Trunks Saga 3
Piccolo's steely gaze narrowed, his expression remaining impassive yet radiating intensity. With lightning speed, he vanished from sight and materialized directly before Vegeta. In a single fluid motion, he landed a powerful blow to the Saiyan's midsection. To his surprise, Vegeta didn't budge an inch from the impact. Instead, his grin widened further as he swiftly grabbed Piccolo's arm and hurled him into the air with immense force.
As Piccolo soared backward, he deftly regained control mid-air and flipped around gracefully. With a swift extension of his arm that stretched far beyond human capability, he attempted to catch Vegeta off guard.
However, the Saiyan was quicker still - dodging nimbly and reappearing behind Piccolo in the blink of an eye. He unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire punches that each succeeded the last in blistering succession. While Piccolo managed to block most of them through sheer determination alone, he couldn't avoid a couple of particularly powerful blows that sent him crashing heavily onto the ground.
Hovering above his opponent with arms still crossed nonchalantly across his chest, Vegeta sneered down at him haughtily. "Is this truly your full strength? They say you Namekians are supposed to be formidable."
Wiping away the blood trickling from his split lip with a broad grin plastered on his face despite it all, Piccolo retorted confidently: "I've only just begun." He raised one hand commandingly towards Vegeta and summoned a massive wave of energy hurtling forth explosively from beneath their feet straight for him.
Though Vegeta effortlessly sidestepped it by flying nimbly out of its path seconds before impact, Piccolo wasted no time teleporting instantly right next to him where he delivered an equally mighty kick sending the prince sailing across the sky like so much debris skittering helplessly along it on impact.
Vegeta acted swiftly, twisting his body midair and hovering for a split second before summoning his Ki Aura. His muscles bulged visibly beneath his skin as he suddenly blasted off toward Piccolo with incredible speed. Sensing the buildup of Ki, Piccolo swerved his arms at the last possible moment, barely managing to redirect the powerful fist that had been aimed squarely at his chest.
Piccolo retaliated with a forceful kick to Vegeta's stomach, followed by a swift elbow strike to his chest. He then unleashed a barrage of Ki blasts that hung suspended in the air, poised to strike. "HELLZONE GRENADE!" Piccolo shouted as each blast zoomed forward, homing in on Vegeta who had quickly recovered from the initial onslaught.
Vegeta moved with graceful agility, dodging some of the incoming Ki blasts while deftly redirecting others into collisions with their counterparts. A wry smirk played across his face as he countered, "Don't go easy on me, Namekian."
Piccolo lunged forward, his green hands grasping for Vegeta with enhanced strength. But the Saiyan Prince had anticipated this maneuver. With lightning-quick reflexes, Vegeta gripped Piccolo's arms and twisted them with a sudden tear, sending a shockwave of pain through Piccolo's body. For only a moment, it was enough to stun him.
Vegeta seized the opportunity, unleashing a single ki blast that exploded prematurely against Piccolo's chest before he could react. The force of the blast sent Piccolo stumbling back, his arms retracting instinctively to shield himself. Billowing smoke obscured his vision, momentarily blocking the sight of his opponent.
Struggling to regain focus, Piccolo scanned the air around him desperately, attempting to sense Vegeta's location. But before he could lock onto his target, a powerful kick connected squarely with the side of his head. The impact propelled him into a nearby mountain at breakneck speed.
Rubble tumbled down as Piccolo crashed into the mountain face-first, leaving him disoriented and battered. His vision swam for a moment before he pulled himself out from the crater he'd created in the mountainside.
Blood trickled steadily down his face and over his cracked lips as he hobbled towards Vegeta. The prince hovered in midair now, his clothing reduced to nothing more than smoldering ashes save for scanty black shorts covering his lower half. Despite fresh injuries marring his regal visage, an almost feral grin played across Vegeta's face.
"I believe that's enough," he declared gruffly.
Piccolo let out an involuntary grunt as another wave of pain rippled through him. "It's 32-25," he spat out through gritted teeth. A dark chuckle escaped Vegeta's throat at those words.
"It is not my fault," the prince scoffed lightly. "You are strong but lack the ruthlessness and willingness to do whatever it takes to win."
"Though I must admit," Vegeta added thoughtfully, "you do seem to be adjusting well."
Piccolo nodded slowly in agreement, already eager to retire and meditate on how to overcome this deficit next time they clashed - once these wounds were properly healed.