Dragon Ball, Saiyans Don't Just Want to Get Stronger!

Seeing this, Super Saiyan Vegeta sneered, ceased his futile barrage of energy blasts, and took the initiative to meet him head-on!

The two collided once more with the intensity of a meteor striking the earth!

Fists, feet, elbows, knees...

Every part of their bodies became a lethal weapon, each impact erupting with a staggering shockwave of energy.

Overall, Super Saiyan Vegeta, with his superior combat experience and more ruthless techniques, gradually gained the upper hand and began to suppress Son Goku.

"Kakarot! Face reality!"

Super Saiyan Vegeta taunted relentlessly while launching a fierce assault.

"It's useless to deny it! Your bloodline defines who you are! You are a Saiyan! Conquest and combat are our destiny!"

He seized a gap in Son Goku's defense, channeled a surge of power into his hand, and delivered a heavy hook to Son Goku's midsection!

"Urgh!"

Son Goku let out a muffled groan, his body doubling over in agony.

Yet, gritting his teeth, he endured the searing pain and reached out to grab Super Saiyan Vegeta's battle armor!

"My name is... Son Goku!!!"

With a roar, Son Goku used the leverage to pull himself close, driving a vicious knee strike squarely into Super Saiyan Vegeta's stomach!

"Ugh...!"

Super Saiyan Vegeta felt as if his bile were about to be forced out; the blinding pain caused his vision to darken and his movements to seize up instantly!

"Ka--me--ha--me--ha!!!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Son Goku took advantage of the paralysis, drawing his hands to his waist as brilliant blue energy surged and coalesced!

A point-blank Kamehameha, fire!!!

BOOM—!!!!

The scorching torrent of blue energy slammed directly into Super Saiyan Vegeta's chest! A terrifying explosion of power erupted on impact!

"Waaaaahhhh!!!"

Super Saiyan Vegeta let out a shrill scream as he was blasted away like a kite with a snapped string, crashing deep into a distant rock face and sending debris flying in every direction!

After a long moment, Super Saiyan Vegeta struggled to crawl out of the crater he had formed.

He knelt on the ground, coughing violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his chest scorched black, and his battle armor in tatters.

He looked up to see Son Goku, who, despite being out of breath, held a gaze of unwavering resolve, already braced in his stance waiting for him to rise.

The fury and humiliation, coupled with the disbelief of being severely wounded by a low-class warrior, erupted like a volcano!

"Damn it...!!!"

Super Saiyan Vegeta's voice trembled with extreme rage.

"You... you low-class warrior... how could you... how could you possibly defeat me..."

He slowly stood up, his aura becoming erratic as an indescribable, terrifying power began to accumulate wildly within him!

"You cannot possibly win against me..."

Super Saiyan Vegeta hung his head, his voice low and raspy.

A golden aura began to spill uncontrollably from his body, growing ever more intense. "I am... I am..."

He snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot with rage, and let out a deafening roar toward the heavens:

"I am Super Saiyan Vegeta!!!!! Haaaaaaaahhhhhhh------!!!!!"

Rumble—!!!

A golden aura erupted from Super Saiyan Vegeta like a volcanic explosion, shooting straight into the sky!

The immense energy fluctuations caused the very earth to tremble violently! The air around him distorted under the weight of this terrifying power!

Super Saiyan Vegeta's hair stood on end within the golden flames, its color flickering violently.

Finally, amidst a blinding flash of light, it settled into a brilliant, dazzling gold!

This magnificent and shocking transformation, accompanied by an overwhelming, suffocating aura that instantly dominated the field, caused the expressions of everyone present—save for Vitelli—to change drastically!

"This... is this?!!"

Son Goku's pupils constricted, his face showing extreme shock and disbelief for the first time!

He felt an unprecedented sense of oppression and a lethal threat emanating from that aura!

Super Saiyan Vegeta ceased his roar and slowly lowered his head.

Now, his hair was golden and spiked upward, his eyes had turned emerald green, and he was enveloped in a roiling golden aura, his entire body brimming with immense power!

With a flamboyant and arrogant grin, he pointed his right thumb toward his own chest.

Looking at the wary Son Goku with high spirits, he declared:

"This is me! The one who has surpassed the limits of a Saiyan—Super Saiyan Vegeta!!!"

With Vegeta's transformation complete, his mere presence was enough to make Goku struggle for breath!

"I will win!"

Goku gritted his teeth, pushed his strength to the limit, and erupted in a white aura, charging toward Vegeta regardless of the consequences!

Yet this time, the situation was completely different!

Goku's punches, kicks, and every single attack were effortlessly blocked, swatted away, or even ignored by Vegeta, who couldn't be bothered to dodge!

Vegeta's casual counterattacks, each punch and kick imbued with terrifying power, easily sent Goku flying, blood spraying from the corners of his mouth!

The gap in strength was too vast! In a battle like this, Goku could see no hope of victory whatsoever.

Hovering in the air, Vitelli stroked his chin as he watched the scene, a wickedly mischievous idea suddenly flashing through his mind.

He zipped through the air to a position above Goku, and in a voice filled with extreme anxiety and heartbreaking grief, he shouted down at the bloodied, struggling Goku:

"Goku!!! It's terrible!!!"

Goku, who was desperately fending off Vegeta's attacks, looked up instinctively at the sound of Vitelli's voice, a forced smile appearing on his pained face:

"Th... thank goodness, Vitelli, you're here... they..."

Vitelli didn't let Goku finish his sentence. His face filled with "rage" and "sorrow," and he interrupted Goku with a near-roar:

"Goku! Those people! Vegeta's subordinates! While we were fighting here, they snuck off to attack Kame House!! Master Roshi! Krillin! And Launch! They... they've all been murdered by those cruel bastards!!!"

"Wh... what?!!"

Vegeta, who was preparing to launch another attack, froze in shock.

He hovered in mid-air, staring at Vitelli with a bewildered expression, his mind racing:

When did we kill anyone on Earth?! And go to kill some Master Roshi? Could that idiot Nappa have been bold enough to ignore Vitelli's warnings and do it behind our backs? No, that can't be right, Nappa doesn't have the guts! And Raditz is even less likely!

Below, Goku was struck by the news as if by lightning! The expression on his face instantly froze.

"Ho... how is this possible! Vitelli!"

Goku jerked his head up to look at Vitelli in the sky.

His voice trembled as he asked, clinging to a final shred of hope:

"Yo... you're lying, right?! You're tricking me, aren't you?! How could Grandpa Master Roshi and the others..."

Vitelli wore an expression of extreme "pain" and "self-reproach," shaking his head vigorously as if bearing a crushing weight of grief.

"I'm sorry... Goku... by the time I realized something was wrong and rushed over... it was... it was already too late... they... they all..."

"..."

Goku suddenly stood rooted to the spot, motionless.

He kept his head bowed, his expression hidden from view.

The entire world seemed to fall silent. Only the wind wailed as it swept across the wasteland.

He felt as if something incredibly important inside his heart... had shattered.

Scenes from the past flooded his mind uncontrollably:

Grandpa Master Roshi patiently teaching him martial arts, taking him to the Martial Arts Tournament, buying him new clothes, and though strict with his training, always caring for him in silence...

Krillin, his best friend, training together, eating together, playing together, getting angry and stomping his feet when he heard Vitelli was bullying him, patting his chest and swearing to help him get revenge...

Launch, the girl who changed personalities whenever she sneezed, gently and carefully mending his training gi, cooking all sorts of delicious food for him and Krillin, always watching them play with a smile...

These warm and precious memories were now like the sharpest blades, slicing through his heart over and over again.

Vegeta frowned as he watched Goku's energy become violently unstable, and he started to speak:

"Hey! Kakarot! You don't actually believe—"

Before he could finish!

An indescribable, terrifying aura, so immense it made one's heart tremble, erupted from within Goku!!!

BOOM--!!!!

The earth began to shake violently! Countless shards of rock floated into the air as if gravity had ceased to exist!

With Goku at the center, the ground cracked inch by inch, forming a massive, web-like crater!

"I won't forgive you..."

A low, hoarse voice, filled with endless pain and rage, squeezed out from the depths of Goku's throat.

Goku slowly raised his head.

When Vegeta saw his face, his heart skipped a beat!

Goku's face was already drenched in tears, but those eyes were no longer clear and bright; they were filled with infinite sorrow and... a maddening, destructive fury!

"My friends... have they all been... killed by you..."

Goku's voice trembled, every word dripping with hatred.

RUMBLE--!!!

An even more massive golden aura erupted from Son Goku's body like a tsunami, swallowing him in an instant!

His originally black pupils began to flicker, gradually being eroded by a vibrant emerald green!

His black hair stood on end, frantically shifting violently between black and gold!

"I will never forgive you!!!"

"Vegeta!!!!!"

Accompanied by this cry, which contained the utmost rage and sorrow, the aura on Son Goku's body finally exploded completely!

The brilliant, dazzling golden light stabilized entirely! His hair turned completely into a radiant gold, standing upward like flames!

Cold, burning fury blazed within his emerald green pupils!

The clouds began to shatter, and the earth gradually let out a mournful cry.

At this very moment, the legendary super warrior:

Super Saiyan—Son Goku!!!

Is born!!!

Son Goku slowly raised his head; there was no longer the clarity of the past in those completely emerald green pupils.

Now, only cold, burning fury remained in that gaze, locking firmly onto Vegeta in the sky.

Being watched by those cold eyes, Vegeta felt a sudden, inexplicable palpitation.

He swallowed hard, instinctively.

But immediately, a boundless sense of humiliation surged from within his heart, instantly drowning out that trace of fear!

He! Vegeta! The noble Prince of Saiyans! The genius among Saiyans!