"Huh? Why didn't I remember any of that?" Son Goku (GT) scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.
As both were sons of Bardock, he couldn't understand why Old Goku could remember while he couldn't recall a single thing.
"You didn't remember?" Old Goku was startled for a moment, then smiled. "It's fine, you'll remember eventually. Besides, since the mom and dad of your world are still alive, it doesn't really matter whether you remember or not."
"Hahaha! You're right!" Son Goku (GT) burst into laughter, and the regret in his heart vanished instantly.
Old Goku took a deep breath, his gaze becoming resolute. "I think I finally understand what Saiyan pride is now."
Vegeta was taken aback, looking at Old Goku in surprise.
"No, it's not 'think'!" Old Goku clenched his fists, his tone incredibly firm. "It's true pride! I haven't believed in my own strength enough; I was always doubting myself. But now I get it—Saiyan pride doesn't come from bloodlines, it comes from the determination in one's heart!"
"I lost myself too." Vegeta lowered his head, his tone carrying a hint of self-mockery. "I always thought I was carrying the sins of the Saiyans, but I forgot that what we should truly carry is Saiyan pride! Tsk, I never expected I'd have to realize this through your father!"
"Hahaha! Looks like we both need to step it up!" Old Goku laughed heartily. The confusion and anxiety from before had completely dissipated.
"Still, I didn't expect you and Raditz only survived because of a wish on the Dragon Balls!" Vegeta suddenly snorted, his tone carrying a bit of indignation. "That method is just too damn cheap!"
Son Goku (GT) and Old Goku looked at each other, both speechless.
"Bardock... I never imagined your dying wish would be passed down this way." Monaito looked at Old Goku, his eyes full of relief. "If your father were still here, he would definitely be proud of you."
"You're making it sound like my dad is actually dead." Son Goku (GT) waved his hands quickly, explaining with a smile. "Actually, my dad isn't dead! Back when he was fighting Frieza, he was sucked into a space-time rift opened by Frieza's Planet Destroyer ball. He traveled back a thousand years and is still living quite well!"
"Ah? So that's how it is!" Old Goku realized, and the regret in his heart lessened significantly. It turned out his father hadn't truly left.
"Let's not talk about that for now." Monaito quickly changed the subject, his tone becoming urgent. "Gas could arrive at any moment. You two, come with me. I'll heal you as quickly as possible and restore your energy."
"I'm really sorry to trouble you again." Vegeta's tone carried a hint of apology.
"Time and time again, thank you so much, Ms. Monaito." Old Goku also grinned, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Yo, Vegeta, look at you! You actually know how to say 'sorry' now?" Son Goku (GT) leaned over, teasing with a smile.
"Kakarot from the other world, stop trying to make your presence felt!" Vegeta glared at him, then pointed at Broly nearby. "Look at Broly. He hasn't said a single word since just now. How quiet!"
"I'm hungry..." Broly suddenly spoke up, rubbing his stomach as he looked at Monaito. "Do you have anything to eat here?"
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta shut his mouth instantly, not wanting to say another word. As expected, counting on Broly to be "quiet" was even more hopeless than counting on Son Goku not to be a brat.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any other food here, only water," Monaito said apologetically. She turned to the kitchen, brought out a large jug of purified water, and handed it to Broly.
Broly took the jug, twisted off the cap, and started chugging it down—"glug, glug, glug"—quickly finishing more than half the jug.
"You should change your clothes first; your previous ones were destroyed in the fight," Monaito said. With a gentle wave of her hands, a soft light enveloped Old Goku and Vegeta.
Flash!
After the light faded, the tattered clothes on Old Goku and Vegeta had turned into the kind of battle armor Bardock used to wear. The deep blue base paired with yellow and white shoulder guards made them look exceptionally sharp.
Old Goku looked at the clothes on his body and was speechless. "Um... Monaito, just give us clothes in our original style, similar to his."
As he spoke, Old Goku pointed to Son Goku (GT) nearby, who was wearing his orange martial arts gi.
"Is that a good idea?" Monaito shook her head with a wry smile. "You two look exactly the same. If you wear the same clothes, we won't be able to tell who's who."
"Then just make a slight change to the clothes," Old Goku suggested.
"How about this? I won't add the 'Turtle' character to your clothes. That way we can tell you apart. What do you think?" Monaito thought for a moment and suggested.
"Fine! No problem!" Old Goku agreed readily.
Monaito waved her hand again. With a flash of light, Old Goku and Vegeta's clothes returned to their original styles. Old Goku's martial arts gi didn't have the "Turtle" character, and Vegeta's battle suit returned to its original deep blue bodysuit, looking brand new.
Twenty minutes later.
A red light suddenly flashed in the distant sky. Gas's figure fell like a meteor, landing heavily at the entrance of Monaito's house, making the ground tremble slightly.
"Come out! Saiyans!" Gas said with a cold face, his tone full of killing intent. His energy caused the surrounding leaves to wither and fall.
"Macki, Gas is back!" Oil discovered Gas's location through his scouter and hurried to report to Macki. "He's right at that Namekian's doorstep!"
"Oh ho! Earlier than we expected!" Macki had an excited smile on her face. She turned to ask Elec, "What do we do now? Should we go over and help?"
"Pilot the ship over there. Just stop where we can see the battle; don't get too close," Elec ordered in a heavy voice. He didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of the fight between Gas and Old Goku.
Oil nodded and immediately contacted Gas, his tone full of concern. "Brother, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I just wasted some time." Gas's tone was flat, showing no emotion. "Tell Elec for me that this battle will be over soon."
"Got it! Then give it your all! We'll have a meal ready on the ship, waiting for you to come back and eat together!" After Oil finished speaking, he piloted the ship toward Monaito's house, not forgetting to turn back and wave at Gas before leaving.
Gas ignored Oil, merely staring coldly at the door of Monaito's house, the killing intent around him growing thicker.
The next moment, the door opened with a creak, and Old Goku and Vegeta walked out side by side. Their energy had returned to its peak, and their eyes were full of determination. Son Goku (GT) and Broly followed behind them, looking like they were there to watch the show.
"I thought you would have run away with your tails between your legs long ago. I didn't expect you'd actually dare to come out," Gas sneered, his tone full of mockery.
"The ones who should leave this place are you," Old Goku frowned, his tone icy. "This planet is not a place for you to run wild!"
"After we kill you, we'll leave naturally!" Gas snorted. The purple-red energy around him surged even more violently, and the gravel on the ground was sent flying by the invisible airwaves.
"Even if I have to stake my life, I will win against him!" Vegeta clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his tone as heavy as if it were tempered in ice. He would never tolerate such an arrogant bastard acting up in front of him.
"I don't plan on handing the chance to fight over to you." Old Goku laughed heartily. The brilliant light around him began to flicker slightly, his eyes full of fighting spirit. "If we're going to fight, we're going in together!"
"Then we'll just have to fight together!" A smile finally appeared on Vegeta's face—the excitement and resolve of a warrior. "Let's show him the true power of us Saiyans!"
"Awesome! I finally get to see your true strength!" Son Goku (GT) on the side was rubbing his hands together, his golden pupils full of anticipation. He had long wanted to see just how strong the Goku and Vegeta of this world could become.
After resting for over twenty minutes, Old Goku and Vegeta's stamina had finally returned to peak condition. The two looked at each other, and without needing words, they reached a mutual understanding.
"Then just watch closely." The corner of Vegeta's mouth curled up into a confident arc. Before his voice even faded, the energy around him suddenly exploded.
Snap!
Two blinding lights lit up simultaneously.
Old Goku erupted with a brilliant silver-white flame like the stars. His hair fluttered slightly, and his gaze became ethereal and sharp—the Ultra Instinct form was fully unleashed.
Vegeta was enveloped in purple-red energy, his aura domineering and sharp. Every breath carried a powerful surge—the Ultra Ego form also unfolded.
The two powerful energies shot straight into the sky, dyeing the entire night sky in a blend of silver and purple, even shaking the distant clouds apart.
"Oh oh oh! Is this the real Ultra Instinct?" Son Goku (GT) widened his eyes, unable to help but click his tongue in wonder. "It feels way more impressive than the one I grasped before!"
As he spoke, Son Goku's gaze lingered on Old Goku for a long time before turning to Vegeta, then quickly moving away. This world's Vegeta's transformation was almost no different from his own world's; it lacked a bit of freshness.
"What? Are you going to come at me together?" Gas laughed lightly, his tone full of disdain. "Saiyan brains are still so useless. Don't you understand yet? No matter how hard you try, you can't change the outcome of the battle. The power of the universe's number one is not something you can contend with!"
"The one who doesn't understand is you." Old Goku's expression was indifferent, the silver-white flames flowing slowly around him. "The result of a battle isn't decided by a title like 'universe's number one'."
"What?" Gas frowned, his face darkening.
"This has nothing to do with whether we can win or not." Vegeta bared his teeth, the purple-red energy condensing into a sphere in his palm. "We only care about whether we want to win, and whether we can protect what we want to protect!"
The two stopped wasting words. Their bodies simultaneously turned into two streaks of light—one silver, one purple—like two bolts of lightning, charging straight at Gas.
Old Goku's speed was so fast he left afterimages, his fists carrying a whistle that tore through the air as he smashed toward Gas's face. Vegeta aimed for Gas's side, his kicks sharp and carrying a powerful wind-breaking sound.
Gas's eyes narrowed, and he quickly raised both arms, crossing them in front of his body.
Boom!
The three forces collided, producing a deafening roar. The airwaves spread out like ripples, snapping the surrounding trees in half.
Old Goku and Vegeta didn't stop. One attacked from above, the other from below, their fists and feet intertwining in an onslaught as dense as a violent storm. Although Gas could barely defend himself, under their pincer attack, he gradually began to struggle, constantly being forced back.
After several rounds of exchange, Gas caught a gap and suddenly exerted force with his right fist, smashing it heavily onto Vegeta's head.
Thud!
Vegeta groaned, his body falling uncontrollably toward the ground, crashing heavily and kicking up a cloud of dust. Gas took the opportunity to turn around, his left foot carrying powerful energy as it kicked Old Goku in the abdomen.
Old Goku was also sent flying, smashing into a nearby rock, which instantly shattered.
Before Gas could even gloat, Old Goku and Vegeta rolled a few times on the ground and charged back into the sky, their offensive even more fierce than before. Gas was beaten back repeatedly. A flash of humiliated rage crossed his eyes, and he suddenly waved both hands forward.
Hum!
A powerful invisible energy instantly covered Old Goku and Vegeta. Their bodies were immediately frozen in place, unable to move.
"Hmph, go to hell!" Gas took the chance to condense energy. A massive purple-red energy ball appeared in his palm, emitting a terrifying aura as it whistled toward the two.
Just as the energy ball was about to hit, Old Goku and Vegeta simultaneously erupted with even stronger energy, forcibly breaking free from the restraint. The two quickly jumped into the air.
Old Goku condensed silver-white energy in his palm, while Vegeta condensed purple-red energy. Two energy beams shot out at the same time, colliding with Gas's energy ball.
Boom!
After the roar, the energy beams canceled each other out, and the resulting shockwave blasted a huge crater into the surrounding ground. Gas took advantage of this gap, his body suddenly flickering and vanishing from the spot. The next second, he appeared behind the two, holding a spiked morning star that had appeared out of nowhere.
Whoosh!
The morning star carried a wind-breaking sound as it slammed hard into Vegeta's head. Vegeta's vision went dark, and he was instantly sent crashing toward the ground, hitting it heavily and failing to get up for a long time.
Gas then turned his target toward Old Goku, swinging the morning star even faster, every attack carrying a lethal threat. Old Goku could only dodge everywhere, his silver-white figure darting through the night sky, occasionally launching a counterattack, only to have it easily neutralized by Gas.
Bang!
Gas suddenly accelerated, his right foot kicking hard into Old Goku's stomach, carrying his body as it smashed heavily into the earth below.
Splat!
Old Goku spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, letting out a pained wail as his body slid a long distance across the ground before finally coming to a halt.
"Don't you dare get ahead of yourselves!" Gas landed on the ground, looking down at the two of them with a tone full of mockery.
"Kakarot! Get out of the way!"
Just then, Vegeta suddenly scrambled up from the ground, a ball of black energy condensing in his palm, with tiny bolts of lightning flickering around it.
That was the Destruction energy exclusive to a God of Destruction.
Vegeta looked at Gas with a cold sneer. "This is the Destruction energy of a God of Destruction. If it touches an ordinary human, they'll turn to ash in an instant! Since you're the 'universe's number one,' why don't you catch it and see if you can handle it!"
Whoosh!
With a mocking remark, Vegeta casually tossed the Destruction energy toward Gas.
Gas was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Vegeta to use this kind of energy. He quickly condensed a purple-red shield in front of him, intending to tank the hit head-on.
Old Goku took the chance to teleport back to Vegeta's side. The two looked at each other and simultaneously increased their power, controlling the Destruction energy to blanket Gas's position. They wanted to use this opportunity to completely suppress him.
Under the impact of the Destruction energy, Gas's shield began to crack. Gas gritted his teeth, resisting with all his might, but the power of the Destruction energy far exceeded his imagination.
A moment later, Gas let out a pained roar. With a crack, the shield shattered, and the Destruction energy instantly covered his body.
In the distance, inside the spaceship, Macki was pale with fright, unable to help but cry out, "Is he okay? Gas seems to be at a disadvantage!"
"Those two used this transformation before, didn't they?" Elec sat in the pilot's seat, asking Oil with a calm expression.
"Yeah, they both used this form when they fought Granolah," Oil nodded, his tone carrying a hint of worry.
"Then there's no problem." Elec suddenly broke into a smile. "The wish for 'universe's number one' was made after they fought Granolah. Gas's current power is much stronger than it was then."
"That's right!" Macki tapped her forehead thoughtfully, her heart finally settling back into place. "Looks like Gas will be the winner in the end!"
"Don't worry, I already anticipated a multi-on-one situation." Elec looked confident, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. "Gas's 'universe's number one' is different from Granolah's. He still has hidden power he hasn't unleashed."
"Different?" Macki was startled, asking out of curiosity. "How is it different?"
"Well, you'll find out in a bit." Elec's smile grew even more brilliant, his eyes full of certainty.
Sure enough, just as the Destruction energy was about to swallow Gas, a even more powerful energy suddenly erupted from his body. That energy was more violent than before, its color changing from purple-red to deep purple, and the surrounding space was slightly distorted by the vibration.
"Not good! It's being pushed back!" Old Goku's face changed drastically. He could clearly feel that the Destruction energy was being pushed back by Gas's power.
"Dammit!" Vegeta snorted coldly, his body suddenly leaping up to avoid the reflected Destruction energy.
Old Goku's face looked even worse. This bastard actually left him behind!
Old Goku didn't have time to think; he could only condense all his energy and violently lift both hands.
Whoosh!
The reflected Destruction energy was forcibly pushed into the sky by him, exploding into a massive purple-red firework in the heavens.
The next moment, Old Goku charged toward Vegeta's position. But before he could get close, Vegeta had already rushed in front of Gas, swinging his fists to launch an attack.
Gas's movements were faster. His right foot suddenly flew up, kicking heavily into Vegeta's stomach, then he grabbed Vegeta by the hair and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks to his face.
Vegeta was completely outmatched, beaten back repeatedly, and finally smashed heavily into the ground, covered in wounds. However, a weird smile was hanging on Vegeta's face.
"Saiyan, you've bled a lot." Gas walked up to Vegeta, looking down at him with a tone full of contempt. "Do you still think you can beat me now?"
"Of course." Vegeta grinned, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of madness. "To me, the damage I take is nothing more than fuel. The heavier the injury, the stronger I become!"
Gas fell silent. Looking at the fighting spirit in Vegeta's eyes, a hint of unease rose in his heart for the first time. This Saiyan seemed different from any he had encountered before.
"What are you going to do? Want to keep fighting and make me even stronger?" Vegeta laughed triumphantly, struggling to get up from the ground. The purple-red energy around him grew even denser.
Bang!
Gas could no longer hold back, smashing a fist heavily into Vegeta's chest. Vegeta groaned, his body flying backward. Gas took the chance to kick him high into the air.
Whoosh!
Gas shot into the sky, his body spinning once in the air. With a bicycle kick, he slammed heavily into Vegeta's back, sending him crashing from the sky to the ground.
Boom!
Vegeta fell heavily to the earth. The ground was smashed into a large crater, and Vegeta bounced up a certain height. Gas followed closely behind, diving down from the air, his knee carrying powerful energy as it slammed violently into Vegeta's body.
Splat!
Vegeta sprayed a mouthful of fresh blood, his body curled up on the ground, looking in absolute agony.
"The answer is simple: I just need to finish you off in one go!" Gas sneered, raising his hand and condensing energy in his palm, preparing to give Vegeta the final blow.
Seeing this, Old Goku immediately took a combat stance, about to rush in to help.
"Stop!" Old Goku shouted, about to go up and help.
"Kakarot, don't come over!" Vegeta suddenly looked up, glaring fiercely at Old Goku, his tone full of undeniable firmness. "This is my fight, I can handle it myself!"
Old Goku stopped in his tracks, looking completely bewildered.
Vegeta rubbed his aching head, his smile growing even more brilliant. "My Ultra Ego is constantly evolving! By the way, how's your Ultra Instinct doing? Doesn't look like there's much of a change!"
Old Goku was slightly startled, looking down at his own hands. Vegeta was right; his Ultra Instinct seemed to have stayed in place without any breakthrough.
"Hurry up and find the answer!" Vegeta shot Old Goku a sideways glance, his tone carrying a bit of provocation. "Until you find the Ultra Instinct that belongs to you, this guy is my prey!"
Whoosh!
Before his voice even faded, Vegeta suddenly exerted force, his body charging at Gas like an arrow from a bow, slamming his head hard into Gas's chest.
Gas didn't expect him to counterattack suddenly and was sent flying backward. Vegeta took the chance to chase after him, using both fists and feet in a storm-like onslaught against Gas.
Old Goku stood in place, took a deep breath, and with a light leap, landed on a nearby hilltop. He pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. The silver-white flames around him gradually became soft, with brilliant light like the stars flowing slowly over him.
He needed to quiet his mind and find the Ultra Instinct that belonged to him.
"Is the other me trying to find his own Ultra Instinct?" Son Goku (GT) watched Old Goku on the hilltop silently, his eyes full of anticipation.
To be continued…
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