บท 10: Chapter 10* – Time-Skip Already?
~ Approximately 2 Years Later ~
The ocean reflected a deep, fiery orange as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a mesmerizing glow across the water. A young boy, now eleven years old, gracefully moved through a series of sharp, well-practiced motions on the beach.
The boy in question was none other than Ajax, now 11 years old, his once childish frame having stretched into a taller, slightly less boyish silhouette.
He sported only the Turtle School's orange Gi pants, leaving his upper body bare, showcasing a defined physique that attested to his dedicated training. His hair, now longer, cascaded to the middle of his neck with faint spikes, courtesy of the mysterious physics of this world, though not quite as sharply defined as that of a Saiyan's.
On the beach, Ajax moved with a sense of purpose and fluidity, the practiced motions appearing effortless, like second nature or muscle memory. In reality, underneath all that, a deep frustration gnawed at him unceasingly. His current circumstances are, for a lack of better word, utterly dismal.
Over the past two years, he hadn't let up even a moment, pushing himself relentlessly under the guidance of Master Roshi. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated his initial estimate by severely underestimating the difficulty of both martial arts and ki usage. However, rather than an underestimation, it is more likely that he had simply overestimated his own talent instead.
After two years of unwavering dedication, he had yet to surpass Krillin, let alone Goku. At the moment, Ajax is one setback away from exploding in frustration.
A deep scowl marred his face as Ajax reflected on his experiences in the past two years. There were no shortcuts to speak of, no mastering the Kamehameha after a few observations, contrary to what nearly every fanfiction had led him to believe. Those liars!
The Kamehameha alone was a bitch and a half to learn. It had taken him no less than two grueling months of practice to achieve even a semblance of the move. Compressing ki to the absurd degree required for the internal pressure to eject the technique outward is a LOT harder than it sounded!
Hell, it had taken him two full days to learn levitation and one more to fly. If Ajax remembers correctly, even Videl took only a single afternoon under Gohan's tutelage. Ajax's face flushed red with embarrassment. His talent is worse than Videl's! Shit!
That being said, Ajax was not too surprised, as he had anticipated this outcome to some extent. Goku is a savant while Krillin is a genius in his own right, and both have dedicated their entire lives to martial arts. In contrast, Ajax was merely an unremarkable individual from a world devoid of Ki, possessing minimal, if any, natural martial arts talent of his own.
Ajax clenched his jaw as he executed another demanding sequence of katas and shook his head in frustration. Shenron was right after all because it was now evident that his body was not performing as he had anticipated, restrained by the limitations of his bloodline.
What he had hoped to acquire was an ability similar to that of the Saiyans' Zenkai or the adaptability aspect of Berserker Heracles's God Hand. But, of course, it had not turned out as he had hoped. To Ajax's disappointment, his power level did not surge like it would from a Zenkai boost after recovery. Instead, what Ajax had obtained was a highly specific and hand-me-down version of God's Hand's adaptability.
If Ajax were to evaluate this ability in isolation, he had to admit that it was actually quite decent. If he had plenty of time on his hands, that is. The problem lay in the fine print of his wish: he had neglected to add healing as part of the deal, having used the word adaptation instead. As a result, whenever he got injured, he had to heal the ordinary way, a process that now seemed painfully slow.
Once he has recuperated, Ajax gets a nice chunk of resistance to the specific type of damage inflicted upon him, up to the degree of the force of the attack. Unfortunately, after extensive experimentation with Krillin and Master Roshi, Ajax learned that crushing, heat, blunt, concussive, sharp, tearing, pressure, electrical, vibrational, Ki, and countless other types of damage all fell under distinct categories.
Looks like Shenron did get him back for being too greedy, because the legendary dragon had given him exactly what he had wished for, down to the very letter.
Ajax released a soft, resigned breath between his teeth. THE MASTERPLAN's recourse for correction, a second wish for items of power like the fruits from the Tree of Might, is also off the table. Regrettably, the same person who made his first wish possible now stood as the greatest obstacle to his second. Yet, he found it difficult to truly fault her, especially considering that at this point, Piccolo remained an adversary for her rather than an ally. To her, Ajax's greed probably made him look like Piccolo Jr.'s Jr.
Ajax had also briefly contemplated stealing the radar, but he had no confidence in his ability to collect the Dragon Balls and make the wish before Goku could track him down to whoop his ass.
God damn it! He needs to get his shit together fast! According to THE MASTERPLAN's timeline, he should already be at a much higher level of strength than he is currently. Worse yet, his allotted time had already elapsed, and he was far from ready to confront Raditz.
Unbeknownst to Ajax, Krillin had surreptitiously popped his head around the corner of Kame House to observe him, much like an enamored young maiden yearning to steal a glimpse of her beloved. A proud smile tugged at the corners of Krillin's lips as he observed Ajax, his kouhai, engrossed in the meticulous execution of the Turtle School kata.
Krillin isn't too sure what exactly is driving Ajax to train with such fervor and desperation, but one thing was certain—among all the students at Kame House, Ajax exemplified dedication. Even at this very moment, Ajax remained so wholly concentrated on his kata, that he remained oblivious to Krillin's presence.
Such drive is exceptionally rare, Krillin thinks, even among seasoned martial artists, including himself. In all honesty, Krillin had already been feeling pressured by Ajax's relentless pace over the past two years, and it had spurred him to intensify his training as well. What sort of senpai would he be if he just allowed himself to be surpassed by his own kouhai?
Already during their sparring sessions, Krillin had witnessed Ajax effortlessly tank blows from him that would typically require dodging or deflection. It made fighting Ajax a unique experience—like a battle against an opponent who is on an entirely different level, just without the punishing counterblows. It had filled a void in Krillin's combat skills that he hadn't even realized existed. In fact, as long as he is careful to maintain a constant offensive, Krillin felt reasonably confident that he can give even Goku a run for his money. Maybe.
During the transition to the final kata, Krillin moved gracefully away from the building's side to approach Ajax. He called out, his voice resounding loudly and interrupting Ajax's thoughts. "Impressive form! You're improving by leaps and bounds as usual!"
Ajax momentarily halted his kata, turning to face Krillin.
"Thanks, but I'm not improving fast enough."
Krillin sighed in exasperation and shook his head. "Man, I just can't understand your desperation for more strength. Your cheat of a body has already made me nearly ineffective against you unless I put in some serious effort. That's gotta be good enough."
"No, not yet."
Krillin positioned himself alongside Ajax, assuming the initial stance of the final kata. He offered a brief, affirmative nod to Ajax, signaling his readiness to join in. A comfortable silence enveloped the two as they synchronized their movements, illuminated by the warm, orange hues of the setting sun.
As Ajax executed the stances and motions seamlessly beside Krillin, his thoughts began to drift toward the future once more. He is currently stuck in the awkward period between now and the Saiyan Invasion where he has minimal access to resources and where effort alone isn't sufficient to attain the power he needs.
Ajax was well aware that humans could only grow their power levels slowly unlike other races. Saiyans could elevate their power through a multitude of transformations, Namekians could fuse, and Arcosians boasted various forms that enhanced their already outrageous capabilities.
In contrast, humans lacked any inherent biological advantages, forced to endure a painfully gradual ascent in power. Ajax knows that his edge in combat has to be his cunning, his mastery of techniques, as well as the efficient creation and use of opportunities.
That being said, tricks and tactics will only get him so far before the gaping chasm of power becomes unbridgeable. Ajax narrowed his eyes, that would all change once he gained access to-
"-Earth to Ajax!" Krillin's voice rang out beside him, abruptly yanking Ajax from his deep introspection. "Man, were you zoning out on me this entire time? What were you thinking about?"
Ajax considered the question for a split second.
"About an Atlantis that was never built."
Krillin blinked.
"What?"
But Ajax had already returned his attention towards the final segment of the kata.
"Oi! You have a bad habit of spitting out random words as a diversion when you don't want to answer a question, you know?" Krillin grumbled good-naturedly. "What's the last diversion you pulled? Oh! Master Roshi's pet phoenix! I still cannot believe you had the BALLS to insinuate that he ate it by asking him to his face what 'fried phoenix' tasted like!"
"…Goku appreciated the joke."
Krillin let out this uncharacteristic soul-weary sigh.
"Yeah, but it's Goku, man."
The two completed the final sequence of movements, their bodies lightly shining with a thin layer of sweat. As they stood there, quietly watching the sun's descent in companionable silence, an abrupt voice behind them shattered the tranquility and sent shivers running down their spines.
"What did I say about discussing my phoenix, you little dipshits?"
Ajax and Krillin froze in their tracks as Master Roshi's annoyed voice thundered from behind them. Two far too enormous and beefy hands descended upon them, clamping down on their heads with vice-like force. The duo's screams of terror pierced the air as their feet dangled above the ground, desperate to find any semblance of traction but finding nothing but empty air.
With an unexpected motion, the colossal hands lightly tossed them upwards, liberating their abused skulls. Up in the air, the duo felt momentary weightlessness before they crashed back down to earth, landing unceremoniously on their butts. They looked up, matching sheepish grins on their faces, as they faced the mildly irritated Master Roshi.
Master Roshi, his expression still of annoyance, began to appraise Ajax, his keen eyes raking up and down the young boy's physique. Finally, he nodded, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
"When you first arrived here, you were a scrawny, wide-eyed kid, completely clueless," Master Roshi began, pride lacing his words. "And look at you now, no trace of your former illness and at the pinnacle of physical human potential. You've exceeded my expectations."
The words sent a surge of warmth through Ajax's chest, his cheeks tinged with a hint of an embarrassed blush. "Thank you, Master Roshi," he replied, allowing himself to feel a small sense of accomplishment.
"Indeed, you have shown remarkable progress. You have completed the Turtle School's training exceptionally well," Master Roshi's stern expression softened, and a rare smile crept onto his face. He paused for dramatic effect.
"I deem you qualified to graduate from the Turtle School."
***
DBA Corner – Ajax's Body
Alright, Ajax's body. This one took a while to nail down because it was surprisingly difficult to find the balance where he needed to struggle for victory and not steamroll through every enemy he faced.
The ability Ajax received is very OP at its core and the various restrictions on his version were to avoid making him invincible, which would make for an incredibly boring MC. The chapter only briefly touches on his ability so here are some more detailed insights into how Ajax's ability functions:
First and foremost, it's essential to note that Ajax's power is not a Zenkai. It doesn't grant him power level boosts through recovery, which is deliberately omitted. Otherwise, it'll make things too easy for him.
Another crucial detail of Ajax's body is that it adapts rather than regenerates. He's no Majin Buu or Cell. If Ajax gets a hole blasted through him, his body will adapt to the specific injury, gradually mitigating its impact on his performance. In other words, his body adjusts to accommodate the presence of the wound but does not heal the wound itself.
In cases where an injury is instantly fatal, Ajax will die. For injuries not immediately fatal, his body adapts to the extent necessary to ensure his survival.
After complete recovery, the adaptation to that specific wound reset, meaning if a similar injury follows right after recovery, Ajax will need to restart the adaptation process. Of course, the attack that created the second injury would need to be much more powerful to inflict the same damage.
Broadly speaking, Ajax's ability grants him damage reduction up to the strength of the attack he took for the specific category of damage. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, there are many different categories of damage and each has its own separate "resistance".
Fortunately, most attacks fall under multiple categories. For example, the Kamehameha would call under blunt, heat, and Ki, while something like the Special Beam Cannon would fall under piercing and Ki. Please don't take out a notebook and track how much resistance he gets under each category though, because while damage categories will come up later, it will not be to that level of detail.
After recovering, Ajax will gain a nice chunk of damage reduction proportional to a fraction of the difference between the strength of the attack and his current resistance. In short, the resistance he gains will face diminishing returns until it reaches the strength of the attack itself, after which Ajax becomes immune to all attacks at and below that level (under that damage category).
For example, if future Trunks attacked Ajax with his full power as a Super Saiyan, then, after quite a few full recoveries, Ajax will become completely immune to any attacks anyone throws weaker than future Trunks's full power.
However, that level of immunity will do jack-diddly squat against, say, Perfect Cell. Granted, Ajax's obscene defense will reduce the damage significantly, but since the attacks that Cell can exert are hilariously more powerful, Ajax will still get folded, just maybe after a few serious attacks instead of one half-hearted one.
Of course, if the gap in power levels is absolutely ridiculous, then it would be as if Ajax didn't have any resistance at all. As an example, the same Ajax that is immune to Super Saiyan Trunks would get obliterated in one shot by Golden Frieza.
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