Son Goku's shock was plain to see, but Soya paid it no mind.
That was simply the way he was. He wouldn't use his full strength against the weak.
But he wouldn't go easy on the strong, either.
Though what he'd done was an insult to Vegeta, if Vegeta wanted to put an end to this sort of treatment, he would have to train with all his might.
Only the strong could earn other people's respect.
That was true in every era and every world. It had never changed.
"Vegeta, that was your full-powered attack. In that case, I'll let you see what I can do."
Soya spoke slowly. As he finished, he raised his right hand and pointed straight at the incoming Galick Gun.
Boom!
The instant his finger came down, a ball of light appeared at its tip.
It was only a ball of light, condensed at the very tip of his finger.
Yet it radiated power so terrifying and unimaginable that it defied belief.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye!
The moment the energy formed and shot forward, it collided with Vegeta's Galick Gun.
At once,
a terrifying storm burst out in every direction from the point of impact.
Vegeta's Galick Gun crumbled the instant it collided with the energy at Soya's fingertip.
The remaining energy scattered in every direction,
and the entire sea roared without end.
There was no question of it holding out. It never stood a chance.
"Why?!"
Vegeta's pupils contracted, disbelief filling his eyes.
He couldn't accept that the attack he'd unleashed with all his strength had proved so utterly ineffective against Soya.
It was almost too much for him to bear. For a moment, he stood there in a daze.
Just then, after breaking through the Galick Gun, the energy at Soya's fingertip struck Vegeta directly.
"Ah!"
A scream tore from Vegeta's mouth.
The energy was simply too powerful. Though Soya had already held back, its immense force was still more than Vegeta could withstand.
"Vegeta!"
Son Goku's expression changed, and he immediately started forward to help Vegeta.
He was worried Vegeta wouldn't be able to withstand Soya's energy.
After all, the energy wave had seemed tiny, but the power within it had been astonishing!
"Let him handle it himself. You can help him for a while, but you can't help him forever!"
Soya's voice reached Son Goku.
He meant well.
This might even turn out to be a good thing for Vegeta.
If Son Goku rushed in to help, he might even end up hurting Vegeta.
Son Goku was startled, but immediately understood what Soya meant.
And since Soya clearly had no intention of killing Vegeta, Son Goku gave up on rushing over.
He thought Soya made sense. In fact, it was true.
Time passed.
Nearly ten seconds went by in the blink of an eye.
At last, the energy at Soya's fingertip faded, leaving Vegeta in a wretched state.
First, his Battle Suit had been torn up across a large area. That was extremely rare.
His body was covered in countless wounds, and blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He had also fallen out of Super Saiyan 2 and returned to his normal state.
"How is this possible?!"
Vegeta spoke weakly. Soya's casual attack had left him so badly injured.
What had just happened was far beyond anything he could have imagined.
"There's nothing impossible about it. I think you should understand that better than I do.
"Transforming gives Saiyans a way to increase their strength, but it also takes a tremendous amount of energy.
"If you can't destroy your enemy in a short time, transforming can end up doing more harm than good."
Soya smiled faintly as he shared his perspective.
"And that's true for Saiyans and everyone else. Your power in your normal state is what matters most. If your normal state is strong enough, you can unleash power that would shock even a Super Saiyan, even without transforming."
Soya explained.
He knew that both Son Goku and Vegeta relied far too much on their Saiyan transformations.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it became a habit, it could turn into a problem.
"I know. I don't need you to remind me."
Vegeta answered coldly, as disdainful as ever. He didn't seem to have been shaken by his defeat at Soya's hands.
"Soya, Vegeta's lost. So, can I have a turn now?"
Son Goku flashed over to Soya. Looking at him, he spoke impatiently, excitement and anticipation in his expression.
Like Vegeta, he wasn't backing down because his opponent was strong.
If anything, it only made him more determined to give it a try.
"Of course." Soya had no reason to refuse Son Goku's request.
"But I think the result will be the same, even for you." Soya spoke.
"Soya, I've always wondered about something. Before we start fighting, could you answer a question for me?" Son Goku asked. He didn't attack right away.
"Go ahead. If I know the answer, I'll tell you." Soya nodded.
"Can you become a Super Saiyan?" Son Goku asked.
At first, Son Goku had thought Soya couldn't transform. But after hearing what he'd said, he changed his mind.
It was as if this man knew more about Super Saiyans than he and Vegeta did.
Vegeta, too, was intrigued by Son Goku's question.
He'd begun to have his doubts as well.
Soya didn't answer. He simply nodded.
"Against you two as you are now, my normal strength is more than enough. You're not qualified to see me as a Super Saiyan yet."
Soya wasn't bragging. He was simply stating the truth.
After all, if Son Goku and Vegeta couldn't even beat him in his normal state, why would he transform into a Super Saiyan to fight them?
To put it nicely, there was no need. To put it bluntly, they weren't strong enough yet!
Still, his words did answer Son Goku's question.
He could transform into a Super Saiyan, just like them!
At the same time, Vegeta's expression darkened again. He looked as if he'd swallowed a dead fly.
He seemed to remember that he'd just mocked Soya for being unable to transform.