William observed closely, his eyes alight with anticipation, as Goku harnessed an immense amount of ki, striving to push the boundaries of his Super Saiyan power.
RUMBLE!
The ground quaked as pebbles and small rocks lifted into the air, carried by the surging energy. However, after a few moments, the golden Super Saiyan aura began to waver, flickering like a dying flame. Finally, it vanished entirely, leaving Goku in his base form. Exhausted, he collapsed onto his hands and knees, sweat cascading from his body and pooling beneath him.
"I already told you, you can't just power up and expect to unlock a new level of strength!" William commented, reclining on a chair he had conjured from shimmering bronze energy. In one hand, he held an intricately designed, translucent goblet.
The enticing aroma emanating from the goblet caused Goku's nose to twitch. Like a ravenous predator catching the scent of prey, the Saiyan nearly began to salivate.
"I combined crushed senzu beans with a cask of wine I confiscated from a so-called villain named Darkseid," William explained, lifting the goblet slightly. "It turns out the result is both delicious and revitalizing." At the mention of a villain, Goku's weary eyes blazed with fiery determination.
William chuckled at the sight.
With a mere thought, the bronze goblet floated from William's hand and hovered before Goku. The tantalizing aroma grew stronger, testing the full extent of Goku's willpower as he fought to resist its allure.
"Go ahead, kid, you've earned it, and you'll definitely need it!" William said, cracking his neck as he slowly stood.
Without hesitation, Goku gulped down the wine, showing no apprehension.
WHOOSH!
Goku's depleted energy reserves suddenly surged with intensity, his aura erupting into a brilliant display of white and blue light before transitioning into a radiant golden hue. Gritting his teeth, Goku crouched low, every muscle in his body taut as he released a powerful roar.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yondu and Peter stood in awe, watching as the golden light surrounding Goku settled into a ki aura, marking his transformation into a Super Saiyan.
"Hey Peter, can you do something like that?" Yondu asked, only to be met with an exasperated sideways glance.
"What are you talking about? Unlike him, I'm actually human. You should know that, considering you kidnapped me from my home in Missouri!"
Yondu's eye twitched at the remark, but a thought struck him: "Does this boy think Earth is called Missouri?"
Before Yondu could dwell on it further, his attention was drawn to a sight across from William. An image of a pointy-haired Saiyan prince, clad in old-school Saiyan armor and a unitard, emerged, radiating bronze light. William seemed to will the colors into existence, and Vegeta materialized in full form, leaving a bewildered Goku staring in confusion.
Vegeta sneered, as if recognizing Goku, and immediately took a fighting stance.
Goku, sensing the fighting intent of his opponent, smiled from ear to ear with joy as Vegeta prepared to lunge at him.
As the two prepared to clash, suspended in the air, William stood above them, channeling his power into the construct of Vegeta to maintain its form and supply it with sufficient ki for both offense and defense.
The two fighters launched toward one another with calculated timing. However, Goku, already in his Super Saiyan state, managed to reach Vegeta first, delivering a powerful spinning backhand to the Saiyan prince's nose. But Goku was caught off guard when Vegeta grabbed his hand and pulled him downward into the Saiyan's counterattack.
BOOM!
Goku took the full force of Vegeta's knee to his abdomen and leaped back, trying to regain the air that had suddenly been knocked from his lungs. However, Vegeta was not about to give him the time to recover so easily. Goku was forced to cross his arms defensively to block a vicious axe kick.
KATCH!
He managed to catch the blow, but the impact still sent him hurtling into the ground below.
BOOM!
In the center of the newly formed crater, Goku rose to his full height, cracking his knuckles as a fiery excitement burned in his eyes.
"Hehehehe, this is the best!"
FLSH!
In an instant, Goku vanished from Vegeta's sight, forcing the Saiyan prince to remain on high alert. But how could Vegeta anticipate the hands that suddenly burst from beneath the arena floor? They grabbed him and dragged him underground, where Goku began using the very environment to smash Vegeta into submission.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The ground bulged repeatedly with each forceful impact, until Vegeta was finally hurled out of one such bulge. He came to a stop in mid-air, his arms outstretched to his sides.
Dense purple light began to gather in Vegeta's hands as he brought them together, forming a massive orb of ki between his gloved fingers.
"GALICK GUN...!"
Vegeta's roar echoed as his aura flared violently, crackling with intense energy and pressure.
Meanwhile, from within the hole in the ground, Goku was condensing an immense golden ki ball in his hand, charging his own counterattack. The atmosphere itself seemed to split between the two fighters, purple and gold energies swirling and colliding, while a dense bronze sun loomed above it all.
"FIREEEE!"
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!
A massive surge of purple energy descended toward Goku, who countered with an equally powerful attack to confront it directly.
WHOOOOOOOOOSH!
Goku unleashed a golden beam of pure, concentrated ki that shot upward to collide with the brilliant purple energy. Despite the vast disparity in size between the two attacks, the smaller golden beam held its ground against the overwhelming purple mass. Their clash formed a delicate equilibrium, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
The clashing energy beams ripped through the atmosphere, stirring violent hurricanes of raw power that obliterated the rock formations William had conjured. The ground beneath their feet fractured and levitated, suspended like debris caught in a chaotic gravity storm. Goku gritted his teeth, channeling more energy into his ki attack as his feet slid backward under the immense force pressing against him.
"Just a little more!" he growled, muscles straining as beads of sweat flew from his brow, evaporating instantly in the heated air.
Through the chaos came Vegeta's voice, sharp and taunting.
"You're pushing hard, Kakarot. Almost impressed."
Goku blinked. Almost?
Then Vegeta smirked, and the battlefield shifted.
The Galick Gun's violet blaze erupted outward, consuming its surroundings as Vegeta's body vanished within a blinding column of golden light. A ferocious roar of ki tore into the heavens as his aura transformed into a wild, golden inferno.
His hair spiked upward, blazing gold.
His eyes turned sharp and teal.
And his smirk?
More menacing than ever.
Super Saiyan Vegeta had emerged.
The Galick Gun, now fueled by unrestrained Saiyan power, overwhelmed Goku's attack and struck him with the force of a collapsing star.
BOOOOOM!
The detonation engulfed Goku, his cry lost in the deafening explosion. Blinding light swallowed the simulated landscape as William raised a hand to shield his eyes, letting out a low whistle.
"Damn. He wasn't holdin' back anymore."
Peter's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's not even the real Vegeta, right?"
William chuckled knowingly. "Nope. Just a construct. But the pain? That's very real. How do you know of Vegeta?"
"He's one of the more renowned warriors under the Mad Titan's command, isn't he?" Peter raised an eyebrow in confusion, but his attention quickly shifted back to the battlefield.
The dust began to settle, revealing air thick with heat and smoke. The massive crater left behind was jagged, deep, and faintly glowing with residual energy. Before anyone could count Goku out, a burst of blue light erupted from the pit.
Goku shot upward, spinning through the air, singed but grinning. He wiped blood from his mouth and cracked his neck.
"Okay. Okay. You're serious now."
Vegeta hovered above him, his golden aura surging like a tempest. "You think I'd let you coast on that lazy power of yours, Kakarot? Not in my ring."
"This your ring now?" Goku panted, steadying himself. "Thought this was Will's place."
Vegeta's sneer deepened. "Doesn't matter whose place it is. I'm the king in every arena I enter."
In an instant, Vegeta was there, right in Goku's face, his elbow cocked back.
Goku barely managed to block with a crossed guard, but the impact sent him hurtling backward like a ragdoll. He twisted midair, skidding across the terrain and kicking up trails of dust behind his heels.
Vegeta was relentless, a golden streak closing the gap with blinding speed.
They collided in midair, fists and feet clashing with thunderous force. Shockwaves rippled through the arena and its surroundings with every exchange. William stood silently, arms crossed, his brow lifting slightly as he observed the spectacle.
During the fight, Goku was steadily losing ground. Every strike from Vegeta was precise and calculated, every counterattack executed a fraction faster. The prince of all Saiyans showed no mercy, his assault relentless.
Goku narrowly avoided a powerful haymaker, ducked low, and retaliated with a blast of ki aimed at Vegeta's stomach.
It landed.
Yet Vegeta barely acknowledged the hit.
In response, he drove his knee upward with a resounding crack, smashing it into Goku's chin and sending him hurtling like a missile through the air.
Goku twisted mid-flight, gasping for breath, and managed to stabilize himself, only for Vegeta to appear above him in an instant. With both fists clenched, Vegeta delivered a crushing blow that sent Goku plummeting to the ground. Goku hit the terrain hard, bouncing once before skidding to a halt.
For a brief moment, silence filled the battlefield.
Dust swirled around Goku's still form.
Peter leaned closer. "...Is he finished?"
William smirked knowingly. "Not even close."
A crackle of lightning split the air.
Then...
BOOM!
Goku erupted upward in a flash, his aura blazing white and blue.
His eyes gleamed with exhilaration.
"I haven't gone all-out in a long time," he declared, grinning as he hovered at Vegeta's level. "Think you can keep up?"
Vegeta tilted his head slightly. "Bring it on."
Their auras burst forth in unison, colliding with sheer intensity.
Goku launched himself towards Vegeta with his fist ready to land a powerful blow however...
BOOM!
Goku's fist tore through the air, hitting nothing but emptiness. Vegeta had already vanished.
A brutal CRACK reverberated as Vegeta's elbow crashed into Goku's spine, sending him tumbling uncontrollably. Before he could regain his footing, Vegeta materialized below him, driving both fists upward in a devastating blow.
WHAM!
Goku's body contorted, arms and legs flailing wildly as he shot skyward, a reverse meteor streaking toward the heavens.
But escape was futile.
Vegeta surged past Goku mid-flight, twisting in the air, and plunged downward like a golden missile. His knee slammed into Goku's chest with a deafening impact that resonated across the battlefield.
CRUNCH!
Goku's eyes widened in agony. A strangled gasp escaped him as saliva sprayed from his mouth, his body folding in on itself. The force hurled him earthbound, faster than gravity, his golden aura flickering like a dying flame in a storm.
BOOOOOOOM!
Goku struck the stone arena with catastrophic force, carving a massive crater into the ground, its jagged edges radiating outward. For a heartbeat, silence.
Then—
FLASH!
Vegeta descended in a blur, landing feet-first onto Goku's ribs before he could draw a single breath.
CRACK!
Goku screamed, the sound raw and piercing, filled with genuine torment.
"Too slow," Vegeta snarled, seizing Goku by the hair and hauling him upright. Blood trickled from Goku's mouth, his gaze unfocused yet blazing with unyielding resolve.
He threw a shaky punch.
Vegeta didn't even bother to block it. He let it land, then smiled.
Bad idea.
Vegeta's forehead crashed forward.
Thwack!
Goku's head snapped back, blood spraying from his nose in a crimson burst. His knees buckled, but Vegeta held him upright, not out of mercy, but to keep hitting him.
Left hook. Right cross. Uppercut.
Goku's body flailed like a rag doll in Vegeta's iron grip.
"Still standing?" Vegeta sneered.
"Nope," Goku wheezed.
His body crumpled, slamming into the fractured arena floor with a sickening thud. His arms twitched uselessly. One leg bent at an unnatural angle. Bruises blossomed across his chest and face like dark, painful flowers. His iconic orange gi hung in tatters, the blue undershirt shredded to ribbons.
Peter gagged. "Ugh, this is worse than that time at band camp."
Yondu squinted. "He's breathin'… barely."
William remained silent. His conjured chair still supported him, but his fingers tightened imperceptibly on the armrests. His unwavering gaze stayed locked on Goku.
Vegeta floated above, arms crossed, his golden aura flickering like a lion surveying its prey. "That's it? That's all the mighty Goku has left?"
No response. Only the sound of ragged breathing.
Finally, William rose from his seat.
A wave of bronze light shimmered from his palm, and a translucent goblet descended gracefully into the crater. It drifted through the swirling dust and sparks like a sacred artifact, stopping just inches from Goku's battered face.
The aroma of senzu-wine wafted into his bloodied nostrils. Despite the agony, his Saiyan instincts stirred, primal and unyielding, like a starving wolf catching the scent of prey.
Goku's hand twitched. Slowly, it dragged itself over the rough ground, raw and trembling. His scraped fingers found the goblet's stem.
He lifted it. Barely.
Bloodied lips met the rim.
He drank.
A single gulp.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM!