c33: Baby Is Done Playing
"Whoooosh!"
With a thunderous crack that tore through the air like a sonic boom, Lin Hao moved first this time, vanishing in an instant.
Bang! Bang!
The clash ignited. In the blink of an eye, Lin Hao and the towering Golden Great Ape Baby collided midair, their fists shaking the heavens.
Shockwaves rippled outward, blasting apart the sky and rattling the earth below. Massive cracks spread across the planet's surface as if the world itself was about to split in half under their power.
The pressure was so intense that Son Goku and Pan, who were watching nearby, had to shield themselves with their arms as a gale of ki tore across them.
Boom!
Boom!
Another exchange fists slamming, kicks colliding, beams of ki exploding against one another. The battlefield lit up in chaos.
Both Lin Hao and the ape staggered back a few paces, dust clouds billowing around them.
"Hah! Now that's more like it! This is what real fighting feels like!"
Lin Hao's eyes gleamed with battle spirit, every cell in his Saiyan blood surging with excitement.
But Baby didn't share that thrill. His monstrous form shook with unease. He had felt it clearly: every exchange was heavier, sharper, more dangerous. Lin Hao's power wasn't just strong, it was rising. Rising without limit.
"C-continue!!"
Lin Hao roared, body flashing forward in a streak of golden-red light.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He was on Baby in an instant, fists crashing down like a relentless storm. Both hands hammered at the giant ape's body, a machine-gun flurry of strikes that rocked Baby's frame.
The Great Ape was forced to raise his massive arms, blocking desperately. Every hit sent shockwaves of pain through Vegeta's body. Even with Baby's regeneration and Vegeta's resilience, the strikes dug deeper each time.
If this continued, Baby realized, the power he'd stolen and restored with Bulma's Blutz Waves would be drained again and fast.
"Damn it! Where did this wretch come from?!" Baby thought furiously. "Not only is his strength monstrous, but his speed keeps increasing and that ki… it's still climbing! If I just sit here and take it, I'll be finished!"
Snarling, Baby threw all his weight into a desperate counterattack, swinging a colossal fist at Lin Hao.
BOOM!
But Lin Hao caught it. Effortlessly.
"Aaah!"
With a shout, he twisted Baby's wrist aside, then launched an uppercut straight into the ape's jaw.
Wham!
The blow sent Baby's massive head snapping back, his body spinning in midair.
"Take this!"
Lin Hao didn't let up. He chased Baby through the sky, fists hammering into his chest and gut, batting the ape around like a ball. Each strike sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
"Da-da-da-da-da!!"
Lin Hao's blows rang out in a rapid-fire rhythm, and finally, with one heavy kick, he sent Baby crashing down.
CRASH!
The Great Ape smashed into the ground, carving a crater into the earth, dust erupting like a volcano.
Hovering above, Lin Hao cupped his hands together, his voice echoing across the battlefield:
"Kaaa… meee… haaa… meee… HAAAAA!!!"
A blinding blue beam of ki roared to life, ready to engulf the struggling Baby below.
Lin Hao braced his stance, cupping his hands into the shape of a sunflower crest. Golden-blue ki gathered violently in his palms, his aura blazing. With a shout, he thrust forward, sending a colossal wave barreling into the Golden Great Ape.
"Suffer death, Baby!"
"Grrraaahh!! Damn you! I won't lose to another Saiyan monkey!!"
Baby Vegeta roared, raising both hands above his head. Purple energy flared violently as he unleashed Vegeta's own signature attack.
"Final… Flash!!"
A gigantic beam shot forth, colliding head-on with Lin Hao's Kamehameha.
"Haaaaah!!"
The sky trembled as the two ultimate attacks clashed, their shockwaves ripping craters into the earth. Goku and Pan shielded themselves from the hurricane winds, their eyes locked on the titanic struggle.
"It's useless, Baby! Your power's already beneath mine! You're finished!"
Lin Hao roared as he poured in even more strength. His Kamehameha expanded, overwhelming Baby's Final Flash and driving it back toward him.
"No… impossible!!"
Baby's panicked cry echoed as the torrent engulfed his body, forcing him into the ground.
From the sidelines, Goku clenched his fists. "Wait Lin Hao! Don't destroy Vegeta's body!"
As the dust cleared, Lin Hao descended slowly, his voice calm. "Relax, Son Goku. I held back. Baby's just crippled Vegeta won't die."
"Phew… that's a relief," Goku sighed. "But what's next?"
Lin Hao didn't answer. Instead, a golden orb of energy spun into his hand. With a sharp flick, he hurled it like a blade.
Whoosh!
The attack cut clean across Baby Vegeta's tail.
"What… what's happening?!" Baby screamed, his voice shaking. "Vegeta's body shrinking! If I stay inside, I'll be crushed!!"
As the severed tail hit the ground, Vegeta's massive ape form began to contract rapidly, his body reverting to its normal state. Baby shrieked as he was forcibly ejected from the host, his parasitic body wriggling free in desperation.
"No! I have to escape!"
With a sudden burst of speed, the pale, grotesque Baby shot toward Capsule Corp's base, intent on seizing a Tuffle-built spaceship. If he could just escape into space, he'd bide his time, rebuild his strength, and wipe out the Saiyan race once and for all.
"Ohh… of course!" Goku realized, stunned. "Cutting off the tail forces Baby out of Vegeta's body! I should've thought of that earlier… then Vegeta wouldn't have had to suffer so much, and I wouldn't have been pushed this far…"
Watching the parasite dart away, Lin Hao's expression hardened. "You're not getting away again, Tuffle. After all the destruction you've caused, it ends here."
He thrust out one arm, silver-white energy spiraling into a massive sphere.
"Big Bang Attack!!"
The burning blast shot across the sky like a comet, striking Baby mid-flight.
BOOOOM!
"Nooooo!!!" Baby's final scream echoed as his body was torn apart, disintegrating into dust that scattered into the air.
The battle was over.
"That's it… Baby's finished!"
Pan and Mr. Satan rushed over, both wide-eyed at the sight of Lin Hao hovering calmly amidst the fading smoke.
"Wow! He really did it! He's even more amazing than Grandpa!!" Pan's eyes sparkled as she shouted, her face full of admiration. To her, Goku had always been the strongest in existence but Lin Hao had just surpassed even him.
Satan puffed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips, grinning proudly as though the credit was his. "Yes, yes! Excellent work, young man! I, the great Mr. Satan, knew you could handle it all along! In fact, when we get back to Earth, I might even accept you as my personal disciple, eh? Hahaha!"
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