The instant Vegeta's words fell,
Rustle...rustle...
A sound echoed from the side. It grew louder and louder, piercing the silence of the battlefield.
Vegeta turned his head sharply and met the burning, murderous glare of Super Broly.
He had heard Frieza's words.
ROAR!
The beast bellowed, his voice shaking heaven and earth. He launched himself forward in a frenzy. Both hands rose high, fists clenched, and green lightning crackled wildly around them.
He leaped into the air, his power spilling over like a broken dam. The hammer strike descended, its energy surpassing all reason. Vegeta had no choice. With a snarl, he crossed his arms above his head, bracing for the impact.
BOOM!
The collision split the air. Shockwaves blasted outward as the two warriors locked in place, neither giving an inch.
For a moment, Vegeta held firm. His strength had grown immeasurably.
But Broly was different. This monster had endured countless years and battles. His might was unfathomable. Even in his Super Saiyan 4 Full Power state, Vegeta felt the crushing strain.
"This guy... he's a damn monster!"
But Vegeta was not one to succumb to despair.
He coiled his legs with power and, in an instant, lashed out, slamming both feet against Broly's chest. Using the brute's body as leverage, Vegeta propelled himself hundreds of meters away.
Close combat was yielding nothing, so he would destroy him from afar.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The sky erupted as Vegeta unleashed a vast net of energy spheres that spread like a constellation of destruction.
With a sweep of his hand, the barrage descended, with countless blasts raining toward Broly.
But the berserker only growled, his chest heaving and his mouth glowing with emerald light.
One second... two... three...
ROAR!
An emerald beam erupted from his mouth, a raging torrent tearing across the sky like a maddened beast.
Rumble! Rumble!
The sky seemed to turn green as the two powers clashed, bathing the world in light. The searing heat of the explosions melted the glaciers below, sending rivers of water gushing into the ocean.
The sea swelled rapidly, monstrous waves crashing outward until the battlefield became an ocean of blinding light.
For a full minute, the world was consumed by explosions, thunder, flames, and unrelenting chaos.
At last, the fury faded, leaving only smoke to blanket the heavens.
Two faint silhouettes flickered within the haze.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
A feral roar split the silence. From within the storm, Super Broly surged forth like a demon born from hellfire.
His speed was beyond prediction and in an instant, he was before Vegeta.
The prince had no chance to resist. Broly's massive hand clamped down on Vegeta's arm with crushing force, paralyzing him.
Crack!
Vegeta's pupils shrank. His body was hurled away like a rag doll, spinning helplessly through the sky.
The overwhelming strength pressed on him like an unshakable weight.
For a terrifying moment, he felt powerless.
He was seconds away from crashing into the ground.
"Damn it..." Vegeta cursed, his teeth clenched.
But before he could hit the ground, a figure appeared in a flash of golden light:
Goku.
He pressed a steady hand against Vegeta's back, halting his fall.
"Vegeta, the situation's critical. Let's take him together!" Goku urged.
Vegeta didn't speak. He turned his head with a prideful snort. His expression was unreadable, but his body language said it all: Do as you like.
There was no denying reality. In this state, defeating Super Broly within an hour was impossible.
Vegeta had already used all of his transformations.
He hated to admit it, but he couldn't deny it. Somewhere deep down, he knew his son was waiting for his support.
Grinding his teeth, Vegeta stood up straight. His aura flared violently as he launched forward with renewed resolve, aiming straight for Broly.
"Oi, wait for me, Vegeta!" Goku shot after him, his own aura blazing.
The two Saiyan warriors soared side by side, fists clenched with purpose, and reached Broly together. A storm of punches exploded forth, each blow heavy enough to shatter stars. Each strike echoed like thunder.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Their fists pounded against Broly relentlessly.
Yet the berserker stood firm. His body absorbed the assault without retreating an inch. He was an immovable mountain: unyielding and unbreakable.
To the untrained eye, it might have seemed as though he were simply letting himself be pummeled.
But the truth was far more terrifying.
Super Broly was adapting; his monstrous body evolved with every blow.
Rather than saying he was taking hits, it would be more accurate to say he was strengthening his durability in the midst of battle.
Under the relentless pressure of the two Saiyans, Broly suddenly exploded again.
ROAR!
With a thunderous bellow, his hands shot out and wrapped around the necks of Goku and Vegeta.
Their hearts skipped a beat in unison, and a terrible premonition surged through them.
The next instant, a sharp rush of wind whipped past their ears, and searing heat spread from their throats through their entire bodies.
"Arghh!"
Super Broly lifted them both into the air with one hand each and hurled them away like rag dolls.
Their bodies spun out of control, streaking across the sky.
"Vegeta! This guy's strength is outrageous! At this rate, there's no way we can finish him off in under an hour!" Goku shouted in frustration.
"Damn it!" Vegeta snarled, gritting his teeth. "Of course I know that, Kakarot but we have no choice. We'll just have to push through!"
With that, Vegeta prepared to charge again.
But Goku called out and stopped him.
"Vegeta! Wait!" Goku said uncharacteristically seriously.
Vegeta frowned. "What is it?"
Goku took a deep breath and said solemnly: "The situation's too urgent! We have to combine our power into one!"
Vegeta's body stiffened. He looked surprised, but quickly calmed down; he knew exactly what Goku meant.
Their eyes locked. Then Vegeta barked,
"You bastard, Kakarot! You mean you want me to merge with you?!"
Goku nodded repeatedly. "Yeah."
Vegeta fell silent. This was a critical moment.
Normally, he would rather die than agree to such a thing. But Trunks and Bulla were waiting for him to support them.
He had just boasted that he would defeat Broly himself.
However, time had already been wasted.
Even with him and Goku fighting together, they hadn't managed to defeat Broly.
Worse yet, there was no telling where that monster's limit was; he only seemed to grow stronger the longer the fight went on.
"Vegeta! There's no time left!"
"Gohan and the others are still waiting for us! We can only return to Namek if we stop him!"
"More than that, if we don't stop him, he'll destroy Earth!" He's completely lost control. Humanity will fall into ruin if this continues."
"Bulma will too."
The moment Bulma's life was mentioned, Vegeta snapped to full alert.
He could brush anything else aside. But when it came to Bulma's life or death, there was no hesitation.
"I'll do it. I'll merge with you, Kakarot!"
(End of chapter.)
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