Raditz's Death!

...Earth...

After the Z Fighters arrived one by one at Raditz's location, following his lengthy, rambling explanation of what Saiyans were, Son Goku and the others came to understand the existence of Saiyans. However, Goku himself vehemently denied his identity as Kakarot, insisting instead that his name was Son Goku.

The battle unfolded from there... and finally...

"You bastards!!"

Raditz's face twisted from its initial calm into a snarl as he glared at the panting Son Goku and the others. He never imagined that Earth, a planet he considered low-class, would push him, a Saiyan warrior, to this state.

His Battle Armor was torn to shreds from the combined assault of Son Goku and the others, and fresh wounds dotted his body. But most importantly, his efforts hadn't been in vain. Though he was battered, Son Goku and his group were in no better shape.

Some were injured, others critically wounded... The only ones still able to fight were Son Goku and Piccolo. Krillin and the rest had been beaten to the point of collapse by Raditz.

In the original story, Son Goku and Piccolo had faced Raditz alone, and the gap in their power was immense. That had forced them to rely on grabbing Raditz's tail to set up Piccolo's killing blow.

Now, the situation was similar, except Raditz had taken far more damage than in the original.

So Raditz was furious. He was enraged that a proud Saiyan like himself had been driven to such a pathetic state by these weaklings. His pride was wounded, and he was about to explode.

"Damn you, Kakarot... and the rest of you... go to hell!!"

Raditz spread his arms, his face twisted in fury, veins bulging across his body as a powerful ki erupted from him.

"Heh... Piccolo, you still good?!"

Son Goku forced himself to his feet, looking at Raditz ahead, then asked the panting Piccolo beside him.

"Hmph... A little exhaustion like this won't stop me!!"

Piccolo replied with a sharp tone, his face grim as he straightened up.

"This guy's weaker than that one from a year ago, but... he's still tough. Piccolo, can you still fire off a Special Beam Cannon?!"

Son Goku took a few breaths to steady himself, then fixed his gaze on Raditz and spoke.

"One shot? With the ki I have left, I can barely manage it."

Piccolo was a bit puzzled but answered honestly.

"He's taken a lot of damage, but he's still not to be underestimated. Right now, only your Special Beam Cannon and Krillin's Destructo Disc can threaten him. But Krillin can't even stand anymore, so it's up to you! I'll find a way to hold him down. You need to spot his opening."

Son Goku took a deep breath, watching Raditz who was already poised to strike, then crouched slightly before continuing. Piccolo nodded silently, his eyes locked on Raditz ahead. He brought his middle and index fingers together to his forehead, and a fierce ki began to gather, a bright light forming.

The next moment, Son Goku charged forward.

"Kakarot... you bastard, die!!"

Raditz roared as he saw Goku rushing at him, clasping his hands together and unleashing a violent Ki Blast.

"Ka... me... ha... me... ha!"

Son Goku halted his advance, his expression serious as he brought his hands to his right hip, palms facing each other, and began gathering his ki. A blue energy sphere took shape.

"Ha!!"

He fired it instantly, colliding with Raditz's Ki Blast.

A fierce clash erupted, both sides locked in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.

But in terms of endurance, Son Goku was clearly at a disadvantage.

...On some unknown planet in the universe...

"That waste Raditz... can't even handle a low-class planet like Earth."

Vegeta sat grimly on a pile of rocks, listening intently to the sounds coming from his scouter, his voice cold.

"A mere low-class planet, and Raditz is struggling? Strange. With his power level over two thousand, he shouldn't be in a tough spot..."

Nappa stood nearby, puzzled.

"Hmph... A waste is a waste. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be called a Saiyan!"

Vegeta muttered darkly, then stood up. Nappa nodded silently.

"Huh? Wait... It looks like Raditz is actually about to be killed."

Nappa suddenly noticed a scream coming through the scouter and exclaimed in surprise.

Vegeta remained expressionless, but his eyes were filled with killing intent.

"You... bas... tards... My... com... rades... will... avenge... me... Hmph... That... bald... kid... talked... about... Dragon... Balls... They'll... come... for sure... They're... way... stronger... than me... In just... a year... they'll... be here... Everything... that... happened... they... heard... through... this... scouter... You'd... better... pray... Vegeta... doesn't... come... Or... you're... all... dead... meat."

Raditz lay sprawled on the ground in agony, his voice filled with fury.

Piccolo knelt on one knee, glaring at Raditz as he kept muttering, and said angrily, "A dead man still won't shut up!" He forced himself to his feet, walked over to Raditz, and easily ended his life.

"Hey... Son Goku... You're not dead yet?"

Piccolo looked at Goku, lying nearby like a bloody mess.

"Heh... Not yet."

Son Goku lifted his head with effort, managing a weak smile despite the excruciating pain. He had deliberately taken a direct hit from Raditz's Ki Blast to buy Piccolo an opening to attack. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state.

"Hey, baldy. Hurry up and get the Senzu Beans out! At this rate, Son Goku's going to die!"

Piccolo glanced at Krillin, who was already starting to find the strength to stand up in the distance, and said...

"Uh... oh..."

Krillin was taken aback for a moment. Then he took the pouch from his belt, pulled out a Senzu Bean, and immediately ran over to Son Goku, ready to feed it to him. They had already come to recognize their own weakness earlier, so they hadn't planned on wasting the Senzu Beans—they were meant to be saved for Piccolo and Son Goku. As a result, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha were still battered and weak, their bodies covered in injuries.

"Wait!"

Just then, someone suddenly appeared before them.

"It's you!!!"

Piccolo's pupils shrank at the sight of the newcomer, and he exclaimed in shock.