Inside Babidi's Spaceship:
"Pappara-pa!"
Babidi chanted under his breath, swiftly casting a spell to teleport everyone to a vast, open arena. It was a strange landscape, filled with jagged cliffs overlooking deep purple lakes.
The battle between Vegeta and Dabura officially began.
"Hmph, you certainly have a big mouth!" Dabura sneered. "You really think you're in any position to challenge me?"
"Hmph. Against a guy like you, I don't even need my full power. I only need..." Vegeta's words trailed off as golden light erupted from his body, crackling with arcs of electricity. He immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan 2.
In my previous life, that kid Gohan only managed to fight Dabura to a draw as a Super Saiyan 2. This time, I'll finish him off easily with this form. That's the gap between us!
Seeing Vegeta's transformation, Dabura was visibly taken aback.
"Come on, Dabura!" Vegeta settled into a fighting stance.
"You're quite confident!" Dabura said, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"You won't be smiling for long!" With a cold huff, Vegeta lunged forward, delivering a heavy blow. His fist connected squarely with Dabura's cheek.
And then... nothing happened.
Vegeta remained suspended in the air, his fist still extended. Dabura hadn't budged an inch.
Vegeta: "..."
He froze in shock. How did Dabura get this strong? This is my Super Saiyan 2 form! No, it's more than that! My base power is already countless times stronger than it was at this point in my previous life. At my current level, a Super Saiyan 2 should be able to effortlessly crush the Majin Buu of the past, shouldn't it? So how did Dabura take that punch like it was nothing? Is this the power of that third eye?
"What? Is that the best you can do? How disappointing!" Dabura sneered.
WHAM!
Dabura countered with a lightning-fast strike. A massive punch slammed into Vegeta's chest, caving it in so deeply that the impact point seemed to protrude from his back.
Whoosh!
Vegeta was sent hurtling into the sky, rocketing thousands of meters into the air.
"Gah...!"
Vegeta coughed up a spray of blood, feeling like his entire world had just been upended.
Goku's expression also stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had been thinking along the same lines as Vegeta. Given how much their base power had grown, their current Super Saiyan 2 should have been exponentially stronger than the one from years ago.
And yet, he can't even handle Dabura?
Vegeta eventually managed to steady himself high in the air, looking utterly battered, his face deathly pale.
"I told you not to underestimate him!" the Supreme Kai shouted, his voice low and urgent.
"Dammit!" Vegeta gritted his teeth, wiping the blood from his lip.
"What's wrong? Weren't you acting all high and mighty just a moment ago?" Dabura's voice suddenly echoed from right behind Vegeta.
"This is bad! Vegeta, the energy from your injuries is leaking out and being absorbed by Majin Buu's seal!" Kibito added from below, his face pale with worry.
Vegeta glanced down at Kibito but said nothing, his expression darkening. I actually got sent flying by a single punch from Dabura! Could this be any more humiliating? He felt like a total clown. He had clearly underestimated the power of Dabura's third eye. He never expected it to grant him this much strength.
"Surviving a punch from me is impressive enough, I suppose," Dabura said, staring at Vegeta with a smirk.
"Hmph." Vegeta let out a cold snort. He knew a standard Super Saiyan form wasn't going to cut it.
"What? Thinking about running away?" Dabura's laughter grew even more mocking. "Did you brag about defeating me only to lose face in front of your friends? Don't know how to end this gracefully?"
Vegeta didn't waste words. Flames of divine energy erupted around him as he transformed directly into a Super Saiyan God.
Dabura's pupils shrunk as he watched the transformation, looking momentarily stunned. What is this? It feels... like he's become a god.
"A god? You're a god?" Dabura stammered.
"Hmph. Let's end the games here!" Vegeta smirked and charged toward Dabura.
BAM!
Vegeta delivered a kick that landed squarely on Dabura's cheek, leaving a clear boot print. Dabura's head snapped back, and his body was sent spiraling away. Vegeta gave chase, following up with a mid-air bicycle kick.
BOOM!
With a thunderous impact, Dabura plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground and leaving a massive crater. Vegeta looked down from above, his expression cold and indifferent.
Dabura shot back up from the crater. "Tui!" As he flew, he spat a glob of saliva directly at Vegeta.
"Watch out, Vegeta!" the Supreme Kai screamed. "Don't let that spit touch you, or you'll turn to stone!"
Vegeta didn't panic. He flicked his wrist, releasing a small energy pellet that struck the spit in mid-air.
Snap!
In an instant, the saliva was vaporized. Vegeta glanced at the Supreme Kai and gave a satisfied nod. In my previous life, this Kai was useless—he only warned people after they'd already been hit. At least this time he's speaking up at the right moment. That's progress.
Whoosh!
Dabura's silhouette blurred and vanished. A moment later, he reappeared silently behind Vegeta. But Vegeta was ready. He focused his senses and threw a back-kick that slammed into Dabura's chest.
"Gah...!"
Dabura coughed up a mouthful of bile, his face contorted in pain.
"What? A little bit of effort and you're already at your wit's end?" Vegeta smirked. He waved his hand, releasing a Kiai shockwave that slammed into Dabura.
CRASH!
Dabura was sent flying backward, smashing into a stone mountain and shattering it into rubble. However, he quickly steadied himself in the air and retaliated, hurling a massive fireball.
The fireball roared toward Vegeta, but the Saiyan remained unfazed. Gritting his teeth, he swatted the flame aside with the back of his hand.
THUD!
The force of the slap was so immense that it warped the fireball, forcing it to change direction and streak harmlessly into the sky.
Whoosh!
Dabura seized the opening, flickering directly in front of Vegeta. He raised his hand, and a massive scimitar materialized in his grip. With a wicked grin, he swung the blade down.
Vegeta's expression shifted slightly. He raised both hands, catching the blade between his palms. The edge of the sword stopped just three centimeters above his forehead. For a split second, Vegeta felt as if his skull was about to split open.
"HAAAAAH!"
Vegeta let out a roar of exertion, pouring his strength into his hands. With a sharp snap, he broke Dabura's blade in two. Dabura gritted his teeth and let out a frustrated huff.
Inside the Spaceship:
Babidi paced back and forth in a frantic circle, watching the battle on his monitor.
"Dammit, Dabura! What are you doing?" Babidi fumed. "You've barely scratched him! We've only absorbed a tiny bit of energy! Wound him! Make him bleed so Buu can have his fill and wake up!"
The battle between Vegeta and Dabura continued.
"Not bad!" Dabura suddenly laughed.
"Hmph. I don't need your praise," Vegeta replied coldly.
"You're stronger than I expected. You've truly earned my respect," Dabura chuckled.
"What are you trying to say?" Vegeta asked. "It seems that third eye gave you quite a boost."
"Indeed," Dabura nodded. "With this eye, my power has reached a new level."
"But you're still far from my level," Vegeta sneered.
"Oh? Is that so?" Dabura's lips curled into a shallow smirk.
Goku, watching from the side, furrowed his brow. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Didn't you know? I haven't even touched the true power of the third eye yet," Dabura said, his grin widening.
"What... what did you say?" Vegeta's pupils shrunk, his face paling.
"What I used just now was merely the passive boost from the eye. I haven't actually unleashed its power," Dabura laughed maniacally. "Mortal, I must admit your strength is impressive!"
As he spoke, a torrent of energy erupted from Dabura's body. A vast, overwhelming aura radiated outward, shaking the entire planet to its core.
"What terrifying energy!" Goku said, his eyes wide with surprise.
"This is why I said we must not underestimate that third eye," the Supreme Kai said, his expression growing more solemn by the second.
"Incredible!" Gohan marveled.
"Gohan..." Videl clung to Gohan's arm, trembling with fear. For a moment, she felt like she was back seven years ago. This Demon King felt just as terrifying as Cell.
"Amazing! This guy's Ki is almost on par with the Cell from seven years ago!" Krillin gasped, looking on in awe.
"Take a closer look. His energy has already surpassed the Cell from seven years ago," Piccolo said, glancing at Krillin with a neutral expression.
"Now that I think about it, you're right," Krillin nodded thoughtfully, not bothering to argue.
"As expected of the Demon King!" Vegeta, however, didn't panic. He merely smiled. "To think you've already surpassed the Cell of seven years ago... quite impressive!"
Dabura: "????"
Who is Cell? Who are you talking about?
"However, I'm not the man I used to be either!" Vegeta roared. Blue light erupted from his body, and he transformed directly into a Super Saiyan Blue.
"Blue?" Dabura was stunned once again, finding the display utterly bizarre. This human has so many forms. Especially the colors—first gold, then red, and now blue.
"Did humans evolve from chameleons?" Dabura asked with a chuckle.
Vegeta's face darkened. Chameleons? We evolved from Great Apes, you idiot!
"Come on, Dabura!" The battle lust in Vegeta's eyes burned brighter than ever.
"Stubborn fool!" Dabura sneered, lunging at Vegeta with blinding speed.
Watching the incoming attack, Vegeta leaned back, narrowly avoiding Dabura's claws.
THUD!
Vegeta drove his knee upward, slamming it into Dabura's gut. Dabura went flying, gasping in pain. But as he tumbled backward, he opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of fire.
The flames roared toward Vegeta, but the Saiyan merely smirked. With a blur of motion, he avoided the fire and appeared directly above Dabura.
Dabura looked up, his expression shifting from shock to panic.
WHAM!
Vegeta delivered a heavy blow to Dabura's face, twisting his features and leaving him reeling in pain.
BAM!
Another kick landed squarely on Dabura's chest. He was sent spiraling into the ground, tumbling across the dirt.
"Nice work, Vegeta!" Goku cheered, unable to resist a comment. "You've already surpassed the Broly of seven years ago!"
Vegeta: "..."
His face darkened, and he shot a murderous glare at Goku. Surpassed the Broly of seven years ago? Could you be any more insulting? Are you telling me it took me seven years just to catch up to him back then?
Vegeta ignored Goku and charged at Dabura instead. Dabura gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet. But just as he stood up, Vegeta dove down, driving his knee into Dabura's chin with bone-shattering force.
CRACK!
Dabura felt as if his jaw was about to shatter, the pain nearly unbearable.
BOOM!
His body tilted backward, and he collapsed onto the ground once more. Vegeta landed unhurriedly beside him, his lips curling into a disdainful smirk.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to use the power of your third eye? It doesn't seem to be doing much, does it?" Vegeta chuckled.
Dabura gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet, wiping the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. His expression grew increasingly twisted and savage.
Damnable mortal! How can I, the King of the Demon Realm, be unable to defeat a mere human? The very universe was created by the Demon Realm! Humans are nothing more than offspring of that universe. And yet, I am losing to one. I won't accept this!
Inside the Spaceship:
Babidi's mouth twitched uncontrollably, his face turning an ashen shade of green.
Dabura actually lost? That human is no joke! Dabura is being completely overwhelmed, practically pinned to the ground and beaten. This is a disaster! How is Buu supposed to wake up now? The energy we've absorbed from that man is pathetic! If only there were a way to drain more...
Dabura, you useless waste. You call yourself the King of the Demon Realm? Babidi's resentment continued to simmer.
"Dabura, have you finally shown your true strength? Used up all the energy in that third eye?" Vegeta asked with a mocking smile.
Dabura remained silent, his face dark with fury.
"I suppose you have," Vegeta said, his voice dripping with disappointment. "I thought you'd get significantly stronger, but this is all you've got? Killing you won't even give me anything to be proud of."
"You...!" Dabura's entire body began to tremble with rage. This man's words are insufferable! What does he mean, 'nothing to be proud of'?!
"Don't get so worked up. You aren't the first person to hear those words, and the one before you is already dead," Vegeta said, his smile brightening.
Dabura: "..."
His face turned deathly pale.
"In that case, there's no reason to keep you around. I'll erase you right now!" Vegeta huffed, a flicker of something sinister dancing in his eyes. "I'm ending this game immediately. Dabura, are you ready for what comes next?"
Dabura froze for a moment, staring deeply at Vegeta as a realization suddenly dawned on him. Without a second's hesitation, he reached out to Babidi via telepathy.
"Lord Babidi, bring me back to the ship immediately. I've discovered something very important!" Dabura urged.
"Oh?" Babidi blinked, almost wanting to snap back. Discovered something? You can't even beat a human! You have the nerve to call yourself the King of the Demon Realm? Did the cows take the blame for all that boasting you did earlier?
"Can you actually handle this or not, Dabura?" Babidi gritted his teeth and asked.
"Never mind that! Just bring me back! This is the key to waking Majin Buu sooner!" Dabura huffed.
"Fine. I'll trust you one more time." Since he had no one else to turn to, Babidi began to chant the incantation.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Vegeta and the others were teleported back inside the spaceship. The moment they arrived, Dabura bolted toward the elevator doors.
"What? Thinking of running away already?" Vegeta smirked. He swept his hand forward, unleashing a streak of violet-red energy.
It was the energy of Destruction—Hakai.
Watching the incoming projectile, Dabura's expression shifted in alarm.
"Let's see you try to neutralize this one," Vegeta said with a triumphant grin.
Dabura's face grew even paler. The Hakai energy followed him right into the elevator.
Dabura: "..."
Having witnessed the power of this energy before, Dabura didn't dare take any chances. He scrambled to the side to avoid it.
Zap!
The Hakai energy struck the elevator. In an instant, the entire structure popped like a soap bubble, vanishing into nothingness. Dabura fell through the empty shaft, nearly landing in a heap.
Fortunately, as the Demon King, his reflexes were sharp enough to allow him to land safely on the floor below. However, as he looked up at where the elevator had been, his eyes were filled with pure horror.
The power of that energy... it's insane. I've never seen anything like it!
"Hey, Dabura! Are you alright?" Babidi asked, feeling a massive headache coming on. I went through all the trouble of inviting the King of the Demon Realm, and he turns out to be this pathetic? These people are truly dangerous.
It's a good thing I started laying the groundwork seven years ago. Otherwise, my Buu wouldn't stand a chance against them. It was a stroke of luck that I came to Earth back then and used my magical devices to absorb the energy they leaked during their battles. But I never imagined they would become this powerful! Even Dabura is no match for them.
But once my Majin Buu wakes up, he'll grind every last one of them into the dirt.
"I'm fine," Dabura said, wiping the blood from his lip.
Babidi: "..."
His face darkened. You call that 'fine'? You're clearly wounded. Your optimism is truly something else.
"Why didn't you keep fighting? The energy Buu absorbed was barely a drop! He'll never wake up at this rate," Babidi complained.
"Don't worry. I've made a new discovery," Dabura said with a smirk.
"A discovery?" Babidi blinked.
"The man I was fighting... he has an evil heart," Dabura smiled. "You can exploit that darkness and bring him over to our side!"
"What... what did you say? There's actually a silver lining like that?" Babidi's eyes lit up. He felt as if happiness had suddenly fallen into his lap.
Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, a faint, shallow smirk playing on his lips.
"What is that guy up to now?" Gohan asked, looking puzzled.
"I'm not entirely sure. He only said he found something interesting," the Supreme Kai replied, a bad feeling beginning to stir in his gut.
"Something interesting?" Piccolo's brow furrowed.
"Could it be..." Kibito seemed to realize something and immediately looked toward Vegeta.
Vegeta: "..."
What are you looking at me for?
Goku just grinned, looking completely unconcerned.
At that moment, Babidi was openly observing Vegeta through his crystal ball.
"Hahaha! He really is different!" Babidi laughed maniacally. "This man is filled with malice! He certainly didn't come here for the sake of justice!"
"Was I right or was I right?" Dabura chuckled. "His strength is on par with mine. Having him join us will make things much easier."
Babidi: "..."
He pursed his lips. Did you already forget about being pinned to the ground and beaten? You call that 'on par'? The gap between you two isn't exactly small.
"I shall make you obey my commands!" Babidi began to weave his magic, attempting to take control of Vegeta directly through the crystal ball.
And then... nothing happened.
Vegeta didn't show the slightest reaction.
Babidi: "????"
He froze, looking utterly lost. What's going on? Is my crystal ball broken? Why isn't it working?
Babidi gave the magic orb a sharp rap with his knuckles. Vegeta still didn't react.
To be continued…
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