Raditz stared at the scorched earth before him, still shaken by how close he'd come to an unnecessary death.
The Special Beam Cannon was no joke—even though he'd managed to block it, his arm still felt numb from the impact.
After explaining his plan, Raditz reactivated his communicator, and the three of them put on a performance, complete with shouting and dramatic dialogue.
In the end, Raditz feigned weakness, whispering: "Damn you... I may have fallen by your hands, but you've revealed that Earth has Dragon Balls capable of granting any wish. My companions will come to avenge me, hahahaha..."
He abruptly switched off the communicator, cutting the transmission that was being relayed across the universe to his fellow Saiyans.
The final message traveled through space and reached the scouters of the two remaining Saiyans with perfect clarity.
Following a burst of static, Raditz's voice disappeared completely.
"Seems like he's dead," Nappa remarked as he continued fighting, his expression showing no particular concern.
Vegeta blasted several enemies away with one hand and snorted dismissively. "Pathetic. Killed on a backwater planet like Earth. It appears Kakarot has betrayed us and allied with the Earthlings."
As he spoke, he unleashed a wave of energy that obliterated a dense formation of alien fighters in front of him, draining an entire natural lake in the process. Dense energy surrounded his body, erupting in white flames that caused the ground to tremble and sent dust billowing in all directions.
Witnessing this display, Nappa couldn't help but swallow nervously, fear evident in his expression.
Though a warlike Saiyan who typically feared nothing, Nappa was genuinely afraid of Vegeta. He recognized the prince's current state of anger, and knew that even he wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Vegeta's attacks in this mood.
"Vegeta, calm down. He was just a low-class warrior..."
"Your nervousness is amusing," Vegeta replied with a wicked smile. "I'm not angry—I'm excited. Didn't you hear what Raditz said? Earth possesses Dragon Balls that can grant any wish!"
Nappa finally understood. "Should we resurrect Raditz?"
"That weakling? Why bother. We'll wish for immortality so we can keep fighting forever. Wouldn't that be perfect?" Vegeta clenched his fists, his eyes seemingly ablaze with anticipation.
The moment he heard about wish-granting Dragon Balls, he couldn't wait to claim them. For Vegeta, immortality was just the beginning! The fire in his eyes reflected his unyielding desire for revenge, with the shadow of Frieza—the enemy he'd secretly harbored hatred for all these years—lurking within those flames.
He had endured years of forced servitude to Frieza, pretending not to know the truth about Planet Vegeta's destruction, all to accumulate enough power for his revenge. Now immortality beckoned to him, meaning Frieza's defeat would merely be a matter of time. How could he not be excited?
"Nappa, let's go—to Earth!"
"But... we haven't finished here yet."
"Who cares? With immortality, why would this matter?" Vegeta fixed Nappa with an icy stare.
"Right, of course." Nappa shuddered, unleashing a final shockwave.
The two decisively abandoned the battlefield, leaving the remaining aliens stunned but grateful to have survived.
On Earth, Raditz returned to Kame House with Goku and Piccolo, where they resolved any misunderstandings with the others.
Hearing about the incredible phenomena hidden throughout the universe, everyone couldn't help but feel both the vastness of space and their own relative insignificance.
"I never expected something like this could happen!" Bulma gazed skyward. "My sister is out there exploring the universe somewhere. I hope she's not in danger."
"Wait! Bulma, you have a sister?!" Goku, Krillin, and the others exclaimed in shock.
Master Roshi's eyes gleamed as he pressed his hands together. "I wonder if your sister appreciates more... mature men?"
"BANG!" A frying pan strike sent Master Roshi flying into the ocean...
"My older sister is a writer who left to gather material from across the universe. She's been gone a while, but she still keeps in touch."
Raditz offered reassurance: "The outer galaxies aren't in immediate danger, so don't worry. But now, we need to find the Dragon Balls quickly. Krillin, go locate the other powerful fighters on Earth. If we're going to train, we should bring everyone along!"
"Oh, sure. But... I don't know where they are."
Tien and Chiaotzu had flown off together long ago, and Yamcha's whereabouts were unknown. How could he possibly find them?
"My scouter can detect power levels and locations, but I'll need Bulma to examine it first—disable the communication system and check for any monitoring devices." Raditz handed his scouter to Bulma, explaining how to use it.
Though an older model, the scouter contained advanced technology. Neither the screen materials nor the sensing components could be manufactured on Earth, so Raditz exercised extra caution. Frieza's subordinates might seem expendable, but this device was still worth researching.
After examining it briefly, Bulma confidently assured him it could be safely disassembled, adding that she generally understood its principles.
Her reputation as a genius scientist was well-earned. Everyone could only admire her ability, confident she could complete the inspection within half a day.
Taking advantage of this time, Raditz set off to search for the Dragon Balls himself, while Goku and Piccolo traveled to a large, uninhabited island to spar. Gohan stayed behind, happily playing with Turtle and Turtle Hermit's artifacts.
Watching Gohan run around, Krillin recalled his own childhood training days with Goku under Master Roshi's guidance. "Those were the good old days," he sighed nostalgically.
Meanwhile, Raditz had already flown thousands of miles away and located the first Dragon Ball.
After each wish, the Dragon Balls scatter to the far corners of the world, some hiding in extremely obscure locations. Although the Dragon Radar showed their positions, it only provided two-dimensional coordinates without depth, often requiring Raditz to dive deep into oceans or explore caves. Things became even more complicated when the Dragon Balls were swallowed by animals.
After considerable effort, Raditz finally collected all seven Dragon Balls.
When he returned to Kame House, he found everyone else had arrived, including Puar and Oolong.
"Looks like I'm late to the party," Raditz said as he set down the Dragon Balls and greeted everyone.
Yamcha responded half-heartedly, while Piccolo and Tien remained silent, still suspicious of him. Raditz didn't mind; once they met King Kai, they'd understand.
He removed the four-star ball from Gohan's hat and arranged all seven together. These Dragon Balls gave him the same sensation he'd felt before his journey through time, though their light seemed even more brilliant now.
"I assume everyone's been briefed on what's happening?"
"You'd better not be playing us," Piccolo warned coldly.
Tien nodded in agreement. "To be honest, if Goku didn't trust you, I'd find it hard to believe this cosmic crisis story."
Still doubting me, Raditz thought with an internal sigh. But it was understandable—when an alien suddenly descends from the sky spouting unbelievable tales, immediate trust would be suspicious. They would need time, but at least Goku was on his side.
Taking a deep breath, Raditz raised his arms and shouted:
"Come forth, Shenron!"
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