Learning the Fusion Dance

"Gohan, we need to find Korin and see how many Senzu Beans he has left."

Yamcha left with Krillin and Chiaotzu, his heart hardened by a fierce resolve; even if he had to gorge himself on Senzu Beans, he would kill those androids.

On the endless glacier, only Son Gohan, Son Goku, and Vegeta remained.

"This battle is going to be intense." Son Goku felt a sense of anticipation; this was a challenge worthy of his full strength.

"To hell with those damn androids! In three days, I will kill them with my own hands!" Vegeta was consumed by rage.

He had made massive progress over the past year, and having finally transformed into a Super Saiyan, he had believed himself invincible.

Yet, he had nearly died at the hands of the future Cell, and it was only because Piccolo had saved his life that he survived. This had dealt a severe blow to the proud Saiyan prince.

"Can we enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber again?" Vegeta was desperate to increase his strength.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Vegeta, but the Hyperbolic Time Chamber has a limit of two years per person. You've already reached it." Son Gohan shook his head gently.

"Damn it!"

"But I do have a way to increase your strength faster, though it requires you and Dad to cooperate," Son Gohan teased.

"What way!?" Vegeta and Son Goku were instantly intrigued.

"I spent a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Kakarot alone. As long as it increases my strength, I'll cooperate with him. I've accepted it!"

"Then grab my shoulders, both of you." Son Gohan's lips curled into a smile as he thought about what was about to happen.

Inside the palace of the afterlife, files were piled as high as mountains on a massive desk. King Yemma rested his head in his hands, busy processing official business.

Swish!

Son Gohan, Son Goku, and Vegeta used Instant Transmission to appear directly in front of the giant desk.

"Isn't this the afterlife? Is there a way to quickly increase our strength here?" Son Goku scratched the back of his head, looking confused.

"Dad, you'll see in a moment."

"King Yemma! King Yemma!" Son Gohan tilted his head back and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Oh, it's Son Gohan. Why have you come back to the afterlife? Are you heading to King Kai's Planet again?" The red-faced King Yemma looked down at them, his voice booming like thunder.

"No, King Yemma. Could you help us find a Metamoran and tell us his location?"

Son Gohan explained the situation with Cell and Dr. Gero's plans to him.

"What? They want to wipe out all human life on Earth? Wouldn't that mean my office would be swamped with work?"

King Yemma, who had been acting sluggish, suddenly perked up. He rummaged through the mountain of files and pulled out a form.

"There are two Metamorans within my jurisdiction. They live in the east."

King Yemma showed the form to Son Gohan, which contained detailed directions.

"Thank you, King Yemma."

Because they didn't know what a Metamoran's energy felt like, they couldn't use Instant Transmission, so the three of them had to fly toward the east.

"Son Gohan, you must stop Cell. I really don't want to work any more overtime." King Yemma sighed deeply, looking quite melancholy.

The three of them traveled at extreme speed and reached the place where the Metamorans lived before long.

Ahead lay a small lake, its surface so calm it didn't ripple, reflecting the perpetually dim sky of the afterlife.

Two short, sturdy figures with purple skin sat cross-legged on a blue stone by the lake.

"Hello, my name is Son Gohan. I've come specifically to learn the Fusion Dance."

"Living people?" The two Metamorans looked them over with curiosity. "If you want to learn the Fusion Dance, you must defeat us first."

"I'll do it!"

Son Goku volunteered. He launched an attack and defeated the two of them in a few quick moves, then said with some disappointment, "Not bad, but a bit weak."

"You jerk, we hadn't fused yet! Who told you to attack?" The two Metamorans looked disheveled and were clearly very angry.

Then, the two of them performed an incredibly strange set of movements and fused together, their power increasing significantly.

Son Goku was caught off guard by the fused being's attacks at first, and it wasn't until he turned into a Super Saiyan that he managed to defeat them.

"Amazing! Is this the Fusion Dance?" Having experienced their transformation firsthand, Son Goku was instantly won over.

Thirty minutes later, the fusion ended. The two Metamorans rubbed their aching bodies and complained, "Where did these freaks come from!"

However, they were true to their word and began teaching Son Goku and Vegeta the essentials of the Fusion Dance.

Only two people of similar strength and build could perform the fusion.

The fusion generally only lasted for 30 minutes; once the time was up, they would return to normal, and they would be unable to fuse again for a short period.

If the fused being consumed too much energy, the fusion time would be shortened, and they would separate early.

Son Gohan remembered that during the Majin Buu arc, when Son Goten and Trunks fused and turned into Super Saiyan 3, the fusion only lasted five minutes before failing.

One of the Metamorans continued, "The fusion pose is very important. Even the slightest mistake will cause the fusion to fail."

"If you fail, you have to wait 30 minutes for the separation before you can try again."

The two people needed to adjust their energy to be exactly the same, then perform the exact same movements in a symmetrical fashion, just like a reflection in a mirror.

"You want me to do that pose from earlier?"

Vegeta recalled the pose the two Metamorans had used to combine, and his mouth twitched.

"That's right, Vegeta! You saw it too, didn't you? The Fusion Dance is really powerful!" Son Goku, oblivious, continued to explain with excitement.

"Shut up, Kakarot!"

"I would rather die than perform such an embarrassing move! I will not fuse with you, it's impossible!"

To Vegeta, such a ridiculous pose was far too humiliating; it did not befit his status as a proud prince.

What he found even more unacceptable was sharing a body with Son Goku and borrowing the power of a low-class warrior. This was a grave insult to his pride and dignity as the prince of the Saiyans.

"The fusion only lasts for thirty minutes. If we don't fuse, we might not be able to beat Cell, and then the Earth will be destroyed," Son Goku urged.

"Hmph, then that just means the Earth was destined to meet its end." Vegeta refused to compromise.

Son Gohan walked over and whispered, "Uncle Vegeta, does it really not matter to you if your beloved Bulma dies?"

Vegeta's face turned red in an instant. Embarrassed and annoyed, he snapped, "Don't say such shameless things! I get it, just hurry up and start practicing."

After this brief interlude, the two Metamorans continued to explain the Fusion Dance and began to demonstrate the movements.

First, the two people had to stand side by side with the distance of one person between them. Then, they had to keep both arms parallel in one direction, forming a 90-degree angle with their bodies.

When shouting the first syllable, the two people had to move toward each other from different directions, being careful to only take three steps with their feet.

Then, when shouting the second syllable, they had to join their fingers together, paying close attention to the angle of their feet—especially the left foot, which had to be kept straight.

"This is too stupid! I'd rather just die!" Vegeta covered his face, unable to bear the sight.