The Onset of Illness

As Goku's battle with Android 19 became increasingly one-sided, Android 19 was completely suppressed. Watching the fierce assault, Tien Shinhan could not help but stare in disbelief. "He's so strong... Is this what a Super Saiyan is? The gap between us is like heaven and earth. We're nowhere near him."

Although Goku held the advantage, Piccolo, who was especially close to him, keenly noticed that something was wrong—Goku's breathing had become more labored than before.

After a brief adjustment, Goku teleported in front of Android 19 and drove his knee viciously into Android 19's chin. Then he spun 360 degrees to build momentum before smashing a whip kick into Android 19's head. Immediately afterward, his fists rained down, leaving Android 19 utterly unable to fight back.

Seizing the opportunity, Goku punched at Android 19's face—although Android 19 blocked the blow with crossed arms, Goku kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward from the sheer force of the impact.

Goku followed right after him, driving a heavy punch deep into Android 19's abdomen, his entire forearm sinking into it. Before Android 19 could react, he teleported behind him, clasped his hands together, and brought them down in a crushing blow onto Android 19's head—sending Android 19 plummeting toward the ground.

Watching the one-sided battle above, Android 20 furrowed his brow. "His strength and speed far exceed the data we obtained... How could this be? This is bad! At this rate, before we can absorb his energy, Number 19 will exhaust his own power supply first."

In the distance, Gohan and the others also spotted the battle in the sky. "Over here!" They landed behind Tien Shinhan and the others. Looking up, Gohan's face was full of worry. "Dad..."

Tien Shinhan turned to look at them, his voice still filled with shock. "Don't worry. Goku has become incredibly strong! So this is what a Super Saiyan is like."

On a distant mountaintop, Malvis took in the entire battle and lightly shook his head. "Looks like Goku doesn't have much time left. If I remember correctly, Vegeta, the second one, will be coming to the rescue next... I'm actually looking forward to it."

Back at the battlefield, everyone looked up as Android 19 was being utterly overwhelmed by Goku in midair. Yamcha even began to doubt his earlier judgment. He lowered his head and looked at the chest that had just been pierced through. The wound healed by the Senzu Bean still carried a faint lingering pain. The man being beaten so badly by Goku before his eyes did not match at all with the monster in his memories that had instantly drained his energy and pierced through his chest with one hand.

"Could it be... I was mistaken about them being able to absorb energy?"

Yet Gohan, Goku's biological son, had also noticed that something was wrong. Piccolo's voice sounded beside him. "You noticed it too, didn't you, Gohan?"

"Yes."

"For some reason, Goku is in a hurry to decide the outcome. Fighting like this, he's already close to going all out." Piccolo paused, then his voice suddenly rose. "But... what's with that battered state of his?"

"Battered state?" Tien Shinhan turned around with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about? Isn't Goku winning?"

"This is nothing," Piccolo said gravely. "Goku should be several times stronger than this after becoming a Super Saiyan."

Gohan joined the conversation and brought up the information he had received from Yamcha. "Right, Yamcha said those androids can absorb their opponent's energy... Do you think that could be the reason?"

"What? They can absorb energy?" Piccolo's expression sharpened.

Yamcha hurriedly confirmed it. "Yeah. Back then, when his hand grabbed my face, I didn't do anything, but I could feel my ki gradually being drained away."

At that moment, in the battle above, Goku sent Android 19 crashing down from high in the sky with a vicious bicycle kick, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

"He won!"

"He won, Goku!"

"That was amazing, Goku!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Only Piccolo remained on guard—he knew that androids even Future Trunks had struggled to handle would not be defeated so easily.

As the dust settled, Android 19 was merely dirty and had some damage to his clothes. He quickly climbed back up as if nothing had happened.

"Look... After taking such a huge hit, he just got back up like he doesn't care." Yamcha felt as though everything he had always known had been overturned.

"They're androids. Of course they don't feel pain or fatigue," Tien Shinhan concluded.

Android 19 stood up and looked up at Goku in the sky.

Goku was already drenched in sweat and gasping continuously. Looking at Android 19 below, who was practically unscathed, he could not help but growl, "Damn it!" Then he placed his hands at his waist, preparing to end the battle with his ultimate move, the Kamehameha Wave. A beam of energy blasted down from the sky toward Android 19 below.

"Perfect!" Seeing this, both Android 20 and Android 19 broke into delighted smiles. Android 19 even extended his left hand, calmly welcoming the incoming energy wave.

The Kamehameha Wave struck Android 19 dead-on—but the sight Goku had expected, of the android being destroyed, never came. Instead, Android 19 continuously absorbed Goku's energy wave until nothing remained.

After absorbing the Kamehameha Wave, the smile on Android 19's face grew even broader, while Gohan and the others watching nearby were filled with shock.

"It got absorbed!"

"So it's true... We were right. Their arms really do have some kind of mechanism..."

Piccolo shouted a warning. "Goku! Don't use any more energy attacks! Those two guys' hands can absorb human ki! You absolutely cannot let them grab you, understand?"

"They can absorb ki? Th... this has to be a joke, right?" Goku gasped heavily and let out a laugh, though it was filled with helplessness and unwillingness.

Krillin finally noticed something was wrong as well. "Hey, look at Goku... He looks kind of strange! D-don't tell me that much of his ki really was absorbed?"

"No. During direct hand-to-hand combat, he didn't absorb Goku's ki." Piccolo, who had watched the battle from start to finish, spoke in a grave tone.

Beside him, Gohan seemed to realize something, and his face filled with terror.

Compared to Gohan and the others' shock, Android 20 was rather pleased. Excellent. That attack had greatly increased Number 19's strength, while Goku's energy had plummeted. Now was the best opportunity—go, Number 19!

As though he had heard Android 20's thoughts, Android 19 bent his knees slightly and launched himself toward Goku, beginning a new round of battle.

But this time, Android 19 held the upper hand.

Goku threw a punch at Android 19, but Android 19 took it head-on and answered with a punch to Goku's face—the overwhelming force knocked Goku's entire body sideways, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Returning the favor in kind, Android 19 clasped his hands together and slammed them heavily into Goku's waist. Goku was sent flying downward, only barely managing to steady himself just before hitting the ground.

He gritted his teeth, either furious at the situation before him or enduring something.

Once he steadied himself, Goku once again assumed the stance for a Kamehameha Wave.

"Don't use an energy attack, Goku!" Piccolo hurriedly stopped him.

But the expected Kamehameha Wave never appeared—from Goku's hands, only a tiny ki blast gathered, and it dissipated into nothing not long after being fired.

He could no longer even properly launch an energy wave. Goku slowly descended from the sky.

"Hey... He really does look exhausted, like a lot of his ki was absorbed!" Yamcha assumed it was only because his energy had been drained.

But as Gohan watched his father clutch the area around his heart with his left hand and gasp for breath, his greatest fear became reality—"I knew it! Dad is sick! His heart disease is acting up!"