Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL

by DarkShadowGames451

After a heroic sacrifice, Son Goku fell at the hands of Cell in the dreadful Cell Games, leaving it up to his son to protect the world in his place. But after seven long years of peace, new evil forces emerge to threaten the planet. Now, it's up to Son Gohan, the son of Goku, and his new friends to take a stand and defend the Earth that Goku gave his life to protect.

42. Chapter 42

Review Response:

To Guest02957: Gohan has already mastered SSL2. That has been shown in the last chapter and will be shown some more in this chapter. Though, I cannot answer any of those other questions. You'll just have to keep reading.

To SuperSaiyanFever: The fact that you know who Saiyan Scholar is makes me happy. If it wasn't for him and other factors, I may not have decided to write this story. But you're correct. Saiyans making certain questionable decisions is a factor in this story as well. And Gohan is not one to normally take delight in battle, especially if he's doing so to shatter a person's mind. But outside of Future Trunks, these are not pragmatic. If it was the case, we wouldn't have a story.

To Amit Barabi: What are you talking about? I wouldn't have written this story if I didn't like GT in some shape or capacity. The fact that I referenced the Black Star Dragon Balls, Baby, and Super Saiyan Level Four speaks volumes about my appreciation for GT.

To Ushindi:

I don't do crossover stories anymore. I find them to only work within their own franchises. But other than that, nope. Sorry, man.

I don't necessarily have an opinion on Grahnolah at the moment, but I find the Cerealians to be an interesting race of people with a rather unique ability for Dragon Ball alien species.

---

Last time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL, two of our new heroes managed to defeat their opponents using their might and wit. One managed to rescue their loved one's safety, another suffered a tragic loss. Meanwhile, Son Gohan laid the law on Dr. Wheelo by demonstrating his mastery of the Ascended Super Saiyan and his energy. Seeing that he was beaten, Gohan intended to leave his broken enemy to bleed out and meet his end. But in constantly healing Wheelo each time he damaged him, Wheelo dug deep inside his heart and achieved a wicked form of Super Saiyan unlike anything has ever been seen. What are our heroes in for? Has Bulma managed to shut off the particle cannon? And can this new threat be stopped? The tides of change flow freely as the Dark Revolution continues, now!

---

King Kai's Planet, Other World, Age 774

Grandpa Gohan, King Kai, and Son Goku all stood in place as the evil presence of Super Saiyan Malice had such an intense radius that it could be felt by them.

"...King Kai! Grandpa! The hell am I feelin'!?" Goku shouted, not being able to fathom such a foul presence on Earth.

"...Malice, Goku. Pure malice." The Kai of the North answered in complete seriousness as he used his godly Far-Seeing Arts to observe the Earth. "And judging from the new transformation, it seems that Dr. Wheelo has used that malice with the Saiyan blood he stole from your eldest son to awaken this mutated variant of Super Saiyan."

"The amount of energy comin' off of this guy's outrageous," Goku said in a steady yet uneasy tone, feeling a couple of beads of sweat begin to run down his forehead as he clenched his fists. "I'm not sure anybody on Earth could handle this new power! I don't like this…"

Grandpa Gohan said with a sigh, "None of us do, my son. But there's nothing we can do, I'm afraid."

---

Kami's Lookout, Heavenly Realm, Planet Earth

Dende backpedaled away from the ledge of the Lookout before falling on his behind from the sudden eruption of power that blackened the sky and created a thunderstorm.

'W-What power! I-I can feel its potency from here! And yet, I could also detect the corruption of this malefic energy blocking the sun!' Dende mentally observed as he tried to get up using Kami's staff.

This storm began to brew, releasing strong gusts of winds that prompted the likes of Mr. Popo to grab a hold of one of the trees near the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to keep him from flying off of the platform.

Kibito and Shin, however, remained unfazed by the harshness of the rising winds that stem from the thunderstorm above them. No, they remained vigilant in their own observation of the mortal plane.

"Lord Shin, what do you make of this new development?" Kibito questioned, never losing the frown on his old pinkish-red skinned face.

"It is but another obstacle for the mortals to overcome." The Supreme Kai stated evenly before he narrowed his eyes. "Even so, the fact that someone like Jinpachi Wheelo is capable of controlling Saiyan power and making it his own in a short amount of time is both impressive and concerning."

"I'd say it's more of the latter than the former, milord." Shin's attendant said in a weary tone. "Though what brings me dread is the amount of hatred being exerted from this one mortal. I never thought that could be possible."

Shin agreed, saying, "Likewise. It seems that deities aren't the only ones with the ability to turn their hatred into power. This is why I firmly believe that Jinpachi Wheelo, in the current state that he's in, could serve as Son Gohan's final test."

"I see… And what would happen if the boy were to prove his worth on this day?" Kibito inquired, now curious to hear the young Creation God's response.

"If everything that I've hoped for comes to fruition, then we will move forward with the next phase of the plan," Shin answered with a smile. "That would entail that we relay to Son Gohan the prophecy."

Kibito turned his head to his superior with a bewildered expression, saying, "You place that much faith in a mortal child, Lord Shin?"

"That I am, Kibito," Shin said, with his mind already made up. "And once he learns the truth, we will bring him to the altar to see if my intuition holds weight."

It took him a moment to realize what Shin meant, but Kibito's gasp made it clear to Shin that he did.

"Y-You don't mean…!?"

"Yes, Kibito," Shin clarified. "If Son Gohan survives and saves the planet on his own, we shall bring him to see if he's worthy to release the Z-Sword."

---

Stadium, Battle Island II

Master Roshi, now in his normal, along with Upa, Pigero, Yurin, and Lime watched two young Saiyan Hybrids bicker amongst themselves over Goten's new Super Saiyan transformation.

'Thank goodness. That part was over. At least I can rest much easier, now that the torch has been passed down.' Roshi thought to himself as he gazed at the younger warriors who had helped him. 'If only you were here to see them, Goku. You'd be amazed at what the next generation could do.'

While grabbing the collar of Goten's blue shirt and shaking Goku's youngest son, Trunks pressed, "Oi! What the heck, Goten!? What's the big deal with Super Saiyan before me!? Are you trying to show me up?"

"H-Hey! Quit shaking me, Trunks!" Goten whined before breaking Trunks' hold on him. "What is with you? I save your skin and this is the thanks I get?"

"Uh, Earth to doofus! I didn't ask to be saved, you know! I totally had that overgrown tin can right where I wanted him!" Trunks ranted.

"No, you didn't! That metal bully wiped the floor with you!" Goten argued back.

"Did not! I…" Trunks shot before making up an excuse as he went along to justify his failure. "...was faking the whole time! Yeah! It was all according to plan!"

Goten, while usually naive, found his eyes half lid as he crossed his arms, and asked, "A plan? This is the first time I'm hearing about this so-called plan."

"Of course, it is, 'cause that was a part of the plan," Trunks huffed with pride as he continued ranting, "My plan was simple; take enough damage so it could trigger my transformation! I was about to go Super all over that robot, but no! You had to butt in to save the day and take that chance away from me!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do!? Just let you die!?" Goten shouted while his fists were clenched. "I'm not buying any of your excuses, Trunks. But even if they were true, it's not cool to pull a stunt like that! To me, back there, I thought you were…!"

Goten caught himself, remembering the number of dead human bodies he saw lying on the ground from the Specimen Models that killed them in various gruesome ways.

Trunks watched as Goten looked down at the ground with a hardened expression forming on his face.

"What! Weren't you going to say something? Spit it out!" Trunks demanded.

"...Does going Super Saiyan mean that much to you than living?" The youngest son of Goku questioned, catching Trunks off guard.

"W-What?" Trunks blurted out.

Goten took a few steps forward, saying in a cool but livid tone.

"Trunks, people are dying around us! Real people! And you act like they're nothing but wishes that can be brought back with the Dragon's magic!" Goten verbally grilled, causing the older lavender-haired boy to take a step back each time Goten took a step forward towards him.

"But that is what the dragon's for, remember?" Trunks tried arguing. "You're just making a big deal out of nothing! Besides, this isn't about those people, this is about you trying to be better tha–"

Trunks then found himself being sent to the ground by Goten, who decked him with a right hook. Trunks landed on his behind as he held his throbbing cheek as he came face to face with a glaring red headband-wearing Goten towering over him as if he was the ghost of Son Goku himself.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT, TRUNKS!" Goten screamed at Trunks, causing the adults around them to pay closer attention to the dispute between the two boys. "This isn't about that stupid dragon! Turning blond is not worth your life! You're supposed to be the smart one, right? What would happen if I didn't save you in time? And that you did die to that robot? Do you have any idea how your mom would feel? How would your dad feel!?"

Trunks, for once, stopped to think about what his friend said to him. Knowing how both of his parents operated, the heir to the Capsule Corporation could predict that things would have gone south rather quickly between Bulma and Vegeta.

Goten panted, with his face burning red in anger. He was about to scream his head off more when a hand was placed on the younger Saiyan Hybrid's shoulder.

"Hold your horses there, kid. There's no need for senseless violence. Why don't wind down a bit." A familiar voice spoke near the two boys.

Goten turned around to see Pigero standing next to him.

"M-Mr. Pigero!" Goten stuttered in surprise while Trunks got up to see the new face up close.

Getting up, Trunks commented, "I know you! You're the guy that Gohan fought in the tournament earlier!"

"That I am, sport. The name's Pigero. Reiken no Pigero." Pigero said as he introduced himself.

As he looked at the two boys, Pigero said, "Listen. While I don't fully understand the context of your quarrel, that doesn't mean you should up and start senselessly swinging at one another."

Turning to Trunks, the orange headband-wearing warrior said, "Trunks, was it? I can tell that you are a young man that harbors a warrior's pride. But blind pride can only hold you back. There are fighters out there stronger than either of us, out there. Opportunities to improve yourself will come in time, but that doesn't mean you should disregard the value of the souls of others. That includes your own. If you desire results in your growth, if you truly wish to become a strong warrior…go home and keep training! If you do that and search within your soul, what you seek out of it will come to you. Do you understand?"

"I guess…" Trunks sighed before turning away from the stranger while crossing his arms in a pout, much like how his father would do so whenever he was agitated.

"Goten," Pigero said as he set his sights on Gohan's younger brother. "You have just awakened this incredible power, and shown so much growth in the time I've known you. But you're allowing that profound strength to cloud your mind and govern your every move. I understand and can emphasize the value of life, you shouldn't act out on your anger. You'll end up hurting yourself and those close to you. Gohan wouldn't be happy if he were to hear of you attacking your friend now, would he?"

The headband-wearing Saiyan Hybrid, bowed his head down in shame, saying, "...No, Mr. Pigero."

Looking at both boys, Pigero concluded, "There is no need to quarrel amongst yourselves, boys. The two of you have done a great service to the world in which you live. With the strength of your own two hands. That should be a victory in and of itself. I think the stress of the situation has gotten everybody emotionally charged in some way. Why don't you guys separate and give each other some space, hm?"

Trunks didn't bother to look at either Pigero or Goten as he casually walked away from others as he sensed his father flying in his direction.

"Sounds good to me. Who wants to deal with an overreacting crybaby, anyways? I'm outta here." Trunks said, trying to mask his disappointment in himself and jealousy for Goten's new power.

Master Roshi and the others watched the situation unravel with Trunks walking from Goten and half haphazardly deciding to not hang out with Goku's youngest son.

"...Well, that had gone from zero to one hundred real quickly," Yurin commented.

"That was so sad. Poor little guys," Lime said with pity in her heart as the other warriors watched Vegeta arriving to check on his son.

"This is to be expected," Master Roshi revealed.

"What do you mean, sir?" Upa questioned the other humans gazing at the old man. "Was this warranted?"

Master Roshi explained, "Trunks is not only the son of a prince, but he's the son of Bulma. The reason for my allies' meeting is because of the Dragon Balls. For years, we've relied on the Eternal Dragon to help solve problems that were plaguing the planet."

Yurin clicked her tongue before saying, "Ah, I see what's going on. The urban rich brat is so used to everybody using those wish orbs' magic to fix everything that the concept of death has been desensitized. Given who his mother is, I'm not surprised."

Master Roshi nodded as he continued, "Yes, Trunks' parents and our means of dealing with threats are responsible for the boy's upbringing and current attitude. Goten, on the other hand, had a different upbringing. He was raised in a rural area where he's constantly engaging with nature and the creatures that surround his home. Therefore, he was taught to cherish living things."

Upa concluded, "So the older child does not have the same values for life as Goku's youngest son. That would spark a conflict. The exposure of mass death doesn't help their situation, either."

"As I said before, this was to be expected," Roshi reiterated.

"Hmph, good riddance. I'd say that snot-nosed brat did little Goku Jr. a favor." Yurin scowled. "Trust me, I've seen many kids like that Briefs brat grow into and it's not worth his time."

Goten sighed, visibly upset at his situation with Trunks. The older man patted Goten's head, stating, "This isn't the end, kid. You'll cross paths with him again. That I am sure."

Goten could only nod silently as he thought to himself, 'I hope so…someday.'

Vegeta, with Trunks behind him, then approached the old master, not even sparing Goten or the other human a glance.

"I've heard the boy's version of events here, now explain your side, old man," Vegeta demanded evenly. "And leave no detail out."

Roshi explained, "Trunks and Goten fended off a powerful machine by themselves for quite a while. By the time we came here, they were not in the best shape. One of our warriors tried to entangle the machine with roots, but it was too strong to be bound for very long. If it wasn't for Goten's transformation into a Super Saiyan, we wouldn't be standing here right now."

Vegeta then turned to Trunks, who averted his eyes to the ground ashamed to avoid the stare his father as the adult Saiyan said, "Hmph, so that's what happened. Kakarot's younger brat ascended before you, did he not?"

"...Yes, sir." Trunks said in a low but audible tone as his bangs covered his face.

Vegeta scoffed and grunted, "Raise your head, boy. So what if he is a Super Saiyan now? That means that you have a proper goal to meet from now on. Starting tomorrow, you'll be training thrice as hard until you ascend properly. And once we master that form, we'll be taking a trip to the Time Chamber. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be the youngest Saiyan to have reached the second level."

Trunks' face lit up while he mentally sighed in relief.

"You're the best, Dad!" Trunks said with a big smile on his face.

Everyone suddenly gazed into the sky, only to see Piccolo, Lazuli (C-18), Tenshinhan, and Krillin coming towards their direction until they were close enough to land near them.

"Uncle Krillin! Auntie Lazuli!" Goten cried out happily as he greeted the couple.

Krillin waved at the excitable boy as Goten ran over to him and C-18 and rambled about his battle.

Meanwhile, as Tenshinhan was making small talk with Master Roshi, Piccolo met up with Vegeta to discuss their experiences and the next course of action.

"Vegeta," The Super Namekian addressed evenly.

"Namek," Responded the Saiyan prince.

"What did the human sick on you?" Vegeta inquired.

"A large monster of a fighter," Piccolo answered honestly while never losing his stoic expression. "It was absorbing some kind of foul energy from the carcasses of the dead humans around us to fuel itself. It overwhelmed us at first, but we were able to take it out after I caught on to its weakness. You?"

Vegeta crossed his arms and scoffed, "Tch! It was a man made of metal that could control metal itself. The nerve of that mechanical bastard! It had the audacity to attack my wife and declare itself my equal! It didn't take me long to send it to the next dimension but it was as stubborn as it was foolish."

"Right," Piccolo flatly commented before asking, "Did you happen to sense any rising energy signatures while on your way here?"

"I've sensed Kakarot's eldest brat, but I couldn't figure out who the other one is as of late," Vegeta confessed as his frown deepened. "What bugs me to no end is that the energy of whoever the brat is fighting somehow feels Saiyan."

Piccolo took the time to feel out Gohan's opponent's power, causing his eyes to widen.

"What the–!? His energy does feel like a Saiyan's power! And yet, it also feels-" Piccolo commented before getting cut off.

"–Human. Just like the boys." Vegeta ended with suspicion running rampant inside of him. "So, we're dealing with a potential halfling."

"Wait what!?" Krillin shouted, hearing Vegeta and Piccolo's conversation which altered everybody else. "You're kidding, right? I-I thought only you and Goku were the only Saiyans to have had hybrid children. How could there be another Saiyan, let alone a half-Saiyan?"

"If Vegeta could differentiate between human energy from his own kind, then it's clear what we're up against," Tien stated while scowling. "No matter how much I detest the kind of enemy that is among us."

"That just leaves us with one important question," Master Roshi added, hopping back into the conversation. "How?"

Lazuli entered the conversation, stating, "It's not too hard to figure out. If this guy is the son of Dr. Wheelo, who happened to be an understudy of my…father, then it wouldn't be too shocking that the man acquired Saiyan DNA to splice with his own. Look what happened to Dr. Gero. He turned himself into a cyborg and created Cell, who had Saiyan DNA."

"Hold it," Yurin interjected as he addressed the veteran Z-Warriors while speaking for herself and the other eliminated combatants from the tournament. "We helped out and destroyed as many of these killer robots as we could, but we never signed up to fight a mad scientist with alien blood running through his veins! What makes you think any of us can take him on?"

Vegeta, speaking for the rest of the Z-Warriors, stated, "You are more than welcome to leave this island. While I think it's about damn time you humans get off your asses for once and defend your own planet, I do agree with your point. As you are now, you'll only get in the way and the rate of death is extremely high. But, if you've survived this long as a little entourage, who's to say that you don't have some use?"

Yurin growled, "Why you arrogant litte—"

Tien interjected, saying, "—Vegeta's remark aside, it will get more dangerous from here on out. You're free to opt out of the battle if you feel the need to. For those willing to stay, you can do so with caution. Though, I'd decide to do so now while you have the chance."

Yurin, Upa, Pigero, and Lime all turned to stare at each other, waiting for one of them to utter their answer.

Lime bit her lip in apprehension, then said, "...Ah'l stay behind an' head back. Ah can't use mah energy like thuh rest uh ya'll can. Ah hate to admit it, but Ahl gist be holdin' everybody back."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Krillin said, metaphorically throwing the young lady a bone. "You're young and you haven't dealt with anything like this affront, I'm assuming. I don't blame you for wanting to get out of here."

Vegeta didn't bother to stare at the weaker humans, but uttered to himself, "At least she is honest about herself. That'll serve as the first step to self-improvement."

"Krillin is right. And I respect that decision," Upa acknowledged. "I will stay and provide support. It would be a dishonor to my people if I were run from those in need of assistance."

Pigero stepped forward with his left fist raised, stating, "I'll take Lime's place, then. As long as I'm standing, I can still fight!"

Yurin rolled her eyes, then said, "...Great. I'm getting out of this shit show. I was trained to be an assassin, not a full-on brawler. Even with my magic, I lost to an amateur who barely tapped into a power that took me most of my life to use with magic. Alien blood-infused monsters? No thanks. And it's not like my limited magic would do much."

Master Roshi concluded as he turned to everyone, "Then it's settled. Yurin and Lime take their leave while the Pigero and Upa stay and fight with the rest of us."

Krillin, looking at the two young women and asked, "I hate to be a worrywart but even with a good portion of these robots being destroyed, it's still pretty risky to go about leaving on your own. Do any of you have to happen to have capsule vehicles to even get off the island?"

Lime gave the adults (plus Goten and Trunks) a thumbs up as she answered, "No need tuh worry, Ah got uh jetcopter capsule fo' us tuh use. We'll gist hav tuh find uh safe place tuh head inside an' take off."

Before Piccolo could say anything else, the whole island began to shake as the clouds darkened.

"What's happenin'!?" Lime screamed in terror.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Pigero shouted. "Everybody hold on to something!"

Krillen then screamed, "This is giving me Namek vibes!"

As most of the humans along with Goten and Trunks were busy trying to grab a hold of something stable from the earthquake, Tien, Krillin, Vegeta, and Master Roshi suddenly felt an overwhelming power that manifested in a large tower of energy coming from a farther location across the island.

"W-What in the hell!?" Vegeta stuttered.

"Such power!" Piccolo basked in awe.

"...Yes. And a terribly evil one!" Roshi frowned with a dark expression.

After a few seconds of a thunderstorm occurring, the flashes of lightning ceased, the quaking stopped, and the booming thunder subsided.

Vegeta turned in Piccolo's direction and said, "Piccolo!"

"I know!" Piccolo grunted, recognizing the urgency of the matter as he walked towards the center of the crowd where all the veteran warriors were.

"Quickly, we don't have much time! Whatever the enormous spike of power was, it didn't come from Gohan. I'm afraid the situation that we're in has soured. Everybody who's onboard, follow me!" Piccolo said before taking off to the sky.

This was followed by the gray jumpsuit-wearing Saiyan prince, his lavender-haired son, the former monk, the blonde cyborg, the bald three-eyed warrior, and the red headband-wearing son of Goku (who was carrying the turtle hermit).

Lime waved to the veteran warriors, shouting "good luck" before saying goodbye to her fellow combatants and leaving the area with a quiet Yurin following her.

While taking off, Pigero awkwardly asked Upa, "...So, do you happen to know a flying technique by any chance? I…don't have one to use."

Upa chuckled and walked behind Pigero and grabbed him by the bottom of his arms. Channeling his catori (energy), Upa formed a pair of light blue wing-like constructs behind his back. From there, Upa took a leap while the wings flapped, then took off to the skies with Pigero in his arms in order to catch up with the rest of the Z-Warriors.

---

Olibu Coliseum, Hellenistic Ruins, Battle Island II

Super Saiyan…Malice?

This shouldn't be possible, not to Gohan. But yet, here it was, radiating its malefic energy around the twist Dr. Wheelo. But how could a man achieve such a tremendous amount of power in such little time? Wasn't he at death's door a few moments ago?

'...Wait!' Gohan thought to himself while in his normal state as he gazed upon the now fully healed from his battle injuries. 'Has his wounds been healed!?'

After inspecting his body further, Wheelo answered, "...Fascinating. It would seem that this newly evolved state of mine has healed my previous injuries. How unfortunate for you."

"Shit!" Gohan swore under his breath before powering up to the first state of Super Saiyan and dashing toward the stark white-haired menace with his right fist cocked back.

Wheelo locked eyes with the normal Super Saiyan, seconds away from being punched in the face with Gohan's right fist infused with his energy. What Gohan didn't expect was for Wheelo to stop the attack with his left index finger.

"...The hell!?" SSL1 Gohan whispered, with his right fist struggling to move SSM Wheelo's index finger.

"...Really?" Jinpachi questioned, raising his eyebrow with a less than amused expression. "Please,"

By concentrating a minimum amount of ki into that finger, Super Saiyan Malice Jinpachi fired a condensed blast of kiai at Gohan, sending him flying to Wheelo's private area of the island where he landed in the middle of a forest section.

Gohan got up from the ground, dazed at the impact of the invisible wave of energy.

"Ugh…Was that his kiai? It felt like he knocked me to Kami's Lookout and back." Gohan said as he shook off the blow.

Gohan took his right index and middle fingers and used Instant Transmission to appear right in front of Wheelo once more, still in his Super Saiyan Level One transformation.

"You're back already?" Wheelo asked with a faux surprised tone before a malicious grin appeared. "...Good! It'd be a shame to end the battle early. We've only just begun. Now, cut the foolishness and come at me with everything you got."

To conserve energy, Gohan used Solar Flare to stun Jinpachi once more. However, Wheelo managed to shield his eyes before the intense flash of the technique could harm him. Wheelo decided to fly up to avoid any possible ground attacks. From there, Gohan spawned two clones of himself and sent them to rush at SSM Jinpachi in order to further gauge his opponent's durability and speed physically.

Meanwhile, Gohan began to charge a Super Kamehameha Wave from forty feet below.

The twisted mutation of Super Saiyan not only managed to effortlessly dodge both clones of the benevolent golden-haired boy, but SSM Jinpachi also back-fisted Gohan's clones in the face at the same time, grabbed one by the leg which was aimed to kick Wheelo, threw him into the second clone. Forming a malefic energy bullet, Super Saiyan Malice Wheelo sent the clones sprawling to the ground and looked down to see Gohan on the verge of finishing charging the energy wave.

The stark white-haired Saiyan titled his head, awaiting the boy's attack from a distance. However, what Wheelo didn't anticipate was for the younger Saiyan Hybrid to vanish from sight in a mere instant, courtesy of Instant Transmission.

"What!? Where did he—" Wheelo said before hearing Gohan reappear from behind.

When he did, SSM Jinpachi was met with a point-blank Teleportation Kamehameha Wave that Gohan unleashed at the last second. The destructive energy wave enveloped Dr. Wheelo's entire body as the beam was sent diagonally to space.

Unfortunately for Gohan, he noticed that the silhouette of the evil Saiyan Hybrid was still present in the blast and was moving up to him, causing the boy's lips to part in shock. The next thing that he knew, Wheelo locked his hands around Gohan's wrists and pulled them apart, dispelling the technique that Gohan had performed entirely.

Gohan took the time to notice the chaotic and malevolent aura that surrounded Wheelo. Just being in close proximity to it made his heart race. It was as if the body of Goku's eldest son was telling him to flee.

'...He took that head-on and didn't even make him flinch! This energy of his is so foul, and it feels almost…alive. Like it wants to make me suffer! This form, Malice, is not normal. Not even by Super Saiyan standards.' Gohan thought to himself as he tried to break free from Wheelo's iron grasp.

"That was weak," Wheelo stated as a fact before headbutting Gohan in the face three times.

When he released the younger Super Saiyan's wrists, Wheelo yanked the blond by the hair with his left hand and rammed his evil ki-infused right fist into his abdomen which knocked the wind of Gohan while internally damaging him with his evil ki. Then the stark white-haired Saiyan Hybrid flew behind Gohan upside down and kicked Gohan in the back of his head, sending him crashing down to the ground.

Of course, as Wheelo followed him on land, Gohan got up (albeit in pain) to see the mutated Super Saiyan slowly walking up to him before stopping.

"Don't think that I haven't realized your strategy up there, boy." SSM Wheelo stated casually. "You were trying your hand at testing my new evolution. The teleportation aside, I recognized your plan the moment you resorted to those pesky clones of yours."

Gohan grimaced at this before taking up his stance once more.

"No more words to fail, eh? That's fine by me. But there is something else you should know about me." Wheelo suddenly stated. "The Kamehameha Wave happens to be my favorite Turtle School attack. Legends say that it took Muten Roshi five decades to even develop the legendary technique. That inspired me greatly as a young lad, especially seeing the young Son Goku managing to master the Kamehameha Wave. I always wanted to meet the master himself and see the technique in action, but sadly never did. But thanks to you coming along, I got the chance to see it in real-time not once, but now twice."

Gohan's dread began to skyrocket as the twisted stark white-haired Super Saiyan began to take a stance that mirrored Master Roshi's signature technique.

'Is he about to-!?' Gohan whispered in his mind.

"Now, I shall pay you back in full! This will be a tribute to the true greats in the martial arts world!" Wheelo declared as he began to channel his evil energy into a black orb with a magenta outline while red electricity danced around the orb.

Because of the sheer amount of power Wheelo was producing, a whirlwind began to churn around the evil scientist, which prompted Gohan to ascend to the second level of Super Saiyan out of concern for his own life as he braced himself. Wheelo grinned at this and decided to mess with Gohan's head by creating three dozen After Images that encircled the boy.

SSL2 Gohan didn't have time to sense out where Wheelo truly was, so he took both of his hands and began blasting shots of energy at random illusions in hopes of nailing the real mutated evil Super Saiyan.

This was all in vain as Wheelo, who turned out to be behind Gohan, bellowed, "This will eclipse all previous KAME…HAME…HA!"

When Gohan turned around, he was met with a black and magenta colored beam with red electricity which hit him at point-blank range. When he got caught in the beam, Wheelo ended it by shooting him all the way back to the ruins and ended up crashing at the largest temple in the area where an even larger statue of Olibu was located. The impact of Gohan and the powerful dome produced by the malefic energy wave caused a massive explosion so powerful that most of that area collapsed.

This attack would be known as the Eclipsing Kamehameha.

Thankfully, Gohan managed to climb out of the rubble of the temple despite sustaining a multitude of burns and bruises from the blast. He tried standing a few times, but the muscles of his body began to spazz out as if he had overtaxed them. He eventually regained control and stood up.

"T-That guy…he really did a number on me," SSL2 Gohan groaned as he used the healing technique the Supreme Kai taught him to treat most of his battle injuries. "Still, there was something about that Kamehameha Wave. It's like the nerves in my muscles began to flare up in pain the moment I was caught at the epicenter of its explosion."

Suddenly the lingering nerve from the blast resurfaced as a sweeping sensation of pain, causing Gohan to drop down on one knee.

"D-Damn it! I haven't used too much of my energy! I'm still keeping control of the genki I've been collecting. Why does my body feel nearly as weak as it did after I killed Cell?"

"Oh, that's some interesting news," A familiar yet ominous voice said.

Gohan looked up to see Jinpachi floating ten feet above him before he descended to the ground where he inspected his handiwork.

"Hm…I've appeared to have caused much more damage than I'd hoped for." SSM Jinpachi thought aloud while looking out his surroundings before he eyed Gohan's semi-injured figure. "You may have been able to heal most of your battle damage, but from the context of your analysis, the residue of my energy seems to have an internal lingering effect of some kind in the body. Not bad for my first Kamehameha."

While getting up and trying to control his breathing, Gohan thought, 'This is bad. Even with the minor boost in power from healing myself, this guy is in a whole league of his own. Even while gradually taking his Genki, his energy is constantly on the rise. I think he might even be stronger than Vegeta. I can't use brute force to take him down, and he seems to pick on strategies that I've used before very quickly. My only other options are to get help from Vegeta or Piccolo, or somehow multiply my power even further. And there's no way I'm crazy enough to try using the Kaiō-ken as an Ascended Super Saiyan (SSL2). That would completely wreck my body or worse. I guess I'll just have to hold him off until I either find a weakness to exploit or until the others arrive to assist me.'

Steeling his nerves, Gohan powered through the pain the Eclipsing Kamehameha inflicted on him and began to power up his Super Saiyan Level Two power to its peak in a mighty shout that shook the area around them and caused the debris to briefly float.

Seeing the golden aura reappear and intensify while the blue electricity danced around the body of his opponent made Wheelo's Saiyan Hybrid blood pump vigorously.

A vicious grin formed on the face of the stark white-haired doctor as he said, "Ah, you're getting serious again! Finally decided to fight me for real, boy?"

SSL2 Gohan, while wearing a hardened expression of a warrior without the Saiyan instinct influencing his mind, declared, "...Fight you? No, I'm going to kill you!"

Wheelo looked at him before laughing at Gohan's face. Jinpachi flexed his muscles, then raised his Super Saiyan Malice energy in a demonic growl, prompting Gohan to cover his face from the raging gale that Jinpachi's rising power produced.

"You, kill me?" Wheelo mocked in a sardonic manner. "What rubbish! You and I both know a bluff when we hear one. One swift blow from me would spell the end of you, Gohan. But that would spoil the fun for me, now would it? No…there's still much for you to pay for. I want you to break. To drown in complete despair. And I shall be the one to teach you true suffering!"

"Don't underestimate me, doctor! I won't go down without a fight! So, bring it!" Gohan shouted, not letting the dread in his body control his action.

With that, the two launched forward with their incredible auras radiating from their bodies as they collided in a mighty clash.

---

Bulma's Laboratory, Capsule Corporation, West City

It was a waiting game for Cocoa and the Briefs. While there wasn't any interference with the small Machine Mutant's progress, there was a ten-minute delay in gaining access to Dr. Wheelo's private server; making twenty minutes that passed since the terrifying revelation.

Wheelo stole Gohan's DNA and infused it into his own body.

The entire room was silent as the feeling of apprehension was at an all-time high. Even if they managed to shut off the Red Ribbon satellite's particle cannon, there was still a mad scientist with the power of a Saiyan along with a hybrid's potential that knew more than he let on.

Bulma and her father spent this time brainstorming ideas to stop Wheelo as they held their discussion at a table. Meanwhile Cocoa stayed relatively silent on the matter.

"...What are we going to do about this, Dad?" Bulma questioned while donning a worried expression. "The others are strong, but none of us suspected an unpredictable enemy of this caliber."

Dr. Briefs responded, saying "I know, darling. Jinpachi's mind has surpassed his father in many ways. Hm… I don't suppose that redirecting the cannon to Jinpachi himself is an option, is it?"

Bulma shook her head, stating, "I'm afraid not. We'd risk blowing up the whole island and possibly detonating the entire planet in the process."

"Oh! You're right." Dr. Briefs grumbled. "And I doubt any mere weapon could harm him with Gohan's Saiyan cells in him. Jinpachi could reduce any army to dust with an energy attack."

The man took off his glasses for a second to massage the bridge of his nose before placing them back on to ask another question with mild frustration.

"...Is there anything we could do from our end? Anything at all?" Dr. Briefs questioned, prompting his daughter to let out an exasperated sigh.

"...For now, we got nothing. All we can do is hope that Vegeta and the others can stop him before he causes more harm." Bulma concluded. "The Cell Games were much easier than this in comparison."

"What I wonder is how he could even be able to get strong enough to contend with the gang. It took most of them decades to hone their skills. Plus they're much more experienced than the man. I shouldn't take them long to deal with someone like him, Saiyan cells or not." Bulma thought aloud.

"We are a very complex species; Mankind. Humans have managed to do the impossible when they put their mind to it with the right amount of determination." Dr. Briefs explained.

"I-If I may," Cocoa spoke near the table, making her presence known to the pair of scientists. "F-Father has told me about the lifespan of the Ultimate Lifeform project, Cell. I believe he said that Cell was at least six-years-old. Yet nobody, not even Son Goku could compete with him despite his decades of experience and raw talent. As horrifying as it is, the intelligence of Cell's creator cannot be ignored,"

"Aye," Dr. Briefs verbally agreed while Bulma remained silent before a voice spoke to them by the main computer.

"Giru giru giru giru!" T-2006 chirped while the binary code that was on its screen flashed green before pulling up the Red Ribbon operating system's main menu. "Acessed acquired! Red Ribbon operating system is now available! Awaiting further commands! Giru, giru!"

Hearing this prompted the three people in the room to gasp in the initial

"Finally!" Bulma excitedly cried while standing up from her table and walked over to T-2006 and her main computer.

The older scientist leaned against his chair while sighing in relief, saying, "Thank the heavens!"

From there, Bulma began to go through the various features that flashed on the screen.

"Giru! There are a variety of functions this satellite unit has. One of them happens to be a deactivation code for the Vega Particle Cannon installed in Dr. Wheelo's possession. Giru giru!" Explained T-2006.

"That's splendid!" Dr. Briefs exclaimed positively. "That should be the way to go!"

"Wait, that's not right. I know my father, and he wouldn't let any potential setbacks in things he planned deter him. He could just remotely reactivate the cannon. Granted, there might be a restart time for the weapon." Cocoa pointed out.

"She has a point there, Dad. We need a permanent solution to this problem. We only have less than twenty minutes until it's reactivated. Stalling can only work for so long." Said Bulma.

"If I may suggest, giru. There is a self-destruct command that is available to activate when selected. When given the command, there will be a ten-second countdown sequence before the entire unit is terminated. This sequence is irreversible once the code is selected." T-2006 spoke.

Cocoa, Bulma, and Dr. Briefs all looked at each other, then back at the Capsule Corporation-engineered M-2 unit.

They knew what to do next.

"T-2006, I want that code selected now!" Bulma commanded.

T-2006 made a few beeping sounds before responding, saying, "Giru, giru, giru! Right away, ma'am!"

---

Overhead, Battle Island II

The Z-Warriors, both old and young, flew to the skies while following the large and ominous energy that they were detecting.

"Man, it got dark real quick. Think somebody's wish is being granted?" Krillin lightly joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Optimistic. Somehow, I doubt that." Tien responded cooly.

"Tenshinhan's right, Krillin. I'm detecting that the same kind of energy that the clouds have currently matches the energy that we're tracking down." Piccolo stated.

A sense of intrigue formed in Vegeta, but never let it show as he said, "A power so great that it blackens the sky as if it were night itself. To think a mere interloper could be capable of such a thing baffles me. I must see it for myself."

Goten flew behind most of the adults and Trunks but ahead of Upa, who was holding Pigero.

"I hope big brother is okay…" Goten spoke aloud, loud enough for Roshi to hear.

Roshi stated, "Have some faith in your brother, Goten. Gohan is one of the toughest fighters in the universe, and bears an iron will like your father. He can hold his own."

Goten nodded at the old man's words, but failed to stop worrying about his only sibling. This was cut short by three familiar energy signatures tailing close behind the Z-Warriors.

"Goten-kun! Everyone!"

Goten and the other warriors look behind them, only to see Sharpner and Videl managing to catch up to the Z-Warriors.

"Hey! Big sis and Sharpner's here!" Goten cheered.

"Looks like the two of you survived, after all. That training definitely paid off." C-18 said while cracking a small genuine smile. "Good job."

"Yeah… Thanks, I guess." Sharpner said dryly while Videl remained quiet yet determined as she concentrated on following everybody else.

"So, where's your other lady friend? Did you save her?" Krillin questioned.

Sharpner explained, "Yeah, I have. Just dropped her off with the red-headed hick and the crazy plant lady in their jetcopter before making a B-line to you guys. Ran into Videl while I was on the way over here."

"And what of Barry Khan?" Pigero asked, making his presence known as Upa carried him.

"What about that freak? I took care of him and that's that." Sharpner answered rather coldly.

"...Okay, then." Krillin said awkwardly.

Goten, noticing Videl's odd behavior, spoke to his older sister-like figure.

"Hey, sis? You okay?" Goten questioned before realizing that her father wasn't with her. "Where's the funny man? Did you bring him to Ms. Lime's jetcopter too?"

These questions struck a chord in Videl deeply, but held her stoic expression as she managed to choke out.

"...H-He's gone. My father's gone." Videl announced, still not used to the fact that her father was now ripped away from her life. "That old bastard took him from me with his last breath."

"What!?" Krillin gasped in shock before nearly whispering. "Mr. Satan's…dead? Man, I can't believe it."

"So…Tao has struck down both the master and the student." Master Roshi stated before letting out a disappointed sigh.

"That's…unfortunate news," Lazuli said awkwardly despite sounding monotone.

Piccolo said to himself, "Hmph. I suppose his luck finally ran out after all this time."

Vegeta snorted, but kept his remark internal, thinking to himself, 'Yet another clown bites the dust. It's not like he had much of a life left after what the human interloper did to his reputation.'

"You have my condolences, Videl," Tien said genuinely. "He may have been controversial among us, but he was still a man. A flawed man, but a man no less who left behind a fine legacy."

Videl remained unfazed by the triclopse's words but gave the experienced warrior a nonverbal nod to acknowledge Tien.

"No need to worry, Videl-san! We've got the Dragon Balls, remember? We can wish everybody who got killed back to life." Trunks pointed out. "Once this is all over, we can just summon the Eternal Dragon like we did after the invasion bring that Mr. Satan guy back, too!"

Goten let out a frustrated sigh, seeing that his former friend wasn't reading the situation properly.

Before anybody could respond to Trunks' inconsiderate statement, Upa brought himself into the conversation.

"Mind your tongue, young man! This girl just lost her father!" Upa chastised, remembering the death of his father at the hands of Mercenary Tao. "Even if such magic could restore his life, it does not take away the pain that comes with the conditions of his end! The souls of mortal lives are sacred and should be treated as such!"

Krillin, Roshi, and Tien were taken aback, both due to Upa having the stones to talk to put Trunks in his place.

Videl gave the Karinga soldier a grateful smile.

While she knew that the lavender-haired boy meant well, she had her own mixed feelings about the Dragon Balls and how they could be used. Her morality and pride wouldn't allow her to solve any problems by wishing them away or fixed up.

It wasn't natural or properly earned, therefore, an affront to her entire character.

"Hey! Don't go talking down on me! I was only trying to help, you jerk!" Trunks said, causing the Bulma side of himself to flare up as he turned to his father. "Dad, this weakling was—"

"–ENOUGH!" Vegeta bellowed, which swiftly prompted Trunks to flinch before closing his mouth. "I will not hear another word of this, boy! Know your place! Even if he didn't amount to much in life, a soul is irreplaceable. Death is not something to be taken lightly!"

"What? But Dad—"

"No buts!" Vegeta barked. "Besides, the Earthling is right. It wouldn't do anybody any favors if he was revived. It would be a waste of a wish. Any parent would want their offspring to live on."

Trunks looked at his father in shock at his father's words but looked down in shame for disappointing the troll-haired Saiyan.

Vegeta's words also touched Videl as she recalled her father's last words to her.

Those words rang on repeat for the rest of the flight, prompting her to subconsciously shed a few tears as she mentally said farewell to Mr. Satan.

'...Goodbye, Daddy.'

---

Olibu Coliseum, Hellenistic Ruins, Battle Island II

Lightning flashed within darkened skies. The sound of thunder boomed while strong winds blew the debris. Twenty feet above the ruins, two dominant forces were engaged in intense combat. To the naked eye, the battle was incomprehensible as they were moving faster than the eye can track. Hence, any normal person would be able to at least hear and feel the shockwaves that were the byproducts of the collisions that the two beings had caused.

But if someone powerful were to gaze at the fray, they could see these two beings, Gohan and Dr. Wheelo duking into out while using the Rapid Movement technique to increase their speed. While they did this, each impact led to many empty smaller homes, temples, rock formations, and other remaining structures being destroyed in the process.

SSL2 Gohan and SSM Jinpachi matched each other's blows; punch for punch, kick for kick, elbow to elbow. Were they evenly matched in strength and speed? Not even close. Gohan barely managed to keep up, and that's only due to Jinpachi's desire to slowly torture the boy who humiliated him. In fact, for every three strikes that they matched, Wheelo punished Gohan by successfully throwing several jabs and kicks at the boy before he could react to them. The process was amusing to the doctor, prompting him to repeat the whole routine while knowing Gohan currently did not possess the power to respond to his advances.

On the other end of the fight, things didn't look up for the blond Saiyan Hybrid. Each time Wheelo's strikes connected with his body, Gohan could feel the evil ki continuing to cause internal harm to his body. It was like his limbs were flaring up with an unbearable agony that made them. Thus, the subtlest movements such as attacking, dodging, and defending grew more and more difficult to do as the fight continued.

When he decided to keep his guard up by using his arms to shield himself, Gohan found himself on the receiving end of Wheelo's flurry of punches as he pushed Gohan back.

"What's the matter, Son Gohan? I thought you wanted to kill me! Don't you want to "defend" the state of the old world? Make old Daddy Goku proud!?" Wheelo openly mocked, finding pleasure in putting pressure into each punch that gradually weakened Gohan's defenses.

Feeling his anger flare, Gohan let out a shout while he used kiai to push Dr. Wheelo off of him. Gohan then formed a pair of golden spheres of ki and tossed him at Dr. Wheelo. The doctor easily slapped them away, only to find the boy coming at with his Kusanagi Sword formed from his right hand and ready to swipe at the twisted Saiyan Hybrid. Wheelo readied himself, anticipating the bladed technique, only for the figure to pass through him and vanish.

'An After Image!' SSM Wheelo thought to himself.

Suddenly, SSL2 Gohan appeared in front of Wheelo using Rapid Movement and landed a ki-infused punch to Wheelo's abdomen so profound, it caused the ground beneath them to sink and form a crater.

This technique is known as the Gekishinken, the Impulse Fist.

Gohan, while satisfied that he finally handed a significant hit on his opponent, was then shocked to see that not only was his attack fruitless in physically fazing Dr. Wheelo, the man began to let out a low-pitched bone-chilling laugh.

"Yes! Strike me again! Pain is my nourishment, and suffering strengthens my hatred-fueled body!" Wheelo declared while his crimson eyes (with his visible pupils) glowed dangerously.

Gohan took a step back, visibly shaken at the man's declaration before deciding to blast a large volley of ki attacks at the stark white-haired foe before suspending its movement to surround the evil Saiyan Hybrid.

Wheelo saw this, then thought to himself, '...He's up to more tricks, huh? Heh! This ought to be good.'

Bringing his hands together, Gohan screamed, "Lights out!"

Suddenly, Gohan manipulated all of the energy blasts to come crashing at Wheelo at speeds that a normal human could not anticipate in an attempt to eradicate his enemy with chain explosions.

However, Wheelo's power greatly exceeds Gohan's Super Saiyan Level Two form that the Hellzone Grenade to him moved at a sluggish rate. Recalling how Gohan formed his Kusanagi Sword, Jinpachi took his left hand and channeled the crimson electricity from his body into it. With his Super Saiyan Malice energy, he formed a single-edged five feet long Energy Hand Blade that curved which he raised over his head.

This Edo Period-esque energy hand blade construct would later be called Spirit Sword: Model Masamune.

Wheelo then took the crimson energy blade and gracefully spun, creating a red cyclone of slashes that grew and expanded large enough to destroy the surrounding ki blasts before they could rain down at his body.

This attack would be later known as the Crescent Style: Full Moon Dance.

When the smoke cleared, Gohan found himself scowling as he saw the man he was fighting still alive while wielding the long crimson Masamune Blade.

"Marvelous! I think I'll name this beauty after an ancient swordsman from the Eastern Capitol. Yes, the Masamune Blade will do nicely." SSM Wheelo said as he inspected the weapon he had created using his own malefic energy. "The possibilities of Saiyan Hybrids' capabilities are endless, and I'm barely scratching the surface! …You know, I could never fathom for the life of me how can you view this power as anything but a blessing. A marriage between a Saiyan's might to mankind's intellect – such a dynamic combination of genes is like a dream come true to me. I can already see a new Earth, one filled with strong and intelligent minds with both races coexisting in the utopia I'm set to create. I will not only serve as judge and jury but also the executioner for the infidels who do not adhere to my new world order."

SSL2 Gohan formed the Kusanagi Sword with his right hand, then charged at the doctor as he shouted, "ENOUGH! You don't get to make that choice for everybody! Especially with those stolen cells you took from me!"

Wheelo smirked as he clashed with his Energy Hand Blade against Gohan's ki blade, thinking, 'There is the anger that I'm looking for! Now things are getting more exciting again!'

This turned into an all-out sword fight, which Gohan forced to try and close in on his opponent while Jinpachi was enjoying using his sword's advantageous length to keep his foe at bay.

To make things interesting, Jinpachi backflipped several meters away and decided to test another aspect of his energy abilities. The stark white-haired Saiyan Hybrid concentrated his mind and raised the large rocks and debris and raised it upwards with his free hand.

"I thought of wonderful gifts for you," Jinpachi said with a dark grin on his face before forming the rubble into seven spheres of stone and hurdling them at the teenage Ascended Super Saiyan (SSL2).

'...You've got to be kidding me! He figured out how to use telekinesis, too!?' Gohan groaned in his mind before leaving from rock to rock, cleaving them in halves before being met by Wheelo, who was ready to cut him into ribbons with the Masamune Blade in mid-air.

Fortunately, despite the abundance of pain that came from being in contact with Dr. Wheelo's malefic energy, Gohan managed to successfully parry and counter the powerful strikes that the scientist would land at the expense of gradual damage Gohan would receive from the twisted ki that would invade his body.

However, this was short-lived when the golden-haired warrior was elbowed in the gut and sent back down to the ruined ground where he tumbled over a few times before regaining stability to stand on guard.

Gohan, having enough of being toyed with, used Instant Transmission to appear behind Wheelo to close the gap and aimed to slash the geneticist in the back of his neck. Wheelo, who possessed faster reflexes and a great sense of hearing, managed to turn around and blocked the attack with an overhead strike.

"I won't let you take the planet's free will!" Gohan growled while staring into the crimson-eyed Saiyan Hybrid as he was in a struggling clash with Jinpachi.

The CEO of Willow Industries scoffed, retorting, "Naive child! A man who is reluctant to exercise his power is unworthy of his power! And those without ambition have no business to exist in my new world!"

Wheelo, in his Super Saiyan Malice state, pushed Gohan back with the Masamune Blade, then struck Gohan with a small energy wave created with a swipe of his blade. From there, Wheelo kicked the golden-haired Super Saiyan in mid-air three times in a chain combo which sent him through three piles of the debris before crashing into a wall made up of larger chunks of stone marble.

Gohan barely managed to stand up, hunching back as he felt his legs wobble from being overworked and the pain that the energy Wheelo produced harming his nervous system. While catching his breath, the eldest son of Goku took this time to heal himself once again, albeit it was less effective than it was the last time.

From there, Gohan found himself to have gotten so weak, he dropped down to Super Saiyan Level One due to not being able to maintain it from his loss of strength.

'...N-Not good! I've lost too much power. I can only sustain enough energy to at least remain Super Saiyan. At this rate, I won't be able to make it here.' Gohan thought to himself as he sensed his opponent entering the area.

Wheelo saw this as he now appeared five feet in front of his winded opponent with an indifferent expression. The stark white-haired evil Saiyan Hybrid tilted his head, saying, "Oh? Think you've had enough?"

Gohan definitely stood his ground, regardless of his beaten state.

"N-Not on your life, doctor! I still have…some fight left in me!" Gohan said, taking his father's fighting stance once again without the Kusanagi Sword drawn out.

Super Saiyan Malice Jinpachi shook his head, stating, "The embers of rebellion still burn brightly within you. That's good. This gives me the pleasure of snuffing it out."

Taking his Masamune Blade, Wheelo generated a large crimson energy construct in the air in the form of a ring. Jinpachi then used his mind to place the ring onto the Super Saiyan, which floated towards Gohan and placed itself around him like a hula-hoop. From there, the ring shrunk to the point where it constricted Gohan's movement.

"What the-!?" Gohan shouted as he struggled to break free before letting out a gut-wrenching scream towards the heavens as the ring glowed and emitted crimson electricity throughout his whole body.

This was known as the Moonlit Vajra Trap technique.

Wheelo watched his opponent spazzed about as he howled in pain from the lightning weakening and attacking his body in which the constricting ring continued to restrain his body.

And he was enjoying every moment of the teenage boy's suffering as he thought, '...Such a haunting melody. It soothes my soul.'

Super Saiyan Malice continued to chuckle at the sight of Gohan's suffering as he slowly approached him, with the Masamune Blade still formed on the left hand.

Mentally, the scientist ceased the electricity to be emitted. Thus, Gohan had some form of relief from the overwhelming agony that was coursing through his smoking body. At this point, the attack sapped away what little amount of energy he had, forcing him to revert back to his normal state.

At this point, Gohan was focusing on his breathing. In and out. In and out. He coughed a bit, spewing out globs of blood from the internal bleeding, but managed to cling to his life as he refused to die when the world was at stake.

From there, he heard the chilling voice of his opponent, as Dr. Wheelo said, "I commend you for holding out this long, in spite of your suffering. But now…"

A sound of piercing flesh echoed in the ruins as Gohan felt a sharp pain from his left pectoral.

"ARGHHH!" Gohan screamed, now recognizing that he had been stabbed through the chest by Jinpachi's Masamune Blade while being lifted up in the air by the twisted Saiyan Hybrid.

"...Now, I shall give you despair." Wheelo declared with a cool and twisted smirk.

The evil Saiyan Hybrid took flight with his malefic aura flaring up. He then tossed Gohan, dislodging him from the Masamune Blade, and began stabbing and cutting smaller cuts all around the black-haired Saiyan Hybrid's body to draw blood from him in mid-air. And with every cut, the evil ki left a glowing mark.

When he was down his flurry attack, the marks on Gohan's body glowed and then caused an explosion that sent Gohan crashing onto the ground, half dead.

This was known as the Wicked Execution technique.

Gohan lay on the ground, lying on his stomach as he was too painfully fatigued to move. He would have been waiting at the Check-in Station in Other World had it not been for the explosive attacks cauterizing his wounds in the process. Hell, the blade that pierced his chest had cauterized the wound itself upon yanking it out of him, preventing it from bleeding out. Still, his body was pretty much out of commission for the time being.

"...No…I can't move…" Gohan whispered as he struggled but ultimately failed to leave any of his numb limbs.

Wheelo once again descended to the ground gracefully, dispelling his blade as he coldly stared who lay near his feet.

"Poor Son Gohan," Jinpachi mocked. "Such wasted potential. You remind me so much of my younger self and it disgusts me. On second thought, you're worse than I ever was. Much worse."

"I'm… nothing like…you." Gohan groaned, taking his enemy's words as offensive.

Wheelo grabbed Gohan by his black hair and backhanded him with his free hand, saying, "Fool! You and I are more alike than you realize. Think about it! We both come from great men who strived to improve themselves. Both left with a burden that we both carried throughout our formative years..."

From there, Wheelo took Gohan for a spin before throwing him back into a wall made up of debris from the spheres the evil Super Saiyan created.

Gohan staggered as he got up on one knee and raised one hand. The boy mustered a bit of energy and fired five ki blasts which didn't even faze the stark white-haired scientist.

"...And we both made promises to honor them in our own respective ways. But there's a difference between you and I." Jinpachi continued before reappearing in front of Gohan with his crimson irises shimmering in a dangerous manner.

Suddenly, Gohan was struck in the face by Wheelo's fists.

"When there's something that I want, I am willing to take it for myself," Wheelo cooly stated before proceeding to physically beat Gohan within an inch of his life against the wall made of debris.

The impact of the punches was so great that the wall was shattered the moment Gohabn was sent through it. Now, the boy's face was covered in blue and black bruises and his bottom lip was busted as he lay on his back.

While trying to remain conscious, Gohan heard Wheelo's footsteps as he heard Wheelo continue talking down on the son of Goku, saying, "I've been watching you for quite some time. Struggling to have everything you want, while outside forces of the world try to make you choose a path. But higher beings — gods like us, don't have to choose. We take what's ours."

Gohan then felt himself being picked up by the neck as his smoking golden eyes peered into Wheelo's crimson-red eyes.

"You're wrong...I-I'm no god." Gohan spat out, spewing blood onto his opponent's right cheek. "I am just…a man. One that…only desires peace."

Wheelo shook his head in disappointment, then calmly stated, "This is why you're not worthy to live in my world, you inferior walking contradiction. You were strong enough to have it all, yet too weak to take it. This blatant pacifism, it sickens me to my very being!"

It was here that the doctor began to clamp down on Gohan's neck with his hand while the teenager was in his normal state, prompting the boy to make choking noise as he desperately tried to pry his opponent's hand off his throat.

"You will submit to me and admit defeat!" Jinpachi commanded in a firm yet even tone, never missing the gasps for air that Gohan yearned to take, but to no avail.

"I…I…" Gohan managed to start saying, causing Wheelo to listen closely before finishing his sentence. "...I would rather…die than admit defeat to the likes…of you!"

Smacking his lips, Wheelo formed his Masamune Blade once more, preparing to strike Gohan down once last time as Wheelo said, "Very well, then. By my hand, I shall relinquish the breath of life from your body. Though I may despise your ways, I'm glad to have met you, Son Gohan. Whenever I look on to the horizon of this new world, I will think back to this moment fondly. Farewell."

Before the final blow could be struck, a familiar voice echoed from above them.

"MAKANKŌSAPPŌ!"

A spiraling drill beam came down and pierced through Dr. Wheelo's wrist that belonged to the same hand that clamped down on Gohan's neck, prompting the twisted stark white-haired Super Saiyan to let Gohan go as he dispelled his energy blade for a second time to yelp and hold his wounded wrist.

Gohan barely mustered the energy to shift his head to see trace the source of that attack.

"ARGH!" Wheelo cried, holding his bleeding wrist before looking towards the sky with a hardened and cool rage in his eyes. "...WHO DARES?"

"Up here!"

Wheelo's hearing led him to look up where Krillin and Tien were floating while Piccolo was floating beside him.

"...You?!" Jinpachi growled, with eyes widened given that his plan involved them either being dead or too damaged to come to assist his true opponent.

The beaten and rugged Gohan formed a weak smile, thinking to himself, 'Heh heh. You're right on time, guys.'

The two human men placed their hands away from their faces and shouted, "TENSHŌKŌ!"

With the combination of Tien and Krillin's maximum Solar Flares, Wheelo found himself being on the receiving end of a sun-like burst of light that surrounded them. The blinding rays sent waves of agony to Wheelo's eyes, forcing another scream out of him as he neglected the hole in one of his wrists to cover his eyes.

Thankfully, Gohan had enough sense and strength to look away from the rays before he could be blinded.

Piccolo, Tien, and Krillin descended to the battlefield. This was followed by Trunks, Goten (who put Master Roshi down next to him), C-18, Sharpner, Videl, and finally Upa (who put down Pigero next to him).

As for Vegeta, he stood meters away from everybody else to study the threat level of the enemy.

The Super Namekian, noticing the vulnerable Wheelo, shouted, "This is our chance to strike! Somebody grab Gohan! Everybody else, fire your energy attacks!"

Upa, being the healer and support of the group, saw the heavily injured and carried him over to safety while the rest of the took positions.

Krillin, Goten (who transformed into a Super Saiyan), and Master Roshi began charging their respective Kamehameha Wave techniques. Piccolo began to charge up his newly discovered Godly technique that Kami developed (Tenryūkankōseihō), C-18 did so too, charging her Energy Cannon. Tien and Sharpner moved one hand behind the other and charged up their Ki Blast Cannon techniques. Videl took a deep breath and activated a Kaiōken multiplier and began to charge her vermilion Sukazu-ho energy wave similar to a Kamehameha Wave. Meanwhile, next to Videl, Pigero tapped into his Jōgowa no Reidō and cupped his hands similar to that of a Turtle school student, and charged his Shōnetsu Jigoku.

When everybody's techniques were fully charged, they unleashed their energy waves/energy sphere which combined into an enormous beam of white energy which when hitting Jinpachi created a massive spiraling dome before combusting.

The product of their labor was a smoldering crater within the ruins.

When everyone removed their arms from their faces, Krillin asked, "...Did…did we get him?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tien said. "It's kind of hard to tell. The weather's still the same but I can't read the guy's energy signature."

Piccolo then said, "Let's not take any chances. Tenshinhan, Lazuli, and Krillin. You're coming with me to see if this bastard's been properly disposed of."

Krillin groaned, complaining, "For real? Why do I have to help find the evil mad scientist's corpse?"

"You're going, Krillin and that's the end of it." Lazuli stated, not taking no for an answer.

With that, the short former monk closed his mouth as the adult Namekian turned to rest of the Z-Warriors.

"Roshi, the boys, and the newcomers will tend to Gohan's injuries." Piccolo stated, now looking at Videl. "I'm counting on you. Stay on guard at all times."

Videl, fueled with determination, nodded as she and the others ran over to Upa, who was in the middle of healing Gohan's wounds with his special Hand of Vitality technique.

Trunks winced, hissing, "Dang, he looks like crap. The doc must have pulverized him."

"TRUNKS!" Goten shouted with anger, who had glared at the lavender-haired boy.

"What!? I can't be the only one thinking it!" Trunks retorted.

"...The kid's got a point. He looks worse than he did four months ago." Sharpner muttered, at the various cuts and bruises.

"NEITHER OF YOU ARE HELPING!" Videl and Goten screamed at Sharpner and Trunks.

Gohan stirred from his mild unconsciousness, prompting Roshi to shush the four children.

"Hush, he's waking up." Master Roshi commanded.

Videl spoke, saying, "Gohan-kun?"

"Big brother?" Goten called out to Gohan.

Opening his eyes, Gohan managed to sit up and see Goten and Upa beside him while Videl, Pigero, Trunks, and Master Roshi standing next to him.

"Hey guys, glad that you could make it." Gohan chuckled lightly.

"Glad to be here, kid." Pigero responded. "How are you feeling?"

Gohan winced in pain, expressing, "Like I've been beaten to HFIL and back."

Sharpner raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms, and asked, "Uh, HFIL? What's that supposed to mean?"

Goten answered, "Oh, I know! It means "Home for infinite losers". At least, that's what Mommy calls it."

Videl, Pigero, and Sharpner then turned to Gohan, who clarified, "It's what our household calls Hell without saying the actual word. My mother doesn't allow any of us to swear under her roof. Not even Dad when he used to be around."

Sharpner let out an amused snort, trying his best not to bust out laughing while Videl hopelessly shook her head.

Upa made his presence known to Gohan, saying, "Gohan, I must urge you to be careful. I was not able to fully restore your strength due to the amount of power your body demands. However, I was successful in recovering your stamina to half its entirety without compromising my own."

Getting up, Gohan said, "Thank you, Upa. I won't forget this favor."

"Gohan! Gohan! Look what I can do!" Goten said before tightening his red headband and let out a shout as he powered up to Super Saiyan.

Videl and Sharpner's jaws dropped at the sight.

'Since when could he do that!?' The Orange Star high schoolers thought to themselves.

Pigero and Master Roshi just smiled proudly at the fruit of Goten's labor.

Trunks frowned while rolling his eyes, muttering, "Pfft! Show off."

Gohan blinked in astonishment before walking up to his little brother and ruffling his hair.

"Good job, squirt. I knew you had it in you." Gohan praised with a genuine grin. "You're even stronger than I was when I first went Super around your age."

Goten gasped with sparkles in his eyes, asking, "Really?"

"Uh-huh!" Gohan confirmed with a nod as he turned to Trunks. "Can you go Super Saiyan, Trunks?"

Trunks just turned away from Gohan's direction, choosing to scoff like his father instead of answering Gohan.

Goten sighed at Trunks' attitude as he dropped back down to his base form. Gohan saw Goten's melancholy expression and started to grow both concerned and curious at the same time.

"...Uh, did something happen while I was away?" Gohan questioned.

"There has been plenty of new development since this chaos began, Gohan." Said Master Roshi as he approached the young man. "Dr. Wheelo had created machines powerful enough to contend with some of the strongest warriors on the planet. I believe that this whole tournament was a means to lure us here to dispose of us so that nobody could stand in his way."

Gohan's dark eyes widened but immediately narrowed in the realization of just how much thought Jinpachi put into his plan.

"He's right, Son," Sharpener said, getting Gohan's attention by calling him by his surname. "Khan was not only in on his "dad's" scheme, he wasn't even human. He was kind of like those androids that you guys fought before Cell showed up, except he turned into this giant hairy and freaky man spider. Hell, he even admitted to being the Beastman killer."

Videl and Gohan simultaneously screamed, "WAIT, THAT WAS HIM!?"

Sharpener grimly nodded in confirmation before saying, "Yeah, it was. He was Marker's killer, and he was about to add me to his meal while keeping Erasa as his hostage. But don't worry, I've dealt with him accordingly and got her out of there and sent her off the island. He won't be hurting anybody again."

Videl, while knowing the information already, couldn't help but sigh in relief that her best friend was safe and sound.

Gohan nodded, then placed a hand on the boy's shoulder while saying, "You've come a long way, Sharpner-san. I'm proud of you."

Sharpner thanked Gohan before the Saiyan Hybrid turned to Videl and noticed the lack of emotions and dried-up tear marks that were on her cheeks.

"Videl-san," Gohan said, getting her attention as he walked up to the girl. "Videl-san, what's wrong? And where's Mr. Satan? Is he off the island with Erasa-san?"

Videl remained silent as she averted her eyes, refusing to look her lover in his eyes due to the shame she held within herself for failing her mission.

"...Your father did make it out with you…did he?" Gohan asked more softly, now feeling the full force of dread wash over his body.

Videl had let out a hic as she silently began to tear up, but never managed to give Gohan an answer.

Sharpener, Trunks, Pigero, and Goten all looked down, with the older boys closing their eyes in silence.

Master Roshi spoke to Gohan, revealing, "I'm sorry, Gohan. Mr. Satan has lost his life at the end of Videl's skirmish with Tao Pai Pai. The old crone used his last breath to do the deed."

Horror fell onto the Saiyan Hybrid's face as he turned to his new lover and crime-fighting partner, who while trying her best to stay strong, was on the verge of emotionally breaking down.

'...No! I-If Mr. Satan's dead, then that means Videl-san doesn't have any family left! …She's all alone.' Gohan thought to himself as anger for Dr. Wheelo began to resurface in the form of his irises turning golden yellow.

Getting herself together, Videl looked at her lover with a hardened expression asking, "Gohan-kun, what happened here? How did that bastard gain the upper hand on you? You should have sent him six feet under!"

Gohan sighed, both understanding that she was under a lot of stress and knowing that she was right. He had plenty of control of the fight initially. However, his lack of pragmatism led to Gohan granting Jinpachi several boosts in power to the point where the man broke his limits with a new transformation.

"...There's something you guys should know," Gohan said, beginning his confession. "Sharpner and Master Roshi were right. This whole place was a trap from the start, Wheelo said it himself. In fact, Wheelo had been spying on all of us for years, just as Dr. Gero did, gathering enough data for his experiments. That includes both Khan and Cocoa-san, who are both his creations. Everything from the Red Shark Gang's initial hostage situation, Khan's enrollment in Orange Star High, the birthday party, the Red Shark's bailout and usage of advanced technology, the visit to his company, and even the collaboration with X.S. Cash, it was all a part of his plan to take out all potential threats that could thwart his schemes."

"You're shitting me, Son! You mean to tell me that everything that we went through with them was all a lie?" Sharpner inquired, starting to lose his cool.

"I'm not too sure about Cocoa-san." Gohan said, shaking his head. "But we at least know that Barry was happy in carrying out his creator's plans."

'...ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?' Videl shouted in her mind, feeling her anger boiling over while her energy spiked for a split second until she took a deep breath and calmed herself as part of her training.

"...Go on, Gohan-kun. I can tell that there's more to it." Videl said, keeping a cool and hardened exterior.

"There is," Gohan continued. "A big part of his plan was to overcome his body's fragile and fatigue condition. Wheelo used the hotel incident and that visit to his company to steal my DNA and spliced it into his body, thus, becoming an artificial Saiyan Hybrid. And since he already knew martial arts, he spent the last few months training his body to adapt to my cells and grow strong enough to test his new Saiyan Hybrid body to fight me to the death."

Pigero, Upa, Goten, Trunks, and Master Roshi remained silent as the teenagers basically conversed amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, Sharpner and Videl gasped out of complete shock and fear for themselves and other people's well beings at the sheer madness of the doctor.

"...My God, he's gone insane," Videl whispered to herself before getting louder. "There's no question about it, That man has completely lost his shit!"

The bleach-blond former jock questioned, "How the hell did he even achieve this!? You'd need some futuristic tech to pull crap like that off! I'm pretty sure he should be dead for trying that on himself!"

"Gohan, how was this man able to surpass your strength?" Master Roshi asked. "Other than Vegeta, you are the strongest warrior on the planet."

Gohan closed his eyes as he prepared to explain, "Wheelo… He's a capable fighter, despite seemingly not being able to sense energy. Not only did he use his vast knowledge of the tournaments and the Cell Games to assess my fighting style, but like my father, he can adapt to nearly any strategy and copy techniques he's seen perfectly. So you can only imagine what it was like when I found out he could go Super Saiyan. Despite this, I managed to gain the upper hand once I've gone to the second level of Super Saiyan. I figured that breaking his mind by beating him senseless would be enough to get him to surrender and die in peace. Instead…I ended up awakening a terrible new power that dwelled inside him. He is called Super Saiyan Malice."

"Malice, huh?" Pigero commented. "That's not subtle at all."

"I don't get it. Weird name aside, what makes him so different from a regular Super Saiyan?" Trunks asked, scratching his head.

"From what I've experienced, it outclasses the Ascended Super Saiyan (SSL2). The energy that came off of him isn't just regular ki, I think it's made up of the hatred in his very soul that he's been stockpiling for years. And that hate manifested into a different kind of twisted energy that can somehow harm the body to reduce motor function; body movement. To make matters worse, the pain only makes him stronger. If it had kept attacking me…"

The two Saiyan children and the three teenagers shuddered at the prospect of the hanging thought.

"Then this is not a regular form of evil catori. This is something much more…unnatural." Upa concluded. "Demonic, even."

"It seems to me that this man no longer has normal ki." Roshi said, shifting everybody's attention over to him.

"What do you mean, Master Roshi? Do you know something that we don't?" Pigero inquired.

Master Roshi nodded, explaining, "Evil has fully corrupted Dr. Wheelo's heart, which tainted his energy. We call this kind of energy Jaki."

"Jaki? As in maliciousness?" Sharpener said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes, fitting isn't it?" Roshi mildly mused before continuing with seriousness, "With the addition of having a half Saiyan's ability to improve in such a short period of time, Dr. Wheelo must have used his new body to unleash that hidden malevolent potential he harbored when he was fully human. Thus, achieving a bewitched version of Super Saiyan using Jaki. And for the effects Gohan experienced, his Jaki must have acted like a grudge and continuously attacked him."

"Like a curse?" Upa questioned, recognizing the description of Wheelo's powers.

"Exactly," Roshi said as he watched Gohan clenching his hands while self-loathing washed over him like a wave.

Gohan cursed himself mentally as he whispered, "If only I had known something like this could have happened…I would have—!"

Videl grabbed one of her lover's hands, causing Gohan to look at her.

"—Stop." Videl said with a gentle yet firm tone. "That's enough."

Gohan tried speaking, "But I—"

"What's done is done. You can't change what's already happened." Videl said with finality. "You couldn't have seen this coming. None of us did. So quit blaming yourself."

"She's right, Brains. Take a load off." Sharpner agreed as he turned his head towards the smoldering crater where Wheelo's remains should be located. "If there's anybody to blame for this, it's him."

Gohan and the others stared in the same direction and hardened their expressions as well.

Meanwhile, Piccolo, C-18, Tenshinhan, and Krillin were above the crater, scouting the area for any signs of Dr. Wheelo.

"Any luck so far?" Krillin called out to the others as he continued trying to locate a body.

"Nothing over in my area," Tien answered.

Piccolo added, "I don't see anything either,"

"My scanners aren't detecting any signs of energy or remains of any kind. Either the bastard's been completely vaporized, or he's hiding both himself and concealing his energy signature." Lazuli concluded.

The four older Z-Warriors landed back on the ruins not too far by the edge of the crater and were ready to call it quits when a giant pillar of magenta and crimson shot from the crater to the sky.

The power produced shook the entire island. Piccolo, C-18, Krillin, and Tenshinhan were blown back to the younger warriors, and Master Roshi as a figure came out of the crater.

When the light faded, the stark white-haired figure that was covered in a purple and magenta aura with crimson electricity, while covered in burn marks and blood, floated towards them as if nothing had happened.

Super Saiyan Malice Jinpachi Wheelo had survived, and he wasn't happy.

The artificial Saiyan Hybrid landed on the ground, staring down at all of the people that currently opposed him with a cool exterior. The Z-Warriors stared back with equally tense eyes.

"Did you think that attack would be enough to kill me?" Wheelo scoffed. "None of you could compare to me."

"Damn! He's stronger than I thought!" Pigero cursed under his breath.

"What are we going to do? Working together isn't going to put him down! Oh where's Dad when you need him?" Trunks wondered out loud while trying to mask his own panic.

Gohan gritted his teeth, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly, one person decided to take a step forward, then began to walk toward Wheelo's direction with burning determination and confidence unmatched.

This was Master Roshi.

Krillin, being the first to notice, called to the old man with concern in his voice, "Master Roshi! W-What are you doing!? He's going to kill you if you go near him!"

"...I know, Krillin. Even now, blessed with eternal life, I had a feeling that my days have been numbered." Master Roshi said without looking at Krillin or the others. "Now, the time has come to fulfill my duty to the planet as my master has done before me one last time."

Reaching into his pocket, Roshi took out a small white porcelain jar with a small yellow sealing ofuda slapped on it with Japanese Kanji for "Demon Sealing" written on it

Pigero, Gohan, Trunks, Upa, Goten, Sharpner, and Videl looked perplexed as to why Roshi brought a jar out at a time like this.

Piccolo nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sight of the jar, stuttering, "T-That can't be what I think it is!"

Tien saw this as a wave of a horrifying realization came over the triclops.

"Master Roshi, no! Don't do it!" Tien suddenly interjected. "I know what you're up to, but it's too risky!"

"Enough! I have already made peace with this decision." Master Roshi said with an authoritative tone before regressing to his manageable and wise tone as he turned to his remaining former pupil. "Krillin, I deem you worthy as my successor. You are now the new Turtle Master and head of the school of Kame. Carry that title with pride, son. You've earned it."

"M-Master, don't say that! There's got to be another way!" Krillin said while holding back tears.

"No, you're the Master now, Krillin…I'm simply Roshi the Turtle Hermit, the man who was once hailed and revered as the God of Martial Arts and the inventor of the greatest martial arts technique in the world. Walk the path that you must, my student, for I am proud to have been your teacher and friend."

Hearing her husband's distress prompted Lazuli's face to soften with pity along with Videl, Gohan, Goten, Upa, Sharpner, and Pigero.

Master Roshi began to walk towards his fate with his arms behind him as spoke his final words to the Z-Warriors.

"To my oldest friends, it has been an honor to have fought alongside you. I will always cherish the good times we shared together in my heart. And to you youngsters, I shall pass down my wisdom to you. Remember these words; Work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty! That is the Turtle Hermit way! We master the art of peace in addition to the art of war! May the spirit of the Turtle School be in all of you…always."

And with that, Master Roshi left the Z-Warriors as he placed a jar down on the ground behind him and went to confront the newest threat to the Earth.

Krillin was about to charge after his former teacher, only to be stopped by his wife, who embraced him to comfort the heartbroken man

"We finally meet, Muten Roshi." Jinpachi Wheelo said with a malicious smirk on his face. "It's an honor and a pleasure."

The old man, without his glasses, glared at the former human as he spat, "I would be lying if I said I felt the same. What you've done today was an atrocity to mankind. Exposing Mr. Satan for his lies was one thing, but the annihilation of the Center Capitol is an entirely different matter! Thousands, no, millions of lives were lost to your ambition and hatred! And for what? Revenge?"

Wheelo closed his eyes and chuckled, saying, "This was not how I pictured our first meeting would be like. A lecture on morality. In all due respect, I wouldn't waste my breath on an explanation that I don't owe you. I'm not the kind of man who likes repeating himself. Just know that the cleansing of the weak, stubborn, and determinants to the planet was necessary for the world that I will soon govern over."

A tick mark formed on the bald head of the white-bearded master, saying, "...You're pure of conviction, but your heart has sunk too deeply in the pool of your own hatred. For your heinous acts and goals alone, you're no better than the Demon King himself. It's time somebody put you in your place once and for all."

Wheelo tilted his head before laughing out loud, which echoed throughout the area.

"And who on Earth is going to put me in my place? You? Have you finally gone senile? As experienced as you are, I'm leagues above your late pupil's son! The supposed world's strongest warrior. None of you combined can hold a candle to me as I am now. What makes you think that you stand a chance? It's a miracle that you even survived for this long. Be honest with yourself, Muten Roshi. You've long since past your prime. You're just a relic of a generation that has been surpassed." Jinpachi said before laughing at the old man again.

'...Arrogant boy, you have just sealed your fate!' Roshi thought to himself as he took a deep breath and folded his hands and fingers together in a prayer-like hand sign.

Roshi said nothing as he began the forbidden technique he hadn't used since his encounter with the original Demon King Piccolo. Summoning his Genki to his folded hands, he put them apart, then moved his arms in a rotating motion until his left hand was clasping his bicep while his right arm was out with index and middle fingers only sticking out.

Roshi whispered to himself, "Ma…Fu...Ba!"

Wheelo stopped laughing upon his excellent hearing, catching a familiar name that registered to him.

"What!?" The stark white-haired Saiyan Hybrid shouted.

But it was too late to react to it in time. Master Roshi reeled his arms to his sides before sticking his arms outwards with both of his palms open and summoned a powerful spiraling green wave of energy towards Wheelo which managed to capture him.

Everybody witnessing the event could hear the shrill screams of the twisted Super Saiyan.

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Wheelo screamed as his entire being was being pulled by the wave. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

"That won't do you any good, boy! There's no brute forcing yourself out of it! Now, I'll make sure that you will not harm another soul on this Earth! Even if I have to lay down my life to do it!" Roshi declared as he manipulated the containment wave to the jar two feet behind him. "NOW BEGONE! MAFUBA!"

"DAMN YOUUU!" Wheelo screamed as Master Roshi placed him inside the jar using the containment wave.

Roshi, with the last of his energy, wobbled over to the jar and used a cork to truly seal off the evil Super Saiyan for good.

"...T-There," Roshi said, letting out a haggard breath. "It…is d-done."

From using too much energy, Master Roshi had collapsed as his heart began to slow down dramatically.

"MASTER ROSHI!" Tien and Krillin screamed as everybody ran up to his body.

While Krillin and Tien tried to figure out a way to save the old man, the children, Piccolo, Pigero, and Lazuli knew better. Master Roshi was inevitably approaching death.

In the last moments of the old geezer's life, he thought to himself, '...Master, Gohan, Goku, I will see you all soon.'

And with that, Muten Roshi had finally passed on.

---

King Kai's Planet, Other World

"I-I don't believe it!" King Kai babbled. "Dr. Wheelo's been defeated!"

This declaration grabbed the attention of both Son Goku and Grandpa Gohan, who were standing next to each other as they were concentrating on keeping the full-blooded Saiyan calm.

"What, are ya serious!?" Goku said, with his head perking up. "Who beat 'em, King Kai? Was he strong?"

"Better yet, how was the man defeated, sir?" Grandpa Gohan questioned as he tried to quell Goku's excitement.

The catfish-looking Kai lowered his head in a saddened expression, which wasn't missed by either of the Son men.

"...There's no easy way for me to tell both of you, so I won't beat around the bush. Dr. Wheelo has been sealed away. And with the Mafuba of all techniques." King Kai revealed.

"WHAT!?" Both Goku and his adoptive grandfather screamed.

"What, but who could have done it!? Was it Tenshinhan!? Piccolo!?" Goku asked in rapid succession. "They're both powerful, but I don't know if they could handle it or—!"

"...It was Master Roshi, wasn't it?" Grandpa Gohan asked out of the blue as if it were a rhetorical question.

King Kai said nothing but turned away from the ground while he silently gave them their condolences.

'Roshi…why…' The son of Bardock said in his mind as he began to succumb to heartbreak.

Goku bowed his head as a trail of tears fell from his face as he quietly mourned his former master's death.

All that Grandpa Gohan could do was pat his grandson on the back and he found himself shedding a few tears for his master and friend.

'Master…your noble sacrifice has not been overlooked. May the gods reward you for your good deeds in life.' The old human sage prayed.

---

Olibu Coliseum, Hellenistic Ruins, Battle Island II

After Roshi's death, Krillin and Tien prayed over his dead body before placing it in an empty capsule in order to give him a proper burial later.

Meanwhile, Piccolo was checking in with the children and teenagers while each of them were being patched up and or healed by Upa and C-18 respectively.

As for Pigero, he was left with the task of holding the jar that contained Dr. Wheelo.

"To think that you caused so much trouble, only to end up in this tiny little jar," Pigero said while inspecting the jar. "Hmph! Serves you right. You may be the stronger person that I've seen, but the evil in you isn't worth dealing with in a fight."

As the brown-haired scarred warrior continued gazing at the sealed item. His eyes wandered off to the sky, only for him to peer back to the jar and see particles of magenta and purple slowly eating away at the seal.

"Oh no. Oh no! Shit, shit, SHIT!" Pigero began to panic. "Guys! GUYS! COME HERE! SOMETHING'S EATING AWAY AT THE SEAL!"

This prompted everyone to fly toward the Reiken user as fast as they can. Unfortunately, the seal had been burned away by the particles, causing the jar to shake violently. Seeing this, Pigero through the item as far as he could. Thirty feet away, a large explosion took place that sent a shockwave. This revealed a visibly shaken Super Saiyan Malice Jinpachi Wheelo, who slowly descended to the ground.

"Damn it all! He broke free!" Piccolo shouted in frustration. "And we just had him!"

"Stay on your guard, everyone!" Tien said, prompting the group to physically brace themselves for an attack.

The evil Saiyan Hybrid heavily panted to catch his breath before glaring at the Z-Warriors with his burning crimson irises.

"...I've had enough of you wretched people," Jinpachi said in a calm rage as he summoned the Masamune Blade from his left hand and positioned himself to cut the group down. "I shall kill you all myself! Now, DIE."

The Saiyan Hybrid charged at the group with his crimson Energy Hand Blade while the Z-Warriors readied themselves for the attack.

But before he could get in a good swing on any of the warriors, his blade had been intercepted by another ki blade.

Gohan and the others dropped their guard as they were staring at the back of a familiar spiky-haired Saiyan that arrived just in time.

This was Prince Vegeta VI, who was holding back Wheelo with his Spirit Sword against the Masamune Blade.

Trunks' eyes sparkled in excitement as he shouted, "Dad! You're here!"

Without saying a word, the Prince of Saiyans pushed the twisted Saiyan Hybrid before firing a Big Bang Attack that quickly pushed him back fifteen feet. He had to dispel the blade to knock the energy sphere out of the sky.

Wheelo moved forward to confront Vegeta, asking, "Ah yes, the Prince of all Saiyans! I was wondering where you've been hiding. Though, I'm curious. Why did you intervene? Don't tell me that you've gone soft enough to care for these people."

"Shut it! Flattery will get you nowhere, Interloper. Vegeta spat, not amused at the scientist's attitude in the slightest. "Direct all of that hatred towards me, I'll be more than elated to be your opponent. Besides, I've got a bone to pick with you."

"Is that so?" Wheelo said, raising an eyebrow while folding his arms. "And what kind of challenge could you possibly pose to me? Pain only makes me stronger, I know all about your group's various techniques from my records of your past skirmishes. You cannot seal me away, as you clearly saw. Oh, and I know all about your golden-haired trick. And it means absolutely nothing to my malice, which has gotten stronger thanks to the suffering I endured in that damn jar. Hell, last I check, you're not even half as strong as Gohan. Once again, you're stuck playing second just as you did when good ol' Kakarot was alive."

Vegeta bowed his head for a second before a started to hold his gut as he laughed at Jinpachi. It wasn't a crazed laugh to mask his anger or anything. No, Vegeta was genuinely laughing at the utter irony of the situation. It tickled the Prince's funny bone so much that he threw his head back and held his arms to his sides.

Everybody stared at Vegeta as if he grew a second head. Everyone except Gohan (and Trunks), who then started to realize as to why the Prince was laughing.

Wheelo doesn't know how strong Vegeta was now. He was underestimating Vegeta. That only begs the question.

How strong is Vegeta?

'...Well, I guess we're about to find out.' Gohan thought to himself as Wheelo began to speak to Vegeta once more.

"...I fail to see how you can find your own weakness and shortcomings amusing, Saiyan," Wheelo said in a deadly calm tone.

Vegeta calmed down as he wiped a tear away from his right eye, saying, "Oh, you haven't got a clue what you're up against. Even after spending time with those intoxicating Saiyan Cells in your body and experiencing its grandeur, you're just as foolish as the rest of the ignorant Earthlings. I'm going to enjoy this more than I should."

"Excuse me?" Wheelo inquired, believing that Vegeta has gone delusional or arrogant similarly when he was fighting Cell in his Perfect form.

Turning back to the other Z-Warriors, Vegeta said, "Stand back, clowns! You wouldn't want to be blown away by the greatness that you are about to witness. And Trunks, you better pay close attention. You hear me, boy?"

"Y-Yes sir!" The younger Saiyan Hybrid said as everybody else moved to high ground by using the elevated remains of the marble sphere that was used during Wheelo's battle with Gohan.

"I don't know where this unusually high level of bravado came from, but it matters not to me." Wheelo said as sparks of electricity began to dance around his body. "Because when I'm done with you, I'm going to personally deliver the severed heads of you and your child to that bitch you sired him with."

Vegeta chuckled darkly as he responded by saying, "...Oh, that's not likely, Interloper. After all, you're merely a pale imitation of the genuine article. And besides, that's not a true Super Saiyan...This is!"

"WHAT!?" Wheelo, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien at the same time.

Suddenly, a bright golden aura began to surround Vegeta as he began to produce a large amount of power in a mighty drawn-out roar with an Oozaru's roar overlapping his own. This was followed by blue electricity that danced around Vegeta's entire body as his muscle mass expanded while a mighty wind blew all throughout the island.

Everyone present on the island began to freak out from this massive amount of energy being produced.

Goten and Trunks began to hold each other for comfort as the ground shook. Videl did the same with Gohan, who was wincing at the energy's intensity.

Piccolo, Tien, Krillin, C-18, Pigero, and Upa did their best to keep stable and not tumble onto the quaking ground.

The power that he produced was so great that it caused the waves of the ocean to move aggressively, the weather all over the Earth to change, and the very planet itself had begun to shake violently.

As Vegeta overcame this new transformation, his hair began to grow up to his lower back. His eyebrows had faded as his forehead grew more defined. His eyes, while the irises still becoming teal, have now gained visible dark pupils.

When the transformation was done and the Earth stopped shaking, everybody was met with Vegeta's changed state in awe, bewilderment, and fear.

Wheelo, while not able to sense ki, felt the overwhelming presence that Vegeta's new form carried.

The stark white-haired Saiyan Hybrid, took a few steps back, visibly shaken by Super Saiyan Level Three Vegeta's power, which dwarfed his by leaps and bounds.

"W-What am I looking at, here!?" Wheelo whispered to himself while beads of bloodied sweat came down from the top of his forehead. "What is he!?"

"That's right, Interloper." A confident and deep-voiced Vegeta said with a dark smirk, sparking with power and radiating with immense power. "Bask upon the Royal Mane! For it will be the last thing that you'll see before I send you to hell!"

To Be Continued…

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With Gohan's defeat at the hands of the doctor and the sacrifice of Master Roshi failing, Vegeta steps in to lay down the law with a form beyond the Ascended Super Saiyan transformation. How will this fair against Super Saiyan Malice? Will Vegeta be the one to put an end to the madness? Or does Wheelo have something else up his sleeve? And what of the satellite that was supposed to denote? Find out what happens next Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!

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Author's Notes:

What's up everyone, DSG is back here with a chapter of PRIMAL.

Now, let's go over fanmade techniques!

日食のかめはめ波 (Nisshoku no Kamehameha) *Lit- "Solar Eclipse Kamehameha" (Eclipsing Kamehameha)- A blackened version of Goku's Super Kamehameha technique utilizing the evil ki of Super Saiyan Malice. While having the initial power of a Super Kamehameha, it has the added effect of damaging the target's nerves through the malefic energy used to fire the attack. This was created by Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo.

気の剣: モデル 正宗 (Ki no Tsurugi: Moderū Masamune) *Lit- "Spirit Sword: Model Masamune" (Masamune Blade)- This technique is a twisted reflection of Gohan's Kusanagi Sword construct that is made up of the energy of Super Saiyan Malice. This technique was created by Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo.

三日月-構え: 満月の 舞回天 (Mikazuki-gamae: Mangetsu no Mai Kaiten) *Lit- "Crescent Moon Stance: Heavenly Rotation Dance of the Full Moon" (Crescent Style: Full Moon Dance)- A technique that involves the user forming the Spirit Sword: Model Masamune. By wielding the ki blade construct, the user swipes the air while quickly rotating one hundred and eighty degrees. The power of the blade will form a cyclone of energy that is made of up various slashes and cuts created by the blade which will expand outwards and attack anybody within its radius in rapid succession before the technique ceases. This is a signature attack created by Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo. This attack is also known as 呪われた剣の舞踊 (Norowareta Ken no Buyō) *Lit- "Dance of the Cursed Sword".

月明かりの 金剛石 罠 (Tsukiakari no Kongōseki Wana) *Lit- "Moonlit Vajra Trap" (Moonlit Diamond Bind)- A restraining technique that involves the user forming a circular construct made of malefic energy. Upon doing so, the user fires it at the target, which they are momentarily restrained as the malevolent ki does internal damage to the target's body until they can no longer move or the technique subsides. This technique was created by Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo.

邪悪 死刑 (Jaaku Shikei) *Lit- "Wicked Death Penalty" (Wicked Execution)- Upon using the Masamune Blade, the user emits pulses of malefic energy into each thrust and swipe of the blade, carving into the targets flesh while the pulses courses through each wound. Once the flurry of attacks ceases, a delayed reaction will occur in the form of a powerful explosion that is supposed to incinerate the target. This technique was created by Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo.

Okay, on to the lore stuff.

Now before you guys start complaining about Vegeta's sudden jump from mastering SSL2 to begin able to go SSL3, hear me out. Vegeta's goal initially was to surpass Gohan's power from when he fought Cell. And he did this in canon. But because his goals and how he perceives himself are more in line with GT Vegeta (i.e. being curious about how far can he push his body and his power instead of comparing himself to other people), I believe that he could make greater progress. Plus, he managed to convince Gohan to keep training and training with his son. These elements are what led to Vegeta discovering Super Saiyan Level Three. Mind you, I've been hinting at him possessing Super Saiyan Level Three since he defeated Gohan right after the Cooler Saga. So, this was planned for ages, anyway.

Onwards, I've removed Yurin, Erasa, and Lime because let's be honest, they'd realistically would have been murdered by what's about to go down. Especially the next chapter.

Fun fact: Despite learning martial arts on his own, Wheelo doesn't know how to properly sense ki. So, he compensates by honing his sense of smell and hearing while improving his reflexes.

Next, Wheelo's current power. Now, aside from his unique abilities, Wheelo is stronger than most of the Z-Warriors combined. Even if Piccolo has Godly ki, it doesn't change the fact that he's weaker than Vegeta and Gohan right now. If Lazuli were to absorb his ki, it would eventually kill her as if she were poisoned to death. And the other character would simply be overwhelmed by him.

And as for how he got out of the jar after being sealed by the Mafuba, it's simple. Because his Jaki was spread across the island's atmosphere via his transformation, some of it leaked onto the ofuda as harmful particles and destroyed it. That released him, which basically killed Master Roshi for nothing.

This leads to the decision of sacrificing Master Roshi. Why did I do it? Well, it's time for a new generation to step up and defend the Earth. The grand theme of this saga is "Change". Whether you like it or not, whether you're ready or it, it's going to come. And I feel that this was the best way to give the old hermit a proper send-off.

Anyways, the next chapter will be the semi-finale to the Wheelo saga and the long-awaited form that I promised to all of you since the beginning of this story so don't miss out on it!

NOTICE: I HIGHLY recommend you reread Chapter 27, especially in the Sacred Realm scene where Shin talks about the ancient Saiyans. I've made a massive retcon that added more context about the Saiyans of old. It's important for the next chapter so please take a look at it and tell me what you think about the expanded lore by writing about it as a review of this chapter. I'd greatly appreciate it!

NOTICE II: I've just recently posted the first chapter of a Future Trunks-centered mini-series called "War of the XenoVerse". Please feel free to check that one out as well!

Anyway, please leave your comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who do you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.

Anyway, I'll see you guys later!

-DarkShadowGames451