c27: GT Vegeta's Strength
"Hey, who are you? What business do you have on Earth? As long as I, Vegeta, still draw breath, don't even think about threatening this planet!"
Vegeta stepped forward, his voice sharp and cold, his battle aura pressing outward even though he kept it restrained. He couldn't sense Lin Hao's ki properly just like against beings such as Android 17 or Baby but the fact that Goten had been overwhelmed so easily spoke volumes. The oppressive pressure Lin Hao gave off wasn't something ordinary fighters could produce.
Lin Hao tilted his head slightly, eyeing him with a faint smile. "Hmph? So this is Vegeta from the GT timeline? Compared to the main time-space Vegeta, your aura feels more savage… raw, violent. And even in your base form, your combat power is far above ordinary mortals."
He paused, then slowly let the brown tail coiled around his waist rise, swaying deliberately.
"You recognize this, don't you?"
Vegeta's eyes widened, his stern composure cracking for the briefest instant. "That's… a Saiyan's tail!? You… you're a Saiyan too?!"
"Yes," Lin Hao said calmly, his tone almost mocking. "I am a Saiyan. The name's Lin Hao. My purpose here is simple I came seeking Son Goku. But after searching, I couldn't feel his ki anywhere. So instead, I entertained myself by testing his son's strength."
"Testing…?" Goten muttered, his voice weak. His fists trembled with anger as his battered body throbbed with pain. Am I just a toy to him? Even when he says it was just for fun… I can barely stand after that beating…
"Looking for Kakarot, are you?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed, his fighting spirit rising. "Hmph. He isn't on Earth right now. But if you're so eager for a fight… then face me instead!"
His pride flared like a blazing flame, his stance lowering into battle position.
Lin Hao smirked. "Oh? You? I don't mind. But this place is hardly suitable for a real fight. Let's move to somewhere more open… and see if the pride of the Saiyan Prince lives up to its reputation. Try not to disappoint me."
"What arrogance!" Vegeta snarled, veins bulging on his forehead. "You dare talk down to me like that?! Don't think I'll hold back just because you share my bloodline!"
Lin Hao chuckled at his fury. "Then follow me."
In an instant, Lin Hao's body flared with white light, his aura bursting outward like a shockwave as he shot into the sky, streaking toward the horizon in search of a battlefield.
"Tch!" Vegeta growled and immediately gave chase, his aura igniting around him in a brilliant blaze as he ascended.
"Goten, let's follow them!" Gohan turned to his brother urgently.
But Goten shook his head, wincing. "No, brother… not in this state. I can barely keep standing, let alone fly at full speed. You go, I'll stay here with Paris."
Gohan frowned, then nodded firmly. "Alright. Take care of yourself, Goten. I'll handle this."
With that, he blasted off into the sky, hot on Vegeta and Lin Hao's trail, determination etched across his face.
---
Ten minutes later…
On a barren plain far from the city, the winds howled across the empty landscape.
Lin Hao hovered calmly in the sky, eyes fixed on Vegeta as the Saiyan Prince descended opposite him, his boots touching down heavily against the rocky ground. The stage for their battle was set.
Lin Hao and Vegeta hovered in midair, staring each other down from only a few dozen meters apart, their auras colliding invisibly.
[Vegeta] (GT Timeline)
Combat Power: 800 million (base) / 340 billion (Super Saiyan 3 Second Stage)
Bloodline: Saiyan (Royal Lineage)
Techniques: Ki Sense, Ki Blast, Afterimage, Big Bang Attack, Final Flash, Flight, etc.
Profile: Vegeta, the proud Saiyan Prince, carries immense pride and cold determination. Born into royalty, he considers himself the ultimate warrior, driven by his rivalry with Kakarot.
---
"So strong…" Lin Hao thought to himself, scanning Vegeta's stats with a calm gaze. "A combat power of 340 billion at Super Saiyan 3… That's half of my current strength. Compared to Vegeta of the main timeline, this one is on a whole different level. If Vegeta is this strong here… then just how powerful is Son Goku in this GT world?"
His lips curved slightly. Interesting.
"Let's begin."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. His voice was cold, sharp as steel.
"Come at me! But you'd better fight seriously from the start, otherwise you won't last long." Lin Hao's calm reply carried no hesitation.
"Tch… arrogant fool. Don't regret those words!"
"Aaahhh!!"
Vegeta roared as a golden flame engulfed his body, bolts of white lightning sparking wildly around him. The ground beneath trembled as violent winds spiraled outward, tearing the barren plain. His hair crackled with static, and his pupils sharpened with predatory focus.
This was Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta. Though GT Vegeta never pushed into Super Saiyan 3 naturally, his raw base power was so high that even SSJ2 carried unfathomable force, rivalling the third stage of others.
"So incredible…" Gohan whispered from the distance, watching in awe. "As expected of Uncle Vegeta… After all these years, his strength has climbed so high!"
At the same moment, across Earth, the warriors of Z felt Vegeta's eruption.
At the Lookout, Piccolo's eyes snapped open from meditation. His antennae twitched as he turned toward the surge of ki.
"This pressure… Vegeta's aura, fully unleashed. Could it be… a new enemy has appeared?"
At first, he had dismissed Goten's earlier fluctuating ki as training. But now, with Vegeta fighting at full power, there was no doubt something serious had emerged.
"No… it doesn't feel like an evil presence. But whoever it is, they're dangerous." Piccolo's gaze sharpened. His white cape flared as he rose to the sky and shot off toward the battlefield.
---
"Bring it on!" Lin Hao's voice cut through the roaring winds. He did not leap to his full strength. Instead, golden sparks erupted around him as he stepped into the aura of a Full-Power Super Saiyan.
His golden flame burned steady, compact, and terrifyingly dense. Though it was only the first level of Super Saiyan, his ki surged past 100 billion, an energy so intense that the air shimmered around his body.
Vegeta's eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed again in irritation. "What? You're mocking me with only Super Saiyan 1?! Don't underestimate the Prince of all Saiyans!"
Lin Hao smirked. "Even at this level, striking me won't be easy."
"Aaaahhh!!"
He flared his aura brighter, pushing his Super Saiyan 1 to the absolute maximum. The ground cracked beneath them, glowing with pressure.
From the distance, Gohan felt the clash of energies, his jaw tightening. "So strong…! He has that much power in just Super Saiyan 1? If he transformed into Super Saiyan 2, his ki might even surpass Uncle Vegeta's!"
Vegeta sneered, though his blood was pumping with excitement. "Hmph… impressive. I'll admit your Super Saiyan strength is extraordinary. But words mean nothing until fists speak!"
He slammed his foot down with a thunderous crash, the ground beneath splintering into a massive crater. Then, like a bullet fired from a cannon, Vegeta launched himself forward, golden lightning trailing behind his body.
The battlefield erupted as the Prince of Saiyans charged straight at Lin Hao!
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