Under Ox-King's relentless, earth-shaking sprint, he closed the gap and overtook Ox-Sage in a blur of dust and flying pebbles.
"Wahahaha! That's my Boss! The so-called 'Ox-Sage' is nothing! Giddy up!" The Strategist shrieked with glee from his perch, even daring to turn and stick his tongue out at their rival. Ox-Sage's face darkened with fury.
Barging and crashing his way to the finish line, Ox-King secured the win—two victories, and with it, the contest. Ox-Sage refused to accept it. How could that oaf possibly outrun his noble Fire-Ox? And since when was riding another person considered a "steed" race?
The bride-to-be, Erhua, was even less willing. The idea of being wed to that brawny idiot filled her with dread. Her grandfather felt the same. Raw power was one thing, but a complete lack of intellect—or worse, intellect coupled with such spectacular buffoonery—was impossible to respect.
Yet, cowed by Ox-King's terrifying might, the old chief wavered. Openly reneging on the deal would surely provoke the brute into flattening the village.
As the chief agonized, Ox-King sidled up to Erhua, a lecherous gleam in his eye. "Erhua, baby… those are some impressive… assets. Really gets a bull going. C'mere, let me get a better feel!"
"S-stay away, you brute!" Erhua squealed, stumbling backward. The high-pitched, delicate tone was jarring coming from a two-meter-tall Minotaur, but by bovine standards, she was evidently a great beauty.
From their vantage point on the cliff, the women all turned to glance pointedly at Son Goku.
He raised his hands defensively. "What? Don't compare me to that clown. I have far more finesse. And class."
"Finesse. Class." The women replied in perfect, deadpan unison, their collective eye-roll almost audible.
"Hm?" Goku's head suddenly snapped up, his gaze piercing the sky.
"What is it, Goku?" Saeko followed his line of sight.
"Others have just landed on this planet. Five of them. Their ki… it's fairly strong."
"More aliens?" the others asked, peering upward.
Moments later, five small, spherical pods streaked across the azure sky, their design eerily similar to Goku's own, though smaller. "They look like your ship," Saeko noted. "Could they be Saiyans?"
After Goku had recovered his childhood pod, the women had learned of his origin. The question was logical.
Goku shook his head, a grimace forming. "Probably not from my world… but I might know who they are."
The five pods tore through the atmosphere and slammed into the planet's surface like vengeful comets. Five successive, thunderous BOOMs echoed across the plains, carving out craters a hundred meters wide. The dramatic entrance instantly drew every Minotaur's attention.
"Look! A meteor shower!"
"Meteor your aunt! Those are spaceships!"
"Elder! What should we do?"
"We go and see. Visitors are rare. Let us greet them."
"Boss? We going?"
"Of course! Grab your weapons! If they start trouble, we charge on my mark!"
A tide of curious and wary Minotaurs began flowing toward the new impact sites. "Goku, should we go down?" Saeko asked.
"No need," he said, his eyes narrowed. "We have a perfect view from here."
As the Minotaurs formed a loose, nervous circle around the smoking craters, the pod hatches hissed open simultaneously. Five bizarre figures emerged, dusting themselves off with theatrical flair.
The village elder, Niu Duo, stepped forward, his voice carrying authority. "Welcome to Planet Kada. I am Niu Duo, elder of Mount Mang Village. To what do we owe this visit?"
"Hmm-hmm!" The five newcomers struck a series of absurd, synchronized poses.
"RECOOME!"
"BURTER!"
"JEICE!"
"GULDO!"
"CAPTAIN GINYU!"
They shouted in unison, striking a final, ridiculous group stance. "TOGETHER—WE ARE THE GINYU FORCE!"
A profound silence fell over the Minotaurs, broken only by the whisper of the wind. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"I thought Ox-King and his crew were the biggest clowns… I stand corrected."
"Truly… eye-opening."
"So even aliens have their share of complete weirdos."
On the cliff, Son Goku facepalmed. "The Ginyu Force. Of all the people to run into. Talk about cosmic irony."
Noticing the Minotaurs' poorly concealed sneers, the squad's mood soured. Burter's scouter beeped. "Highest power level reading is 19,000. Pathetic. And you dare look down on us?"
Captain Ginyu's face hardened. "Burter. Dispose of this local vermin. Quickly. We have a schedule to keep."
Burter swaggered forward, cracking his neck. "Listen up, cows! We are the Ginyu Force, the elite special forces of the great Lord Frieza. By his decree, this planet now belongs to his empire. Resistance is punishable by annihilation."
Elder Niu Duo's expression turned to stone. "You come here as conquerors?"
"Call it what you like. Submit or be erased."
"Elder, what's he saying?" Ox-King mumbled, still not fully comprehending the galactic politics at play.
Niu Duo sighed. "They're invaders. They've come to take everything. Our resources, our homes… perhaps even Erhua."
"WHAT?!" Ox-King's simple mind latched onto the last part. "They want to steal MY Erhua? I'LL GUT 'EM!"
With a world-shaking roar, cleaver held high, Ox-King charged. A flurry of powerful, albeit crude, slashes followed. Burter dodged them with contemptuous ease, then lashed out with a single, piston-driven punch. Ox-King managed to get his cleaver in the way, but the force was undeniable. He was launched backward like a cannonball, smashing through a rocky hillside.
"Gah! He hits hard!" Ox-King grunted, hauling himself from the rubble, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. His eyes burned crimson. With another enraged bellow, he launched himself back at the blue-skinned alien, now in a full, reckless rampage.