Chapter 9: Saiyan Showdown (Part 2)
Wrath of the Great Apes
The battlefield quaked as four massive Oozaru now towered across the plains: Vegeta and Nappa snarling with primal rage, while Raditz and Gohan stood opposite them, their forms equally enormous but eyes focused.
From the distant plateau, Goku watched closely.
Goku: "This is it. Let's see how much Raditz and Gohan learned."
Chi-Chi (arms crossed): "They better win. I didn't train Gohan just for him to be stomped by hairy gorillas."
Master Roshi: "Heh, you've got more faith than I ever did in Raditz. But maybe this new leaf of his is for real."
The Clash Begins
Vegeta charged first, letting out a thunderous roar that cracked the sky. He slammed into Raditz with a shoulder tackle that sent the older brother of Goku skidding. But Raditz caught himself, lifted a boulder the size of a house, and hurled it back.
Nappa was far less elegant, charging at Gohan with full brutality. But Gohan, despite his young age, dodged nimbly and countered with a jaw-breaking uppercut that made even Nappa stagger.
Raditz (through gritted teeth): "You've grown soft, Vegeta. You underestimated us!"
Vegeta: "And you've forgotten your place, Raditz!"
They locked hands, a shockwave rippling through the land. Raditz used the momentum to spin and toss Vegeta into the sea, but Vegeta rocketed back, sending a blast that seared Raditz's fur.
Gohan leapt onto Nappa's back, wrapped his massive arms around the brute's neck, and suplexed him into a cliff.
Goku (cheering): "That's my boy!"
Chi-Chi (grinning proudly): "All those hours of kata paid off."
Vegeta's Rampage
Vegeta landed beside Nappa, both roaring in rage. They unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, turning the plains into molten craters.
Raditz shielded Gohan. The boy, panting, looked up at him.
Gohan (serious): "Let's finish this."
The Nephew-uncle duo charged forward in tandem.
Gohan headbutted Nappa in the gut, causing him to cough blood. Raditz followed up with a brutal punch to Nappa's knee, shattering it and forcing him to collapse.
Vegeta tried to intercept, but Gohan released a massive energy wave from his mouth, the classic Oozaru beam, hitting Vegeta directly in the chest.
Raditz joined in, firing a similar blast. The combined assault engulfed Vegeta, sending him skidding for miles.
The Smoke Clears
Nappa lay unconscious in a massive crater. Gohan stood over him, growling.
Vegeta crawled from rubble, bloodied, one eye shut.
He stared up at Raditz and Gohan, breathing hard.
Vegeta (disbelief): "This... isn't possible. I'm the elite. You're nothing but a failure and a child!"
Raditz stepped forward, towering.
Raditz: "I was a failure. But not anymore. You came here expecting to conquer. You'll leave knowing Earth isn't yours to take."
Raditz raised a hand.
But before he fired—
Goku's voice echoed.
Goku: "Raditz. That's enough."
The great ape turned, eyes locking with his younger brother.
Goku: "You've won. But killing them makes you no different."
Raditz hesitated. Then, slowly, his power faded. His fur vanished, form shrinking until he returned to his normal self.
Gohan followed, collapsing next to him, exhausted but smiling.
Raditz: "You're right. I want to protect this planet. Not become the monster I used to be."
Vegeta spat blood but smirked. "Tch. Pathetic. But... impressive."
He limped toward his pod. Nappa, groaning, followed.
Gohan (panting): "Will they come back?"
Raditz (serious): "Maybe. But next time... we'll be ready."
Vegeta and Nappa entered their pods. The engines roared to life.
Vegeta (coldly): "Don't get comfortable. We'll return... and Earth won't be so lucky."
The two pods rocketed into the sky, vanishing into the stars.
Goku, stepping down to the battlefield, looked around at the devastation, the battered warriors, and his proud son and brother.
Goku: "We've got time now. Let's use it. This was just the beginning."
Aftermath... and Unseen Ears
Among the debris, just outside the blast radius, a broken scouter—half-crushed under fallen rock—blinked to life. Though cracked, it still worked just enough.
Yamcha (in the distance): "We can use the Dragon Balls to fix all this, right? I mean, that wish could even restore the landscape."
Bulma (responding): "Yeah, we'll get started once we recover. The Dragon Balls have saved Earth before. They can do it again."
The scouter blinked—then sparked. A transmission routed through the long-range frequency, silently broadcasting...
Aboard Frieza's Command Ship, Orbiting the Ice Moon Nebula
Frieza lounged in his royal throne, surrounded by high-ranking officers, boredly flicking through conquest reports. An ambient hum filled the room—until a low beep from the long-range relay console interrupted the calm.
Technician: "Lord Frieza, an unauthorized transmission just came through—tied to an older scouter frequency used by Raditz's unit."
Frieza raised a brow. "Raditz? That failure? I thought his corpse was rotting on some backwater."
Zarbon (leaning forward): "My lord… this is peculiar. The transmission didn't originate from Raditz directly—it appears to be a partial relay from a damaged scouter... likely left behind."
Frieza (disinterested): "Unless it involves profit or planetary subjugation, delete it."
Technician: "With respect, my lord… you may want to hear this first."
The technician turned up the feed. Cracked static played briefly, then voices filtered through.
Bulma (through static): "Once we gather all seven, we'll wish everything back to normal. The Dragon Balls can fix the damage, just like before."
Yamcha: "Yeah. They saved Earth more than once already."
Silence fell.
Frieza's red eyes widened, lips curling slowly.
Frieza (low voice): "…Wish? Dragon Balls, you say?"
Dodoria: "Isn't that just a myth?"
Zarbon (serious): "Not entirely. There were old Namekian legends. Spheres that grant wishes to those who gather all seven. Most dismissed it as cultural folklore... until now."
Frieza (sitting upright): "Earth… has them?"
His voice grew colder.
Frieza: "Raditz never mentioned this."
Zarbon: "Perhaps he didn't know."
Frieza (musing): "Then where did Earth get them? No race on that dustball could create such a thing. Unless…"
He snapped his fingers.
Frieza (smiling): "The Namekians."
Zarbon paled slightly. "You think the Earth Dragon Balls are copies of the original ones?"
Frieza (calm, ominous): "No. I believe they're weaker imitations. Which means the originals must still exist—on Namek."
He turned toward the window, staring into the stars.
Frieza (grinning): "Immortality. Invulnerability. Absolute rule…"
He looked back.
Frieza: "Plot a course for Namek. Quietly. And contact Vegeta. I believe he'll want to hear about these Dragon Balls too."
Elsewhere: Vegeta's Pod – Deep Space
Floating within a rejuvenation tank, Vegeta's pod beeped. A private encrypted message scrolled across his display.
"Intercepted Earth broadcast. Dragon Balls. Wish-granting artifacts. Confirmed by scouter relay."
Vegeta's eyes snapped open.
Vegeta: "So… that's what Raditz and his weakling crew were hiding. Those fools actually possess wish-granting orbs?!"
He smirked darkly.
Vegeta (grinning): "Then the real prize isn't Earth... it's Namek."
He looked at the distant stars, one name burning in his thoughts:
Frieza.
Vegeta (darkly): "If he finds out... I'll never get my wish. No. I'll get there first… and use the Dragon Balls to crush him."
He slammed his fist against the control panel, redirecting course.