Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within - CH25

[Escarot POV.]

A few days had passed since I killed Slug. Felt like longer.

The sky over Namek was green again. Back to its usual… Calm. Quiet. Peaceful tune.

Didn’t suit me at all. Too much zen for my liking.

I stood outside Guru’s house, arms crossed, tail lazily flicking behind me. The breeze was light, the suns were warm, and for the first time since I arrived, I didn’t feel like the universe was trying to kill me. Weird feeling.

Nail stood a few steps away, his arms behind his back like always. Posture perfect. Formal. The guy didn’t even know how to relax.

Behind him, the old man himself. Guru. Alive and… well, still old, but alive. That was something. Considering the past between Guru and Slug, I honestly expected Slug to just outright kill him, but he didn’t.

Okara and Garlik stood off to the side, a few meters away from me, they looked… deep in thought. Guess watching the planet almost fall apart at the hands of someone much more powerful than what they thought was possible was quite a shock.

"You’re really leaving?" Nail asked.

"Yeah," I said. "No reason to hang around. Slug’s dead. Planet’s still standing. I got my God Pillow. Job’s done."

Guru gave a slow nod, his expression unreadable. "You did more than complete a task, young Saiyan."

"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. "Save the ceremony."

He chuckled softly. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to that sound coming out of someone who looked like they were one nap away from death.

"I want to thank you," Nail said. "For everything. For stopping Slug… for protecting our people."

I gave him a shrug. "Don’t get all sentimental on me. I didn’t do it for free."

Nail’s brow rose. "Oh? And what did you come for?"

I smirked. "A good fight. And damn if I didn’t get one."

Slug had made my blood boil with excitement! Even now, I could still feel my heart pump at the thought of our fight, it was honestly… intoxicating.

He smiled slightly at that. "Still. You saved Namek."

"I had help," I said, nodding toward Okara and Garlik. "Those two did more than I expected. Okara got the kids out of danger. And Garlik evacuated the others away from our fights."

Garlik looked proud of himself. Okara rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. We’re heroes. I still better get YOUR food when we get back."

"You will," I muttered. "Assuming you behave, otherwise only Garlik will get my food."

“WHAT?!” Okara barked.

Guru took a step forward, his massive frame casting a long shadow. "Escarot. You have my thanks. And my debt."

"Keep it," I replied. "I don’t need a favor from you."

He blinked. "I… see."

"I came here, got stronger, fought someone way above my level, and didn’t die. That’s a win in my book. Hell, best time I’ve had in my life so far, not that I have lived long mind you, but still…"

Guru seemed taken aback for a second. Then nodded slowly. "You are truly a Saiyan. A different one, but a Saiyan nonetheless."

That felt... slightly racist. I think...

"Trying my best," I said with a grin.

I turned back to Nail. "One last thing."

He raised a brow.

"You ever get bored of sitting on this rock, staring at kids all day… you could come with me."

Nail didn’t even hesitate. "No."

I chuckled. "Didn’t think so."

"My duty is here. With my people."

"Yeah. You’re a good one. Try not to die."

"You too."

We stared at each other for a second. Then nodded.

That was all there was to say.

Okara elbowed me. "So, where are going next?”

That was a good question, and the answer was Yadrat.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ships were powered up and ready. Okara had already loaded her gear. Garlik was giving the exterior one last check, running a diagnostic like he always did before takeoff. I stood nearby, arms crossed, staring off into the sky.

Time to move on.

I turned toward him. “Hey. Once we’re off-planet, set course for Yardrat.”

He paused, turned to look at me like I’d spoken Namekian. “…Where?”

“Yardrat,” I repeated, trying not to sound as confused as I felt. “It’s a planet. Weird architecture. People there have… interesting techniques.”

Garlik narrowed his eyes. “That’s not on any star map I’ve seen.”

“Can you check the nav systems? Might be listed in the deeper archives.” I tried to keep my tone casual, like I wasn’t pulling this from my ass. Because that’s how I imagined having knowledge you had no way of knowing felt like for others.

Garlik sighed and opened the side panel of the power ball ship, tapping at the console. Okara wandered over, arms behind her head. “What kind of planet is this anyway? Never heard you mention it before.”

“It’s… remote,” I said, trying to remember anything about it. “Small population. Not a military target or anything. But I heard the locals know some weird stuff. Techniques. Ki control stuff that’s… unique.”

Technically true.

The anime never went too much into detail about things.

Garlik finished scanning and shook his head. “Not here. Not in the nav logs, the expansion charts, or even the PTO’s unexplored sectors list.”

I frowned. “So it’s not even listed?”

“Doesn’t look like it.” He folded his arms. “You sure you didn’t hear about it from a Namekian or something? It might be a namekian word that means something else, we could have; one the locals translate it.”

“No, it’s okay.” I shrugged, playing it off.

If our database didn’t have information on Yadrat it was pointless to try and find it blindly. 

Okara tilted her head. “Sounds sketchy. You got coordinates?”

“No,” I admitted. “Not exactly.”

“Then how are we supposed to go there?” she asked.

“We’re not. Not yet.” I looked toward the stars. As an idea occurred to me, I could probably bribe Whis to tell me where Yadrat was… and all I would need to do is cook for him.

Garlik nodded. “Well… in case you feel like training, I’ve got a few locations logged. Old combat worlds. Training outposts that haven’t been used in years. Harsh climates. High gravity.”

“That’ll work,” I said. “Pick the best one. I’ll punch the dirt until it fights back.”

Okara snorted. “If it doesn’t kill you first.”

I grinned. “It won’t.”

She smirked back. “Shame.”

“That’s it, no food for you,” I shot back.

“NOOO! I’m sorry!” Okara shot back immediately.

Garlik glanced at me again. “How did you get so good at cooking?”

“Luck,” I replied.

He didn’t press further. Smart of him.

We all had secrets. I just wasn’t ready to share mine. 

“Alright then,” Garlik said. “We’ll start with the closest viable training world. Once we take off, it’ll be a few days’ flight.”

“Good,” I nodded. “More time to rest.”

Okara rolled her eyes. “So… are you totally stronger than King Vegeta now, right?”

Gaelic began to choke, on air apparently. 

“I… yeah, I am,” I said, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Would that make him our new King?” Okara asked, looking at Garlik.

“I-I don’t know, maybe? He would have to challenge King Vegeta for that to happen though,” Garlik replied, suddenly realizing Okara was igniting a civil war. 

“Let’s focus on what’s important, and find us a place to train before we return to Planet Vegeta,” I said, my tail flicking around.

She sighed. “Can I take the crown if you don’t wanna it?”

“Fuck no,”

“…Yeah, fair.”

We all turned toward the ships. Our time on Namek was done.

Yardrat and King Vegeta could wait.

But not forever.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Third Person POV] 

Whis dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin and set the empty dessert tray aside. Three fruit tarts. Gone. A perfectly reasonable number, given the entertainment.

He leaned back slightly, gazing into the hovering orb of his staff. The image had long since faded—Escarot’s battle was over, the dust settled—but the memory of it lingered.

“A Saiyan who thinks in battle,” Whis said aloud, tone amused. “Now that’s rare.”

He tapped his chin with a finger. Most Saiyans were reckless, headstrong, and allergic to anything resembling subtlety. But this one—Escarot—had broken that mold. At least a little.

Whistling to disrupt a Namekian sensitive hearing? Whis chuckled. “Quite clever.”

Not unheard of, of course. Plenty of beings in the universe used sonic-based techniques. But it wasn’t the kind of thing a Saiyan usually thought to exploit. Not when they could punch their problems until they stopped moving.

Escarot hadn’t just relied on brute force, even though he’d had plenty of it. He had tested Slug. Gauged him. Used his strengths when they counted, and fell back on strategy when needed.

Smart. Calculated.

Unusual.

He waved his hand and brought up the last moments of the fight once again—Slug roaring in frustration, trying to claw at his own ears, while the oversized ape grinned and blasted him into vapor.

Whis smiled faintly. “Crude, but effective.”

He tilted his head, considering.

Escarot wasn’t just physically strong. He was adapting. Learning. That made him dangerous. Saiyans that survived long enough to start thinking were rare, and they didn’t stay low on the power scale for long.

Especially not ones like him.

Whis pondered for a moment, then gave a soft hum. “I wonder…”

He’d told Beerus he was watching the Saiyan just to pass time and to make sure his quest was completed. Something mildly amusing while the Destroyer slept off his last tantrum. But now? Escarot was shaping up to be more than just afternoon tea entertainment.

Certainly more entertaining than most warriors he'd seen lately.

“He even had the decency not to die,” Whis mused, sipping from a now-cold cup of tea. “How responsible.”

Most Saiyans would’ve let their instincts lead them into a final, glorious death. Escarot pulled back. Reassessed. Shifted his approach. Then won.

Not perfect, of course. 

He still relied heavily on brute force, and there was a very long road ahead of him before he could be considered anything exceptional in the larger universal scale. But he wasn’t starting at the bottom, either.

He had potential.

And potential always caught Whis’s attention.

He gave the orb one last glance, watching as the Saiyan prepared to leave Namek with his two companions. One loud, one quiet. Both loyal.

It was surprising what a little bit of kindness could do to those that didn’t know much of it.

“Let’s see where your journey goes next,” Whis said quietly.

He reached over to the now-empty plate, frowning slightly. No more tarts.

A tragedy.

With a wave of his staff, the orb blinked off. The kitchen returned to silence. The palace was still, Lord Beerus still asleep, the universe still spinning.

And somewhere out there, a Saiyan with too much curiosity and not enough supervision was heading toward his next stop.

Whis smiled faintly.

This could be fun.

Oh, it would definitely be fun.