Raditz, You're Not Dead

"Huh?! Isn't that Raditz? Didn't he die... Could it be, could he have been revived?"

Nappa was stunned to see Raditz standing at the front of the group.

They had received word of Raditz's death through their communicators and learned of the Dragon Balls' existence, prompting their rush to Earth. But the scene before them was strange—Raditz was alive, and he seemed to be leading the group of Earthlings behind him.

"That bastard!" Vegeta gritted his teeth in fury and abruptly accelerated his descent.

Boom!

The two landed hard, and their Scouters let out a beep.

Their Battle Suits were identical to Raditz's, their presence menacing, the vicious aura radiating from them sending chills down the spine.

"Were you waiting for us?" Vegeta crossed his arms, a look of contempt on his face. "And you, Raditz, you'd better explain what's going on here."

His expression was grim, on the verge of eruption. If Raditz hadn't died, it could only mean he'd been deceived. A low-class warrior dared to trick him? Asking for death.

A murderous intent spread silently, and everyone felt a biting cold, their scalps tingling.

In the past, Raditz would have been trembling and weak-kneed with fear. But now, Raditz smiled instead, stepping forward. "Vegeta, I never died. I said that just to invite you to Earth so we could talk things over."

"Hahahaha." Vegeta burst into laughter, laced with doubt, disdain, mockery, and anger. "You colluded with Earthlings to trick me—you've betrayed the Saiyans! I'll kill you, then wipe out every human on Earth!"

"Yeah, Earth was already on Frieza's list. You destroy it for him, then what's next? Spend your whole life as Frieza's lapdog?"

Raditz shot back with an even more sarcastic tone.

Those words struck Vegeta like a thorn in his heart.

"Shut up!"

"Looks like you don't want that either. So why not fight back? On Earth, my little brother, Kakarot—also called Goku—has a group of outstanding companions. If we three join forces, we might stand a chance against Frieza."

"Don't make me laugh! A bunch of trash like you dares to talk about joining forces against Frieza? Hmph! I think you're all idiots!" Vegeta's Scouter clearly displayed Raditz's Battle Power—1800.

Nappa chimed in, "A Battle Power of 1800—stronger than before, sure, but that kind of power is useless!"

"Scouters aren't always accurate."

Goku cut off Nappa's voice, interjecting.

Facing the two Saiyans, his fighting spirit was already ignited. Vegeta, in particular, stirred a desire to clash with him. Convincing them now would be tough; the worst-case scenario was a full-on battle, which was exactly what Goku was hoping for.

"You're Kakarot, right?"

"My name is Goku!"

"Boring. Let me ask you—since Raditz isn't dead, then those so-called Dragon Balls are fake too?" Vegeta was still fixated on the Dragon Balls.

"No, the Dragon Balls are real. They can grant any wish."

Hearing this, Vegeta broke into a satisfied smile. This trip to Earth hadn't been a waste after all. He did hate Frieza and wanted to take him on, but Raditz's proposal sounded impossible to him. How strong could a few Earthlings be? How strong could three—or four—Saiyans combined be? They might not even beat Ginyu, let alone Frieza.

So he rejected Raditz, still pinning his hopes on the Dragon Balls granting him eternal life.

"Spill everything about the Dragon Balls, and I might consider sparing your lives." Vegeta extended a hand, chin raised arrogantly.

"Looks like you're not taking my advice. Then I'll have to show you just how strong we are."

Raditz said this as he slowly walked back to the far left of the group. The others stood in a staggered line, all staring at Vegeta.

"Nappa, did you hear that? Raditz wants to show us how strong he is! Hahaha! Look at their Battle Powers! Barely over a thousand and they dare to talk big—have you forgotten how terrifying I am?"

"Idiots! I could take all of you on at once!" Nappa sneered.

"Don't rush," Vegeta said with a grin. "You still have Saibaman seeds, don't you? Let them test the waters."

Nappa chuckled darkly, pulling a small bottle from his waist filled with several seeds. He poured them out and planted them in the soil.

Soon, several ugly monsters emerged from the ground. Their heads looked like cabbages, limbs thin, and their bodies a sickly green.

"Wha... what are those? Disgusting." Krillin's face twisted as he saw the Saibamen sprout from the earth.

"Looks like alien creatures."

Piccolo's face was cold. "All trash."

"Trash? Big talk for you." Nappa caught Piccolo's words and glanced over, suddenly startled. "Hey? You're a Namekian!"

"Namekian?!" The others were shocked too, learning Piccolo's origin for the first time. But it made sense—being a Cosmic Being explained his strength.

"No wonder. I've heard Namekians have some strange powers. So you're the one who made the Dragon Balls. And you were in on Raditz's act too—I recognize your voice." Nappa grinned, his face twisted.

Voice? The group paused for a moment, then quickly realized—Raditz had said Scouters could be used as communication devices.

"If you're going to fight, then fight!" Piccolo spat disdainfully, assuming a battle stance, glaring coldly at Nappa.

"Looks like you outnumber the Saibamen. That's a shame—no one-on-one fights." Vegeta said with interest, as if regretting it.

"No need for one-on-one. I'll handle it alone! Piccolo, let me take this!" Goku said confidently.

"Hey, no need for you to step in." Raditz stopped Goku. "Let Gohan and the others deal with the Saibamen. It'll be easy—trust their strength."

"Well... alright." Goku thought for a moment, then put his hands on his hips and stepped back.

Piccolo, considering himself on Goku's level, saw Goku hold back and dropped his stance, crossing his arms and standing coldly.

"Fine, I'll go first!" Yamcha clenched his fists with a grin and strode to the front.

Dressed in his Turtle School gi, he walked steadily, unhurried and composed. On Nappa's Scouter, a number flickered to life: 1080. It was lower than even the Saibamen's, and Nappa's face lit up with gleeful malice.

In his eyes, a Saibaman could kill Yamcha outright!

"Don't get careless. Go all out." Vegeta gave the order coldly.