c30 Son Goku Returns, Baby is Born!
While Lin Hao was still training inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, time in the outside world flowed normally.
After regaining his strength, Son Goten had returned to his everyday life. He strolled through the streets of West City alongside his girlfriend Paris, shopping casually and unaware that danger loomed ever closer.
Vegeta, Son Gohan, and Piccolo each went their own ways. Vegeta secluded himself in the Gravity Chamber, pushing his body to its limits. Gohan buried himself in his research at Orange Star University, balancing study and training. Piccolo quietly meditated atop The Lookout, ever vigilant.
But none of them realized that a new crisis was already unfolding.
At that very moment, far across the stars, Baby, the parasitic lifeform engineered by the Tuffle (Tsufurujin) race, had already reached Earth. Created with the sole purpose of exterminating Saiyans, Baby's hatred burned with the fury of his annihilated people.
He knew vengeance required a powerful vessel. Having already clashed with Saiyans in space and witnessed their unmatched might, he set his sights on taking a Saiyan body as his own weapon of revenge.
The first target he encountered was Son Goten.
…
In only a matter of days, the Earth was transformed. Baby unleashed his parasitic cells, spreading silently across the population. One by one, Earthlings fell under his control.
Not even the Z Fighters were spared. Caught off guard, Gohan and the others succumbed. Even Vegeta the proud prince of all Saiyans was overtaken after Baby ambushed him mid-training. His resistance was valiant, but in the end, Baby's infection wormed its way inside him. With Vegeta as his new host, his power skyrocketed beyond imagination.
"Heh… through Vegeta's memories, I've discovered there's another Saiyan on this planet… one even stronger than him, possibly stronger than Kakarot himself."
Baby stroked his chin, smirking wickedly.
"If I take that body for myself, my strength will surpass all limits. Once I dominate the universe, no warrior.Saiyan or otherwise will be able to stop me!"
The thought made him laugh loudly, a cold sound that echoed across Capsule Corporation's ruined halls.
To hasten his search, Baby sent his thralls Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and the other infected fighters.to scour the Earth for Lin Hao. If they found him, they were to signal Baby immediately so that he could claim his prize personally.
…
Days passed. Baby turned the Earth inside out but still found no trace of Lin Hao. He began to wonder if Vegeta's memories had conjured a phantom, a Saiyan that never truly existed.
But in reality, Lin Hao was simply far away training in isolation on a desolate planet, perfecting his new Super Saiyan 4 power.
And so, with no leads left, Baby reluctantly pulled back his search, biding his time until the mysterious Saiyan revealed himself.
…
On a distant world
"Ding! A new day has arrived. Would the host like to claim check-ins from today and the past few days together?"
The familiar system voice echoed in Lin Hao's mind as he sat cross-legged, aura steadily burning around him.
"Huh? That's new… I usually check in daily. When did it become possible to accumulate sign-ins?" Lin Hao muttered, curious.
"Ding! The host has broken through to a higher tier of power. With the system's recent upgrade, check-ins can now be stored and redeemed all at once, increasing the chance of receiving rare rewards. However, the host may still choose to sign in day by day if preferred."
Lin Hao nodded in satisfaction. "So that's how it works. In that case… let's do it. Sign in now! Let's see if this time I get something truly extraordinary!"
"Congratulations to the host for acquiring Unlimited Stamina! (As the name suggests, this grants the host inexhaustible physical strength and energy. As long as the host is not killed outright, he can continue fighting indefinitely.)"
"Oh? Now that's quite the reward. So as long as I don't get myself killed, I can fight endlessly and wander wherever I want."
Lin Hao immediately felt the change within him, a limitless well of stamina surging in his body. No matter how much he exerted himself, there was no trace of fatigue his energy reserves seemed bottomless.
I am the dividing line
More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Son Goku, Trunks, and Pan (Xiaofang) completed their long journey across the galaxy in search of the Black Star Dragon Balls. At last, they returned to Earth, excited to see their home again after such a long absence.
But instead of a peaceful welcome, they were met with the chaos and revenge of Baby.
At first, Goku didn't notice anything strange. Earth seemed quiet. But soon he realized something was terribly wrong the entire planet's ki felt warped and corrupted. It didn't take long before he came face-to-face with the mastermind: Baby.
This Baby, however, was no longer the weak parasitic lifeform they first heard of. By infecting and absorbing power from Gohan, Goten, and even Vegeta, Baby had grown stronger than ever before. In Vegeta's body, he had become the ultimate Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid.
Against this overwhelming might, Goku found himself completely outclassed.
His child-sized body shrunk by the Black Star Dragon Balls' wish prevented him from maintaining the Super Saiyan 3 form. Without that transformation, his power could not compete. He fought bravely, but the battle was swiftly lost.
Just before Baby struck the finishing blow, the Supreme Kai intervened. Watching closely from his world, he teleported in and whisked Goku away, saving him from certain death.
Everything unfolded much like the events in the original history, as if Lin Hao's presence had left no mark at all.
…
Baby, meanwhile, seized the Black Star Dragon Balls. Using them, he made a wish to create New Planet Tuffle (Zufuru-sei). In his eyes, Goku was no longer a threat, and his vengeance against the Saiyan race was almost complete. Now, he would restore his people's glory by reviving their world and conquering the universe.
"As for that wild monkey Son Goku… I'll find him and destroy him once and for all."
At the same time, on the Supreme Kai's world, Goku underwent a drastic step. With the Elder Kai's guidance, his tail was forcibly restored.drawn out once again as the source of Saiyan primal power. Only with that tail could Goku hope to access a transformation capable of matching Baby.
One day later, the decisive war erupted on New Planet Tuffle.
…
"Hmm… this ki… it's Goku's. And that monstrous energy, it must be Baby's! Their battle has begun."
Lin Hao, floating in deep meditation on his isolated training world, suddenly opened his eyes, sensing the clash from across the cosmos. A faint smile crossed his lips before he closed them again. He chose to wait, to bide his time, planning to appear only once Goku was truly on the verge of defeat.
…
On New Planet Tuffle
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
The battlefield shook violently. Goku, having ascended into the primal might of Super Saiyan 4, fought fiercely against Baby, who had transformed into the terrifying Golden Great Ape.
Their speed was so immense that from the ground, they looked like nothing but black blurs crashing into one another. Sonic booms ripped across the skies, while mountains crumbled and the planet itself shook with every collision.
After an extended exchange of devastating blows, both warriors finally reached their limits. Their stamina and energy drained, they delivered one last earth-shattering clash before collapsing, their colossal powers spent.
"No… Lord Baby… his energy has run dry!"
"Then I must assist you, Master Baby!!"
Within a hidden research chamber, Bulma now under Baby's control watched the battle on her monitors. Seeing both Goku and Baby collapsed on the battlefield, she quickly activated her machines, determined to give her possessed husband the edge once more.
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