The Unfamiliar Saiyan

"Hmm? Two ki signatures are heading this way, and they're quite fast."

Jiang Che murmured, his eyes snapping open as his gaze shot toward the horizon like a bolt of lightning.

He stared intently into the distance—two small black dots were rapidly approaching, as if propelled by some invisible force.

The dots grew larger, transforming into two figures in the blink of an eye.

Their flight path tore through the sky, their clothes snapping violently in the gale, leaving two trails of white vapor in their wake.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The two landed almost simultaneously, the ground beneath their feet erupting in a wave of dirt.

Cracks spread out from their landing spot like a spiderweb, sending gravel flying everywhere with a sharp, rhythmic clatter.

The air filled with dust, as if a fog had suddenly descended.

Jiang Che stared at them, momentarily stunned.

His gaze fell first on the man to the left.

The fellow had a lean, powerful build, his muscle definition as sharp as if carved by a blade.

His hair was styled into an inverted triangle, standing straight up—a look that screamed trouble.

He wore a reddish-brown vest and blue trousers, his arms crossed over his chest, fingers slightly curled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.

His eyes were cold as ice, slicing through the air with a look of arrogance and disdain.

—Vegeta.

The young man on the right looked much softer by comparison.

Long, black hair draped over his shoulders, the strands swaying casually with the breeze.

He wore a light blue shirt with an open collar, revealing his sturdy collarbones.

His expression was one of surprise, eyebrows arched and mouth slightly agape, as if he hadn't expected to run into a stranger here.

His eyes were gentle but cautious, as if he were prepared to handle any sudden situation.

—Gohan.

This is... the GT timeline, isn't it?

Jiang Che pondered, quickly scanning their attire and hairstyles.

The maturity in Vegeta's bearing and the sharpness of his features were more pronounced than in the Z era, and there was even a hint of stubble on his chin.

As for Gohan, he was no longer the hot-blooded youth of the past; he stood firmly with relaxed shoulders and hands hanging naturally at his sides, yet his presence remained undiminished, commanding respect.

"Who are you?" Vegeta spoke coldly, his voice hitting the ground like shards of ice, leaving no room for negotiation.

He stared fixedly at Jiang Che, his gaze pausing for two seconds when it landed on the tail behind him, a flash of vigilance crossing his eyes. "Judging by your appearance, you seem to know quite a lot about us."

Jiang Che did not reply immediately.

He could feel Vegeta's gaze piercing him like a blade, causing his tail to tighten instinctively.

He forced his breathing to steady, his heart rate gradually slowing down.

Why was the man so guarded?

Simply put, he was a Saiyan.

And a pure-blooded one at that.

The dark brown tail behind him flicked gently, its tip occasionally brushing the ground and leaving a shallow mark.

That thick, sturdy tail was the most direct proof of his Saiyan heritage.

In this timeline, the only pure-blooded Saiyans left were Son Goku and Vegeta.

Goku was nowhere to be found, as if he had completely vanished from the universe.

Vegeta, that genius warrior, stood before Jiang Che with muscles coiled like a drawn bow; the appearance of a strange Saiyan was enough to keep him on high alert.

The air grew heavy.

Vegeta's gaze was like a knife, attempting to dissect Jiang Che and uncover his secrets.

In the distance, a few withered leaves were swept up by the wind, spiraling into the sky before falling silently into the dirt.

"Hey, I asked you a question." Vegeta's voice grew colder, like iron pulled from an ice cellar—sharp and rigid.

A pale golden aura rippled out from his body, the pressure causing goosebumps to rise on Jiang Che's skin.

"Who exactly are you, and why are you here?"

Vegeta took a step forward, the gravel beneath his feet grinding with a faint sound.

It wasn't an attack, but the warning was clear.

Gohan also stepped forward, his loose gi swaying as he stood perfectly straight.

He didn't adopt a fighting stance, but his gaze had sharpened, like a lamp suddenly ignited in the dead of night.

He slightly raised his right hand, palm held before him—seemingly peaceful, yet ready to strike like a blade at any moment.

"Sir, we mean no harm, but your appearance is certainly quite strange. Could you tell us your name?" He spoke with sincerity, yet his tone still betrayed a hint of probing.

The wind blew past the corners of the three men's clothes, rustling loudly.

A few birds in the woods were startled into flight, circling once before landing elsewhere.

Jiang Che looked at these two childhood idols before him, his gaze sliding between Vegeta's taut jaw and Gohan's steady eyes.

He couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth in a faint smile, half like a long-lost dream, half like reminiscing over a scene from a childhood cartoon—he used to be the audience, but now he had become a protagonist in the play.

"My name is Jiang Che."

He said it calmly, without stage fright or panic.

He tilted his head slightly, casting his gaze toward the distance, where rolling green mountains met a clear, transparent blue sky.

"As for why I'm here... honestly, I have no idea."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, his amber pupils turning into two sharp lines, like a leopard stalking its prey.

His nostrils flared as if catching a whiff of something off about Jiang Che: "You don't know?"

"Mm."

Jiang Che nodded, his tone frank, accompanied by a helpless smile.

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, his shoulders rising slightly.

"I just took a nap, and when I woke up, I was here. Then I discovered I'd become a Saiyan and gained some... special power."

He spoke vaguely, neither lying nor offering further explanation, as if he were merely discussing a trivial matter.

Vegeta remained silent.

He stood motionless, like a stone statue unmoved by the wind, staring at Jiang Che unhurriedly for a while.

His gaze shifted slowly from Jiang Che's face to that tail, then back to his eyes, as if trying to ferret out a lie from his pupils.

Only the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves remained in the air.

After a long while, he finally let out a huff, which could barely be considered an acceptance of the explanation.

Gohan gave a wry smile and rubbed the back of his head, his movements revealing a touch of simple honesty and helplessness: "That sounds quite bizarre... but in our world, the bizarre is quite normal."

He paused for a moment, his eyes falling on the hand Jiang Che had tucked into his pocket. "By the way, you mentioned having special power; what exactly do you mean?"

Jiang Che didn't answer immediately.

He slowly raised his right hand, his movements like a gentle touch against the air.

As his fingers spread slightly, air currents swirled and gathered between them, as if drawn by some invisible force.

A wisp of pale golden light quietly emerged, like the first light of dawn rising in the night, growing brighter and denser until it finally condensed into a fist-sized energy sphere.