Kakarot was content to stand around and catch his breath indefinitely. Unfortunately his reprieve was cut short as Frieza fired a large and potent blast of pink Ki at the saiyan warrior. His eyes widened, realizing he couldn't dodge the blast in his current state.

He aimed his open palms at the ground, roaring. "Kamehameha!" A moment later his signature azure attack carried him away just in the nick of time as the area he had been a moment ago was vaporized in a blinding explosion.

Several dozen meters away from the two battling titans Frieza's father watched the battle unfold. "How long are you planning on playing around with this creature, Frieza?" Cold asked, annoyed. "If you had taken this fight seriously the first time he healed you wouldn't be struggling so much now." The eldest Arcrosian lamented.

With his arms crossed Frieza stared with murderous intent at the levitating saiyan a few dozen yards away from him. "Very well… But know this saiyan! For embarrassing me in front of my father and my army your death will not be merciful! It will be slow and full of agonizing misery the likes of which you have never known." He warned. "I shall now unleash upon you fifty percent of the full power of the mighty Frieza!"

He raised his arms to his sides and yelled as he began to power up. The planet shook and a bolt of lightning struck the Acrosian, tracing his body with electricity and power.

Kakarot began to pale as he felt the evil being's power climb higher and processed what he had heard. "Fif.. Fifty percent!? Ah no way.." He stammered. The man reached into his belt and took out his fifth and final remaining senzu bean…

Brief flashback

Kakarot, Vegeta and Raditz had just touched down on the edge of Moori's village with a wounded Turles on Kakarot's shoulder and a badly damaged Nappa on Vegeta's. As the other saiyans rested, Kakarot made his request to their Namekian ally.

"...I'll tell you what I want. You let me know if it's possible, OK little guy?" Kakarot asked the tiny Namekian child before him. Dende nodded enthusiastically and jumped up and down in excitement.

Kakarot smiled at the boy fondly. "OK… I need you to ask him to produce me an unlimited supply of Senzu beans." He said. The Z-warriors shared a collective gasp. "Goku..." Krillin began.

"Are you sure that's what we should use the last wish on? We could evacuate the entire planet.. Or wish Frieza far, far away for god's sake!" Chi Chi supplied when the bald monk trailed off.

Tien stepped forward next saying, "And Senzu beans aren't exactly fool proof you know? If we get one of Frieza's lasers through the heart or in between our eyes we're dead." The triclops added worriedly, noting the wounds on the unconscious warriors.

Kakarot nodded with closed eyes and raised his hands placidly. "I understand your concerns guys.. To be honest there's probably a million better things to wish for but.. This is all I can think of in such short notice and under so much pressure. We can't run away because no matter where we go, Frieza will follow and kill countless innocent people in his wake. And we can't just wish him dead because the dragon's aren't warriors, their combat abilities are limited to their summoner."

He looked seriously at the group before he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the other wounded and battered saiyans. "Besides.. most of the fighting will be handled by me and the other saiyans. In the meantime I need you guys to save as many Namekians and take out as many of Frieza's guys as you can."

After a few reluctant moments the group came to an agreement and Dende shouted his request at the dragon. Porunga frowned and spoke in his native tongue to the small boy.

Dende's face fell and he turned towards Kakarot. "Umm.. Mr Gohan's dad? Porunga says.. These Senzu beans of which you speak contain divine powers and complicated mystical properties. They're a complex mix of science and magic and porunga's power isn't limitless… He can only produce 10 of these magic beans." He said with deep remorse.

Kakarot's face betrayed the surprise he felt inside. "Well.. That complicates things a little bit. Originally I was going to extradite the healing process of the saiyans… But to save on beans we'll have to let the healing pods do their job. They should be healed within a day or so.. I still think this is the best course of action."

Yamcha sighed. "And what if it doesn't work and ten Senzu beans just aren't enough? No offense but even you guys got completely demolished.."

Kakarot smiled and looked the desert bandit in the eyes. "You guys… You're forgetting if things go south we still have Earth's dragon balls!" He laughed.

Since no one had any better suggestions this is what they chose to do for now..

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Once they'd arrived back inside the ship and gotten the saiyans into the healing pods (to the angry protests of Vegeta and Raditz) Gohan and Dende were instructed to hide the dragon balls somewhere. The remaining warriors had gathered around as Kakarot called everyone together for a quick meeting.

"Listen. I'm sure you guys have felt Frieza's forces. They've finished rallying and they're beginning to move out. We're out of time. I'm going to take half of the beans and go stop Frieza while you guys save the planet's inhabitants from his men. I promised we'd help them. And also don't forget we've got Piccolo now too, he'll find his way to us soon enough." He instructed the group.

"Now wait a minute here.."

"Goku, you can't face that monster on your own.."

"Kakarot..!"

He raised his hands as if to block their words from reaching his ears. Shaking his head he made his way over to the ship's ramp and slammed a red button that opened the hatch. As the ramp slowly opened, it lowered down to the ground with a loud clunking and clanging.

Kakarot looked seriously at his friends. "I'm sorry but you guys would only get in the way.." He said truthfully. As he turned and left exiting the ship, the group shared a look. Silently Bulma hurried after her husband.

End flashback

Kakarot studied the little, green bean between his fingers. He let out a long slow sigh. "I knew this would be difficult but I never imagined it would be this hard.." Quickly popping the little bean into his mouth, he healed and prepared for what would essentially be his last chance to stop the vicious tyrant and the evil empire before him. His mystic aura, otherwise known as unlocked potential, exploded around him.

The transparent energy traced the man in a fine silver line and his eyes were focused and glinty. Thanks to this boost, given to him by Guru as well as the multiple forced adaptations against such a monstrous enemy, Kakarot was currently the strongest saiyan in all of existence. Possibly to have ever lived. But even still he was vastly outclassed by the foe before him. "Now what do I do..?"

Back at the resistance's ship with the Earthlings

Bulma tapped her arm in worry as she looked at the sky. The others had all rushed off to continue evacuating the Namekians while she stayed behind at the ship to guard the ones they'd already rounded up.

"Tien and Chiaotzu grouped up together and so did Chi Chi and Yamcha.. Plus they still have six of the saibamen seeds which I was able to greatly enhance in the science lab.. I do kind of wish Krillin wouldn't have gone off alone.. Even if he did take the two seeds I had with him…" She took a slow shuddering breath and paused from her worried rant, her face forming a stiff frown.

The blue haired woman raised a hand to her chest and felt her beating heart inside. It was sporadic and rapid. ".. But what's really bothering me the most is Kakarot.. His power level keeps dropping and then rising even higher than before.. This is the fifth time he's come back stronger than ever and that can only mean one thing… This sort of rapid fluctuation is exactly what I warned him against."

"Mommy!.."

Bulma gasped in surprise and spun around to see her precious son, trembling with what was bo doubt the same sort of gut wrenching anxiety that she herself was currently feeling. "Go back inside the ship with the Namekians baby.. Everything will be OK, I promise." She lied tentatively.

Gohan of course wasn't buying it. He could sense his father's fluctuating Ki. The young half breed obviously felt the Tyrant Frieza, who's ridiculous and seemingly infinite energy dwarfed his father's time and time again, no matter how strong his dad became. He knew his father couldn't keep this up for long and the other saiyans still needed a few hours of rest at least.

Gohan's face twisted into a snarl. He couldn't help himself. Looking back on it he would realize he wasn't even sure why he got so mad at his mother.. all he knew was that in the next moment his rage, and his power, exploded. His signature dark energy with crimson lighting burst to life around him like an angry flame. His features took on a slightly animalistic appearance and his eyes turned blood red.

"Liar!" He yelled, energy and a bubble of force expanding around him. Bulma gasped and stepped back quickly, though it was more from reflexive shock than any sense of fear or threat.

"I'll save him myself!" The child swore angrily. "Even if you give up on him and hate him for not being there I never will!" He snarled eccentrically.

'What?..' She thought in confusion. "Gohan that's not.. What's going on? Why would you think that?" If Bulma didn't know any better she would almost think that her son was projecting his own internal dispositions… In either case it quickly became clear the hysterical boy would not be reasoned with as he exploded into the sky at supersonic speeds.

"Gohaaaan!" His mother called after him with worry and regret. She raised an arm in the boy's direction as if she could still grab him up and protect the boy from whatever dangers lie beyond the horizon, for which there were many.

She bent her knees and prepared to blast off after her son but a tiny, soft voice cried out from behind her. "Please don't leave us!.."

Bulma winced, tightly shutting her eyes. She slowly turned around to see a scared and pleading Dende. The boy had one of his small hands up to his mouth while the other fiddled with his tunic. "There's so much evil on this planet right now.. It's making Namek and my people sick.. If you leave now, who's going to care for them and give them medicine? And what if we get attacked!?" He cried indignantly.

Bulma smiled a small, sad smile. She walked over to the boy and buried his head in her lap. "I'm not leaving you Den.. Let's go inside, it's not safe here." She prompted with an encouraging smile. The boy nodded enthusiastically before turning and running up the ship's ramp.

With dread and anxiety clearly written upon her features, Bulma turned and looked over her shoulder one last time. "Everything's falling apart… Kami.. Keep my family safe."

With Kakarot and Frieza once more…

Frieza stood on the edge of a very small island, holding the saiyan raised on Earth by his throat. Kakarot's head was back and his eyes were closed, feet dangling in the water slightly. He was barely conscious, but he still was nevertheless based on the fact that he was wincing in pain and clutching Frieza's arm.

The top of his Gi was shredded so that his blue undershirt was all that was left and his body was covered in scrapes and bruises. Frieza had a shiner on his left eye but seemed relatively unharmed in comparison. The tyrant chuckled, reaching up and grabbing a crab that had been crawling across the saiyan's shoulder.

He studied the insignificant creature with disdain. "Eh. I was feeling a bit peckish anyways." He shrugged, promptly tossing the small crustacean into his mouth and slamming his jaw shut with a sickening crunch. Shell and all he literally ate the creature alive with sadistic glee as it feebly pinched the inside of the tyrant's mouth in resistance.

"I would devour you as well, monkey, if not for the fact that I would get indigestion as a result. You're simply more trouble than you're worth." He decided. Still holding the saiyan's throat, Frieza lazily raised his free hand and pointed a finger at Kakarot's head. The tip of the pointed phalange emitted an intense pink light as a tiny beam of energy began to gather there.

"Any last words, saiyan?" The tyrant chuckled. Kakarot's eyes widened with fear and he began to struggle slightly. He gasped and huffed but his energy was completely drained at this point. Besides that his body was wracked with pain. He had failed, and he would pay with his life. Even worse than that was the fact that his friends and family would pay with theirs as well…

He stared into the tyrant's eyes. He refused to beg, or look away or submit in any way that the tyrant might find satisfying. Kakarot winced before he spat pathetically at the evil emperor. Frieza's smug look turned into an irritated frown.

"Just fucking die already, you waste of space." Frieza dismissed.

End of chapter 47