I Am Raditz

The spaceship sailed along its predetermined course, advancing at incredible speed under the guidance of the Dragon Ball radar.

Mechanical God Tumat had proven himself remarkably useful, not only repairing the various systems of the spaceship but also optimizing several small errors in the manual. He'd even modified the energy conversion board, increasing power output by 20%.

This series of operations left everyone amazed. The group of battle-hardened warriors who knew little beyond fighting watched the small mechanical bird with undisguised admiration.

Tumat could also help with Gohan's homework, explaining complex math problems with ease.

Gohan's presence on this journey was thanks to Raditz's mediation. One condition had been completing a stack of practice questions, and with Tumat's help, his progress was rapid. As Gohan put it: "Mom no longer has to worry about my studies."

The mechanical bird claimed to have many more functions beyond what they'd seen.

Though he'd grown familiar with everyone in the group, Tumat still preferred to perch on Raditz's shoulder or fly around him, showing a clear attachment. Once these robotic systems determined their loyalty, they proved far more reliable than many humans.

After several more days of travel, the location shown by the Dragon Ball radar drew closer—they were approaching their destination.

"We're nearing the barren planet Filo," Tumat announced, fluttering against the transparent shield with metal wings spread wide. "Preparing for landing."

"Filo?"

"It's a well-known planet. It was prosperous for a time but then experienced a mass extinction event that destroyed almost all life. Now it's just a barren world." Tumat explained.

Raditz tapped the bird's little head. "How do you know everything?"

"This information is implanted in my core," Tumat said proudly. "Though my learning ability is exceptional, sometimes I need this pre-loaded knowledge as reference. After all, what I can store is far beyond human capacity."

"Since you're so smart, can you analyze the structure of planet Filo for us?"

"A piece of cake."

Two beams of light projected from Tumat's eyes, generating a huge display on the spaceship's wall. The screen showed a comprehensive analysis of Filo—vegetation coverage, atmospheric composition, life signatures, and other vital data at a glance.

The life readings on Filo were extremely weak, but the environment was surprisingly suitable for human survival.

Raditz nodded. "Good. Let's land directly."

"Right away." Tumat flew to the console, guided the spaceship through Filo's atmosphere, and brought them down for a smooth landing.

Everyone disembarked one by one before storing the spacecraft back in its capsule.

Their landing site was in Filo's wilderness, surrounded by a landscape of ruins. Yellow grass and dead leaves covered the ground, with few tall trees in sight. In the distance lay the corpses of several large herbivores, already emitting a rancid odor—when the wind blew, the pungent smell wafted over them.

Blue mountains were visible on the horizon, some topped with snow, but there were no signs of civilization anywhere.

"The Dragon Ball radar's response isn't sensitive enough." Raditz pressed the button repeatedly. The magnification was already at maximum, but the displayed position remained frustratingly vague. "I can only tell the general direction now, not the exact location."

"Then we'll have to search for it."

Without a specific location for the Dragon Ball, everyone flew to the surrounding area and split up to search separately. They'd confirmed with King Kai that Turles frequently changed his base and his whereabouts were uncertain, so he wasn't likely to be on Filo. Without his subordinates, he now needed to recharge his energy and gather his strength. He was probably traveling across the universe recruiting villains and planting Tree of Might seeds to increase his power.

Turles thought he was the only one who knew about hiding the Dragon Ball here, never expecting that people from Earth would have a special radar to detect it.

Everyone except Vegeta joined the search for the Dragon Ball. Even Nappa had no choice but to help—his fear of Raditz meant he had to obediently follow along.

As the group dispersed, Vegeta merely glanced around, sat down on a rock, and closed his eyes to meditate.

He had learned many techniques during his battles with the clones and needed time to process them properly. Rather than taking time away from training, he often used these quiet moments to reflect and internalize what he'd learned.

Mentally replaying various combat combinations and analyzing different fighting approaches, Vegeta nodded slightly to himself.

The wind blew across the plains, making the grass undulate like waves.

Suddenly, in the middle of his meditation, Vegeta's eyes snapped open. He leapt to his feet, gaze fixed on the sky.

Someone with significant power was flying toward him from the distance!

It was someone with considerable combat strength. Though much weaker than himself, any power signature was notable on this barren planet. Who else could be active here? As the energy signature drew closer, Vegeta tensed in recognition.

"Cui?"

"Vegeta?" The alien warrior flying overhead halted mid-air, exclaiming in surprise.

"Why are you here?" they both asked simultaneously.

Cui landed on the ground and pointed accusingly at Vegeta. "You went to Earth against Lord Frieza's orders, and now you're here? Could it be... you're after the Dragon Balls..."

"You know about the Dragon Balls too?" Vegeta murmured.

"Hehehe, the scouters can communicate, don't you remember? Lord Frieza already knows about that magical thing on Earth called the Dragon Ball, which can grant any wish. Lord Frieza has decided to obtain it, and a Saiyan named Turles shared some interesting information, revealing that Dragon Balls are here!"

Vegeta's expression darkened, the corner of his mouth twitching upward slightly.

"Turles, that bastard."

"Hahaha, cursing won't help you, Vegeta. Now that you've exposed yourself, you're as good as dead." Cui and Vegeta were longtime rivals with similar power levels, so their previous encounters had always ended in stalemates.

More importantly, they both served under Lord Frieza, which had always placed certain restraints on their confrontations.

But now things were different. Vegeta had gone to Earth without permission and come to Filo searching for Dragon Balls without informing anyone. It was blatant betrayal, and killing a traitor would be rewarded! Perhaps Lord Frieza would even promote him for the deed.

But Vegeta simply laughed.

His laughter was filled with disdain and a hint of pity, his body actually trembling with amusement. "Dead? Where did you find the courage to say such things to me? I wouldn't even bother with the Ginyu Force these days, let alone you."

"Hmph, did you learn to talk big on Earth? You and I both have the same power level, and I've already made progress!" Cui said, clenching his fists tightly and sneering.

Vegeta smiled wickedly. "Then use that outdated scouter of yours to check my power level! Brace yourself—don't get scared!"

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Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars

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