Raditz Arrives

"BOOM!!!"

A fiery red meteor tore across the sky and slammed viciously into the dense forest west of Mount Paozu. A massive shockwave swept through the entire forest, uprooting towering trees as easily as straw.

In the yard, Goku abruptly stopped chopping firewood, and the axe clattered to the ground. He looked toward the source of the tremendous crash, his expression grave.

"He's here."

Inside the house, Gohan rose to his feet at the same time. That cold, brutal aura was like an invisible mountain, crushing the breath from his lungs.

Deep within the forest, a round spaceship lay silently in a meteor crater. The hatch opened, and Raditz stepped out.

His long black hair stood straight up in thick spikes. He wore a dark green battle suit, an energy scanner over one eye, and a brown tail trailed behind him. He surveyed his surroundings, a disdainful smirk curling across his lips.

"Gravity's only one-tenth of Planet Vegeta's. No wonder Kakarot botched the mission."

He pressed the scanner at his ear. As data flickered across it, it locked onto the direction of Mount Paozu.

"A power level of three hundred and twenty? Pathetically weak."

With a kick off the ground, Raditz shot forward like a cannonball, leaving a string of sonic booms in his wake.

Goku stood in the yard, staring intently at the eastern sky. Before long, a black dot emerged from the clouds, speeding toward him at an astonishing pace.

A few seconds later, Raditz landed in the yard. The instant his feet touched down, the ground cracked open with a sharp crunch.

"Long time no see, Kakarot."

Goku frowned deeply. "Who are you? Why do you know my name?"

"You don't even recognize your own older brother?" Raditz sneered. "I'm Raditz, your biological brother. We're both Saiyans, the strongest warrior race in the universe."

Goku froze. Saiyan? Older brother? He instinctively touched the spot where he had once had a tail.

"When you were born, your power level was only two. You were a famous failure among our people." Raditz stood with his arms crossed. "Father insisted on sending you to Earth. Looking at you now, it was nothing but a waste of time."

"I don't care whether what you're saying is true or not." Goku slowly clenched his fists. "Why did you come to Earth?"

"To give you a chance to redeem yourself," Raditz said. "The Saiyans are nearly extinct. There are only four of us left now: me, you, Vegeta, and Nappa. We conquer planets across the universe. Join us."

Goku's face darkened. "Conquer planets? You're invaders?"

"The strong devour the weak. That's the law of the universe." Raditz sounded unconcerned. "It's an honor for those inferior races to be ruled by us."

"I refuse," Goku said without a moment's hesitation. "I'm Son Goku. I'm an Earthling. I won't go with you and do something so evil."

"An Earthling?" Raditz burst out laughing. "Kakarot, did you hit your head too hard? Saiyan blood runs through your veins! You were born to fight and conquer!"

"Enough!"

Goku's energy erupted violently. A golden aura enveloped his body, and pebbles across the ground began to float.

"If you want to cause trouble on Earth, I'll never let you get away with it!"

Raditz glanced down at his scanner. Four hundred and twelve.

"Oh? You can raise your power level?" He curled his lip in disdain. "But that's all it is. A power level in the four hundreds isn't even worthy of shining my boots."

Before he finished speaking, Raditz vanished.

Goku's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively dodged to the side.

"BAM!"

The spot where he had been standing exploded into a huge crater.

"Your reactions are pretty quick." Raditz's voice came from behind and to the side as his fist smashed in with a howling gust. Goku hurriedly raised his arms to block, but the blow sent him flying. He crashed heavily into the mountainside.

"Ugh..." Goku clutched his chest as he crawled out from the rubble, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

So strong. Much stronger than I'd imagined.

"I haven't even used thirty percent of my strength yet." Raditz sauntered over.

Goku gritted his teeth and charged forward. A month of special training had greatly improved his fighting skills. With a flash, he darted behind Raditz, his fist carrying a surge of energy as it struck toward the middle of his back.

Without even turning around, Raditz threw a backhanded punch.

"BAM!"

The two fists collided. Goku let out a muffled groan and was blasted away again. He flipped through the air and landed steadily, bringing his hands together at his waist.

"Kamehameha!"

A blue energy wave roared toward Raditz. Raditz stood where he was until the blast was nearly upon him, then slightly shifted aside. The Kamehameha grazed past him and exploded on a distant hillside, forming a mushroom cloud.

"This is your ultimate move?" Raditz sneered. "Its power is nothing special."

Goku panted, his heart feeling heavy. The gap between them was far too great.

"So, are you willing to join us now?" Raditz crossed his arms. "Obey me, and I might spare your life. Otherwise... I'll kill that little brat inside first."

His gaze swept toward the nearby house, his smile cruel.

Goku's expression changed instantly.

Inside the house, Son Gohan clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Through the crack in the door, he saw everything happening outside. He really was scared, but he was even angrier. That arrogant bastard kept calling people trash and ants—did he really think he was the ruler of the universe?

When he heard Raditz say he was going to kill him, the string in Son Gohan's mind snapped with a crack.

To hell with being afraid! He was Son Gohan, Son Goku's son!

"Son Gohan, don't come out!" Son Goku's anxious voice came from outside.

Raditz was walking toward the house step by step, raising a hand as he formed an energy blast.

"Let's see how much fighting power a Saiyan descendant has."

"No!" Son Goku charged forward desperately, only to be sent flying by a backhanded punch from Raditz.

Just as the energy blast was about to leave his hand—

BANG!

The door was kicked open.

Son Gohan's small figure rushed out, both hands raised as he held an unstable sphere of energy. His eyes were bloodshot.

"You bastard!!"

He shoved both hands forward, sending the energy sphere wobbling toward Raditz. Raditz froze for a moment, apparently not expecting the little brat to attack on his own. He did not even dodge, simply letting the energy sphere strike his chest.

With a dull boom, the energy sphere exploded. Raditz remained standing exactly where he was, not even taking a step back.

"Hmph. You overestimate yourself." He brushed the dust from his chest. But the next second, the scouter on his wrist suddenly began to beep.

Raditz looked down, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

The numbers on the lens surged wildly—one hundred, three hundred, five hundred, seven hundred... before finally stopping at eight hundred and thirteen!

"What?!" Raditz jerked his head up and stared at Son Gohan. "A four-year-old brat has a fighting power of over eight hundred?!"

That attack just now had been unimpressive because the child still did not know how to control his strength. But his potential fighting power was actually higher than Kakarot's!

Raditz's breathing quickened. A genius! A true Saiyan genius!

He had thought Kakarot was useless, but now it seemed that this nephew of his was the real treasure! With proper training, he would definitely surpass Vegeta someday!

The disdain in Raditz's eyes turned to greed.

"Good, excellent!" he laughed loudly. "Kakarot, you've truly given me a huge surprise!"

Son Gohan panted, his skin crawling beneath that predator-like gaze. A fighting power of over eight hundred, yet his attack had not even scratched the man's skin... He really still could not control his power properly.

"Son Gohan! Run!" Son Goku struggled to get up, only to collapse heavily again.

"Don't rush. You father and son will have plenty of time to reunite." Raditz walked toward Son Gohan with a cruel grin. "But before that, you'll have to come with me."

Son Gohan's heart sank. He turned and ran, but to Raditz, he was as slow as a snail. Raditz reached out and scooped him up as easily as if he were lifting a chick.

"Let me go! You bastard!" Son Gohan kicked and thrashed wildly, but he could not break free at all.

"Not bad, very good." Raditz held him up like a trophy. "Such potential at this age—he was even stronger than Prince Vegeta when he was young."

"Let go of my son!" Son Goku roared, his energy surging wildly, but it was utterly useless.

"Kakarot, I'll give you a choice." Holding Son Gohan, Raditz looked down at Son Goku. "One day from now, come find me on the deserted island at the westernmost edge of this planet. If you're willing to join us, everyone will be happy. If not... I'll throw your precious son into space."

"You wouldn't dare!" Son Goku's eyes nearly split apart in fury.

"What wouldn't I dare?" Raditz sneered. "Remember, you only have one day. Don't try anything clever, or your son's little life is over."

With that, he turned and walked away with Son Gohan in tow.

But at that moment—

"Stop."

A cold voice came from the forest.

Raditz halted, frowning slightly. He had not noticed there was a third person here?

A green-skinned figure slowly emerged from the woods, his white cape fluttering in the wind. The mark on his forehead gave off a cold gleam. Piccolo stood with his arms crossed, his eyes sharp as blades.

Raditz glanced down at his scouter. Three hundred and sixteen.

"Another piece of trash." He curled his lip disdainfully. "What, you want to meddle too?"

Piccolo ignored him. His gaze swept over Son Gohan hanging in Raditz's hand, then shifted to Son Goku lying on the ground, and his frown deepened.

"Piccolo..." Son Goku spoke with difficulty. "He's taking Son Gohan."

Piccolo's gaze darkened. Taking Son Gohan? He had had his eye on that child's potential for a long time.

"Put the child down." Piccolo slowly raised a hand, purple energy gathering in his palm. "Or die."

Raditz froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, doubling over with it.

"Die? You? With a fighting power of just over three hundred, you dare say that to my face?" His smile abruptly vanished, and his gaze turned icy. "I'd advise you not to meddle, or I'll kill you too."

The atmosphere instantly became taut with tension.

On one side stood Raditz, powerful enough to crush everyone present; on the other was Piccolo, watching like a hawk. Goku lay on the ground, while Gohan was held in Raditz's grasp. The three sides faced off, and the air seemed to freeze solid.

Held in Raditz's hand, Gohan unexpectedly calmed down.

Piccolo had come. Next would be the classic team-up from the original story. But this time, he was here too.

He clenched his little fists.

This time, he would never just hide to the side and cry like he had in the original story.

Raditz looked at Piccolo impatiently and tightened his grip, making Gohan bare his teeth in pain.

"Well? Have you made up your mind? Move aside, or die with this useless father and son?"

Piccolo said nothing. The ki around him only grew stronger, purple energy flickering in his palm with a sizzling crackle.

A greater storm was about to descend.