Attack of the Saibamen

Piccolo and Gohan stood facing the two Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta, the air thick with tension. The desolate wasteland around them was silent, save for the occasional rustle of the wind. A breeze blew by, ruffling Gohan's and Vegeta's hair, carrying with it the faint smell of scorched earth.

Vegeta smirked as he sized up their opponents, his eyes gleaming with cold confidence.

Nappa pressed a button on his scouter, the device emitting a series of beeps. "Let's see... the Namek's at 1350... and the kid's at 925... darn impressive for his age."

Vegeta glanced at Nappa from the corner of his eye. "Have you brought the Saibamen with you, Nappa?"

Nappa blinked, momentarily puzzled. "Saibamen?" he asked. Then he remembered. "The little green monsters we got from planet Cabbage? Yeah, sure."

Piccolo gritted his teeth while Gohan trembled. The Saiyans had gauged their strengths using their scouters, and apparently, they weren't impressed.

'Well,' Piccolo thought, 'if they're going to rely too much on those numbers, then they're in for a surprise...' Piccolo wasn't holding back much, but he had mastered the art of concentrating his energy during attacks. This helped level the playing field against stronger opponents, though it drained his stamina quickly. Meanwhile, what were these Saibamen they were talking about? Piccolo had no idea...

The big, bald Saiyan called Nappa took out a small, fluid-filled bottle from his pocket. He knelt down and used his finger to create six small holes in the ground. Nappa then poured one drop into each of the holes, the liquid hissing slightly as it made contact with the earth.

Nappa stood up and tossed the bottle behind him. "That's the last of them, Vegeta," he said to his partner.

Gohan gasped as, a few seconds later, six green creatures, about the same height as him, emerged from the holes Nappa had just created. Their skin glistened in the sunlight, and their eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger.

"Kh-gee..." The creatures eyed Gohan and Piccolo hungrily, their bodies twitching with anticipation.

Piccolo looked towards his pupil, his voice steady. "Gohan. You don't have to be afraid. Remember our training. You have it in you to do this."

Gohan nodded to his master, his resolve hardening. The half-Saiyan fell into his battle stance. This was it. This was what he had been preparing for over the past five months... The boy felt a surge of confidence from the fact that his current opponents were at least of similar height.

Suddenly, the distant whir of helicopters cut through the tension.

"Fools," Piccolo muttered under his breath. It was the media.

Nappa grinned nastily as he eyed the helicopters, cameramen hanging precariously out of them. "You want some news, do ya? WELL, YOU ARE THE NEWS!"

The bald Saiyan threw an energy blast into the nearest helicopter, the explosion lighting up the sky as debris rained down. The remaining vehicles wisely retreated, their engines roaring in panic.

The Saibamen hissed and clicked, their focus returning to Piccolo and Gohan. The battle was about to begin.

Vegeta snickered, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Attack," he ordered the six little monsters.

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With a high-pitched squeal, the Saibamen rushed forward, their eyes gleaming with malice. Three of them surrounded Piccolo while the other three encircled Gohan.

"Kh-gheee!"

Piccolo growled as the green monsters launched their assault. The tall fighter expertly blocked and parried their rapid strikes, his movements fluid and precise.

Gohan braced himself as he was attacked from three sides. He ducked under a claw strike from one Saibaman and countered with a powerful punch to its gut, but another Saibaman headbutted him in the side of his chest. Before he could recover, the third Saibaman kicked him at the back of his head, sending him stumbling forward.

Gohan regained his footing and turned back, launching himself at his attacker. "Ha!" he yelled, crashing his fist into the Saibaman's face, pushing it back. But before he could press his advantage, a clawed hand grabbed his leg and yanked him to the ground.

The Saibaman squealed with glee as it spun Gohan around by his leg. The boy's world became a blur of motion, and he was flung through the air, only to be intercepted mid-flight by a brutal double kick from above.

Gohan crashed into the ground, gasping for breath. Meanwhile, Piccolo unleashed a mini-explosive wave, pushing back the Saibamen surrounding him.

"RAH!" Piccolo roared, delivering a devastating punch to one of the creatures with an energized fist, severing its head in the process. The other two Saibamen froze in fear, trembling.

The severed head rolled to a stop at Nappa's feet. Nappa gritted his teeth in anger. "Why, that green slug!"

Vegeta chuckled. "Come on, Nappa. It's clear that your Saibamen stand no chance."

"No!" Nappa exclaimed. "These are the same bunch that wreaked havoc on planet Arlia!"

Meanwhile, Gohan barely rolled out of the way of an acid attack fired from a Saibaman's split head. The sizzling liquid scorched the ground where he had just been lying.

Piccolo dispatched another Saibaman with a punch to the gut, rendering it unconscious. He raised his hand towards the remaining creature. "Destructive wave!"

With a shriek, the Saibaman was reduced to ashes. Piccolo turned towards Gohan. "Gohan! Use your sword!" he shouted.

Gohan nodded and unsheathed his weapon. "Haaaaa!" With a battle cry, Gohan dashed towards the nearest Saibaman. The green monsters were momentarily stunned by the rapid defeat of their comrades.

"Haaa!" Gohan brought his sword down upon the Saibaman. It raised its hand to block, but the blade sliced through its arm and torso with ease. The monster fell apart in two pieces as Gohan landed, his sword gleaming.

The remaining two Saibamen growled angrily and pounced on Gohan from both sides. Gohan raised his sword and began to block their claw strikes, each clash ringing out through the battlefield.

"Kh-gheee!" One Saibaman kicked Gohan in the chest, sending him stumbling back. Gohan gritted his teeth and, with a yell, struck his attacker with a transverse slash. The green monster dropped dead, cut in two.

Piccolo smirked proudly. Gohan's training had certainly hardened the boy. Gohan then turned his attention to the last standing Saibaman.

"Kh-gh..." The Saibaman trembled, its courage failing. It turned and made a run for it.

SPLACK!

"AAARGHH!"

Gohan winced slightly as the fleeing Saibaman let out an ear-piercing scream and was reduced to a gory mess. Vegeta stood with his finger extended. "Cowardice shall not be tolerated," he scowled.

Nappa stared at his partner with a bewildered expression. Even he was surprised by Vegeta's ruthlessness at times.

Gohan's jaw dropped. 'D-did he just kill his own ally?'

Silence reigned on the battlefield, the air thick with tension and the stench of blood. A breeze blew by.

Piccolo exercised his neck and cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing. "Now that we are done with this little game of yours, shall we begin the real fight?"

Vegeta's snicker was chilling. "Oh, you have no idea..."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow, his senses suddenly alert. 'What?!' he exclaimed in his mind as he felt something gripping him from behind, encircling his form. His arms were trapped by the side of his body by the grip and he was unable to move them.

Gohan gasped, his heart pounding as he saw Mr. Piccolo get grabbed from behind. 'W-what's happening?' he thought frantically, sensing the Saibaman's energy surge to an unexpected high.

Piccolo struggled, muscles straining, but the green menace's grip was unyielding, tightening like a vice. The realization hit him hard – he couldn't break free.

Vegeta chuckled, the sound cold and mocking. "You should have made sure to finish each one off. "

Nappa grinned broadly. "Looks like time's up for you, Namek."

Piccolo's eyes widened in horror. 'No...'

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion erupted, the shockwave sending debris flying and a cloud of dust and smoke billowing into the air.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan screamed, his voice cracking with despair as he sensed both energies fade away. "NO!"

To be continued...