After a few days of recuperation, the injury on Raditz's forehead had completely healed. He couldn't wait to get to Earth—it was a promising destination, regardless of whether he was interested in how Earthlings better controlled ki, the delicious food, or the beautiful women. Any of these alone would be enough to draw him there.
On his current planet, he could only eat sour, astringent fruits and occasionally some game. He couldn't bring himself to eat the frog-like aliens as Vegeta did—watching the prince gnaw on bloody limbs made him want to vomit. Every night meant sleeping in the open air, never bathing, and repeating the same routine daily: fighting, fighting, and more fighting...
Though Earth's overall power levels weren't impressive, its standard of living was hundreds of times better than this desolate wasteland of a planet.
His mind made up, Raditz chose an opportune day and embarked on his journey to Earth.
The spherical spaceship contained a hibernation system that could put travelers into a state of deep sleep during long journeys, allowing them to reach their destinations in what felt like a brief dream. Without it, staying confined in such a small cabin for so long would be unbearably boring.
However, Raditz didn't activate the sleep function immediately. Instead, he spent the first portion of his journey practicing meditation, using mental techniques to improve his strength. Only after consuming all his stored fruit did he finally activate the life support and hibernation systems to continue his voyage.
One year later...
On Earth, would-be conquerors and supervillains had become mere footnotes in history as people enjoyed a period of peace. Citizens lived and worked contentedly, savoring the good life.
A few idle clouds drifted across the blue sky. Green fields stretched to the horizon, with mountains at the wilderness's edge standing like giants guarding the boundless landscape.
A sudden breeze rustled the forest leaves and swept across the field's grass, creating rippling green waves that rolled with the wind.
Without warning, a meteor-like light streaked across the sky, trailing flames as it plummeted straight toward the ground!
"BOOM!"
The massive impact sent tremors through the earth, causing people within several miles to feel the vibration. Many thought an earthquake had struck and ran to open areas for safety. But the shock lasted only a moment, and as they calmed down, they saw thick smoke rising into the distant sky.
"Finally here. After sleeping so long, my entire body feels stiff. These single-person spaceships definitely aren't suited for long-distance travel." Raditz opened the hatch and quickly climbed out for some fresh air.
Though the journey had passed like a dream, the stiffness in his body felt painfully real. He impatiently stretched his arms and legs, swishing his tail around to ensure all his limbs were functioning properly.
Raditz leaped up and out of the massive crater his landing had created.
As soon as he stood on solid ground, Raditz froze.
Before him stood a middle-aged farmer—plump, wearing a straw hat, rustic overalls, and a plaid shirt—staring at him in shock. Sweat dripped down the man's hairy face. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he pointed a trembling shotgun at Raditz.
Even an untrained Earthling could sense the overwhelming aura emanating from the Saiyan.
"H-hey, you... what are you?"
Raditz didn't answer. A number flashed on his scouter display: 5.
Unbelievable... He'd actually encountered the legendary farmer with a power level of just five.
"Oh my god, I'm really facing the five-power farmer! Hahaha!" Raditz couldn't help but burst into laughter, completely disregarding his intimidating image as he doubled over.
"This guy... must be mentally ill," the farmer muttered, bewildered by the sudden outburst.
Raditz continued laughing while the farmer stood frozen in confusion. Eventually, his laughter subsided.
Not wanting to harm anyone unnecessarily, Raditz looked at the wary farmer and said, "Let me give you some advice—don't shoot randomly when you see someone wearing clothes like mine in the future."
"Huh...what?" The farmer stood dumbfounded for a moment before gathering his wits. "Hey, what are you—"
Before he could finish, he was struck speechless again. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground as he watched Raditz soar directly into the sky, flying away faster than the wind.
Raditz sailed through the air, recalling the iconic moment from the original timeline. He grinned to himself, "This is truly a historic moment." Just as he was feeling nostalgic, his scouter beeped and detected another power signature.
"This energy reading is quite large by Earth standards... Could it be Piccolo?" Raditz continued flying. "Doesn't matter, I'll check it out first."
Following the energy signature, Raditz arrived at his destination.
To his surprise, he found not a barren wasteland but a small town. Though rural, it had smooth, wide roads, closely packed houses, and plenty of vehicles coming and going. This was completely different from where he had expected to encounter Piccolo in the original timeline.
Had history already changed? He hadn't even started interfering yet—surely the timeline couldn't be this malleable?
He simply landed and walked toward the energy source, entering a bar. As soon as he stepped inside, he discovered numerous corpses on the floor. The manner of death was straightforward—each had been killed with a single, precise blow, the work of a master.
Knives and guns lay scattered around the bodies, but they had died before getting a chance to use them.
"Piccolo? No, if it were him, this entire place would have been obliterated..." Raditz suddenly noticed that the signal on his scouter had disappeared.
This opponent was a master who could control their ki!
Raditz closed his eyes and focused on sensing energy flows directly, without relying on his scouter.
Suddenly, a figure leaped overhead, sword flashing at incredible speed.
But what seemed fast to Earthlings appeared to Raditz like slow-motion footage, frozen frame by frame. With only a slight twist of his body, Raditz evaded the fatal blow.
The attacker reacted nimbly, immediately jumping away after missing, and slipped into the shadows.
"Well, well, interesting. From the moment you walked in, I could tell you were different. Aside from those strange clothes, you give off a completely different aura from ordinary men. Who are you? Here to avenge these people?"
"I have no interest in avenging them, and I know exactly who you are, so there's no need to hide." Raditz smiled wryly, surprised to encounter this particular individual. "The world's number one assassin, right?"
The figure in the shadows paused momentarily, then laughed heartily. "Hahaha! This is the first time someone has spoken my name so calmly. Yes, I am the world's number one assassin, Mercenary Tao!"
As he spoke, he slowly emerged from the shadows. Tao had already undergone his transformation—he still wore his signature long braid and coat with the prominent "KILL" emblazoned across the chest. But his arms and eyes had been replaced with mechanical versions, and the sword he'd wielded was a weapon that extended from his hand.
"Young man, I only kill for the wealthy, and I don't take apprentices." From Tao's perspective, this stranger wasn't seeking revenge but had likely come seeking tutelage after hearing of his reputation.
What the hell? Apprenticeship? Mercenary Tao certainly had an inflated sense of his own importance.
The corner of Raditz's mouth twitched as he said helplessly, "Sorry, I just found the wrong person..."
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