I Am Raditz

"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh--"

Five meteor-like streaks of light broke through the atmosphere, igniting violent sparks before crashing to the ground, creating five deep craters!

Inside each crater sat a single-person space pod, deeply embedded in the soil. As the hatches opened, wisps of blue smoke rose into the air.

Frieza's spaceship was nearby. A hovering seat floated out from the door at the top of the vessel as a sharp, confident voice rang out: "They're finally here."

A short man leapt from one of the deep craters, soared through the air a few times, landed firmly on the ground, and struck a bizarre pose. One by one, the others followed suit, each striking increasingly ridiculous poses.

"Guldo!"

"Recoome!"

"Jeice!" "Burter!"

"Ginyu!"

"Together we are—The Ginyu Force!"

Though they had few spectators, the poses had to be performed. The Ginyu Force made their entrance with a set of embarrassing yet strangely captivating choreographed movements.

Frieza: "..."

"Lord Frieza, we received your message and didn't waste a moment. We bypassed the M187 station and came directly, saving considerable time. We've arrived within your deadline!" Ginyu saluted.

"Well... I'm relieved to have you here," Frieza nodded. "You should already know that the Saiyans have betrayed me and joined forces with Earthlings and Namekians to thwart my plans. I need you to eliminate these traitors and recover the Dragon Balls."

Ginyu's expression turned serious, his face solemn: "I've heard that Vegeta's power level has risen as high as 24,000, and he even defeated Zarbon. The other Saiyans are also making rapid progress. It's quite unbelievable."

The Ginyu Force consisted of fighters Frieza had recruited from across the universe. While perhaps not the strongest fighters in existence, they were certainly among the elite. They had always considered the Saiyan race formidable, but Vegeta breaking through to surpass their level shocked Ginyu and his men.

"This is precisely why I no longer wish to keep any Saiyans alive. I don't need potential threats. Understood?" Frieza's cold eyes met Captain Ginyu's, causing the normally fearsome captain to shudder.

"I understand completely, my lord."

"Go."

Frieza spoke lightly, then turned and re-entered his spaceship.

Ginyu and his men raised their arms and performed another set of "extremely difficult" group poses before setting off with a loud battle cry.

Meanwhile, Raditz, Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan arrived at the last Namekian village.

One of Slug's commanders, Wings, a demon who feared sunlight, had arrived slightly earlier. His men had already begun searching and had rounded up all the Namekians. Wrapped in a large black cloak, Wings commanded from the shadows.

"This damn planet Namek has no night! It's making everything so difficult. I'll have to kill a few of these green freaks to make myself feel better!" He licked his lips with a wicked smile.

Looking at the gathered Namekians, Wings waved his hand, ordering his soldiers to line up on both sides before stepping forward himself.

"Where have you hidden the Dragon Ball? Tell me now, and I might consider sparing your lives. Otherwise, I'll kill one of you every few seconds." Wings smiled and extended a finger. "Starting now. One, two, three..."

He counted with increasing speed, already having decided that regardless of whether anyone spoke or not, he would kill them anyway.

The Namekians remained stubborn, none betraying their people under the threat. They gritted their teeth, and despite their fear, not one revealed anything. Two Namekian children clutched the elder's robes in terror, hiding behind him and trembling.

"Ten!"

Wings finished counting with a smirk. "Too bad. You brought this on yourselves. Let me see..." His eyes darted around until he spotted a terrified child. "You!"

The child was still underage, trembling behind the elder, trying to hide his face as his green complexion paled with fright.

But he couldn't resist Wings's strength and was immediately snatched away. The surrounding Namekians were no match at all. They tried to rescue the child but were easily knocked unconscious.

"No! Kalk!" cried another child.

"Hush... Dende, be quiet." The elder gestured for silence, released Dende's hand, and stepped forward. "Stop this! If you want the Dragon Ball, I'll give it to you. Only I know where it's hidden. You won't find it by asking the others, so deal with me."

Wings let out an "Oh," turned to look at the elder, examining him up and down before nodding. The elder sighed with relief and was about to speak when he caught Wings's playful gaze.

The demon lifted Kalk up, showing a cruel smile. "Who said I wanted the Dragon Ball? I just want to kill someone! The Dragon Ball must be somewhere in this area, and I'll have plenty of time to find it after killing all of you! Hehehe! I—"

Before he could finish speaking, a foot smashed hard into his face, the impact so powerful that he was sent flying. Kalk slipped from his grasp and was caught mid-air by Goku.

Seeing the situation turn against them, the surrounding soldiers immediately attacked, with dozens firing their weapons simultaneously.

Tumat, perched on Raditz's shoulder, yelled, "Shoot! Shoot!"

"Shut up!" Raditz swatted Tumat, flashed to the Namekians' side, extended his hands, and released a burst of energy that formed a perfect barrier, deflecting all the energy blasts.

Gohan leapt into the crowd of Slug's soldiers, unleashing an energy bomb that swept them away in an instant.

"We're... we're saved!" The Namekians exclaimed joyfully, life returning to their despairing faces.

Within moments, all the soldiers had been eliminated, leaving only Wings.

After taking that kick, half of Wings's face had caved in. One eyeball bulged from its socket, and his head was bleeding profusely. The power behind that kick had been terrifying! He stared at Piccolo in disbelief—how could there be such a powerful Namekian?!

Piccolo walked toward him, fists clenched, radiating intensity.

"Do you know who I am? I'm Lord Slug's most valued subordinate. Surrender now, and I might put in a good word for you with Lord Slug." Wings pressed his back against a wall, keeping one hand behind him as he prepared an energy blast.

Piccolo had seen through his trick long ago. With a cold snort, he lunged forward and broke Wings's arm before grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up.

"Ugh... ugh..." Wings struggled, clawing at Piccolo's grip in agony, but to no avail.

Facing his desperate situation, Wings showed another cruel smile. His eyes suddenly lit up as he opened his mouth to its fullest extent and fired a beam of light!

Piccolo hadn't expected this move and was caught by the beam, which grazed his head.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan cried out in panic.

Raditz grabbed Gohan, who was about to rush forward, and said with a smile, "Relax, this level of attack is just a tickle to him."

Sure enough, Piccolo's voice remained cold and hard as steel: "Let me show you how this trick is really done."

A green beam of light suddenly burst forth as Piccolo pulled back his arm. The blast completely engulfed the shocked Wings. When the light faded, only a few bones clattered to the ground.

Piccolo stomped on them, crushing them before spitting contemptuously.

"Thank you for saving our entire village!" the elder said excitedly, stroking the crying Kalk while expressing his gratitude repeatedly.

"We've only saved you temporarily... Find a safe place to hide. We can't worry about protecting so many people later," Raditz said, his expression grim.

"They haven't all been eliminated yet."

"These were just the appetizers. The main course will be arriving soon—The Ginyu Force!"

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