Raiga's figure entered the lion's line of sight, instantly enraging the beast. It raised its head and let out a thunderous roar, proclaiming its dominance. However, to Raiga, this was nothing more than a ridiculous display.
"ROAR—!"
The lion bellowed once more, baring its bloodstained maw, sharp fangs gleaming with savagery. Its beastly eyes locked onto the intruder with menacing intent. With a stomp of its hooves, dust scattered into the air as its massive body lunged forward, charging straight at Raiga.
"What a ferocious beast."
With an amused smile, Raiga watched the lion's attack. His eyes flickered with a hint of mischief, lips curving slightly upward. His expression remained calm and composed as he effortlessly sidestepped the assault. In the next instant, he clenched his fist and delivered a heavy punch to the beast's back.
A pained howl erupted from the lion as its body staggered unsteadily. It let out a pitiful cry, and when it looked at Raiga again, its beastly eyes were now filled with fear. Even as it continued to growl, its body instinctively backed away.
"In the end, you're just a wild animal—completely lacking intelligence. Unfortunately for you, I'm quite hungry, and that means you're about to become my meal."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Raiga curled his finger in a beckoning motion.
A faint hum resonated as a small energy orb formed at his fingertip. Then—whoosh!—the radiant energy flickered a few times before accelerating sharply. A blinding streak of light shot forth, piercing straight through the lion's skull. A spray of crimson mist filled the air, droplets raining down as the energy blast exited from the other side.
With a final, despairing whimper, the lion's massive body collapsed with a thunderous thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Although this lion possessed a combat power of 120, it was nothing more than raw strength. It had no concept of utilizing energy. Facing Raiga was simply its misfortune.
The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—was an unchanging rule. Now that Raiga had become a Saiyan, he needed to embrace this reality.
Hoisting the lion's carcass onto his shoulders, Raiga returned to his temporary shelter. With a flick of his hand, he released a small energy wave, igniting a campfire. He then skinned the beast, removed its internal organs, rinsed the meat in clean water, and skewered it on wooden sticks for roasting. Before long, a rich, mouthwatering aroma began to waft from the sizzling, golden-brown meat.
Raiga's eyes remained locked onto the roasting meat, his throat involuntarily gulping as his hunger grew. The moment the meat was cooked to a crispy perfection, he pounced on it without hesitation.
The Saiyan digestive system was extraordinarily powerful—able to process food rapidly. In mere moments, the entire lion, over twenty meters in length, was devoured, vanishing into Raiga's stomach.
Patting his now full stomach, Raiga let out a satisfied sigh.
With his hunger and thirst sated, he allowed himself a short rest. His body felt rejuvenated, and it was time to plan for the future.
Planet Mapa was merely a temporary stop on his journey through the Dragon Ball universe. He would leave eventually. Earth seemed like an ideal destination—at least, before the Saiyans attacked, it was a safe place. More importantly, Earth housed many resources that Raiga considered invaluable.
Senzu beans, Dragon Balls, advanced technology, and techniques for harnessing Ki—all these treasures made Raiga eager to reach Earth.
Using a spacecraft from Planet Vegeta was out of the question. He had no way of knowing whether it was equipped with surveillance systems, much like the energy detectors.
Fortunately, Planet Mapa was a technologically advanced world, so acquiring a spacecraft shouldn't be too difficult.
As for Earth's coordinates, Raiga's spacecraft already had them stored. Earth wasn't some hidden world—Frieza's forces had long since mapped it out. However, since Earth lacked significant mineral resources beyond its water and natural environment, it was deemed a "resource-deficient" planet, unworthy of conquest.
In the original story, if not for Bardock sending Goku there in a desperate attempt to save his son's life, Earth might have remained an afterthought.
"Resource-deficient, my ass."
Raiga couldn't help but scoff internally.
The true treasures of Earth were so valuable that just one of them could shake the entire universe.
"Earth's coordinates aren't a secret, and spacecraft shouldn't be hard to obtain… Yeah, this plan is solid." With a smirk, Raiga nodded in approval of his own scheme.
The intelligent inhabitants of Planet Mapa, known as Mapaans, weren't particularly strong in combat, but their technology was quite advanced. It was said that they weren't native to this planet but had migrated from another world long ago. If Raiga wanted to seize one of their ships, he would first need overwhelming strength.
"That means my next step is to get stronger."
Clenching his fists, Raiga's dark eyes gleamed with determination. He would now begin his training, following the same methods used on Planet Vegeta.
He gathered heavy tortoise shells and stones, strapping them onto his body—mimicking Master Roshi's training methods for Goku and Krillin.
Without Sephiria's nagging presence this time, Raiga remained focused, diligently throwing punches and kicks. Before long, beads of sweat trickled down his youthful face.
Hand-to-hand combat was the foundation of battle. In the universe, many warriors preferred using energy blasts in combat—such attacks were powerful but ultimately relied on raw energy reserves rather than skill. While Saiyans had a reputation for their brute-force approach, they still enjoyed the thrill of close-quarters combat.
This fighting style allowed them to experience the true excitement of battle.
After refining his physical techniques, Raiga shifted his focus to energy attacks.
"Hah!"
A deep blue energy wave erupted from within him. Raiga raised both arms, and the energy blast shot skyward. With a boom, it detonated high above, scattering the dense clouds.
Satisfied with the destruction he had caused, Raiga nodded approvingly. However, one thing still puzzled him—he had yet to fully grasp how energy waves were formed within his body or how to control them more effectively.
He could use them, but he didn't understand their underlying principles. His knowledge was still rudimentary.
Ki was an advanced form of energy.
On Earth, martial artists like Master Roshi had to spend decades relentlessly training before they could harness Ki techniques. Because their energy reserves were small and regenerated slowly, they had a much deeper understanding of Ki than most beings in the universe.
Raiga intended to master it.
With a clear goal in mind, his training would undoubtedly be even more effective.