On King Kai's Planet.
Goku was undergoing harsh training.
As the pinnacle of Earth's martial arts, even though he had trained for only a month, he had already adapted to the planet's tenfold gravity.
Now, his training had grown even more intense, and he was preparing to learn King Kai's signature techniques.
At that moment.
He suddenly felt a mysterious force rushing in from all directions.
His heart began to pound. His once lifeless body abruptly surged with vitality, a sensation completely unlike anything he had felt before.
Crack.
As that unfamiliar energy flowed through him, the halo above his head shattered in an instant.
Goku sensed the change immediately and stopped moving. His originally sharp, angular eyes widened into round circles. Something was clearly wrong.
"Wait… this feeling. Have I been revived?"
"That's right. You've been brought back to life."
King Kai walked over with his hands clasped behind his back, taking short, quick steps. "Earth's Guardian just spoke with me. He said this was your son Gohan's idea, and while they were at it, they also revived Raditz."
"…?"
A massive question mark practically appeared over Goku's head.
Not only had his revival come far earlier than expected, but why revive Raditz as well?
Did something happen on Earth?
With a more serious expression, Goku asked, "King Kai, what's going on down on Earth? Why would Gohan suggest bringing that guy back?"
"According to Earth's Guardian, your son Gohan trained in a gravity chamber with someone else. Their power increased dramatically, so the Guardian wanted to find someone to test them."
"A gravity chamber?"
"They might already be stronger than you, Goku."
King Kai still wore an amused smile.
Goku blinked, then laughed lightly. "Sounds like Piccolo and Gohan have been working really hard. I can't let them leave me behind."
As he spoke, a powerful aura surged around him.
Rather than shocking him, King Kai's words only fueled his excitement.
"Oh, you're full of energy as always, Goku."
"King Kai, then let's move on to the next stage of training."
Goku did not ask further about Raditz, nor did he press for details about Earth's situation. Instinctively, he trusted Gohan and the others.
What he needed to do now was focus entirely on improving himself.
And then defeat the two invaders threatening Earth.
"Excellent. That kind of motivation is perfect. Get ready, because I'm going to teach you my ultimate technique: the Kaio-ken."
…
On Earth.
The sky suddenly turned pitch black.
Out in the wilderness, the vegetation-covered ground trembled violently, as if something were about to burst free from below.
The next moment.
A hand shot out of the soil, clawing desperately upward.
Soon after, a burly man dragged himself out of the ground.
"Huff… huff…"
His clothes were in tatters as he collapsed onto the ground, staring around in confusion, utterly exhausted.
"Where… am I?"
His thoughts were muddled, large gaps missing from his memory.
"Wait… that day, I saw something fall here, and then I saw someone…"
Boom.
Just as he reached that point in his recollection, the distant ground exploded once more, endless smoke billowing into the darkness.
Almost simultaneously, the sky brightened, restoring daylight.
Far away, a long-haired man hovered in midair.
He wore shattered armor, and around his waist hung a tail-like ornament, a sight that felt disturbingly familiar.
Because his final memory revolved around that very figure.
Floating in the air, the long-haired man scanned his surroundings in confusion. "What's going on? Didn't Kakarot die with me? Then this…"
As realization dawned, joy flashed across his eyes.
"So that's it. This must be the Dragon Balls they talked about."
"And it seems Prince Vegeta will be arriving soon. Hmph. Then it's time for me to take my revenge."
Raditz's expression turned savage as he accepted his revival.
"That person over there looks familiar."
He glanced around and soon spotted the resurrected farmer in the distance, the very man he had casually killed before.
"Hmph. Another piece of trash with a power level of five. I'll start with you."
Killing intent flared in his eyes as he prepared to vent his rage.
At that moment.
Two streaks of light shot in from afar, moving at extreme speed and stirring up a violent storm in the sky.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Two figures stopped in front of Raditz one after the other. Though they were not who he expected, both were instantly recognizable.
One was the green-skinned warrior who had killed both him and Kakarot.
The other was Kakarot's son.
The moment Raditz saw Piccolo, his eyes turned bloodshot. Never could he have imagined that Raditz, who had followed Prince Vegeta across the cosmos, would die at the hands of a green-skinned Earth warrior.
He had suffered terribly in the afterlife.
"You bastard. How dare you show your face in front of me again?"
Fury erupted within Raditz. He raised his hand, unleashing a terrifying wave of energy straight toward Piccolo.
Yet the blast deliberately avoided Gohan, who stood nearby.
Even this heinous villain seemed to harbor a rare trace of restraint.
Boom.
The powerful energy wave detonated in midair.
Blinding light erupted as thick smoke engulfed the sky.
"I'll make sure you die for real this time."
Raditz roared as he continued firing energy blasts, amplifying the destruction across the area.
Centered on the smoke-shrouded zone, a violent energy field spread outward.
The newly revived farmer had been sitting there moments before, but the shockwave swept him away, hurling him far into the distance.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Explosions thundered overhead without pause until Raditz finally stopped, panting slightly from exertion.
Then he stared coldly at the scene before him.
He had fought that green-skinned warrior before and knew his strength. After such a brutal barrage, there was no way the man could have survived.
He had to be reduced to nothing but mangled flesh.
After taking a few deep breaths, Raditz stared into the smoke and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha. You deserved that, you bastard."
"Cough. That was nothing more than a little dust. You call that an attack?"
A calm, indifferent voice drifted out from the smoke, shocking Raditz to his core.
His eyes flew wide open as he stared ahead in disbelief.
The smoke slowly began to clear.
First came a white cloak, followed by two figures standing there like immovable mountains.
"No… impossible."
The sight before him defied belief. His opponents were completely unharmed, and one of them had spoken with utter contempt.
It mirrored his first encounter with the green-skinned warrior almost perfectly.
Only now, their roles were reversed.
Piccolo stood there and casually waved his hand, dispersing the remaining smoke. "Hmph. Let me show you what a real attack looks like."
Standing beside him, Gohan watched with interest. He had never realized Piccolo had a sense of humor. His uncle had perfectly thrown Raditz's earlier taunt right back at him.
That aside, their advantage had truly flipped.
After a brief pause, Gohan spoke. "Uncle Piccolo, let me handle this fight. I want to see the results of my training."
…