With a soft "swoosh," Whitley's figure reappeared in the Sacred World of the Kais.
Fearing he might be a step too late and Goku would be gone, he immediately crouched down, carefully supported the nearly unconscious Goku, and quickly poured the special heart medicine he had brought from Kame House into his mouth.
The moment the medicine entered his mouth, it began to work almost instantly.
Goku's face, originally as pale as paper and contorted in pain, regained its color at a visible rate.
His rapid and difficult breathing soon calmed down, becoming even and strong again.
Although his eyes were still closed, he was clearly out of danger.
"Phew..."
Whitley and Vegeta, who had been watching the situation intently, both let out a subconscious sigh of relief at the same time.
They had made it in time!
After a while, Goku's eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
There was still a hint of confusion in his gaze. He subconsciously touched his chest and muttered, "Huh? It doesn't hurt anymore... I think I just had a really bad dream..."
Seeing his goofy appearance, Vegeta's lingering trace of concern instantly vanished, replaced by his usual impatience.
He let out a cold snort and turned his head away. "What a troublesome weakling!"
Since that guy Kakarot was fine, the training had to continue! How could he, Vegeta, let such a small incident delay his path to getting stronger?
He immediately raised his hand, habitually preparing to create an Artificial Moon again.
However, his movement paused abruptly, and his expression became somewhat subtle and hesitant.
He glanced at Kakarot, who was still on the ground, slowly sitting up after having just walked through the gates of hell. He recalled the painful struggle and near-death appearance from a moment ago and couldn't help but frown.
He turned to Whitley, his tone carrying a rare hint of hesitation. "Hey!... If I continue to transform... will I end up like Kakarot?"
He was referring to that sudden, fatal heart attack.
Whitley looked at Vegeta with some surprise, seeming not to expect this battle maniac to hesitate.
He smiled with amusement. "What? Scared you? If you really did get a heart disease... would you still be prepared to continue training?"
Vegeta was a little annoyed by Whitley's teasing gaze and subconsciously wanted to retort.
But the words caught in his throat. His gaze involuntarily drifted back to Goku, and the thrilling scene from just now flashed through his mind.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried at all. This kind of sudden internal problem, which couldn't be countered with power, was indeed daunting!
However, this hesitation lasted for only a few seconds.
When his gaze returned to Whitley, and he recalled the stunning, power-packed Super Saiyan 4 form from before, especially that punch that had almost shattered him... his eyes' hint of hesitation was instantly replaced by a strong desire and determination!
Power! What he craved was overwhelming power! How could he shrink back because of this potential risk?!
"Continue!"
Vegeta practically gritted his teeth as he spat out the word.
The determination in his tone was even stronger than ever before!
He no longer had any hesitation. He decisively raised his hand, condensed an energy sphere, and shot it into the sky! "Blossom!"
A new Artificial Moon hung high in the sky of the Sacred World of the Kais again.
Vegeta's gaze was firm. He looked up without hesitation, and his body quickly began to expand and transform into a Great Ape. Then he immediately focused all his spirit and began to charge towards the stunning Super Saiyan 4 form!
Whitley looked at Vegeta's all-or-nothing, forward-charging appearance, nodded in appreciation, and said no more.
He glanced at Goku, who had just recovered and was patting his head, seemingly still trying to remember what had happened, and sighed helplessly.
This guy really is a handful.
He casually took out a Senzu Bean from his pocket and stuffed it into Goku's hand. "Here, eat it, get your strength back."
Goku took the Senzu Bean and threw it into his mouth without a second thought.
Instantly, a surging life energy flowed through his body. The stamina he had lost due to the illness was completely restored in an instant, and he was full of life again.
"Oh! I'm alive again!"
Goku jumped up excitedly and waved his arms, as if the person who had almost died just now wasn't him.
Whitley shook his head again at his carefree appearance.
He said to the two of them, "You guys continue training. I'm going back to Earth for a bit to tell Master Roshi and the others that you're okay, so they don't worry. And... I have to report back home too."
After speaking, he placed his fingers on his forehead, and his figure disappeared with a "swoosh."
Earth, Kame House.
Whitley's figure suddenly appeared, startling Master Roshi, Ox-King, and Chi-Chi, who were waiting anxiously.
"How is he?! Goku?!" Master Roshi immediately rushed up and grabbed Whitley's arm, asking urgently.
"Relax, he took the medicine in time. He's fine now, alive and kicking," Whitley stated the good news succinctly.
"That's great! Thank goodness he's okay!" Master Roshi and Ox-King let out a long sigh of relief, their worried hearts finally settling.
Although Chi-Chi didn't speak, her tightly clenched hands also slowly relaxed, clearly relieved.
"I have to go back and supervise their training. Goku might have to stay out for a few more days. I'm leaving," Whitley didn't stay long. After a brief explanation, he used Instant Transmission and left again.
The next moment, he appeared at the Briefs' estate in West City.
Bulma was lying in the front yard, looking at a fashion magazine out of boredom.
When she saw Whitley suddenly appear, her expression first lit up with joy, then she pouted and said with some resentment, "So you know how to come back! You're always running out, this house is practically your hotel!"
Whitley knew he was in the wrong and quickly stepped forward, gently pulling Bulma into his arms and nuzzling her soft cheek to comfort her. "Don't be angry, okay? I was busy with important things! I'm guiding Goku and Vegeta in training a new transformation, and it's at a critical moment, so I really can't get away. I promise, as soon as they've pretty much mastered it, I'll come back and stay with you, how about it?"
Bulma symbolically struggled in his arms for a bit but ultimately couldn't resist his gentle words. After a few hums, she said irritably, "Hmph! You're all talk! How many days this time?"
"Uh... probably... maybe... a few more days?" Whitley said with some uncertainty.
Bulma's eyebrows shot up.
Seeing this, Whitley quickly used his "killer move." He suddenly bent his head and kissed her, while his hands also started to get busy...
(Three thousand words omitted here)
A long while later, a satisfied Whitley disappeared with another "swoosh" under Bulma's still slightly reproachful gaze, returning to the Sacred World of the Kais.
And in the subsequent training, Goku's progress became exceptionally smooth after the interference of the heart disease was eliminated.
Perhaps having walked on the edge of life and death gave Goku a deeper understanding, or perhaps he himself was extremely compatible with this transformation that returned to primitive wildness.
After his body had completely recovered, he just transformed into a Great Ape again, and when he tried to compress his power back into human form, the whole process was as natural as water flowing, encountering almost no bottleneck at all!
"HAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
Along with a roar filled with wildness, a dazzling golden-red light erupted from Goku's body!
When the light dissipated, a brand new Son Goku appeared!
Goku, with a wild mane of red hair, had successfully transformed!
Super Saiyan 4—Son Goku, made his shining debut!
"Oh! I really did it! This form feels so strong!"
Goku clenched his fists in excitement, feeling the surging, terrifying power within him, far greater than before. He was so excited he was at a loss for words.
Vegeta, at his side, nearly ground his teeth to dust as he watched the successful Goku!
A thick sense of unwillingness and competitiveness nearly overwhelmed him!
"Damn it!!! KAKAROT!!!"
He roared and no longer held back, turning all his pride, anger, unwillingness, and his ultimate desire for power into motivation, frantically stimulating the deepest wildness of his Saiyan bloodline!
He compressed the power of the Great Ape to its extreme. The feeling of pain and power intertwining almost tore him apart, but he endured it with astonishing willpower!
"CHANGE FOR MEEEEEE!!!!!!"
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!
A golden-red aura, in no way inferior to Goku's and even a little more ferocious, erupted from Vegeta's body!
When the aura stabilized, the equally successful Vegeta appeared before everyone.
He was panting heavily now, his face a little pale from the extreme compression, but his eyes were filled with arrogance and the joy of victory!
"Hmph! See that?! I, Vegeta, have succeeded too!!!"
Whitley crossed his arms and observed the whole process, a guess forming in his mind.
The reason Goku had succeeded so smoothly, almost seamlessly after the heart attack, was probably due not only to his own talent and compatibility but also to his relatively simple and easily focused mind.
In his past life, he vaguely remembered seeing a theory on a forum that the Saiyan transformation was related to special "S-Cells," and a calm, pure heart was more conducive to the production and activity of these cells.
Although he didn't know if this theory was correct in this world, seeing the current situation, it was likely true.
That guy Goku, once he focused on something, it was indeed easy for him to enter a state of no distractions.
And when Whitley told this theory to Vegeta, he was, of course, met with the prince's extremely disdainful cold snort. "Hmph! Nonsense! That guy Kakarot just got lucky! What calm heart? Only the weak need that kind of thing! Didn't I, Vegeta, still succeed with absolute power?! This is the power a Saiyan should have!!!"
Whitley just smiled at his words and didn't argue.
And the subsequent training was, naturally, combat training for the two after their successful transformations, to adapt to and master this new, powerful form.
Whitley did not transform, remaining in his normal state, preparing to face the combined attack of SSJ4 Vegeta and Goku alone!
The moment they clashed, Whitley immediately felt an unprecedented pressure!
The base battle power of SSJ4 Vegeta and Goku was far greater than Whitley's normal state!
Even without using Ultra Instinct, Whitley's body could now automatically sense and react to dodge.
But many times, his body's speed could not keep up with the speed of his perception! The huge gap in their base battle power was now exposed!
Vegeta laughed wildly, the long-suppressed frustration and the excitement of his new transformation completely erupting. His attacks were like a storm, every blow aimed at Whitley's face!
"Hahahaha! Whitley! You have this coming too! It's your turn to taste the fists of the great Lord Vegeta!!!"
Even the usually simple-minded Goku was extremely excited to finally be able to land a solid hit on Whitley. He shouted excitedly as he attacked, "Wow! I really hit you! You're so amazing, Whitley! You can even dodge most of them! But I still hit you! Hehe!"
Whitley focused all his energy, pushing his normal state's power to its limit. His figure weaved and dodged with difficulty through the gaps in their attacks, but he couldn't find any opportunity to counter.
He was speechless. 'Are you two for real? Just because I 'bullied' you a little in the past, you have to hold such a grudge? And you're both aiming for the face?!'
The SSJ4 form truly was a form born for battle! The perfect combination of the Great Ape's power and the Super Saiyan's form brought a qualitative leap!
The two of them, their bodies burning with a golden-red aura, launched attacks that were stronger with each round. As they continuously attacked Whitley, their coordination gradually became more tacit.
Whitley was pushed into a precarious situation, nearly being hit in the face by a heavy punch several times.
"I have no choice!"
Whitley gritted his teeth, knowing he could no longer be arrogant.
He let out a loud shout, and his ki suddenly surged! "Hah!!!"
A golden aura instantly enveloped him, and his hair turned golden at the same time!
He had transformed into his normal Super Saiyan form! He was trying to increase his base battle power to launch a counterattack.
"It's useless, Whitley!"
Vegeta laughed loudly, easily blocking Whitley's incoming punch with his red-furred arm.
He felt the powerful but completely manageable force transmitted from his arm, and his heart was filled with ecstasy!
Finally!
He could finally block Whitley's attack head-on! This tangible feeling of power made him almost tremble with excitement!
"Kakarot! Together!!! Let him see the power of the two of us!!!"
Vegeta's fighting spirit was boiling, and he shouted at Goku.
"Oh! Alright! HAH!!!!"
Goku responded actively, his hands immediately beginning to gather the blue light of the Kamehameha!
Whitley looked at the two who had instantly gotten into the zone and was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. "You've got to be kidding me?! You're for real?! A two-on-one and you're still this hyped?!"
He didn't want to be a punching bag. He calculated in his mind that he had to take out the king before the pawns; he had to deal with the loudest and most vicious Vegeta first!
His figure moved, instantly appearing at Vegeta's side, his hands beginning to move at high speed!
In an instant, countless ki blasts rained down on Vegeta!
Vegeta looked disdainful and countered with his own Prince's Technique!
At the same time, he quickly closed the distance, his fists and feet attacking Whitley like a storm! The golden SSJ form and the golden-red SSJ4 form clashed violently!
Goku, on the other hand, was constantly looking for opportunities from the back, occasionally firing a Kamehameha wave, forcing Whitley to split his attention to dodge.
The three of them were instantly locked in a chaotic battle! Their speed was so fast they were just afterimages, the explosions from their energy clashes were constant, and the terrifying shockwaves spread out in circles like a tsunami!
The entire Sacred World of the Kais began to tremble violently! The earth constantly let out a mournful cry!
The solid ground was torn apart like paper, and huge fissures spread in all directions!
Even the distant mountain ranges were shattered into dust by the stray energy waves! The sky seemed to be stained with color by their violent energy!
The scene was truly apocalyptic!
In the distance, Shin and the Old Kai had long been alerted and had quickly rushed over.
But they didn't dare to get close to the center of the battlefield and could only watch from afar with pale faces.
"Gr-Grand Ancestor! Wh-what do we do!!!"
Kibito was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth, his heart bleeding as he watched the divine realm he carefully maintained being so destroyed. "If this goes on, the Sacred World of the Kais will be torn apart by them!!"
The Old Kai looked at the apocalyptic scene in the distance, stroking his beard with a tight frown.
He also had a grave and helpless expression. This was indeed a difficult situation...
Shin was even more anxious, watching his home being destroyed!
But as the Supreme Kai of this generation, it was his duty to protect his home!
He gritted his teeth and quickly said to Kibito, "Kibito! Use your Instant Transmission to send me over there! I'll stop them!"
"Huh?! Absolutely not, Lord Supreme Kai!"
Kibito was scared out of his wits and quickly tried to stop him. "It's too dangerous! Their power is too great! If you go over there and get caught in the crossfire, and something happens to you..."
Shin watched another mountain peak turn to dust in an explosion, his heart aching!
He said firmly, "We have no choice! Send me over, Kibito! I am the Supreme Kai, I can't just stand by and watch..."
Suddenly, the Old Kai reached out and interrupted Shin's words.
He sighed, a tragic expression on his face, and said slowly, "Sigh... you are still too young, you can't handle a situation like this. Forget it... let this old bag of bones go."
After speaking, before Shin and Kibito could react, the Old Kai's figure flashed and vanished from the spot!
The next moment, he appeared directly in the center of the battlefield, at the most intense point of the energy collision between Whitley, Goku, and Vegeta!
At this moment, Whitley was narrowly dodging a heavy punch from Vegeta, while at the same time, he repelled Goku with a counterattack. Goku happened to fire a ki blast at Whitley's original position, and Vegeta also attacked from the other side at almost the same time...
The Old Kai's sudden appearance made it impossible for the three of them to stop!
Or rather, they had never expected someone to suddenly appear in this position!
"BAM!"
"BOOM!"
"THUD!"
Three dull thuds sounded almost simultaneously!
Whitley's subconscious counter-elbow, the aftershock of Goku's off-target Kamehameha, and Vegeta's powerful sidekick... solidly! Without any waste! All of it landed on the suddenly appearing Old Kai!
"Urgh—!"
The Old Kai couldn't even let out a decent scream. His entire body was instantly turned into a human cannonball and sent flying backward at an astonishing speed!
Then, with a loud "BOOM," he crashed heavily onto the ground several kilometers away, kicking up a cloud of dust!
After that... there was no more movement.
The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence!
All of Whitley's, Goku's, and Vegeta's movements froze as if the pause button had been pressed!
Their expressions were frozen. They stared dumbfounded in the direction the Old Kai had flown, their minds trembling!
Whitley was completely stunned! In his senses, the Old Kai's originally very clear divine ki had, at the moment of the attack, been extinguished like a candle in the wind?!
The body lying motionless on the ground in the distance also showed no signs of life!
Wh-what is this?! The Old Kai... was... accidentally killed by us?!
Whitley felt like his CPU was about to fry. His mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
"AN—CES—TOR—!!!"
"OLD ANCESTOR—!!!"
The terrified and sorrowful shouts of Shin and Kibito came from the distance.
The two of them turned into two streaks of light and, regardless of the danger, frantically rushed towards the place where the Old Kai had fallen.
Whitley, Goku, and Vegeta were also startled awake by the shouts, and a cold sweat broke out on all of them!
All three of their faces changed. They no longer cared about training or fighting and also rushed over at top speed!
When they arrived, they saw Shin and Kibito kneeling beside the Old Kai, crying like children.
The Old Kai's eyes were closed, his face was ashen, and he lay there without a sound.
"It's... it's all my fault..." Goku said, his face full of self-blame and panic, at a loss for what to do.
"Hmph... troublesome old man..." Vegeta's face was extremely ugly. He crossed his arms and turned his head away, but a hint of imperceptible panic and... guilt flashed in his eyes?
Whitley's scalp was also tingling. He quickly and clumsily fumbled on his body. "Senzu Bean! Right! Senzu Bean! Quick! Give it to him!"
As if grasping at a life-saving straw, he quickly took out a Senzu Bean from his pocket and was about to stuff it into the Old Kai's mouth.
Shin and Kibito were also instantly filled with hope, looking expectantly at the green bean.
However, just as the Senzu Bean was about to touch the Old Kai's lips—
Smack!
An old hand suddenly shot up and slapped Whitley's hand away!
Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone, the Old Kai... suddenly sat up from the ground?!
And... a bright halo instantly appeared above his head—
That was the symbol that only the dead possessed!
The Old Kai... was really dead! He was in a state of death now?!
After sitting up, the Old Kai first touched his own intact body (soul body?).
Then he angrily pointed at the dumbfounded Whitley, Goku, and Vegeta and started to scold them. "Honestly!!! You reckless brats!!! Are you satisfied?! Huh?! Look what you've done! What have you turned my Sacred World of the Kais into?! It's a complete mess! A disaster! It's more like a garbage dump than a garbage dump!!! You're training! Why are you demolishing the house?! Are you Gods of Destruction?! Oh, wait, one of you actually is!"
Vegeta had still been in a state of shock and a little guilt, but upon hearing this scolding, especially the phrase "brats," his tsundere temper immediately flared up.
His face darkened, and he was about to retort, "You..."
"You what, you?!"
The Old Kai didn't give him a chance to speak, interrupting him with a glare. "I'm talking about you! Short but with a big temper! You fight, you fight, but you always aim for the face! Have you no public decency?!"
Vegeta was choked speechless, his face flushing red.
Goku, on the other hand, was embarrassed and ashamed, constantly scratching his head and apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Lord Old Kai, we didn't mean to... we didn't expect you to suddenly appear..."
The Old Kai glared at Goku again. "And you! Don't think an apology will work! You're so naive! He tells you to join in, and you just join in?!"
As for Whitley...
After the initial shock and guilt, Whitley saw that although the Old Kai was dead, he seemed to have... even more energy?
His eyes darted around, and he instantly made a decision that no one could have expected.
He took a sharp step back, an expression of extreme grief and self-blame on his face. He pointed at Goku and Vegeta and said in a deeply pained tone, "It's all your fault!!! Goku! Vegeta! Look what you've done! You actually accidentally killed Lord Old Kai! This is completely unacceptable!"
Goku and Vegeta: "???"
Shin and Kibito: "???"
Then Whitley's face changed rapidly. He turned to the Old Kai, who was sitting on the ground and also a bit stunned by his performance, and showed a sincere expression. "Lord Old Kai, you can scold them as much as you want! Don't hold back! Scold them harshly! I'll go find the Dragon Balls to revive you right now!!! I promise to be back soon!!!"
Before his words faded—
Swoosh!
Whitley's figure vanished without a trace!
He... had run away.
Only the bewildered Goku and Vegeta, who hadn't even had time to react to being thrown under the bus, were left.
And the Old Kai, whose soul was smoking with anger, and the dumbfounded Shin and Kibito, whose worldviews seemed to have been shattered.
Shin's mouth hung open, and he stared blankly at the spot where Whitley had disappeared.
At this moment, only one thought was crazily echoing in his mind:
"Y-you... can actually... do that?"
---
[Get 10+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"]