Vegeta vs. Raditz

Raditz walked over to stand opposite Son Goku, looking at him with an easygoing expression.

"Kakarot, your big brother has something to tell you today: sometimes, people have to pay the price for their actions!"

Raditz put on the air of an older brother and lectured Son Goku in a world-weary tone.

Son Goku ignored Raditz's nonsense, remaining on guard as he stared at him with a grave expression.

Son Goku had already mistaken Raditz for the powerful warrior who had released that overwhelming aura earlier. The earth-shaking power had both thrilled and terrified him. If Raditz weren't the big brother he'd just acknowledged, he might not have had the courage to challenge him.

Raditz, of course, had no idea that he'd taken the blame for Turles. He limbered up, then beckoned Son Goku to attack first.

Son Goku, who "knew" how strong Raditz was, didn't hold back. He pushed off the ground and surged toward Raditz, propelled by the force of his leap.

"Whoosh!"

His body broke through the air with a sharp crack, and Son Goku appeared right in front of Raditz.

Son Goku clenched his right fist and threw a straight punch at Raditz's face.

Raditz was caught off guard by Son Goku's attack. Fortunately, his battle power was far greater than Son Goku's, and with the training he'd received from Turles and Paragus, he barely managed to block the blow before it landed.

Son Goku wasn't surprised when his attack was blocked. He immediately followed with a high kick, once again aiming for Raditz's head.

By now, however, Raditz no longer dared to underestimate his younger brother, whose battle power was far lower than his own. He focused and began taking the fight seriously.

The two launched into a fierce back-and-forth battle.

Raditz's battle power was close to ten thousand. Although he'd suppressed it to 500, the physical enhancements that came with high battle power couldn't be suppressed, so even after Son Goku caught him off guard, Raditz still held a slight advantage.

Whether Son Goku knew Raditz was far stronger than him or simply fought with everything he had because Raditz was his brother, he held nothing back from the start. Combined with his remarkable battle instincts, he managed to hold his own against Raditz's attacks.

Turles stood off to the side, stroking his chin as he watched the fight closely, mentally simulating its progress.

He followed Mr. Popo's advice and used his five senses to perceive the two fighters. Their breathing, their movements—he added every observable change to his mental simulation.

At first, Turles couldn't predict Son Goku's moves with complete accuracy. But as the fight continued, he gathered more data, and his simulations of the two became more and more accurate—and faster, too.

In the end, the rhythm of the fight playing out in Turles's mind synced with the real battle. Every attack the two made matched his mental simulation exactly.

Of course, Turles knew this was only because they were still weak. Their speed and strength were easy for him to see through, even without Ki Sense, which was why he could simulate their fight so effortlessly.

But if his opponent were as strong as he was, things probably wouldn't be so easy.

Still, Turles was satisfied. Just one lesson from Mr. Popo had made the trip to Earth worthwhile.

"Ka-me-ha-me-ha!"

Son Goku's shout jolted Turles out of his thoughts and drew his attention back to the fight.

Son Goku had taken the classic Kamehameha stance. His ki began to rise, and soon a blue ball of energy gathered in his hands.

Son Goku's battle power had now surpassed 500. With the Kamehameha's ki-gathering and compression, Raditz wouldn't be able to withstand the attack if he kept his battle power at 500.

Sure enough, as Son Goku fired the Kamehameha, Raditz's battle power surged. Just as the energy wave closed in, he swung his right hand and slapped it away.

After firing the Kamehameha, Son Goku stood there panting heavily, looking exhausted. But he wasn't discouraged at all. Instead, he said happily to Raditz, "You really are stronger, big brother."

With that, Son Goku could no longer stay on his feet and toppled backward.

Although Raditz had defeated Son Goku and received his praise, his face remained gloomy, showing no trace of happiness.

In his heart, Raditz knew he'd lost the fight. That meant that at equal battle power, he was weaker than his younger brother.

Even after being constantly humbled by Turles, Vegeta, Broly, and the others, Raditz still found the result hard to accept.

After all, he was a genius warrior with the potential of an elite fighter. But what about Kakarot? He was a Saiyan who'd been born with a battle power of just two, not even enough to qualify as a low-class warrior.

Could having the same face as Father let even a low-class warrior keep breaking through his limits?

The question suddenly flashed through Raditz's mind. He even began to wonder whether he was really Bardock's son.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Raditz was still questioning his whole life, but Turles had already walked over, applauding. Looking down at Son Goku, whose chest was still heaving, he praised him. "Just as you'd expect from Bardock's son. Even on a remote planet like Earth, you've managed to grow this strong. You're a real genius!"

"Urk!"

Raditz, who was already questioning his whole life, felt as if Turles's words had stabbed him in the chest. He staggered.

"Your fighting spirit is much stronger than your brother's. Raditz nearly drove me out of my mind before, you know."

"Urk!"

Another stab. Raditz's expression changed, and he couldn't help clutching his chest as he stumbled backward.

Turles glanced at Raditz in confusion, then continued, "So, Kakarot, would you be interested in exploring the universe with us? There are countless powerful warriors out there!"

Raditz dropped to the ground, utterly dejected. He looked at Turles with such resentment that it sent a chill down Turles's spine.

"What's wrong with you, Raditz?!" Turles, completely unaware of how badly he'd wounded Raditz, finally lost his patience and shouted at him in annoyance.

Raditz said nothing. He just stared at Turles.

Turles grew increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze and couldn't take it anymore. He kicked Raditz away.

Then Turles turned back and smiled warmly at Son Goku. "Well, Kakarot?"

"I... I..." Son Goku looked at Turles, who seemed a little frightening, and suddenly felt scared. He didn't know how to answer.