Although the two spherical pods had been knocked off course and away from the city, the force of their descent was still terrifying beyond measure.
Wrapped in dark crimson flames and tearing through the air with piercing sonic booms, they slammed into the mountain range outside East City like twin hammers falling from the sky.
Boom!!!
The ground shook violently, as if struck by a massive earthquake.
Two towering mushroom clouds rose into the sky as rock and soil were hurled thousands of meters upward. In an instant, a once-lush mountain peak was flattened into barren land.
The shockwave spread outward like a relentless bulldozer, uprooting trees across several kilometers. Even in East City, dozens of kilometers away, countless windows shattered from the impact.
Dust billowed into the sky, swallowing the sunlight.
"Cough… that was a bit excessive, wasn't it?"
Yamcha waved the dust away in front of him. Despite his casual complaint, his body was taut like a drawn bow, eyes locked firmly on the two massive craters ahead.
"So that's a Saiyan pod? Tough as hell. We hit it with everything and it still didn't break apart."
Tien narrowed all three of his eyes, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.
As the dust slowly settled, two white spherical pods lay quietly at the bottom of the scorched craters. Their surfaces crackled faintly, still radiating intense heat.
Click…
With a hiss of pressure release, the pods began to open.
In that instant, a suffocating aura surged outward, thick with bloodlust and brutality.
This wasn't just raw power. It was a primal dominance, like prey facing a top predator.
The first to step out was a towering, bald man with a massive build. His armor was a dull yellow, his muscles bulging like carved stone. A mocking grin spread across his face.
Nappa.
From the second pod emerged a much smaller figure.
His flame-like hair stood tall, his expression cold and sharp. A brown tail coiled around his waist like a living thing.
His arms were crossed, his gaze distant and merciless, as if everyone before him were already dead.
Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans.
"So this is Earth?"
Nappa cracked his neck, bones popping loudly.
"The gravity feels like nothing. And the air… it reeks of weakness."
He tapped the scouter over his left eye. Numbers flickered rapidly across its lens.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
His gaze swept over Krillin and the others standing on the distant ridge. His expression shifted from disdain to open ridicule.
"Hey, Vegeta. Look at this trash."
Nappa pointed at them and laughed.
"Power levels of 980, 1200, 1500… aside from that Namekian, the rest aren't even worth growing Saibamen for."
Vegeta glanced at them coldly.
"Don't get careless, Nappa. Raditz died here. These 'weaklings' seem to have a way of raising their power in an instant."
"Techniques don't mean anything in front of absolute strength."
Nappa flexed his fingers, unimpressed.
"I'll wipe them out first. Then we can look for the Dragon Balls."
Up on the ridge, Krillin had already activated his system's AR interface, analyzing the two invaders in real time.
[Target: Nappa]
Race: Saiyan (Elite Warrior)
Power Level: 4,000 (Base) / 7,500 (Full Output)
Abilities: Energy Blast, Brutal Combat, Intimidation
Assessment: All muscle, minimal strategy. Recommended approach: crush him head-on.
[Target: Vegeta]
Race: Saiyan (Royal Bloodline)
Power Level: 18,000 (Base) / 24,000 (Burst) / 180,000 (Great Ape Form)
Abilities: Galick Gun, Artificial Moon, Energy Control
Assessment: Highly prideful and extremely dangerous. Current primary threat. Prevent transformation at all costs.
"So that's all they've got?"
Piccolo let out a cold snort as he removed his weighted cape.
Boom!
The cape slammed into the ground, cracking the rock beneath it.
His aura surged instantly. Even without using Kaio-ken, the sharp, overwhelming presence of a Namekian warrior caused Nappa's scouter to shriek.
Beep! Beep!
"Power level… 3500?!"
Nappa froze for a moment.
"That's impossible. He was just at 1200!"
"That's how we fight on Earth, genius."
Gohan stood beside Krillin, hands on his hips, sticking his tongue out at Nappa.
"Maybe your toy needs new batteries."
"You little brat!"
Veins bulged on Nappa's forehead. Being mocked by a child ignited his fury.
"Nappa, control yourself."
Vegeta's tone was calm, but the killing intent in his eyes deepened.
"If they're so eager to die, we'll indulge them. But killing them outright would be boring."
He reached into his armor and took out a small container, pouring six seed-like objects into his palm before tossing them onto the ground.
"Come out, Saibamen."
The seeds burrowed into the soil, green liquid seeping out.
Moments later, the ground split open.
Six grotesque creatures burst forth, their plant-like heads twitching as they shrieked wildly.
"Let them warm up the battlefield."
Vegeta smirked faintly.
"The rules are simple. One-on-one fights. To the death. Win, and you get to live a little longer."
"A game?"
Krillin looked at the six Saibamen, a faint smile forming on his lips.
In the original timeline, these things had caused serious trouble. One had even taken Yamcha down with a self-destruct attack.
But now…
Krillin glanced at Yamcha, who was already stepping forward.
There was no fear in his eyes, only excitement, like he was staring at a pile of experience points waiting to be claimed.
Yamcha took a step forward, settling into his Wolf Fang Fist stance. A faint red aura flickered around him.
"Hey, you big bald idiot."
He pointed straight at Nappa, raising his middle finger.
"Don't insult us with these trash mobs. You want a game? Fine. I'll take all of them myself. Come at me together."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Even Vegeta paused for a moment before letting out a cold chuckle.
"Foolish."
He waved his hand.
"Kill him."
The six Saibamen shrieked and lunged at Yamcha all at once.
Krillin stepped back slightly, arms crossed as he watched.
[System Notification: Team battle initiated.]
[Mission: Earth Defense Battle – Phase One]
[Objective: Eliminate all Saibamen with zero casualties and crush Saiyan morale.]
[Reward: +10% power boost for all team members.]
Go, Yamcha, Krillin thought.
Turn that infamous moment into something new.