A terrifying scene unfolded on a planet in the North Galaxy: an invasion by forces from across the universe. The inhabitants of this world were barely at the feudal stage. How could they possibly use technology to resist?
Even the strongest among them were no match for the invaders who fell from the sky like shooting stars. Screams of pain, despair, and helpless rage echoed throughout the planet, but only their wounded comrades and the invaders could hear them.
This world had no ancient heritage or fearsome reputation. There were no techniques to overcome this adversity, nor was there a local god to help them.
Under a constant barrage of energy attacks, punches capable of shattering mountains, and stomps capable of tearing massive cracks in the ground, this planet's civilization was unable to withstand the onslaught and gradually fell silent.
This was the terrifying nature of the universe and how cruel it could be to worlds. The cruelty unleashed in every corner of a galaxy was intense. Just as this planet had fallen, others had already succumbed to these invaders, who were quite skilled at decimating civilizations.
Even as they carried out their slaughter, the invaders, who surprisingly numbered only two, had time to chat and attend to other business while crushing the hopes of this planet's inhabitants.
"It looks like Raditz lost to his brother, Vegeta," said one of the invaders. He was a tall, bald man clad in black battle armor. He wore a scouter and had a brown tail wrapped around his body.
He floated comfortably in the air and took a few arrows to his body that had managed to reach him despite his height. When this happened, the man simply pointed in the direction of the attacker and fired a powerful Ki blast, obliterating his enemy and the surrounding terrain.
"Hehe, Nappa, do you really think a Saiyan like him would lose to Kakarot?" Raditz is a high-class Saiyan and the son of Bardock. He's faced many life-or-death battles with us.
He was a bit lazy at first and didn't train, but he quickly got back on track. Would someone like him really lose to a brother who's probably never even left his own world?" Vegeta, who was constantly firing bursts of energy at the ground, took the time to give his subordinate a lengthy reply.
"What if that world is the famous Earth?" asked Nappa. Vegeta hesitated for a moment. For someone who grew up under immense pressure and clung to so-called Saiyan pride, his answer was quite predictable.
"Even if that planet is famous, I don't think Raditz will lose. In fact, I have a somewhat bold thought," said Vegeta, stopping his attack and resting his hand on his chin as he pondered something that had come to mind while reflecting on his other subordinate.
"What's up, Vegeta?" Nappa flew toward his prince and positioned himself respectfully beside him. He kept his flying altitude low so that Vegeta, who was shorter, would appear taller.
Nappa was quite skilled at flattery. It wasn't for nothing that he, an adult Saiyan, had earned the privilege of fighting alongside the Prince of the Saiyans. Of course, he was also quite loyal, so Vegeta didn't mind those subtle gestures too much. In fact, he appreciated them.
"Raditz... though he appears enthusiastic and respectful toward me, I can see in his eyes that indomitable spirit, that desire to go his own way. He hasn't disobeyed any of my orders, but don't you think he was a little eager when he suggested finding his brother to help us with the next invasion?" Vegeta asked, causing Nappa to start thinking about that particular point as well.
"Raditz has been acting a bit strangely lately, but, you know, we all have our secrets. As long as it doesn't affect discipline or the success of the mission, we usually just ignore it. Not even Great Freeza would question those things. There's a reason the Ginyu Force still exists. Do you think Raditz has been doing something in private?" Vegeta shook his head and pointed to his scouter.
"What could he have done? Betray us? I don't think he's an informant for the Galaxy Patrol. Those guys only arrest weaklings. I don't think he's going down that path either. Could it be something more related to emotions?" Vegeta wondered because, to him, Raditz had the upper hand in the fight between the brothers that he had been watching through the scouter's rear window.
"It's said that Bardock was one of the few Saiyans who cared for his children while they were in the incubator. He didn't change partners. In fact, he chose a simple butcher's daughter, even though his power level would have allowed him to reproduce with a Saiyan of his own caliber to improve his offspring." Though Nappa said this with some disdain, there was a hint of envy in his gaze. After all, back then, that's what he would have liked to do if he'd had the chance.
Vegeta said nothing. He knew discussing complex emotions with Saiyans was difficult. Most Saiyans focused their minds on very few things, especially combat, which was as addictive to them as a drug.
However, few people knew that King Vegeta was much more emotionally flexible than most Saiyans. Perhaps that was why he had remained in power for so long. For that reason, Vegeta, his heir, was the same way.
Although he loved combat, he didn't see it as the only thing in his life. Moreover, his own father wasn't as cold toward his children as he seemed. It was only after the supposed destruction of Planet Vegeta that he realized exiling his younger brother was the best option.
Clearly, his father had no faith in that supposed revolt. However, due to his royal duty and generations of people's resentment, he was forced to make a decision.
"Damn it... What's escaping?" Vegeta focused intently, trying to figure out what had happened to Raditz. Realizing he couldn't get any answers that way, he looked at Nappa.
"We're going to Earth after we finish this mission," the prince ordered. Although Nappa tried to speak, he could only move his lips; he was unable to make a sound. In the end, he just nodded, indicating that he understood.
...
"Look, my boss is smart, but like all smart people, he tends to overthink things. He might dismiss my true motives as simple and trivial. He'll spend time trying to figure out why I was careless enough to let Kakarot destroy my scouter.
So, knowing that, what do you think someone like that would do?" Raditz asked, sitting on the sand of the small island in front of everyone.
"He'll come to Earth," Bulma replied instinctively. She herself had that bad habit of overthinking things, and her many plans had stemmed from that. She was always coming up with new ideas and, since she could carry them out, she had achieved many things. She didn't even want to count them.
"Yes, exactly. You're smart and beautiful. Would you like to have sex and have a child?" Raditz asked bluntly. Master Roshi, who was enjoying a can of beer, spat on Krillin's head.
"Ah! What's wrong with you, old man?" Krillin growled, annoyed by the sudden chill that ran through his body. Still, he couldn't help but look at Bulma, hoping to see something interesting.
"Sorry, I'm taken," the blue-haired girl said, hugging Lazuli, who was sitting next to her. This caused Raditz to tilt his head in confusion. Then, the Saiyan looked at his younger brother curiously.
"Can women in this world reproduce with each other?" Raditz's question left Goku speechless. He blinked several times, then shook his head and burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
"No, it's just a matter of personal choice in a partner. Not all couples get together to reproduce. Besides, your words are too blunt. No one will want to date you if you go around saying things like that," Goku advised. The scene resembled a father giving life advice to his son, which made the situation even more absurd.
"Why do I feel like the seriousness of this situation has completely disappeared?" Ten Shinhan whispered to Yamcha. The latter was used to this sort of thing, though, so he simply shrugged before answering.
"Haven't you noticed that we rarely take things seriously? There are some serious people here, but a lot of people are naturally funny," Yamcha replied. Ten Shinhan narrowed his three eyes as he pondered the matter.
"Are you guys like my dad? He chose his partner, rejecting hundreds of women, including some powerful ones. According to our mother, when I was born, some of those women literally offered to get pregnant, but our father rejected them. He was a strange man. Maybe that's why..." Raditz remembered something, and his face wrinkled with annoyance.
He recalled that when his father was tormented by illusions caused by his uncontrolled prophecies, he tried to reveal important things he had seen in his visions to various groups of Saiyans. However, none of them paid him any attention and dismissed him as just another one of Bardock's oddities.
The inherent nature of the Saiyans played a part, as did certain aspects of the social and ethnic climate of the time. Even Raditz thought his father was saying strange things when he casually mentioned that Freezer wasn't as good as he seemed and that a higher being was displeased with the Saiyan race.
It was only later that Raditz realized those vague statements were true, at least the ones involving the imminent fate of his race. The three surviving Saiyans who were still working with Freezer knew he wasn't to be trusted.
How could a species whose primary occupation was invading worlds not have deep-space detectors and early-warning systems for asteroids or comets that might impact their planet?
Either certain people had circumvented the detection system and disabled it, allowing a giant rock to obliterate their world, or Freezer had taken measures because a being like him would surely have the ability to destroy a planet with ease.
"Anyway, why do I feel like their energy levels are severely restricted?" Raditz asked, noticing that the presence of those around him felt very faint, to a degree he couldn't fully understand.
Although the techniques posted on the Space Forum had helped improve understanding of Ki in the universe to the point where they no longer relied heavily on scouters and could restrict energy within their bodies, this was merely a superficial application lacking significant underlying concepts.
Bulma made sure that no one shared the fundamental knowledge of Ki on the forum except for a few things that some skilled species could figure out on their own. Besides, in this harsh universe, hiding your power level wasn't an option unless you wanted to be looked down upon.
Many barely limited their power; they simply didn't display it constantly. Raditz did this for a long time and always felt uncomfortable about it because he was not accustomed to discretion. He felt as though he were bound on all sides.
"I can tell you've been trained, but why don't I sense any threat from you? Why do my instincts tell me there's not a hint of danger? Usually, if someone in the universe hides part of their power, I sense the level of danger they pose to me." Noticing the strange looks from those present, Raditz tried to explain, but he felt that he lacked the vocabulary to fully express himself.
"Oh, it's simple. The method you're using just isn't the right one. I wouldn't say it's wrong, but..." Krillin replied politely before feeling several eyes fall upon him, those of Ten Shinhan, Chaos, and Yamcha, who still seemed wary of the Saiyan's presence.
'Oh, damn it!' Krillin knew he had blown it at that moment.
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AN: The rampant power creep in Dragon Ball is another issue entirely. I'll have to figure out how to handle it because it's extremely inconsistent. Many of the feats of power in Dragon Ball are worthy of a crystal cannon, but they don't match the characters' durability. The power levels, which I won't use as actual numbers, are a mess. It makes me want to follow the example of that fan manga, which recreated the entire DBZ series and treated Super Saiyan as more than just a simple transformation.