"Four thousand combat power. Raditz has gotten much stronger since his last beating," Nappa observed with disdain, crossing his massive arms as he watched his comrade rise from the ground.
Goku's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "You guys are even stronger now! This is amazing, fighting opponents like you gets my blood pumping!"
Fight? Raditz thought bitterly, spitting blood from his mouth. You're so naive, Kakarot. I'm done playing games with you. His eyes darted toward Karnel and the others sitting nearby, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. But will that mysterious Saiyan interfere if we get serious?
Karnel noticed Raditz's subtle power increase and smiled knowingly. "Interesting. This guy's gotten stronger, but I wonder if he can push Kakarot enough to use the Kaio-ken he learned on King Kai's planet."
"Kaio-ken?" Krillin perked up immediately, his curiosity overriding his nervousness.
Even Piccolo, who had been maintaining his stoic facade, couldn't hide his interest. His pointed ears practically twitched as he leaned forward slightly.
All eyes turned to Karnel expectantly. He chuckled at their eager expressions. "Since you're all so curious, I'll give you a little education. The Kaio-ken is an extraordinary technique that can multiply a person's power several times over—sometimes even ten-fold, in a matter of seconds."
"That sounds incredible!" Yamcha exclaimed.
"It is," Karnel continued, his tone becoming more serious. "But it comes with a price. The technique puts tremendous strain on the body. Without sufficient physical conditioning, it can literally tear you apart from the inside."
Krillin's eyes sparkled with hope. "Karnel, you seem so knowledgeable and powerful... could you maybe train me sometime?"
Karnel's expression froze for half a second before he deflected smoothly. "Let's discuss that later. Look, the brothers are at it again. How fascinating, two siblings locked in mortal combat."
Kaio-ken... Piccolo mused silently, filing the information away. I wonder if I could master such a technique.
Meanwhile, the battle had resumed with renewed intensity. Raditz's increased power level made him a much more formidable opponent. Goku found himself struggling to keep pace, his iconic orange gi already showing multiple tears and scuff marks from the barrage of attacks.
"Damn it! Goku's getting overwhelmed," Yamcha cursed, pounding his fist into the ground and raising a small cloud of dust. "And that other Saiyan hasn't even moved yet, he looks even stronger than this one!"
Krillin wrung his hands nervously. "At this rate, Goku's going to lose, and then they'll wipe out everyone on Earth! Karnel, why aren't you helping? Bulma's an Earthling too!"
Without taking his eyes off the battle, Karnel replied calmly, "You're all underestimating Kakarot. Watch carefully, despite taking all those hits, his breathing is still steady and controlled. He's clearly holding back. Meanwhile, Raditz is already starting to show signs of fatigue."
Indeed, closer observation revealed that while Goku appeared to be taking a beating, he hadn't sustained any serious injuries. His defensive positioning and timing suggested he was still fighting well within his limits.
Eventually, Raditz broke off the engagement, retreating to Nappa's side with a cocky laugh. "You're not completely pathetic, Kakarot! You actually managed to make me break a sweat!" he taunted, gesturing at Goku who lay motionless on the ground.
Goku slowly stood up, brushing dust off his torn gi with an almost casual air. "You're pretty strong yourself, that actually stung a little!"
Karnel couldn't suppress a chuckle. "See? I told you so. His real strength is much greater than what we've seen. Raditz is about to learn that the hard way."
Piccolo clenched his fists, a mixture of admiration and frustration in his voice. "That fool... in such a short time, he's already surpassed me by this much."
Yamcha and Krillin watched with bated breath as the two combatants faced each other once more.
Suddenly, Goku's power level began to climb.
4,000... 5,500... 7,000!
"What... seven thousand?!" Nappa's scouter readings made his eyes widen in disbelief.
Karnel glanced at Goku's full power display and shook his head with mild disappointment. Apparently deciding the outcome was no longer in doubt, he turned his attention to a pile of delicious snacks he had somehow procured.
The result was as predictable as it was swift. With his true power revealed, Goku needed only two devastating punches to send Raditz crashing to the ground, his agonized screams echoing across the battlefield.
"He's... incredible," Krillin stammered, along with the others who stood stunned by the sudden reversal. The tide of battle had changed so quickly they could barely process what had happened.
Nappa crushed his malfunctioning scouter in his massive hand, looking down at his fallen comrade with obvious contempt.
"Hey, big guy!" Goku called out as Nappa stepped forward. "Take your friend and leave Earth. I'm not going with you to rebuild some Saiyan homeland or whatever."
Nappa's expression turned ice-cold. "Kakarot, I'm nothing like that pathetic excuse for a Saiyan. My power level is a full thousand points higher than yours. Allow me to personally execute you for your betrayal of the Saiyan race!"
A tremendous aura erupted around Nappa's bulky frame as his power level soared past Goku's 7,000 and settled around 8,000.
"Oh? You still want to fight?" Goku's demeanor shifted, becoming noticeably more serious. This opponent was in a completely different league than Raditz. "Well then, I guess I'll have to stop holding back."
"Hahaha! Are you joking, Kakarot?" Nappa sneered. "You're telling me you still have more power in reserve?"
Goku simply smiled, clenching his fists as his energy began to build. "Let me show you!"
His power level shot up to 8,000, matching Nappa's strength perfectly.
The real battle was about to begin.