"Kakarot isn't his opponent yet," Karnel observed, watching Broly approach Goku step by step with predatory intent. He looked at the gathered warriors with a smile that held just a hint of mischief. "So who among you is going to rescue him?"
"Is this a Saiyan too?" Piccolo had awakened from his earlier unconsciousness after a brief rest. He took the Senzu Bean from Krillin's hand and ate it, feeling his physical strength return in full.
Krillin was eager to help, determination written across his face. After all, he couldn't just watch his fellow Turtle Hermit School disciple get killed without trying to intervene.
"Krillin, with your current strength, you'll just die if you go up there," Master Roshi warned, his voice heavy with concern. He wanted to help Goku himself, but he lacked the power to make a difference. Seeing Krillin also preparing to rush into battle, he hurriedly stopped him. "You can't help Goku at all."
Karnel remained unconcerned. This was indeed a wise choice from the old master. Rushing in without clearly assessing the situation would have no other outcome except being killed by one of Broly's punches.
"Kaio-ken times ten!"
Seeing Broly approaching with leisurely confidence, Goku backed away several hundred meters and clenched his fists, pushing his body to the absolute limit of its current endurance. A deep red airflow emerged from his body as he felt the sharp pulling sensation in his muscles. The pain made him scream involuntarily. No, I only have about twenty seconds left. I need to end this quickly!
A startling stream of red light shot toward Broly, whose entire body was radiating emerald green flames.
Broly seemed to have calmed down slightly at this moment, no longer in a hurry to kill the inner demon who had troubled him for more than ten years. A trace of bloodthirsty excitement flashed across his pale eyes, and he rushed forward with a "swoosh." The two figures, one red, one green, collided violently.
For a brief moment, it seemed they were evenly matched. Then the figure shining with red light was quickly suppressed and beaten down.
No, it was more than that. He was being brutalized.
Broly's strength continued to increase as the fight progressed, and Goku was beaten without even the ability to fight back. The hatred and anger in Broly's heart were vented through punches and kicks, accompanied by all kinds of crazed screams that echoed across the battlefield.
"KAKAROT!"
His massive hand grabbed Goku's ankle and slammed him into the ground, leaving a human-shaped crater in the earth.
Goku was struck repeatedly, each blow more devastating than the last. The Kaio-ken couldn't be sustained for much longer, and after Broly's fierce beating, the deep red aura around his body disappeared entirely. His strength dropped several levels instantly.
Blood. He was spitting blood. Without the blessing of the Kaio-ken, Goku wasn't even close to being Broly's opponent. He kept spitting blood from his mouth as his consciousness gradually blurred.
"Go to hell, Kakarot!"
Broly looked at Goku, who was about to be beaten to death, with murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He threw Goku into the sky and condensed a green energy meteor in his hand, preparing to finish him off.
"Ha! Hahaha!" Looking at Goku who was about to die in his energy blast, Broly laughed wildly with savage satisfaction.
Poof!
At the critical moment, Karnel made his move. He jumped in front of Goku, grabbed him, and casually kicked the huge energy ball full of violent aura into outer space with seemingly no effort at all.
"Just play around, but don't go too far, Broly," came a faint voice from above Broly's head.
Karnel stuffed the Senzu Bean he had taken from Krillin into the dying Goku's mouth, then with a clever application of force, threw him gently to the ground where Master Roshi was waiting.
"KAKAROT!"
Broly roared, his aura soaring to new heights. His frightening white eyes stared at the Saiyan who had dared to rescue his prey.
Although Broly's all-white eyes were genuinely intimidating, Karnel didn't take them seriously. He smiled and gestured casually. "Your opponent is over there. Look, there's Vegeta playing around in that crater."
Broly didn't care about that suggestion. In his mind, he only knew that the Saiyan in front of him had saved Kakarot, who was about to die by his hands, and that made him an enemy!
"I told you your opponent is over there!" Karnel looked at Broly charging at him like an enraged bull and felt genuinely exasperated. Why didn't this guy listen to reasonable advice?
But Broly didn't care at all and disappeared in a flash, appearing on Karnel's left with a huge fist ready to strike. Karnel didn't even turn his head. The moment Broly vanished, he kicked sideways.
It seemed as though Karnel had predicted Broly's movement perfectly. Broly's huge body appeared directly in front of Karnel's kick just as he launched it, giving the impression that he had deliberately positioned himself to be struck.
Bang!
Broly flew backward, a trace of surprise flashing silently across his face. He had never expected to be kicked before he could even make his move.
Karnel really wasn't very interested in fighting Broly. Although the legendary Super Saiyan's strength was continuously increasing, for Karnel, Broly at this stage still wasn't quite good enough to provide real entertainment.
"When you grow up for a few more years, maybe you can play with me properly," Karnel thought to himself, then slowly walked back toward Krillin and the others.
As for Broly? He had been kicked directly to the side of Vegeta, who was just recovering from his earlier beating. Karnel wasn't worried that Broly would come after him again, he had bigger problems to deal with now.
" The Artificial Moon"
"Damn you! You completely look down on me!" Vegeta's face was twisted with rage and humiliation as he threw a white energy wave toward the sky. "Wait until I, Prince Vegeta, transform into a Great Ape and trample you all to death!"
The white energy wave in the sky quickly transformed into a small moon, and an inexplicable light began to radiate from its surface.
Vegeta stared directly at the artificial moon, his pupils becoming sharp and bloodshot. Something seemed to be trying to burst from his chest, beating violently with increasing frequency.
His body began to grow rapidly, thick gorilla hair sprouting all over his form. His face was changing quickly, taking on the features of a massive ape.
ROAR!
The transformation was complete, and now a colossal Great Ape stood where Prince Vegeta had been moments before. The real chaos was about to begin.