Disclaimer: I live in North America, which means I watched and read the American English dub of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super. This means I use the North American English dub names, like Tien rather than Tienshinhan or Special Beam Canon rather than the other name. I know a lot of LATAM fans are really sensitive about that sort of thing, but I grew up my way and will proceed to refer to things in the same way I have for the last 20+ years. I wouldn't go to a LATAM fanfic and complain about the names they use, so I am asking for the same respect. Thanks.
As Gohan and the others overlooked the site of Buu's explosion, they could feel a powerful, yet familiar presence steadily approaching. It was none other than Tien, landing beside them after sensing the commotion.
Piccolo scoffed; he and Tien exchanged a glance. "Took you long enough to join the fight. I thought you turned tail and ran."
"I figured you guys could handle it all on your own; it's not like I'd be much help with how strong Gohan and Vegeta have become. Still, I couldn't keep sitting around doing nothing."
Gohan stepped forward, showing a hint of a grin. "I'm glad to have you with us, Tien. We'll take all the help we can get."
Gohan's smile turned into a grimace as he sensed another presence; this time, it was unmistakably Majin Buu. He glanced toward the site of the explosion, and saw the pink monstrosity flying toward him, having fully recovered from his injuries.
Gohan took off, flying toward Buu until the two of them were within speaking range. The others stopped just behind Gohan, sweat dripping down their faces.
"Well, well, well... Ready for round two, Gohan? I see you brought the weaklings with you!" Buu mocked, looking directly at Trunks. "The little one is the weakest of the bunch. You'd think after murdered his best friend, he would fight in his honor. Instead, he hides behind you and the green one."
"Hey! You watch your mouth, you ugly pink monster! If Gohan and I were to team up, we'd kick your butt!" Trunks shouted. He was being held back by Piccolo.
"Is that so? Why not join the fight and prove it?" Buu asked.
"No," Gohan interrupted. "Your fight is with me and me alone. That little boy you killed was my brother... If anyone is going to fight in his honor, it will be me."
"Hmm... could it be that you're afraid of this little one dying as well?"
"I'm not afraid of you!" Trunks proclaimed, transforming into a Super Saiyan and breaking free from Piccolo's grasp.
However, Trunks was immediately swallowed by a pile of pink goo. He screamed as his body was consumed from the feet down until his voice was muted by gargles as the goo filled his throat.
Gohan turned around to see Trunks's arm sticking out of the pile, only for that too to be covered. He, Piccolo, and Tien were dumbfounded, watching with trembling eyes.
"Piccolo, look out!" Gohan reached toward his mentor, only for another pile of goop to attack, wrapping itself around Piccolo and consuming him.
Gohan and Tien realized they were next and began dodging and weaving around rock formations. However, Buu predicted this, and one of the gooey extensions of his body was hidden behind a rock and lunged at Tien, swallowing him whole.
In just seconds, Gohan was all alone, watching from above as his friends' bodies were replaced by pink slime. Buu laughed, commanding his slimy extensions to return to his body. With a commanding, resounding shout, Buu rattled the Earth, and Gohan could sense that his power level had skyrocketed.
"No!" Gohan yelled. "Did he just absorb their power?"
Meanwhile, Shin and Kibito watched in horror from the World of the Kais, knowing that if Gohan were to fall here, the entire universe would be doomed.
"Supreme Kai," Shin said. "If Kibito and I were to perform that fusion technique, would we be strong enough to help Gohan?"
The old Kai furrowed his brow. "I forbid it! If you go down there and Buu absorbs you, Gohan may not be strong enough to beat whatever Buu becomes!"
"And what if Buu absorbs Gohan? Who will be able to defeat him then?"
The Old Kai rubbed his chin, looking into the crystal ball. "If only that Goku fellow was still around, then we could have revived him... Well, there is one thing we could do instead. It might be enough to beat Buu."
"Tell us, what is it?" Kibito asked.
"You two could fuse and then I could turn my life essence into power that the two of you could absorb."
Both Kibito and Shin took a step back, their jaws gaped. "You mean... you're willing to sacrifice your life!?
"Why, yes. I'll be dead anyway if Buu manages to beat Gohan. So, I may as well die valiantly and on my own terms."
"But... Supreme Kai..." Shin mumbled, feeling the Old Kai's hand on his shoulder.
"No, Sonny. You're the Supreme Kai, now. I am but an old man now. I leave this universe to you. To both of you. Now, go ahead and use the earrings to fuse."
Reluctantly, Shin and Kibito nodded their heads. "Yes sir," they said in unison before exchanging potara earrings.
Their bodies collided once they clicked the earrings in place, and the Supreme Kai and his assistant were fused into one. Their new form mostly favored Shin, having a young face and short stature; however, their skin was pink and their hair was long and silver, reaching the ground.
Kibitoshin flexed their muscles, feeling power surging through their body. It felt as if they'd become at least twenty times stronger than they were as separate beings.
"Incredible," said Kibitoshin.
"Yes. Quite. Now, I will give you what power I have left." As the Old Kai said this, Kibitoshin's smile faded. They watched as the Old Kai's body emitted a blinding, white light before expanding into an explosion of energy that was absorbed into Kibitoshin.
When they opened their eyes, they saw the Old Kai standing in front of them; though a halo was floating over his head.
"Oh... you're still here..." Kibitoshin muttered. "You made it sound like your physical form would cease to exist. I wept for nothing..."
"You're the one who made the assumption, my boy. Now, there is no time to waste. Go help that Saiyan boy."
Kibitoshin nodded and burst away, heading toward the Earth posthaste.
As Kibitoshin was arriving on Earth, Gohan and Buu were seen hovering above the desert. Buu smirked, wearing a culmination of Tien, Piccolo, and Trunks's clothes while Gohan's body quaked as he held back his rage.
"Those three were weak on their own, but combined... their power is more than enough to take you down!" Buu let out a hearty cackle, compelling the Saiyan to tremble in anger.
"You bastard!" Gohan yelled out before throwing himself at Buu. The Saiyan began to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks, each missing the mark thanks to Buu's newfound speed. Gohan's brows furrowed as he began throwing out more concentrated, analytical strikes, sacrificing speed for precision and strength.
Eventually, Gohan's fist dug deep into Buu's squishy midsection, folding the pink monstrosity over with a wheeze that sounded like a deflating balloon. Gohan growled as he then used an elbow to send Buu flying to the ground. Buu's body created a pond-sized crater, his body leaving an outline in the dirt. However, despite being hit with such a mighty attack, Buu laughed while he lay spread on the ground.
"That might've hurt before, that one tickled!"
Gohan clenched his teeth, watching as Buu peeled himself off the ground with a grin etched across his smug face. "Damn it..." Gohan mumbled.
He was already stronger than Dad before, but now I don't know if I can keep up...
Gohan could feel the potara in his pocket, but it would be of no use now.
I should've fused with Tien but... I didn't want to be stuck with him forever. Damn it!
"What's wrong Gohan? You look tense," Buu teased from below, smug as ever. "Is my power too great for you?"
"Your power? You didn't even earn that strength! You stole it!"
Buu laughed once more. "And what about it? It's mine now and that's all that matters. How about you and I give this newfound strength a real test run!"
Gohan blinked and then Buu was gone. Buu's presence disappeared for a singular second before reappearing behind Gohan. Gohan turned around and blocked Buu's attack, but the force of Buu's interlocked hands was enough to break Gohan's guard, leaving bruises on his wrists.
Buu attempted to take advantage of this moment when Gohan's guard was down, but the Saiyan was still too fast for him, dodging Buu's kick that was aimed at his midsection.
Both Buu and Gohan then started exchanging blows, occasionally hitting each other while most of their attacks whiffed their target. It was clear that the two of them were equals now in both strength and speed, neither one having the edge in the slightest.
I need to figure out a way to become stronger. There has to be a way for me to somehow upgrade this form. There has to be some sort of Potential Unleashed 2, right? There has to be!
Though Gohan wished for this supposed ascended level of Potential Unleashed, he had no way of knowing if it was possible or how to even achieve it. Without any other options, the only way to beat Buu would be to outsmart him. That would be easier said than done, as it was clear that Buu inherited not only the strength of those who he absorbed but their combat intelligence as well. Worst of all, Gohan's body was starting to feel exhausted whereas Buu was seemingly still running on a full tank.
Buu noticed that Gohan's speed was dwindling, so he decided to throw out even faster attacks, whittling down Gohan's energy as if slowly chopping down a tree. The moment Gohan's overall speed fell a substantial amount, Buu kicked Gohan in the midsection, burying his sole into Gohan's folded body.
The Saiyan coughed up blood as Buu spun to build momentum before roundhouse kicking Gohan a half-mile west. By the time Gohan landed and was able to nearly get back onto his feet, Buu grabbed him by the hair and threw him into the air. As Gohan flew uncontrollably toward the heavens, Buu fired Ki blasts at him, further propelling the young man until his body parted the clouds.
Once Gohan reached the apex of his ascent, he felt Buu's energy build up and fade before reappearing behind him. Gohan's eyes darted to his left, only to widen in horror upon seeing what Buu had in store for him.
"Special... Beam..." Buu's fingers were on his forehead as he began performing Piccolo's special move. Gohan tried to dodge, but it was too late. All he could do was use his arms to block the attack.
"Cannon!"
Buu fired a beam from his fingers, aimed directly at Gohan's heart. Gohan closed his eyes, preparing for impact, only for the attack to never hit him. When he opened his eyes, he saw none other than Kibitoshin holding Buu's arm, causing the attack to completely whiff.
"Supreme Kai!?" Gohan called out, compelling the combined pair to laugh.
"We go by Kibitoshin now. We've fused to become even stronger than you!" Kibitoshin threw Buu back toward the Earth, chasing him down with ki blasts during the descent. Gohan followed behind them, firing Ki alongside them until Buu hit the ground.
The Earth trembled upon impact and a dust storm appeared around the area in which Buu landed. Kibitoshin smirked while looking at themself, feeling their power surging, unlike anything they'd ever felt before their fusion.
Incredible... Gohan thought. Both Kibito and the Supreme Kai were pretty unremarkable on their own but fused like that, their power is insane. If they could become this strong, imagine how much more powerful Dad and I could become if we fused together.
Kibitoshin looked at Gohan, almost appearing as smug as Buu. "Impressed? Now, let's destroy Buu before-" Kibitoshin, with their attention away from Buu for just a moment, failed to notice that Buu threw a piece of his own head at him, connecting to his chest. Gohan's eyes widened as that piece of Buu began absorbing Kibitoshin before their mass was then absorbed into Buu's main body.
"You idiots!" Gohan yelled out, wishing that Kibitoshin had just stayed out of it. They were gods, sure, but they were fighters. Their combat IQ was far below that of even Goten and Trunks.
As the dust began to clear, Gohan could see Buu's body quivering as the power he just ingested was being absorbed. His outfit changed, resembling that of what the Supreme Kai was wearing and his screams were so powerful that Gohan could barely hold his ground and the clouds behind him had been parted to such a degree that the sky was completely clear.
"No..." What little confidence Gohan had left had vanished with the clouds. If he could barely hang with Buu before his transformation, there was no way he could be him now after having absorbed so much power.
Buu chuckled once more, flexing his muscles and clenching his fists. "I don't know about you, Gohan, but I feel incredible!"
Gohan winced, still holding his ground. Though it was true that he felt as if the fight was over, he wasn't going to run away, nor would he give up. "Dad... I wish you were here," Gohan whispered, and the moment he did so, he felt a presence in the distance. Buu felt it as well and decided to wait before finishing Gohan off.
Gohan turned around, seeing a figure flying toward him in the distance. "Dad!?" he called out, but as it got closer, this familiar power was very clearly not his father, but it was the next best thing. "No, it's..."
The figure got closer, and it was evident which Saiyan it was, sporting a halo over his head.
"Vegeta!"
Vegeta stopped beside Gohan, sizing up the young man. "I see you've grown more powerful in my absence. It's about damn time," Vegeta said with a smirk.
"Now's not the time, Vegeta. Put this on, we have to fuse if we want to beat Buu."
Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan, flat-out ignoring Gohan's orders with a scoff. "Fuse with you? I'd rather die. You're not the only one who got stronger since the last time we've seen each other."
"Vegeta you don't understand! Buu is more powerful since the last time you fought. You can't beat him! Don't be an idiot!"
"No, Gohan, you don't understand! You see, we Saiyans have a thing called pride, something a half-breed like you wouldn't understand! I sent myself to oblivion in an attempt to defeat this monster before and I will not let myself be defeated again!" Vegeta let out a battle cry as his power surged, his golden aura expanding.
Vegeta threw himself at Buu, attacking him with dozens of punches and kicks while Buu stood still with his arms crossed. Vegeta, stunned for a moment, stared at Buu with trembling eyes before backing up and putting two hands together. "Gallick..."
"Vegeta, it's not going to work! Stop before Buu absorbs you too!"
"Gun!" Vegeta shouted, unleashing a beam of violet Ki at Buu, only for the monster to remain unmoving as the beam deflected off his body.
Vegeta, breathing heavily, then placed two hands in front of him and began charging Ki with his palms. "Final..."
"Vegeta!" Gohan called out but was ignored.
"Flash!" Vegeta fired a golden beam of energy at Buu, and just like his last attack, this too reflected off Buu's body.
Buu then instantly appeared behind Vegeta and chopped his neck. Vegeta's golden hair turned black as he fell down to Earth, hitting the ground while barely clinging to consciousness.
Buu then looked at Gohan, smiling devilishly. "You mentioned a fusion, didn't you? Does that mean you can become even more powerful?"
Gohan was stunned for a second before muttering, "Yes."
Right, this guy's just like Dad. He wants a challenge. He wants to fight the strongest one there is to prove that he's even stronger than that.
"Let us fuse, and we'll give you a fight if that's what you're after."
Buu smiled. "I'll give you thirty seconds to convince him to fuse with you. If you can't do that, then I will blow you up alongside this planet. Time starts now."
Gohan flew down to Vegeta, who was barely able to keep his eyes open.
"Vegeta, listen to me. Everyone is gone. Trunks. Bulma. They're dead! Buu absorbed them!" Vegeta's gasped, his eyes wide. So much had changed since he'd last walked the Earth. "It's not just your family that's gone, but mine too! My mom, Videl, my brother! They're all dead! You are my only hope at beating Buu and avenging them all! With the Dragon Balls, we could bring them back but I need your help! You talk about Saiyan pride and protecting your birthright, but what do you think I've been doing my whole life? I was basically a toddler when I had to fight to save the Earth. MY planet. This is my home, this is where my pride lies. My father and your planet are gone, Vegeta, but the Earth is your new home. After this, I promise that I will show more pride for my Saiyan half, I swear. Only if you will at least show the tiniest bit of pride for the Earth. For your home. Your wife's home. Your son's. Please... Please fuse with me."
Vegeta took a second to think, seeing Buu growing impatient in the distance. He remembered how Bulma took him in with open arms despite everything he'd done in the past, realizing that there was some merit to Gohan's words. It was only fair that he showed Bulma the same amount of kindness, the same amount of love by protecting her one and only home.
"How do you know that this will be enough to beat Buu?" Vegeta asked; however, he wouldn't get an answer as Buu began charging Ki in his right palm, aiming it at the two of them.
"Fine, let's fuse! I'm only doing this not for you, but for Bulma. And Trunks!"
"That's fine by me. Here put this on." Gohan pulled out the potara earrings, giving one to Vegeta. Both he and Vegeta started to put them on, meanwhile, Gohan decided to finally tell Vegeta the truth about the transformation.
"Once we fuse, there's no going back, by the way. We'll be stuck like this forever. And thank you, Vegeta."
"What!?"
Before Vegeta could take it back, their bodies combined into a single being. There was a blinding flash, such that Buu had to cover his eyes until the light show ended.
Buu opened his eyes, trembling in both fear and excitement as he could feel the power resonating from what was now a single warrior. Gohan and Vegeta already shared similarities since they were both Saiyans, but it was evident that their likeness had been combined into this new fighter.
Their hair was thicker, standing up straight as if they were a Super Saiyan, having a single strand hanging over their forehead in the way that Gohan's hair appeared. They wore an orange and blue Gi, like what Gohan wore before the fusion while also wearing Vegeta's white boots and gloves.
"Let's do this!" They exclaimed, posing confidently with their fist held high.