A fateful battle, an overwhelming gap!

"I'm working. I haven't finished today's work yet."

"By the way, Vegeta, was there something else you wanted? If not, I'll get back to it. If I'm late, Chi-Chi will scold me again."

Son Goku stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for Vegeta's answer.

Vegeta's mouth twitched at the reply. He hadn't expected Son Goku, the strongest Saiyan he had acknowledged, to have fallen to such a state.

Work? Why should they have to work? They were powerful Saiyans.

Vegeta felt sorry for Son Goku's situation.

If he were in that position, he figured he would simply use force to rule Earth.

But that was beside the point. He hadn't come here today to waste time.

"Come fight me, Kakarot! Let's settle this once and for all!" Vegeta challenged Son Goku in a firm voice.

Hearing that Vegeta had come to fight him, Son Goku's interest was piqued. He glanced at the tiller behind him and, without the slightest hesitation, put the fieldwork out of his mind.

He could work anytime. He hadn't had a good workout in a year, and his body was practically rusting.

Vegeta's visit left him itching for a fight.

Without turning into a Super Saiyan 4, he could experience the thrill of battle against Vegeta.

"Sure, but we have to go somewhere else. If we wreck this place and Chi-Chi asks about it, that'll be a headache." Son Goku accepted Vegeta's challenge, eager to see how strong Vegeta was now.

"Hmph! Suit yourself." Vegeta didn't care where they fought. Right now, he just wanted to test himself against Son Goku.

Soon, Son Goku took off his work clothes. Having reached an agreement, the two powered up, flew into the sky, and headed into the distance.

Before long, the two arrived in a rocky area dozens of kilometers from Mount Paozu.

It was a barren region, untouched by human development. The harsh environment meant no animals lived there, either.

Son Goku and Vegeta descended from the sky and landed on rocks at different heights. Their eyes met, an invisible aura took shape, and the atmosphere grew increasingly charged for battle.

"Come to think of it, we haven't fought since we parted three years ago."

"Now that three years have passed, how much stronger have you gotten, Vegeta?"

Son Goku studied Vegeta with the hint of a smile. A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and an invisible pressure flickered around him, bearing down on Vegeta.

"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted. How could a little trick like that escape his notice?

"Things aren't the same as they were, Kakarot!! I! Am not the man I was back then!!" With a mighty shout, Vegeta unleashed the full power of his normal state. A white aura surrounded him, and his terrifying presence surged into the sky, shaking the entire world.

Their auras collided, stirring the air and shaking the earth. The clash of their presences alone made the air pressure in the area unstable.

Countless boulders were ripped from the ground and suspended in midair, only to be crushed by the immense pressure, scattering countless fragments across the sky.

With neither gaining the upper hand in their clash of auras, Vegeta decisively transformed into a Super Saiyan Full Power and charged at Son Goku at full speed.

Son Goku remained unmoved as Vegeta attacked, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The next second, Vegeta rushed up to Son Goku and threw a heavy punch.

Son Goku had anticipated it. He tilted his head slightly, perfectly dodging the punch aimed at his face.

When his strike missed, Vegeta quickly changed tactics. His fists and feet attacked in a relentless barrage, fast as lightning.

Faced with Vegeta's fierce assault, Son Goku kept dodging, handling it with ease.

The battlefield kept shifting. Son Goku advanced by retreating, drawing Vegeta into attacking and exposing his weaknesses.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!... The thrilling sounds of blows rang out without pause.

In just a few seconds, Vegeta launched dozens of powerful attacks. Son Goku, already prepared to deal with them, neutralized every one perfectly.

None of his dozens of attacks had hit Son Goku, and Vegeta's anger grew. He gathered all his strength into an iron fist and drove it straight forward.

Son Goku had been ready. He crossed his arms in front of him and took a defensive stance.

Boom!!!!!

The terrifying force spread through Son Goku's entire body, yet it failed to budge him an inch.

"What?!" Vegeta was horrified, disbelief written across his face.

His full-power strike in his Super Saiyan form had had no effect on Son Goku whatsoever.

"My turn, Vegeta." Son Goku's words sent a violent tremor through Vegeta's heart.

White lightning flashed around Son Goku, and a terrifying aura erupted in an instant.

Boom!!!! His white aura became a storm that surged into the heavens.

The shock of that instantaneous burst of power alone forced Super Saiyan Vegeta back a hundred meters.

Son Goku switched from defense to offense. Taking the initiative, he rained punches and kicks of limitless destructive power on Vegeta.

Faced with Son Goku's attack, Super Saiyan Vegeta defended himself with all his strength.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!... The thunder of clashing limbs rang out without pause.

Against Son Goku's offensive, Vegeta was clearly struggling to keep up.

Even if Kid Buu were still alive, he couldn't have put this much pressure on him.

He was no longer the man he had been. Even as a Super Saiyan 1, Vegeta was confident he could kill the Kid Buu of those days within ten exchanges!

But now, the cruel reality came as a considerable shock to Vegeta: his Super Saiyan form was being suppressed by Son Goku in his normal state!

No! He was being utterly defeated!

Under Son Goku's repeated attacks, Vegeta's defenses crumbled, and Son Goku's heavy fist sank into his abdomen.

Pwah! Vegeta spat up a mouthful of sour fluid.

The remaining force passed through Vegeta's body and shattered the rocky mountain behind him.

Vegeta clutched his abdomen and staggered backward from the heavy blow. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with profound shock.

"Impossible... this..." Vegeta endured the intense pain and straightened his back.

"Haaaaaaa!!!!" Vegeta let out a furious roar. Lightning crackled around him as he entered the Super Saiyan Second Grade Ultimate Form.

The energy within him erupted, suppressing the pain, and Vegeta finally felt a little better.

"Super Saiyan Second Grade?" Son Goku smiled faintly, still showing no intention of transforming.

Vegeta saw it.

A powerful sense of humiliation filled Vegeta with rage, and he roared, "Are you mocking me?! Kakarot!!"

"I! Came to settle things with you!!!"

"I, Vegeta!! Don't need your pity. Give me everything you've got!"

Unwilling to accept it, Vegeta roared again and again. Son Goku felt his determination to settle the fight with him.