PART TWENTY-FIVE: FACING THE ADVERSARY THAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE

Chapter 125

Translated by npberryhill

One day, on the outer edges of the universe, a warrior appeared on a certain planet. This world was famous for its delicious spices, which drew the attention of space traders and intergalactic rulers alike. Most interested parties exchanged goods in peaceful trade, involving diplomats when necessary and being careful to avoid violence. However, in the wake of a collapsed empire, and the construction of a new one in its place — led by an even more formidable emperor and accompanied by equally terrifying servants of a race believed to be extinct — that would all change. When this warrior arrived, proclaiming the territory now belonged to the all-powerful and superior Saiyan race, the population was too terrified to oppose the bloody emissary. However, this warrior refused to accept such a rapid surrender. Unnecessarily, he went wild, ravaging the world, committing genocide on almost all its inhabitants — a planet he had been instructed to treat delicately. While the warrior sat atop a pile of corpses, he was confronted by a much more powerful Saiyan for his insubordination — Emperor Vegeta. The leader had intended to develop the planet into a commercial jewel, a crossroads solidifying his reign over the sector.

This event, as well as many others, had driven the two Saiyans to despise one another. One of them had been raised as prince of his people, before he’d crushed the tyrant Freeza who had exterminated most of his race — and had taken his seat as imperial overlord. The other, Kakarotto, had always hated their lord for his contemptuous attitude towards he and his brother Raditz. He would’ve given anything to smash that royal face into a rock before dragging him a hundred miles, breaking all his bones, and listening with glee to his death rattle! Kakarotto had dreamed of one day standing up to and crushing his arrogant emperor, of blowing up his bald headed lackey, and of massacring and dismembering many hundreds of thousands more after that. There seemed an insatiable thirst for violence in the back of his mind, ever present.

Today, now that he possessed power greater than he’d ever thought possible, he could finally satisfy all the desires of his heart — his murderous madness could have free reign, unhindered by the controlling hand of his superior. What’s more, he got to demonstrate his newfound strength against another Vegeta! Recalling each of the humiliations he’d been dealt by Emperor Vegeta, Kakarotto impregnated his fists with the fullness of resentment. As Vegeta of the 18th universe continued to grin, it only amplified the Golden Oozaru’s rage, accelerating his attacks.

Facing his foe, the Saiyan prince dug in his defensive position, planting his legs firmly and bracing his arms in front. He could both sense and feel Kakarotto’s anger like a mack truck about to plow over him, and yet the Saiyan wanted to face it — to test himself against stronger foes had always been his foremost aim. Humiliating this alternate version of his best friend played no part in that. He found it fascinating to face a pure Saiyan in his most primitive and bestial form, combined with all the mythical might of a Super Saiyan. Vegeta was prepared to lay it all on the line to see the limits of his Super Saiyan 2, and put his theory to the test. If things turned out as he hoped, defeating Son Goku later on would not be so far a stretch.

The incoming blow from the Oozaru crashed into him, plowing him backwards several meters this time in a trench. Vegeta’s determination to block was clearly evident, his veins swelling, his back arched. The lightning storming around him doubled in intensity as the prince pushed back the giant left hand. He squeezed it around his waist level, forcing the knuckles of the gorilla around him and into the barrier violently. Kakarotto gritted his teeth, shrinking away from the stinging and allowing Vegeta time to dash up to his face.

But the Golden Ape vanished, astonishing the spectators, as well as both Pans — who found themselves unable to keep up with his speed. The prince of Saiyans rolled overhead to dodge the monkey’s surprise attack from behind, landing softly on the ring. Kakarotto then tried to trample him underfoot, stomping wildly, but the Super Saiyan 2 dazzlingly dodged each strike. Vegeta seemed content to, like his counterpart against Raichi, pace his movements and avoid behind hunted. Raditz’ brother grumbled, then hurriedly fired a surging mouth-cannon. A thick wave of dust enveloped the arena, slowly revealing the deep ditch cratered in the wake of his attack. But for the moment, there was no trace of his opponent.

The latter had moved at such great speed that even his son from the future had failed to follow. With each passing second that the scene unfolded, Trunks was more and more amazed. His father was so vastly different now from the cocky warrior that had allowed Cell to become perfect. Not merely in power, but the vanity and pride that had made up his core essence seemed to have subsided. In their place was now a great heartfelt determination — a willingness to fight for something more than himself. Even #16 had noticed.

“This Vegeta... is different,” the android observed. “His intentions are devoid of evil and his resolve is clear. The same cannot be said of his universe 13 counterpart. In spite of who he is facing in this match and the resentment and rage tapped into by his foe, your father is calm and composed. His skills as a warrior are impressive, Trunks.”

Zen Buu, who had been spying on the conversation, was as surprised as anyone else. The evolution of the royal lineage was fascinating, and had somehow led to a Vegeta destitute of self and vitriol — a man instead warmed by fatherly affection, proud and protective of his family, motivated to fight on the side of justice. He was now driven by his rivalry with Goku and his desire to meet every true challenge head on, a mentality that Buu found especially intriguing considering he contained a Vegeta deep inside of himself; one whose heart was still tainted by resentment. It was curious how the Saiyan prince had become such a worthy adversary.

Vegeta stretched his hand toward the Great Golden Ape, palm up, fingers extended tall as he began accumulating a sphere of energy.

“Big Bang...”

He’d scarcely said the words when his enemy vanished once again, at even greater speed this time. Even Emperor Vegeta’s head spun in panic, unable to follow the great beast’s movements. The golden Oozaru reappeared above the prince, scornfully grinning.

“You take me for a fat oaf, Vegeta? I’ll show you how wrong you are! Now disappear!”

The Golden Ape extended a single finger high above his head, concentrating an unhealthy quantity of ki down his arm and into a misshapen but massive energy ball. Even the spectators felt uncomfortable as they observed the gorilla prepare his attack. Freeza himself shivered at the presence of such an evil aura — not merely a murderous intent but a psychopathic and uncontrolled ferocity behind it. With a sadistic animal snarl, Kakarotto threw down his outstretched arm, launching the attack at Vegeta.

“...Attack!” the prince quickly roared, firing his much smaller counterattack.

The two balls of energy struck one another violently, exploding with hurricane winds that threatened to unseat competitor and audience member alike. Many dug their feet into the ground, bracing with all their might so as to not be swept away. Cell’s offspring were hurled backwards into the wall behind him, though the bio-android himself made no move — in fact, he seemed rather disappointed by the sad spectacle. So far, neither opponent had displayed much more power than Gohan had back at his tournament, the Cell Games. Vegeta was refusing to unleash his true potential, and while part of him desperately wanted to see it now, another part of the perfect being hoped he’d be the one to tear it out of the prince firsthand. Secretly, he rooted for Vegeta, all while his juniors, who’d been caught off guard, got up from the shockwave without a scratch.

The dazzling light around the explosion finally subsided, revealing a somewhat cowering Golden Ape, tendrils of smoke swirling out of his giant mouth. As for his opponent, Vegeta lay in a crater of cracked ground, his body bracing against it with one hand. His body was cut, his clothing torn in several places, and his burned skin provoked a sustained pain.

“Dad!” Trunks of universe 18 exclaimed, his voice panicked. His universe 16 counterpart, though he now viewed Vegetto as his father, was similarly worried. He’d never forgotten his original father Vegeta, and his childhood memories of the man, in particular the hug he’d received before behind knocked out against Majin Buu, had cemented his respect and affections. The next time he’d seen his father in person, it had been as the fused warrior Vegetto, the form to which he’d become accustomed. Trunks loved his surrogate father dearly, and while he recognized the many character similarities held with Vegeta, Vegetto was still a different being — seeing his biological dad hurt and in pain was difficult. As tears swelled, Bra watched him silently from the corner of her eye. She couldn’t understand the connection between them, as her father was Vegetto himself, but she decided it wasn’t the right moment to joke with her half-brother. As for the merged super warrior himself, he stared at the Great Golden Oozaru alongside Gohan and Piccolo. A certain sense of uneasiness gripped them at the mere sight of such a being, but they couldn’t put their finger on what exactly it was.

Vegeta began to stand, leaning on his bloody arms, straightening his back and murmuring to himself. “Pfff. This level of attack is nothing compared to the beating I took from Majin Buu. Just you wait until I get serious, you’ll see...”

Suddenly, a massive shadow blocked out the light from above him. Raising his head, he was greeted by the image of a massive golden gorilla, irate and jaws wide, throwing himself upon him.

“You motherfucker!” the beast roared. “Look who’s worn out, and now I’ll finish this!”

“Shit!” Vegeta replied, spitting blood. He put all his strength into his legs and sprang backwards — the Saiyan’s limbs were still somewhat numb and he knew he couldn’t move properly yet. He’d need to buy some time to get the feeling back. The Great Ape’s foot smashed into the ground the exact spot Vegeta had been just an instant earlier. But without hesitating the giant beast kicked his foot in the prince’s direction as if he were kicking a ball. Acting on instinct, Vegeta rolled to the side, barely escaping once again. Before he was out of dodge, Kakarotto managed to vanish and reappear just above him, his giant arms clasped tightly above his head. The Golden Oozaru slammed his two fists down with all his might on a completely helpless and motionless Vegeta.

The shockwave rang out bitterly through the arena, splintering rock and ground. Pan shielded her eyes, her father putting his hand on her shoulder in support. She could feel a certain tension in her father, but also a strange confidence and reassurance. The girl also recalled her promise to Vegeta that should wouldn’t look away from the fight no matter what. Slowly, she glanced back up to face the scene in front of her. In the arena, Kakarotto’s booming laughter could be heard. He couldn’t feel any energy from the place he’d struck his blow, and as his hands were still planted in the ground, he believed himself victorious.

“And, one less Vegeta!” came his scathing cackle. “The other will soon follow, ha ha ha!!”

In the corner of his eye he could see Emperor Vegeta wearing a concerned look, his boss’s tense face staring at him. Internally he rejoiced to see such trembling before his newfound power, but his joy suddenly soured. A thin smirk suddenly etched itself on his leader’s cheek and the massive ape suddenly felt movement behind him. He turned, distraught, to be met once again by the glaring face of Vegeta, a bloody scratch on his forehead. The prince had grasped his tail firmly, and pulled him backwards and off balance.

“It’s not that I take you for a fat oaf... You are one!”

With astounding strength, he lifted the Golden Oozaru, hairy muscle and all, and smashed him against the ground. Kakarotto’s back contorted and snapped in unnatural ways as he yelped in pain. He had no time to recover; the royal Saiyan tugged at his tail once again, hurling him ‘round by it and flattening him against the ground. Vegeta seemed to be swinging him like a wild clock hand into the increasingly cracked surface, amusing himself by spinning him faster and harder each time. Not only was Kakarotto’s equilibrium completely destroyed, but it was all he could do not to spew a massive pool of vomit. The prince leapt into the air suddenly, this time hoisting the Great Golden Gorilla in midair and swinging his mighty torso into the shield wall like a gong. Huge globs of bloody saliva were being spewed every direction as the bestial monkey’s armor was chipped away. He finally collapsed, face down, body inert. Vegeta floated a few feet above him, before grabbing his tail a final time and yanking it off.

“You may be large, but you aren’t all that tough!”

As Kakarotto screamed in pain, he began to spasm and lose his enormous size and fur. Soon, the beast had vanished entirely, leaving nothing but a broken man in a puddle of drool. His mind was still spinning from the wild ride his cranium had just experienced, and regaining control of his senses was taking time. But a voice seemed to refocus his anger.

“And now... it seems all that’s left is the not so tough! Still, you’ve entertained me for your part. I’ll give you credit.”

Biting his lip, channeling rage and pain, Kakarotto forced himself to snap out of it. Though trembling, he stood back to his feet, clenching his fists several times to make sure he could move again. He then turned his glance onto Vegeta, who stared at him proudly. The violent rage of seeing that face again, the face of his nemesis, began to boil in his blood once more. Even now he refused to give in — he hated Vegeta, he hated that unbearable pretentious look of disdain and correction! He would fight, he would unleash all his hatred and madness. Kakarotto began approaching his foe, grinding his teeth with each step. But he stopped short, stupefied at what he saw. Vegeta had released the lightning in his aura, descending to the level of a normal Super Saiyan. The audience was just as shocked as he. The prince’s golden aura burned only a bit brighter than his own. Whatever his reasons, Vegeta had just signed his own death sentence.

“Alright then, round three,” Vegeta proclaimed, curling his fingers repeatedly, taunting Kakarotto to bring it on. “This is where you’ll see why I’m a truly elite warrior, and you’re truly pathetic.”