve got to get out there to help Kuririn!" She exclaimed, as she ran
out to Nail’s side. "He can’t hold Vegita off for long by himself."

"It’s a little late for that," Nail said, as he stared at the
approaching stranger.

"Huh?" Bulma gasped, as she saw the oncoming Saiyan. "Oh, Kami!" She
cried. "Where’s Kuririn? Did he…?" She couldn’t bring herself to finish.
Suddenly she saw the white outline of Kuririn’s ki trail appear behind
Vegita, and with it came one of the most furious expressions she’d ever
witnessed on Kuririn’s face. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Bulma braced herself as Vegita landed in front of her and Nail. Kuririn
flew over the top of him and landed beside Bulma.

"I’m sorry," he panted. "He just broke away. He could sense you guys
over here."

"That’s right," Vegita said, scowling. "And I’m willing to bet that you
have my dragonball hidden around here somewhere too."

"Shut up, Vegita!" Bulma snapped. "You took the only dragonballs we
had, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Vegita replied, grinning craftily at her. "And I
also remember that you knew about my other one; the one that I killed
all those Nameks for." He looked at Nail tauntingly as he placed
emphasis on the word "Nameks." "Well, that one has turned up missing,
so I naturally thought of you."

Bulma glared at him. "I didn’t take that dragonball," she said.

"Well, if you didn’t, then who did?" Vegita asked, grinning. "That
pint-sized half-breed you call Gohan?" He laughed loudly. "Please! If
you don’t have it, then why did your little friend try so hard to keep
me away? Anyway, whichever one of you took it is irrelevant. I’ll grant
you amnesty if you just hand it over quietly. I promise that when I
gain immortality I won’t kill you."

"Yeah, right," Bulma said, rolling her eyes. "And I suppose you’ll have
me believe next that when Freeza thinks he’s alone, he prances around
in a pink tutu, singing like a bird."

Vegita stared at her for a second and blinked. "You’re sick," he said
in surprise.

Bulma almost smiled, realizing just how ridiculous an image she had put
in Vegita’s mind. Suddenly she sensed an enormous jolt of ki in
Saichorou’s house. Gohan had gotten his boost, and for a brief moment
Bulma could sense that he was much stronger than she was. She doubted
that he rivaled Vegita yet, but he would be a welcome addition to her
team anyday!

Vegita looked up at Saichorou’s house in confusion. "Who’s in there?"
He asked quietly. "Kakkorot? Here?"

Suddenly Gohan stepped out, glaring at Vegita. He had masked his ki
again, but one could easily see that he was surer of himself. Besides
that, he was also holding the dragonball.

"Well, well, well," Vegita said. "If it isn’t the mighty misfit. I
suppose you’re the one they’re guarding, aren’t you? Well kid, just
give me the dragonball and I won’t hurt you or your friends. How’s that
for a deal?"

"Gohan!" Bulma shrieked. "Why the hell did you bring that thing out
here? Now he knows right where it is!"

"I’m sorry," Gohan said, not removing his gaze from Vegita. "But I
don’t want to get Nail, Dende, and Saichorou involved in this. You know
Vegita would drag them into it."

"That’s very noble of you, Gohan," Nail said calmly. "But if this man
is a threat to my people, then I AM involved."

Vegita sneered. "I have yet to meet a Namek that has any sense. But
don’t worry, green bean. It’s not your people I’m after. I just want
the dragonballs."

"And I suppose it was necessary for you to kill an entire village of my
people for one dragonball?" Nail said quietly.

Vegita snorted. "Everyone who gets in my way meets the same fate," he
said nonchalantly. "They had to find that out the hard way. Would you
like to do the same?"

Before anyone could say anything else, Dende suddenly ran out with a
wild look on his face. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "Saichorou says he senses
a very strong power coming toward the planet!"

Nail looked up toward the sky. "I sense it now too," he said.

Everyone looked up to check. Bulma sensed a strange, incredible source
of ki up there. Was it possible that it could be Goku? But strangely
enough, she could have sworn that there seemed to be more than one
force up there.

"No..." Vegita said through gritted teeth. "It can’t be... them. Not
Team Ginyu. Damn!"

He lunged for the dragonball, but Nail pulled Gohan behind him, just
out of Vegita’s reach. Bulma and Kuririn stood on either side of Nail,
to further protect Gohan and the dragonball from the angry Saiyan.

"Don’t you get it?" Vegita yelled. "We aren’t dealing with weaklings
like Dodoria and Zarbon anymore, you idiots! Freeza has called down his
most elite team of fighters to retrieve the dragonballs for him, and if
we don’t make a wish now, we’ll never even get the chance!"

"And they have even you scared?" Bulma said skeptically.

Vegita gritted his teeth. "Imagine five fighters, each at least as
strong as I am, and all of them working together against you. Now you
tell me. Does the thought of it scare you?"

Bulma visibly flinched. That hadn’t been what she’d wanted to hear.

"There’s only one way to keep Freeza from winning," Vegita said. And
that’s to make me immortal. You have no idea just how powerful Freeza
really is. Team Ginyu is nothing compared to him. And if we’re
presently not enough to take on even them, then it’s obvious that at
least one of us needs to get a lot stronger immediately, or Freeza will
win."

"Maybe so, but why should we make YOU immortal?" Kuririn snarled. "Why
not give the gift to Gohan?"

"Listen!" Vegita yelled in frustration. "The brat might have enough
power, but he doesn’t have the experience needed to finish Freeza off.
You three don’t have any idea what Freeza is capable of. He’ll have
destroyed everything you hold dear long before you catch up with him.
It’ll take someone with a lot of fighting experience and someone who’s
familiar with Freeza’s habits to kill him before he can do anything
else."

"Perhaps you have a point," Bulma said, clenching her fist. "But I’ll
be damned if I’ll waste our only wish on making a sadistic,
self-satisfied jerk like you immortal!"

"Well, who made you the automatic winner?" Vegita yelled. "Let’s not
forget that I have six of the dragonballs! You only have one!"

"Whoa! Hold it!" Nail interjected. "You two do know that Porunga grants
three wishes, right?"

"What?" Bulma said. "Three wishes? You mean that your dragon doesn’t
just grant one wish each time the dragonballs are collected?"

"Yes," Nail replied. "Each time Porunga is called forth, he grants the
first three wishes uttered by the people present. No more, no less."

"Well then," Vegita said, smiling triumphantly. "I’ll make a deal with
you. Why don’t we combine our efforts in this? First we’ll wish me
immortal, then you can do what you like with the other two wishes. How
does that sound?"

"And how do we know you won’t kill the dragon or destroy the dragonballs
once you achieve immortality?" Bulma asked skeptically.

"Listen!" Vegita said angrily. "I’m offering you my help here! And I
really don’t think that you are in a position to be choosy!"

"Well, whatever you do," Nail said, looking up, "you might want to
consider doing it now. The planet has just received more visitors."

They all looked up to see five space pods streak across the sky, one
after the other. Bulma gulped. The power coming from those things was
enormous.

"Nail’s right," Kuririn said. "I say we at least call the dragon, and
fast. I’m afraid our only way out of this will be the make Vegita
immortal, and we have to do it now."

Bulma sighed. "I guess I have to agree," she admitted. "But I don’t
like it."

Gohan looked down at the dragonball. "Piccolo-san," he whispered
sadly. He looked up. "I’m in," he said.

"Then let’s go!" Vegita exclaimed. "We’re running out of time!"

"I must stay here with Saichorou," Nail said. "But I wish you good
luck."

"Thanks, Nail," Bulma said, waving goodbye. "We’ll stop Freeza. Don’t
worry."

Vegita, Bulma, Kuririn, and Gohan shot off to unite Vegita’s dragonballs
with the other one. If they wanted to win the race against time, they
were going to have to kick it into high gear!


On to Chapter Sixteen...