In the pitch-black expanse of the universe, a "meteor" was darting through space.
At the head, wrapped in flames, was a spherical spacecraft.
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["Heh..." The man turned his head to look at him, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk. "I didn't expect the prince to chase all the way here."]
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Through the reddish-purple windows, the interior of the spherical spacecraft could be seen—inside, the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta.
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[Huff... Huff...]
[The sound of his own labored breathing...]
[In his vision, that person's face was becoming increasingly blurred…]
[Only those scarlet eyes flickered with an ominous gleam…]
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Inside the spacecraft, Prince Vegeta's battle suit was covered in wounds, stained with dried blood.
He furrowed his brow, seemingly trapped in a nightmare…
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["Here's a little tip from me..."]
[In those crimson pupils, Vegeta's own confused and fearful expression was reflected.]
[Vegeta had never thought that one day, his prideful self would show such an unworthy expression.]
[A weak person's expression.]
---
The spherical spacecraft passed by one nebula after another, traveling through the pitch-black void of space in solitude.
The basic life support system hummed as it kept the Prince alive, sustaining his faint breath.
The Saiyan's incredible resilience slowly began to heal his condition, and his breath gradually returned...
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["Do you want to become... a Super Saiyan?"]
[The man's smile deepened with an eerie glint.]
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Boom!
The meteor entered the atmosphere and crashed into the ground like a falling rock, creating a half-conical crater, releasing a wisp of smoke.
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["If you want..."]
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Crack, hiss...
At the bottom of the crater, the spherical spacecraft opened, and a bloodstained glove reached out through the hot air blast.
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["Then go to Earth."]
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Vegeta coughed violently, emerging from the spacecraft.
The fresh air, mixed with the scent of earth, filled his lungs… easing his exhausted body and mind.
He opened his eyes, leaning against the spacecraft's shell, and stood up, looking around with a slightly confused expression.
"So this is... Earth?"
Vegeta looked at his hands, puzzled, observing the bloodstains on his gloves and battle suit.
A terrifying figure seemed to flash in his mind…
Crimson eyes...
Ah!
His head hurt!
A flash of pain crossed Vegeta's eyes, interrupting his thoughts.
After a while, his strength, which had recovered somewhat during the long journey, was now sufficient for him to take a deep breath. He shot straight up into the sky, surveying the vast land below.
Vegeta wasn't wearing the standard single-lens scouter used by Freeza's army.
He focused intently, narrowing his eyes, and began to concentrate his energy.
If he remembered correctly, this planet was one that Raditz, that fool, had mentioned before…
Soon, numerous weak and scattered energy signatures, as insignificant as ants, appeared in Vegeta's senses.
"A planet full of weaklings with battle powers of only 5."
Vegeta sneered inwardly, filtering out those insignificant auras. "To think they said that on this planet... I could... become a Super..."
He slowly wore a puzzled expression, followed by a confused mumble, "Saiyan... Strange, how do I know about this?"
And...
Why could he sense this without a scouter...
The Prince hovered in the sky, gazing around in confusion for a moment.
Finally, his expression turned blank.
No matter what, since he was here, he'd take a look first…
"Got it!" Vegeta sensed a gathering of energy, as if from someone who didn't belong, and turned his gaze towards it. His body erupted in a burst of intense white light. "It's over there."
Bang—
A flash of white light exploded from where he had pointed, and Vegeta shot off into the distance, leaving a trail of light behind him.
---
Above Papaya Island, Vegeta looked down at the bustling city, watching the streets full of people coming and going. He descended without expression.
In this day and age, Earth's advanced technology was overflowing. Even if he were to fall from the sky like this, people would probably think he had some miniature auxiliary device installed, or some less perceptive ones might assume it was a magic trick, an illusion, or even a superpower... After a few casual glances, the passersby lost interest.
Tch, weaklings. The Saiyan prince, whose height wasn't particularly remarkable, walked among the crowds with a look of contempt for the natives of this remote planet.
That useless Raditz, his brother who had ended up here was also a fool. After all these years, he still hadn't conquered this planet. What a disgrace to the Saiyan race.
Vegeta followed the direction of the energy signature that stood out among the weaklings.
He was close to the Martial Arts Temple now...
Suddenly, a white figure turned a corner ahead, and Vegeta collided right into it.
What!?
He was stunned, his hairs standing on end.
With his increased battle power and the strange sensory ability he didn't fully understand, how could someone get so close to him without him noticing?
And on this trash planet!?
Vegeta took a cautious step back and slightly raised his head.
"Hmm?"
The other person, cloaked in white, had green skin that seemed unhealthy, with dark yellow eyes as if sick. They didn't seem to notice being bumped into, and after a hum, casually turned around to glance back.
It was that glance that left Vegeta stunned.
"Name...!?" He blurted out, but the moment he said it, he was shocked again. Name? What name? What was I going to say?
However, Vegeta's body seemed to act faster than his mind. Even as his mind hesitated, his body, driven by the instinctive hostility that had flared up, attacked the person in front of him.
Piccolo, still puzzled, wondered what this small, scruffy figure with a tail—who seemed to be from the same race as Goku—was doing.
But the next second, this ragged little guy unexpectedly attacked him with full hostility.
What's wrong with you!?
Do you think you're Goku?
Piccolo moved his foot slightly, the corner of his cape flicking as he dodged Vegeta's punch, then raised his hand into a knife, striking Vegeta's neck with precision!
Thud!
The knife hand landed squarely on Vegeta's neck, and in an instant, Vegeta's eyes rolled back, his limbs and body convulsed slightly, slowly losing consciousness...
In the darkness, his vision was filled with the retreating figure in a white cloak...
Damn...
Who is he...?
Vegeta, filled with confusion and unwillingness, finally lost consciousness, completely unaware.
When he regained consciousness and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Raditz's big, useless face!
"Hey, how are you doing?" Raditz leaned in.
Vegeta's pupils contracted, and instinctively, he raised his hand to strike, but Raditz casually grabbed it, and poof, the energy blast in Vegeta's palm was extinguished, releasing a wisp of smoke.
Raditz grumbled, "What are you doing? I was just checking how you were doing!"
He eyed Vegeta with suspicion, scanning him up and down and even probing his energy. To his surprise... he was completely restored?
That guy, Yamiru, actually got some weird beans from a street kid that had the same effect as a Senzu bean!?
Why!?
Raditz was utterly baffled, seriously confused!
While he was pondering, he didn't even realize Vegeta was blushing in anger, unable to pull his hand out from Raditz's grip... his face full of humiliation.
Raditz snapped out of his thoughts, chuckling softly, revealing a wicked, mischievous smile, and casually released his hold.
---
Piccolo: 4,500,000
Vegeta: 24,000
Raditz: 1,100,000