You had to admit, Piccolo in this era was pretty good at reading the room.
When he felt the other person couldn't easily push him around, he stood his ground and acted domineering.
But when his opponent was strong enough to crush him, he had the sense to retreat in order to advance.
"Before I answer that, how about you let me take this attack of yours?" Lin Chuan said.
His words stunned the three people present... No, four!
Even Son Gohan understood. He stared with his round eyes, looking adorably dumbfounded.
After several seconds of silence, before Piccolo or Son Goku could say anything, Raditz—still held in Son Goku's grip—seized the opportunity, broke free, and took back control.
"Damn you, Kakarot! You schemed against your own big brother! I'll show you just how foolish you are!"
After escaping, Raditz didn't stay where he was for even a second. Instead, like someone grasping at a lifeline, he hurried to Lin Chuan's side.
Instinctively, he treated Lin Chuan as an ally.
After one mishap after another, he'd nearly been killed twice, and his wariness had grown considerably.
The fact that he hadn't immediately launched a deadly counterattack against Son Goku was, honestly, stupid in Lin Chuan's eyes.
If it were him, he'd take this chance to strike back and kill his opponent!
They were fighting for their lives, yet Raditz was acting like this was child's play. With a Combat Power of 1,500, he was only putting out a few hundred points' worth.
"I'm a Saiyan in Squad B119 of King Frieza's First Army. Our captain is Vegeta. My name is Raditz..."
As Raditz announced who he was, Lin Chuan glanced sideways at him.
His gaze carried absolute authority.
Raditz had been about to ingratiate himself, but he stopped talking and stood obediently where he was.
As far as Raditz was concerned, he was a low-ranking soldier in the Frieza Force. He didn't know how strong this man was or what his status might be, but he knew one thing: the man was definitely stronger than him.
It was obvious from the model of Lin Chuan's battle suit that he outranked Raditz by at least one level.
Judging by the aura he was releasing, his Combat Power was at least over 2,000!
As for checking his Combat Power with a Scouter... That would be fucking disrespectful!
Even an idiot like Raditz knew that probing the man's strength right now would be incredibly rude.
If he offended him, Raditz would become the man's punching bag.
"Honestly, you're a Saiyan with a Combat Power of 1,500, yet two people who couldn't even reach 1,000 beat you into this sorry state. That's pathetic." Lin Chuan ignored Raditz and criticized the situation from his own perspective.
He wanted Raditz to understand just how useless he was.
Raditz flushed with embarrassment. Anger welled up in him, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out, so he could only mutter a protest. "That's only because these Earthlings resorted to cheap tricks, and they've learned how to control their Combat Power! If not for that, how could they have gotten the better of me time and again... And that kid, too..."
Before he could finish, Lin Chuan silently turned toward him and looked him over.
The gesture made Raditz draw a sharp breath.
Lin Chuan released a trace of his aura, and the Scouter in front of Raditz's eye began to show changing numbers.
There had been no reading before, but now the alarm had triggered a numerical display.
The man's Combat Power surged from 1,000 to several thousand in an instant...
"C-Combat Power... 5,000! Y-You..."
Raditz was horrified. He immediately became even more obsequious.
Now that he knew the man's status was far above his own, he realized he was at least on par with an elite warrior.
What was his own Combat Power of 1,500 compared to that? He'd been planning to talk back, but now he didn't dare!
Even Nappa, with a Combat Power of 4,000, would be no match for this man.
Unless it was the prince!
"You're just saying all that to cover up your own incompetence!" Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes, and his aura grew heavy.
He put pressure on Raditz, as if a superior were reprimanding a subordinate.
In that moment, Son Goku, Piccolo, and Son Gohan off to the side seemed to have become invisible.
But Son Goku and Piccolo, both seasoned veterans with countless battles behind them, knew this was their last chance.
Whether the man was friend or foe, whether he was one of Raditz's kind or not, they had to use an unexpected move if they were going to protect Earth!
Exchanging glances, Son Goku and Piccolo seemed to reach the same decision.
In that instant, they attacked at the same time.
Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon shot straight toward Lin Chuan, aimed at the blind spot behind him.
Son Goku gave it everything he had and unleashed his final Kamehameha.
At this turn of events, Raditz—who had been standing there with a worried, fearful expression—was startled and reacted at once. "You really don't know when to quit!"
Without waiting for Lin Chuan to react or say anything, he instinctively struck back with an Explosive Wave, crashing it hard into Son Goku's Kamehameha.
What about Lin Chuan?
He turned around with a smile and caught Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon in his palm.
Trying to sneak up on him?
Not a chance!
The difference in their strength was simply too great.
This ultimate attack could pierce anything in the world and had enough power to kill Raditz instantly. But in Lin Chuan's hands, it was no more than a toy.
If this had happened a few years ago, before Lin Chuan's Combat Power had broken 10,000, he might not have been so confident.
But now his Combat Power was nearly 17,000. Even if he only used 5,000 points' worth, this attack couldn't hurt him.
Besides, his body was exceptionally tough, far tougher than that of warriors at the same level.
He hadn't spent all those years training on that planet for nothing, and his Combat Power kept rising every second.
Combat Power was a measure of overall strength, encompassing every aspect of the body's capabilities.
So as Lin Chuan's Combat Power increased, his body grew stronger with every passing moment. The progress was slow, but it came without him needing to train for it.
Watching his ultimate attack blocked with one hand, Piccolo was more shocked than ever.
He couldn't imagine what kind of confidence it took for someone to simply catch an attack that had surpassed the limits of his understanding.
Was the gap really this huge? Damn it!!! What have I been doing all these years?!! Piccolo cursed inwardly.
For so many years, his limited perspective had held back his growth. He'd thought himself invincible, believing that if he could defeat Son Goku, he'd be the strongest in the world.
He'd never once imagined that beyond this world lay a universe so vast and boundless...
The invaders who appeared out of nowhere were opponents they couldn't withstand, even if they gave everything they had.
It was like this now, but what about the future?
The people behind them represented an enormous power: the so-called Frieza Force...
Before you continue