Episode 58

Encounters

Author's Note: Hi, it's been quite a while! Here's another chapter, so I hope you enjoy reading this. Before we move on, I would like to say thank you so much for your reviews, feedbacks, and for some of your ideas as well. I need to address a few things though.

There are a lot of creative minds out there who have been sharing some of their suggestions to me that I could put into my story, and I thank you all for that, and even though I do take them into account (and use some of them in my story), unfortunately, I cannot take all of those ideas. One critique that I sometimes receive is about the accuracy of power levels in my story. Unfortunately, I find power levels to be too much of an inconvenience; therefore, I don't use them as much in the story (or I don't pay too much attention to). I certainly do not like to do math while writing my chapters (especially if you do it all the time if you're a college student like myself) and while trying to figure out which character could be stronger or weaker through the use of power levels. I apologize for any inaccuracies then for the power levels in my story, but in the DragonBall universe (at least, Saiyan Blood version), I like to keep things simple: some characters will be stronger than others, some will be weaker, and those who are not strong enough, they find ways to get stronger then to overcome their opponents. The only reason why I'm using power levels for now is because the original DBZ storyline also uses them during the Saiyan and Namek sagas.

Having Bardock and Raditz in the story is already a challenge for me. I have to constantly think about how these two can change things around, how certain events would change, and how those could affect the entire story in the long-run. I always try my best to make Saiyan Blood as unique as possible from the original DBZ storyline. That's why, there are certain concepts that I try to keep simple (to avoid too much stress and thinking for my tired brain) such as the strengths of characters. For example, Bardock and Raditz are definitely stronger than Frieza's right-hand men (Zarbon and Dodoria), they are likely in par with the Ginyu Force (or they can be slightly stronger), but they are weaker than Frieza (but not too weak once we get to Frieza saga). I don't have to use math and power levels to support this. For me, I try to use common sense and simple estimations.

Another point I would like to address is Bardock's and Raditz's strengths during the Saiyan saga. Some of you have made a good point that Bardock should have been much stronger and could've easily crushed Vegeta. But recall that Bardock was "asleep" or "dormant" for twenty years at the beginning of the story. He was in a coma state even though he gained a massive amount of power from surviving his home planet's destruction. So, Bardock basically lost all that power and his power level is pretty much back to 10,000 (or maybe slightly lower, like 9,800).

As for Raditz, in my opinion, he is a very weak low-class Saiyan (the lowest of the low-class) and so, getting stronger for him is very difficult even though he survived the self-destruction of the Saibaman and even though he trained with the Z-warriors for a year. That's why he still struggled to overcome Nappa, but like his nephew, Gohan, his strength skyrockets whenever he gets angry, but for very short periods of time. He definitely improves his fighting power around Namek saga though (as you will see soon).

There is also a little confusion about how long it actually takes to get to Guru's house in Namek. I did a bit of research to find the answer for this and unfortunately, there is no specific time length. I asked other people, but their answers varied. Some believe it only took Krillin and Gohan to get to Guru's house in a few hours while some say it's about a few days. In my story, I've decided that it will take Krillin and the others to get to Guru's place close to 3 days.

We all know Akira Toriyama's DragonBall is the original and as writers, we try our best not to ruin anything when we make our own twists and changes to the series, but I do like to get very creative with Saiyan Blood and let my imagination run wild. After all, this story is really just for fun (and writing it is also a stress reliever for me) without me having to worry about the tiny details. Saiyan Blood is how I see DragonBall with Bardock and Raditz included in the mix.

Wow, this is the longest author's note I've ever written, but I just wanted to discuss briefly with you all about this. I hope this clears up any confusion from Season 1 and Season 2. Also, for those who have been writing guest reviews and would like to get notified when the next chapter is up, it's best to make a fanfiction account and follow this story. It's the only way to receive a notice in your inbox the next time I update.

Thanks for reading this lengthy author's note. Happy reading!

Bardock, Gohan, and the Namekians in the village came together as Bardock discussed with them about what they must do from here on out.

"I really wonder where he went," Gohan referred to Guldo and of his mysterious disappearance.

"Doesn't really matter now. He's probably too far to be located…," Bardock had a serious look, knowing they had to focus on far more important issues. He was quite worried because he knew information about him will be leaked now, especially to that tyrant, Frieza, yet, perhaps it was time that he knew of his presence, to let him know that he was still alive and he was here to exact his revenge and avenge his people. Bardock cannot let him get away with his evil deeds this time.

The elder then approached him along with the two Namekian children and the young adult one. The three warriors stood behind the village elder.

The elder nodded. "We thank you for saving us…we apologize again for mistaking you and the boy for foes."

Bardock shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. What's important now is that you guys seek shelter somewhere else."

The Namekians agreed that this was a wise decision to make. All that happened here only meant more dark forces will target them. They must hide until these enemies had been taken care of.

The elder had one last question for Bardock. "Before we go, I need to ask…are you really here to help us? If so, then please…help us restore our planet back to the way it was."

Bardock looked at him.

"We worked so hard trying to make our home to the once lively, peaceful planet it was, but now, these evil men have come and have decided to destroy our lands and our people…please," the elder now begged. "Help us restore peace to this world."

After hearing his words, Bardock vowed that he will do everything he can to help them. Gohan assured the inhabitants that everything will be all right and that he and his friends will definitely save their planet.

The Namekian warriors then led their people to safety. "Come, let's move quickly.

Gohan interrupted them for a second. "Wait! Where will you guys go?"

The elder looked at him. "Don't worry. We have a place where it can keep us safe from this peril. The Great Elder has made a secret hideout for us in case anything like this should happen. After all, it is hard to trust anybody now outside of home."

Bardock and Gohan watched them leave the village.

"Good luck to you both," the elder said to the two.

Soon enough, they disappeared with uncertainty for the future and with broken hearts for their fallen brethren. All they could do now was to hope for a miracle to happen, to release their beloved home from harm's way once and for all.

Bardock and Gohan were all alone now in the village.

Bardock then quickly took flight into the skies. Gohan followed along and asked him, "What should we do now, Grandpa Bardock?"

The half-Saiyan then quickly noticed a look on his face, which told him his grandfather had realized something important and a little unnerving as well. Bardock's eyes moved about while whispering to himself, "…if he's part of Frieza's army, then…Krillin, Raditz…"

Gohan was concerned. "Grandpa, what's wrong?"

Bardock quickly told him, "Gohan, we have to get back to Bulma. We need to make sure that everyone's doing all right."

Gohan understood. "Right, let's go then!"

Immediately, they flew at top speed across the skies, their auras bursting in the air, leaving as soon as possible. Bardock felt his heart racing again. He just hoped that Frieza and none of his men were still far away from their family and friends.

While the inhabitants of Planet Namek continued to face many atrocities and troubles, out in the endless space, Goku kept training at 20xG in his ship. After practicing under heavy gravity, he decided to take a break. He went to the kitchen and grabbed some snacks he could munch on, but once he opened the fridge, he scratched his head in wonder.

"Huh, nothing much here…," he asked, a little disappointed. Inside the refrigerator, there were many frozen foods placed there, microwavable, uncooked fish and meat, diary, fruits, vegetables, breakfast needs, and desserts. It also had plenty of juice and water bottles.

It may seem like a lot of food, but for Goku, considering he has a voracious appetite, he was afraid this might not fill him for the next six days of his trip. He may just have to adjust to this though. "Okay then, I think I should have this as an appetizer."

His definition of an appetizer though was this, "Let's see, I'll grab five slices of ham, some chicken wings, maybe veggies, eggs, these fish rolls here, and oh! Can't go without dessert!"

After eating his heavy-loaded appetizer, he then grabbed a handful of bananas and ate one at a time. He was about to go back to the gravity room, but he was so busy eating, he did not realize that the gravity controls were still on.

When he stepped back into the room, he lost balance and fell hard to the floor. "AAH! Eh, heh," his hair was ruffled and quite messed up. "Guess I forgot to turn off the gravity while I was in the kitchen."

Just about he stood up on his feet, he suddenly heard a voice, which echoed throughout the gravity room. "Hey, Goku, can you hear me there?"

Goku blinked his eyes for a moment and soon, recognized the sound of that voice. He greeted excitedly, "Oh, hey, King Kai, it's you! How's it going? Haven't heard from you in a while."

"No, Goku, it's actually the chair talking to you," King Kai joked around, like always, but then revealed it was really him. "Heh. Just kidding! I am King Kai. So, how's your training? Are you in pretty good shape?"

Goku smiled. "Yeah, thanks to that Senzu Bean. As you might know, I'm now traveling in space to get to Namek. I almost can't believe how many weeks have passed. Time sure flies."

"Yes, and time also flies here…well, at least, for your friends who were able to cover Snake Way much faster than you did," King Kai suddenly mentioned these "friends" of his.

Goku wondered what he meant. He placed the bananas on the floor first before getting up again. He fixed his blue belt around his waist. "Wait, 'friends'?"

King Kai placed his arms behind his back. "Yeah, your friends! Don't tell me you've forgotten already."

All of a sudden, a different voice spoke throughout the room and he said with a laugh, "Hah, hah! C'mon, Goku, we've known each other since you were a kid. Don't tell me you're gonna forget us like that!"

Goku almost could not believe whom he was hearing. He became excited. "What? No way! Is that you, Yamcha?!"

Lo and behold, at King Kai's planet, there were four people standing behind King Kai and they were Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Piccolo.

"Yep, you got it!" King Kai told him.

"I can't believe it! It's been a long time since I've heard your voice!" exclaimed Goku. "Then, it must mean Tien, Chiaotzu, and Piccolo are there, too, right?"

King Kai simply laughed this time while the Z-warriors behind the North Kai kept smiling, knowing how innocent Goku can really be.

Yamcha had his hand rested on King Kai's shoulders so that he may be able to talk to Goku telepathically. 'Sup, old friend? You must be packing lots of punches there."

"How in the world did you get to King Kai's?" Goku asked who kept his eyes at the ceiling. "Your journey should've taken you ages! Actually, how did you even know about his place?"

"Well, Kami told us about it and considering King Kai's training can make one pretty strong, we all agreed to come here and get some lessons from him," Yamcha explained. "And how did we get here fast? …eh…I don't know…probably we're much faster than you, Goku. Heh, heh!"

"Amazing!" Goku remarked.

"Hey, King Kai told us that you guys are gonna wish us back to life with the DragonBalls on Namek. You guys are the best!" Yamcha was proud to have an awesome friend like him.

"Thanks, Yamcha," Goku nodded. "So everyone made it? All at the same time?"

"Yeah, everyone did a good job. Chiaotzu was so full of energy, we almost have trouble keeping up with him on Snake Way!" laughed Yamcha. "But all of us were able to pull through."

"Wow!" Goku exclaimed.

"Snake Way isn't so bad. It's the gravity that needs to get used to," Yamcha mentioned.

Goku reassured him that he was not the only one who was experiencing intense gravity pull. "Don't worry. You guys can adjust pretty easily. I've been training under heavy gravity myself. I'm on my way to meet Bulma, Krillin, Gohan, Raditz, and Bardock…"

Suddenly though, he became worried. "But unless I get stronger in the next five days, we'll be in for some serious trouble."

Yamcha became concerned and asked if there was anything going on in Namek.

Goku explained, "When I was still in the hospital, Bulma and the others went ahead to get the DragonBalls without me, but when they got there, they told me that Namek's being invaded by enemies from outer space. The worst part is…," he fell silent for a moment and then, revealed to them the terrible truth, "Vegeta happens to be in Namek, too."

King Kai heard what he said and he almost screamed while Yamcha stood in dread and worry.

"No way! Vegeta is there?" Yamcha asked.

Tien, Chiaotzu, Piccolo heard what he said and they were also surprised

"He hasn't done anything to Bulma and the rest, right?" Yamcha asked, hoping to hear an answer from him.

Goku shook his head. "Fortunately, no, but I'm worried that they'll have to face Vegeta at some point," however, he had other terrible news that they should all be aware about. "And that's not all, there's another evil force roaming around Namek. Bulma said that they saw these aliens who were wearing similar armors to my brother's and father's, but they're not Saiyans at all."

Even trying to speak to them about the situation made Goku feel more anxious and impatient. He had to get to Namek as soon as possible.

"They're not Saiyans? So, who are they?" asked Yamcha. "Are they as strong as Vegeta is?"

Goku paused again before answering him. "…there's a chance that they could be…more powerful than him. They told me that some of these power levels they sensed were enormous."

King Kai and Yamcha were shaking a little now.

Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, Tien needed to ask if everything was all right.

Yamcha gulped hard. "There's enemies on Namek who could be stronger than Vegeta himself."

"What?!" the rest of the Z-warriors were shocked.

However, King Kai was sensing a far more horrifying peril than anyone else thought. He decided to ask his student a question. "These enormous power levels your friends mentioned, did they tell you specifically where they came from? Don't tell me…one of them could be Frieza?"

"I have no idea," Goku said, unsure.

King Kai trembled even more. He walked towards the edge of his planet and tried to feel out the enormous energies with his antennas. "Give me a sec…"

Yamcha could feel his forehead sweating, his heart beating nervously. Tien had to ask again. "Hey, Yamcha. What's going on? Why's Vegeta on Namek?"

King Kai took a while to search for those enormous energies that Goku had mentioned. After he was able to sense Planet Namek thousands and thousands more miles away, he then individually picked up the highest power levels residing there. To his shock, he sensed not just one, but two very powerful energies on Namek and they were filled with pure malice and wickedness.

King Kai shook his head, his hands and entire body quivering now with fear. "N-no way! It can't be!"

The Z-warriors stared at the North Kai, wanting to know what he had discovered. Goku sensed his master's distress and asked if anything was wrong.

King Kai had to warn his student now before he could put himself into great danger. "G-Goku, you have to listen to me. This Frieza…he's the most powerful fighter in the universe that you'll ever face in your life. And not only that, Frieza happens to be with his father, too! There's no way you can't beat the two of them."

Goku was a bit confused. "The most powerful? But…what are you trying to tell me, King Kai?"

"I'm saying that you should never go near Frieza and his father!" his teacher now warned him. "I'm telling you this for everyone's sake. Those who encounter Frieza or any of his family will never make it out alive."

"But-," Goku was about to say something, but his teacher interrupted him.

"I want you to promise me that you won't dare face him or else, you're only asking for own doom. The best thing to do is to stay away from him altogether!"

Goku had to argue with him, however. "Hold on a second, King Kai! I can't just run away. You do realize that Bulma, my dad, my brother, and my son are in that planet. They…they need my help!"

"I understand what you mean, but you just need to contact them somehow to leave Namek as soon as possible," King Kai advised him.

"But how about the DragonBalls?" Goku continued to argue. "We're supposed to use them to wish our friends back to life, right?"

Bubble was seen picking up some flowers from his owner's garden, but he noticed the tension going on amongst the fighters.

"Come on, King Kai!" Goku almost had to beg him.

But his teacher warned one more time, "Absolutely not! I'm telling you not to go near Frieza!"

The stressed King Kai stopped talking, however, when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. It appeared to be Piccolo.

Piccolo had a grin on his face. He did not approve of King Kai's advice for Goku. They had come this far in their journey and if they were to abandon all the efforts they went through, then there might be no more chance for them to go back; therefore, he asked his former arch-rival, now his companion and good friend to, "Just focus on your mission, Goku. Get all those DragonBalls and wish us back to life."

"Piccolo! I never thought you'll say something!" Goku exclaimed. He was glad that he was on his side of the conversation. It also further confirmed his validation that Piccolo had definitely transformed into a good person.

"In the meantime, we'll do some special training with King Kai to get ready," Piccolo planned.

Goku nodded. "Yeah!"

"If we ever have to face this so-called tyrant, Frieza, then we'll get ourselves prepared for that battle," Piccolo told him. "Besides, we've got Gohan, Raditz, and Bardock on our side. With strong companions with us, we'll be ready."

King Kai hated to know that he was being ignored. "Didn't I just tell you not to go head-to-head with Frieza and his terrifying race? Fine! I won't help you and your friends get any stronger unless you promise that you'll never face him."

Piccolo was silent for a moment. He could not convince him; therefore, he had to come up with a white lie just to calm him down. "Fine, as you wish."

King Kai heaved a deep sigh. "…I hope you really mean it. And that goes for the rest of you, too."

"I can't believe he'll fall for that easily," Piccolo growled to himself.

Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Tien stood in silence, but they were in the same frame of minds as Piccolo was. They were determined to train and release their latent potential. They wanted to help their friends face off this Frieza as well.

"I gotta train hard like Goku. If we have to face Frieza, we need to give it all we got," Tien smiled with confidence.

Yamcha smiled also.

"I guess we should begin training then," said King Kai.

"I've been waiting for this training forever," Tien said to himself.

Yamcha gave a wider grin. "Show me all you got."

King Kai told them their first task. "If you guys are ready, then hear this. Before I train you four, you have to pass my challenge first. Tell me a joke and if you make me laugh, you'll win! Heh, heh!"

"HUH?!" and so Chiaotzu, Tien, Yamcha, and Piccolo must face their worst challenge ever.

Goku had finished talking with his friends in the afterlife. Now, he was alone again in space. After learning from King Kai that Frieza is the strongest being in the universe, he felt more resolved to further extend his limits and test his boundaries in training. He must get stronger; there was no excuse of not being able to do so. With that in mind, he set the gravity in the room up to 30xG and resumed training.

On Namek, Bardock and Gohan were heading back to Bulma's place to make sure that everyone was still all right. While they continued to travel at high speeds, suddenly, Bardock's instincts clicked on him and from afar, he sensed someone approaching them. He stopped at a complete halt and Gohan did the same.

"Did you see something, Grandpa Bardock?" asked Gohan.

Bardock could feel two beings approaching them fast, their auras emitting a sense of malevolence. He knew this was trouble. He quickly told his grandson, "Gohan, go ahead and get to Bulma. I have some business to take care of here. There're more enemies coming this way."

"What? If you say they're enemies, then let me help you!" Gohan wanted to stay with him.

"No," Bardock refused. "It's best for you to go and make sure that everyone's all right. Don't worry. I'll be back," he said, keeping his eyes fixed towards the direction where he was sensing the life forces of these incoming enemies.

Gohan could tell that he was being serious. If he continued to insist to stay with him, his grandfather would start raising his voice, for sure. Gohan's aura then surrounded him and he flew away. "Okay, be careful, Grandpa!"

Bardock watched his grandson leave. The moment he disappeared in the skies, Bardock then sensed an incoming attack. From the corner of his eyes, he saw this flashing light, which meant to hit him. He quickly evaded it by moving his body to the side and then, he destroyed it with a blast of his own.

Haze and fog briefly took over. Bardock kept his hand placed in front of him, remaining in that position for a while. It was at that point that these two enemies had arrived and confronted him.

"Well, well, look what we have here. Must be a lost tourist!" said one voice.

"I'd say we'll take him out as soon as we can," said the other voice.

Since the fog was in the way though, the enemies could not entirely see who this mysterious being was whom they deemed as merely a lost tourist.

Bardock clearly heard these voices…and instantly, he felt this rage emerging from his chest, about to explode from inside. It was they who had killed his comrades, his best friends.

Once the grey smoke had faded, the soft laughter that came from the two enemies immediately faded. They actually recognized the person whom they were talking to and they grew in immense shock. At first, they believed they were seeing a ghost, an apparition, but they came to realize that this warrior was very much alive. He was the one who had confronted Frieza's army of thousands of soldiers, who stood up to the tyrant himself, and who fought all alone in that war.

The two enemies were now revealed to be Zarbon and Dodoria and they realized that this "lost tourist" was actually the long-forgotten Saiyan named Bardock.

"It can't be," Zarbon stuttered.

Dodoria felt extremely worried. "Impossible…! After all these years…he's still alive?!"

Bardock finally turned around and glared at the henchmen with that fiery look in his eyes, which meant he had returned with only one thought in mind.

…revenge.

Everything was still for a moment. The winds howled and then, they stopped, and it seemed like the whole world fell silent.

Zarbon and Dodoria could not do anything at the moment. Bardock kept silent, and if his anger were to be triggered, he will explode and become the deadly and powerful Saiyan warrior he was reputed for.

Zarbon had to speak to Bardock. His hands began to curl into fists, his eyes now showing frustration in them. "How-how could you possibly escape…from Lord Frieza's indestructible attack? We saw you with our own eyes. You died on that day!"

Dodoria shook his head slowly. "There's no way you could've survived your planet's destruction. How? I don't understand-!"

Already, Bardock was getting sick and tired from just hearing their voices. They were confused and obviously, at disbelief with the fact that he was still alive even though he was clearly standing in front of them.

"Shut your mouths," Bardock suddenly demanded from them. Already, the sound in his voice meant he was prepared to conjure his terrible wrath on them.

The henchmen were silenced immediately.

"You will never get away for what you did to my comrades…to my people…to my home planet…," Bardock declared.

Zarbon and Dodoria had to admit, they never felt this frightened before in their lives. This was definitely a different kind of Bardock standing before them, but then, they realized that he is still a low-class Saiyan warrior after all, even if he were to survive the destruction of Planet Vegeta.

Dodoria was convinced that Bardock was still nowhere near their strengths. He spat at him. "Don't get too cocky, Bardock. You may have come back from the dead, but you're still a weakling compared to us!"

Bardock maintained his serious expression.

Zarbon told him, "We're well-aware that you have the ability to hide some of that power of yours, but even still, you can't beat elites like us, who had always served as Lord Frieza's right-hand men."

Dodoria advanced towards Bardock. "You may be asking yourself now why we're saying such things. Well, let me tell you this. Zarbon and I have been doing training ourselves. Don't think we slacked off after we wiped out the whole monkey parade! During these two long decades, our powers have also increased and with our abilities combined, they should still far surpass yours."

Bardock did not react, but was enraged to hear him call the Saiyans a "monkey parade."

"So, Bardock, this is a pretty familiar scene, don't you think?" Dodoria suddenly smirked. After a second, he quickly opened his mouth and without warning, he fired a perilous, golden beam from the inside of his throat, which brightened the skies and headed straight towards his opponent. Its size was huge, it could engulf Bardock in an instant, and the distance between his attack and his opponent was very short, Bardock only had little time to react. Dodoria used this same technique on him as he did many years ago when he was ordered to kill Bardock along with the rest of his comrades back on Planet Meat.

Bardock did not flinch nor did he feel any fear. Almost unbelievably, he used his left arm to deflect Dodoria's blast away towards the background behind him and it hit the bottom of the rivers instead. There was an explosion underwater and the waters rose and shone under the sun.

"What?!" cried Dodoria with shock.

Zarbon's eyes widened.

Bardock had made zero effort to deflect Dodoria's once destructive, petrifying beam, but now a mere joke to him. Dodoria and Zarbon became frightened especially after seeing Bardock's grave, almost threatening stare.

"No!" Dodoria shook his head. "That blast should've blown you to bits. How-how could you stop it that easily?!"

Bardock kept his arm raised for a moment before moving it back to the side.

Zarbon soon realized that he might be hiding a lot more power than what their scouters were telling them. Even their newest models were still not effective enough to detect their hidden strengths.

"How dare you make a mockery of us!" Zarbon growled.

Bardock lowered his head, shadows casting over his eyes. "Do you really think I'm just mocking you? It just goes to show your knowledge about the Saiyans is dangerously lacking."

Immediately, Bardock revealed to them this time the immense power he had been hiding and had gained throughout these years. His aura quickly burst and surrounded him. His enemies could not anticipate his rapid speed. Bardock threw a crushing punch straight at Dodoria's face, breaking his scouter in the process. Zarbon became scared. Nevertheless, he tried to attack him with his fists, but Bardock was able to grab his hand. Once again, he shocked him as he threw an uppercut to his chin, following with a violent sidekick to his armor. Both Dodoria and Zarbon were hurt by this warrior and were already bleeding while Bardock had not broken a sweat at all.

The right-hand men of Frieza were seeing Bardock as a main threat to their master's plans once again. They were angered with this Saiyan who always rises whenever he falls.

Zarbon and Dodoria let their emotions, anger and fear, get the best out of them. They mindlessly attacked Bardock, rushing towards the lone survivor of the Saiyan race, determined to take him down one way or another while Bardock watched as they approached him, now with a grin appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, on another side of Namek, Vegeta was flying through the skies, heading to the Eldest Namekian as soon as he can. He cannot let any of Frieza's men get their hands on this DragonBall. If they did, his chance for immortality will forever be gone.

The Saiyan Prince, with his eyes, saw three figures going straight at him. He was alerted at first, but soon, he realized they were just a few of Frieza's feeble minions. In fact, they belonged to the group of ten henchmen whom Raditz had knocked out earlier after he and Krillin saved Moori, Cargo, and Dende. They were trying to look for Raditz again, but when they encountered Vegeta, they were in for more serious trouble.

Once they met, they began talking.

"Vegeta!" cried one of the henchmen. "What are you doing here?"

"Lord Frieza already told us, remember?" reminded his comrade. "He's obviously here to rebel against our master!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked the third one. "Let's take him down!"

Vegeta could not get more irritated than this. If only he could get his hands on one DragonBall, but he must deal with annoying nuisances like them who could only waste his time. "Get out of my way, you scum! I have no time to deal with half-wits like you unless you want to get hurt!"

The minions were just as irritated as he was.

"You're just like Raditz, Vegeta!" mentioned the first minion. "It would've been a lot easier if you two had kept to your pose and never went to rebel against Lord Frieza in the first place."

Vegeta suddenly raised his eyebrows. When the minion mentioned about his former comrade's name, he questioned him back. "…Raditz? You've seen him? Are you suggesting…that he's here on this planet?"

The minions seemed confused themselves. The second henchman then told him, "Stop making it sound like you don't know! You're obviously working with Raditz to overthrow Lord Frieza!"

The Saiyan Prince lowered his head and fell silent. He was not expecting this at all. He assumed that Raditz, his father, and probably his brother, too, were here on Namek, but for what purpose?

In some ways, he felt angry, knowing he must confront so many obstacles standing in the way of his desire for immortality, but in some ways, he was actually looking forward in settling the scores with Raditz, Bardock, and especially Goku. They were the ones who had made a mockery out of his name, but he swore that if he meets them again, he will make them kneel on their knees next time.

"It'll be for your own good, Vegeta, if you just give up now. You can't stand a chance against Lord Frieza," the henchmen warned him one more time.

"My own good?" Vegeta still kept his head down. "Tell that idiotic tyrant that it'll be good for him if he surrenders now to the strongest Saiyan alive!" he declared.

The henchmen now had no choice but to attack Vegeta at will. They used their blasters wrapped around their arms and shot lasers at the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta though let the blasts make contact with his armor, showing to them that their attacks meant nothing. Through the haze and smoke, he took down the henchmen one by one with his own fists and with all the power he could give. He had them crash into the waters again and he mercilessly ended their lives.

Vegeta started to picture the faces of Raditz, Bardock, and Goku. Again, he may be looking forward to see them, but most of all, he was angry with these Saiyans whom he saw as only low-leveled soldiers and yet, they were able to overpower him still.

He was reminded again of the day when he lost the battle back on Earth and suffered a shameful defeat.

Unfortunately, the prince had revealed too much of his power again due to his pride and emotions, he did notice that another warrior had picked up his power level from afar.

As the waters glistened under the sun, his eyes staring intently at the oceans below him, he was alerted to hear a voice from behind.

"Peek-a-boo, I see you!" said that voice, his words followed with laughter. "You should've been more careful, Vegeta. Anyone with a scouter could have pinpointed your location. It just so happens to be you're Lord Frieza's most wanted on his list, so I can't let you go unnoticed now."

The Saiyan Prince cannot believe he had let his guard down too soon. Now, he may need to face…one of the strongest members of the Ginyu Force.

He clenched his fists. He turned around and his eyes grew wide to see Recoome floating in front of him.

Recoome smirked wide. "Oh, and don't forget about my friend here. Guess he'll be joining me to witness your doom, Vegeta."

All of a sudden, the Saiyan Prince felt a brief, yet strong gust of wind coming from behind and his hair moved with this jet of air. Then, after he blinked, he was more surprised to see someone standing beside Recoome now and that was Burter.

"Good afternoon, Prince Vegeta," Burter said sarcastically. "It's a fine weather today to finally put you to place."

Vegeta felt worried. He had to encounter members of the most powerful and illustrious force in the entire galaxy a bit too soon. Nevertheless, the Saiyan Prince was not hesitant to go head-to-head with the Ginyu Force. In a way, he must prove to Frieza and to all his men he had changed since last time, that his power had immensely grown and that everyone should fear it.

Recoome turned his head towards Burter. "So, I think I should land the first blow on him. Beat him to a pulp and make him bleed to death, hah, hah!"

"Hold on a sec, Recoome," Burter told him. "Remember what Lord Frieza said? We have to spare him and take him to his majesty himself."

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Recoome remembered. "Lord Frieza actually got some questioning to do with you, Vegeta. Now, it'll make the job a lot easier for us if you surrender and come with us."

Vegeta bent his arms to his waist. He growled at them with silent rage. "Keep dreaming, you fools. I won't go down without a fight. I've changed since the last time you saw me. I'm a lot more powerful than you think!" he tried to intimidate them.

"Hah, hah! Stubborn as usual," Burter laughed at him. He used his scouter to calculate his power level. After he read the numbers, he was not worried at all. "Hmm…there's some truth to what you said, Vegeta, but if you think a mere power boost will be enough to stop Recoome and I, you're clearly mistaken!"

Vegeta felt more nervous than ever, but he tried to veil his fear with his pride. He decided not to run away, but to face them instead. He readied himself to take on the members of the Ginyu Force no matter what the costs were. His pride and desire for immortality were enough reason for him to do battle and prove his might.

Recoome laughed. "Hah, hah! Okay then, Vegeta. I'll be glad to use you as a training dummy. Now!" he then did a pose of his own, trying to intimidate him. "Whoo! I am…Recoome of the Ginyu Force! Prepare to meet your doom!"

"Hey!" Burter yelled at him. "We need to use rock-paper-scissors first to see which one of us gets to fight him. You can't have all the fun."

"Too late! Heh, heh!" Recoome laughed again.

Burter felt irritated.

Vegeta was most angered, he could not take this any longer. He decided to let his power explode and use all his full strength and prove to his enemies the might of the Saiyan Prince. "RAARGH!"