For a brief moment, the air itself seemed to freeze.
The Spirit Ball in Yamcha's hand emitted a low, vibrating hum, a clear sign that the condensed energy within it was becoming unstable.
Piccolo stood with his arms crossed, watching coldly without any intention of intervening. To him, eliminating the root of a problem was only natural. Mercy had never been part of a demon's creed.
Only Trillin crouched nearby, casually picking up a stick and poking at Vegeta's shiny bald forehead, watching the scene unfold with amused curiosity.
"Dad, this uncle's hairline is so high. Did he go bald from doing too many bad things, just like you?"
Krillin's face darkened.
"…Son, I shaved my head on purpose to become stronger. This is the hairstyle of the strong. And stop poking him with that stick. What if he's contagious?"
Just as Yamcha was about to release the Spirit Ball
"W-Wait! Yamcha!"
Goku suddenly spoke.
His clear, untainted eyes locked firmly onto Krillin and Yamcha.
"Krillin… can you… let him go?"
The moment those words fell, the entire scene erupted.
"What?!"
Yamcha nearly dropped the Spirit Ball onto his own foot. He stared at Goku like he had just gone insane.
"Goku, did that fight mess up your brain? He was trying to kill all of us! Letting him go is asking for disaster. Did you forget what happened with Raditz?"
Piccolo frowned and let out a cold snort.
"Son Goku, your naivety will get everyone killed one day. Someone like him has no reason to be spared."
"I know… I know it sounds selfish…"
Goku gritted his teeth, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.
"But the people who died in East City… we can bring them back with the Dragon Balls. And that fight just now… it was incredible."
He clenched his fists, a grin spreading across his face, the unmistakable expression of a pure battle fanatic.
"He's the strongest opponent I've ever faced besides Krillin. That pressure on the edge of life and death… the thrill of pushing past my limits…"
"If we kill him now, I won't have someone like that to chase anymore."
"And next time… I'm sure I can defeat him properly, with my own strength."
"Not like now, where I had to rely on Krillin."
A very Saiyan way of thinking.
For the sake of a good fight, even their lives and the fate of the planet could be gambled.
Yamcha stomped in frustration.
"You're treating Earth like a joke! What if he comes back after recovering? What if Krillin isn't here next time?"
"Then I'll become stronger than Krillin."
Goku answered without hesitation.
The situation fell into a tense stalemate.
In the end, every gaze turned toward Krillin.
As the absolute strongest person present, and the one literally standing over Vegeta, only he could make the final decision.
Krillin looked down at Vegeta beneath his foot.
Though trembling in pain, Vegeta's eyes flickered with shock at Goku's words before being consumed by even deeper humiliation.
To be pitied and spared by a lower-class warrior was worse than death.
Krillin did not respond immediately.
His gaze shifted slightly, focusing into empty space as a golden exclamation mark suddenly appeared on the system interface.
[System Notification: Key Story Branch Triggered]
[Mission: Prelude to Namek]
[Condition: Vegeta must survive and escape Earth.]
[Description: If the host kills Vegeta now, Frieza's forces will lose all information regarding the Namekian Dragon Balls and will instead follow the last recorded signal directly to Earth. This will result in a full-scale invasion. The Namek storyline will collapse, and the host will lose multiple S-rank rewards, including the Super Saiyan progression quest.]
[Failure Penalty: Storyline collapse. Difficulty increases to Hell Level. High probability of Earth's destruction.]
Krillin raised an eyebrow, cursing inwardly.
So the system was forcing him to play the hero.
He had already noticed that Vegeta's communicator was still active, and he had made no effort to stop Goku from mentioning the Dragon Balls.
After all, the Namek arc was crucial. It was the turning point for Goku's rise to Super Saiyan.
If Vegeta died here, Frieza would come straight to Earth instead.
Krillin might be strong with the Saitama template, perhaps enough to handle Frieza's first form.
But if Frieza jumped straight to his final form, and brought along the Ginyu Force, Earth would not survive the chaos.
More importantly, Namek was a perfect place to grow stronger.
The Grand Elder's potential unlock, Piccolo's people with regenerative abilities, and Porunga, the dragon who could grant three wishes.
Too valuable to miss.
"Since Goku is asking like this…"
Krillin let out a sigh, easing the pressure under his foot, putting on a helpless expression.
"Yamcha, disperse the energy. This is Goku's request."
"You've known him long enough. He'd risk his life just for a good fight."
"…Tch."
Yamcha clenched his teeth, glancing between Goku's pleading expression and Krillin's firm stance. In the end, he reluctantly dispersed the Spirit Ball.
"Lucky you."
He spat on the ground and pointed at Vegeta.
"If you dare come back, I'll beat you into a pulp with my upgraded Wolf Fang Fist."
The pressure on Vegeta's back disappeared.
He struggled, digging his fingers into the ground, nails breaking and bleeding as he dragged himself forward.
Slowly. Painfully.
Like a broken lizard crawling across the dirt, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.
Humiliation.
Endless humiliation.
But he had to live.
As long as he could return to Frieza's planet and enter a healing pod, everything would recover. Even his tail would grow back.
Next time, he would slaughter everyone on this planet.
Especially that bald man.
He would tear him apart, revive him, and kill him again.
Just as his bloodied fingers were about to touch the ship's control
"Who said you could crawl away?"
Krillin's voice rang out, calm but mocking.
Vegeta froze.
Before he could react, Krillin lifted his leg and executed a perfect soccer kick.
"Off you go."
Boom!
The impact sent Vegeta flying like a human cannonball, tracing a precise arc through the air before crashing straight into the narrow entrance of the pod.
Thud.
He landed face-first with a sickening sound.
That single kick not only launched him but also completed his "boarding process."
Vegeta felt like his pelvis had shattered. The pain nearly knocked him unconscious again.
"Listen carefully, Vegeta."
Krillin walked slowly to the pod, hands in his pockets, his bald head gleaming under the cabin lights.
His usual carefree expression vanished, replaced by a cold, terrifying gaze.
Not the look of a human.
But of something far above.
"Go back and tell Frieza."
At that name, Vegeta's pupils shrank sharply.
His heart skipped a beat.
How did he know?
That was not information a backwater planet should have.
Raditz never had the chance to mention it.
"Tell that so-called emperor to wash his neck and wait."
Krillin smiled, his teeth gleaming like something far more dangerous.
"Earth belongs to me."
"If he dares to reach for it, I'll cut off his hand. Emperor or not."
"And while you're at it, tell the Ginyu Force their poses are outdated. Next time we meet, I'll show them what a real pose looks like."
Vegeta trembled, unsure if it was fear, rage, or something he could not comprehend.
With shaking hands, he pressed the launch button.
The hatch slowly closed, cutting off Krillin's terrifying gaze.
"Just wait… you fools…"
Through the glass, Vegeta's swollen, bloodied face twisted into a feral grin.
"Kakarot… and you, bald one… you have no idea how terrifying Lord Frieza is."
"You know nothing about true power."
"I admit you're strong… but compared to him, you're nothing but an insect."
"Hell is waiting for you."
The ship roared to life, blasting into the sky and disappearing like a shooting star.
"…Finally sent him off."
Krillin dusted off his pants and turned around, only to find everyone staring at him like he was a monster.
"Dad, you were amazing!"
Trillin rushed forward and hugged his leg, eyes sparkling.
"Who's Frieza? Is he tougher than that shiny-head guy? I want to fight him too!"
Krillin patted his son's head, smiling faintly.
"That's a punching bag I've reserved for you."
"But not yet. You've still got a lot of training to do."