Chapter 159: Activating the Soul Blade
Looking down at Raditz—whose limbs and most of his body had already turned into a mangled heap—Franklin took out a senzu bean and fed it to him.
When nothing happened, Franklin frowned.
Only then did he remember the energy barrier surrounding them.
With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the shield.
Endless spiritual energy instantly surged into Raditz's ruined body.
Within moments, the shattered flesh began rapidly regenerating.
In just thirty seconds, Raditz's body was completely restored.
But he remained unconscious, showing no sign of waking.
Franklin picked up Raditz's scouter and put it on.
A number immediately appeared before his eyes:
[2800]
Franklin shook his head in disappointment.
"That's way too weak. Not even close."
Seeing that Raditz still wasn't waking up, Franklin decided not to waste any more time.
He plunged the blade straight into Raditz's chest.
Raditz snapped awake instantly, eyes bulging from the soul-rending pain.
As he tried to struggle, Franklin suppressed him with spiritual pressure and forced him back to the ground.
Without hesitation, Franklin activated the Soul Blade's abilities:
[Soul Devour]
[Spirit Seize]
Raditz immediately went still, lying quietly again.
But Franklin froze in place.
A flood of strange, unabsorbable energy rushed into his spiritual sea.
Countless unfamiliar memories surfaced in his mind.
Then a line of black text flashed before his eyes:
[Raditz's soul shell is now vacant. The awakened one may enter it, or may choose a phantom substitute.]
Enduring the discomfort, Franklin selected the phantom option.
A shadowy figure instantly formed and slipped into Raditz's body through the Soul Blade.
Franklin withdrew the blade.
Raditz suddenly sat up, breathing hard.
"What did you do to me? And why is my scouter in your hand?"
Franklin smiled faintly and tossed the scouter back.
After Raditz put it on, Franklin explained in detail:
"Nothing big. Just checked your natural talent.
For someone who got injured that badly, to recover and only gain this little power—plus the tiny increase in your S-cells—you're pathetic.
If you want to reach a Super Saiyan state, you're looking at three to five years at best, more likely ten.
Training you is a waste of time. I'd get more use out of a dog.
You're useless even as muscle.
But since you're Goku's brother, I'll let it slide this time…"
Before Franklin could finish, Goku's enormous aura pressed down from above.
"You don't need to consider my feelings.
If he's committed that many evil acts, do whatever you need to.
If not, I'll take care of him myself."
Raditz's face twisted, veins bulging.
"I'm your own brother. Your blood! And you—were you insulting me just now?"
Franklin gave a helpless shrug.
"Just speaking facts. I heard the Saiyan prince has a battle power over twenty thousand.
You, before this, were barely at fifteen hundred.
Face it—you're a background character. If you don't like it, we can fight.
Won't take much effort for me to kill you."
Seeing Franklin's harmless smile, Raditz's eyelid twitched.
Without hesitation, he shot into the air.
"Oh, one more thing—deliver a message to Vegeta for me.
If he wants to be the Deviluke royal son-in-law so badly, he can come to Earth and kill me himself.
If he doesn't dare, just call him a coward."
Franklin and Raditz both showed a faint, knowing smile.
Raditz then transformed into a streak of light and flew toward his landing pod.
Meanwhile, Vegeta—watching everything through the scouter feed—looked completely distorted with rage.
"We're moving.
Raditz, that idiot—doesn't even know how to play the part of a dog. Worthless."
"Where to now? Are we still going to Earth?" Nappa asked.
Vegeta nearly choked.
"Go there? To die? Even if I transform into a Great Ape, I only reach 250,000. Now that we know Super Saiyans are real, obviously I need to figure out how to break through!"
When the scouter beeped with an incoming transmission, Vegeta gestured for Nappa to be quiet and connected.
Raditz's voice came through:
"Prince, I've scouted Earth thoroughly. It's too dangerous now. My useless brother somehow got a lucky chance—his power is five thousand now.
And he lost his memory. Trying to turn him against Earth is impossible.
My suggestion is that you and Lord Nappa can come here.
If we join forces, taking Earth will be easy."
"I understand. But plans have changed. Franklin's battle power jumped from around two hundred to over six thousand in three or four days. We need to rethink this."
"But Prince, if we don't strike now, he'll grow even stronger!"
"That's not your concern. I'll send you a new meeting point.
Frieza issued a new assignment. We're heading there immediately."
Raditz—under Franklin's control—studied the coordinates and frowned.
"The outer galaxy sectors?
There aren't even life-bearing planets there. What mission could be out that way?"
"You ask too many questions. That's the location.
We'll discuss the mission when you arrive."
"It'll take three days from Earth. I'll depart now."
Once the call ended, Vegeta's face twisted again.
"He still wants to trick us into going to Earth.
I was going to spare him, but now it's pointless.
Franklin mentioned S-cells being the key to becoming a Super Saiyan.
Nappa, send out a bounty request through the underworld—find a top-tier biological scholar.
Raditz might have a clue about transforming.
If we can figure out the trigger for Super Saiyan, then…"
Vegeta's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"…breaking free from Frieza will be simple.
Killing him might not be impossible either."
"Yes, Prince Vegeta."