Under Vegeta's shocked gaze, a gray color began to spread from his neck, stiffening his flesh until his entire body lost all sensation.
Before long, more than half of him had turned to stone. Struggling to speak, Vegeta rasped,
"You bastard, what in the world is—"
He never finished. In an instant, his entire body became solid stone. The petrified Vegeta plummeted from the sky, crashing toward the earth below.
Dabura moved to catch him, unwilling to let such a valuable specimen shatter into rubble—but someone else was faster.
Goku had sensed Vegeta's Ki suddenly vanish. Without hesitation, he transformed into a Super Saiyan, golden aura blazing as he rocketed upward.
Midway, he caught sight of Vegeta's falling form—his stone face still frozen in disbelief. Goku reached out and grabbed him, holding the statue carefully. Though confused, one thing was certain: this statue was Vegeta.
Dabura appeared soon after, frowning at the sight of Goku's golden hair and blazing aura.
"The same transformation? Impressive… your energy isn't small either. Fine, I'll capture you too and offer you to Babidi!"
Holding Vegeta securely with one arm, Goku freed his other and fired a golden Ki blast straight at Dabura. Then he turned and sped downward toward the ground.
Unlike Vegeta, Goku was more level-headed. Seeing Vegeta's strange state, he decided to regroup with Jiren and assess the situation first.
Dabura deflected the Ki blast with a wave of his hand and sneered,
"Running already? It's far too late for that. None of you will escape today!"
He burst forward, his speed astonishing, chasing after Goku while hurling globs of saliva his way.
Goku, not knowing what the saliva did but disgusted nonetheless, dodged swiftly.
"Hey! You're so unhygienic! If you wanna fight, fight! Stop spitting everywhere!" he shouted in frustration.
He maneuvered through the air, returning to Jiren's side. Upon seeing Vegeta's petrified state, Jiren's eyes narrowed.
"As expected," he murmured.
By then, Dabura had caught up, but his attention was fixed solely on Goku and Vegeta—the two Saiyans with golden hair. As for Jiren, who was bald and radiated an unfamiliar energy, Dabura dismissed him as irrelevant.
Opening his mouth once more, he prepared to spit again.
But Jiren had seen enough. His brow furrowed as he raised a hand and clapped lightly in the air. A shockwave of pure pressure condensed into a massive invisible palm that slammed straight into Dabura's face.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed from Dabura's mouth as his body spun violently through the air, crashing back toward Babidi's position. He tumbled for a moment before coming to a dizzy stop, head ringing, unsure of what had just happened.
Jiren's attack had been merciful. He'd used only enough force to swat a mosquito. Had he applied any real strength, Dabura's head would've been obliterated.
In that regard, Jiren was much like Zephyr—a man who upheld justice without killing.
Babidi looked at the bright red palm mark imprinted across Dabura's cheek, his voice trembling with rare concern.
"Are you… alright?"
Dabura's face was numb, and confusion clouded his eyes. When he looked back at Jiren, a chill ran through his body.
"Babidi," he said shakily, "we should… leave this place."
Babidi blinked in surprise. Though Dabura had been struck, he didn't seem severely injured. But Dabura's instincts screamed otherwise. He now realized the truth—the bald man before them wasn't just strong; he was on an entirely different level.
Having long served under the God of Destruction and the Angel Vados, Jiren was well-acquainted with mystical powers. He could tell that Vegeta's petrification came from a magical technique, and his gaze darkened.
His voice dropped to a low rumble.
"Whatever you just did… undo it. Release him now, or—"
A red aura ignited around Jiren, heat rippling from his body like a living inferno. Even Goku and Piccolo, standing beside him, felt an intense pressure that made their spines tingle. They stepped back instinctively.
It was only a fraction of Jiren's power, yet Babidi and Dabura felt crushed beneath it, as if an invisible mountain pressed against their chests, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
Dabura, trembling, unleashed all his strength while shielding Babidi with his body.
"Babidi, use your magic! Try to control him—I can't hold out much longer!"
Realizing the dire situation, Babidi hastily began chanting, attempting to corrupt Jiren's mind by drawing out any evil within his heart.
But Jiren's will was absolute. His years of discipline and justice had hardened his mind into steel. Babidi's control spells had no effect.
Jiren took a single step forward. The very ground beneath him cracked, and the overwhelming force shattered Babidi's spacecraft into fragments.
As the dust cleared, a massive egg sealed with strange inscriptions was revealed—the dormant shell of Majin Buu.
Then, a calm but commanding voice echoed in Jiren's mind.
"Jiren, take care of those two, then bring that egg to me."
Jiren's body trembled. His expression shifted slightly as he answered with difficulty,
"Dragon God… are you asking me to kill them?"
"Yes," replied the voice of Uchiha Chiga. "I know your convictions, Jiren, but you must learn from a man named Sakazuki. When facing true evil, excessive mercy is a betrayal of justice. Those two before you are irredeemable. Do it."
Jiren hesitated for only a moment.
"But Vegeta—"
"You don't need to worry about that," Chiga's voice continued. "Once the red-skinned one dies, Vegeta will return to normal."
At that, Jiren's gaze hardened. His Ki surged, burning with unshakable resolve.
Babidi and Dabura remained unaware that their fates had already been sealed. Babidi kept chanting desperately, his voice trembling as he asked,
"Almost there… just a little more!"
Dabura shouted, panic rising.
"Babidi! Is it working or not?! I can't hold out!"
But before either could act further, Jiren's eyes flashed crimson. In an instant, several beams of condensed Ki shot forth like divine judgment, engulfing them completely.
There was no time for screams. Babidi and Dabura were reduced to dust, erased from existence.
As silence fell, Jiren's aura dimmed. His expression softened, clarity returning to his heart. He turned toward Vegeta's statue—and saw the gray stone fading away, revealing living flesh once more.
Vegeta was slowly returning to his original state.
_____
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