Status: Ongoing
Cooler Rising
Chapter Twenty-six
"It's your lucky day, Turnip," Cooler said. "Any other day I'd kill you out of spite. But right now, I need someone to replace the two soldiers I lost."
"Sir, Dore and Niez will try to get back from Hell!" Salza exclaimed.
"No doubt they will," Cooler said. "But they're not going to get out by themselves. By now, the powers that be in Heaven will have noticed I've escaped. It's a given my brother is already planning an escape. Heaven is going to be sending in forces to put down the rebellion they have on their hands, Salza."
Salza nodded. "So, that being said," Cooler continued, "I need new soldiers. Turnip, that means you're my newest recruit."
"And if I refuse to put myself on the line for your new war?" Turnip said. "If I decide to turn on you instead of fight for you?"
"Well, Turnip, that means that you're going to go the exact same way that your honourable comrades did not so long ago," Cooler said. "You're a strong warrior, there's no doubting that. Your maximum is almost as high as Salza's. But believe me when I say that you and him together are nothing in comparison to me."
Cooler's tail whooshed over Turnip's head. Turnip ducked a little as it came over him.
"No doubt you understand that this means that there's going to be questions of you," Cooler said. "But I'm going to be merciful and save them for another time. What I desperately need to know right now is quite simple." Cooler paused for a moment, and began to circle Turnip. "How is it that there were five Saiyan warriors that were not only out of their pods, but also much stronger than the overwhelming majority of Saiyans I ever encounted?"
Turnip kneeled. "My lord, it's simple," the Saiyan said. "On one of the moons in this sector, there's a tree with fruit. Eating one of the fruits is enough to increase a warrior's power ten times over. It's easier and more effective than a Great Ape transformation, my lord."
"Ah," Cooler said. "So the plan was that you'd go back every so often and get this fruit, and once you had enough, you would wake everyone up and let them have some."
"That's right."
"But something happened."
"About four months ago, a band of pirates landed on that little moon. There's four of them; all different races. The weakest is at 380,000; the strongest is at 750,000. They're strong enough to put up quite the fight, Lord Cooler, and their knowledge of battle is quite broad."
"But surely you must have some fruit left? Enough to make yourself strong enough to take these pirates? Did this not cross your mind, Turnip?"
"It did, my Lord, but we were under express orders from Oran not to eat the fruit without permission," Turnip said.
"And yet Sauge and Susha were both strong enough to have killed Oran if they wanted to," Cooler said. "They'd been suppressing their power levels."
"We were planning to kill him and take over the colony ourselves," Turnip said. "We would have used the fruit to become the mightiest warriors in the universe and to win back the moon. After that we would have woken everyone up and gone out in the true tradition of the Saiyan race."
"Stand up," Cooler said.
Turnip looked up at Cooler.
"I said stand up, Turnip," Cooler said. "Surely you can carry out such a simple instruction."
Turnip stood up. Cooler began to circle the Saiyan.
"Turnip, I'm going to tell you what we're going to do," Cooler said. "We're going to feed you and Salza one of those fruits each. And then we're going to go over to that moon and take it."
"And then what, my lord?" Salza said.
"Why, we're going to go to Namek," Cooler said. "They have a set of Dragon Balls. We can use them to wish back Dore and Niez."
"Sir, but you said they wouldn't make it out of Hell!" Salza exclaimed.
"I said they're not going to get out by themselves," Cooler said. "I never said that they won't get out at all." Cooler stopped circling when he got behind Turnip. He moved his tail around Turnip's throat and said. "So, the question is quite simple, Turnip: will you join us, or will you die?"
"My lord Cooler," Turnip said with a slight smirk. "I will most certainly join you."
"Sir, Dore and Niez will try to get back from Hell!" Salza exclaimed.
"No doubt they will," Cooler said. "But they're not going to get out by themselves. By now, the powers that be in Heaven will have noticed I've escaped. It's a given my brother is already planning an escape. Heaven is going to be sending in forces to put down the rebellion they have on their hands, Salza."
Salza nodded. "So, that being said," Cooler continued, "I need new soldiers. Turnip, that means you're my newest recruit."
"And if I refuse to put myself on the line for your new war?" Turnip said. "If I decide to turn on you instead of fight for you?"
"Well, Turnip, that means that you're going to go the exact same way that your honourable comrades did not so long ago," Cooler said. "You're a strong warrior, there's no doubting that. Your maximum is almost as high as Salza's. But believe me when I say that you and him together are nothing in comparison to me."
Cooler's tail whooshed over Turnip's head. Turnip ducked a little as it came over him.
"No doubt you understand that this means that there's going to be questions of you," Cooler said. "But I'm going to be merciful and save them for another time. What I desperately need to know right now is quite simple." Cooler paused for a moment, and began to circle Turnip. "How is it that there were five Saiyan warriors that were not only out of their pods, but also much stronger than the overwhelming majority of Saiyans I ever encounted?"
Turnip kneeled. "My lord, it's simple," the Saiyan said. "On one of the moons in this sector, there's a tree with fruit. Eating one of the fruits is enough to increase a warrior's power ten times over. It's easier and more effective than a Great Ape transformation, my lord."
"Ah," Cooler said. "So the plan was that you'd go back every so often and get this fruit, and once you had enough, you would wake everyone up and let them have some."
"That's right."
"But something happened."
"About four months ago, a band of pirates landed on that little moon. There's four of them; all different races. The weakest is at 380,000; the strongest is at 750,000. They're strong enough to put up quite the fight, Lord Cooler, and their knowledge of battle is quite broad."
"But surely you must have some fruit left? Enough to make yourself strong enough to take these pirates? Did this not cross your mind, Turnip?"
"It did, my Lord, but we were under express orders from Oran not to eat the fruit without permission," Turnip said.
"And yet Sauge and Susha were both strong enough to have killed Oran if they wanted to," Cooler said. "They'd been suppressing their power levels."
"We were planning to kill him and take over the colony ourselves," Turnip said. "We would have used the fruit to become the mightiest warriors in the universe and to win back the moon. After that we would have woken everyone up and gone out in the true tradition of the Saiyan race."
"Stand up," Cooler said.
Turnip looked up at Cooler.
"I said stand up, Turnip," Cooler said. "Surely you can carry out such a simple instruction."
Turnip stood up. Cooler began to circle the Saiyan.
"Turnip, I'm going to tell you what we're going to do," Cooler said. "We're going to feed you and Salza one of those fruits each. And then we're going to go over to that moon and take it."
"And then what, my lord?" Salza said.
"Why, we're going to go to Namek," Cooler said. "They have a set of Dragon Balls. We can use them to wish back Dore and Niez."
"Sir, but you said they wouldn't make it out of Hell!" Salza exclaimed.
"I said they're not going to get out by themselves," Cooler said. "I never said that they won't get out at all." Cooler stopped circling when he got behind Turnip. He moved his tail around Turnip's throat and said. "So, the question is quite simple, Turnip: will you join us, or will you die?"
"My lord Cooler," Turnip said with a slight smirk. "I will most certainly join you."