Qi Sword

"Kakarot," Vegeta said hoarsely, his voice trembling slightly. "You're not going to kill me?"

Son Goku tilted his head. "Why would I kill you? You can't beat me now, so killing you would be pointless."

He got to his feet and dusted off his pants. "I'm not interested in weaklings."

"You—!!"

Vegeta felt a rush of blood shoot straight to his head, and even the wound at the base of his tail seemed to stop hurting. He sprang to his feet, but swayed from excessive blood loss and had to brace himself against a nearby rock to remain standing.

"Damn it!!" He slammed his fist into the rock, sending shards flying and grinding his knuckles raw and bloody. "Kakarot! Stop putting on that act! Do you think this cheap mercy will make me grateful to you?!"

Son Goku folded his arms and watched him quietly.

"Just you wait!" Vegeta's voice twisted with rage. His eyes were vicious, and his teeth ground together. "One day, I'll surpass you! I'll become stronger! Strong enough to make you regret it! Regret not killing me here today!"

Son Goku looked at his furious expression and smiled. Then he said confidently, "That day will never come."

"You...!"

Vegeta trembled with fury, his lips quivering, yet he could no longer form a complete sentence. He understood now that trying to act tough would only humiliate him further. Even standing was a struggle for him now.

Damn it... damn it! This humiliation... it's the first time in my life that I, Vegeta, have ever tasted it...

He glared fiercely at Son Goku, as if trying to carve his face into his memory. Then he turned around unsteadily and dragged his injured body toward the spaceship in the distance.

Vegeta's figure gradually receded.

The others gathered around Son Goku, each wearing a different expression.

Krillin folded his arms, his brow tightly furrowed. Looking at Vegeta's retreating back, he uneasily scratched his bald head. "Goku... are you really going to let him go? That guy is the prince of the Saiyans. What if one day his power level surpasses ours?"

Son Goku turned around with a brilliant smile. "That day will never come."

"You're certainly confident..." Krillin rolled his eyes, but seeing Son Goku's assured expression, he still sighed. "Fine, you're strong, so you call the shots. Anyway, if something really happens, you'll be the one at the front."

Piccolo had remained silent at the side, his green face carrying a thoughtful expression. He suddenly spoke in a low voice. "Son Goku, how did you cut off Vegeta's tail just now?"

He raised a hand and formed a cluster of green energy at his fingertips, gesturing as he spoke. "I only saw a flash of golden light, and Vegeta's tail was cut off. That speed... and that level of solidity, ordinary energy blasts can't accomplish that. What was it?"

Everyone's attention turned toward him.

Son Goku smiled and extended his right index finger. A wisp of golden energy slowly rose from its tip. Then, before everyone's astonished eyes, that wisp of energy rapidly compressed and solidified—

Buzz!

A tiny golden sword, only three inches long, floated above Son Goku's fingertip. Its blade was translucent, yet it radiated a chilling sharpness. Sunlight struck it, reflecting a blinding gleam.

"This is a technique I've recently developed," Son Goku explained. "It's called the Qi Sword."

"Qi Sword?" Krillin leaned closer to inspect it, stunned. "Condensing energy into the shape of a sword? This... this is kind of like how I condense energy into a disc for my Destructo Disc!"

Son Goku nodded, then shook his head. "They look similar, but they're actually very different."

He flicked his fingertip, and the tiny golden sword shot out, leaving a bottomless hole in a distant rock face with a perfectly smooth edge.

"Many warriors can condense energy into a fixed shape," Son Goku said seriously as he lowered his hand. "But the key to the Qi Sword isn't its form. It's its spirit—you need to use mental power, or telekinesis, to precisely control every strand of energy. A Qi Sword has no physical form. Without the continuous restraint of mental power, it will disperse in the blink of an eye."

He looked at Krillin. "After you throw your Destructo Disc, it relies on centrifugal force from its rotation to maintain its shape, right?"

Krillin nodded. "Yeah. Once I throw it, I don't need to worry about it. It spins on its own and cuts through everything in its path."

"But the Qi Sword is different." Son Goku raised two fingers. "It needs to be guided by your mental power the entire time. From condensing it, to launching it, flying it, and cutting with it, every stage requires precise mental control. If you lose focus for even an instant, the Qi Sword will collapse."

Piccolo frowned. "Mental power... telekinetic control? Ordinary people can't possibly achieve that level of mental strength."

"That's right." Son Goku smiled. "I want to develop a method for training mental power and teach it to all of you when the time comes. Then you can all improve your mental strength through training. But I haven't worked it out yet. Once I make a breakthrough, I'll have it."

Son Goku silently thought to himself:

In truth, using the Qi Sword in battle was far more difficult than I made it sound.

Condensing energy into the shape of a sword wasn't hard, but using telekinesis to control such a sharp yet invisible Qi Blade required an utterly terrifying level of mental strength. In the original story, while I was lying in the hospital, even lifting a cup of water with telekinesis took effort, much less controlling a Qi Blade of this level.

Fortunately... I have the Divine Power Cultivation Method. Ever since I wished for it from Shenron on Namek, I had never slackened in my training over the past few years. Although my life level hadn't truly entered the realm of gods yet, my mental power had already been tempered to a level far beyond ordinary people.

Still, I'm the pioneer, taking the hardest path. If I organize the method, those who come after me won't have to suffer as much in their training.

That way, they might have a chance to escape being cannon fodder and cheerleaders.

Piccolo looked at the lingering golden specks of light on Son Goku's fingertip and nodded thoughtfully. "I see... the combination of energy and mental power. Interesting."

In the distance, Vegeta was almost out of sight.

Son Goku suddenly remembered something and shouted toward Vegeta, "Hey! Vegeta! Don't you want your lackey?"

Vegeta's distant figure paused.

He did not turn around, only coldly tossing back a sentence. "What use do I have for useless trash like that? Deal with him yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flew away even faster.

Nappa was still lying unconscious on the ground nearby, yet Vegeta's words had reached everyone's ears clearly.

Raditz's expression became somewhat complicated. He looked down at the comrade who had once fought beside him, and a trace of sorrow flashed through his eyes.

"Kakarot," Raditz said, looking at Son Goku, "what should we do with Nappa?"

Son Goku shrugged. "Since Vegeta doesn't want him... Nappa is yours, Raditz. When he wakes up, explain Earth's rules to him."

Raditz rolled his wrists, his knuckles cracking loudly, and a smile spread across his face. "No problem! I'll... teach him well."

Son Goku glanced at him, smiled, and said nothing.

A moment later, the spherical spaceship's engines roared, blue flames erupting from its underside. The ship slowly rose into the air, then suddenly accelerated toward the sky, quickly vanishing into the clouds.

In the final instant before the spaceship completely left the atmosphere, Vegeta inside the cabin looked through the porthole at the blue planet far below.

Kakarot... Earth...

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms as blood dripped through his fingers.

Just wait. I'll be back. When that time comes, I'll crush every last one of you beneath my feet! Especially you, Kakarot!!