Facing Kakarot, Vegeta was not even using a fraction of his true strength.
He did not need to.
If Vegeta so much as released his full power, Kakarot would not even have the chance to respond.
Vegeta had already reached a maximum battle power of one billion.
They were no longer standing on the same level.
Their Saiyan energy did not radiate from the same realm of existence.
In ordinary battles, once warrior levels rose to a certain threshold, even a difference of tens of millions could be bridged through technique, timing, or burst power.
As long as both fighters remained within the same transformation tier, there was always room to turn the tables.
But this scenario was different.
Vegeta stood in the state of Full Power Super Saiyan.
Even though he forced his combat output down to match Goku's level, the purity and stability of his energy were entirely superior.
The difference was unbridgeable.
Even if they both wore the same golden form, the foundations beneath those forms were worlds apart.
Looks like I hoped for too much.
If he had become a Super Saiyan one or two months earlier, there would have been something to enjoy.
But now… even though he has transformed, the gap between us has grown even wider.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed with absolute confidence.
His gaze, containing disdain so deep it cut like a blade, pierced straight into Goku's heart.
Wrapped in blazing golden flame, Goku clenched his teeth and raised his aura as high as it could go.
His entire body burned with the fierce Saiyan power that came from crossing the legendary threshold.
For the first time in his life, he felt an overwhelming, unstoppable force coursing through him.
Against anyone else in the universe, he believed he could win.
But standing before Vegeta…
He felt powerless.
He felt small.
He felt as if he could not even breathe freely.
Damn it… How can the difference remain so great even after becoming a Super Saiyan?
Or did I misunderstand all along?
Maybe it was never the transformation that determined strength…
Maybe the true power comes from everything that exists before the transformation.
Goku's mind trembled with realization.
The atmosphere thickened, pressing down on both of them.
Their eyes locked.
Goku's gaze wavered, silently asking for answers.
Vegeta understood exactly what he wanted to know.
Words would not help.
Only experience would.
With a faint smirk, Vegeta raised his aura.
A tidal wave of golden power exploded outward, blowing apart the air itself and crashing straight down on Goku.
And this was only one third of Vegeta's power.
Even so, Kakarot's expression twisted under the suffocating pressure.
Vegeta tilted his head slightly, mocking him.
"What is wrong, Kakarot? Frozen already?
Weren't you the one who wanted to feel the difference between us?"
Goku inhaled sharply.
"…Then I will not hold back!"
In the next moment, he shot forward like a golden meteor, fist drawn back, the energy around him roaring.
Vegeta welcomed him.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Almost relaxed.
Goku launched a fierce barrage of attacks.
Explosive punches and kicks painted streaks of golden light through the air.
But Vegeta dismantled every blow with effortless mastery.
A tilt of the wrist.
A small shift in his stance.
A palm brushing the air.
Every strike was deflected.
Every attack was neutralized.
No matter how Goku pushed, Vegeta remained untouched.
Their movements shredded the air.
Shockwaves erupted outward.
The ground trembled violently with each clash.
Even the spectators, standing far away, struggled to withstand the leftover force of the battle.
Even on King Kai's planet, warriors paused their training.
They could sense the fierce aura of the two golden warriors from across the cosmos.
Tien trembled.
"So this is it… a battle between Super Saiyans.
Even their bodies have completely transformed."
Chiaotzu whispered, overwhelmed.
"If King Kai had not enhanced our sight, I could not follow their movements at all."
The members of the Ginyu Force murmured in a mix of fear and awe.
But one voice cut through all of them.
Piccolo's.
"That fool Goku… he is not Vegeta's opponent."
Tien shook his head violently.
"What are you talking about? They are both Super Saiyans!"
Chiaotzu protested.
"Even if Vegeta is stronger, the gap cannot be that big. Can it?"
Piccolo kept his eyes locked on the distant clash.
"You will understand soon.
Vegeta's Super Saiyan is fundamentally different from Goku's."
The planet went silent.
King Kai sighed and confirmed it.
"Piccolo is right.
Vegeta's Super Saiyan is something Goku cannot reach right now."
Their faces filled with disbelief.
"So Goku will lose?"
"How did the gap grow this enormous?"
"What kind of training did Vegeta go through?"
Their minds were shaken.
But among them was one man who did not speak at all.
Yamcha.
He stood in complete silence, not because he lacked something to say…
But because something far more painful had caught his attention.
He had seen the tiny details others missed.
The way Bulma looked at Vegeta.
The way Vegeta unconsciously stood near her.
The subtle comfort between them.
Yamcha felt his chest tighten.
He knew instantly.
Something had happened between them.
He needed no proof.
He did not see them holding hands.
He did not need to.
As Bulma's former partner, he saw it at a single glance.
He felt it with the instinct of experience.
His heart twisted painfully.
I lost her.
Even after all we went through…
Now I am dead,
and Vegeta… that bastard… has taken her.
He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Resentment burned within him.
…
Back on Namek
Vegeta and Goku continued their violent clash, their golden figures tearing through the sky like burning stars.
Their power shook the heavens, their battle echoing across the planet as the greatest duel Namek had ever witnessed.
~~~~~~
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