Nappa flew into a rage when he heard Raditz. "Raditz, you worthless weakling with a power level of barely over a thousand, how dare you call Prince Vegeta a dog? Are you tired of living?!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a sharp gaze stabbing into his back.
Vegeta slowly turned his head, his cold eyes fixed on him.
Nappa's heart lurched. He realized at once that he'd said the wrong thing and hurriedly waved his hands. "P-Prince Vegeta! I wasn't the one who called you a dog! It was Raditz! Raditz said you were a dog!"
"Nappa, you idiot, shut up!!"
Vegeta's roar cracked like thunder. Nappa flinched and quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, not daring to make another sound.
Vegeta took a deep breath, forcing down the urge to tear the idiot beside him to pieces, then turned his gaze to Son Goku.
He sized up the black-haired man before him. His face bore some resemblance to Raditz's, but his features were more resolute. And unlike most Saiyans, whose eyes were filled with cruelty and coldness, his were calm.
"I take it you're Kakarot?" A cruel smile curled Vegeta's lips. "Tell me, how do you want to die? Should I crush your bones one by one, or burn you to ashes?"
Son Goku tilted his head as if he'd heard something funny, then actually laughed. "You want to kill me? Heh. Maybe you should take a look around before you say that!"
He turned and beckoned to the others behind him. "Everyone, let your energy out. Let Prince Vegeta here have a good look at what you've accomplished with a year of training!"
"Sure thing!"
They answered in unison.
The next instant, several powerful auras erupted skyward like volcanoes!
Boom—!!!
Raditz was the first to unleash his power. White energy blazed around him, the ground cracked beneath his feet, and gale-force winds swept outward from him. His hair whipped in the rushing air, and his expression held a complex mix of pride and relief.
"Beep beep beep beep beep—!!!"
The Scouter around Nappa's neck blared as its numbers shot up, finally settling on a value that took his breath away—
"F-fifteen thousand?!" Nappa's eyes widened, and his voice went shrill. "That useless Raditz... has a power level of fifteen thousand?!"
Vegeta's pupils contracted slightly, but his sneer remained. "Hmph. A mere fifteen thousand..."
But before he could finish, another aura burst forth.
Piccolo.
The green figure stood silently, without a shout or a roar. He merely lifted his head, a glint of cold light passing through his dark eyes. Then—
Boom!!!
An aura far larger and deeper than Raditz's surged into the sky! The earth trembled, and the clouds overhead were violently torn apart by the force of it.
"Beep beep beep beep beep—!!! BEEP—!!!"
Nappa's Scouter let out a piercing alarm as the numbers climbed wildly, until at last—
"Twenty-five thousand... twenty-five thousand?!!" Nappa's voice rose until it nearly cracked. He whipped around to Vegeta, his face filled with horror. "Your Highness! That Namekian... his power level is twenty-five thousand! That's higher than yours..."
"Impossible!"
Vegeta finally lost his composure. A crack appeared in the arrogant sneer that had always adorned his face, and his eyes widened in shock. He'd never imagined that Earth, a backwater corner of the universe, could have someone with a higher power level than him, a Saiyan prince.
"Absolutely impossible!" he roared, his voice trembling with a hint of fear he didn't even notice. "We Saiyans are the warrior race! We're the strongest fighters in the universe! How can a Namekian... how can a Namekian's power level be higher than mine, a Saiyan prince's?!"
Everyone exchanged glances. This time, Vegeta had shouted loudly enough for them all to hear.
Krillin scratched his bald head and muttered, "No wonder Piccolo looks different from the rest of us... So he's an alien?"
Piccolo glanced at Krillin with a complicated expression but said nothing.
Son Goku smiled and turned to Piccolo. "Piccolo, after this fight, I'll go to Namek with you. We'll help you discover your roots and see your homeworld."
Piccolo paused, a faint flicker of emotion passing through his cold eyes. He was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. "...All right."
Nappa sidled up to Vegeta and lowered his voice. "Your Highness, things aren't looking good... Raditz has a higher power level than me, that Namekian's is higher than yours, and they've got a whole bunch of allies... We're no match for them. We should retreat!"
Vegeta's expression shifted between light and dark.
Damn it... Damn it! How could these Earth monkeys have gotten so strong?! That useless Raditz is at fifteen thousand... and that Namekian is at twenty-five thousand... That Kakarot is even more unfathomable!
No, I can't retreat. I'm the Saiyan prince, the strongest warrior in the universe! How can I run from a bunch of low-class warriors?!
But... if we fight them head-on, we have no chance of winning.
A fierce glint flashed in Vegeta's eyes. He turned his head and whispered so only Nappa could hear:
"Don't panic. We can still transform into Great Apes. You take out the Namekian, and I'll deal with Raditz after he becomes a Great Ape. The Great Ape Transformation multiplies our power tenfold. We'll be strong enough to crush them!"
Nappa's eyes lit up as he suddenly understood. He lowered his voice and flattered Vegeta. "Prince Vegeta, you're so smart! How did I not think of that? With ten times our power, we can—"
"I've told you to use your brain more often, but you never listen."
"Yes, yes. You're right, Prince Vegeta."
Though they spoke in hushed voices, Son Goku's keen senses picked up every word as clearly as if they were speaking right beside him. He could even hear every shift in their tone.
Son Goku couldn't help but burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking.
Vegeta jerked his head up and glared at him, his face flushed red. "What are you laughing at?!"
"Nothing," Son Goku said, waving a hand. His smile only grew brighter, and he even looked a little sheepish. "I just thought... have you two figured out your battle strategy? To turn into Great Apes... you need tails, right?"
He pointed at the tail behind Vegeta, then at Nappa's, wearing an innocent expression.
Vegeta's face instantly turned ashen, as if he'd just been slapped in front of everyone. He clenched his teeth and forced the words out. "I don't need a strategy to deal with trash like you!"
"Is that so?"
Son Goku tilted his head, looking at him like he was an unreasonable fool, with just a hint of pity.
That look pushed Vegeta over the edge.
"What's with that look?!" he roared, the energy around him beginning to surge out of control. "Don't look at me like that! I'm the Saiyan prince! The greatest warrior in the universe!"
Son Goku shrugged, his smile bright. "It's the look I give an idiot."
"You—!!"
Vegeta trembled with rage. His white aura exploded with a boom, and he shot toward Son Goku like a cannonball.
"Hold it!"
Son Goku suddenly raised a hand. His voice wasn't loud, but Vegeta brought himself to a sudden halt.
Then Vegeta realized what had happened and ground out, "What? Got any last words before you die?!"
Son Goku pointed at the ground beneath them, then toward the distant city, and said seriously:
"If we're going to fight, let's move somewhere else. West City is too close. We might hurt innocent people. Besides..."
He glanced back at Piccolo and Raditz, then winked.
"My kid's taking a nap. He'll cry if we wake him."
Vegeta froze for a moment, then sneered, though his smile had grown stiff.
"Hmph. It doesn't matter where we fight. You're all going to die today anyway!"
"Then follow us."
After speaking, Son Goku gave the others a signal. In a flash, he became a golden streak of light and flew toward the distant wasteland.
Piccolo, Raditz, Krillin, and the others followed close behind, several figures streaking across the sky.
Vegeta stood where he was, watching the streaks of light disappear into the distance. The rage in his eyes gradually gave way to a hint of gravity.
Kakarot... who are you, really? That look... that composure... Do you actually think you can beat me?
He snorted, stamped a foot against the ground, and shot after them in a streak of white light.
Nappa hurried after him, though his heart was already beginning to pound.
Something's wrong... very wrong. These Earthlings... no, these guys are nothing like the ones in the intel. Can Prince Vegeta really win?
Before you continue