Piccolo glanced at Raditz, then at Gohan, and slowly nodded.
In truth, he wanted to see just how far Gohan's strength had come.
Now that the boy had learned the techniques of the Demon Clan, this was the perfect moment for him to show what he could do.
With Piccolo's approval, Gohan shot forward. He clenched his fists and said calmly, "Uncle, how about we spar for a bit?"
"You?"
Raditz was still reeling from shock. Hearing Gohan challenge him only deepened his confusion.
Yes, his nephew possessed frightening power when enraged.
But challenging him directly felt like a step too far.
"I'm coming!"
Gohan assumed a fighting stance in midair. His left hand formed a claw, his right hand tightened into a fist. It was identical to the Demon Clan battle stance.
Although he had agreed to revive Raditz, resentment still lingered deep in Gohan's heart.
This was the man who had tried to kidnap him. Because of him, his father had been forced to spend an entire year suspended between life and death.
For that alone, Raditz deserved a solid beating.
"Hmph!"
Raditz's eyes filled with open disdain. He was a proud Saiyan elite. Was he really supposed to lose to a child?
"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're my brother's son!"
The instant the words left his mouth, Gohan vanished from his sight.
In that split second, fear surged through Raditz's chest.
He spun around wildly, scanning his surroundings, but there was nothing. The boy was gone.
What terrified him most was not the disappearance itself, but the fact that he could no longer sense Gohan's presence at all.
Whoosh!
A rush of wind tore past his ear. Raditz reacted on instinct, clenching his right fist and whipping around with a lightning-fast punch.
Power exploded outward with a thunderous roar.
Yet the strike, fueled by his full strength, came to a sudden halt.
Raditz stared in disbelief.
Gohan stood there calmly, blocking the punch with a single hand.
No matter how hard Raditz strained, it was like throwing a stone into the ocean. He could not move him an inch.
"That's impossible!"
Raditz's eyes widened in horror. He could not believe what he was seeing. That child from back then was now stopping his attack with one hand.
Was he still trapped in some nightmare from hell?
No. His opponent was just a child, and he was a proud warrior.
"Damn it!"
His eyes burned red as he twisted his left hand, preparing to fire an energy blast.
Gohan saw through his intention instantly.
He tightened his grip slightly, pulling Raditz closer. Using the momentum, he released him, twisted his body, and drove his right elbow straight into Raditz's chest.
Crash!
The already damaged armor shattered completely.
Agony surged through Raditz's body as he was hurled backward, slamming violently into a nearby mountain.
Gohan straightened himself in midair, his body trembling faintly. In the next instant, he crossed dozens of meters and landed at the foot of the mountain.
Before him was a massive crater carved into the rock.
Deep within the mountain, a continuous rumble echoed without end.
"You bastard!"
A hoarse roar burst from within. A furious Raditz charged out, his aura flaring as he pushed his power to its limit.
But this was no longer the Earth he had first invaded.
Gohan deflected Raditz's relentless blows with his left arm. When Raditz's guard opened completely, Gohan drove a brutal uppercut into his jaw with his right fist.
Crack!
A faint sound, like bone breaking, echoed through the air.
Raditz's body shot straight into the sky, a thin trail of blood marking his path.
The assault left Raditz utterly stunned, his mind blank.
Only after breaking through the clouds did a trace of awareness return, though the pain in his jaw was unbearable.
"Damn it…"
The agony robbed him of speech.
As he struggled to regain control of his body, he saw a figure standing calmly above the clouds.
It was Gohan, dressed in an orange Demon Clan martial arts uniform. His hands were raised above his head, palms pressed together, brilliant light gathering between them.
"Kamehameha!"
With a deafening roar, a terrifying wave of energy erupted.
Blazing light swallowed Raditz whole.
In the next instant, a pillar of light connected sky and earth. Its overwhelming force tore through the surrounding clouds, while the ground below shook violently.
A devastating shockwave spread outward from the beam's core.
Even Piccolo, hovering in the air, had his cloak whipped wildly by the storm, yet he remained perfectly composed, looking almost effortlessly cool.
He gazed at the distant energy blast, a hint of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
Though such power could one day threaten his ambition to rule the world, knowing it belonged to Gohan filled him with undeniable pride.
"So he really learned everything I taught him. He's just lacking a bit of killer instinct, but he's far stronger than his gullible father ever was."
As Piccolo finished that thought, he drifted forward, clearly preparing to intervene.
At the same time, the pillar of light finally faded.
Raditz lay sprawled on the ground, his body covered in scorched wounds. His eyes were wide open as he stared blankly at the sky, utterly defeated.
Thud.
Gohan landed softly beside him.
He looked down calmly at his uncle lying in the crater.
This outcome had been inevitable. For someone like Raditz, the only effective method was a decisive personality correction punch.
Otherwise, how could anyone expect him to listen?
Gohan lowered his gaze and asked plainly, "Uncle, can you talk properly now?"
Raditz did not respond. He simply stared at the sky in a daze. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one might have thought he had already returned to the underworld.
"That's not how you question someone."
Piccolo had descended at some point without anyone noticing.
He grabbed Raditz by the collar and said coldly, "Let me show you how to interrogate someone like this."