We see Bardock training with Raditz. The two were hurling ki blasts at each other—though Bardock was clearly winning.
Raditz's combat armor was filthy, torn, and scorched. His face was covered in scratches, and blood dripped from his mouth.
Bardock, on the other hand, was barely dirty—only dust from the explosions marked his face. He bore no wounds, except for the familiar X-shaped scar on his left cheek.
—"Ufff, Bardock, you're so strong," Raditz said, trying to land a punch on Bardock's abdomen.
Bardock smiled faintly. —"Raditz, you're not bad. In fact, you're incredible—even compared to elites your age," Bardock said happily, continuing to dodge Raditz's strikes.
Then his tone shifted to firm and commanding: —"Remember, Raditz—when you face an enemy stronger than you, attack with all your power. That's called a Final Attack. You're a Saiyan, so always show with pride that you are a warrior."
Bardock dodged another blow, flew ten meters into the air, and pointed his hand toward a random direction. A blue blast shot out, striking a small mountain. The explosion filled the air with smoke, and when it cleared, a massive crater remained.
Raditz was awestruck. He knew Bardock hadn't even used his full power. Bardock gave him a nod and left.
Raditz stayed behind, determined. "Wow! That was incredible. Seeing it in a drawing is one thing, but this… this is amazing!" he thought, bouncing with excitement. —"I'll make a powerful attack!" Raditz shouted euphorically.
[End Flashback]
—"RED KILLER! AHHHH!" Raditz screamed with all his strength. Nappa couldn't react intime.
The entire room lit up crimson red, followed by a massive explosion.
Nappa's Perspective
"That brat thinks he can fight an elite warrior like me? Hahaha, what a joke," Nappa thought proudly. "The weak will always be weak. I'll crush him without even using my full power."
But then, to his surprise, the kid shot toward him at incredible speed—for a child. Without warning, Nappa took a punch to the face. Raditz charged again, but Nappa dodged and countered with a ki blast, sending Raditz flying.
"Arrgh… that punch hurt. What's happening? Why is he so strong? This isn't possible. Isn't he supposed to be low-class? Weak? I'm the elite here!" Nappa thought, touching his face and finding blood.
"No, no, I don't believe it. I won't accept this! Who does he think he is? He's just a kid. He only got lucky. He can't be strong. I'm strong. I'M STRONG!"
Consumed by pride, Nappa burned to prove himself right—that the weak remain weak. Outwardly, he showed only fury.
Back in the fight…
As the smoke cleared, two figures emerged: one with shredded armor, the other lying on the ground in a filthy suit.
—"Ufff… you almost killed me, bastard," Nappa muttered, exhausted. "If I hadn't used all my power to stop that attack, I wouldn't have survived," he admitted to himself, shocked.
Raditz, confused and weary, tried to stand. "Wait… where's Roi? Why is this bald guy—Nappa—in his place? And why does he look so beaten up?"
Power Levels
Raditz (rage): 750 units
Nappa (slightly serious): 650 units
Raditz (Final Attack): 850 units
Nappa (serious): 1000 units
Nappa (exhausted): 100 units
Raditz (super exhausted): 10 units
Raditz staggered to his feet, barely able to stand, his face showing fatigue and pain. His breathing was ragged. Nappa, though injured, still looked capable of fighting.
The tension between them was palpable. The room was wrecked—walls destroyed, debris everywhere, as if a hurricane had passed.
Moments ago, it had been a battlefield. Now, silence reigned, broken only by their heavy breathing.
Footsteps echoed outside. The door opened, and Chief Xion entered. Seeing the chaos, his stern face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead, his eye twitching. He walked slowly until he stood two meters from them.
—"What do you think you're doing?" Xion demanded, his voice sharp with anger.
Raditz and Nappa froze, terrified. They glanced at each other nervously. Vegeta, meanwhile, stood with arms crossed, unfazed.
—"Well, well, we… uh…" the boys stammered, unable to explain. No one dared move.
Raditz, trembling, remembered his goal of becoming a squad captain. He felt responsible for the mess. Stepping forward, he confessed: —"It was my fault, sir," Raditz said, sweating profusely. "I got excited and challenged the bald guy—I mean, Nappa—to a fight. But during our legendary battle, a girly-tailed stranger appeared and started wrecking everything. So Nappa and I had to stop him, and… one thing led to another."
Xion glared with disbelief and irritation. Then, without hesitation, he slapped Raditz so hard he flew into the wall—embedding into it.
Nappa and Vegeta were stunned, terrified.
Raditz, nearly unconscious, clung to life by sheer willpower.
...[1]
Nappa, for his part, was terrified when Chief Xion arrived. After hearing Raditz's excuse, he slapped his own face in disbelief at the nonsense being said. In the end, he felt a bit calmer, relieved that he wasn't the one punished.
Unlike Nappa and Raditz, Vegeta at first only observed the fight. When Chief Xion appeared, he simply watched to see what would happen. Deep inside, however, he was a little nervous.
"Such strength…" Vegeta thought, his face betraying fear he didn't understand.
Chief Xion composed himself, looked at the young warriors, coughed twice, and spoke: —"Cough, cough… Very well. In one week, all of you will report to the loading area at 0700 hours. Do not be late." His voice was calm yet commanding, radiating a terrifying aura.
—"You!" Chief Xion barked, pointing at Nappa. "Take your companion to the infirmary."
Without hesitation or complaint, Nappa pulled Raditz out of the wall and carried him off. Raditz, after crashing into the wall, felt pain throughout his body and wanted to collapse. But suddenly the pain began to fade, and he felt himself being carried like a sack of potatoes. Slowly, he grew more relaxed as he was hauled along.
—"Ugh… I feel a little dizzy," Raditz mumbled weakly.
Nappa carried him over his shoulder, Raditz's upper clothes shredded, his face green from sudden nausea.
—"Ugh… ugh…" Raditz groaned, trying not to lose his breakfast. —"I think… ugh… ugh…"
—"What's wrong, kid?" Nappa asked, intrigued by Raditz's strange behavior compared to before.
—"Well… I… ugh… your… movement… ugh…" Raditz stammered, struggling to hold it in.
—"Kid, are you alright?" Nappa asked, confused.
Raditz tried to explain, but before he could finish, he vomited all over Nappa's back.
The brute only sighed and kept walking until they reached the infirmary. He placed Raditz inside a capsule filled with strange blue liquid and left the room. Inside, Raditz finally relaxed, stopped fighting to stay conscious, and drifted into sleep.
Raditz blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he was in a different place.
—"Where am I?" he asked himself. "This place feels familiar…"
The room resembled a classroom, but there were no chairs—only Raditz. Confused, he was about to ask if anyone was there when voices made his eyes widen.
—"You're pathetic," said the shadow of a tall figure. —"You were never my friend," said another, smaller shadow. —"You're weird, you're so weird," said a group of shadows. "You're… Węįrd."
Suddenly, Raditz was surrounded by countless shadows. The room filled with whispers, all repeating the same word: "Weird."
"Weird, weird, weird… You're… so… weird…" the voices echoed.
Raditz's face twisted with anguish and pain. His hands clutched his chest, his head shaking side to side.
—"No… I'm not, I'm not!" he screamed. "No, no, ¡no—NO!" —"I'M NOT WEIRD!" Raditz shouted even louder.
Three hours later…
Beeping sounds began to echo from the capsule. The greenish liquid inside started to drain away, the capsule opened, and soft sobs could be heard within. Raditz sat inside, half his face covered by one hand, the other side streaked with tears.
After a few minutes, he stepped out of the capsule…
His clothes were a complete mess, especially his torso, but his body bore no wounds anymore.
—"Ufff… what happened? Where am I?" Raditz muttered, confused, unable to remember what had occurred. Looking around, he noticed a battle suit laid across a chair.
More importantly—why was it there? Raditz saw it was a brand-new combat suit, one meant for a mid-class warrior. Though he was considered elite and granted privileges—like entering the Mission Center at a young age, freedom to walk wherever he pleased, and other liberties—he had never been given equipment, food, or clothing. He assumed it was because he had parents. But seeing no one around, he let go of his worries and put on the new suit.
It was yellowish with white trim, far more impressive than his old armor.
With nothing else to do, Raditz headed home.
"I feel stronger—wow! Saiyan zenkais are ridiculously broken. Well, at least it feels good to walk," Raditz thought happily, grateful for his luck.
On the way, he noticed a building that caught his attention. It was larger than the Mission Center, its walls white with purple diamond patterns all over. Above, golden letters read: Training Center.
Raditz's Saiyan blood thrilled at the chance to grow stronger. Without hesitation, he entered. Inside, it resembled the Mission Center, with a reception area. He went straight to the desk.
—"Excuse me, I want to train," Raditz said with a smile.
The alien behind the desk, resembling a giant bird, simply pointed toward a door. Raditz nodded, pressed the button, and entered. What he saw amazed him: many Saiyans sparring with each other, and some battling Saibamen. Raditz was thrilled by the sight. Looking around, he noticed a section labeled Shop.
Approaching, he saw a screen that read: Insert card. Raditz placed his card, and the balance showed: £100. The available items appeared:
Shop
Saibaman Seed / Cost: £50
Mid-Class Warrior Combat Suit / Cost: £100
Scouter / Cost: £150
Raditz was astonished once again by the prices. He had saved money throughout his years on Planet Vegeta.
"I can't believe it… nearly seven years of saving, and I only have enough for two Saibaman seeds or one combat suit? This has to be a joke," Raditz thought, frustrated and indignant.
Lost in thought, he suddenly felt eyes on him. Turning, he saw something he didn't like: Nappa, Vegeta, and the skinny fighter who had been with Nappa earlier.
The skinny one, wearing a smug grin, spoke first: —"Well, well… what's this? What's trash doing in the Training Center?" he said arrogantly. But when he noticed Raditz wearing a mid-class warrior suit, his expression shifted to shock.
—"What?! Where did you get that suit? You're just a low-class lucky brat. What's going on, trash? Answer me!" the skinny one demanded angrily.
Raditz looked at him with weary disdain, as if a duckling were squawking at a lion, and told him to get lost. The skinny fighter, confused and enraged, kept pressing, acting as if Raditz owed him an answer. He advanced toward Raditz—until a hand stopped him.
Nappa looked at his companion and told him to let it go. The skinny one froze, trembling with fury and disbelief.
—"Nappa, why are you defending this trash?" said the skinny fighter, trembling with rage.
Nappa simply looked at him and replied: —"I gave him that armor."
Those simple words left both the skinny fighter and Raditz stunned. Raditz thought about it and realized it made sense, though he still didn't understand why the brute was acting that way. Confused, Raditz decided to ask Nappa why he was helping him—but someone interrupted.
—"Out of my way, insect," said the young Saiyan prince.
Vegeta walked toward the shop. Raditz, knowing he couldn't waste his card on trivial things, withdrew it and left. Before leaving, he gave Nappa a small gesture of thanks.
He stepped outside, feeling confused but also a little happy.
Minutes later…
—"Ufff… it's so hard to get everything I want: friends, a girlfriend, and to be the strongest. Well, at least now I have family," said the black-haired boy.
He was about to leave the elite zone and head home when something stopped him. Turning, he saw a group of boys beating a low-class Saiyan. Raditz wasn't going to pay attention and was ready to walk past—until he heard what the "elites" were saying to the boy.
The boy showed no signs of crying. His hair was filthy, and he wore ragged brown clothes, like a tattered nightshirt.
—"You're a fool, an orphan, weak. Nobody wants you. You're good for nothing except worshiping me, understand? Freak!" one of the boys sneered, while his friend kicked the boy, who offered no resistance.
Raditz grew furious. In a blink, he appeared behind the bullies and struck them both in the neck, knocking them out instantly.
He then looked at the boy on the ground. For a moment, he saw himself. The boy seemed lifeless, but Raditz could hear faint breathing. He couldn't leave him like that—he knew the boy would die without help. Lifting him into his arms, Raditz flew away at full speed.
At home…
Raditz greeted his mother. She welcomed him warmly, though confused and a little startled.
—"Son, welcome home… wait… what's that on your back? Raditz, more importantly, why is there an unconscious boy on your back?"
Raditz looked nervously at his mother and invented an explanation, careful not to scare her by admitting he had knocked out those elites. She nodded, proud to have such a kind son, and told him to place the boy in the healing capsule in the room to the right. Raditz obediently nodded.
He placed the boy in the low-level healing capsule and then went to his own room to sleep.
☆ End
[1] [Author’s Note: Our protagonist almost dies again… F in the chat.]