Chương 16: Chapter 16 – Raditz Begins His Sales Pitch
Raditz stood firmly on the sandy beach in front of Kame House, his arms crossed with a face of forced calm. He locked eyes with Goku, his gaze intense and unwavering before he began to speak, his voice laden with conviction.
"We are Saiyans, Kakarot," Raditz started, his words carrying the weight of a deep-seated pride of an ancestral legacy, "A race of honorable warriors, unmatched throughout the universe, who holds unwavering honor and indomitable strength as our most sacred virtues."
Raditz paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in, and during that moment, Raditz's chest swelled with the pride of his heritage. With renewed fervor, he continued:
"From the very moment we draw our first breath, we Saiyans are born for one purpose– battle! Our destiny is etched in the stars above, and we embrace it without hesitation. We traverse the Universe in the relentless pursuit of power, reveling in the thrill of combat, and seeking the glory of conquest. It's not just a way of life, Kakarot! Our battlelust is in our very blood, coursing through our veins like a relentless storm!"
"Our history," Raditz's voice grew increasingly impassioned with every word uttered, "is one of fearless warriors who defied the odds, pushed the limits of their strength, and triumphed over every obstacle in their path! We carve our names into the annals of history with each honorable battle, each successful conquest!"
Raditz's words reached a crescendo as he stretched his arms wide as if he were a preacher zealously spreading the gospel. His gaze remained locked onto Goku, burning with fanatical faith and pride.
"And you, my little brother. You are a member of such a race!!"
The revelation hung heavy in the air in the wake of the impassioned speech, leaving everyone at the Kame House in stunned silence. Beside them, Ajax eyed their shocked expressions and slacked jaws with slight amusement in his eyes. It seems that everyone else ensembled at Kame House is struggling to process the mind-blowing revelation that had just been thrust upon them.
Speaking of revelations, Ajax's lips twitched ever so slightly, struggling to conceal an amused smile as he recalled Raditz's monologue. What was all that nonsense? A tall tale? Propaganda? What fearless warriors who triumphed over every obstacle in their paths? The Saiyan civilization in his memories is very different than the one described!
Across from his stunned audience, Raditz suddenly clenched his fist in a display of inner turmoil. He looked down at his knuckles, the skin whitening under the intensity of his grip.
"Unfortunately, a disaster befell our glorious race. A meteorite collided with Planet Vegeta, our home planet, completely destroying it." Raditz's voice was tight with emotional anguish as the memories of that catastrophe settled on his shoulders. "In an instant, that calamity reduced our entire race to space dust, leaving only our Crown Prince, Vegeta, and the General of Saiyan Forces, Nappa. Both of whom are far, far stronger than me."
"Oh, and I survived too, in case that wasn't apparent," Raditz remarked as he let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head.
A moment later, Raditz's gaze left his fist and locked eyes with Goku once more, his gaze brimming with renewed passion.
"And now you, brother. The fourth and final survivor of the Saiyan race, spared from the catastrophe through a twist of fate, thankfully sent to this planet as an infant!" Raditz extended his hands, his voice vibrating with emotion. "Join me and embrace your rightful destiny! Together, we will usher in a new era for Saiyans!"
Goku, on the other hand, didn't seem to share Raditz's enthusiasm. His brow furrowed as he stared at Raditz, a clear expression of befuddlement on his face. Goku scratched his head and let out a puzzled noise.
"Uhhhhh…" Goku responded intelligently. "I didn't catch all that. Could I go over it one more time?"
Raditz, who by now had become acutely aware that Goku isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, drooped his head, his initial enthusiasm dampened in the face of Goku's apparent lack of comprehension. The Saiyan warrior sighed and withdrew his outstretched hand, settling it on his waist like a tired mom.
"What the hell did you not get?"
"So, you Saiyans love fighting and travel across the universe to find stronger enemies?"
"We Saiyans. You're a Saiyan too. But yes, you're correct, if you had to summarize it in ten or so words."
Goku rested a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "And now there's only four of us, including me."
Raditz, who had just begun to nod in agreement, paused abruptly and glanced down at Gohan, still behind Goku's legs. With a raised brow, he corrected himself. "Technically four-and-a-half. Five once your son stops being a midget."
"Hmm, and I was sent here when I was just a kid. But for what, exactly? Did someone know that doomsday was coming?"
"No. You were sent here as an infant with the intent to conquer this planet by eradicating its inhabitants." Raditz stated with a chilling, matter-of-fact tone as he leaned in closer, "But considering your disturbing lack of knowledge, I suspect that the pod you used to arrive here is severely damaged."
Goku's eyes widened, and he involuntarily took half a step back, his feet sinking into the sand. His face twisted into a jumble of emotions, clearly unsettled by the information he had just received. A range of expressions cycled through Goku's face, his countenance shifting as he struggled to come to terms with the true purpose of his arrival on Earth. Finally, a look of resolute determination settled upon his face as Goku reached his decision.
"No! I refuse to harm these people. I absolutely won't! They are my friends, and Earth is my home!"
Raditz blinked at Goku's blunt refusal. He ran a hand through his spiky hair, taken slightly aback.
"Let's leave aside the fact that the natives here decided to name their planet 'dirt' for now," he quipped, a hint of dry humor in his voice. "So, you don't want to conquer this planet. Why not? You have an attachment to its people or something?"
Goku only narrowed his eyes.
Raditz raised an eyebrow, bemused at Goku's unwavering stance. "You know, if you manage to make substantial contributions to the Frieza Force, you could potentially blacklist and designate this planet as 'off-limits' for conquest. Admittedly, you don't have any contributions as of now, but if you were to plead with Prince Vegeta, he might be inclined to do you a favor and reserve one of his slots for this planet. He's got a few, courtesy of Commander Zarbon."
"When you say 'contributions,' what you really meant is harming innocent people and taking over their planets, right?" Goku's resolve remained unshaken. "I don't know and I couldn't care less about this Frieza Force or Prince Vagata. I won't be a part of anything that brings harm to the innocent."
Raditz turned serious.
"It's not Vagata, you fool! He'll kill you if you call him that!" Raditz let out from gritted teeth. "And don't be an idiot! There are more significant forces at play in the universe, far greater threats lying in wait, and you need to harness your power for a purpose greater than– than this!"
Krillin, it appeared, could no longer restrain his curiosity and spoke up.
"What exactly is the Frieza Force? Are they similar to the Saiyans who conque–"
"Shut up, native. No one is talking to you." Raditz's voice, abrasive and sharp, cut through the air like a blade. His tone dripped with utter dismissal, a disdainful look marring his face.
Krillin bristled, his fists clenching, but before he could retort, Goku stepped forward, positioning himself between Raditz and his friend. For the first time, Goku's face displayed a hint of rage, a stark contrast to his typically uplifting demeanor.
"Hey! You don't get to speak to my friends that way, even if you are my brother!"
For a brief moment, Raditz, who had only known Goku for a scant few minutes, was rendered speechless, taken aback by the sudden flash of uncharacteristic anger in Goku's eyes. Raditz and Goku locked eyes, neither backing down in a silent but tension-filled standoff.
Krillin's determination was evident as he prepared to step forward once again to intervene and help. He shifted his weight, a leg stepping forward, but Ajax reacted swiftly, his fingers closing around Krillin's arm in a firm, restraining grip, pulling him back.
'Not yet,' Ajax mouthed to Krillin, leaning in closer. Ajax tightened his grip on Krillin's arm, a silent request in his eyes, and signaling for patience.
A small battle of wills played out between the two martial artists as Ajax's voiceless petition was met with a conflicted expression from Krillin whose brow furrowed, torn between his instinct to help and the caution urged by his kouhai.
During this time, the Saiyan brothers were silently engaging in their own battle of wills, but when it appeared that things might come to a head, it was Raditz who relented.
"Fine. Whatever," Raditz grumbled, deciding to back down. The tension in the air eased, if only slightly. Raditz took a step back, breaking the eye contact between him and Goku, and spoke once more:
"Since you don't know this either Kakarot, the Frieza Force is the military arm of the Cold Empire, which we Saiyans have been a part of since our parents' generation and continues to be to this day. Initially, King Cold held the reins, but he has since passed the mantle to his son, Lord Frieza, hence the name Frieza Force." Raditz paused as if trying to find his next words, "Lord Frieza is, to put it bluntly, invincible. He is widely regarded as the most powerful individual in the entire universe, save for his father. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but even Prince Vegeta at the zenith of his power would be unable to harm Lord Frieza, even if Lord Frieza simply stood there and let him.
Raditz observed Goku's expression, nodding internally at the shock splattered all over his brother's face. This should be ample evidence to show even a dumbass like Kakarot that resistance is futile. No one can defeat Lord Frieza, certainly not a weakling like Kakarot. Raditz pressed on, confident.
"The empire's primary objective is planetary conquest, followed by either selling the acquired worlds for profit or absorbing them into the empire itself."
"And you are fine with all this?" Goku, now very displeased once more, let his dissatisfaction infuse heavily into his voice. He simply couldn't comprehend Raditz's mindset. "How can you live with the knowledge that you and this empire are causing so much suffering to countless people?"
Raditz, however, did not take kindly to Goku's reproach, his annoyance growing with the condemnation in Goku's words. As he spoke, his calm demeanor started to crack, and anger started to seep into his tone.
"Yeah, and what's your point, Kakarot?! We Saiyans are born this way; it's literally our primal instinct! Just as a predator will not spontaneously cease to devour others, a Saiyan won't simply lose their desire to battle. Our bloodlust and thirst for battle have been with us since birth! It's biological, it's instinct!"
"No, not me! I've never wanted to hurt someone without reason and the idea of conquest and murder as you've described disgusts me!" Goku's expression hardened, his revulsion clear. He continued, "And you keep saying this name 'Kakarot,' but I don't even know who that is!"
"That's YOU, dumbass! I can't believe I have a little brother like you! What, did you misplace your instinct somewhere like you did your tail?! How is that even possible? Did someone brainwash you or something?"
Raditz's entire face scrunched up in disbelief as his frustration reached its peak. He cannot believe the utter nonsense that came from Kakarot's mouth. The level of stupidity achieved here surpassed anything he thought was possible. God, talking to Kakarot is maddeningly vexing, since this idiot is never on the same page! He's never wanted to hurt anyone? That's like an apex predator suddenly turning vegan! Oh gods, he can feel his IQ decreasing just from participating in this conversation!
"Well, Gohan told me that Goku was incredibly aggressive and troublesome as a baby before he bumped his noggin. But that one knock on the head turned him into the Goku we know today." Master Roshi cuts in, recalling the stories shared by his student Gohan about Goku's infancy.
However, Master Roshi's narrative only served to fan the flames of skepticism within Raditz, as he erupted in a fit of outrage, "Bullshit! Don't feed me that crap! I'm supposed to believe that some 'drop on the head' erased and overwrote a Saiyan's primal instincts? Do you even know how many Saiyan babies were 'dropped on their heads'? EVERYONE!!"
Ajax mulled over the conversation in his mind. 'Well, he has a point,' he thought to himself. Saiyans were undeniably distinct from humans. Biologically, they were simply wired differently on every conceivable level except appearance. Now that he really thinks about it, the probability of Goku spontaneously changing so drastically from such an event, while not impossible, is infinitesimally minuscule. How many Saiyans he knows of from canon experienced such a personality change? None he can think of! In the canon, it might be written off as a convenient plot device by the author, but in the real universe…
Meanwhile, Raditz's anger did not diminish. He found it nearly impossible to accept that Kakarot had lost not only his memory but also his innate Saiyan instincts from some bump on the head.
"Prince Vegeta was thrown through mountains as a toddler!" Raditz exclaimed, his voice brimming with frustration. "Every elite Saiyan's early training involved sustaining a serious head injury at some point, and this is the one that somehow caused a miracle? Don't f*ck with me! What did you people do to my little brother, you old f*cker!!"
Krillin felt as though a lightning bolt had seared through his very being at the insult. His patience had been stretched to its limits for quite some time now, and his anger was restrained time and time again by Ajax. Normally, he could shrug off insults aimed at him; however, this time was different – this was an insult directed at Master Roshi, and that was a line Krillin couldn't allow to be crossed.
With a furious cry that welled up from the depths of his being, Krillin sprang into action, charging forward. His movements were swift as he closed the gap between himself and Raditz rapidly.
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