Chapter 11: Vegeta's Defeat
Turles was starting to regret bringing Raditz back. It had started as a whim, combined with Raditz mistaking him for Bardock and calling him "Dad"—that's the only reason he'd given Raditz a chance.
But after learning Turles wasn't his father, Raditz had decided Turles must be his younger brother Kakarot, sent to Earth as a baby. Now he wanted to claim Turles as his sibling. It left Turles speechless.
Seeing Paragus still laughing uncontrollably, Turles literally threw Raditz at him. Paragus had known Bardock back in the day—let the old veteran deal with this "nephew."
Paragus accepted the task of training Raditz without complaint. Actually seemed pleased with the assignment.
Objectively, Raditz's talent wasn't terrible. At birth, he'd been classified as having elite warrior potential—far exceeding his father. That's why he'd been recruited into Vegeta's squad.
But perhaps because of Bardock's reputation, Raditz had become a blind believer in Saiyan blood hierarchy. Being labeled elite-class from birth, he'd trusted that designation implicitly, losing the fighting spirit that had defined Bardock. Whether in battle or training, Raditz put in far less effort than his father had at the same age. His current strength didn't match his original potential at all.
Plus, as one of the rare Saiyans who bullied the weak while fearing the strong, Raditz rarely faced life-threatening situations. In Vegeta's trio, his low battle power meant he mostly cleaned up weaklings while Vegeta and Nappa handled serious threats. With fewer growth opportunities, the gap only widened. Vegeta and Nappa constantly fought at the front lines, improving rapidly. This vicious cycle explained why current Raditz only measured 1,300 battle power.
But Raditz's cushy days were over. With Turles's grand vision planted in his mind, Paragus now dedicated himself to Saiyan revival. Finding a talented tribesman, he planned to train Raditz mercilessly. With Broly's presence, Paragus didn't fear any Saiyan rebellion.
With Raditz handled, Turles began preparing for their interstellar journey. According to Karl's star charts, reaching the Galactic Center directly from here was impossible. They'd need multiple layovers. He needed to plan a route that avoided Frieza Force planets while minimizing travel time.
But seeing several planets marked on the charts, Turles started forming ideas.
While planning, he suddenly sensed Vegeta's ki rapidly approaching. He immediately stored the data and left the room.
Vegeta couldn't swallow this humiliation—he'd come seeking revenge already.
Reaching the door, Turles suddenly remembered something. He ran back inside and dragged the confused Paragus out.
"Turles, what are you doing? I was bonding with Raditz!" Paragus looked extremely reluctant.
Glancing at the bruise on Raditz's mouth, Turles didn't expose Paragus's version of "bonding." Instead, he flashed an evil grin. "Paragus, still want revenge on King Vegeta?"
That got Paragus's full attention immediately. He guessed Turles's plan: "You know where Vegeta is now?"
Turles nodded, smiling meaningfully.
Knew this old bastard hadn't given up his grudge against King Vegeta!
Seeing Turles's smile, Paragus mentally cursed, but still spoke shamelessly: "If you tell me where Vegeta is, I'll owe you one favor. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it!"
The offer shocked Turles. He hadn't expected such commitment from the old schemer. But he didn't overthink it, extending his right hand: "Deal!"
Paragus clasped it. They shook once.
After the handshake, Turles said nothing, instead looking up at the sky.
About to speak, Paragus followed Turles's gaze and saw a face remarkably similar to King Vegeta's.
After glaring at Turles for obviously tricking him, Paragus shot into the air, stopping not far from Vegeta.
Vegeta felt uncertain. Something seemed wrong. He'd thought "Kakarot" possessed 20,000+ battle power. Though outmatched, his Saiyan pride wouldn't let him back down from a challenge—even a low-class warrior's provocation. So despite being 10,000 battle power behind, Vegeta had come anyway.
But now, facing this white-bearded, hostile-looking old Saiyan, then glancing at "Kakarot" watching from below, Vegeta's thoughts grew confused.
During their earlier fight, Vegeta hadn't activated his scouter before getting knocked out. After detecting 20,000 battle power, he'd assumed it was Turles and rushed over. But now the readings showed this old Saiyan at 20,000, while "Kakarot" registered zero energy.
"Kakarot! What the hell are you playing at?!" Vegeta finally shouted at Turles.
"You're Kakarot! Your whole family's Kakarot! My name is TURLES!" The misidentification infuriated him.
He also shot Raditz a glare. Obviously Raditz had told Vegeta about Kakarot, causing this confusion. What a wonderful big brother!
The rebuke left Vegeta baffled. But he didn't have time to worry about Turles—Paragus had lost patience and attacked.
Vegeta reacted quickly. Realizing he couldn't dodge, he raised both arms to block, preparing to tank Paragus's strike.
One exchange told Vegeta something was off. Though Paragus hit hard, it lacked the concentrated explosive force from fighting "Kakarot" earlier. This felt more dispersed—a technique Vegeta recognized well.
While blocking Paragus's assault, Vegeta analyzed the difference in "Kakarot's" fighting style. His excellent combat instincts quickly identified the gap. Combined with detecting zero energy from "Kakarot," Vegeta believed he'd discovered the secret.
"Hahaha! That all you got, old man? Feels like a massage!" Vegeta laughed heartily, then forcefully pushed Paragus back.
Following up immediately, Vegeta pressed his advantage, launching a fierce counterattack that caught Paragus off-guard. But the experienced warrior quickly recovered.
The two traded blows furiously in midair, appearing evenly matched for the moment.
Turles was surprised. Vegeta, who couldn't survive one move against him, was actually holding his own against Paragus. It gave him new appreciation for the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta wasn't weak—Turles with ki mastery was just playing on a different level.
In the original timeline, 18,000-power Vegeta had failed to defeat Goku fresh from King Kai's training—despite Goku only measuring 8,000. By all logic, it should have been a stomp. Instead, they'd fought to mutual exhaustion. Sure, Goku had plot armor and the Kaio-ken multiplier technique, but it proved how much ki mastery amplified combat effectiveness.
Turles currently measured around 18,000. Combined with ki control making his movements faster and more precise, knocking out Vegeta in one hit wasn't surprising.
What Turles didn't realize: Vegeta had already noticed the difference. This fight with Paragus was testing his theory. With Vegeta's talent, mastering ki was only a matter of time.
But ki mastery wasn't quick, and getting distracted against a superior opponent was dangerous. Paragus soon exploited an opening, hammering Vegeta from the sky into the ground, creating a massive crater.
As the dust cleared, Vegeta's body showed extensive injuries. His armor was heavily damaged. He looked absolutely miserable.
Paragus landed at the crater's edge, face radiating vindictive satisfaction. Laughing, he began mocking: "The Saiyan Prince? That's it?"
"King Vegeta really raised a fine son. After all these years, you can't even beat an old man. And I heard you lost to Turles earlier too?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Turles is low-class born!"
Turles, just arriving, hadn't expected Paragus's taunts to include him—and with material Paragus had learned from Turles himself, no less.
Vegeta had never endured such humiliation. His eyes turned bloodshot. If conditions permitted, he'd probably have gone Super Saiyan from sheer rage.
"Alright, Paragus, that's enough. Don't forget our objective." Seeing Paragus unable to stop himself, Turles cut him off.
Ignoring Paragus's displeasure at being interrupted, Turles looked at the severely injured Vegeta. "Vegeta, do you know about Beerus?"
"Beerus?" Fury-filled Vegeta had expected more mockery. This unexpected question caught him completely off guard.
"Never heard of him?" Seeing Vegeta's delayed response, Turles frowned.
That didn't make sense. Beerus had ordered Frieza to destroy Planet Vegeta because King Vegeta had disrespected him. Young Vegeta should have witnessed that encounter. Did this universe lack a God of Destruction? Was this a parallel timeline?
"I think I've heard that name. Let me think!" Vegeta snapped back to awareness, searching his memories.
"Hm?" Hearing Vegeta did recognize Beerus, Turles relaxed. Though Vegeta's cooperative attitude surprised him.
Actually, this was just Vegeta's tsundere personality. Though Turles had defeated him, Turles hadn't mocked him like Paragus had. By comparison, Turles seemed positively friendly. Plus Turles was much stronger, so this attitude made sense. Of course, if an opportunity to kill Turles presented itself, Vegeta wouldn't hesitate.
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