"Goku, are you ready?" Bulma called out from inside the machine emitting the Blutz Waves. Her voice carried across the rocky landscape to Son Goku, who stood poised on a large boulder not far away. Saeko and the other girls watched from the sidelines, their expressions tight with worry.
"Yeah! Let's do it! Remember to crank the frequency to the maximum! Otherwise, I might not be able to transform into the Golden Great Ape!" Son Goku flashed an "OK" sign, his face dead serious. Inside, though, he was muttering to himself, With my current strength, I should be qualified to turn into Super Saiyan 4, right? Wonder if it'll go smoothly...
"Whew—" Bulma nodded, took a deep breath, and threw the switch. Intense Blutz Waves instantly washed over Son Goku's body.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
The moment the waves hit him, Son Goku's heart began pounding violently. Muscles all over his body started to swell, and his eyes turned blood-red—savage and terrifying.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH——"
With a burst of roaring, a horrifying aura exploded from his body. Sand and stones were swept up by the sheer force, floating up into the air and rocketing straight into the sky!
Son Goku's body rapidly grew taller and larger, his clothes bursting into shreds to reveal a coat of golden fur. His once-handsome face twisted and contorted, and in mere moments, it had transformed into the visage of a giant ape—a massive nose, enormous eyes, and a mouth packed with razor-sharp fangs!
"ROAARRRR——"
The Golden Great Ape let loose a violent roar. The rocky outcrop beneath its feet and the stone all around it shattered instantly. In a heartbeat, sand danced wildly and rubble tore through the air. "Yaaah— Goku-niichan really turned into a giant ape! He looks so scary!" Alice and the other three little girls stared at the Golden Great Ape nearby and were so terrified they scurried behind the older women. The aura radiating from this Great Ape was simply too overwhelming—no wonder they were afraid!
"H-He... really did transform into a Golden Great Ape! He looks completely wild!" Yuriko stared at the Golden Ape not far away, which occasionally beat its chest and caused massive destruction, her face filled with shock.
"Yeah... it definitely looks like he's lost his reason. So... next, it's our mission!" Saeko stepped forward, addressing the other women beside her.
"D-Do we really have to go over there? Looking at this situation, I'm afraid we'll get trampled the second we get close!" Saya wiped cold sweat from her forehead, clearly frightened.
"That's exactly why we have to go over, isn't it?" Yuriko patted Saya's slender shoulder and smiled.
"A-Are all of you really going out there? This power... it's too terrifying! Even I definitely couldn't withstand a single blow from him, let alone you all!" Android 18, standing off to the side, was trembling slightly as she watched Goku transformed into the Golden Great Ape. The aura the beast radiated filled her with a sense of pure despair!
"Because we're the only ones who can wake up Goku's consciousness. This is the mission he entrusted to us, isn't it?" Saeko smiled gently. "Alright, I'll go first to test the waters!" With that, she used her Bukūjutsu and flew straight toward the Golden Great Ape.
"Goku, do you still remember me? I'm Saeko! Saeko Busujima, your wife! Do you remember me? Goku! Wake up! Goku!..." Saeko hovered directly in front of the Golden Great Ape, calling out with all her might.
The Golden Great Ape, which had been on a rampage, suddenly stopped in its tracks and gazed down at Saeko. "Did it work?!" Seeing this, the women were instantly overjoyed. But before they could even finish celebrating, the Golden Great Ape let out a ferocious roar and swung its enormous palm straight at Saeko! Saeko's instincts flared and she barely dodged out of the way!
"Ah— Goku-niichan has really lost his mind! He's actually attacking Saeko-neesan!" Karin's eyes went wide, her face a mask of shock.
"No, it seems like it might be having some effect!" Android 18 watched the Golden Ape continue to swat at Saeko, her voice calm. "With Saeko's speed, it should be basically impossible for her to dodge the Great Ape's attacks. Yet she manages to evade at the very last moment every single time. That shows Goku still has some tiny sliver of reason left—he doesn't want to hurt Saeko! At the most critical moments, he hesitates for just a split second! He's fighting his own inner demons!"
"It looks like we can't fall behind Saeko! Everyone, let's go! Even if we die, getting to die at the hands of our own man is a happy way to go!" Yuriko smiled warmly at the other women and was the first to soar over.
"Hey, hey~ Rei-neesan, I can't fly! Carry me!"
"I can't fly either~ Rika, take me over!"
Just like that, the women set out together, some riding piggyback, others being held, as they all flew toward the Golden Great Ape. Only three remained behind on the ground: Mikoto, Kushina, and Android 18.
"Um... Mikoto! I don't really have much of a relationship with him, right? It probably wouldn't do much good even if I went over... right?" Kushina looked at Mikoto, her voice hesitant.
"That's a choice only you can make. Well then, I'm heading out first!" Mikoto gave Kushina a light pat and, with a few agile leaps, darted toward the Golden Great Ape. She couldn't fly, but as a ninja, her movements were light and swift.
"Well~ he did specifically ask me to come and protect them... how could I go back on my word now!" Finding her own excuse, Android 18 took to the air and flew over.
"Tch~ now it feels like I'm the only one being left out! How annoying!" Kushina grumbled under her breath, then leaped forward and rushed out as well!
"ROAARRRR——"
The Golden Great Ape continued its rampage. Seeing the women surround him, the crimson light in its eyes flared even brighter.
As if his very majesty had been gravely challenged, he ripped a colossal boulder from the ground and hurled it straight at them!
"Look out! Dodge it!" The women all panicked, but the boulder was simply too massive. At their speed, they couldn't evade it in time!
At the critical moment, Saeko suddenly materialized in front of the oncoming rock. With a flash of her long sword and a single, precise slash, the enormous stone was cleaved cleanly in two, saving everyone!
"Phew~ That was way too close! Thank you so much, Saeko!"
"Is Goku really trying to kill us?!"
With the danger averted, all the women breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But just then, the Golden Great Ape leaped down from the rocky cliff, the ground shattering violently beneath its feet! Then, dropping onto all fours, it crawled toward the women. Every swipe of its claws shattered giant rocks, every footstep made the earth crumble and collapse! The scene was as jaw-dropping as it was terrifying!
"Everyone, get out of the way—now! Right now, Goku really might kill us!" Saeko shouted and quickly scooped up Alice, flying off to the side.
The women scrambled to support each other as they fled the area. But then, Mikoto was suddenly struck by a flying chunk of rubble, the impact sending her flying on the spot. She crashed heavily into a large rock formation and spat out a huge mouthful of blood.