Vegeta's brows furrowed slightly.
Could the person with a power level exceeding 20,000… actually be Raditz?
The thought had barely appeared before Vegeta crushed it almost violently.
No.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
That worthless failure who always trailed behind the group—even weaker than many low-class Saiyans?
What kind of cosmic joke was this?
Raditz's power level was only 1,500.
The scouter had clearly shown it after their previous mission.
And how long had it been since then?
Vegeta himself had spent years training relentlessly and surviving countless battles just to raise his power level to 18,000.
That was already considered elite among Saiyans.
Raditz?
What gave him the right?
"Huh? Prince Vegeta, Nappa… where are your scouters? Why'd they explode?"
A familiar voice came from behind them, carrying a faint trace of amusement.
Vegeta spun around instantly, wind whipping from the speed of his movement.
Raditz was already standing near the ruins, less than twenty meters away.
His arms were crossed as he leaned casually against a broken concrete pillar, wearing a half-smiling expression.
Vegeta's gaze swept across him rapidly.
The battle armor looked newer than before, probably repaired on Earth.
His long hair remained unchanged.
His appearance remained ordinary.
But his eyes…
There was something different in them now.
Gone was the old hesitation and submissiveness.
Instead—
There was confidence.
No…
Something closer to calm control.
Raditz's gaze drifted toward the broken scouter fragments hanging from Vegeta and Nappa's ears, and the smile on his face widened further.
"Raditz, what are you doing here?" Nappa interrupted Vegeta's thoughts, his tone full of obvious surprise and annoyance.
Raditz grinned brightly.
"I saw your spaceships landing, so I rushed over immediately to welcome you guys. Though I still arrived a little late—you got here first."
His voice was calm and steady.
No trace remained of the nervousness he once showed around Vegeta and Nappa.
Vegeta's pupils narrowed slightly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"Hmph." Vegeta snorted coldly while scanning the sky behind Raditz.
"Besides you… who else is approaching?"
Raditz shrugged casually, his long hair swaying lightly.
"I'm not really sure…"
After a brief pause, he added:
"I don't know if they noticed you yet. But I'm guessing they probably already know you arrived."
"They use ki sensing. They don't need scouters to locate us."
"What?" Vegeta's eyes contracted instantly.
Ki sensing?
Without scouters?
If that were true…
Then Earth's warriors possessed an entirely different system of abilities.
Vegeta unconsciously tightened his fists, joints cracking softly.
The unknown was unsettling.
Especially for Saiyans who relied on scouters to measure everything.
"Raditz!" Nappa suddenly interrupted loudly.
"Our scouters detected someone with a power level above 20,000 just now, and that's why they exploded!"
Nappa still hadn't noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere.
He continued speaking to Raditz in the same arrogant tone as always, even stepping closer and looming over him with his massive body.
"Do you know who it is? And whoever it is, they were flying toward us at insane speed!"
Raditz stood still, glancing between Vegeta and Nappa as though enjoying a particularly entertaining scene.
Then his grin widened.
"You know…" he said slowly, dragging out every word.
"What if…"
He raised a hand and tapped his own chest.
Thump. Thump.
Then that infuriating smile completely bloomed across his face.
"What if that person… is me?"
"That's enough," Vegeta snapped immediately, his voice colder than ice itself.
"Stop making stupid jokes."
Of course Vegeta didn't believe him.
How could he?
Vegeta's own power level was only 18,000.
That was the result of years of brutal training as the Saiyan Prince.
Raditz?
Surpass him?
Impossible.
Vegeta's pride refused to accept it.
Saiyan hierarchy was engraved into their very blood.
Vegeta was royalty.
A genius among elite warriors.
"Raditz, get in Nappa's spaceship. We're leaving this planet immediately," Vegeta ordered while turning toward the ships.
No matter who that 20,000-level warrior was—
Being cautious wasn't a bad idea.
Vegeta wasn't completely reckless.
Although much of his behavior stemmed from arrogance rather than wisdom, the uneasiness in his heart pushed him toward the safest option.
"Tch! Dammit, Raditz, you useless idiot!" Nappa immediately complained.
"You expect me to share a spaceship with you? That'll make the trip miserable!"
Raditz instantly looked disgusted.
Nappa frowned and continued mockingly:
"What? Been on Earth too long and forgot basic Saiyan hierarchy? Or did these low-level creatures rub off on you?"
Raditz's expression changed.
Slowly.
Subtly.
The relaxed smile on his face faded bit by bit.
His eyes gradually cooled until they became sharp as blades.
"Nappa," Raditz said calmly.
Too calmly.
"Who exactly are you calling trash?"
Nappa froze.
Clearly, he hadn't expected Raditz to talk back.
In the past, Raditz would lower his head and stay quiet in situations like this.
At most, he'd mutter something too softly for anyone to hear.
But today…
He was actually looking Nappa directly in the eyes.
"With the three of us here, if you're not trash, then who is?" Nappa sneered.
"Prince Vegeta is a genius. I'm an elite warrior."
"And you?"
"Power level 1,500. Even weaker than many low-class Saiyans!"
"If we weren't the same race, you'd have been thrown into space long ago!"
Raditz let out a short laugh.
The sound wasn't loud.
But it immediately caused Vegeta to stop walking.
He turned around again and carefully examined Raditz.
This behavior was far too abnormal.
So abnormal that Vegeta couldn't help wondering whether Raditz had either gone insane…
Or obtained some unimaginable power.
"Then let me show you the results of my training on Earth," Raditz declared slowly.
He raised his chin slightly and stared directly at Nappa with open provocation.
Even his stance had changed.
Gone was his old sloppy posture.
Now he stood firmly, shoulders lowered slightly, feet naturally spread apart.
Like a warrior ready for battle.
Nappa was completely stunned.
His brain seemed to need several seconds to process what he'd just heard.
Raditz…
Was challenging him?
The same Raditz he'd bullied for years?
The same Raditz who never even dared fight back?
And now he was standing there in a combat stance?
"Raditz… looks like you've grown some guts," Nappa finally burst into booming laughter.
He raised one thick finger and waved it mockingly in front of Raditz.
"For trash like you, one finger is enough to beat you into despair."
"Oh?" Raditz's eyes lit up.
Not with fear.
But excitement.
Like a hunter finally watching prey step into a trap.
"Then go ahead."
The air seemed to freeze.
The three Saiyans stood in a triangle formation amid the ruins.
In the distance, smoke still rose from the destroyed East City.
Dark smoke pillars twisted upward like tombstones erected for the dead.
Wind swept dust and debris between the three warriors with mournful cries.
"Prince Vegeta!" Nappa shouted angrily.
"Can I kill him?"
His voice trembled with fury.
The trash he once looked down upon now dared challenge him openly.
Nappa felt his pride as a warrior had been trampled into the dirt.
He absolutely couldn't tolerate it.
He needed to remind Raditz that trash would always remain trash.
Even if he'd gotten lucky on Earth.
Vegeta didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on Raditz for a long moment.
He was observing.
Analyzing.
Searching for truth in every tiny movement.
There were only two explanations for Raditz's behavior.
Either—
His strength had truly increased to an unbelievable level.
Or—
He had completely lost his mind.
"Finish it quickly," Vegeta finally said coldly.
At the same time, his gaze swept carefully across the surrounding ruins.
Collapsed mountains.
Smoke-covered horizons.
Nothing else appeared to be approaching.
That eased him slightly.
But the unease remained.
If that 20,000 power signal wasn't Raditz…
Then who was it?
And where were they?
More importantly—
Vegeta himself felt conflicted.
They had spent over ten months traveling through space.
Locked inside tiny pods enduring endless boredom.
And now, after finally arriving on Earth—
Were they really going to flee immediately?
Because of a mysterious signal?
No.
That wasn't Vegeta's style.
He was the Saiyan Prince.
One of the last hopes of the strongest warrior race in the universe.
Retreat before the enemy even appeared?
That would be the ultimate humiliation.
Even if there truly was an opponent above 20,000—
He still possessed the Saiyans' ultimate trump card.
Great Ape transformation.
How could Prince Vegeta retreat without fighting?
He had to uncover the truth.
He had to see what Raditz was hiding.
"Raditz! Looks like you need another beating!" Nappa grinned viciously after receiving permission.
His knuckles cracked loudly as he approached step by step.
Each heavy footstep shook the ground slightly.
Meanwhile—
Raditz simply stood there with his arms crossed.
He didn't even bother taking a defensive stance.
He merely watched Nappa approach with amusement in his eyes.
As though waiting for a comedy show to begin.
BAM!
Nappa punched.
A straightforward punch aimed directly at Raditz's chest.
The attack carried roughly 4,000 power level worth of force.
And Nappa still wasn't even using full strength.
Against Raditz, he felt even 80% power was excessive.
The punch wasn't particularly fast.
But it carried overwhelming weight and force.
The wind pressure blew aside strands of Raditz's hair.
Raditz didn't dodge.
Not only that—
He actually thrust his chest forward and took the punch head-on.
The action was so absurdly unnatural that Vegeta's pupils shrank instantly.
Was he trying to die?
Even with armor, tanking that punch directly was foolish.
Then—
The answer arrived.
Nappa's fist slammed directly into the center of Raditz's chest.
The impact sounded deep and solid.
Like a sledgehammer striking reinforced steel.
But immediately afterward—
Another sound echoed out.
Crack…
Sharp.
Crisp.
Bone-shattering.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Nappa's scream tore through the ruins.
His face twisted violently from pain.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
He jerked his right arm back instinctively—
Only for it to hang limply at an unnatural angle.
Bone fragments had pierced through flesh near the elbow.
Blood instantly covered the entire arm.
A devastating fracture.
Completely shattered.
Vegeta's breathing halted for a moment.
He saw it clearly.
Raditz had not moved even slightly.
Not one step backward.
Not even a change in expression.
Meanwhile—
Nappa, the elite warrior with 4,000 power level, had broken his own arm just by punching him.
How was that possible?
Unless…
Unless Raditz's power level had truly reached an unimaginable height.
So high that Nappa's attack felt like a baby punching a wall of solid alloy.
"Ah… my arm! MY ARM!" Nappa screamed while falling to one knee.
He held the mangled limb with his other hand, sweat pouring down his face.
The arrogance in his eyes had completely vanished.
Only pain, shock, and disbelief remained.
He looked at Raditz as though staring at a monster.
"When you used to hit me, I never screamed once," Raditz said leisurely.
"So why are you yelling so loudly?"
"That little pain is already too much for you?"
He smiled brightly.
A dazzling smile filled with long-suppressed satisfaction.
Of course he was happy.
All those years of humiliation.
Being treated like garbage.
Being ordered around constantly.
Forced to handle the dirtiest jobs.
Today—
All of it could finally be repaid.
The pleasure of revenge was intoxicating.
Raditz looked down at Nappa kneeling before him.
That so-called elite warrior he once admired now looked like a wounded stray dog crying in the dirt.
How ironic.
How satisfying.
Raditz slowly raised his foot and lightly kicked Nappa's healthy shoulder with the tip of his boot.
The gesture was so contemptuous it felt like he was playing with an insect.
"My turn to attack now, right?" Raditz asked softly.
His tone sounded polite.
Yet carried the weight of absolute judgment.
Then he slowly raised his right hand.
His palm aimed directly at Nappa.
The motion looked casual.
But Nappa's face instantly turned deathly pale.
He wanted to retreat.
Wanted to escape.
But the pain prevented him from moving.
All he could do was watch golden energy begin gathering in Raditz's palm.
"Y-You… what kind of armor are you wearing?!" Nappa shouted shakily.
He still desperately tried using logic to explain the impossible.
It had to be special armor.
Some kind of high-tech equipment capable of absorbing impact and reflecting damage.
Otherwise—
How could his own arm break from punching Raditz?
This had to be Earth's trickery!
Raditz sneered coldly.
"Hmph. A dead man doesn't need to know that much."
The golden energy condensed instantly.
Unlike a massive energy cannon, this attack was compact.
Dense.
Precise.
Terrifying.
The beam fired almost the moment it formed.
So fast that even Vegeta only saw a blurred streak of light slicing through the air.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion shook the earth violently.
Nappa didn't even have time to react.
No defense.
No dodge.
Not even enough time for terror to fully appear on his face.
His entire body blasted backward like it had been struck by an invisible hammer.
He flew through the air in a low arc before crashing violently into the distant ground like a meteor.
Dust exploded skyward.
Debris scattered everywhere.
The impact wave flattened all nearby ruins within a hundred-meter radius.
Once the dust settled slightly—
Only a massive crater over ten meters wide remained.
Cracks spread outward from the center like a grotesque flower of death.
Silence returned.
Only the wind whistled through broken ruins.
And from deep within the crater—
Faint groans barely remained.
The sound of someone on the verge of death.
Raditz lowered his hand and casually dusted off his chest—
Even though not a single speck of dirt had touched him.
Not even his armor had been scratched.
He sighed dramatically.
"Too weak. Seriously too weak."
His tone sounded genuinely disappointed.
As though he had expected an actual fight.
But the gleam in his eyes exposed his true feelings.
The arrogance of a victor.
The exhilaration of overturning years of humiliation.
The pride of finally standing above those who once oppressed him.
Vegeta remained motionless.
Expressionless.
Like a cold statue.
But deep inside his eyes—
A storm raged.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Anger.
Confusion.
And even—
A trace of fear he refused to acknowledge.
Vegeta stared at Raditz desperately, searching for flaws.
Searching for proof that this was all some illusion.
Some trick.
But there was nothing.
Raditz's posture.
His aura.
The overwhelming power of that attack.
Everything pointed toward one horrifying truth.
Raditz had truly become stronger.
Strong enough to defeat Nappa instantly.
Strong enough…
To surpass the threshold that destroyed the scouters.
"Oh, sorry about that, Prince Vegeta," Raditz turned toward him with a playful smile.
"I accidentally used too much force."
"Looks like he's about to die."
Vegeta's lips twitched slightly.
Of course he understood the sarcasm.
Accidentally?
Too much force?
Raditz had done it deliberately.
This was his declaration.
A declaration that Nappa's era was over.
A declaration that he no longer needed to bow his head before anyone.
"Raditz," Vegeta finally spoke.
His voice was unnaturally calm.
"So what exactly happened?"
"How did you increase your power level this much?"
Vegeta struggled to maintain composure.
To preserve the dignity of a prince.
But the slight trembling in his fingers betrayed him.
His worldview had been shattered.
Did this mean—
That he, Vegeta, the so-called genius…
Wasn't truly unrivaled after all?
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