On King Kai's Planet—
"Something terrible's happened!"
King Kai burst out of his house, panic-stricken, cutting off the sparring session between Goku and the others.
Everyone immediately stopped mid-fight.
Goku tilted his head.
"King Kai, what's wrong? What happened to Earth?"
Krillin's face paled.
"Don't tell me… Vegeta and Nappa finally showed up and started wrecking everything?"
Tien nodded grimly.
"Raditz said Nappa used to destroy whole cities just to make an entrance."
Goku glanced toward King Kai, his expression serious.
"So? What is it?"
King Kai wiped sweat from his brow.
"You're half right. Vegeta did go to Earth—but he's not the one destroying it."
"I was taking a nap, and by the time I woke up… it was too late."
"A group of invaders showed up. They planted a Tree of Might—and it's already bloomed and borne fruit. The Earth's life force is almost completely drained."
Everyone's faces changed.
"What?!"
Krillin broke into a cold sweat.
"No way… We lived there every day and nothing ever happened. But the one day we leave… Earth's on the brink of death?"
"Who are these guys?" Yamcha asked, also sweating.
"Bulma warned us six years ago this could happen. With tech advancing, space travel was getting easier. One day someone would come. That's why we've been training so hard…"
He clenched his fists.
"I guess it's time to see how far we've come."
Goku's eyes narrowed as a thought struck him.
"King Kai… do you know who's leading them?"
King Kai shook his head.
"No. They arrived together, from a distant star system. Clearly pros—drained Earth's energy in record time. But one thing stood out—the leader is a Saiyan. And he looks exactly like you, Goku."
"Huh?!"
Krillin jumped.
"Exactly like Goku?! That's insane!"
Yamcha looked over.
"Goku… you sure you don't have a long-lost brother?"
Goku shook his head.
"Nope. Only one I knew of was Raditz. But forget that—we need to head back, now!"
Suddenly, Goku remembered Raditz's training over the past year.
"King Kai, wait—can Raditz handle that guy?"
Everyone turned to King Kai.
His expression was… conflicted.
"He might've stood a chance. But that guy ate a fruit from the Tree of Might. He's gotten much stronger. Raditz and Vegeta are fighting him, but… they're getting crushed."
Goku exhaled.
"Well, at least they're working together. They're both Saiyans—no way they'd kill each other that easily."
Chi-Chi interjected, "Regardless, we need to go now!"
King Kai sighed.
"I understand the urgency, but it might be too late."
"Once the Tree of Might blooms, the planet is doomed to turn to desert and die. That's the fate of every world it's ever taken root in."
"You should start thinking about settling somewhere else. Not here, though—gravity's ten times Earth's and I do like my peace."
Tien and Chiaotzu exchanged glances.
"But… is it really hopeless?" Tien asked.
Chi-Chi's eyes lit up.
"Wait! We still have the Dragon Balls!"
The group's mood instantly lifted.
"Oh, right!"
"Yeah! Earth still has the Dragon Balls! We might still have a chance!"
Goku nodded slightly.
'Still… I'm not sure the Dragon Balls can fix this. But if we can destroy the tree ourselves, maybe there's hope.'
He looked around.
"Alright, let's move! You guys might not be in a hurry, but I've got Bulma and my daughter back on Earth!"
Krillin added, "Same here! Snow and my daughter too. Please let them be safe."
Without wasting another second, the group said their goodbyes and began their return.
While flying at full speed, Goku suddenly tensed.
'Why do I feel so uneasy…?'
He glanced at Krillin.
"Krillin, I've got a bad feeling—go on ahead, I'll catch up!"
Krillin nodded.
"Go for it, Goku!"
"Kaio-Ken!"
In an instant, crimson energy erupted around him, and Goku streaked toward Earth like a comet.
On Earth—
As expected, Vegeta's furious barrage of punches and elite combat skills didn't leave a scratch on Turles.
His fists barely dusted the man's armor.
Turles emerged from the smoke with a cruel grin.
"Well, well, Prince Vegeta…"
"Why the arrogance? You were a prodigy, a royal bloodline, but now?"
"You're not even a dog."
With a vicious punch, he struck Vegeta in the gut—hard.
Vegeta let out a strangled gasp as blood exploded from his mouth. His Ki collapsed on the spot.
Turles looked down at him with scorn.
"Can't even take a single punch?"
He grabbed Vegeta by the hair and unleashed a brutal combo—knees, hooks, kicks—until Vegeta's screams echoed through the wasteland.
Bones shattered. Limbs twisted. But Turles wasn't killing him—he was playing with him.
Finally, he stepped on Vegeta's face.
"What's the matter, Prince? Taking a nap?"
"Too cold down there for you?"
Vegeta spat bloody saliva.
"Trash… lower-class trash… You're nothing but a parasite using shortcuts to power…"
Even battered, Vegeta's pride burned on. He refused to beg.
Raditz, nearby, was also injured, but less severely. He kept his mouth shut, playing dead.
With Vegeta drawing Turles' attention, Raditz's eyes darted toward a glowing fruit hanging high on the tree.
He cursed silently.
'If I go for it, he might kill me… but if I don't… Vegeta's gonna die, and I'm next.'
Then his eyes landed on Piccolo—barely breathing beside him.
"Hey… you still alive?" Raditz asked.
Piccolo cracked an eye open.
"I've got a Senzu Bean. Eat it, draw his attention. I'll grab a fruit in the chaos. Deal?"
"…Fine. But don't screw me."
Raditz crawled over and slipped the Senzu into Piccolo's mouth.
With a few crunches, Piccolo's injuries vanished.
He stayed still, gathering energy—channeling it into a single finger.
Special Beam Cannon.
But just as he was charging, Turles' scouter beeped rapidly.
Sensing the spike, he turned sharply.
Raditz froze.
'Crap! He noticed!'
"Piccolo, you damn idiot! I told you to draw him away, not blast him head-on!"
Too late.
Turles pointed and fired. A searing blast punched clean through Piccolo's chest.
His eyes glazed over. The cannon fizzled out. He collapsed.
Turles turned his attention to Raditz.
Raditz panicked.
"W-wait! Don't kill me!"
"I've seen the light! You're right—Saiyans should unite! Forget Kakarot, I'm with you now!"
Turles smirked.
"Let me guess—you plan to trick me, eat a fruit, get strong, and stab me in the back?"
Raditz trembled.
"N-no! I swear! You just… look like my dad, Bardock. You feel familiar!"
The mention of Bardock rekindled Turles' rage.
"You bastard… DIE!"
He launched another blast.
Raditz winced and muttered,
"Kakarot, don't forget to wish me back…"
But before the blast hit, a figure flashed between them—deflecting the shot midair.
Raditz blinked, stunned.
Then he saw the man in front of him.
"Ka… Kakarot?"
Tears welled up in Raditz's eyes.
"You're finally here… I thought I was finished…"
Turles raised an eyebrow.
"You're Kakarot?"
Goku ignored him and turned to Raditz.
"You okay?"
Raditz nodded weakly.
"Yeah. Just mad at that pig teammate Piccolo. Ruined my plan. I was this close to eating a fruit and blasting this clown…"
Goku's eyes sharpened.
"Wait… Piccolo's dead?"
He scanned the area—then spotted the Namekian's body, chest blown open.
"Piccolo…"
He rushed over, checking for breath.
"…No pulse."
Raditz rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, Goku? You like Piccolo now? The guy's been training just to kill you!"
"I'm starting to think I'm not your real brother…"
But Goku exhaled slowly.
"If Piccolo dies… the Dragon Balls die with him."
Raditz's pupils shrank.
"What?! Why would his death—?!"
Turles, now bored, called out:
"Hey! You two done with your last words?"
Goku turned.
"You're Turles?"
Turles nodded, slightly surprised.
"Didn't think I introduced myself yet…"
He grinned.
"Whatever. You've got two choices—join me, or die."
But Goku didn't answer.
He looked at the massive Tree of Might, and sensed the Earth's fading energy.
The life force of all living beings was fading.
Then his gaze returned to Turles—eyes cold as steel.
"Die."
Raditz's jaw dropped, then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! That's a hell of an answer!"
But before anyone could blink, Goku vanished—and reappeared in front of Turles.
His fist punched clean through Turles' chest.
Turles stared down at the hole in his torso, disbelieving.
"H… how…"
Goku's energy flared.
The body of Turles vanished in a burst of light—reduced to cosmic dust.
Vegeta, still barely alive, witnessed it all.
One punch.
Just one.
He began sweating profusely.
'A power gap that wide… He must be several times stronger to do that…'
His eyes trembled.
'No wonder Raditz called himself the weakest among them… No wonder their plan was to kill Frieza…'
'Kakarot… he's grown into something terrifying.'
A thought flashed across his mind—one he dared not believe.
'Could Kakarot… have become a Super Saiyan?'
Goku turned back to the Tree.
With no hesitation, he activated Kaio-Ken, and cupped his hands.
"Kamehameha!"
A massive blue beam surged toward the Tree of Might.
The moment it hit, the entire tree disintegrated into pure light.
That energy rained back down on Earth, restoring it.
The cracked, dried land bloomed with green once more.
The people of Earth felt their strength returning.
The planet had been saved.