"Do you really want to do this? I can give you a moment to rest if you want," said Bulma, who was floating in the sky. She looked at Raditz, who was cracking his neck. She just shook her head slowly, somewhat exasperated.
"Do you know how rare it is to find someone willing to fight you without wanting to kill you? It's complicated! Besides, I can't believe that a woman is the strongest. Saiyans should be the strongest wherever they go, and Kakarot should be superior to you." Although Raditz didn't use a particular tone, the pride and disdain in his words were clear.
Saiyans, a species whose addiction to conquest was almost on par with their desire to fight other beings, often portray themselves as superior, just as Raditz did. Many children "discarded" by this group managed to invade planets on their own when they were young.
Those who didn't succeed? No one cried for the weak, not even their parents. This is why cases like Bardock and Gine, who cared deeply for their children, were rare.
In short, the Saiyan mindset was incomprehensible to Earthlings, and if not for their striking resemblance, the two species wouldn't have much in common.
For most Earthlings, violence is merely a means to an end, but for the Saiyans, violence is the end itself. Furthermore, unlike Earthlings, who kept their wilder instincts in check, the Saiyans held nothing back:
Kill, plunder, burn, destroy. Earthlings develop their ethics from an early age, adopt the morals of their environment, and follow the relevant laws of their society. A Saiyan? The fact that they didn't eat each other was a miracle for their civilization!
As a species that lived by its most basic instincts, they quickly sought to demonstrate their superiority and dominance when they arrived in a new place. Even Prince Vegeta did the same within the social circles of Emperor Freezer's organization.
One had to be grateful that, although they took on ape-like forms during transformation, they were not wild apes. Raditz knew that fighting the woman floating before him to the death was unnecessary.
He simply wanted to know where he stood in Earth's hierarchy. His once-weak younger brother's ability to unleash power comparable to his own without appearing overly strained made the Saiyan realize that this planet held more surprises than he had ever imagined.
The mere suggestion that there might be better training and energy understanding methods here had already excited him. However, he knew that, except for his brother, who was a bit more naive than the rest, no one present trusted him.
Therefore, it was to be expected that no one would be foolish enough to teach him anything useful. If he couldn't learn through instruction, he would explore on his own by fighting these people, starting with the person supposedly stronger than his brother, something he doubted.
Not because she was a woman. In the universe, biological sex is the least of your concerns when it comes to your enemy, especially when the cosmos is so vast that there are countless variations of what sex means.
The alien you thought looked male was surely something you wouldn't fully understand, with mating and reproductive methods you'd fail to grasp. That's why Raditz wouldn't shake hands with any non-humanoid alien, what if he was grabbing a reproductive organ?
Raditz simply wanted to know why this woman had achieved that title. Was his brother Kakarot really incapable of defeating Bulma? If she were that strong, would a fight with her be pretty good? The Saiyan's mouth watered just thinking about it!
With a fierce desire to fight burning in his eyes, Raditz unleashed his full aura, holding nothing back. His ki could be felt all over Earth. After all, he was a soldier in Freezer's army under the command of Prince Vegeta.
'It seems I really fit in the Saiyan aesthetic,' Bulma thought as she sensed Raditz's emotions, which told her that the Saiyan's words were true, the man was interested in her, but clearly that wasn't love; it was more of a desire to spread his genes.
This didn't bother her; she knew how beautiful she was. Even Goku had shown some interest in her when they were young. Among her friends, she had also noticed that kind of interest, especially from Yamcha. Of course, over time, it faded because there was no emotional anchor.
"There it is, the Saiyans' strange thirst for battle. It really is like a drug to you, isn't it? How does the chemistry of your brains work? Too bad I can't dissect you..." Bulma muttered those terrifying words without a shred of shame, her face serious.
She was strong, yes, but by the standards of the universe, she was barely beginning to stand out. Her actions now had consequences. Her attempts to help Earth learn more about the universe and share basic Ki knowledge were coming back to haunt her in the form of an improved Raditz, who posed a threat to her.
If she were careless, she could get hurt. If she were foolish, she would undoubtedly lose. Bulma reached this conclusion when she sensed the vastness of the Saiyan's power. She didn't hesitate, unleashing all her power. After all, it was her turn to show dominance. Earth was her territory!
Bulma's aura surged from her body, clinging to her skin like soft gauze without blazing wildly as it did for other fighters. Her presence grew stronger and stronger, partially overshadowing Raditz's.
"This level of power..." Raditz muttered, frightened by Bulma's words and his realization that she surpassed him in power. Instead of feeling intimidated, however, a huge smile spread across his face.
"HAHAHA! Good! Worthy of the woman who caught my interest! Too bad you're taken!" Raditz exclaimed before flying toward Bulma, ready to start the fight with an energy-charged punch.
"You're no disappointment either," Bulma replied casually, raising her arm to shield herself. The collision of their bodies caused an explosion, and the shockwave spread, pushing clouds in the sky and churning the water below.
"That's not all the Saiyans have!" Seeing that the blue-haired woman had only taken a few steps back to dissipate the force of the impact, Raditz narrowed his eyes. He aimed his open palm at her and rapidly fired several bursts of ki.
The explosions and smoke made Raditz feel a little more confident, but he soon realized Bulma was no longer there.
He scanned the area, pushing his energy perception to its limits, but he couldn't find her. Then, a powerful force shoved him from behind, sending him crashing into the ocean.
Bulma looked down. It had been incredibly easy to ambush the Saiyan by simply suppressing her energy. The downside of Raditz's poor Ki perception had become evident at that moment.
She could have easily ended the fight; she simply had to pierce Raditz's chest with a ki blade several centimeters below his heart. This wouldn't kill him instantly, but would end the confrontation.
However, Bulma knew this wasn't the outcome they were aiming for; it was a test of each other's mettle, as well as an understanding between her and Kakarot's older brother, Goku, as she had always known him.
After all, no matter how much she had changed the future and the world she lived in, some things had inevitably slipped out of her control.
Although she knew she shouldn't rely on her prior 'knowledge,' certain prejudices acquired in her past life and in the original series were applicable in the real world. For example, she distrusted beings from outer space.
If she hadn't spent time interacting with aliens like Jaco, she wouldn't trust them. Trust Raditz, a Saiyan and a member of the most terrifying organization in the universe? Obviously, she wouldn't.
Bulma wasn't obligated to defend Earth, but she wouldn't let her pride or her supposed superior knowledge put her in danger. Objectively speaking, Raditz was a potential source of danger, no matter how much he had changed.
'Prove to me once again that this world is real. Show me the wonders of chaos and the randomness of life,' thought the blue-haired woman as she floated calmly, waiting for the Saiyan's next move.
She had already blocked him with her ki sense since he had recovered from her attack and was preparing something while submerged in the depths of the sea.
The warrior used his vast experience to devise a plan. It might not have been the best idea, but fighting a figure as threatening as Bulma pushed the Saiyan's cunning to the limit. He had no choice but to follow through with his idea.
'Luckily, I've had underwater fights. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to move this well,' Raditz thought as he swam at high speed through the ocean. This baffled Bulma, who didn't understand what he wanted with such strange actions.
'Curiosity is a natural trait of all intelligent beings. Strange things that pose no danger will inevitably attract our attention and cause us to lose sight of other things.
As an invader, you must exploit every aspect of intelligent beings' mentality when necessary. Never rule out any means, strategy, or knowledge.
The key to the Saiyan race's superiority in the cosmos is our understanding and acceptance of our instincts so that we know how to use them against others.' Nappa's words echoed in Raditz's mind as a faint smile spread across his lips.
He was perhaps betraying the plan by deciding to stay with his brother, but he had never felt any animosity toward Nappa or Vegeta. They were the ones who had cared for and trained him. Especially, Nappa had truly taught him to become a competent warrior, someone capable of standing on his own two feet.
Without the photographs of his parents on his personal communication device, Raditz would have long since forgotten their faces. In that sense, Nappa had become something of a father figure to him.
He had etched much of the old Saiyan's advice into his mind, advice that had saved his life on more than one occasion. Now, he was seeing if he could replicate one of those strategies.
In fact, his plan worked. Bulma took an interest in Raditz's actions, allowing him to swim freely along the ocean floor with no apparent destination. However, something was brewing inside her, camouflaged by the energy her aura emitted.
Suddenly, during one of the Saiyan's convoluted turns, he came very close to the area where Bulma was floating. Then, in a swift motion, he channeled his ki into his open mouth underwater.
She choked a little, but the stream of energy shot out of her throat and cut through the sea and air before striking Bulma squarely. Bulma hadn't expected such a sudden and peculiar attack under such unusual circumstances.
Her body fell gently from the air, but she quickly regained her composure. There were small burn marks on her clothes, but a smile was on her face. What a surprise Raditz had given her! She decided to return the favor.
When she saw the Saiyan floating toward her, the blue-haired woman pointed her right palm at him. Small threads of purple energy emerged from her palm. Raditz sensed the imminent threat while a whisper remained floating in the air.
"Molecular Cut," said Bulma, firing those thin threads of Ki, which expanded, forming a spider web that enveloped her opponent, all with a delicate smile on her beautiful face.