Raditz went over it again and again in his head. It was not impossible to win Goku over now, but persuading Piccolo would be difficult, and he had no good reason to lure Vegeta to Earth.
Taking all that into account, Raditz made his decision in an instant. The corner of his mouth curled up as a mischievous idea came to him.
His advantage was that he knew everything. Only by making good use of that advantage could he gain strength before anyone else. If he wanted to deal with stronger opponents, training on King Kai's Planet was imperative.
For the Spirit Bomb and the Kaio-ken, he was going to make some trouble!
He deliberately turned on his communicator, letting Vegeta on the other side of the universe hear everything here.
"Hey, Kakarot, you've grown up. Why haven't you wiped out all the humans yet?" Raditz adjusted his tone to sound icy.
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh? Why can't I understand what this guy is saying?"
Of course he could not understand. Raditz loosened the tail wrapped around his waist and flicked it nimbly. "Didn't you recognize it?"
At the sight of the tail, everyone was stunned.
"A... a tail?" Goku glanced at Gohan, unease flickering between his brows. "Who exactly are you...?"
Aside from himself and his son, this was the first time he had seen someone else with a tail. Moreover, the strange armor and imposing Ki radiating from Raditz were enough to shock him.
Raditz said coldly, "Idiot! It looks like you've forgotten everything! I'll tell you all about it. There are things you need to know, including your birth and our race."
The others were too shocked to interrupt.
"First, you are not from this planet. Like me, you are a Saiyan born on Planet Vegeta. We Saiyans are a noble, powerful warrior race. Every one of us is born with tremendous fighting ability. Your name is Kakarot, and I am your older brother, Raditz!"
"What?! Goku has a brother?!"
"No way... this..."
No one could believe it. This guy who had appeared out of nowhere was actually Goku's biological brother! And he said Goku was not from Earth, that he belonged to some warrior race called the Saiyans... It was simply too unbelievable!
"Stop making noise and listen to me. We Saiyans seek out planets with suitable living environments, eliminate the native inhabitants, then sell those planets at high prices to aliens who need them. Kakarot was sent to Earth to carry out that mission. When a planet has high Battle Power, we send adult warriors directly. Earth's overall level is relatively low, so sending a child was enough. Though children have lower Battle Power, once the full moon appears, a Saiyan's true power awakens. It would not take long to clear the planet."
"Ah..."
"No wonder..."
Master Roshi and the others were horrified. Remembering Goku's rampages after transforming into a Great Ape several times, they all swallowed hard. Even the gentle sea breeze felt chilling against their skin.
"No, I don't remember any of that! I grew up on Earth, and I have nothing to do with the Saiyans! I won't do something like destroying someone else's planet!" Goku shouted, clenching his fists.
"You hit your head as a child and forgot your mission! Let me tell you, Planet Vegeta was struck by a meteor and destroyed. Our parents and brethren became dust in the universe, and only four Saiyans survived! As one of those survivors, you are still remembered by us. Though you are weak now, you are still a Saiyan, with limitless potential... That is why I came to invite you to join us!"
With that, Raditz turned off the communicator and let out a long breath.
That should keep Vegeta satisfied for now. Next, I need to lure them to Earth and persuade them.
"I won't go with you! Go back!" Goku roared.
His reaction was exactly as expected. Raditz sighed. "Then I have no choice but to borrow your son. That tail is the mark of a Saiyan. There is no denying it."
"Don't come any closer! Or I won't go easy on you!"
Goku shouted repeatedly, his body taut and ready to strike at any moment. Yet for the first time in his life, he felt fear. He had never felt this way even when facing King Piccolo. His mind had gone completely blank.
Raditz flashed through the air and appeared behind Goku with a whoosh. The movement was instantaneous, so fast that no one could catch his speed.
Goku's eyes widened as he froze in place!
As Raditz drew near, Gohan burst into tears, waving his arms as if trying to stop Raditz.
Still, Gohan looked rather adorable right now.
But Raditz still had to play the villain. He grabbed Gohan, turned, and charged at Goku, lifting his knee for a flying knee strike. The attack was faster than Goku could perceive and slammed solidly into him, churning his stomach and draining all strength from his limbs in an instant.
After hanging in the air for a while, Goku crashed to the ground. Clutching his stomach, he cried out in pain. In that instant, he realized the gap in strength between them, and cold sweat streamed down his face.
The others had even less chance to act. They were utterly stunned.
"Goku, you can't beat me alone. If you want your son back, find a capable helper about as strong as you and come after me!" Raditz floated into the air. That hint should be clear enough, right?
With that, he carried Gohan away at high speed.
After reaching the landing site of his spaceship, Raditz set Gohan down and waited for Goku and Piccolo to arrive. He had not been too rough with Gohan. Once the kid got worked up, who knew what level of power he could reach? He would be an extremely powerful fighter in the future, and besides, he was Raditz's nephew.
"Wah! Daddy... Wah!!! Ah..."
Seeing that Raditz was ignoring him, Gohan cried wildly and kept pounding Raditz's thigh. His tiny fists had no power, but they never seemed to tire.
This kid... Raditz felt like crying but had no tears.
"Hey, stop crying! I'm your uncle, after all!"
"You're a bad guy! Waaah... I want Daddy! Sob, sob..." Scolded by Raditz, Gohan cried even harder.
Raditz had no idea how to handle children. Then an idea flashed through his mind, and he picked up a branch and scratched something onto the ground.
"Stop yelling! If you keep it up, I'll kill you right now and let your father come collect your body! Get over here! Didn't you want to become a scholar? If you can solve this Chicken-and-Rabbit Puzzle, I'll let you go!" Raditz shouted again.
Perhaps the threat worked, or perhaps Gohan sensed the helplessness in Raditz's tone. Gohan sniffled twice and stopped crying and shouting.
"You're not lying to me?"
"Why would I lie to you? I can kill you whenever I want. If you don't want to die, go quietly solve the problem."
Sniffling, Gohan looked at Raditz suspiciously. In the end, he chose to believe him and slowly walked over to the ground where the problem was written, beginning to think it over seriously.
Raditz could not help sighing to himself. To deal with a kid with the potential to become a top student, you have to give him math problems...
Before you continue