Vegeta's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and a vein throbbed violently on his forehead. He was expected to perform those idiotic dance steps?
To wiggle around face-to-face with Kakarot? Just imagining the scene caused the Prince of All Saiyans to feel the sound of his dignity shattering upon the floor.
Damn it, he thought, why couldn't they use the Potara earrings? I really, really want to use the earrings right now.
"Absolutely not! I would rather die than do something that stupid!" Vegeta roared, practically spitting the words out. "Don't you even think about it!"
"Come on, Vegeta! Don't be like that! What's a little sacrifice if it means we can have a fun fight?" Goku scratched his head, standing to the side as he tried to persuade him.
Goku genuinely couldn't understand what the problem was. What was so bad about the Metamoran Fusion technique? It could drastically increase their combat power, and it was convenient for two people to use. Why was Vegeta so resistant?
Axis stood with his arms crossed, a teasing smile playing on his face. "Tsk, tsk. It seems the Saiyan Prince's pride is more important than his desire to grow stronger or his lust for battle."
He continued, observing the Saiyan closely. "Vegetto is certainly strong, but his combat style, resulting from such a perfect fusion, is overly calm and rational. It feels like it lacks a certain flavor."
Axis let out an exaggerated sigh. "Personally, I prefer the fusion known as Gogeta... hmm... he carries a bit more of that wild, uninhibited Vegeta style. But if Vegeta isn't willing, then Goku, just go get the Potara earrings."
"You—!" Vegeta choked on Axis's words, unable to retort. The man was obviously goading him.
But damn it all, those words struck right at the heart of Vegeta's hidden pride. He truly did not want to become Vegetto again, that "perfect" form where everything felt overly controlled.
The wild battle instinct in his bones could not be suppressed. Gogeta's style was indeed more fitting for a Saiyan. Vegetto was simply too calm; he didn't display the pride typical of their race.
Although, one had to wonder how this guy knew about their fusion forms at all.
Looking at Axis's punchable expression, which clearly said I knew you'd choose the earrings, Vegeta's chest swelled with frustration and volcanic competitiveness.
"Enough!" Vegeta abruptly cut off Axis's feigned disappointment. He gritted his teeth as if making a momentous sacrifice, squeezing every word out through the gaps in his teeth.
"Kakarot! Hurry up! I'm only doing this once! Remember, this is the last time. There will absolutely not be a second time."
"Huh? Vegeta, you agreed? That's great!" Goku paused for a moment before rejoicing.
"Shut up! Let's start immediately!" Vegeta roared, his face turning the color of pig liver.
"Don't be in such a rush, Vegeta. I need to explain the fusion technique properly. If there are any mistakes, our combat power won't increase at all. In fact, it'll get weaker," Goku said.
Axis nodded seriously from the sidelines. This indeed required proper instruction to ensure he got a good show. Of course, if possible, he also wanted to see the fat version known as Veku, as well as the skeletal version.
He was even looking forward to seeing the Goddess of Life, Isha, attempt this fusion technique upon returning to the Warhammer universe. He wondered what she would look like if she failed and turned into a fat woman. If nothing else, the scene would certainly be hilarious.
Goku began to explain the key points of the Fusion Dance in detail to Vegeta. Then, along with Piccolo, he demonstrated the moves just as they had taught Trunks and Goten.
"I've made all the key points clear, so you absolutely can't mess this up, Vegeta. If you make a mistake, I don't even know what kind of thing will come out," Goku said with a solemn face.
"So verbose. I got it. Let's get on with it, Kakarot!"
The two quickly moved apart and stood facing each other. Vegeta took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shame and rage in his heart as he recalled the cursed dance steps.
He stiffly raised his arms, his feet shuffling awkwardly apart.
"Fu... sion!" Vegeta chanted.
"Fu... sion! Ha!" Goku appeared much more enthusiastic, his movements far more fluid.
The two began to synchronize the iconic set of movements, which Vegeta found to be the height of stupidity. With every lift of his hand and twist of his waist, Vegeta felt his dignity bleeding out.
His inner voice screamed wildly. Damn these steps! Damn Axis! Damn Kakarot!
He swore that once the fusion was complete, he would teach Axis a severe lesson.
But as the saying goes, nine times out of ten, life does not go as planned.
Just as the two finally extended their index fingers, the moment their fingertips were about to touch, a light erupted on cue.
However, something about the light seemed wrong. It lacked the brilliant, boundless radiance they expected. Instead, it appeared somewhat diffuse, flickering uncertainly like a lightbulb with a bad connection, flashing dim and bright.
As the light dissipated, the air around them seemed to freeze.
Kratos's eyes went wide, his mouth hanging slightly open as if he had seen a ghost. Axis, on the other hand, wore an expression that said just as I expected.
Axis covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking violently. His eyes filled with indescribable schadenfreude. He tried his best to suppress his laughter, but his body twitched uncontrollably.
Standing before the group was a thin man. He was tall enough, but he was merely skin and bones. He looked like a bamboo pole draped in baggy orange-and-black padding. The clothes hung loosely on his frame, empty and sagging.
His face was elongated, with protruding cheekbones and deeply sunken eye sockets. His sparse hair was plastered to his scalp, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion, looking as if running two steps would kill him.
"It failed! Vegeta, your finger was slightly off just now." Standing nearby, Piccolo immediately pointed out the critical error. Vegeta was indeed the one who messed up.
"D-D-Damn it!"
One look at the result confirmed the failure. They had no choice but to wait thirty minutes for the fusion to wear off before trying again.
After the fusion ended, Vegeta's face was grim, while Goku looked full of complaints.
"I told you to be serious, Vegeta. You can't make any mistakes with this fusion technique!" Goku scolded.
"Tch! I know!"
After resting for a moment, the two began to perform the fusion dance once again, rotating as they closed in on each other.
"Fu... sion!"
A blinding white light lit up once more. The character that appeared this time had a strong ki, but only moderately so.
Standing before the crowd was a large, fat man.
He was round and chubby. His height seemed to have been compressed, making him look like an overinflated balloon.
The orange and black combat vest was stretched tight, and a round belly protruded stubbornly. His face was as round as a mooncake.
His features were squeezed together, and his hair looked somewhat sparse and messy. He looked down blankly at his round belly, then laboriously raised a chubby hand to touch his face.
"Huh? Did... did we succeed?" he asked in a muffled, nasally voice, filled with Goku's natural airhead confusion. He even attempted to hop, but his rotund body only wobbled clumsily, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall.
"It's slightly better than before. The skinny one had absolutely no combat power; any ordinary human could have knocked him down. But this fat state... your durability is actually pretty decent," Axis evaluated fairly.
Although this fat guy didn't look like much, his actual strength was there, and that layer of blubber offered excellent damage absorption.
"Sigh."
"But it's still a failure. Let's do it again!"
The fat man sighed helplessly and sat on the ground with a look of disappointment.
At this moment, Kratos quietly approached his father and whispered. "Father, I feel this so-called fusion technique is incredibly unreliable."
The skinny and fat abominations produced by the two warriors had completely shattered his worldview. In the Warhammer world, such comical things simply did not happen.
"Calm down, my son. As they say, third time's the charm. They will definitely fuse successfully on the third try. When that happens, you will understand just how powerful this move is," Axis replied.
Thirty minutes later, the two defused and once again received a lecture from Piccolo.
Then, the third fusion attempt began. Their movements were incomparable in their standard; this time, neither made a single error. Every step was perfect.
As the two finally extended their index fingers, in the instant their fingertips were about to touch, an indescribably brilliant light suddenly erupted. It instantly swallowed their figures.
A terrifying aura swept out like a storm.
This aura combined Goku's pure fighting spirit and Vegeta's ferocious pride, yet they blended perfectly into one, forming a domineering presence that looked down upon the world with supreme exclusivity.
When the light faded, a figure hovered in the air.
His stature was tall and upright, with perfect proportions. He combined the facial features of Goku and Vegeta but appeared even more handsome and stern.
A head of unruly, upright hair pointed toward the sky, save for a single bang hanging naturally over his forehead. His eyes were sharp as knives, carrying a cynical arrogance and absolute confidence.
He wore a vest with orange padding and a dark waist sash, and a strong tail swayed casually behind him.
This was the fusion, Gogeta.
"Hah... looks like a success! Sorry to keep you waiting." Gogeta exhaled lightly. The corners of his mouth curled up in a wicked, confident grin. His voice was deep and magnetic, a dual tone of Goku and Vegeta perfectly harmonized.
"It's really been... a long time since I felt this! Although the process was annoying, this power is truly delightful."
"So, are you the one who specifically asked to challenge the fusion warrior Gogeta? The Legendary Super Saiyan?" Gogeta's voice carried a hint of condescending scrutiny and an intense desire for battle.
"Correct! It was me," Axis said. "However, right now you should first complete the transformation into Super Saiyan 4, and then attempt to fuse the power of Super Saiyan 4 into the Super Saiyan God form."
Axis continued, "After fusing, your aptitude is incredibly high, far surpassing Goku and Vegeta individually, so you should be able to learn it very quickly."
Fusion brought a comprehensive enhancement, boosting their potential to terrifying levels. Their sons, Goten and Trunks, formed Gotenks, whose learning ability was terrifying; despite the individual boys barely achieving Super Saiyan, Gotenks was able to develop Super Saiyan 3 within a month or two inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
The fusion of the vastly more talented Vegeta and Goku would naturally be even more frightening.
"Hmph! To deal with you, that's completely unnecessary. Just bring it on! Let's see if you can even force me to transform into a Super Saiyan." Gogeta revealed an expression of utmost arrogance and curled his finger at Axis.
In terms of personality, he possessed none of Vegetto's steadiness. He was arguably the flashiest warrior in the Dragon Ball universe. It was no wonder Gotenks was such a show-off; it was evidently hereditary.
"It seems you won't understand the situation clearly until I beat you up." This time, Axis did not hold back.
He instantly transformed into Super Saiyan 4. Before Gogeta could even react, Axis grabbed him by the neck and dragged him straight into outer space.
In the split second of their engagement, Gogeta's terrifying combat talent allowed him to judge the situation: in his base form, he was no match for this opponent. The moment his neck was grabbed, he completed his Super Saiyan transformation.
However, against a Super Saiyan 4, it wasn't nearly enough. Left with no choice, Gogeta was forced to unleash his Super Saiyan Blue transformation.
He elevated his power to a brand new realm. In this state, he could barely exchange a few blows with Axis's form, but it was a struggle.
"Your biggest weakness is that you're too showy. You acted so arrogant without even knowing your opponent's strength. Let me show you how weak you truly are," Axis said, showing no mercy as he delivered a beating.
The scene was brutal to behold. However, it had to be said that Gogeta was indeed a worthy opponent; few could withstand Axis's Super Saiyan 4 form.
Gogeta's terrifying combat talent began to show itself. Initially suppressed by Axis, as the fight dragged on, he began to match Axis blow for blow.
"Same to you! Aren't you quite confident in yourself, too? I can feel it; you haven't used your full power yet," Gogeta snorted coldly.
An unprecedented light of excitement erupted in Axis's eyes. This Ki! This pressure! It far exceeded the sum of Vegeta and Goku combined. Perfect! This was exactly the opponent he had been waiting for.
"Heh! Let's wait and see."
Blue spiritual energy began to burn around Axis's body, mixing with his Super Saiyan aura. He moved directly into his strongest current form.
The Four-Color Warrior took the stage. A chaotic blaze of golden, green, red, and blue flames erupted from Axis's body with a thunderous boom.
ROAR—!!!
Bam, bam, BAM!
Once Axis ascended to this level, Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta could no longer withstand him. Their strength was no longer in the same dimension.
However, Gogeta in this state served as a very suitable punching bag for Axis's training.
The beatdown lasted for a full thirty minutes.
Only after the fusion wore off did Axis drag the two unconscious Saiyans, looking like dead dogs, back down to the surface.