39. Wukong Departs, Battle Begins

"Goten!!!" x3.

Everyone stared at Son Goten in a daze, their jaws hitting the ground. After all, Goten's transformation was simply too drastic; a seven-year-old child with a four-head-tall stature had suddenly turned into a tall, six-foot youth. Anyone would have failed to recognize him.

Trunks walked over to Son Goten with a strange expression. He compared the height difference between them and immediately burst into tears. Damn it, he used to be half a head taller than Goten, but now he didn't even reach Goten's shins. This was just too bullying.

Son Goku sensed Son Goten's ki slightly. Just a brief probe was enough to cover Son Goku's forehead in cold sweat; he couldn't even fathom just how powerful Goten had become.

"Goten, just how strong are you now?" Son Gohan asked, his expression stunned. He had also tried to sense Son Goten's current power, and he had nearly wet himself.

Son Goten remained cold and aloof, calmly reaching out to rest his hand on a rocky mountain. "How strong? I'm not sure."

"Crack, crack."

"BOOM."

Before the words had even faded, the mountain beneath Son Goten's hand shattered without warning and then exploded. Once again, everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He had pulverized a mountain without even moving a muscle! Son Gohan estimated the size of the mountain—it was taller than an Ultraman!

(Son Gohan had a face full of question marks. What the hell is an Ultraman? Why did that thought come to me so naturally?)

"Go... Goku," Son Goku, who was sitting on the ground resting, suddenly heard someone calling him. He turned his head toward the sound and saw Fortuneteller Baba, who had brought him to the living world, trembling as she poked her head out from a corner. Seeing Son Goku look over, she immediately said, "Goku, your... your time... is up. It's time... to go back."

Hearing the tremor in Fortuneteller Baba's voice, Son Goku understood what was happening, but he still looked at Son Goten with concern, afraid that he hadn't regained his senses.

Sensing Son Goku's worried gaze, Son Goten gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Dad. I've got things covered here."

Hearing this, a faint smile curled the corners of Son Goku's mouth. He was his son, after all; what was there to worry about? He said with some regret, "It's a pity, Goten. If it weren't for the time limit, I'd really like to have a spar with you."

Son Goten smiled without a word. Son Goku's figure gradually floated into the air, following Fortuneteller Baba as they vanished from the living world. "Goodbye, everyone. Gohan, please apologize to Chi-Chi for me."

"I will, Dad," Son Gohan wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Goodbye, Dad. Son Goten turned his head to the side, not letting anyone notice the tears in his eyes.

Quietly wiping away the tears, Son Goten stared coldly ahead and shouted toward an inconspicuous little corner, "Come out, Buu."

"BOOM."

A sonic boom rang out as a pink-purple streak of light darted out from deep underground. Buu stared at Son Goten with a grave expression; his intuition told him that the person in front of him was terrifying to the extreme. Even Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, didn't know about this kind of transformation.

"You are... Son Goten." Although it was a question, it was filled with certainty.

Son Goten just smiled and said nothing. Usually, people who ask such questions when they already know who the other person is are idiots.

"What the hell is this form of yours!" Cold sweat covered Buu's head. If the previous Goten was just a river, he was now like a vast, boundless ocean—his strength was unfathomable.

"You mean this?" A playful smirk appeared on Son Goten's cold face, and he suddenly shouted, "This is the strongest..."

"Super Saiyan 4!!!"

"Rumble."

"Rumble."

"Rumble."

As Son Goten's roar echoed through the world, a terrifying wave of ki erupted from within his body. Every mountain swept by the shockwave was shattered into dust without exception.

Everyone looked at Son Goten with faces full of fear. "Just his ki alone makes me feel like I'm falling into an abyss."

This was the only thought in everyone's mind, Buu included. In that instant, he felt the terror of death.

"Su... Super Saiyan 4," Trunks' eyes widened. Goten hadn't even transformed into a Super Saiyan 3; he went straight to 4! How is this even fair? Did you pay for a power-up? (Tencent: We create happiness with our hearts; if you don't have money, don't play.)

Buu's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Can we still play nicely? Your dad going Super Saiyan 3 was one thing, but you skipped 3 and went straight to 4? How is Vegeta inside me supposed to face you guys now?

Vegeta inside Buu: ...

"Stop bluffing, you bastard!" Hypnotizing himself into believing that the opponent was just a paper tiger and that he was the strongest, Buu roared and shot toward Son Goten like a cannonball.

Son Goten's lips curled into a look of contempt. In the split second before Buu reached him, a loud bang echoed out, and Buu's head snapped to the side as he was sent flying backward.

He was sent flying.

Flying.

Away.

Gone.

WTF? What just happened? Why did I fly away? Buu's mind went blank. Wait, let me process this. I approached him, and then... I just flew away!

Buu struggled to stop his momentum, staring at Son Goten in terror. Son Goten just beckoned him over provocatively. "Come on. Couldn't see it clearly? Fine, I'll slow down a bit next time."

Son Gohan and Trunks rubbed their eyes. What just happened?

What do you do when you're provoked? Obviously, you hit back!