Raditz Instantly Defeats Nappa

The wasteland outside West City.

Gusts of wind hurled grit against their faces with a fine crackling sound. The sky hung low and gray.

Vegeta hovered in midair, arms crossed as he scanned the surroundings. He grinned.

"Kakarot, you sure know how to pick a spot. Remote and desolate—just right for burying you all."

Son Goku landed on a boulder and brushed the dust off his gi.

"Bury us? Heh, we'll see who gets buried."

"What did you say?!"

Vegeta's face turned ashen, veins throbbing at his temples. He stepped forward sharply, and the rock beneath his feet split apart. Loose stones tumbled away.

"Quit putting on an act!" He clenched his right fist until his knuckles turned white. "You think this rabble can challenge the Saiyan Prince? Come and die!"

Son Goku tilted his head, smiling brightly. "You're in such a hurry to get beaten up, so I'll grant your wish."

[Vegeta's power really is only eighteen thousand. It seems the butterfly effect hasn't affected him. Piccolo's already at twenty-five thousand. I'll let Piccolo give him a hard time.]

Son Goku turned to look at Piccolo.

Piccolo stood with his arms crossed, his expression cold and battle intent surging in his dark eyes. He gave a slight nod.

"Vegeta's yours," Son Goku said with a smile. "The Saiyan Prince should be enough to get you warmed up."

Piccolo rolled his neck, his bones cracking.

"Just what I wanted. I've been wondering how tough the so-called prince's bones are."

"Who are you calling tough?!" Vegeta roared. "I could crush you, Namekian, with one finger!"

Piccolo didn't waste words. He vanished in an instant.

Vegeta's pupils contracted, and he hastily crossed his arms to block—

"Bam!"

The two collided in midair, a shockwave exploding outward and kicking up a cloud of sand.

The Scouter by Vegeta's ear shrieked wildly. "Beep beep beep—!"

Vegeta used the force of the impact to retreat, glaring at Piccolo. "Your power level is still rising?!"

[Damn it... The Scouter's reading has already passed twenty-five thousand... This Namekian is actually seven thousand stronger than me?!]

Piccolo hovered in the dust cloud, dark green energy blazing around him. He tilted his head.

"Surprised, Saiyan Prince? Your Scouter can read numbers, but it can't understand training."

"Damn you!" Vegeta ground his teeth, white energy erupting around him. "Don't get cocky! I'm the strongest in the universe!"

He turned into a streak of white light and charged again.

Elsewhere.

Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha surrounded Nappa. Their four pairs of eyes made him feel deeply uneasy.

[Damn it. Prince Vegeta's tied up. These Earthlings are strong, and there are so many of them.]

[And...]

He looked at the figure approaching him, his throat bobbing.

White energy flickered around Raditz. Smiling, he walked forward and rolled his wrists, his knuckles cracking.

"Nappa, ready to get beaten up?"

Nappa swallowed, straightened up, but his voice wavered. "Raditz! You traitor! You betrayed Prince Vegeta and the honor of the Saiyans... Aren't you afraid that once the prince is free, he'll tear you to pieces?!"

"Honor?"

Raditz threw his head back and laughed. "Honor?"

He pointed to the figures battling in the sky.

"Open your eyes and look. Your prince is being overwhelmed by a Namekian."

Nappa looked up. Vegeta's attacks were fierce, but Piccolo was handling him with ease. Every time they traded punches, Vegeta was sent staggering back; every time their energy blasts clashed, Vegeta's aura was torn open.

[Impossible! Prince Vegeta is an elite, the Saiyan Prince! He's actually being suppressed by a Namekian?!]

Nappa's face darkened as he gritted his teeth. "Don't forget, we're a warrior race! Even with a difference of several thousand in power, I believe Prince Vegeta can turn this around! He can!"

"Is that so?"

Raditz's smile faded. He stepped forward and looked down at Nappa.

"You'd better worry about yourself first."

He held out a hand, palm up.

"I'll let you strike first. After all, this is your last chance to attack in your life."

"Bastard!"

Nappa roared. White energy surged around him as he stamped his feet against the ground and charged at Raditz.

"Die, traitor!"

His iron fist whistled through the air toward Raditz's face!

Raditz shifted slightly to one side. Nappa's fist skimmed past his nose, its gust of wind lifting only a few strands of hair.

"Too slow." Raditz's voice came from beside Nappa. "You're much slower than you were when you bullied me aboard the mothership a few years ago."

Nappa turned and threw another punch!

Raditz slipped aside again and brushed his shoulder.

"Damn you! Quit getting cocky!"

Nappa went berserk. He hurled punch after punch at Raditz. Every blow held enough force to shatter rock, and every kick came with a whistle that ripped through the air.

They all missed.

Raditz moved easily among the flurry of fists, leaning to the side, bending backward, and occasionally leaping away. Nappa's attacks couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

[A few years ago, you pinned me to the ground and beat me just like this. You said the same thing back then—"Too slow, Raditz. A piece of trash like you is only good for scouting."]

[But now...]

Raditz's eyes suddenly turned cold.

"Too slow. Too slow!" His voice rang out again and again. "Nappa, can you go any faster? Or is bullying people weaker than you all you can do?"

"Gaaaaah!"

Nappa roared at the sky and clasped his hands together. A brilliant white Energy Blast gathered in his palms. He poured all his anger and fear into it, then hurled it at Raditz!

"Die!"

The Energy Blast streaked toward Raditz, trailing flames.

Raditz stood still, not even bothering to dodge.

[It takes too long to charge, the trajectory's straight, and the power is spread too thin. This attack wouldn't even hit a target in the training ground.]

He snorted. White energy surged around him as he raised his right hand and slapped the Energy Blast aside. With a muffled boom, it flew away and exploded against a hill several hundred meters off, raising a cloud of dust.

"What?!" Nappa's eyes widened. He took a step back, his legs trembling and his black mustache quivering. "Impossible!"

Raditz slowly lowered his hand and brushed his palm, his gaze icy.

"You've had your little performance. Now it's my turn."

Before he finished speaking, he vanished.

Nappa's vision blurred, and a gust of wind rushed toward his face. He couldn't react in time, couldn't raise his arms to block—

[It's over.]

Bam!

Raditz's fist slammed into Nappa's abdomen.

"Ugh..."

Nappa's eyes rolled back, his mouth gaping as not a sound escaped him. His internal organs were jolted out of place, and all the strength drained from him in an instant.

He flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up dust. He lay motionless, unconscious.

Raditz pulled back his fist and shook out his wrist. He looked down at Nappa, a complicated smile tugging at his lips.

[So this is an Elite Warrior? The Elite Warrior who made me kneel and tremble a few years ago? He's nothing special.]

He turned and flew toward the others, grabbed Nappa by the collar, and tossed him at Son Goku's feet before brushing his hands off.

"Too weak. I couldn't even get warmed up."

Son Goku looked down at Nappa, then at Raditz, and shook his head with a smile.

"Nappa's power level is no higher than four thousand, and you're at fifteen thousand now. If you can't instantly defeat him, you might as well go find a block of tofu and smash your head against it."

Raditz laughed, his unease completely gone. "You're right."

He looked up at the battle in the sky. Dark green energy and white light collided again and again, each clash erupting with a thunderous boom.

[Vegeta, the princely status you're so proud of means nothing in the face of true power.]

[And I've already found something more important than status.]

Raditz clenched his fist.