"BOOM!!!!!"
The scene had fallen so quiet that the wind was the only sound.
Suddenly, a sonic boom erupted on the horizon and rolled toward them.
The unexpected noise drew everyone's attention, and they turned to look.
They had been at a loss for how to escape the oppressive atmosphere.
An outsider's arrival gave them a chance to change the subject, at least for a while.
Far off in the sky, a pale yellow jet streaked through the clouds at tremendous speed, heading their way.
A distinctive insignia was emblazoned on the jet, one that practically everyone on Earth would recognize.
It was the exclusive emblem of Capsule Corp!
"Tch~~! Those annoying Earthlings are here. We can't stay around much longer."
"Talos, my spaceship's been destroyed. Yours is still intact, right?"
Raditz had no idea who was coming. He was just feeling restless and wanted to find somewhere quiet to think about his life.
Besides, he needed to figure something out: could the Dragon Balls really grant any wish at all, or was the whole thing a lie?
If it was true, he'd want to try for one. After all, who didn't have a wish?
"I'm sorry to tell you, but the spaceship I came in wasn't completely wrecked, yet it was damaged during this trip. If you're thinking of using it to escape Earth, you can forget about it." After giving Raditz a clear answer, Lin Chuan kept his eyes on the jet.
"It's Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi," Son Goku said, quickly identifying the newcomers by their ki.
Of course, even without him saying so, Lin Chuan could guess that the three ki signatures inside the jet belonged to Bulma, Master Roshi, and Krillin.
In the Original Work, they had worried about what was happening here, so Bulma had brought Master Roshi and Krillin to help.
In the original timeline, by the time they arrived, Son Goku should have been on the brink of death, and Raditz should already have been dead.
Now, things were completely different from the Original Work.
Once Raditz learned the newcomers were acquaintances of his younger brother, and saw that Lin Chuan wasn't making a move, he simply fell silent and started making new plans.
On Earth, where he didn't know his way around, he only knew Kakarot, Kakarot's son, Lin Chuan, and Piccolo.
He dismissed Piccolo outright, since he wasn't a Saiyan.
If he was going to live on Earth in the future, he'd have to stick close to Lin Chuan and Kakarot.
After all, he had no idea how to increase his strength.
Lin Chuan was the only one who could help him get stronger.
"RUMBLE~!!!"
As the jet landed, it kicked up a cloud of dust.
Krillin and Master Roshi got off first, their faces grave.
Bulma came last, nervously hanging back as she surveyed the situation.
The first thing the three newcomers noticed was Lin Chuan.
He was someone they had never seen before, and he wore battle armor similar to Raditz's. They immediately assumed he was another Saiyan working with Raditz.
This Saiyan's ki seems calm and ordinary, yet there's something unfathomably terrifying about it! He's far more frightening than that Raditz... What's going on here? Is the battle over? Or... Master Roshi wondered, his keen eyes taking in the scene.
Without knowing what had happened, he couldn't draw any conclusions, and he couldn't let his guard down, either.
"Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo—you're all okay! That's such a relief... So there are two enemies now? Master Roshi and I are here to help." Thinking the battle was still going on, Krillin hurried over and stood beside Son Goku.
He looked ready to risk everything in a fight to the death.
Before they'd even set out, they'd resolved to do whatever it took. If saving Earth meant sacrificing themselves, Krillin and Master Roshi would do so without hesitation.
Raditz sneered first. He recognized all three as the Earthlings he'd met before, and after hearing the little bald man's words, he couldn't resist taunting him. "You Earthlings really don't know your place! That tail swipe didn't knock you apart, and now you're standing in front of me, mouthing off again."
"Let's see... Heh heh! A Battle Power of 206! You've got a mere two hundred points, and you still dare to talk big?"
Raditz's contemptuous words made Krillin clench his teeth in fury.
But anger aside, Krillin really didn't dare do anything.
Just as Raditz had said, his Battle Power was far too low. Even Goku and Piccolo couldn't get the better of Raditz, so how could he possibly be a match?
Raditz loved seeing Krillin furious but unable to act. His expression grew even more savage, putting Krillin under tremendous pressure and making sweat bead across his scalp.
"Come on, Elder Brother, don't intimidate Krillin. He may not be as strong as you, but he's not as useless as you make him out to be." Son Goku stepped forward to stand up for Krillin.
They'd grown up together as fellow disciples, and Krillin was one of Son Goku's most important companions.
In fact, before the Grand Universe Era, Krillin was probably the person Son Goku cherished most.
As the saying went: sacrifice Krillin to gain boundless power!
If Raditz killed Krillin, Son Goku might really explode with rage and take Raditz down.
The most iconic sacrifice in the Original Work was when Frieza killed Krillin and Son Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan!
"Tch~~!" Raditz spat disdainfully, turned away, and said no more.
He didn't want to get too involved with the Earthling weaklings, either.
Krillin was completely bewildered. So were Master Roshi and Bulma.
The conversation between the two sides, and the situation before them, made no sense.
Weren't they supposed to be fighting to the death?
Wasn't this a battle to defend Earth?
Then why were they calling each other Elder Brother?
And Raditz had actually listened!
And what was that look on Piccolo's face?
Krillin's head was full of questions. He looked at Son Goku, hoping for an explanation.
Master Roshi and Bulma were no different.
"Here's what happened..."
A few minutes later.
After Son Goku and Piccolo explained things together, the three of them finally understood.
To sum it up, there were two points:
First, Raditz was no longer their enemy. He'd turned away from evil, and the other Saiyan, Lin Chuan (Talos), was on their side too, at least for now.
Second, in one year, two Saiyans more than ten or twenty times stronger than Raditz would arrive on Earth!
"G-Goku... So those two Saiyans are coming for the Dragon Balls? And they're definitely our enemies, right?" The brief description of their Battle Power had left Krillin stammering in terror at the figure of 18,000.
Raditz's Battle Power of 1,500 had been terrifying enough. Was Earth doomed?
"Don't worry, Krillin. We still have a whole year to train, don't we?"
"By then, I'll definitely be stronger than I am now. And even if I can't beat them, Lin Chuan is more than strong enough to defeat that Vegeta."
As Son Goku spoke, he turned his gaze toward Lin Chuan.
Everyone's attention shifted back to Lin Chuan.
They all looked at him with eager anticipation, as if waiting for him to confirm what Son Goku had said.
Only Bulma's expression was different from theirs. There was something else in her eyes.
Before you continue