Great Ape

Vegeta in his Great Ape form was even more terrifying than Gohan had imagined.

That was no normal living creature. It was a moving mountain, a beast that had crawled out of hell, a humanoid natural disaster.

A thirty-meter-tall body, pitch-black fur, and golden eyes devoid of even a trace of reason—there was only pure bloodlust.

"Roar!!!"

Great Ape Vegeta threw back his head and let out a long roar, the sound waves making the surrounding rocks tremble.

Krillin and Tien Shinhan were shaken until blood streamed from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Clutching their ears, they rolled on the ground.

"Damn it..." Piccolo gritted his teeth and barely managed to shield Gohan. "Is this the Saiyans' Great Ape Transformation?!"

Gohan's ears rang, but he stared fixedly at the battlefield.

Goku was still standing.

The red aura of the fourfold Kaio-ken blazed wildly around him, yet compared to that thirty-meter-tall mountain, he looked so small.

"So this is... Saiyan power?" Goku murmured.

Great Ape Vegeta lowered his head, his golden eyes locking onto Goku.

There was no emotion in that gaze, only the indifference of a predator looking at its prey.

"Roar!"

The Great Ape raised a foot and stomped down at Goku.

"Goku!!"

"Dad!!"

Gohan and Krillin screamed at the same time.

But Goku did not dodge.

He took a deep breath, then—BANG!!

Goku threw a powerful punch into the sole of the Great Ape's foot, forcibly driving back the massive foot that could have flattened a tank.

"So heavy..." Goku's feet had already sunk into the ground. "This strength..."

But it was not over yet.

The Great Ape's attack came as a combination.

After the left foot stomped down, the right followed, and then an enormous fist that blotted out the sky came crashing down.

BANG!!

Goku barely dodged it. The fist slammed into the ground, punching out a crater ten meters wide.

"Too slow..." Goku barely evaded the second punch. "But it's still not enough."

"Roar!!"

The Great Ape opened its mouth and fired a golden energy blast straight at him.

"Oh no."

BANG!!

Goku was struck head-on by the energy blast and sent flying, carving a long trench through the ground.

"Dad!!" Gohan struggled to get up.

"Don't move!" Piccolo held him down. "You'll only be throwing your life away if you go over there!"

"But—"

"Look!"

Gohan followed Piccolo's pointing finger.

As the dust cleared, Goku was still standing.

Though he was covered in wounds, though he was gasping for breath, though the red aura of the fourfold Kaio-ken had begun to waver, he was still standing.

"Cough..." Goku spat out a mouthful of blood. "That was... really brutal..."

"Roar..." Great Ape Vegeta tilted his head, seeming somewhat surprised. "You're not dead yet?"

That was not the roar of a beast, but Vegeta's own voice, transmitted by some unknown means.

"As expected of the Saiyan prince..." Goku wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "You can still keep your consciousness after becoming a Great Ape..."

"Enough nonsense." The Great Ape's voice was cold. "I'll give you one last chance."

"Kneel and admit defeat."

"I might consider letting you die quickly."

Goku looked at the thirty-meter-tall mountain, yet a smile curled across his lips.

"Sorry, I can't do that."

"Hm?"

"Because."

Goku's gaze swept across the battlefield, over Krillin and Tien Shinhan, past Yajirobe, who was still stubbornly resisting, before finally settling on Gohan.

"My son is watching."

"As his father, how could I disgrace myself in front of him?"

Gohan's heart clenched tightly.

Dad...

"Roar!!" Great Ape Vegeta seemed to have been enraged. "Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!!"

He charged forward again.

This time, the Great Ape did not use its fists.

It spread its arms and lunged to embrace Goku. If he were caught in those thirty-meter-long arms, Goku would undoubtedly be crushed to death.

"This is bad... I can't dodge it." Goku's expression changed.

Just then, Gohan's voice tore through the battlefield. "Uncle Piccolo!! Now!!"

Piccolo moved.

He had long since received Gohan's instructions: while the Great Ape's attention was entirely focused on Goku, circle behind it and cut off its tail.

"Don't think you can run!!"

The Great Ape seemed to sense something and tried to turn around, but Goku charged in again.

"Your opponent is me!!"

"Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!"

Goku attacked the Great Ape's face with all his strength, striking wildly in an attempt to draw its attention.

"Damn it!" The Great Ape was forced to split its focus and could not turn around.

Piccolo took the opportunity to circle behind the Great Ape.

"The tail... found it!!"

At the end of the Great Ape's tailbone, a thick tail swayed faintly.

That was its weakness.

The greatest weakness of a Saiyan's Great Ape Transformation.

"Die!!" Piccolo gathered energy in both hands, forming a sharp energy blade. "New Special Beam Cannon!!"

"Slash!!"

The energy blade precisely severed the tail.

"Roooaaargh!!!"

The Great Ape let out an earth-shaking scream.

The next second, its thirty-meter-tall body rapidly shrank, its black fur swiftly receded, and that ferocious beastly face returned to human form.

Vegeta.

Vegeta, back in human form, knelt on one knee and clutched the place where his tail had been severed, his face pale as paper.

"You pieces of... trash..." Vegeta gritted his teeth. "How dare you..."

"We did it!!" Krillin shouted excitedly. "He changed back!!"

"Don't celebrate too soon." Piccolo's expression remained grave. "He's back in human form, but his combat power hasn't dropped by much..."

Gohan stared fixedly at Vegeta.

That was right.

His tail was gone, and his Great Ape form had vanished.

But Vegeta's oppressive presence had not weakened by much.

He was still the Saiyan prince with a combat power exceeding twenty thousand.

"Uncle Piccolo..." Gohan clenched his fists. "Is there still time?"

Piccolo fell silent for a moment.

Then he said, "It's worth a try."

"Krillin."

"Here!"

"You go support Goku."

"Tien Shinhan, use the Tri-Beam to keep Vegeta pinned down."

"I'll lead the attack."

Piccolo looked at Gohan.

"You..."

"I know." Gohan took a deep breath. "My power level is the lowest, but I can distract him."

Piccolo froze for a moment.

He had not expected a four-year-old brat to say something like that.

"...Smart." Piccolo nodded. "Then let's begin."

"Wait." Vegeta struggled to his feet, his expression terrifyingly grim. "You think this is enough to beat me?"

"How dare a few mere insects challenge the Saiyan Prince?!"

His aura rose once more.

18000...16000...14000...

After his tail had been cut off, Vegeta's power level had indeed fallen.

But it was still close to fourteen thousand.

That number still overwhelmingly surpassed everyone present except Goku.

"Krillin!"

"Got it!!"

Krillin charged forward.

"Destructo Disc!!"

Three Destructo Discs spun toward Vegeta.

"Cheap tricks." With a casual wave, Vegeta knocked all the Destructo Discs aside. "An attack of this level—"

"Tien Shinhan!!"

"Watch this!!"

Tien Shinhan rushed out from the side and thrust both palms forward.

"Tri-Beam!!"

The blue energy blast struck Vegeta directly.

"What?!" Vegeta was blasted back several steps. "The Tri-Beam's gotten stronger?"

"Of course." Tien Shinhan panted heavily. "I've been observing the way you fight... I adjusted my Tri-Beam specifically for you!"

"Fool." Vegeta sneered. "So what if you did?"

He charged forward again.

BAM!!

His fist smashed into Tien Shinhan's chest.

Tien Shinhan was sent flying, crashing through several boulders.

"Tien Shinhan!!"

"Not dead yet..." Tien Shinhan crawled out of the rubble, covered in blood. "But I'm almost there..."

Vegeta ignored him, his gaze settling on Piccolo.

"Piccolo, the Demon King... I've wanted to test myself against you for a long time."

"Then come on." Piccolo assumed a fighting stance. "I've been waiting for you."

The two vanished from where they stood at the same time.

BAM!! BAM!! BAM!!

Only two afterimages remained on the battlefield, colliding madly.

Piccolo and Vegeta's battle was far more spectacular than the battle against the Great Ape earlier.

Not because the gap in their strength had narrowed, but because Piccolo was fighting with everything he had.

He held nothing back, made no attempts to probe his opponent. From the very beginning, he gave it his all.

"So fast..." Gohan's eyes widened. "Uncle Piccolo is so fast!"

"Don't just stand there!!" Krillin shouted. "Gohan, go distract Vegeta!!"

"I know!!"

Gohan took a deep breath and charged toward the battlefield.

"Vegeta!!"

Gohan shouted.

Vegeta paused slightly, his gaze sweeping toward Gohan.

It was only an instant of distraction.

BAM!!

Piccolo's fist slammed hard into Vegeta's face.

"You!!" Vegeta staggered from the blow. "Despicable!!"

"On the battlefield, there is only victory or defeat—nothing despicable." Piccolo's voice was icy. "You were the one who taught me that."

"Bastard!!"

Enraged, Vegeta kicked at Piccolo.

Piccolo blocked it, but the overwhelming difference in strength sent him flying.

"Uncle Piccolo!!"

"I'm fine..." Piccolo steadied himself, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Keep going!!"

Just then.

"Cough... cough cough..."

Goku's voice came from the edge of the battlefield.

He was still alive.

Though the backlash from the fourfold Kaio-ken had left him barely able to stand, an unyielding light still burned in his eyes.

"Vegeta..." Goku struggled to straighten up. "This fight... isn't over yet."

Vegeta turned his head and looked at the swaying Goku, a mocking smile curling across his lips.

"You're not dead yet?"

"You're quite tenacious."

"Just like... a Saiyan..." Goku panted heavily. "But I won't... let you look down on me..."

He took a deep breath and gathered every last bit of strength in his body between his hands.

Blue light began to gather in his palms.

Kamehameha.

"This is..." Vegeta's expression shifted slightly.

"Goku still has the strength to fire a Kamehameha?!" Krillin exclaimed in shock.

"No..." Piccolo shook his head, his gaze complicated. "This isn't an ordinary Kamehameha..."

Gohan saw it too.

The blue light was far denser and far more dazzling than a normal Kamehameha.

It was Goku's final attack, formed with every ounce of strength he had left.

"Ka... me... ha... me... HAA!!"

Goku thrust both hands forward, and the blue energy wave howled toward Vegeta.

"Pathetic trick!!"

Vegeta sneered disdainfully, gathering a mass of golden energy before his hands.

Galick Gun.

"YAAAAAHHH!!"

The two energy waves collided over the battlefield.

Blue and gold intertwined, erupting in blinding light.

BOOM!!!

The shockwave spread in every direction, blasting everyone away.

Gohan desperately shielded his eyes, with nothing but thunderous roaring left in his ears.

When everything finally settled, he opened his eyes.

At the center of the battlefield, both Goku and Vegeta lay on the ground.

Goku had completely lost consciousness, his body covered in blood.

Vegeta was panting as well, but his hand was still moving.

"Ha... hahaha..." Vegeta let out a strained laugh. "Interesting..."

"I'll remember... that move..."

He struggled to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

Krillin and Tien Shinhan lay severely wounded on the ground.

Piccolo was barely standing, but he was already swaying.

Gohan... was still just a brat.

"Hahahahaha..." Vegeta threw back his head and laughed. "You think this is enough to defeat me?"

"How naive."

He raised his hand, golden ki gathering in his palm.

"This match... I win!!"

Gohan stared at that golden light, his heart suddenly clenching tight.

No...

Was it still not enough?

At that critical moment—

"Gohan!!"

Piccolo's voice rang out beside him.

"Do you remember what I told you?!"

"If there's a way... I'll give it everything I have!!"

Piccolo abruptly stepped in front of Gohan, crossing his arms as he took Vegeta's Galick Gun head-on.

"BOOM!!!"

"Uncle Piccolo!!!!!"

(To be continued)