c32: Baby, Your Strength Is Too Rubbish
"You… who exactly are you?"
Son Goku, still weak and cradled in Lin Hao's arms, asked in confusion. His vision blurred, his breathing shallow, he had no memory of this mysterious rescuer's origins.
"Hm?"
Goku's eyes suddenly caught a familiar detail swaying behind Lin Hao a long brown tail. His heart skipped. That wasn't just any trait.
"That's… a Saiyan's tail?! Don't tell me… you're a Saiyan too?"
His expression was one of total shock. As far as he knew, only a handful of pure-blood Saiyans remained.himself, Vegeta, and their children. So where had this stranger come from, radiating such immense ki?
There was no denying it: Lin Hao's energy was extraordinary, a power that could rival his own. Without it, he never could have snatched Goku from the jaws of Baby's finishing blast.
"Yes. I am indeed a Saiyan," Lin Hao said firmly, lowering Goku to the ground.
"Your fight ends here. Now let me test Baby's strength myself. But first watch carefully. This will be important. Here, take this… a senzu bean."
Lin Hao pulled a small pouch from his belt and tossed the tiny green bean toward Goku.
"Ohh! A senzu bean… it's been ages since I've had one of these!"
Goku smiled faintly as he caught it. Since the Majin Buu battle, Korin's harvests had dwindled, making senzu beans extremely rare. More often than not, even someone like him needed weeks of recovery in the hospital after a big fight.
Crunch!
The moment the bean broke between his teeth, Goku's entire body surged back to life. His wounds sealed, his ki reignited, and strength returned to every muscle. His power soared to its peak once more, ready to unleash the might of Super Saiyan 4 again at will.
"Phew… that's so much better! Thank you! By the way, I never caught your name mine's Son Goku."
"Just call me Lin Hao," he replied calmly. "And leave Baby to me. I'll handle this. You just stay back and watch."
With that, Lin Hao's aura ignited as he shot into the sky, streaking toward the towering Golden Great Ape Baby.
"Wait, hold on!" Goku shouted after him. "Be careful, Baby's stronger than you think! If it comes to it, let's fight him together!"
Lin Hao glanced back over his shoulder, his voice brimming with confidence. "No need. Just watch. One minute is all I'll need."
In front of him, glowing words appeared as if reading his opponent's profile:
[Golden Great Ape Baby Vegeta]
Battle Power: 3.74 trillion (Super Saiyan 4 equivalent)
Race: Tuffle Parasite (artificial lifeform)
Abilities: Parasitism, Flight, Kamehameha, Energy Shield, Super Galick Gun, Revenge Death Ball.
Profile: Baby is a bio-engineered parasite, created by the last survivors of the Tuffle race using King Tuffle's DNA. His parasitic cells allow him to seize hosts, absorb their energy, and implant eggs to control their minds. Vegeta's Saiyan body granted him Baby's ultimate vessel, letting him achieve the terrifying Golden Great Ape form.
Lin Hao smirked. These last few days equivalent to years inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber my training has pushed me to the very limit of Super Saiyan 4. My full power now exceeds fifteen trillion. Baby's at barely four trillion. That's not even close.
With his current might, Lin Hao knew the truth: he could crush five Baby Vegetas head-on and still have strength left to spare.
"Damn Saiyan monkey! You dare look down on me?! I'll crush you into nothing but dust!"
Baby's enraged roar echoed as his massive Golden Great Ape body leapt high into the sky, descending like a mountain ready to flatten Lin Hao.
"Tch!"
With a swift movement, Lin Hao tilted his body just enough to evade the colossal blow, the ground quaking beneath Baby's impact.
"Baby… your power may be impressive, but your speed is pitiful!"
Dodging effortlessly, Lin Hao smirked, his words deliberately barbed.
"Arrogant pest! Keep mocking me… I'll make sure your death is slow and miserable!"
Baby's fury spiked. Compared to Goku and even Vegeta himself, Lin Hao's calm provocation stung worse than anything. Every word burrowed under his skin, pushing his rage to the breaking point. He could not would not let this new Saiyan survive.
"Come on then! Show me everything you've got. If you don't strike now, you'll lose the chance when I decide to move!"
Lin Hao's taunt dripped with confidence, every syllable goading the Great Ape further. Though he had said earlier he'd end it in one minute, a true Saiyan never skipped the thrill of battle. Besides he had more than enough strength to defeat Baby without revealing his full power.
"Lin Hao! Be careful!" Goku shouted from the distance, his voice heavy with concern. "That monster's not the same as before! Even when I first transformed into Super Saiyan 4, I was stronger than Baby… but once he turned into this Golden Oozaru form, his power skyrocketed! Even my Super Saiyan 4 couldn't match him!"
It was the truth Goku had experienced firsthand Baby's overwhelming might as the Great Ape, Vegeta's body amplifying his Tuffle parasite's vengeance.
"Strong? Maybe to you, Son Goku," Lin Hao answered, his eyes narrowing. "But you've only just ascended into Super Saiyan 4. It's natural you'd struggle. As for me… I haven't even begun to fight seriously. What makes you think I'll lose?"
"Eh?!" Goku blinked, realizing he'd never actually witnessed Lin Hao's true battle power. His heart raced with curiosity. "That's true…! I don't know your strength yet. Then show me, Lin Hao let me see what you're really capable of!"
"Enough chatter!!" Baby thundered, saliva spraying from his fanged maw. "You worthless monkeys dare ignore me?! Die together!"
His jaws opened wide, gathering scarlet energy deep in his throat. With a roar, he unleashed a massive beam of burning red ki an attack like Vegeta's Super Galick Gun, magnified by his monstrous form firing straight at Lin Hao.
"Tch. You think this weak technique can stop me? You're naïve."
"Aaaah!"
Lin Hao's fist ignited with golden ki. With a single punch, he split the roaring beam apart, scattering the energy into the sky.
BOOM!
The remnants of the blast tore into the mountainside, carving a smoking crater into the earth, plumes of white steam rising from the molten rock.
"That's all?" Lin Hao's gaze pierced the haze, fixed firmly on Baby. "Not only are you slow… your attacks lack weight. Truly disappointing. I suppose I'd better finish this quickly!"
He crossed his arms, his aura surging violently.
"Haaaaaa!!!"
In an instant, gale-force winds blasted outward. The battlefield shook as golden light enveloped Lin Hao's body, his frame bulking with raw energy. The golden aura flared darker, streaks of red electricity sparking through it.
"—Swish!"
The transformation peaked. His hair lengthened, turning deep crimson, his eyes sharpened with a fierce yellow glow, and red fur spread across his torso. His power skyrocketed.
He had ascended to Super Saiyan 4.
"That form… no way! That's Super Saiyan 4!!" Goku's eyes widened, his face lighting up with excitement. "Lin Hao… you can transform into it too?! Incredible!"
For the first time, Goku felt both awe and relief. He wasn't the only Saiyan who could wield this legendary state.
---