Within the swirling dust...
"Cough, cough, cough..."
At the bottom of the crater, Raditz coughed up a large mouthful of blood. He scrambled to his feet in a pathetic state, the scouter on his face still beeping incessantly.
[Warning! Target power level showing violent abnormal fluctuations! 1,500... 1,800... 2,400... Continuing to rise!]
"This is impossible!" Raditz barked in a mixture of shock and rage. "And you still claim you aren't a Saiyan? How could a mere Earthling possess such a power level!"
It had already climbed to 3,000—exactly double his own.
"Are you really this surprised after I've only just warmed up?" Shane's expression remained indifferent as he approached step by step. "If I were to use a bit more strength, it seems you might just... die."
Swish!
His figure vanished instantly.
"Damn it, where is he?!" Raditz looked around in a panic. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, and the hair on his neck stood on end. A fist coated in pitch-black Haki was driving straight toward the small of his back!
"Hah!"
At the precipice of life and death, Raditz let out a hideously strained cry, exploding with his full potential. He narrowly evaded the strike by a hair's breadth, simultaneously whipping his right leg toward Shane's face like a lash.
Snap!
Shane caught the incoming ankle with ease, his brow furrowing. "Put some back into it. Is this a massage? You hit like a weakling, and you still call yourself a Saiyan?"
He gave a violent tug.
"Wuaagh!"
Raditz was flung into the sky. Before he could even adjust his posture, Shane appeared above him, hands clasped together in a double-fisted hammer strike.
This specific way of punching wasn't something he usually did back home. But since he was in the Dragon Ball world, he had to play the part!
BOOM!!!
Raditz slammed back into the earth like a meteorite. The entire plateau shuddered; spiderweb-like cracks spread hundreds of metres wide, causing even the distant snow-capped mountains to rumble.
"Pfft!"
A massive spray of blood erupted from Raditz's mouth. His breath was shallow, and despite struggling for a long time, he couldn't stand. He could only manage to raise a trembling hand toward Shane.
"Y-you bastard... who the hell are you?!"
"Didn't I just introduce myself?" Shane drifted down to the edge of the crater, his black cloak snapping in the wind. "Just an Earthling. But, if it's a name you're after..."
He raised his right foot, which was now wrapped in jet-black Armament Haki.
"Shane."
BOOM!!!
The ground shook violently once more. Raditz's body was completely pierced by the stomp, and he ceased to move.
"Is... is it over?"
In the distance, Goku watched the scene with his mouth agape, utterly stunned. He stammered as he spoke, but then he couldn't help but put his hands on his hips and burst into a loud laugh.
"What's so funny?" Piccolo asked, bewildered.
"It's a surprise—a huge surprise!" Goku grinned. "Over the last few years, I thought I was already the strongest on Earth. My motivation to train was starting to fade. Now, not only do I know there are stronger guys out in space, but there's also someone this powerful right here on Earth. It's so exciting!"
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Shane's back, clenching his fists. "Hey! Mr. Shane! You really helped us out, thank you! Once this is all settled, could I ask you to spar with me?"
"Is this the time for that, you idiot?!" Piccolo shot Goku a glare before offering a respectful cupped-fist salute to Shane.
He walked cautiously to Shane's side, looking down at Raditz, who had a massive hole through his chest. He asked hesitantly, "Sir Shane, is he... truly dead?"
"Curse you... curse you all!!!!"
As if hearing his words, Raditz struggled to lift his head, his voice dripping with resentment. "To think I... would fall in a place like Earth. You two runts are lucky you found such a strong outsider to help. Cough... but it doesn't matter. I have even more powerful comrades. They... they will avenge me!"
Shane glanced at Piccolo and answered quietly, "Apparently not yet."
Figures. Saiyans are like this—everyone's a master of surviving the unsurvivable.
Piccolo: "..."
"Heheh, just wait, just wait..." Raditz continued, "I've already sent everything that happened here to my two comrades on the other side of the universe. One year. At most, in one year, they will arrive on Earth."
The signal went out? Piccolo's expression darkened.
"When that happens, Earth will be ours. As for you... Shane, was it? Vegeta will be very interested in you..." Raditz's gaze shifted to Shane, his speech becoming increasingly difficult. "A lost Saiyan bloodline... managing to train a power level to 3,000 on your own. If he can recruit you... you'd be far more useful than that failure Kakarot... cough..."
"What a coincidence," Shane's cold voice cut in. "I'm very interested in those two comrades of yours as well."
"Ha? What nonsense... stop dreaming." Raditz blinked, then forced a mocking laugh. "Just... cough... just because you beat me doesn't mean much. Prince Vegeta's power is beyond what you frogs in a well can imagine. Before him... you have no chance of winning..."
Thud.
The voice stopped abruptly. Raditz's head slumped to the side, all signs of life finally extinguished.
He was finally dead. Shane knelt to confirm it, then unclipped the scouter from Raditz's head.
"Prince Vegeta?" Piccolo gritted his teeth, his face grim. "Of those two stronger Saiyan comrades, one is actually their Prince?"
That sounded like an entirely different league!
"Waaaaah!"
A loud crying sound suddenly erupted. Piccolo and Shane turned to see Goku pulling Gohan out of Raditz's spherical spaceship. The little guy wasn't just scared; he had been terrified his father would be killed. The moment he was out, he clung to Goku, bawling uncontrollably.
"Gohan!" Goku checked his son for injuries. Seeing none, he let out a sigh of relief.
Piccolo walked up, his voice heavy. "Goku, we're in a bit of trouble. You heard what that guy said before he died. We have one year at most to prepare."
One year. Then, two Saiyans far stronger than Raditz would descend upon the Earth.
"Only one year?" Goku scratched his head, troubled. "Man, that's a real headache. Even with a year of hard training, it'll be tough to surpass someone of Raditz's level..."
"True." Piccolo nodded. He took a deep breath and turned solemnly to Shane. "Sir, I don't know why a powerhouse like you would choose to live in obscurity, but Earth is facing a great crisis. We truly need your strength!"
"He's right!" Goku added hurriedly. "Mr. Shane, don't live in seclusion anymore. Come train with us!"
His eyes lit up as he pumped his fists. "If we team up, we'll definitely get stronger. When the time comes, we'll defeat those invading Saiyans together!"
Shane didn't answer immediately. Instead, while they were talking, he opened his right palm. Black-and-red Conqueror's Haki condensed into a sphere, completely sealing the scouter inside.
"That's..." Piccolo started.
"This thing doesn't just detect power levels; it's a communication tool for those Saiyans to talk to each other." Shane stood up and explained with a smile. "To prevent those two from eavesdropping, I've temporarily jammed it. Once we get back, we'll find someone to modify it so we can use it ourselves."
I see! The two realized. Goku laughed, punching his palm. "That's easy! My best friend Bulma is an amazing scientist and inventor!"
Modifying a little gadget like that should be child's play for her.
Piccolo's eyes brightened as he caught onto something. "Once we get back? Does Sir Shane mean he's willing to train with us?"
"Yeah, of course." Shane looked at the sky and smiled. "After all, I'm an Earthling too."
His luck this time was quite good. The timing of his entry into this world was perfect for him. Dragon Ball Z had just begun. There was no Frieza yet, nor Androids or Majin Buu—bosses whose power levels were so astronomical they'd be impossible to touch.
And in a year, Vegeta would arrive. If he remembered correctly, when Vegeta first landed on Earth, his power level was already near 20,000. That was over ten times stronger than Raditz!
The pressure on his shoulders had spiked, but it was just within the realm of the manageable. If he could defeat Vegeta one-on-one in this slightly weakened simulation, he would return to his own world with enough skill to face Imu's true body!
"Alright!!" Goku cheered, his smile bright and sunny. "That's fantastic!"
Piccolo also raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his face. In his eyes, none of Goku's other friends could be relied upon. Relying only on himself and Goku against the upcoming Vegeta clearly wouldn't be enough. But Shane was different! With this mysterious powerhouse joining them, Earth's future looked much more hopeful.
Goku, watching from the side, noticed Piccolo's smile and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Strange... I felt it earlier. Why does it feel like Piccolo has changed since I last saw him? He doesn't seem as evil as before... Oh well, as long as it's a good thing.
"Hey, Goku! What's the situation? Are you guys okay?!"
Just then, a girl's anxious voice called out from above.
"Oh! It's Bulma! Bulma's here in her plane to pick us up!" Goku waved, laughing. "Don't worry, we're fine! Gohan's okay too! Come and meet Big Brother Shane—it's thanks to him that the bad guy was taken care of!"
"Big Brother Shane?" Another curious voice followed. "Goku, you're calling him 'Big Brother'? He looks even younger than you! But I can definitely feel a very strong Chi coming from him."
Wait, that voice sounds familiar... Luffy?
Shane looked up in surprise, only to see a small bald head peeking out from behind Bulma. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Ah, it was just Krillin.
Meanwhile, in the far reaches of deep space, on a planet with a tropical rainforest climate.
Beep-beep-beep!
A sharp alarm sounded.
"Hmm?" Vegeta, who had been resting against a tree trunk with his eyes closed, snapped them open and looked at the signal on his scouter.
"That Raditz guy actually died?" Nearby, Nappa was checking his own scouter, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "There's actually someone on Earth capable of killing him?"
"Hmph, he was a waste of space," Vegeta sneered. "Though it's not entirely surprising. According to the last data the scouter sent back, the guy who killed him had a power level of over 3,000."
"3,000?!" Nappa was shocked. "A mere planet like Earth has a warrior of that calibre? Was it Kakarot?"
"Kakarot? That low-class reject doesn't have that kind of ability." Vegeta stood up and casually cracked his neck. "Look at the data below. Besides Kakarot, there's apparently another Saiyan on Earth named Shane. He's the one who killed Raditz."
"Shane?" Nappa blinked, scratching his bald head. "That's a strange name. Vegeta, do you know the guy?"
He certainly didn't remember anyone by that name, and it didn't fit the usual Saiyan naming conventions at all.
"I don't recall him either," Vegeta said coldly. "But it's not that strange. Even though our race was destroyed long ago, there are bound to be a few lucky rats like us who escaped. This guy must be from some other lost Saiyan bloodline. His power level was still rising after it hit 3,000; his true strength might be on par with yours, Nappa."
"Hey, I don't like the sound of that," Nappa grunted, annoyed. "How much higher can it go? My power level is a solid 4,000. Beating him would still be a breeze!"
"That doesn't matter. Regardless, when we get to Earth, you'll deal with him. Just remember to hold back a bit—don't go and kill him right away."
"Huh?" Nappa stared blankly at Vegeta as he walked toward their space pods. "What do you mean?"
"What else could I mean? Stop dazing, Nappa. We're leaving now. Destination: Earth!"
Vegeta stepped into the pod, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Raditz begged me to avenge him. Hmph, a piece of trash like that is better off dead. I couldn't care less about avenging him. But this Saiyan called Shane... I'm interested. I plan to recruit him as an underling."
What did an idiot like Nappa know? There were so few Saiyans left. He called himself a Prince, but he was practically a commander without an army. From the images Raditz sent, this Shane looked less than twenty years old. To reach a power level of over 3,000 at that age, training alone on a backwater rock like Earth...
What did that prove? His current combat power might be less than Nappa's, but his talent and future ceiling were things Nappa couldn't hope to match! His future power level might even break 10,000.
A great man living in this world shouldn't spend his life grovelling under others. He had had enough of playing nice in Frieza's army, having to watch his words around every random Ginyu Force member. If he could recruit this Shane, he would have a powerful right hand.
His ambitions, his plans... perhaps in the near future, they could truly become a reality!