On the desolate state highway near South City, Whitley was looking with amusement at the high-spirited No. 18 before him, a curious smile on his lips.
He stood with his arms crossed, completely at ease in the middle of the nearly empty highway. His eyes held a playful glint as he looked at No. 18, who stood opposite him in the same pose, her blonde hair fluttering.
He wanted to see just how long this supremely confident woman could keep up the act, or rather, what gave her the confidence to be so arrogant in front of him.
He, Whitley, would not allow anyone to be more arrogant than himself! (Vegeta didn't count; he was simply impossible to out-posture.)
"Ladies first?"
Whitley raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to make the first move.
No. 18 let out a cold snort, her chin lifted slightly, her beautiful face filled with disdain and contempt. "Let me go first? I'm afraid you won't even have time to react. You should go first. Let me see what gives you the right to block our path with those two."
In the data Dr. Gero had implanted in her brain, there were hardly any records of Whitley.
She only knew that he was an important figure in Capsule Corp, possibly a major shareholder, and was close to that genius young lady of the Capsule Corp, Bulma.
As for his battle power assessment... it was unclear.
'Perhaps... after he loses, I can let him ransom his own life for a large sum of money?'
No. 18 narrowed her eyes, secretly calculating, as if victory was already in her grasp.
On the sidelines, No. 17 frowned slightly at Whitley's relaxed appearance and turned his head to ask No. 16 in a low, questioning voice, "Hey, No. 16, why did you tell No. 18 to be careful just now? Is this guy really strong?"
He didn't have a built-in scouter and could barely sense the energy levels of others. He could only rely on his own feelings and the analysis of No. 16, who was equipped with an energy sensing system.
No. 16 did not answer immediately. His eyes were locked on Whitley, his internal sensors running at high speed, emitting a nearly inaudible hum.
After several seconds, he finally spoke in his calm, emotionless voice, his tone carrying an unprecedented gravity. "The energy reaction within that Whitley... is highly abnormal. It's not just simply powerful, it's... In short, you will know soon enough."
And the moment No. 16's voice fell—
Swoosh!
Whitley's figure vanished without a warning! It wasn't an afterimage from high-speed movement, but a true, instantaneous disappearance, as if he had merged with space itself!
The next instant, his figure appeared directly in front of No. 18, so close that they could almost feel each other's breath!
"Wh-what?!"
The arrogance on No. 18's face instantly shattered, replaced by extreme horror!
Her pupils contracted sharply, her brain unable to even process what was happening!
How can he be so fast?! This is impossible!!!
It was almost a purely instinctive reaction! Before her mind could catch up, No. 18's long right leg had already torn through the air like a steel whip, whistling sharply as it aimed for Whitley's temple!
She was trying to force back this suddenly appearing opponent with this fierce blow!
However, faced with this sudden, sharp kick, Whitley didn't even blink. He just casually raised a hand—
Smack!
With a light sound, her powerful whip kick was casually and accurately caught by the ankle!
It was as if No. 18's attack, which was powerful enough to shatter mountains, was just a playful tantrum against a good friend.
No. 18's expression changed dramatically. She felt as if her ankle was locked in a steel clamp. No matter how she struggled and twisted, channeling the seemingly endless energy within her, she could not budge that hand in the slightest!
Her leg was still held firmly in mid-air by Whitley.
"Oh?"
Whitley tilted his head and looked at the struggling girl in his grasp, an undisguised, teasing smile on his face. "Is that all the strength you have? Who was it... that said the fight would be over in an instant? Did you mean you would be finished by me in an instant? You should have said so earlier!"
"You despicable bastard!!!"
No. 18 was now filled with shame and anger. She gritted her teeth, her entire face flushed from exerting all her power.
She realized she was completely outmatched in a pure contest of strength. In her urgency, she pushed off with her other foot, her body leaping into the air, and executed a perfect high split kick. Her left heel, carrying the full force and momentum of her body, chopped down towards Whitley's face like a battle axe!
She sneered inwardly. If this kick landed, its power would surely far surpass the previous one. Let's see you block this!
"Oh my~ so fierce? Don't you know not to hit people in the face?"
Whitley's words were joking, but his actions were not slow at all.
His other hand casually moved up to block, once again accurately stopping the vicious axe kick.
At this moment, both of No. 18's legs were controlled by Whitley, and her entire body was suspended in mid-air in an extremely scandalous posture.
Whitley blinked, realizing that this pose was a bit ambiguous. He let go of one of her legs, holding only her right leg, and raised his free hand in front of No. 18, clenching it into a fist, as if about to deliver a heavy blow.
No. 18's pupils dilated slightly. She stared at the raised hand without blinking, her heart almost jumping into her throat.
The huge gap in their power and speed gave her an unprecedented sense of crisis.
She subconsciously squeezed her eyes shut, her long eyelashes trembling slightly with nervousness, preparing to brace for the impact.
However—
The expected severe pain did not come.
Instead...
Flick!
A very light, almost teasingly crisp sound was heard.
No. 18 felt a finger flick her right in the center of her forehead. It was slightly painful, but more than that, she was stunned.
Then, the force holding her right leg disappeared. She quickly did a flip and landed lightly on the ground.
"You..."
After landing, No. 18 snapped her eyes open, subconsciously touched her forehead where she had been flicked, her face filled with disbelief and immense confusion.
She simply could not understand Whitley's actions. He could have easily seriously injured or even killed her, so why did he just... flick her on the forehead?
Whitley chuckled and said, "Don't be silly, big sis. I don't hit women."
His tone was very relaxed, his eyes filled with amusement.
He no longer paid attention to No. 18, whose expression was flickering complexly as she seemed to be still processing what had just happened. He turned directly and said to Goku, who was watching the show from not far behind, "I win this round. You're next, Goku. Remember to go easy on them, I still have a use for these people."
No. 18 stood there, her feelings complicated.
He spared her? Why would he do that? And...
She discreetly bent down slightly, quickly adjusting the slightly wrinkled tights that had been messed up by her movements.
For some reason, she felt that when Whitley had caught her ankle and blocked her kick, his fingers seemed to have... unconsciously brushed against her?
The touch... it was as if he were feeling the material of her tights, or perhaps...
She shot her head up, her sharp gaze looking at Whitley, who had already walked to the sidelines and was crossing his arms to watch the next fight.
Whitley seemed to sense her gaze. His body stiffened almost imperceptibly, then he pretended to be natural and touched his nose, his eyes darting to the sky.
Feeling No. 18's gaze still fixed on him, not moving away, Whitley felt a little guilty and subconsciously started whistling completely out of tune.
No. 18: "..."
She narrowed her beautiful blue eyes, a mocking sneer that seemed to see through everything appearing on her lips.
'This guy... he absolutely did it on purpose! That serious look when he spared her was all an act! Heh! Men!'
Whitley was indeed a little guilty at this moment. But... he could swear to the heavens! That grab and block were purely subconscious actions in battle! (Totally convincing!)
After all... No. 18's legs were indeed perfect, a near-perfect combination of power and flexibility, plus the special feel of those high-quality tights...
Ahem!
But he could swear on a stack of bibles! He absolutely did not deliberately savor it! Absolutely not! He, a certain Mr. Whitley, was a sworn enemy of gambling and drugs!
The silent No. 16 at the side had accurately recorded Whitley's subtle brushing motion just now, as well as his current, poorly concealed guilty expression.
His eyes flickered, and his database was silently updated with a note about "Whitley: Suspected of having specific preferences." But he did not say anything, just continued to observe the scene silently.
At this moment, the battle on the field erupted in an instant. Goku had officially engaged No. 17!
Their battle was white-hot from the very beginning! The sound of their fists and feet colliding echoed continuously on the desolate highway like a dense drumbeat!
Their figures flickered at high speed, and clouds of dust were kicked up by the violent airflow generated by their movements, spreading outwards.
These air currents gradually formed a huge dust storm that enveloped everyone present!
Whitley frowned at the dust. He simply took a deep breath and blew it out, and the forming dust storm was instantly dispersed!
"Whoa!" "Damn it!"
Goku and No. 17 were accidentally caught in the blast and were sent spinning into the distance, but they quickly adjusted and slammed into each other again!
But any discerning eye could see that Goku now had the absolute upper hand!
No. 17's speed and power could be considered top-tier among the villains they had encountered so far, but in front of Goku, it was still not enough!
Goku's combat skills, reaction speed, and use of ki were far beyond what was recorded in Dr. Gero's database!
"Damn it! How can this be!"
The more No. 17 fought, the more alarmed he became. He found that his vaunted speed could not keep up with Goku's rhythm at all. Often, just as he made an attacking move, Goku's fist or foot would have already arrived first, hitting an opening in his defense!
BAM BAM BAM!
A series of heavy thuds! The number of wounds on No. 17's body increased, and his cool denim clothes were tattered. A trace of blood, or... machine oil? even trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He could only desperately channel his energy, forming a solid green protective barrier around his body to barely withstand Goku's storm-like attacks, being beaten back step by step, almost unable to fight back at all!
"No! If this goes on... I will definitely lose!"
No. 17 gritted his teeth, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes!
He suddenly burst forth with a large amount of energy, temporarily forcing Goku back to gain a moment's respite. Then, without hesitation, he leaped into the air, his body shooting towards the sky like a rocket!
"Hmm? You want to fight in the sky?"
Goku looked up but did not immediately pursue.
High in the sky, No. 17 stopped abruptly and turned to face Goku on the ground.
He looked quite pathetic at this moment, his clothes torn, his body bruised, but his eyes had become even more fierce and crazed.
He held his hands in front of him, and a vast energy, far greater than before, began to gather madly in his palms!
"SON GOKU!!!!"
No. 17's voice hummed with the gathering energy. "You are indeed strong! Far stronger than the data recorded! BUT!!!"
The golden energy between his hands became more and more condensed, emitting a destructive wave that was enough to make one's heart palpitate! "You are no match for my infinite energy! In the realm of energy clashes, I am absolutely stronger than you!!! Witness my ultimate move—"
"SEVENTEEN-FLASH!!!!!"
RUMBLE!!!
The huge golden energy sphere was fully formed, its contained energy making the entire sky seem to dim!
A ferocious and confident smile on his face, No. 17 thrust his hands forward! "You've lost, Son Goku!!! HAH!!!!!"
The terrifying energy beam, powerful enough to easily destroy a planet, descended from the sky like a roaring golden dragon, crashing down on Goku on the ground with an aura that could destroy everything!
Faced with this cataclysmic blow, Goku just grinned, not a trace of nervousness on his face.
He unhurriedly settled into a steady horse stance, his hands cupped together like a lotus, and slowly brought them to his waist.
"Ka~~~!"
"Me~~~!"
A cerulean energy began to gather between his palms, but the speed did not seem fast, and the scale of the energy was far smaller than the roaring golden torrent from the sky.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!! It's useless, Son Goku!"
No. 17 laughed wildly in the air, his voice full of self-satisfaction. "Your charging speed is too slow! You can't possibly catch up to me! You... are finished!!!!"
Whitley looked at the arrogant No. 17 in the sky, shook his head helplessly, his gaze like he was looking at an irredeemable fool.
He simply walked over to the still-dazed No. 18 and, ignoring her wary gaze, sat down on a relatively clean large rock. "You androids..." Whitley clicked his tongue, his tone filled with a strange sentiment. "You all have guts. I hope he survives."
No. 18 was concentrating on the beam struggle in the sky. Hearing Whitley's words, she frowned and asked subconsciously, "What do you mean by that?"
Whitley didn't answer directly, just tilted his chin, signaling her to keep watching. "Just watch, the classic scene is about to happen. Daring to have a beam struggle with a member of the Son family, you've got to admire the courage!"
On the ground, the Kamehameha wave in Goku's hands had just condensed to the size of a basketball, while the destructive golden torrent from the sky was about to engulf him!
At this critical moment!
The smile on Goku's face didn't change, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!
He took a deep breath and let out a heaven-shaking roar:
"KA!!!!
ME!!!!
HA!!!!
ME!!!!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
An incredibly thick blue energy beam, like an ascending dragon defying the heavens, shot up with an unstoppable momentum and slammed into No. 17's ultimate move—the "Seventeen-Flash"!
The two world-destroying energies collided violently in mid-air! A colossal sound that made the heavens and the earth tremble erupted! The center of the collision burst forth with a light even more dazzling than the sun!
The terrifying energy shockwave spread out in all directions like a tsunami. The asphalt on the highway was peeled back layer by layer and shattered, and the distant mountains and rocks all shook violently!
"How is this possible?!!"
No. 18 screamed in horror, her beautiful eyes widening, almost unable to believe what she was seeing!
No. 17 had fully charged his strongest ultimate move!
And Son Goku... his Kamehameha was just hastily gathered!
Why was the current situation... a stalemate, with both energies annihilating each other, and neither able to gain the upper hand?!
This completely violated the law of conservation of energy! Did the advantage of infinite energy not exist at all?!
Whitley sat on the rock as steady as a mountain, not even the hem of his clothes stirred by the fierce wind.
He glanced at the shocked No. 18 and said lazily, "Don't be in a hurry, don't blink. This is just the beginning. The good part is just getting started."
High in the sky, No. 17 was also in a state of great shock and self-doubt!
He could clearly feel that the energy wave his opponent had hastily fired was, in terms of "quality," not at all inferior to his own full-power ultimate move!
Even... more violent! More condensed!
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!"
No. 17 shouted out of composure, his face filled with a sense of absurdity. "I am the infinite energy Android 17! Why can't I suppress you in an energy clash?! You... what kind of monster are you?!!"
On the ground, Goku, looking at the stalemated energy, also frowned with some trouble. "Whoa! It's a draw, I can't just push it back? As expected of an infinite energy android! You're really... really strong!"
But he then muttered, "But I can't transform into a Super Saiyan... this won't do. What should I do?"
Vegeta, watching from the side, now had an extremely grave expression.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails were almost digging into his palms.
'That guy Kakarot... a hastily fired Kamehameha can actually have this much power...'
Vegeta calculated rapidly in his mind. 'If I were in his position, without transforming into a Super Saiyan... how would I win in the face of this level of energy clash?!'
He quickly thought of several plans, but he rejected them all.
Without transforming, he seemed unable to find a way to definitively outperform Goku's current display.
This discovery dealt a considerable blow to the ever-proud Vegeta's heart, and his expression became even uglier.
He stared deadly at Goku, wanting to see how this guy Kakarot would break the stalemate and win this duel.
On the field, Goku, who had been deep in thought, suddenly saw his eyes light up. He withdrew one hand from maintaining the Kamehameha, switching to a single-palm output, and slapped his own head with the other, letting out a surprised sound of realization. "Oh! Right! How could I forget about this! I still have—"
He took a deep breath, and the aura around him surged violently again! It even faintly exuded a deep, blood-red color!
"KAIO-KEN!!! TIMES TWO—DAH!!!!!!"
This outburst was far more terrifying than the hasty beam struggle just now!
The veins on Goku's forehead bulged like writhing dragons, and the muscles all over his body swelled slightly! The fighting spirit in his eyes burned to its peak!
He slightly relaxed the hand that was outputting the Kamehameha, and, word by word, with all his might, he let out a heaven-shaking roar:
"KA!!!"
"ME!!!"
"HA!!!!"
"ME!!!!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
RUMBLE—!!!!!!!!!!!
A sound as if the heavens and the earth were splitting apart! The already thick blue energy beam in Goku's hand began to surge violently in size and energy intensity! It instantly expanded several times over!!!
Like a completely awakened, roaring galactic energy dragon, with an absolutely crushing momentum, it instantly engulfed, shattered, and annihilated No. 17's struggling "Seventeen-Flash"!!!
The boundless, all-destroying, terrifying torrent of energy rolled back against the heavens, and with unbeatable speed and power, it crashed down on the now completely stunned, despair-faced No. 17 in the sky!!!
"No... NO—!!!!!! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!! I AM AN ANDROID!!! I AM THE INFINITE ENERGY ANDROID!!!! HOW COULD—!!!"
No. 17 let out a scream of disbelief and despair, watching as the blue-red light of death filled his entire vision...
"NO. 17!!!!"
No. 18 on the ground let out a piercing scream, her face instantly turning deathly pale!
She watched with wide eyes as her brother was completely engulfed by the terrifying energy, her own eyes seeming to lose all color.
Immense grief and powerlessness instantly overwhelmed her.
"Sigh!"
Whitley looked at No. 18, who had fallen into despair, as if all her strength had been drained, and sighed softly.
He stood up and dusted off his pants. "Remember, you owe me a life."
After speaking, without waiting for No. 18 to react, his figure vanished from the spot again!
High in the sky, No. 17, who had completely given up and was closing his eyes to await his death, suddenly felt a strong and powerful hand grab the collar of his shirt from behind!
Then, a completely irresistible force came over him. He was enveloped by a strange power, and the surrounding scenery instantly became a blurry distortion!
The next second, the feeling of the world spinning instantly disappeared.
He found himself... standing on the side of the highway, completely unharmed, and standing... next to No. 18?
"No. 17!!!"
No. 18's scream, filled with disbelief, ecstatic joy, and lingering fear, rang in his ears.
Before No. 17 could react, a soft and slightly trembling body threw itself into his arms, hugging him tightly!
The huge impact almost made him lose his footing.
"No. 18..."
No. 17 stood there, stunned, feeling the obvious trembling of No. 18 in his arms, listening to her suppressed, choked sobs. He hesitantly, slowly raised a hand and awkwardly patted No. 18's back.
After a good while, No. 18's emotions finally calmed down a little, but she still gripped his arm tightly, as if afraid he would disappear again.
No. 17 held No. 18's shoulders and gently pushed her away a little, looking at her reddened eyes, a hint of apology and complexity on his face. "Sorry for making you worry, Eighteen... big sister."
This "big sister," he said it a little awkwardly, but with extreme seriousness.
Then, he turned his head and looked at Son Goku, who was walking towards him, his face still filled with excitement and pure fighting spirit. He took a deep breath and lowered his proud head.
"This match... you won, Son Goku! I... am no match for you."
He looked up, his gaze burning as he looked at Goku. "Dr. Gero's data on you was implanted in my brain. You... should have a stronger form called 'Super Saiyan' that you haven't even used yet, right?"
His tone was one of confirmation, and also a hint of bitterness.
He had fought with all his might, and he couldn't even force his opponent to use his full power.
Goku did not answer immediately. He first walked up with a grin and, very familiarly, patted No. 17's shoulder forcefully, nearly making the battle-weary No. 17 stumble.
"Hehe! You're really strong too! That infinite energy of yours is really amazing!"
Goku praised him sincerely, his eyes becoming bright and full of expectation. "Next time! After you've gotten stronger, let's have another good fight! I hope you can make me go all out then!"
No. 17 was slightly taken aback by Goku's unclouded smile and pure fighting spirit.
Get... stronger?
His mood, which had been somewhat gloomy from his defeat, seemed to be injected with new motivation.
Before he knew it, a genuine smile, filled with fighting spirit, also appeared on his lips.
He nodded heavily. "I will! I will do everything I can to get stronger! Next time, we'll fight again!!! I definitely won't disappoint you, Son Goku!"
After speaking, he turned to look at No. 16, who had been watching silently from the side. "Hey! No. 16! No. 18 and I both lost. Now... it's your turn! Good luck!"
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on the tallest and burliest, yet always silent, Android 16.
Vegeta could no longer hold back!
He crossed his arms, his body boiling with fighting spirit, a cocky grin on his face.
Vegeta took a step forward, his sharp gaze locking onto No. 16. "Hmph! Is it finally your turn? Come on! Let the great me see what this pile of scrap metal is capable of!"
However, No. 16's reaction was beyond everyone's expectations.
He slowly... shook his head. The movement was steady and firm.
"I refuse," he said in his calm, emotionless voice.
"WHAT?!!"
The arrogant smile on Vegeta's face instantly froze, replaced by astonishment and the rage of being looked down upon!
The veins on his forehead bulged, and his voice was hoarse with anger. "You!!! How dare you look down on me, Vegeta?! What do you think you are?!"
No. 16 shook his head again, his gaze sweeping over Vegeta, and then seemed to look towards the more distant Whitley and Goku. "That is not my meaning."
His voice was still steady. "Although I do not know why you are all deliberately suppressing your power and are unwilling to transform into that golden form called 'Super Saiyan.' But..."
He paused, his tone carrying an absolute calm and certainty based on data analysis. "With the power I have analyzed from you so far... in your untransformed state, you are not my opponent."
The fierce expression on Vegeta's face completely froze. He was stunned for a good two or three seconds.
Then, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the entire universe, he suddenly threw his head back and burst into an exaggerated and mocking laugh. "HAHAHAHAHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
He laughed so hard he was bent over, as if he were about to cry from laughter.
After finally stopping, Vegeta jabbed his thumb at his own nose, striking his classic victory pose—the one that usually preceded his own downfall—his voice filled with extreme pride and unquestionable certainty. "You say I'm no match for you?! What a joke! You laughable piece of junk! Who do you think I am?!"
His voice exploded on the highway like thunder. "I am the prince of the warrior race—the Saiyans! VEGETA!!!!!"
A powerful wave of ki burst from him, and the ground began to tremble again! The slowly gathering clouds in the sky were suddenly blown away by his powerful presence!
Under everyone's gaze, No. 16 sighed softly.
Feeling the powerful ki released from Vegeta, his body gradually began to emit a mechanical hum. "Since you insist, then, come on! You make the first move!"
...
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