Vegeta let out a furious roar. His overwhelming ki erupted, and the ground beneath his feet cracked apart inch by inch.
"Kakarot! Let me show you what real power is!"
In an instant, Vegeta vanished from where he stood, leaving only a fading afterimage in the air.
His fist, wrapped in destructive energy, shot straight for Goku's face—so fast it was impossible to track with the naked eye.
Bang!
After a dull impact, Vegeta's figure snapped back into view.
His punch had been caught.
Goku had seized Vegeta's fist with one hand—casually—and hadn't even shifted his stance an inch.
"What?!" Vegeta stared in disbelief, feeling his fist locked in an iron grip. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't pull free.
A flicker of disappointment passed through Goku's eyes.
"Vegeta, I told you. You're not my match right now."
"Bastard!" Vegeta exploded in rage. His other hand condensed a dense energy sphere, and at point-blank range he slammed it into Goku's chest.
BOOOOM!
The blast detonated the moment it touched Goku. Rolling smoke swallowed them both as the shockwave rippled outward in layers.
Vegeta used the cover to shoot into the sky, the corner of his mouth curling into a victorious smile.
But when the smoke cleared, that smile froze solid.
Goku was still standing exactly where he'd been.
Not even his clothes were torn.
He lightly brushed the dust from his chest, looked up at Vegeta, and sighed. "So this is the 'battle genius' Raditz talks about?"
"You've really disappointed me, Vegeta."
The next second, Goku moved first—driving a fist into Vegeta's face.
Vegeta didn't even have time to react. His body was launched like a bullet, smashing through countless rocks and mountains and kicking up a storm of dust and sand.
When the haze finally settled, Vegeta forced himself upright.
But his breathing was ragged now. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and inside, his thoughts churned like a violent sea.
"No… impossible… How is this possible?"
"Kakarot is just a low-class warrior! How can he be this strong?!"
Then Vegeta roared again. He refused to accept it—he was going all out.
In an instant, his ki boiled over. The surge triggered strange changes in the sky: black clouds rolled in, lightning cracking and thunder roaring.
Krillin stared up at Vegeta gathering power in midair, stunned. "That ki… it's insane! It feels like the whole Earth is shaking!"
Sensing Vegeta's overwhelming aura, Raditz's eyes narrowed slightly.
"As expected of Vegeta… Still as strong as ever."
Vegeta's veins bulged. His fists clenched, knuckles snapping with sharp cracks.
"Damn it… how did it come to this?!
I'm a genius warrior! I'm not losing to some low-class trash!"
"I won't forgive this!!!"
As he spoke, Vegeta rose even higher into the sky and bellowed, "Kakarot! You bastard—this makes me sick!
I'm going to blast you and this planet into pieces! If you're scared, then dodge!
Even if you survive, Earth will still be shattered!"
Raditz's pupils shrank. "Hey—Vegeta! Don't do anything stupid!"
Nappa jolted, panic flashing across his face. "What the hell are you doing, Vegeta?! Calm down! If you blow up Earth, you'll die too!"
Seeing Vegeta about to destroy the planet just because he couldn't beat Goku, Krillin and the others were horrified.
"Damn it—he can't beat Goku so he's going to blow up our planet?! That's disgusting!"
Bulma put her hands on her hips. "So this is the Saiyan prince we waited a year for?
Even if he's talented, there's no reason to work with him!
Goku—stop him, now!!"
Bulma had checked Goku's battle power with her modified scouter. She had absolute confidence in him.
Goku nodded calmly. "Don't worry. I'll block his finishing move—cleanly."
Hearing that only made Vegeta angrier.
"Don't kid yourself! My Galik Gun can't be stopped! You'll all become fragments along with this planet!"
In the next instant, Vegeta roared, "Galik Gun!"
A massive sphere of light surged into a roaring energy wave and blasted down toward Goku on the ground.
The glare stabbed everyone's eyes, but they still forced them open, staring straight at the incoming beam.
At that very moment, Goku shot upward—flying straight into the attack—and snapped out a kick.
The instant Vegeta's Galik Gun struck the sole of Goku's foot, it dented like a rubber ball.
A heartbeat later, the dent rebounded—and the beam shot backward, rocketing into the sky and disappearing toward the endless cosmos.
Everyone on the ground erupted.
"Yes! He knocked it back!"
"We're saved!"
Krillin shouted in excitement. "That's Goku for you! He blocked a beam that strong!"
Nappa had never seen anything like it—never seen Vegeta's ultimate attack repelled like that.
Staring at Goku's back, he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Kakarot… he's actually stronger than Vegeta… This is unbelievable…"
Piccolo watched in shock, fists tightening until the veins stood out. "How…? It's only been a year… and he's reached this level…"
For the first time, Piccolo felt his dream of ruling the world slipping farther away…
The crisis was over, and everyone was celebrating—but Vegeta, hovering in midair, looked like he'd gone numb.
"How… can that be…?"
"He kicked away my strongest attack… with his foot…"
The proud lift of Vegeta's chest collapsed in an instant. His ki sagged, his spirit withering.
Since childhood, he'd been praised as the greatest Saiyan genius.
And now, for the first time, he was being crushed—completely crushed.
For the first time, he felt the raw pain of being outclassed.
Right then, Goku flashed into the sky and drove a kick into Vegeta.
Vegeta screamed and crashed into the ground.
The earth caved in around him, forming a crater like a basin.
Vegeta lay in the center, eyes lifeless, spirit broken.
Night fell. A cold wind swept through with a hollow whistle.
Vegeta felt like it wasn't just the sky growing dark—
It was the world collapsing on top of him.
His fighting spirit was gone.
At that moment, Bulma rushed to Goku's side and grabbed his arm. "Goku, I'm telling you—this so-called 'number one Saiyan genius' is trash.
Not only is he weak, his personality is awful, and his temper is unbearable."
She pointed at Nappa. "Earlier he even used his teammate as an experiment.
Just to test a Senzu Bean, he nearly killed that bald guy.
And he's arrogant beyond belief—he can't beat you, so he flips out and turns on everyone.
He even tried to blow up our Earth! He doesn't have a shred of humanity!
Just let him go. We don't want to cooperate with someone like that—he'd stab us in the back the moment it suited him!"
Goku's eyes widened slightly. He looked at Bulma, hesitation flickering across his face.
The Vegeta in his memory wasn't like this.
In his mind, Vegeta was proud to the extreme—arrogant, solitary, unbending.
The kind of warrior who would rather fight to the death than bow his head.
Someday… after truly living on Earth… Vegeta could even die to protect it.
But today—the first time he'd met Vegeta—
the man's behavior had disappointed him completely.
Goku fell silent for a moment… then finally nodded.
"Alright. You're right, Bulma."
He looked down into the crater at Vegeta.
"Hey, Vegeta. You and Nappa leave Earth. And don't ever come back."
But the moment the words left his mouth, Goku sensed something was wrong.
Vegeta's eyes reflected a full moon.
The next second, Vegeta's body swelled rapidly—expanding, warping—
and in an instant, he transformed into a vicious Great Ape.
Raditz jolted. "Damn it… I forgot—tonight's a full moon!"
Raditz knew it too well: Vegeta's battle power was eighteen thousand.
As a Great Ape, that would explode to two hundred thousand.
If he went after Kakarot now, Kakarot wouldn't stand a chance.
Raditz murmured, "Before Saiyans deploy, they always calculate the full moon.
Vegeta chose today on purpose… Could it be…?"
A terrible suspicion rose in his chest.
Was Vegeta's real purpose for coming here never pure to begin with?
Raditz clenched his fists, praying Vegeta wouldn't sink even lower and attack Kakarot like this.
Bulma had been right beside Goku earlier, trying to get him to drive Vegeta off.
Now, as Vegeta transformed, the scouter on her face began to shriek—BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Bulma's pupils tightened sharply as the numbers climbed at an absurd rate.
[36,000!]
[54,000!]
[72,000!]
"Oh no—Goku! His battle power is skyrocketing!"
In a blink, the reading hit 180,000.
Even after her modifications, the scouter overloaded.
BANG! It exploded beside her ear, smoke pouring out.
Bulma yelped and threw the smoking device away.
As a Great Ape, Vegeta wasn't just stronger—his shattered confidence snapped back into place.
He bared his teeth, looming over Goku, and burst into laughter.
"WAHAHAHA! Kakarot—so you were going to make me leave?
Wasn't it you who called me here in the first place?
Do you really think I, Vegeta—Prince of all Saiyans—can be summoned and dismissed whenever you feel like it?!
Now you don't have a tail. You can't become a Great Ape.
That's your biggest weakness.
Once I kill you, I'll still be the strongest Saiyan!
Kakarot… you're finished!"
With that, Vegeta's massive fist smashed down toward Goku.
This punch carried nearly two hundred thousand battle power.
The air screamed as it tore apart under the destructive force, the blow crashing straight for Goku.
Goku immediately wrapped an arm around Bulma and retreated, narrowly dodging the strike.
Vegeta's fist slammed into the ground.
The earth shook violently, and everyone nearly lost their footing.
Krillin glanced up at the moon, his expression grim.
A Saiyan transforming under moonlight was easy to counter—but he couldn't bring himself to destroy the moon.
Then his eyes shifted to Vegeta's tail behind him.
It was too obvious.
Cutting it off would solve the problem without consequences.
His Destructo Disc began to gather silently.
Piccolo also stared up at the moon, feeling the crushing aura rolling off Great Ape Vegeta.
At that moment, Goku set Bulma down and rushed forward to engage.
If he didn't, Vegeta might hurt everyone.
He snapped at Vegeta, "Vegeta, you short-sighted idiot!
Even if you can become a Great Ape, I can still kill you!
If you don't want to make me angry, get out of here—now…"
But before Goku could finish—
Vegeta roared back, "I'm the Prince of Saiyans! I don't need your pity! I don't believe this still won't kill you!"
He swung that car-sized fist down at Goku again.
Goku flashed aside. The earth was cratered once more.
Then Vegeta opened his jaws wide.
A thick, brutal mouth blast erupted and tore toward Goku.
Behind Goku were Krillin, Bulma, and the others. He couldn't let the beam rebound and hit them.
There was no time to counterattack.
Goku roared, "Kaioken!!"
His aura surged violently. He crossed his arms in front of himself, bracing against the beam.
BOOOOM!
After a thunderous explosion, Goku was swallowed by a sea of energy.
Vegeta laughed viciously. "AHHAHAHA! You said you could beat Great Ape me? What a joke!
Now you're dead, Kakarot!"
A gust of wind swept through.
The smoke dispersed.
Goku was still there—floating in the air—completely unharmed.
Vegeta froze. "Impossible…!"
"Kakarot, you bastard… you're strong enough to block my attacks even after I transformed?!"
Goku sneered. "Hmph. Vegeta—like I said, you're short-sighted.
If you trained properly, you'd reach this level soon enough.
But you're a stubborn, self-righteous idiot who chose death.
So don't blame me."
As he spoke, Goku activated Kaioken x2. A red glow flickered around him as he drove a fist into Vegeta.
Vegeta didn't react in time.
"WAAAHHH—!!"
Great Ape Vegeta howled as his gigantic body flipped backward and crashed into the ground.
He clutched his face, wailing in pain.
"Bastard… you hit my face?!"
Vegeta staggered up and swung again.
But Goku's red aura flashed—his movement speed outpacing Vegeta's punches.
Goku's fist slammed into Vegeta's face.
Another hit.
Vegeta stumbled back several steps.
It didn't end there.
Goku drove a punch into Vegeta's left cheek, making him lurch the other way—
then another strike—
then Goku clenched his fist and hammered Vegeta in the abdomen.
In that instant, Great Ape Vegeta's eyes bulged, and saliva sprayed from his mouth…
Watching Goku brutally dominate Great Ape Vegeta, Krillin's hand—ready to launch the Destructo Disc and sever the tail—stopped.
Piccolo, who had been preparing to destroy the moon, lowered his hand as well.
Nappa sucked in a cold breath. "This is terrifying…
Kakarot is actually beating Great Ape Vegeta…
His maximum battle power… it's already way beyond our scouter's limit…"
Faced with a Vegeta who had no dignity or pride left, Goku finally decided to kill him.
He flew above Vegeta, raised one hand, and pointed down.
The next second, ki gathered in his palm, condensing into a lethal energy sphere.
"Vegeta… any last words?"
Vegeta stared up at Goku, empty-eyed.
He had no will to resist.
Even as a Great Ape, he couldn't beat a low-class warrior in base form.
His mentality had completely collapsed.
Seeing that, Nappa's legs began to tremble.
"Damn… Kakarot is going to kill Vegeta…
Is he going to kill me too…?"
He scanned the area. No one was paying attention to him.
Slowly, he began to back away…
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