Stimulating the Perennial Runner-Up

Shaking his head, Louis walked toward the center of the plaza.

"Vegeta, transforming into a Super Saiyan takes anger. I was furious when I first broke through, and that was how I did it."

"Anger? I'm already furious! Why can't I transform, then? Kakarot, you're not lying to me, are you?"

"Why would I lie? Think of something that could make you angry. See if that helps you break through!"

The two of them were talking.

When Son Goku saw Louis come out, he exclaimed happily, "Louis, you're out!"

Son Goku pulled Vegeta over to Louis. "Louis, I told Vegeta that he needed to be angry to transform into a Super Saiyan, but he doesn't believe me!"

Vegeta looked at Louis with a frown. "Is what Kakarot said true?"

"Yes. You need to reach the absolute peak of anger to transform into a Super Saiyan."

"The absolute peak of anger? But I've thought of everything that could make me angry, and I still can't transform!" Vegeta said helplessly.

While Louis had been training, Vegeta had kept asking Son Goku to teach him.

He'd followed Son Goku's advice and tried to use his anger to push himself, but it hadn't worked.

"You can't reach a state of absolute fury?"

Louis pondered for a moment, then looked at Vegeta with a teasing smile. "Want me to give it a try?"

Insulting someone ought to feel pretty good!

Especially when it was this arrogant perennial runner-up!

"You can help me reach a state of absolute fury? Then go ahead and try!" Vegeta was at his wits' end.

Hearing that, Louis grinned, as if he'd just thought of something delightful.

"You said it!"

Suddenly, Louis's expression turned serious!

Vegeta and Son Goku were startled by his stern look.

Louis didn't say a word, and neither did Vegeta or Son Goku.

The Lookout fell silent, leaving the atmosphere a little strange.

Louis stared at Vegeta for a long time, then finally spat out two words:

"Useless trash!"

Useless trash?

Vegeta was sensitive to those words. His chest heaved, and in an instant, he felt a surge of anger.

But he knew Louis was trying to provoke him. Since he'd been expecting it, the anger quickly faded.

Son Goku noticed and shook his head. Louis had stirred Vegeta's emotions at first, but it still wasn't enough.

"Vegeta, you're useless trash."

"You're Prince Vegeta, yet you couldn't even protect your own planet."

"Where were you when Frieza destroyed your planet? You were being hunted by the Frieza Force."

"You, the proud Saiyan Prince, were hunted for over a decade. You even had to rely on Kakarot just to get a chance to face Frieza!"

"If you're not useless trash, what are you?"

Louis got more and more carried away. Insulting the perennial runner-up felt amazing. He couldn't stop himself.

The string of insults drilled into Vegeta's ears, and his forehead throbbed with fury.

"Shut up!!"

He could put up with anything else, but saying he'd only gotten to face Frieza thanks to Son Goku was too much.

Vegeta's eyes reddened, and his knuckles cracked.

Son Goku's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Louis to be so good at this.

At this rate, Vegeta might actually transform into a Super Saiyan.

However!

Vegeta's anger slowly began to fade. His mental defenses kicked in; he knew Louis was deliberately provoking him.

Seeing that, Son Goku grew anxious and wanted to tell Louis to keep going.

Louis's lips curled slightly. Why rush? He hadn't even played his trump card yet!

He got right in Vegeta's face and shouted, "If you're not useless trash, what are you?"

"Since coming to Earth, have you ever surpassed Kakarot?"

"When it comes to fighting power, Kakarot will always be stronger than you!"

"Kakarot learned the Spirit Bomb. Can you do that?"

"Kakarot was a Low-Class Warrior, yet he transformed into a Super Saiyan. Can you?"

BOOM—!

Humiliation ate away at Vegeta. His whole face flushed, and his body trembled!

"Shut up! I said shut up!!"

"Shut up?"

Louis pointed at Vegeta's chest.

"You're the Saiyan Prince, yet you can't even measure up to a Low-Class Warrior!"

"You. Are. Useless. Trash!!"

And he wasn't finished!

Louis curled his lips and said, "You're nothing but trash, fit to be the perennial runner-up!"

A devastating blow!!!!

"I'm the perennial runner-up?"

Vegeta pointed at himself, his face red and his ears burning. The shame made him want to disappear!

What a disgrace!

BOOM—!

This time, Vegeta couldn't hold back any longer. His fury erupted!!!!

An immense power burst from his body!

The heavens and earth changed color!

His white aura began to streak with threads of golden light!

Son Goku and Louis jumped aside. Son Goku could tell at a glance that Vegeta was about to transform into a Super Saiyan.

"Louis, you actually provoked Vegeta into transforming! You're amazing!!"

"It was nothing!"

Louis chuckled.

Louis knew what Vegeta cared about.

Son Goku was his lifelong "rival." Vegeta longed to surpass him, but had never managed it.

That was true in the anime, too, which was why people called him the "perennial runner-up."

Louis had put the matter right on the table. It was no wonder Vegeta couldn't take it. If Louis were Vegeta, he'd have reacted even more dramatically.

He had to admit, insulting the perennial runner-up felt amazing!!!

BOOM—!

Frenzied power poured out, and thunder rumbled!

The Lookout trembled!

Vegeta's hair began to flicker!

Gold and black!

The flashes came faster and faster.

"He's about to do it!"

At Son Goku's cry, a golden light burst from Vegeta and vanished in a flash!

Super Saiyan!!

Vegeta's power increased fiftyfold, rising from 3.5 million to 175 million in battle power!

The Saiyans had their third Super Saiyan at last!

"I'll kill you!!!"

Vegeta glared at Louis and lunged.

He vanished in an instant.

Louis chuckled. He'd just transformed and already thought he could fight me?

The perennial runner-up was getting carried away!

Louis flashed away too, disappearing from where he stood.

Son Goku clenched his fists. He hadn't expected there to be more of a show.

Bang!

Bang!

Impacts rang through the air.

Just a few seconds later, Vegeta's pained cries rang out.

"Ahhh!"

"Vegeta, are you going to pick a fight with me again?"

"No, no, I won't!!"

The next moment!

Vegeta appeared in midair, then crashed to the ground like a limp dog.

"Vegeta, just leave me alone, haha!" Louis hovered in the air, laughing happily.

"Damn it!!! I'll do it again next time!!!"

Vegeta lay on the ground, glaring up at Louis, his heart full of frustration. He'd transformed into a Super Saiyan, yet he still couldn't beat Louis.

But...

Louis was a Candidate God of Destruction. It made sense that he couldn't win!

Still...

He'd been insulted and then beaten to a pulp. It was infuriating!

Watching this, Son Goku stood to the side and laughed heartily. For some reason, seeing Vegeta get beaten up made him happy.

The farce came to an end.

Louis finally asked Son Goku to teach him Instant Transmission.

Hearing that, Vegeta hurriedly scrambled to his feet and said he wanted to learn it too.

Louis had no objections. Instant Transmission was a useful technique for both escaping and fighting.

It remained to be seen whether Vegeta could learn it!

After all, Vegeta never learned the technique in the anime.

[ Ding, quest issued: Sign in in front of Towa. Reward: Super Saiyan Full Power! ]

P.S. Thanks to "永亮l" for sending a love letter!