After knocking Nappa down with a ki blast, Gohan hovered in front of Prince Vegeta, carefully assessing him.
Vegeta, still Gohan's opponent, wore a face that radiated pride but beneath that pride lurked shock and uncertainty.
Clearly, he had been taken aback by Gohan's previous attack.
"Kakarot's son!?"
Vegeta pressed the scouter on his face lightly. He crossed his arms again, but a cautious glint lingered in his eyes.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
The readings on his scouter flickered, then stabilized at "3000."
"!!!"
Seeing the number, doubt flashed across Vegeta's eyes.
"Looks like that fool Nappa was too careless!"
Despite his concern, seeing that the opponent's power level was not entirely abnormal seemed plausible to him.
Even if the legendary Super Saiyan existed, only he could achieve such a feat.
"So, are you here alone to wait for death?"
Vegeta, now aware of the opponent's power, regained his composure and even harbored a hint of teasing in his tone.
Seeing his confidence, Gohan merely smiled faintly, preparing his reply.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
At that moment, Vegeta's scouter beeped again.
Multiple data points flickered rapidly, indicating several powerful energy signatures approaching.
"Power level 5700? Power level 12,000?"
Detecting the two immense forces closing in, Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief.
The first reading was one thing, but the latter exceeded ten thousand.
Even in the universe at large, such a power was extremely rare!
This Earth was a backward planet how could anyone here surpass ten thousand in power?
And if such beings truly existed, why hadn't Raditz encountered them before? What had happened on this planet?
"Damn it… is the scouter broken?"
Finding the numbers illogical, he instinctively assumed a malfunction.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures appeared one after another.
Piccolo and Raditz were flying closely behind Gohan.
Though their speed could not match Gohan's, West City was nearby, and they arrived quickly.
Seeing Prince Vegeta, Raditz's eyes lit up.
It felt as though a new life was calling to him.
At the same time, Vegeta's expression shifted to disbelief upon seeing Raditz alive.
According to scouter data, Raditz should have died in battle a year ago.
How could he suddenly appear here?
Even more concerning, the newcomer's power had skyrocketed to 5700!
To put it in perspective, Nappa's power level was only around 4000.
Suddenly, a spark of realization hit him he remembered the mission: searching for the Dragon Balls to grant a wish.
So Raditz had been revived by the treasures of this planet the seven Dragon Balls?
This meant the legend of the Dragon God granting wishes was true, but who were these people? Why revive someone so useless?
Boom!
Like a brief prelude, a massive explosion echoed from outside the city, the shockwave spreading violently.
A tattered, bald, muscular man rose from the debris.
He glared into the distance, then transformed into a beam of energy, unleashing an attack that swept through the city and sent flying cars hurtling through the air.
The sheer ferocity of his ki slammed against Gohan and his allies.
Gohan merely tilted his head slightly, clenching his right fist, ready to show them what he could do.
"Stop, Nappa!"
At that moment, Vegeta spoke first.
His shout caused the energy beam to halt midair, falling beside Vegeta.
"Vegeta, why should I stop? These ignorant fools deserve to be crushed without mercy!"
Nappa glared at the opposing warriors. Though he did not know who had struck him, he was certain it was them.
But then he noticed Raditz standing before him.
His eyes froze slightly, as if witnessing something impossible.
"Raditz, weren't you killed alongside your brother? How could this be…"
His thought process lagged behind Vegeta's; for a moment, he could find no explanation.
"Clearly, he was revived by the Dragon Balls. The rumors about wish-granting objects on Earth are true. That's good news!"
Vegeta's mood brightened slightly. Regardless, if such an artifact existed on Earth, it could grant his own wish.
Defeating that person was not impossible!
"Is that so?"
"Indeed… they revived me…"
Raditz had originally intended to betray them outright, but seeing Nappa's pitiful state, he hesitated.
"What do you mean by reviving him? Are you trying to make him join you against us?"
Vegeta stepped forward, arms crossed, sneering. "You may have your schemes, but Raditz… what will you do?"
"No need to cooperate with him!"
Piccolo stepped forward, crossing his arms and lowering his gaze at Vegeta. "I will defeat both of you head-on, and show you that Earth is not a place for people like you!"
He still carried the presence of Demon King Piccolo.
His serious expression radiated intimidation.
Seeing this, Raditz silently approached Vegeta, still believing following him was the right choice.
Nappa and Vegeta ignored him, focusing solely on Piccolo.
"This one… looks like a Namekian?"
Nappa frowned at Piccolo for a long moment, as if recalling something.
"So he's a Namekian. I've heard Namekians know many strange things. So, you're the one who created the Dragon Balls?"
Vegeta, unimpressed by Piccolo's arrogance, focused more on the Dragon Balls.
"A Namekian!?"
Piccolo's eyes reflected confusion.
He was supposed to be a separate demon how could he be a Namekian?
Gohan, standing nearby, knew the reason but did not explain, as they would all eventually go to Namek.
"Hmph. While I am connected to the Dragon Balls, I did not create them!"
Piccolo assumed a battle stance. "However, I am intrigued by this 'Namekian' you mentioned. So, if you are willing to tell me, I may consider letting you go!"
As he spoke, his cape fluttered.
A year's worth of training fully unleashed, his ki surged.
"Hmph! You were the one who ambushed me earlier, weren't you?"
Nappa stepped forward, rubbing his hands and checking his scouter. "Only you could have this power. I am extremely angry…"
"Hmm, power level 12,000!?"