Ace in the Hole

Boom!!

With a deafening crash, the Kamehameha and Galick Gun collided.

Boom!!

The ground around them shook violently.

Because Vegeta was stronger than Son Goku, the Galick Gun quickly overpowered Goku's Kamehameha.

"Damn it!"

Goku roared in anger and shoved upward with all his might. The Kamehameha pushed the Galick Gun back a little.

Seeing this, Vegeta immediately bellowed and forced the Kamehameha back.

"Ah!"

Goku cried out in pain, his body starting to give way.

"Gohan!"

Krillin and the others immediately looked over at Gohan.

He was the only one who might be able to save Earth now.

Gohan remained calm.

Just then, Goku's trembling hands suddenly clenched into fists.

"Kaio-ken x4!"

With a mighty shout, Goku pushed the Kaio-ken even further. An immensely powerful force surged into the Kamehameha, instantly driving Vegeta's Galick Gun back.

"What?!"

Vegeta was shocked, but it was already too late for him to dodge.

Boom!!

With an earth-shattering crash, Vegeta was struck by his own Galick Gun and let out an agonized scream.

After a while, the explosion finally subsided. Vegeta was nowhere to be seen in the sky.

Krillin: "D-did we... defeat him?"

"Not yet!"

Gohan shook his head.

"We didn't?"

Gohan nodded, then flashed over to the badly wounded Goku.

"Gohan!"

Goku called out to him weakly.

Gohan nodded and placed a Senzu Bean in Goku's mouth.

Goku quickly swallowed it, and his wounds healed.

Once his body had recovered, Goku felt that he was much stronger than before.

"What?!"

Vegeta, who had been hiding in the clouds, was stunned by what he saw.

Every time a Saiyan survived on the brink of death, their battle power increased several times over.

That meant... Goku's battle power was now greater than his.

"Damn it!"

At the thought, Vegeta's fury surged.

If only he'd known, he wouldn't have held back. He should've finished Goku off sooner.

Just then, Goku flew up from below.

Vegeta gritted his teeth, formed a Power Ball in his right hand, and hurled it into the sky.

Goku was startled and prepared to stop him.

But then Vegeta's eyes suddenly turned red, and thick black fur sprouted all over his body.

"Roar!"

With a tremendous roar, Vegeta transformed into a Great Ape.

"H-he transformed!"

Krillin and the others stared wide-eyed.

Boom!!

Before the words had even left their mouths, Vegeta leaped down from the sky and landed heavily on the ground.

A huge cloud of dust billowed up around him.

Goku's expression turned serious.

Just then, Vegeta roared and threw both fists at the surrounding mountains.

Several peaks collapsed under Vegeta's mighty blows.

"Did he... lose control?"

As soon as Goku said this, Vegeta suddenly turned and swiftly reached out with both hands.

Goku was startled and hurriedly backed away.

"He didn't lose control?"

Goku studied Vegeta.

Vegeta suddenly laughed.

"Kakarot, Elite Warriors don't lose control when they undergo the Great Ape Transformation!"

"Is that so?"

Goku clenched his fists and charged at Vegeta as fast as lightning.

Vegeta sprang into the air.

"Kaio-ken!"

Goku shouted as his body became a streak of red light, circling around behind Vegeta.

Vegeta was startled.

Goku swung his right leg in a flying kick, striking Vegeta hard.

Vegeta let out a terrible scream as he shot away like a laser and crashed into the mountain behind him.

With a thunderous boom, countless rocks tumbled down the mountain, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

Goku watched, then let the red aura around him fade.

"Vegeta, you're no match for me now. I suggest you surrender and leave Earth."

Krillin looked puzzled.

"Tien Shinhan, what's going on? Goku was clearly weaker than him just a moment ago. But after eating a Senzu Bean, his strength suddenly increased so much!"

"I don't know!"

Tien shook his head.

"Surrender?"

Vegeta was instantly enraged.

If Goku hadn't eaten that bean and healed his injuries, he would've beaten him already. How could he let Goku act so smug?

At the thought, Vegeta clenched his fists tightly.

"Kakarot, if you hadn't healed your injuries with that bean, you would've lost to me already!"

"If I hadn't had a Senzu Bean, I would've lost to you. But even so, you still wouldn't have had a chance of winning!"

"Kakarot, what do you mean by that?"

"Let me tell you the truth. Gohan is far stronger than I am. If he'd stepped in, he would've finished you off already!"

"That brat!"

Vegeta looked toward Gohan in the distance.

He'd sensed from the start that there was something unusual about Gohan, but he hadn't expected him to be their trump card.

"Kakarot, you say that brat is far stronger than you. Then why did you fight me?"

"Why? I guess I wanted to fight a powerful enemy and improve my strength!"

"A powerful enemy!"

Vegeta smiled faintly.

Although Goku annoyed him, those words still made him feel pleased.

"You just said that brat is far stronger than you?"

"Yeah!"

Goku nodded.

Vegeta immediately opened his mouth and fired an Energy Blast at Gohan.

Gohan stood calmly in place and lightly tapped the Energy Blast with his right index finger. It vanished instantly.

Vegeta was startled.

He'd thought Goku was lying, but Gohan was far more terrifying than he'd imagined.

Just then, Gohan flashed into existence behind Vegeta.

"H-he disappeared!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, Gohan formed a golden blade of energy in his right hand and sliced Vegeta's tail clean in two.

With a thunderous boom, the tail slammed into the ground.

"Th-this is bad!"

Vegeta's expression changed.

Before he could say anything else, his body began to shrink, returning to its normal form.

When he saw that his body had changed back, Vegeta's face grew tense.

Even in his Great Ape form, he hadn't been a match for Goku and the others. Now that he'd returned to normal, he stood even less of a chance.