Max's reflexes were impeccable, catching Vegeta mid-air as he attempted a surprise attack. The two chakra-arms wrapped around the Saiyan Prince, lifting him high and launching him backward with incredible force. Vegeta crashed into a nearby valley, creating a massive crater.
Great Ape Gohan, disoriented, turned to face Max again. Nappa took this chance and charged, his massive fist aimed at the Perfect Susanoo's helm. The impact shattered part of the armor, revealing a sliver of Max's face beneath. Nappa roared in triumph. "You're not so tough without your pretty blue mask!"
Krillin, seizing the opportunity, launched a Kamehameha directly into Nappa's massive ape face. The energy wave exploded against his muzzle, scorching fur and making him howl in pain. The Great Ape stumbled back, temporarily blinded.
Vegeta, however, was recovering rapidly. The Saiyan Prince's eyes glinted with cunning rather than rage now.
Vegeta's Great Ape form stood back up, his eyes locking onto the cracking Perfect Susanoo armor. He wasn't reckless anymore—he was calculating.
"Tch. The boy's loose cannon is our advantage," Vegeta's voice boomed from his Great Ape throat. "Nappa! Take out the blue monstrosity's legs."
Great Ape Nappa nodded, charging at the Perfect Susanoo. He swung his massive legs, aiming to sweep Max off his feet and cripple the chakra construct. Meanwhile, Vegeta circled around, preparing to strike from the opposite side once Nappa created an opening.
The Perfect Susanoo flickered out of existence just before Nappa's leg swept through empty air. The Great Ape stumbled, hitting nothing but shadow. Before either Saiyan could react, the Susanoo materialized instantly in front of them—its massive fist colliding simultaneously with Great Ape Nappa's face and Great Ape Vegeta's snout.
Nappa and Vegeta both took the brutal hits, their massive forms sent flying backward. Nappa crashed into a mountain, while Vegeta was knocked completely off his feet, skidding across the desert floor. The Perfect Susanoo's chakra armor was back to full strength, undamaged by their attacks.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed to slits, finally understanding the true power of the blue giant. He stood up, his Great Ape form towering over the battlefield. The Saiyan Prince's mind raced, formulating a new plan. He turned to Nappa, who was slowly getting back up. "Nappa attack the humans."
Nappa roared in understanding, immediately shifting his attention to the Z Fighters below. He leaped toward them, his massive fists crashing down where Krillin, Piccolo, and Tien stood. The group scattered, screaming as Nappa's blows crushed the earth, sending debris flying everywhere.
Vegeta stayed focused on Max, his Great Ape form crackling with red energy.
Great Ape Vegeta roared, abandoning brute force for tactical aggression. He unleashed a massive Mouth Blast, a beam of concentrated red energy exploding toward the Perfect Susanoo. He knew perfectly well that distracting Max was essential—if Nappa slaughtered the humans, Max would have to break focus to save them.
The Z Fighters were desperately dodging Nappa's relentless stomps.
The Mouth Blast slammed into the Perfect Susanoo, the massive beam engulfing the azure giant. The chakra armor groaned under the pressure, cracks spreading across its surface. Great Ape Vegeta grinned—this was the first time he'd actually damaged the monstrosity.
Below, Nappa's massive foot crashed down near Piccolo, sending him flying. Krillin and Tien were cornered.
"Shinra Tensei" (Almighty Push, which unleashes massive shockwaves)
An enormous shockwave erupted from the Perfect Susanoo, a circular force field of blue energy expanding outward. It collided with Vegeta's Mouth Blast, neutralizing it instantly. The shockwave continued to spread, hitting Great Ape Vegeta and sending him flying backward.
The shockwave rippled across the entire battlefield. Great Ape Vegeta slammed into mountains, reducing them to rubble. Great Ape Gohan was knocked off his feet, crashing through several peaks. Even Great Ape Nappa was sent tumbling, his massive form sliding for hundreds of meters.
The Z Fighters below were blasted back like ragdolls, their bones groaning under the pressure. Piccolo spit blood.
Great Ape Nappa, shaking off the shockwave, locked onto Piccolo's prone form. He let out a deafening roar and unleashed a devastating Kai Blast, a beam of pure energy hurtling toward the Namekian at blinding speed. Piccolo, dazed and bloodied, couldn't react in time.
The Kai Blast struck Piccolo full-on, the energy beam obliterating the lower half of his body. Blood sprayed in a gruesome arc as his legs disappeared beneath the intense blast, his upper torso thrown back as he tried to roll away.
"PICCOLO!" Krillin's scream echoed across the battlefield.
Vegeta grinned from afar, watching the carnage with cold satisfaction.
The Perfect Susanoo materialized behind Great Ape Nappa, its massive hand reaching out and touching the Saiyan Ape's head. The Human Path activated instantly—a horrifying spiritual extraction. Nappa's massive body convulsed as his soul was ripped violently from his physical form. The Great Ape let out one final, guttural scream before its body went completely limp, lifeless.
A massive chakra blade materialized from the Perfect Susanoo's hand, swinging with surgical precision. *SHINK!* The blade sheared through Great Ape Vegeta's tail like paper. The massive limb severed cleanly, falling to the desert floor.
Vegeta let out an agonized roar—a sound unlike anything heard before. The tail was the source of their Great Ape transformation.
The loss of his tail caused Great Ape Vegeta to immediately begins to shrink and de-transform. His massive body reduced to his normal Saiyan form mid-air. He crashed heavily onto the ground, clutching his stump of a tail, snarling in pain and humiliation.
The Perfect Susanoo's colossal leg swung, its foot connecting with the wounded Vegeta like a meteor strike. The Saiyan Prince was sent rocketing backward, smashing through multiple mountains before finally embedding himself in the largest peak. Cracks spiderwebbed across the entire mountain range. Vegeta's broken body lay motionless in the resulting crater, blood pooling beneath him.
Goku's battered form landed between Max and the crater, arms spread wide and eyes burning with determination. His gi was torn, face bruised, but his spirit was unbroken.
"Stop!" Goku shouted, voice hoarse but firm. "Max, I know you're doing this to save us—but this isn't the way!"
"The last time you said that you literally got shot in the back by your own brother."
The words hung in the air, heavy and sharp. Goku flinched as if physically struck, his expression flickering with pain and shame. Below them, the battlefield was silent—Nappa's corpse lay still, Vegeta bleeding out in the mountain, the Z Fighters catching their breath. The Perfect Susanoo's eyes glowed, its massive form towering over everything.
"That was different!" Goku yelled back, though his voice lacked conviction. He vividly remembered Raditz's betrayal—the agonizing pain of the beam piercing his spine. "Raditz was a savage! Vegeta... he's down. You've already won. Killing him now is execution, not justice."
Despite his plea, the Perfect Susanoo continued its advance, its heavy footsteps shaking the earth.
"Fine, but he comes back and tries to destroy earth. That's on you."
Goku's jaw tightened, a cold chill running down his spine as he looked from the unmoving Vegeta back to the towering azure giant. The Perfect Susanoo ceased its advance, the massive chakra construct de-materializing into spectral energy, leaving Max floating above the battlefield.
"He won't," Goku said, though the doubt was heavy in his voice. "I'll make sure of it."
With a final pulse of energy, the Perfect Susanoo dissolved completely, leaving Max hovering above the devastated landscape. Below, Goku landed heavily, rushing over to the unconscious Vegeta to check his vitals. Krillin and Tien were frantically tending to the maimed , Great Ape Gohan continued to roar, confused by the sudden silence.
A precise chakra blade shot from Max's hand, severing Great Ape Gohan's tail cleanly. The boy shrieked as the massive limb fell. Just like Vegeta, the transformation reversed immediately—the Great Ape form shriveled and shrank until Goku's son lay on the ground in his human form, tail stump bleeding. The artificial moon's control was broken.