Vegeta slowly rose from the smoke and dust, like a demon clawing its way back from the depths of hell.
His battle armor was shattered, his exposed skin scorched and streaked with blood.
His left arm hung at an unnatural angle, clearly broken by the full-force Kamehameha enhanced with Kaioken.
Yet the expression on his face was more twisted than ever. It was a terrifying mix of rage and manic delight.
"Unforgivable… absolutely unforgivable!"
His breathing was ragged, like a broken bellows. His bloodshot eyes locked onto Goku below.
"Kakarot! A low-class warrior pushing me this far!"
"I'll show you the true power of the Saiyans. A power beyond anything you can comprehend!"
On the ground, Goku forced himself into a defensive stance despite the overwhelming pain coursing through his body.
The quadruple Kaioken had drained him completely. Even standing was a struggle now.
"You're still going…" Goku wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes still burning with determination.
"This guy's durability is unreal."
Behind a nearby rock, Trunks stuffed the last piece of chocolate into his mouth and mumbled,
"Dad, that weird guy looks like he's talking to himself. Did he lose it?"
Krillin brushed sunflower seed shells off his hands, his gaze sharpening.
On the system panel, Vegeta's data was fluctuating strangely. His power level wasn't rising, but the [Racial Trait] section was flashing a dangerous red.
"Trunks, whatever happens next, don't be surprised," Krillin said, placing a hand on his son's head. His tone turned serious.
"And cover Gohan's eyes. Don't let him look at the sky."
"Huh?"
Trunks blinked, confused, but still obeyed. He instantly moved behind Gohan and covered his eyes with his chubby hands.
"Trunks? What are you doing?" Gohan struggled slightly.
"Don't move. My dad said so. Unless you want to go blind," Trunks said with complete seriousness.
Up in the sky, Vegeta suddenly let out a strange laugh.
"Kakarot, do you know why Saiyans are called the ultimate warrior race?"
"It's not just because we grow stronger after surviving near death. It's because we possess a transformation unique in the universe!"
He pointed toward the sky. Though it was daytime, his eyes burned with fanatic intensity.
"On this planet, only a full moon produces the special Blutz Waves needed for that transformation."
"Too bad your moon is gone, isn't it?"
He smirked.
"But that doesn't matter. For an elite warrior like me, I can create it whenever I want!"
"What is he talking about?" Yamcha muttered in confusion.
"Blutz Waves? Is that some kind of technology?"
Piccolo's expression changed drastically. His inherited Namekian knowledge triggered a realization.
"This is bad. Stop him. That's…"
Too late.
With his remaining right hand, Vegeta formed a brilliant white sphere of energy.
This wasn't a normal ki blast. It emitted a strange frequency, compressing particles in the air into something unnatural.
"This is… an artificial moon!"
With a roar, he hurled it into the sky.
The sphere exploded at the edge of the atmosphere, not with destruction, but with transformation.
It became a massive, pale moon hanging in the sky.
Its eerie light overpowered the sun, bathing the ruined East City in a ghostly silver glow.
[System Warning: High concentration of Blutz Waves detected exceeding safe threshold.]
[Warning: Target Vegeta undergoing intense genetic mutation.]
Krillin watched the flashing alerts and sighed.
"So we've reached this point… Great Ape mode."
In the sky, Vegeta's body began to tremble violently.
"Graaahhh!"
His heartbeat thundered like war drums.
His lean frame expanded rapidly, muscles stretching with cracking sounds.
Thick, dark fur burst from his pores, covering his entire body in seconds.
His face elongated, jaw extending into a monstrous maw filled with sharp fangs.
His wild hair disappeared, replaced by a savage mane.
In mere seconds, the proud Saiyan prince was gone.
In his place stood a colossal Great Ape over fifty meters tall, blotting out the sky.
"ROOOAAAR!"
The beast howled, its voice forming shockwaves that peeled the ground away for kilometers.
[Target Updated: Vegeta (Great Ape Form)]
[Power Level: 180,000]
[Status: Conscious control retained, extreme bloodlust]
One hundred eighty thousand.
The moment that number appeared, everyone except Krillin turned pale.
"What… what is that monster?!" Tien's three eyes widened as his body trembled uncontrollably.
Under that overwhelming pressure, they felt like insects caught in a storm.
"His energy… increased tenfold?!"
Goku stared at the massive figure, struggling even to breathe.
"So this is a Saiyan's true form…"
The Great Ape lowered its head, crimson eyes locking onto Goku.
Despite its beastly form, the cunning and cruelty in its gaze remained unmistakably Vegeta's.
"Ha… hahaha!"
The giant ape spoke, its voice rumbling like thunder.
"How do you like this, Kakarot? One hundred eighty thousand power. This is true dominance!"
"Your Kaioken means nothing in front of this!"
Vegeta raised one massive foot and stomped.
Boom!
The earth split apart, a massive fissure racing toward Goku.
"It's over… we're done…" Yamcha collapsed to the ground, all hope gone.
"There's no way to win against that… not even a god could handle that kind of power."
Piccolo clenched his fists so tightly his nails drew blood.
"Damn it! Is this the true strength of Saiyans? This transformation is completely unfair!"
Amid the despair, Trunks peeked out from behind the rock, pushing aside Krillin's hand.
"Whoa, Dad, look! That's a huge monkey!"
He pointed at Vegeta, eyes sparkling with excitement instead of fear.
"If we catch it, do you think Mom will let us keep it in the backyard? Though… it looks kinda messy. Too much fur."
Gohan, still blindfolded, stomped anxiously.
"Trunks! What's happening? Why did his energy suddenly become so scary? Let me see!"
"Nope. Dad said no looking," Trunks replied firmly.
Krillin looked up at the towering Great Ape, the system data clear before him.
"One hundred eighty thousand…"
He cracked his neck.
"With burst output, it might go even higher… but it's still within control."
At that moment, Great Ape Vegeta noticed them. His massive head turned, crimson eyes sweeping across the group before stopping on Krillin.
"Oh? That bald one is still here."
His tone was mocking.
"Don't worry. After I crush Kakarot, you're next. I'll grind you into paste for Nappa."
He grabbed a nearby mountain and hurled it like a stone at Goku.
"Die, Kakarot!"
Goku forced his body to move, activating Kaioken just enough to dodge. He barely escaped as the mountain obliterated his previous position, the shockwave sending him flying hundreds of meters away.
"So fast… even at that size, he didn't slow down?"
Goku rolled across the ground before stopping, gasping for air.
A deep sense of helplessness rose within him.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
It was a one-sided massacre.