[Goku's POV]
The first thing I noticed wasn't Vegeta's power.
It was how angry it felt.
Not un-controlled like Frieza's.
Not calm like Piccolo's.
This was wild. Chaotic. Like lightning trying to tear itself apart.
I hovered a few feet above the ground, dust swirling around my boots, staring at Vegeta's golden hair and glowing green eyes. His aura crackled violently, snapping at the air like it wanted to burn the planet down just to prove it could.
"Wow…" I muttered, scratching the back of my head. "You look different, Vegeta."
He didn't answer.
He just glared.
I looked around instead. Piccolo was bruised but standing. Gohan was being helped up by Krillin. Ben looked rough...really rough...but I could feel his ki steadily evening out, warm and focused as he healed himself.
Good. That was good.
I floated a little closer to Vegeta, hands relaxed at my sides.
"So uh," I said, smiling a little, "why're you attacking everyone? Didn't we all kinda work together back there?"
That did it.
Vegeta snapped his head toward me like I'd slapped him.
"Friends?" he snarled. "When in the bloody hell did we become friends?"
His aura surged, golden flames whipping higher.
"We shared a goal, Kakarot. That's it. We wanted Frieza dead. Now he is." His lips curled. "And now all bets are off."
I blinked.
"Oh," I said. "…I thought we were getting along."
That made him furious.
His power spiked again, the ground beneath him exploding outward as he dropped into a fighting stance. His eyes burned with hatred...not just at me, what happed to him to make him that mad.
"I am the Super Saiyan," he roared. "The legendary warrior of my race! And you..." he pointed at me, shaking with rage "you are a low-class Saiyan who should be kneeling at my feet, and soon you'll your place!"
I sighed.
Guess there was no talking this out.
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the familiar calm settle into my chest.
"Alright," I said gently. "If that's how you wanna do this."
I lowered into my stance.
"And for the record," I added, smiling, "I don't feel like fighting all-out."
[Ben's POV]
Everything hurt.
But it was the good kind of hurt.
The kind that meant I was still alive.
I sat on one knee, hands glowing faintly blue as I focused my ki, moving it carefully through my body, repairing torn muscle, sealing bruises, easing cracked ribs back into place. Spirit Control made healing feel less like forcing energy and more like… convincing the body to remember how it was supposed to be.
I moved to Piccolo next.
"You're lucky," I muttered. "If you'd taken one more Hit like that, i would have to find your two halfs, if know what i mean."
"Hmph," Piccolo said, though he didn't pull away.
I glanced up.
Goku and Vegeta collided midair.
The shockwave nearly knocked me over.
Goku activated Kaio-Ken x4 (12,000,000) instantly, his body outlined in a sharp red aura as he met Vegeta head-on. Their fists crashed together, power exploding outward in blinding bursts of light.
"Kaio-Ken times five!" Goku shouted.
The sky split.
Vegeta Eyes widen.
" i will not let you" he sneered, hammering Goku back with a brutal kick.
They moved too fast to follow properly... blurs of red and gold tearing across the battlefield, smashing through rock formations, detonating the ground with every missed blow.
Goku was stronger.
No question.
But Vegeta was smarter, as he tried to drag-on the fight.
He bent, redirected, flowed.
"You can't win!" Vegeta roared, firing a massive blast that Goku barely dodged. "I am destiny itself!"
"Yeah, yeah," Goku replied, reappearing behind him and landing a solid hit to the back. "Anyways, are you ready to give up, as i don't really want to hurt you."
Vegeta screamed in fury as he flew to Goku.
As for me i finished healing everyone.
Piccolo.
Krillin.
Gohan.
Myself.
All while watching the fight out of the corner of my eye.
Vegeta's movements were getting sloppier.
And Goku noticed.
(Goku's POV)
Vegeta was strong.
Really strong.
Every hit felt like getting smashed by a mountain, but I could feel it too. His ki kept flaring unevenly, surging wildly instead of staying controlled.
He was burning himself out.
"You're wasting energy!" I called as I blocked another barrage. "You gotta breathe!"
"SHUT UP!" Vegeta screamed, firing another blast.
I dodged, appearing above him.
He didn't expect the punch.
I drove my fist straight into his stomach.
Not flashy.
Not explosive.
Just simple solid hit.
Vegeta's eyes went wide.
All the air left his lungs in a single, broken gasp.
His golden aura flickered.
Then vanished.
His hair fell back to black as his body went limp.
I caught him before he hit the ground.
For a second, I just hovered there, holding him, feeling how thin and exhausted his ki had become.
"…You pushed yourself too hard," I murmured.
I lowered him gently to the ground, laying him on his back like he was just sleeping.
Then I turned and floated back to the others.
(Ben's POV)
I finished healing just as Goku landed.
He looked… normal. Calm. Like he hadn't just fought a Super Saiyan into unconsciousness.
"You guys okay?" he asked, smiling.
Krillin gave him a thumb's up.
Gohan nodded quickly.
Piccolo crossed his arms.
I stood up, stretching carefully.
"Yeah," I said. "Thanks for the save."
Goku grinned. "Anytime!"
I glanced back at Vegeta, unconscious and silent.
"…You gonna kill him?" I asked.
Goku shook his head immediately. "Nah. He's just mad. He'll cool off."
I snorted. "That's one way to put it."
Soon after, we regrouped, found Bulma, and prepared to leave Namek behind. The planet was quiet now...scarred, but alive.
As we boarded Goku's ship, I took one last look back.
'I hate to say this, but i hope Vegeta gets better'.
And now i have a few mouths to train on the ship with trainer partners all stronger that me.
Everything felt a little bit lighter.
Ben's power level: 25,008