Goku and Vegeta—these two could be called lifelong rivals throughout most of Dragon Ball's history.
Vegeta's position as the eternal second place—no, with Loren around now, he should technically be third.
Whether he could rise again and reclaim that "eternal second" spot remained to be seen.
"Hey, you two."
"You can fight."
"But don't destroy the Earth, or it'll be very troublesome."
Loren's calm voice entered their ears.
When Goku saw Loren, his face immediately lit up.
"Loren!"
"You came at just the right time!"
"Be our referee! That's the fairest way!"
Vegeta snorted, his face full of disdain.
How could he—Prince Vegeta—need an outsider to judge his destined battle with Kakarot?
But… Vegeta didn't object.
Loren's strength was far above his own. Having him as referee was barely acceptable.
"Alright," Loren said lazily.
"The rules are simple."
"No killing blows."
"Whoever is forced out of their transformed state first—or loses consciousness—loses."
"Kakarot!"
"Come on!"
Just then, several powerful ki signatures rapidly approached from all directions.
Piccolo.
Krillin.
Tien Shinhan.
Chiaotzu.
Yamcha.
They had all sensed these two terrifying energy signatures—powerful enough to make the planet tremble—and rushed over to watch.
"The battle of two Super Saiyans…"
"G-Goku?"
"And Vegeta… they both transformed into Super Saiyans?!"
"Alright," Loren said again.
"The audience is here."
"You may begin."
Those words were like a starting gun.
Boom!
In the next instant, Goku and Vegeta vanished from their original positions.
A sharp explosion rang out in mid-air as their fists collided.
A circular shockwave burst outward, tearing through the sky.
The clouds were blown apart, leaving a massive empty void.
Immediately after, countless golden afterimages clashed wildly across the heavens.
Every collision produced violent explosions and deafening sonic booms.
The ground shook.
Mountains groaned.
Krillin and the others could only see flashes of gold—they couldn't track the movements at all.
Too fast.
Far too fast for their senses to follow.
"This is… a Super Saiyan battle…"
"It's completely… incomprehensible…"
Yamcha's mouth hung wide open.
This level of combat had completely surpassed their understanding.
At the heart of the battle, Vegeta's offense was like a raging storm.
Every punch.
Every kick.
All of it carried fury, arrogance, and obsession.
He had to prove it.
That he, Vegeta, was stronger than Kakarot!
"Haaah!"
Vegeta roared, seizing an opening and smashing a heavy punch straight into Goku's abdomen.
Goku grunted as his body shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through a distant mountain.
"Success!"
Wild joy flashed across Vegeta's face.
But before he could celebrate—
Boom!
From the shattered mountain, a brilliant pillar of golden light erupted into the sky.
Goku reappeared in mid-air.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth—and instead of pain, his face showed excitement.
"So strong, Vegeta!"
"Your power's really grown!"
To Vegeta, those words were the ultimate humiliation.
He was going all out—
And Kakarot was praising him?!
This bastard—
"Don't get cocky, Kakarot!!"
Vegeta's fury burned even hotter.
He couldn't understand it.
Why could this low-class warrior reach the realm he had only achieved by abandoning pride and nearly destroying himself?
And still look so relaxed in a battle of honor?!
"Damn it!"
"Kakarot, take this!"
Vegeta spread his hands wide.
Countless golden energy blasts poured out like a meteor shower, raining down on Goku.
The Prince's signature fighting style!
Goku weaved through the barrage at high speed.
Energy blasts grazed past him, detonating against the ground and carving massive craters.
Smoke and dust swallowed the battlefield.
But one thing was clear—
Where there was smoke, there was no damage.
Loren lay back comfortably in his chair, watching the fight with mild interest.
Vegeta looked like he had the upper hand, completely suppressing Goku.
But Loren could see the truth clearly.
Goku wasn't using his full power at all.
He was enjoying the fight—while testing Vegeta's limits.
Vegeta, meanwhile, was like an enraged bull, burning stamina at full throttle.
His attacks were fierce, but riddled with flaws.
"Goku's still the same," Loren thought calmly.
"Too reckless—but terrifyingly adaptable."
Vegeta seemed to realize that simple energy barrages weren't enough.
He abruptly halted his assault and pulled back, creating distance.
Vegeta brought his hands together in front of his chest, palms facing Goku.
A terrifying, highly condensed energy began to gather.
This stance—
It was Vegeta's ultimate technique.
"Kakarot!"
"Let's settle this with one move!"
"Witness the strongest attack of Prince Vegeta!"
"Galick Gun!"
A massive purplish-red energy beam roared forward, like a mountain crashing down.
Unleashed in Super Saiyan form, its power was hundreds of times greater than before!
Facing this world-shaking attack, Goku's expression turned serious.
He drew his hands back to his waist, assuming a familiar stance.
"Ka—"
"Me—"
"Ha—"
"Me—"
"Ha—"
A brilliant, purer blue beam erupted from Goku's palms.
Boom—!
Purple and blue—
Two ultimate energies collided violently in mid-air, shaking the sky itself.
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic Dragon Ball: I Became Invincible by Being a Lazy Salted Fish! Part 1 & 2 (Dragon Ball Z & Super) is now fully completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 Dragon Ball (Chapters 1–343)
Organized into 42 posts, with multiple chapters per post for easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this story 💙