On a distant world, Vegeta and Nappa exchanged tense glances, both recognizing the shock mirrored in the other's eyes.
Nappa casually dropped the corpse of a slain alien and muttered,
"Someone on Earth reached a battle power of twenty-one thousand? How can such a weak planet produce a monster like that? Could it be Kakarot?"
Vegeta's expression hardened. Slowly, he shook his head.
"Raditz's scouter was an old model, capped at twenty thousand. That means whoever he's fighting now is stronger than the reading showed."
"Then Raditz is done for? Should we… save him?" Nappa asked uneasily. His own maximum strength was barely eight thousand. Facing someone over twenty thousand meant certain death.
Still, Saiyans had their fallback—transformation into Great Apes. A tenfold boost might give them a chance.
But Vegeta snorted coldly.
"That useless Raditz isn't worth the trouble. You understand what a battle power above twenty thousand means. Even I…"
He stopped short. His current strength was eighteen thousand. Without transforming or resorting to underhanded tactics, he stood no chance against such an opponent. Raditz's life was simply not worth risking his own.
Relief flickered across Nappa's face. He wasn't grieving Raditz's fate—only glad they weren't throwing themselves into the same pit.
---
Back on Earth, the Z Fighters had sensed it too. None were more shaken than Goku and Piccolo. Both stood frozen, overwhelmed by the impossible Ki radiating from afar.
Compared to it, Raditz's presence seemed like nothing.
Without hesitation, Piccolo flew straight to Master Roshi's place, where Goku had gathered with his friends and family. Goku wasn't surprised to see him.
Piccolo's stern eyes swept the group, briefly landing on young Gohan. The Namekian's green face and grim aura made the child shrink in fear.
Bulma quickly pulled Gohan close, glaring at Piccolo.
"Hey! Do you have to scare him like that? Leave, you're not welcome here!"
Piccolo ignored her, his focus locked on Goku.
"You felt it too, didn't you? That Ki—it's terrifying."
Goku nodded, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Yeah. What's strange is that it appeared out of nowhere. If he's an enemy… Earth's in real danger."
"So, are we going?"
"Oh? You're not scared? Even together, we probably can't win against him."
Piccolo smirked.
"I've never felt power like this. To not face it would be a waste. And if he really is an enemy, there's nowhere we can run."
"Hahaha! You've got a point. Then I'll come too."
Goku ruffled Gohan's hair, his face softening. Bulma's worry deepened.
"Goku, don't tell me another enemy's here. And even you can't beat him?"
Goku gave a wry smile and nodded. For once, he had to admit he was outmatched. Turning to Krillin, he said firmly,
"Krillin, you stay here. Protect everyone. If something happens to me and Piccolo, take them and run. Don't ever come after us."
Krillin swallowed hard, then nodded.
"Got it. Just… be careful, Goku."
"Right."
With that, Goku leapt onto the Flying Nimbus while Piccolo shot skyward. The two raced together toward the battlefield.
---
Meanwhile, Raditz stood trembling, backing away from Chiga with sheer terror in his eyes.
Chiga glanced at the shattered scouter on the ground and sighed.
"Such poor quality."
A Saiyan with a measly battle power of fifteen hundred held no interest for him. He extended his hand, and the broken device flew into his palm. Turning it over thoughtfully, he murmured,
"This could be useful. I'll need it to draw Vegeta here. Otherwise, things might get boring."
Raditz's mind raced. He had only come to Earth seeking his brother, but instead he had run headlong into a monster. Now he could neither flee nor fight.
Before he could decide what to do, Piccolo and Goku arrived.
Raditz spotted Goku instantly, his resemblance to Bardock unmistakable. He wanted to call out, but his survival mattered more than family now. If Chiga was merciful, maybe he would live.
Chiga turned his golden Tenseigan gaze on the two newcomers. Both Goku and Piccolo stiffened as the oppressive pressure washed over them. Fortunately, his focus didn't linger long.
Instead, Chiga opened his palm. A gray vortex appeared, and the shattered scouter seamlessly reformed before his eyes. He clipped it onto his ear, then reached toward Raditz.
"Almighty Pull."
The air trembled. Gravity itself bent to Chiga's will, dragging Raditz helplessly into his grip. No matter how he struggled, the Saiyan couldn't resist.
"You wanted the Dragon Balls too, didn't you?" Chiga said coldly. "That won't work."
"Dragon Balls?" Raditz repeated, bewildered. But when his eyes fell on Piccolo, recognition struck him like lightning.
"A… Namekian?!"
Chiga smiled faintly. Those words would be more than enough bait for Vegeta.
Golden light burst from his eyes, piercing through Raditz's skull. The Saiyan's body went limp. For all their resilience, even Saiyans died as easily as humans under such force.
Goku and Piccolo instantly went on high alert, watching Chiga closely.
But he only tossed Raditz's corpse aside, removing the scouter and turning to them with a calm smile.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy. That one came to invade Earth. What you should worry about are the others who will follow."
---