The power radiating from Raditz shocked everyone. The air around him crackled like thunder, the very atmosphere trembling as if in awe of his might.
"This... this is your true power!" Vegeta's palms were slick with sweat as he stared at Raditz, his expression dramatically changing.
"Let's begin." Raditz's lips barely moved as he made the first move. Before Vegeta could react, Raditz was already in his face.
Vegeta's pupils contracted sharply. His entire body tensed like a bowstring as he instinctively threw a punch forward, but it missed completely. Raditz's figure flashed like a phantom, vanishing instantly. Vegeta, unable to sense energy, frantically scanned his surroundings but couldn't track Raditz at all.
Seizing this opportunity, Raditz delivered a powerful kick to Vegeta's lower back, followed by an energy wave that sent him flying. The force was so intense that Vegeta felt as if his body might tear apart. His back burned like fire, and he only recovered after tumbling across the ground.
Panic gripped Vegeta. He had hoped the scouter was malfunctioning, but now he was 100% convinced that Raditz's strength was definitely above 20,000. Just his superior speed alone was enough to give Vegeta serious trouble.
For a brief moment, Vegeta felt the sting of wounded pride. Though he was outmatched by Raditz, his arrogance remained intact. He still possessed a power level of 18,000 and countless battles of experience—he refused to believe he couldn't compete with Raditz!
The Saiyan blood flowing through his veins ignited his fighting spirit! Vegeta found his strength invisibly increasing! If it was a fight Raditz wanted, then a fight he would get—all-out and to the finish!
With a wild scream, Vegeta charged toward Raditz. The two collided, exchanging hundreds of lightning-fast punches. The turbulent shockwaves spread rapidly, shattering rocks and fracturing the ground. Even the sky darkened with gathering clouds.
Vegeta channeled energy throughout his entire body, raising his sensory awareness to new heights. He gradually began adopting the Earth fighters' method of energy perception. Though his technique was incomplete, his natural talent allowed him to sense approaching danger.
"Behind!" Vegeta shouted as he spun around with a sweeping leg.
Raditz was startled. His high-speed movement had positioned him behind Vegeta, and he thought he was safe, but somehow Vegeta had sensed him! His opponent's speed was slowly catching up.
Saiyans truly were a terrifying race—they improved with every battle, even during the fight itself! Raditz's excitement grew. What was the point of a one-sided fight? This was how battles should be! He too had the blood of a warrior race, and his own fighting spirit now surged within him.
He sharply pulled back, dodging Vegeta's sweeping leg without hesitation, then quickly closed the distance again. After exchanging several blows with Vegeta, he finally landed a solid punch to his chest and abdomen. A crisp, loud "CRACK" echoed as the breastplate shattered! Immediately after, Vegeta's stomach convulsed and he spat out bile.
Raditz didn't waste the opening. He leapt above Vegeta, raised his hands high, and hammered down on his back!
"WHAM!"
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, Vegeta crashed into the ground.
Both of Raditz's hands gathered an enormous amount of energy. The power built to a crescendo as a layer of blazing white light enveloped his palms, so bright it was blinding! As soon as Vegeta struggled to his feet, he saw the white light descending from above, and his world became a field of brilliant white.
Countless energy waves launched from Raditz's hands. Blazing spheres of white light rained down on Vegeta in succession, bombarding him mercilessly.
The immense power caused the earth to tremble continuously. The booming sounds made everyone watching from a distance feel uneasy.
"Hey, Goku, they're not going to destroy the planet if they keep fighting like this, are they? This is getting dangerous." Krillin nervously wiped sweat from his forehead as he watched the energy blasts rain down.
The continuous waves of energy had almost formed a waterfall, pounding like a deluge. The air exploded with each impact, smoke and dust forming a massive curtain that obscured the boundary between heaven and earth.
Each individual blast wasn't earth-shattering, but such a concentrated attack on one spot and one person was terrifying. There was genuine concern about damage to the planet itself!
"Don't worry. He's controlling the range carefully, targeting only Vegeta's position. There's absolutely no danger. Besides, Vegeta still has some fight left in him. If you sense carefully, you'll notice his energy hasn't diminished much."
"You mean..."
"The monster... he can still withstand such a violent assault!" Piccolo couldn't help but marvel.
He had always maintained some pride. He refused to admit defeat to Goku and was determined to surpass even Raditz someday. But witnessing such a duel, his confidence gradually faded—like a pheasant on the ground watching a soaring falcon, filled only with envy.
Soon, Raditz unleashed his final blow. His most powerful energy bomb cut through the air, its brilliant light dazzling as it streaked toward Vegeta like an arrow. The explosion came immediately—a mushroom cloud rose with a thunderous "BOOM," the shockwave spreading in all directions. Rocks shattered completely as the ground was left devastated.
On the broken terrain, Vegeta stood with his legs apart, arms crossed above his head, protecting himself. His armor had been blasted to pieces, and even the combat suit underneath had several large holes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Dust covered his body, making him look disheveled and battered. But the fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed—if anything, it burned more intensely. His fists were clenched tight, muscles straining against the blue fabric of his suit.
"Raditz, you see? I've withstood your attack! Now it's my turn to return the favor!"
As Vegeta shouted, his hands were already moving into position. When his foot touched the ground, it created a deep crater, and his figure had already launched forward.
Raditz's expression hardened as he instinctively braced himself.
The two met head-on, each throwing a punch that connected with the other's cheek! Almost simultaneously, their legs collided as well, shins meeting with a force that made the air explode with sound.
Raditz was slightly surprised, thinking to himself: Why is he so much stronger than before? Can he still improve during battle?
Before he could steady himself, Vegeta had already disappeared, suddenly rushing from behind with a knife-hand strike—
"WHOOSH!"
Raditz quickly ducked his head, dodging the blow. Using his momentum, he swung his long legs around in a sweeping kick, all in one fluid motion. The advantage of his longer limbs gave him greater attack distance. As long as he could keep Vegeta from getting too close, he would gradually gain the upper hand.
Sure enough, the kick connected with Vegeta, widening the distance between them.
"Hahahaha! Is that all you've got?" Vegeta brushed dust from his body, his iconic hair swaying slightly in the wind as his confident smile returned.
"It seems your power when pushed to the limit can rival mine," Raditz acknowledged.
"That's right—I am the strongest Saiyan!"
"Not necessarily. I still have one more trick."
Raditz relaxed his stance and smiled.
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