The ocean-like forces collided at the center of the battlefield, the two energy waves clashing to form a massive sphere of light. The energy displaced everything around it like a miniature black hole, pulling in gravel, vegetation, and even creating vortexes in the air.
A turbulent tornado filled the sky as violent winds transformed the ground into a wasteland, leaving only two figures suspended in the light between heaven and earth.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Vegeta continued screaming, pushing himself beyond his limits. The veins on his forehead bulged as his eyes turned bloodshot.
Raditz remained relatively calm. Though his hands felt the impact of powerful resistance, he was still handling it with ease.
"You are defeated!"
With a thunderous shout, Raditz suddenly increased his output. Surrounded by crimson flames, his Kamehameha completely engulfed Vegeta's Galick Gun like a ravenous lion, rushing toward the Saiyan prince!
The crimson tidal wave of energy submerged Vegeta as terrible shockwaves echoed into space with continuous explosions. Wherever the energy passed, all trees, mountains, and rocks were reduced to dust.
As the smoke gradually cleared from the air, Vegeta appeared, panicked and breathing heavily.
He was covered in bruises, his hair disheveled. One arm hung awkwardly at his side, his clothes were torn and full of holes, and there was a dark smudge at the corner of his mouth—whether dust or blood was hard to tell. Most surprising was that the fighting spirit in his eyes still hadn't faded. The power of his anger kept him from collapsing.
"Why did you hold back at the end? You bastard!" Vegeta snarled.
"I'm surprised you noticed," Raditz said as he powered down from his Kaio-ken state. "I don't want to kill you, so I didn't use my full strength..."
"Enough!" Vegeta cut him off.
His pride was wounded again. "I won't use my full strength"—wasn't that just saying Vegeta wasn't worth the effort? Pure insult. Vegeta clenched his fists tightly, trembling all over, experiencing for the first time the feeling of being defeated by a fellow Saiyan...
What had seemed impossible in the past had actually happened. He felt blood pooling in his throat and didn't know whether to spit it out or swallow it.
"Now you've seen my strength. Will you consider my suggestion?"
"Pah!"
Vegeta spat out the blood. "I refuse! I am the prince of all Saiyans, and I will not follow your orders!"
In the end, it was the arrogance in his heart that prevailed. He couldn't surrender like a defeated general! Even if Raditz truly had brilliant methods to increase his power, he couldn't simply bow his head and obey.
This was the dignity of a Saiyan prince! He could be defeated, but he would never admit defeat!
"Damn your prince's pride!" Raditz finally lost his patience and rushed forward, grabbing Vegeta by the hair.
What was the point of being a prince of a destroyed planet, with only a handful of survivors who didn't even listen to him? Enraged by Vegeta's stubbornness, Raditz threw him to the ground by his hair.
"Ugh!"
Vegeta crashed into the ruined earth.
He lay flat on his back, cold air hissing through his clenched teeth. His muscles were sore and weak; he was utterly exhausted.
Suddenly, he noticed a round ball of light reflected in the sky above. His heart began pounding violently, his pupils dilating as blood rushed through his veins like a torrent.
The full moon!
No—an artificial moon! That glow wasn't natural, but man-made!
Before Vegeta had time to consider its source, thick hair had already begun sprouting across his body as he grew in size. As an elite warrior, he could maintain his sanity after transforming, meaning he would once again have the advantage!
Realizing this, Vegeta laughed maniacally, welcoming the Great Ape transformation with open arms!
In the distance—
Tien's third eye widened as his voice trembled: "Did we win?"
"I think so? Goku?" Krillin wasn't certain either.
Goku nodded: "Without using the Kaio-ken, their strength was about equal, but once Raditz used the technique, he had the upper hand. Vegeta has already lost."
Nappa, still being restrained, stared blankly at the scene, speechless. That "trash" Raditz from before had actually beaten Vegeta—had the world gone mad?
Just as everyone was about to approach, Vegeta's laughter reached their ears, and an enormous figure rose from below, towering like a mountain and utterly terrifying!
The Great Ape!
Raditz was shocked. There shouldn't be a full moon today—how could Vegeta transform into a Great Ape?
Before he could recover from his surprise, Great Ape Vegeta greeted him with a devastating punch.
Despite his massive size, Vegeta's speed hadn't diminished, and his strength was almost unbelievable. Raditz was sent flying, his nose erupting with pain as if thousands of burning needles were piercing it simultaneously.
Raditz crashed to the ground, his entire body shaking. His nose was broken, dark red blood flowing down his face and staining his lips crimson.
"Raditz, die!"
Vegeta roared as he charged toward Raditz like lightning, raising his massive leg for a powerful kick.
The force nearly turned Raditz to paste, countless rocks blasting from the ruins as dust swept outward like a sandstorm.
Raditz dodged the stampeding feet, weaving and jumping, trying to put some distance between them. But the Great Ape leapt through the air, its enormous body drawing an arc against the sky. Its shadow covered Raditz's escape route before landing with a thunderous "BOOM!"
Somehow, it was faster than him.
The Great Ape Vegeta unleashed his most primitive violence without restraint. Blazing white energy spewed from his mouth as he smashed and swung his fists and feet with monstrous momentum! Not just Raditz—even the earth itself could barely withstand such tyrannical force.
Raditz activated Triple Kaio-ken, but was still crushed by the Great Ape's punch. He was sent flying hundreds of meters, leaving a trail of blood through the air. Though he avoided a fatal blow, the impact was still enormous. His bloodied body crashed hard into the ground, spitting out a mouthful of bright red blood.
Even Triple Kaio-ken couldn't withstand it! He hadn't expected the blow to be so powerful, so devastating!
After all this time, did Vegeta still have power left? If only he'd put more effort into his Kamehameha earlier!
The Saiyans in Great Ape form were truly fearsome, especially those who retained their sanity.
If not for Vegeta's previous injuries, Raditz would likely be dead already. Even with his Kaio-ken enhancing his abilities, facing Great Ape Vegeta head-on seemed nearly impossible!
The wind brushed against Raditz's cheeks like a blade as he rubbed his chest, fingers gradually curling into fists.
"Damn it!"
Raditz rolled away and hid beneath a pile of rubble. An enormous energy wave erupted from the Great Ape's mouth, exploding in a beautiful arc of light on the horizon.
"Raditz, today is your end!"
The death sentence was accompanied by the Great Ape's approach, like a mountain bearing down on Raditz. A punch struck his body with a sound that bombarded the eardrums.
But this time, Raditz didn't retreat. He raised his hands in front of him as red aura erupted around his body, stopping the Great Ape's fist in its tracks!
Blocked? Vegeta froze momentarily in disbelief.
"Five-fold Kaio-ken!" Blood from the corner of Raditz's mouth dripped down to his Adam's apple as his body strained under the immense burden of this technique. But what he needed was just a moment of surprise from Vegeta. Taking advantage of this opening, he quickly moved forward and rushed toward Vegeta's eyes.
"Saturday Crash!"
His hands had no time to gather energy, so he released it directly, aiming for Vegeta's vulnerable eyes.
In that instant, Vegeta actually managed to cover his eyes with one hand. The powerful shockwave hit only the back of his hand, blasting away a cloud of blood mist.
Blood slid down the hairy giant hand and spattered across the rocks below.
Raditz felt a surge of dread.
"I'll kill you!" The furious Vegeta opened his mouth wide, preparing to blast Raditz at point-blank range. At this distance, there was almost no chance of escape.
He couldn't get away!
Raditz pushed his Five-fold Kaio-ken to its limits, still feeling the overwhelming pressure closing in as the light immediately engulfed him.
With no other option, Raditz could only defend against the energy wave!
When the light faded, the red aura around him had disappeared. He tumbled through the air before landing heavily on the ground. He was breathing raggedly, his joints aching. His last-second defense had saved his life, but the strain on his body left him debilitated—his muscles could no longer exert their full strength.
"Hahaha, very clever, but your death is only a matter of time!" Vegeta laughed maniacally.
He strode closer to Raditz with confident steps.
"Huh... should I become a Great Ape too? What if I lose my mind..." Raditz smiled helplessly, his brows furrowing.
The Five-fold Kaio-ken was his limit. At full strength, he might have managed it, but he had already consumed too much energy. Besides, the Great Ape's durability far exceeded what the Kaio-ken could overcome.
At this point, without transforming into a Great Ape himself, there was no path to victory—just one final gamble.
His own tail was still intact; he hadn't removed it for research purposes, never expecting it would be useful in battle. He looked up at the sky, searching for the moon, and sure enough, spotted the artificial satellite.
In that moment, Raditz's body began to change!
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