I Am Raditz

The sky stretched high above, scattered with light clouds as the sun hung brilliantly overhead.

As usual, Raditz lay on the lush green grass enjoying a peaceful lunch break. Under the shade of trees, dappled sunlight fell on his face like flecks of gold, warm and gentle. A soft breeze brushed through his hair and across his cheeks, while the air carried the fresh scent of grass.

Occasionally, dinosaur-like creatures roared in the distant mountains, or hawks soared across the sky with piercing cries. More common were the cute little animals that rustled and jumped through the grass or scampered among the trees.

The headquarters, while filled with the metallic scent of high-tech equipment, now balanced it with natural fragrances from the ecological transformation, making it more comfortable and pleasant. After all, everyone eventually tired of cold towers and sterile high-rise buildings.

"Hey, my kite is the highest!"

Tarble's enthusiastic voice carried from the distance. He and Gure raced across the grass together, holding their kite reels high.

Behind them, the sisters Zucara and Pepara chased after Tarble, their faces showing a mix of annoyance and determination. "Hey, Tarble, you got a head start! You cheated!"

"Haha, I've passed you too!" Another Saiyan—a young warrior named Tarnip—shouted as he ran behind the sisters.

His appearance resembled Tien Shinhan, most notably sharing the same bald head. As he ran, his square kite overtook Pepara's butterfly-shaped one.

Pepara's competitive spirit instantly ignited. She gritted her teeth. "Don't celebrate too soon! Zucara, let's go!"

Her graceful body twisted as she accelerated across the green field.

Other Saiyans followed close behind.

Raditz had been focused on teaching them to fight, but sometimes he grew bored of the constant training. He'd developed some new activities for these fighters who had been obsessed with increasing their power levels for years. Having made and flown kites with his grandfather as a child, simple kite-making wasn't a challenge. He'd taught them the basics, never expecting how enthusiastically they'd take to it.

To his surprise, the Saiyans loved it and now held kite competitions whenever the weather permitted.

"So noisy... why did they come out to play so early today? I'll have to train them harder next time..." Raditz muttered to himself, rolling over drowsily, ready to continue his nap.

Suddenly, the shadows deepened. The dappled sunlight disappeared, blocked by something—or someone. A powerful, piercing energy signature approached.

"Raditz, you bastard!" An angry voice jolted Raditz fully awake.

Vegeta's voice.

The moment he opened his eyes, Vegeta's familiar face loomed over him, teeth clenched, eyes twitching with anger.

Looking past Vegeta, Raditz spotted Jeice and Burter collapsed on the ground, sweating profusely and frantically waving at him—clearly they'd tried to stop Vegeta and failed. Tumat hovered above their heads, repeatedly muttering "couldn't stop him" and "tried to warn you."

"Ah, Vegeta! Why the sudden visit? I was planning to come to Earth to see you."

"Cut the crap! I've been training on Earth with no word from you. I only found out after asking Bulma about this 'Galactic Justice League' you've established!" Vegeta glanced at the crowd on the grass, eyes widening, before turning back to Raditz. "And you've been gathering Saiyans from across the universe and training them in secret!"

"Well, yes, but isn't it for the sake of our race?" Raditz felt a twinge of guilt.

"Then why is my brother Tarble YOUR apprentice? I should be the one teaching him! It's infuriating!" Vegeta grabbed Raditz by the collar.

So that was it. Raditz inwardly smiled bitterly—it was truly impossible to get one over on Vegeta.

This proud, stubborn prince had actually made a special trip just for this...

"It happened unexpectedly. To defeat Frieza's remnants, he asked me to teach him. I agreed to fulfill his wish."

Vegeta loosened his grip on Raditz's collar but kept his finger pointed accusingly. "I don't accept that excuse. If you want to be Tarble's teacher, you'll have to fight me first. I initially tolerated you to help me grow stronger, but while I was training hard on Earth, you vanished without a trace." A confident, slightly malicious smile spread across Vegeta's face. "Are you avoiding me? Or have you already realized I've surpassed you?"

Now Raditz understood. Vegeta didn't actually care who was teaching Tarble—all he cared about was strength. He must have had some breakthrough and was eager to challenge Raditz.

The two fighters locked eyes, and the wind suddenly picked up, becoming harsh as a blade.

The sharp airflow cut through the kite strings, and all the Saiyans turned to watch Raditz and Vegeta under the tree.

"Brother?!"

Tarble froze in surprise.

He knew Vegeta was on Earth and had planned to show his brother his improved strength once he reached a certain level. Apart from their father, Tarble respected his brother most, and earning Vegeta's approval meant everything to him.

But now, unexpectedly, Vegeta had come to him.

Pepara moved to Tarble's side and whispered, "That's your brother? Amazing. It's the first time I've seen anyone dare to look at our instructor like that. Jeice and Burter were absolutely terrified."

"Yeah, those eyes are so intense, and that anger..." Tarnip added, coming closer.

"Well... Master said my brother is very powerful too."

"Prince Vegeta—don't you all know? He's a genius fighter!" One of the older Saiyans, who knew something of their history, explained to the others.

"Are they going to fight?! This will be incredible!"

"Prince Vegeta is so handsome!"

Zucara, however, backed Raditz. She blinked her bright eyes and said, "I heard from our instructor that he once defeated Prince Vegeta."

"Maybe things are different now?"

Someone added this comment, and suddenly everyone fell silent.

Waves of explosive energy emanated from the two fighters as they faced each other silently beneath the tree, their auras soaring! Each possessed hundreds of thousands in fighting power, creating such immense pressure that the other Saiyans could barely move, frozen in awe.

The difference was beyond mere magnitudes!

BOOM! BOOM!

Two flames ignited simultaneously. The tree instantly turned to ash from the scorching heat. Pebbles rose from the grass, floating in the air as blades of grass took flight. The ground trembled uncontrollably as a whirlwind formed around them. The drastic change in energy could be felt thousands of miles away.

Yet Vegeta and Raditz remained the calmest beings present. Standing less than a meter apart, their eyes locked with electric intensity.

"After you," Raditz said with a slight grin.

"I'll beat you this time, Raditz!" Vegeta clenched his fists.

The two fighters looked at each other and smiled—then suddenly vanished!

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