Two months later.
Raditz's ship lifted off from another inhabited planet and continued toward Namek.
In the cockpit, Raditz leaned back in his seat, gazing through the ship's window at the vastness of space. A faint ripple stirred in his mind.
Some distance away from Raditz's ship,
a black ship silently followed at the same speed. The two vessels maintained a delicate distance, just within the maximum range at which the black ship could receive a signal.
Inside, Turles was also leaning back in his seat, staring grimly into the darkness ahead.
"Reiz, we've been following him for a while. Have you figured out where he's headed?"
Reiz sat in the pilot's seat, his fingers tapping quickly across the console. "Lord Turles, from what I can tell, he doesn't have a clear destination."
"For the past two months, he's been landing on civilized planets, only to take off again soon after. He never stays long."
He brought up a detailed flight chart.
A silvery-white route wound across the map, twisting and turning without any discernible pattern.
Sometimes Raditz would fly in a straight line for several days, then suddenly make a sharp turn toward another planet. Other times, after already leaving a star system, he would double back and circle the area.
"Are you saying he found out we're following him and is deliberately leading us in circles?"
Reiz shook his head, a thoughtful look on his purple face.
"I don't think so, Lord Turles. He landed on Kabacha Planet rather suddenly too, just like this. Judging by his route, it seems more like he's searching for something and trying not to miss any inhabited planets along the way."
"Searching for something?"
What could someone with a battle power of five hundred thousand possibly be searching for so desperately?
Turles couldn't think of anything.
"Keep following him." Turles closed his eyes. "Don't get too close. Don't let him find out."
"Yes, sir."
Just then, a tall alien walked over. "Lord Turles, if I may be so bold, why not just destroy his ship and force him to submit?"
Turles stared at Amond, speechless.
Amond was a space criminal who had escaped from prison amid the chaos when Turles attacked Natz Planet.
Half a month ago, he'd come looking for Turles of his own accord and joined his ranks.
Admitting he couldn't win would undermine his authority, so Turles simply ignored him.
"Uh, Lord Turles, we have a new development."
Reiz looked at the screen, somewhat awkwardly. "The ship's main system just received a message."
"It came from the ship ahead. He's found us."
He projected the message onto the screen.
It contained just two simple words.
"Come over."
The ship fell silent for a moment.
"Hmph. He's certainly arrogant," Turles grumbled. But since Raditz was a Saiyan too—and a powerful one at that—he supposed it was only natural.
"Lord Turles, should we..."
"Go. Now that he's found us, there's no point hiding."
After sending the message, Raditz landed again on the planet he'd just left and waited for Turles to arrive.
He'd sensed for a while that something was following him. Every so often, a chilly presence would enter his awareness.
At first, Raditz had thought he was imagining it, but the sensation had grown clearer and clearer. Just now, he'd finally recognized that aura.
It belonged to Turles.
From the looks of it, Turles had been following him for a long time.
Raditz didn't really mind. But then he remembered something: that guy seemed to have something he wanted.
And now it was being delivered right to his doorstep.
The planet where Raditz had landed was called Paga Planet, a trade hub. He was sitting in a restaurant on a busy street.
All sorts of bizarre alien life-forms walked back and forth outside. Most were humanoid, though, so he didn't stand out too much.
After a while, a commotion broke out among the crowd at the street corner.
Three figures emerged from the throng. People scattered to either side as they passed, as if fleeing a plague.
Raditz looked up, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Turles led the way, with Reiz and Amond following behind.
All three wore standard Riza Corps Battle Suits and had Scouters over their eyes.
"Hey, Turles, what's wrong with you? Why are you wandering around dressed like that?"
A huge vein bulged on Turles's forehead. He took a deep breath.
"Raditz, what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Raditz slapped the table. "What do you want? You've been following me since Kabacha!"
"What, looking to get beaten up again?"
Turles clenched both fists, released them, then clenched them again, barely keeping his anger in check.
How had he never realized what an obnoxious guy Raditz was? He'd always seemed so quiet and aloof.
Raditz saw that Turles was unmoved, then turned his gaze to Amond, standing nearby with an icy expression.
"Now that's rare. Someone like you actually managed to recruit a subordinate."
"I thought the purple-skinned one was already missing a few screws."
Amond's eyes flashed.
"Lord Turles, I'm afraid I can't obey your orders."
Before they'd come, Turles had specifically told him not to attack under any circumstances. The Scouter's readings couldn't be trusted; Raditz was more than he could handle.
But by now, anger had clouded Amond's judgment.
He pushed off the ground, raised his right hand, and brought a powerful, whistling chop down toward Raditz's head.
Seeing Amond's fierce attack, Raditz smiled, pleased.
He didn't move. He simply raised his right hand and lightly tapped with his index finger.
The chop came down and struck the tip of his finger.
There was no loud crash, no shock wave. That slender finger was like a nail, pinning Amond's full-force strike in midair.
Amond's eyes widened. His body trembled with the strain.
His hand felt as if it had struck an impossibly hard point—unbreakable and utterly unmoving. The force rebounding through it left his arm numb.
Raditz smiled faintly.
He bent his index finger and lightly flicked Amond on the forehead.
"Thud!"
A muffled sound rang out.
Amond's body shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through several walls before disappearing beneath a pile of rubble, his fate unknown.
The restaurant fell deathly silent.
The other diners had already fled, while the owner cowered behind the counter, trembling.
Raditz lowered his hand, calmly picked up his cup, and took a sip. Then he looked toward Turles, who was standing in the doorway.
"Now let's talk about you attacking me."
Turles: "..."
This was absurd.
He felt like he'd been framed, and by another Saiyan, no less.
"Raditz, you're a disgrace to the Saiyans."
"I don't care."
As long as I'm a human from Earth, that's fine.
Raditz added the thought to himself.
"As compensation for being attacked, I want your star map."
Turles stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.
"Heh, heh, heh... So that's what you're after?"
"It's compensation. I'm not after anything."
"Call it what you want." Turles crossed his arms. "I can give you the star map, but you have to agree to one condition."
"You're asking for conditions now? Don't push your luck."
"Worried the star map might be fake?"
Raditz opened his mouth to argue, but Turles cut him off.
"Don't tell me you'll compare my map to the ones belonging to the natives on those planets. I've been roaming the universe as a destroyer for over a decade. I've even attacked Natz Planet's headquarters. My star map covers the entire universe."
Raditz closed his mouth.
Turles had been a space wanderer for over a decade. You had to respect that kind of experience.
"Fine. What's the condition?"
Turles could barely hide his excitement. "Make me as strong as you!"
Raditz stood up and turned to leave.
Keep dreaming. You really think you've got me cornered?
Haven't you heard? When in doubt, ask Chun...
Ask Shenron!
Raditz cursed himself again.
He should have wished for a star map back on Earth instead of asking for Namek's location.
He'd gone all this way only to let Turles hold it over him. He really must have been missing a few screws.
No!
Shenron was the one missing a few screws. He should have offered that option himself.
"Wait." Turles hurried after him.
Seeing Raditz leave without hesitation, Turles couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.
"Could you at least tell me how you got so strong?"