Alex lunged forward without hesitation and threw a punch at Raditz—but Raditz easily dodged to the side, unfazed.
Alex followed through, launching a rapid series of strikes, but Raditz continued to evade every one with minimal effort. With a smirk, Raditz drove his knee into Alex's gut, then followed up with a punch to the face, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Pathetic," Raditz sneered, grabbing Alex by the collar. "If that's all you've got, you might as well give up."
He hurled Alex across the beach. The young warrior crashed through the walls of Kame House, kicking up dust and debris.
"Alex!" Bulma screamed.
"You… you monster!" Krillin shouted, stepping forward, fists clenched.
Raditz laughed darkly. "As fun as this is, I have business to attend to." He turned to Goku, his expression hardening. "Listen, Kakarot. In twenty-four hours, you're going to kill one hundred people. Stack their bodies right here. If you do, I'll give your son back—and maybe let you join our team."
Goku's eyes widened. "What?!"
Raditz narrowed his eyes. "But if I find even one human short… your son is mine."
"You coward!" Krillin yelled. "He's just a kid—leave him out of this!"
Master Roshi stepped forward, his voice trembling. "It won't work… Goku would never hurt innocent people, no matter what you do."
"Oh?" Raditz grinned. He raised his hand, revealing a terrified Gohan squirming in his grasp. "Then maybe I should take him right now. That way, Kakarot doesn't have to get his hands dirty."
Raditz turned and began to ascend into the sky. "Suit yourselves. Soon, every creature on this planet will be exterminated. With or without Kakarot's help, we'll return to conquer Earth once our current mission is done."
"Y-you will?" Roshi whispered, fear in his voice.
"Of course," Raditz said. "It'll only be the three of us against billions. I'm sure we can wrap things up in under a month."
Goku groaned, grabbing Raditz's leg weakly from the ground. "You… won't get away with this…"
Raditz looked down at him. "Did you catch all that, Kakarot? Struggle all you want. The only way out of this is to join us."
"Give me back… my son…" Goku gasped, his voice full of pain.
"When I return tomorrow, I expect to hear one word from you—'yes.'" Raditz kicked Goku's hand away and flew into the air.
"Your power level is nothing compared to a true Saiyan," he said as he hovered. "And you're definitely no match for your older brother. I'll see you tomorrow, Kakarot."
Raditz flew off, Gohan crying in his grasp.
"GOHAN!" Goku screamed as he reached out helplessly.
Everyone rushed to Goku's side. From the rubble, Alex emerged with minor cuts and scratches, brushing off debris.
"Goku, are you okay?" Bulma asked, kneeling beside him. Roshi followed, regret heavy in his voice. "I'm sorry… I wish we could've done something. He was too strong…"
"NIMBUS!" Goku shouted, calling his cloud as he tried to stand.
But before he could leap onto it, Roshi stopped him. "Goku, wait—think about what you're doing."
Bulma stepped in. "You can't fight him like this. You're hurt."
"I know," Goku muttered, sinking to his knees on the sand. "But what else can I do…?"
Everyone stood around him, silent, until he suddenly looked up. "His tail! That's it! That's his weak spot. If I can grab it, I might be able to weaken him…"
"IT'S USELESS! YOU CAN'T WIN!" boomed a familiar voice.
Everyone turned in shock as Piccolo descended onto the beach.
Piccolo glanced around, unimpressed. "In case you didn't notice, his power level is extraordinary."
He looked toward Alex. "Far higher than any of ours. Your friend here is proof."
Alex crossed his arms, brushing off the insult. "Don't look at me like that—I was just testing the waters. I wasn't even serious."
Piccolo ignored the comment. "You're a fool if you think you can beat him alone." He turned to Goku. "However… if we team up, combine our strength—maybe we stand a chance."
Goku stared at him. "Hold on. This isn't like you. Why would you offer to help me?"
"Don't get me wrong," Piccolo replied coldly. "This is business. I have no interest in playing hero… and I care even less about your son."
Piccolo stepped forward. "I just don't want that alien freak interfering with my conquest of Earth."
"So here's the deal. I'll help you defeat the Saiyans. But once that's done—I'll crush you like a bug and continue with my plans for world domination."
Goku stood up, fists clenched. "That won't happen. I'll stop you. But… you're right. Teaming up is the only way. I was going to ask Alex the same."
"Then we have a deal," Piccolo said. "We'll just have to deal with it."
He muttered under his breath, "Teaming up with Goku… I just hope I can suppress the urge to vomit."
Goku turned to Bulma. "I'll need the Dragon Radar."
Bulma handed it to him. Goku jumped on the Flying Nimbus and looked back at Piccolo. "Hey, think you can keep up with my Nimbus?"
Piccolo smirked. "Your silly little cloud works for you. I have my own way of getting around." He looked toward Alex. "you should worry about your new little friend he better not slow us down."
Alex raised an eyebrow, grinning. "You don't need to worry about me, Piccolo. Last time I checked, you couldn't even beat me when I far weaker than you."
"That's because you were lucky," Piccolo growled. "It won't happen again."
He turned away. "Now, if your little chit-chat is over… we should go."
And with that, Goku, Piccolo, and Alex took to the skies—heading toward a future that could decide the fate of the Earth.