NOTE: So, this WAS supposed to be the end. But this chapter would have been far too long otherwise, and I decided on a good stopping point. Next chapter WILL be the end of this mini arc, then we'll be getting into RoF.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 9: Reignite the Spark
Training fiercely on the planet of Lord Beerus, the Prince of all Saiyans sparred against his angelic instructor. His body was coated in the divine energy of his God form, having tapped into the power during his months spent training. His consecutive strikes were invisible to the untrained eye but for Whis, they were clear as day. The attendant dodged with the precise ease of a master practitioner. As they sparred, the master was enjoying a cup of ice cream as if the matter wasn't something to focus on.
Vegeta's temper flared hotly upon realizing that Whis was once again not taking him seriously. "Pay attention!" His leg would have connected had Whis not stopped it with a single touch of a finger. "Ah-"
"I am. But this ice cream is delicious~!" Whis hummed happily. With a flick of his finger, Vegeta spiraled through the air before crashing down into the dirt. "And remember to not lose focus."
Sitting down underneath a tree with her own bucket of ice cream was Fami. She raised a small flag with Whis' face, waving it around. "And the 12th round goes to Whis!" Fami announced with her usual bored tone.
The Super Saiyan God energy faded away, while Vegeta struggled to pick himself back up. "Again! I can still go for another round!"
Whis lowered himself down to the ground. He finished up his sweet cold cup in one last audible gulp. "Oh~! I'll have to give one of these to Lord Beerus later when he wakes up… or I could keep them to myself."
An irritated growl emerged from the prince. "I said-"
"I heard you." Whis cuts him off. "Our training for the day is finished. You've made progress; however, you'll get nowhere in furthering your mastery of God KI by using nothing but brute force. Until you figure that out, we won't continue our sparring." He walks past Vegeta to reach the Famine Devil. "Mind giving me another one of those delectable cups?"
"Sure." She spawns in another cup to hand to Whis.
"Thank you, dear." Whis smiles and pops open the lid quickly. He dabs the spoon into the cold chunky mound and plops it into his mouth. Little hearts and sparks dance around him to show his pleasure.
"So, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Vegeta asked.
"Chores." Whis answered. The attendant turns away to leave the courtyard. "The bathrooms could use some scrubbing, hoho! Be sure to finish cleaning them by the end of the day!"
"Tch…!" Vegeta clicks his tongue. He moves over to the trees to get a better resting spot, plopping down next to Fami. He feels a poke to his sides and sees Fami offering him a frozen cup.
"Want one?"
There was a tiny huff between his lips, but the prince accepted the offer. As he digs into the delicious treat, he reflects on the current stagnation of his progress. Tapping back into the Super Saiyan God form had taken a lot of time, more than he had liked to admit, but it was manageable under Whis' instruction. However, he's been struggling to maintain the form in a permanent state similar to his Super Saiyan forms.
At the moment, ten minutes was his limit. A frustrating limit that's been hindering his growth far too much.
"What am I missing?" Vegeta wondered.
"Goku."
"What?!" Vegeta whips his head at Fami, who was still mostly focused on her ice cream. "Are you implying something?"
"Hm? Not really. I'm just saying that if Goku were here, he'd figure out your problem pretty quickly."
"And what would Kakarot possibly be able to figure out? It's not like the idiot is even here. I doubt he's even figured out how to tap back into the Super Saiyan God form." Vegeta scoffed.
"True, but Whis is also giving him the same test he did you. And knowing my brother-in-law…"
It was only a matter of time before the buffoon found his way here to gain the tutelage of Whis as well, Vegeta realized. No matter how many times he's either closed the gap or jumped ahead, Kakarot would return the favor in a heartbeat. Frustration grew within him at the mere idea of his rival showing up months late and catching up so quickly. If he wants his quest of strength to continue unhindered, then he'll have to figure out this problem pronto.
Standing back up, Vegeta tightened his gloves. "As if I'll just sit idly like a confused child and give Kakarot the opportunity to pass me up again! I'm going to master this God KI before he ever steps foot on this planet!"
"That's good and all, but don't you have chores to do?" Fami reminds him.
His eyebrow twitches. "Shut the hell up! I don't need a lazy demon like you to remind me of that!"
"Okay."
Vegeta rolled his eyes, remembering that yelling at her accomplished nothing. There was no point in getting upset at someone who could never give a damn about anything outside of a plate of food. He walks off towards the long tree tower that housed the God of Destruction to complete his assigned chores.
The Famine Devil continued to rest peacefully underneath the shade of the tree. "That's my good deed done for the day." She knew the prince would struggle to progress unless some form of a tangible goal stood in his reach. Her brother-in-law's mere existence was always a good motivator. Setting down her empty cup, Fami shuffled into a comfortable position. "And now for my nap time."
Before drifting off to sleep, she wondered how Goku's preparation for his test was coming along.
"This is a problem", Makima came to realize.
These last 48-hours in preparation for the final confrontation with Bambina had been hectic with the men putting everything they had into training. Progress had been slow at the start with the Heavenly Kings struggling to gain a proper understanding of 'Enbu', and from her own hypothesis they realistically wouldn't have even completed it in the short time span they had if not for her husband. He was the biggest component to the equation that gave them the answers they seeked. One of the things she admired the most about her darling was his ability to inspire and motivate the ones around him. Just watching him train and push himself to achieve greater heights of power encouraged those around him to surpass their own limits.
For the Heavenly Kings, who operated on instincts similar to animals, just her darling's mere presence pushed their bodies to surpass that. Those who call themselves 'King' must stand at the top of the food chain, so when someone who challenges that appears in front of them, they must overcome that challenge with extreme evolution.
But they were not the problem that was bothering her at the moment, it was her darling. His training of learning 'Enbu' had shown not a single bit of progress. Kaka had instructed them both to approach 'Enbu' through the use of meditation and mental training to align all of the cells in their body. In her own case, mastering this technique barely took a day since nobody has a better understanding of their own body than her. But her darling did not possess an advantage such as that and was struggling to align his body in perfect symmetry.
The idea behind Kaka's method was for her darling to not only align his body perfectly but to also call upon the divine power lying dormant within him. Using the ritual was impossible since that would require the kids, Gohan, Videl, and Vegeta, options that weren't available at the moment. Not everything was hopeless since she believed she had reached a conclusion last night.
"Disconnected?" Goku repeated at his wife. All of them (Minus Zebra) were sitting around a campfire. Three of the four kings were still holding onto their Pill Bugs as they listened to the Control Devil.
"Yes, I theorize that the reason you're struggling so much with 'Enbu' is because your body and spirit are vastly disconnected." Makima explained.
"But 'Enbu' is more about aligning all of the cells within one's body to move at the same time. How's Goku's spirit connected to any of this?" Toriko asked.
"Darling is a martial artist, unlike the rest of you, he's spent his entire life honing his physical body to reach the absolute peak of its potential. He's pushed his body past its limit far more times than I can count to reach this level of strength."
Coco saw the angle Makima was getting at. "I get it. You're saying that Goku's put far more stock into his physical attributes rather than his spiritual one."
"Exactly." Makima nodded.
"That makes sense." Goku hums, crossing his arm. A lot of his training throughout his life revolved around increasing his physical strength. His Saiyan heritage greatly benefited from all of that as well. The only time he could remember having his mental and spiritual aspects pushed over his physical was when he was training with Kami. He learned meditation and focusing on the spirit, but he never liked doing it. Sitting around when he could be actively moving his body seemed boring back then. And it's not like he completely forewent meditation; he just doesn't do it much.
Looks like that was a mistake on his part, one that he'll have to correct.
"Alright! Thanks, Makima!" Goku gives his wife a swift kiss. "I'll get right to it!"
"Unfortunately, I don't believe we have the time." Kaka interrupts. "From my understanding, it would seem that for Goku's 'Enbu', he'll have to put less focus on his cells and into his spirit. However, we have no means of gauging just how distant the gap is between his spirit and body at the moment." She looks the Saiyan in the eyes. "We only have a limited time for this training to be complete."
"Kaka's right. Waiting for Goku to catch up would waste the time we have to save Komatsu. At this point, it'll be best if we put yours on the backburner for now." Toriko advises.
"Nah, it's all good." Goku shrugs.
"You're not bothered?" Sunny asked, surprised.
"No way! This is just another challenge that I'll overcome! If getting my spirit up to speed in time is going to help me figure out how to use Super Saiyan God on my own, then I have no reason to be discouraged! Whether it's now or later, I'll get there!" Goku gets up, punching his fist into his palm. "Let's get back to training!"
And that is what led to the situation they were currently in. Her darling spent this entire second day training his spirit in preparation, but no results had been made. It was unfortunate, but the way he is now shouldn't pose too much of an issue in the battle against the Monkey King.
BOOM!
Makima turned away from the little pink penguin she was playing with to pay attention to the loud commotion happening on the other end of the field. With 'Enbu' now under their belts, the Four Heavenly Kings were ready to face Bambina alongside her husband. Of course, such accomplishments would be useless if they weren't put into practice before the big fight. Which led to her husband challenging them all to a sparring match. He transformed into his Super Saiyan 2 form to see just how much their evolution compared. She had also warned him to not go into Super Saiyan 3 and draw unnecessary attention.
"Jet Nail Gun!" Toriko's fist crashed against Goku's guard. The Saiyan felt his body compress from the force, blasting him through several sections of the field. He flipped upwards to avoid a Leg Knife from the blue-haired hunter and countered with a quick punch to his sternum. Toriko skidded along the rocky surface.
"Nice new moves, Toriko! You're way stronger than you were before!" Goku exclaimed.
"Mold Spear!" Goku spun around, generating a barrier of KI along his arm to block Coco's poison spear. The two broke into a repetition of clashes that shattered the ground beneath them. Coco jabbed his spear against his chest, then pulled back his arm. "Heat Poison Cannon!"
Goku released a burst of KI that deflected Coco's poison; however, this leaves him open for the poison master's arrow to strike his chest. The Saiyan feels his breathing constricting slightly from the effects of Coco's poison. "Don't worry! I'm not using anything lethal!" Coco exclaimed as he leapt forward to kick the Super Saiyan across his face.
"Man… this poison stuff is pretty tough!" Goku grins. He adjusts his breathing to accommodate the poison in his body. "Doesn't matter how tough I am if I end up getting hit by it!"
"Poison boomerang!" Coco continues his attack by launching a plethora of solidified poison boomerangs at Goku. To his surprise, Goku vanishes from sight to appear right in front of him. A gut-wrenching punch folds Coco over, followed by a kick that sends him spiraling through a boulder.
"Spatula of the Demon King!" Goku is smashed into the ground by a large multicolored fist made of Sunny's hair. The beauty-obsessed king leaps into the air. "Those two aren't your only opponents!"
"Heh! Of course! This battle wouldn't be fun otherwise-huh?" Goku blinked when he realized he couldn't move his body.
"Hair Marionette!" Sunny revealed his technique. "My strands of hair are small enough to enter my opponent's body to take control of their movements." The rest of his strands form into an even larger fist than before. "Now, here's another Spatula of the Demon King!"
"Take control, huh? It's a good thing I've experienced a similar ability plenty of times!" Goku declared as he thought of his wife. "HYAHH!" His aura erupts, pushing against the strands of hair that have taken over his body. Goku's hands catch Sunny's powerful attack and is pushed back slightly by the force.
"What?!" Sunny cried.
"HAAAAH!" A burst of energy swallows the hair-obsessed king in a huge explosion that sends him flying across the field. Goku releases a breath as he feels his body come back under his control. Suddenly, a crackling of noise could be heard above him.
"Thunder Noise!"
Lightning-like energy rains down on the Saiyan, trapping him in a dangerous cage of static. Goku cries out as the energy burns across his form. His eyes could see the noisiest of the kings glaring down at him from the top of the hill.
"Don't get cocky, because you beat those three back! You're still dealing with me!" Zebra opened his mouth wide. "Laser Voice!" A laser-like wave of noise collides with the stunned fighter, resulting in a loud explosion. Instead of celebrating, Zebra reacts to the twitching of his ear, spins around and transforms his fist into a black appendage. "Fist of the Grim Reaper!"
"HYAH!" Goku shouts with equal force.
Their clash results in another loud explosion that shakes the mountain. The two trade fierce blows with equal enthusiasm. Goku uppercuts the king, then bashes him away with a punch to his chest. He lunges after Zebra, who spins around with his jaws wide open. "Supersonic Voice Cutter!"
Goku only had a millisecond to dodge the onslaught of near-invisible blade-like attacks to avoid getting turned into sushi. He increases his speed and lands a spinning kick that knocks Zebra into the ground. As if the attack meant nothing, Zebra emerges with a loud shout that blows Goku back.
As he tried to regain his balance, a reinforced fist of hair smashed into his back, followed by multiple shots of non-lethal poison, and a sonic cannon blast blowing him into the mountain. Goku coughed loudly, reeling from the consecutive round of blows that left him stunned. His eyes widened at the sight of Toriko's bulging fist coming straight at him.
"80-Hit Nail Punch!" Toriko roared, his fist connecting with Goku's chest. Due to the nature of his technique, a consecutive round of hits continued to hit Goku repeatedly. He cried loudly as he was blasted through the mountain's rocky surface. A huge explosion came afterwards once the final hit finished.
It didn't take long for Goku to return to the field, floating in the air above them with heavy breaths. A large smile formed along the goofball's face as he looked at his sparring partners. "Alright! You guys are definitely making this match hard to win! I think we can finish the warmup and kick it up a notch!" Goku prepared to transform into his next evolution until a silvery chain wrapped around his neck. Suddenly, the savior of the universe was slammed face first into the ground, his Super Saiyan form fading away into his regular spiky hair.
"I think that's enough for now, darling." Makima interrupted, walking into view with the pink penguin, Kaka, and Iai-Aye following her.
Zebra glared at the Control Devil. "What the hell is your problem? It was just getting good!"
"Considering what our main objective is, it would be imperative that you five don't wear yourself out before facing Bambina." Makima explained.
"Makima is correct. This sparring match was just to make sure that you all could maintain using 'Enbu' in the midst of battle. All things considered, you did well with the short time given to you." Kaka reviewed their performance.
Toriko clenched his fingers. "You're right. Once I got a grasp on 'Enbu', it felt like my entire body could recall every last detail of my life. Every second, every feeling, every last taste of the meals I've had were all brought on at once. I've never felt so connected to my own appetite than now."
"Goku was a good sparring partner. When he fights, he's attacking with a level of effort that we wouldn't get from just fighting any random creature." Coco said.
"As hardheaded as he is, his power and skills make him just as dangerous as the Eight Kings." Sunny added.
"Letting our guards down even once would mean certain defeat. To make sure we can be proper playmates for Bambina, we have to be able to match him beat for beat." Toriko concludes.
"If you understand that much then the training is done. All that's left is for you all to rest up and prepare yourselves mentally for the battle ahead. Tomorrow, you'll be the Monkey King." Kaka explained.
Goku recovered from his fall, pulling his head out of the ground. He shakes the dirt and rocks out of his head and sees his wife release her chains. The Saiyan frowns at Makima. "Hey, give me a warning next time, Makima! I could have been hurt!"
"Darling, if something like that was enough to hurt you, then I would have killed you all those years ago." Makima chuckles with a roll of her eyes. "You were getting ahead of yourself again when this was supposed to be just a sparring match."
With a sheepish smile, he scratches the back of his head. "Oh yeah! Hehe! Sorry about that!"
Toriko walks over to them with a soft smile. "If it'll make you feel better, we can have a battle between us after we've saved Komatsu."
"Really?! Awesome!" Goku exclaimed.
"And after getting you a new arm." Makima reminds the hunter.
"Oh right." Toriko remembered that he was still down an arm. Thankfully, the lack of an appendage didn't hamper him too much in the battle. Though he did remember the process that happened the last time he lost an arm. Hopefully, he could figure out an alternative that was less time consuming and painful. "If it wasn't for the sensation of Century Soup, I'd likely have never gotten my arm back last time. Maybe if I eat PAIR, it'll stimulate my Gourmet Cells to regrow me another arm."
"Maybe a Senzu Bean could help? If only we had some on us." Goku frowned when he looked at his friend's state.
"I doubt it." Makima muttered. Those beans could heal a lot of stuff, but a missing limb was not one of them.
"Regardless, we all know what's on the line and what we have to do." Zebra huffed, crossing his arms.
"Yeah! Time to eat up and rest for tomorrow!" Toriko clenched his fist. "We're gonna hit the Monkey King with everything we've got and rip his balls right off of him!"
"...You could have worded it better." Sunny gagged.
The next morning, everyone had a hearty breakfast thanks to the combined effort of Kaka and Makima. After finishing the delicious meal, the kings left to give their final regards to the comatose Komatsu while Goku waited outside for them. Makima stands next to her husband with her usual charming smile. "Darling."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think the twins are worried? We've been gone for three days." Makima said.
"Why would they be?" Goku wondered.
"We're in a completely different dimension, which means they can't sense our energy. I'm sure they must be afraid that something bad has happened to us." There was a bit of worry laced in her tone.
Goku gives her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure they're okay. They have Gohan and Videl watching over them, so I'm sure they're keeping a good eye on the kids." He holds her close, rubbing her side gently. "Even then, that just means we have to get home safe and sound."
Makima rested her head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. "Yes, and I'll even make a special dinner as an apology for being gone so long. Perhaps there are some other creatures here we can take back as ingredients."
"Sounds good to me! I always look forward to your cooking!" Goku laughs.
Watching them silently from the top of the Den Shark was Kaka. The female Nitro stared at them with narrowed eyes. These two humans(?) intrigued her greatly, their powers and skills were unlike anything that existed in this world. However, that same strength will prove beneficial in this upcoming match with Bambina. Though she wished that she could bear witness to the divine spirit that exists within Goku, such a power that reminded her so much of GOD. Even after they explained it; it still didn't make sense to her in the least bit.
Soon enough, Toriko and the kings exited the shark to greet the others. The blue-haired hunter raised his fist. "Alright! We're ready to head to the top of the mountain!"
"Good. I'll be staying here to keep an eye on the train and Komatsu. You boys have only one chance to succeed at this, so good luck." Makima informed them.
"Thanks again, Makima." Toriko nods at her. "Next time you see us, we'll be coming back with PAIR."
Kaka touched down to lead the group. "Follow me, we'll need to head there quickly." As the kings followed the Nitro, Goku gave his wife one last look.
"We'll be back, Makima!" Goku waves.
"Good luck, darling. Don't get yourself killed again."
"Hehe-"
"Seriously." She glares lightly, spooking him a bit.
"R-right…!" Goku rubs the back of his head.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, a strange sight greeted Goku and co. Resting upon the flat rocky surface was a huge wrestling ring. Toriko blinked at the sight. "A wrestling ring?! Where's the Monkey King?!"
"Above us." Goku alerts them, pointing upwards. The kings and Kaka looked up to see something was coming down at an alarming rate. The unidentified object crashes down into the middle of the ring which miraculously suffered no damage from the crash. The smoke cleared to reveal the Monkey King was fast asleep.
"Eh?! He's sleeping?!" Goku exclaimed.
"Where the hell did, he even come from?!" Sunny asked.
"Space." Kaka answered.
"Space?!"
"Yes, sometimes he likes to take naps in the void of space where not a sound can disrupt him." Kaka explained.
"Sleeping in space?! Wow! I've never considered trying anything like that!" Goku rubs his chin in thought. If he could figure out how to breathe in space, then could he try taking a nap out there?
"Look alive, guys!" Coco warned them. Everyone gave their attention back to the ring to see the Monkey King snap awake like the flick of a switch. His large wide eyes stared at the familiar faces of the humans that he had defeated a few days ago. Bambina could sense an increase of strength coming from the group, growing the seed of hope that they'll be able to entertain him.
"Don't blink! Here he comes!" Toriko warned the others.
A tiny drip of saliva falls from the monkey's mouth.
Within the millisecond that passed before it could touch the bottom, the Monkey King initiated the same games it had played with the five before. Thanks to their 'Enbu' training, the Four Kings were able to best Bambina in each of the games they failed to comprehend before. In the case of Goku, he transformed into a Super Saiyan instantly and pinned the Monkey King onto the ring.
"Got ya!" Goku grinned at the stunned monkey. He was so stunned by their performance that he didn't even realize that he had been pinned for a whole three seconds. Goku released the Monkey King, powering down back to his base form. "Surprised you, didn't we? Hehe!"
Toriko walked up to stand next to the Saiyan. "A normal human can't play around with a tiger. Even if the tiger is just trying to have fun, the human is likely to get killed. Sorry, that we couldn't be good playmates before. But this time we're here to play, so how about it? What do you want to play next?" Toriko asked the Monkey King.
A strange look passed through the Monkey King's eyes, almost like he was reliving some kind of memory as Toriko's words sunk into his heart. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted behind them, and they all turned to see a huge horde of monkeys gathering around the peak.
"What the hell?! Why are the monkeys gathering here?!" Toriko exclaimed.
Kaka's eyes widened, slapping herself for forgetting something so crucial. "Blast it! It's as I thought, this ring is meant for a festival! They're not coming here to see a 'game', but a serious match where Bambina can go all out!"
"What kind of festival are we talking about here?" Coco asked.
"The type where the entertainment is a battle to the death!" Kaka revealed to the shocked fighters. "This festival was designed as a test for masters of 'Enbu' to challenge the Monkey King and earn the right to take the throne as one of the Eight Kings. That lust for power changed this festival from one of fun to one of domination. The eyes of all 5 billion inhabitants will be watching to see who comes out on top."
"A-a serious match?! Doesn't Bambina just want playmates?!" Toriko asked, growing worried.
"We're not after the seat of the Eight Kings either!" Sunny added.
"Unfortunately, it would seem that the Monkey King wishes for a match such as this." Kaka points their eyes to the king of monkeys, the creature was staring at them, waiting for them to step into the ring. "Though the type of game changes every festival, this time he specifically chose a fighting ring."
"How come?" Goku asked.
"Because of you." Kaka answered.
"EH?!" They cried.
"Finding someone like you who could trade equal blows may have interested him far more than the others. But now that these four have bested him in games, his attention now spreads to you all." Kaka answered.
"That's good and all but…" Toriko looked over to see Coco was struggling to stand up. It had taken a lot of energy for him to avoid getting his legs torn off like before. They were still having to concentrate their Enbu to avoid falling victim to the mountain's gravity. The only one that's still at full strength was-
"Alright!" Goku interrupts Toriko's train of thought by jumping into the ring. "If that's the case, then it's time to get this battle started!"
"Goku!" Toriko yelled.
"What are you doing?! Get back here!" Sunny called for him.
"No way! You guys are still exhausted, yeah? You'll need some time to catch your breaths!" Goku turns back to address them. "Besides, the Monkey King made this ring because he's interested in fighting me! Therefore, it would be rude to keep him waiting!"
Sunny recoiled. "T-this guy…! He's not focused on the situation at all! He just wanted an excuse to hog the fighting all to himself!"
"Don't get cocky, dumbass! As strong as you are, fighting him alone is stupid!" Zebra shouted.
"I'm not cocky, just excited." Goku replied. Unknown to his friends, Goku could feel the extent of the Monkey King's power lying dormant inside of him. He knew that even after these two days of training, the four kings were nowhere close enough to face Bambina in a serious battle. "It's as if he's hiding something beneath the skin. Just thinking about it is getting me more and more excited! I want to see it! The full strength of the Monkey King!"
"Goku-"
"No." Kaka stopped Toriko. "This might work in our favor."
"How come?" Coco asked.
"Remember what I explained a few nights ago? The best method of obtaining PAIR is when the Monkey King is at his most excited in the heat of his games. If Goku can accomplish that feat and create an opening, then you four will have to move in and grab PAIR."
"So, we're using him as a distraction?" Sunny muttered.
"Yes."
"If that's our best shot… then fine!" Toriko looked up at Goku. "Give it everything you've got, Goku!"
"Leave it to me!" Goku responded, giving them a thumbs up.
Seeing that his opponent was finally ready for battle, Bambina started dancing in the middle of the ring. Below, his testicles started glowing a bright light, releasing a wave of energy all over the mountain. Toriko and the others could feel the wave washing over them, healing their fatigue and returning them back to full strength.
"Woah…" Goku muttered, mesmerized by the sight.
"The Bell of PAIR… I see, the Monkey King is truly excited for this battle." Kaka muttered.
Outside of the ring, an orangutan slapped a mallet against a golden bell to signal the beginning of the festival. Goku understood the sign and took a deep breath to block out all of the loud noise surrounding them. The only thing he needed to be focused on now was his opponent standing across from him. "This time I'm kicking it up a notch from the start! No sneak attacks are going to end this fight! HYAH!" Light a switch, the power of the ascended Super Saiyan exploded to life. "Let's give this everything we've got, Bambina!"
"KIIII! KIIII!" Bambina screeched, excitedly.
Blink and you'll miss it as they always say.
That's exactly how Toriko and the others felt once the battle began. Goku and Bambina had practically vanished from sight, nowhere visible in the ring. The first to notice where they were was Zebra, his hearing having picked up on the noise of battle. A few seconds later the rest of their senses took their attention to the sky to see Goku and Bambina were stuck in a brutal storm of blows.
Goku's attacks were beating down heavily on the Monkey King without missing a beat. He struck the king back down towards the ring. Bambina pressed his palms against the rubbery material and brought his legs down close to his chest. Goku, who was chasing down, expected the king to jump at him. However, Bambina chose to release a powerful horse kick that generated a sonic boom just from the speed. Luckily, Goku reacted in time to block the attack but was still sent soaring backwards. Bambina vanished once more thanks to his speed to catch the Saiyan from behind.
As if expecting it, Goku increased his own speed to avoid the Monkey King's kick. Bambina gasped in shock before feeling a searing hot pain against his back. A KI blast exploded against his skin to send him barreling through the air. Using Instant Transmission, Goku ping-ponged the Monkey King around the air. Bambina clapped his hands to generate another sonic boom to disrupt the Saiyan's attack. He then grabbed Goku's legs and flung him back down into the ring.
Goku flipped out of the way to avoid getting stomped on by the Monkey King. The two clasped hands, remaining in a standstill that shook the very mountain. They were smiling at each other, clearly enjoying the pressure of the battle.
"Incredible! Even without 'Enbu', he's fighting the Monkey King on equal ground! But still, he needs to keep this momentum if we are to obtain PAIR!" Kaka thought, greedily.
The stalemate was broken by Bambina bending backwards, lifting Goku into the air. Shock stunned the Saiyan long enough to be slammed face first into the ring's floor. His leg was grabbed a second later, and Bambina swung him around before throwing Goku into the ropes. The ropes stretched incredibly far then flung Goku back to be greeted by a nasty lariat that smashed him into the floor.
Bambina's grin is broken by Goku's legs wrapping around his neck. Goku flips over to spin the monkey into the floor roughly. Then smashes his heel into Bambina's face, cracking the ring's floor just from the impact. He picks Bambina up by his neck and throws him into the ropes, stretching them out like he had. "Time to return the favor, Turtle School Style!" Goku takes the stance of his signature technique. "Ka! Me! Ha! Me!"
Bambina is flung right back at him at blinding speeds, his eyes growing wide at the growing ball of energy between Goku's palms. The Saiyan waited until Bambina was right in front of him to unleash his attack. "HAAAAAAAA!"
A mighty explosion occurred, damn near blowing everyone off the peak of the mountain. Toriko held onto Kaka to keep her from flying off. Once the dust settled their eyes widened at seeing Goku standing over Bambina's downed body. Thankfully, the Monkey King was still alive and was struggling to get up.
Toriko released Kaka and started rushing towards the stage. "In a state like that, there's no way that the Monkey King can stop us from grabbing his balls!" He calls out to Goku. "Goku! Hold him down! We need to take PAIR!"
"Toriko, wait!" Kaka yelled, but the hunter wasn't listening.
"Huh?! Oh yeah, that was the point…" Goku remembered the original objective. He acted quickly, holding down the Monkey King by pinning him to the floor. Toriko leaped over the ropes and stood right over the monkey's legs.
"Sorry, Monkey King, but PAIR is-" Right as Toriko was about to grab the legendary PAIR, a scent entered his nostrils. The hunter's extraordinary sense of smell was sensitive to the fragrance of powerful ingredients, thus, just the scent rolling off of PAIR at this exact moment threw his Gourmet Cells into a frenzy.
Kaka realized this too late. "Oh no…!"
"What's happening to Toriko?! Why did he freeze up?!" Sunny demanded to know.
"His Gourmet Cells are reacting to the scent of PAIR! They must be trying to repair the damage of his missing arm, throwing his 'Enbu' off completely!" Coco realized.
"D-dammit!" Toriko cursed. His Appetite Demon was attempting to take over in response to the close proximity of PAIR. "N-not now! Calm down!" His hand inched closer and closer to PAIR with each second that passed.
"NO, STOP! IT'S NOT TIME!" Kaka tried to warn. "GOKU, STOP TORIKO!"
"Huh?" The Saiyan was confused by the change of orders. But he decided to trust Kaka's judgement at the moment. He released Bambina to push Toriko away, however it was far too late. The hunter's hand grasps the testicles of the Monkey King.
BA-BUMP!
Time came to a standstill as the sound of a heartbeat echoed through the peak. An explosion occurred afterwards, knocking Goku and Toriko into the other side of the ring. All were as frozen as the tundra as an overwhelming downpour of bloodlust swallowed the continent. The smoke from the explosion cleared away to unveil the significant change Bambina had undergone.
All of the webbing around his body and his fur turned from long and ruffled to short and sleek. His mouth area also lost its patterned appearance and his ears, revealed to be small and rounded, are shown to be atop his head. His fur gained a brighter color tone as opposed to its original dark color. He also has notable skin flaps beneath his arms, which makes him resemble a flying squirrel-like primate. He is now a very skinny and frail-looking monkey of small stature.
Every single monkey that had come for the festival ran away in terror, leaving only the kings, Kaka, and Goku to stand against the silent monkey.
"What the hell is this guy?" Toriko muttered in shock.
Bambina's head silently snapped to their direction; his eyes boring into Goku. There was a slight shift in the air, as quiet as a leaf fluttering, and that was the only warning he needed. Goku pushed Toriko out of the way as Bambina's fist enlarged itself and smashed right into him with megaton force. Goku felt his consciousness fade to black as he was blasted far off the mountain in the blink of an eye.
"GOKU!" Toriko cried. His attention snapped back to the Monkey King with horror and caution. "Just what the hell just happened?!"
"He took it off." Toriko looked over to see that the other three had joined him in the ring. Zebra glared at the freakish monkey. "During his scuffle with Goku, I could feel the vibrations coming off of him. As if there was a second layer to his skin. Whatever it is, this is likely his true form."
Bambina smiled at them. This action was more than enough to cause their left arms to transform into that of their Appetite Demons. The mountain's gravity took hold of their arms, dragging them down, and allowing the kings to avoid a fatal blow from Bambina's tail. The shockwave of Bambina's attack could be felt all over the planet.
Toriko was confused for a moment before realizing what had happened. "Our 'Enbu' fell apart, because of the demons taking over. As bad as that could be, for once, it saved us from getting killed." Getting their 'Enbu' back under control, the Heavenly Kings faced off against the angry monkey. "This guy… he's in a whole different league than before. And I'm not sure how far he must have knocked Goku away."
"We'll have to stall him until Goku gets back to assist us." Coco said.
"Gets back?" Zebra glared at his brothers. "What the hell are you three shitting your pants for?! Are you a hunter or prey?! We don't need that orange monkey here to survive this! Right now, is where the real fight begins!" Zebra cracked his knuckles. "If you were to die today, what's the last thing you'd wanna eat?"
Blown away by his words, the four came to the realization that Zebra was correct. They had become so reliant on Goku's power that they neglected their own roles in this ecosystem. This was their battle too, even before Goku and Makima had appeared! They're Gourmet Hunters and one hell of an ingredient was standing right before them!
"Thanks, Zebra!" Toriko shouted. "The one thing that I want to eat right now…"
"...IS PAIR!" The four declared simultaneously.
"If we want a chance to survive this, then we'll have to move completely in sync! Combine our 'Enbu' and strike together!" Sunny declared.
"Let's do this…! Together, all four of us make up 240 trillion united cells!" The Four Heavenly Kings charged towards Bambina to capture PAIR.
As their epic battle waged, Kaka watched with a dark expression. "With the Monkey King in his true form, they have no chance at winning now. Therefore…" Her expression turned down the mountain where the Den Shark was. She quietly exited the peak, sliding down the hill to reach the disembodied shark train. Stepping inside, Kaka stared down at the comatose Komatsu, her eyes scanned the area to see that Makima was nowhere in sight. "It would seem that Bambina's awakening must have scared her off. No bother." As she reached forward, Komatsu suddenly woke up with wide blank eyes. Kaka flinched back, baffled by how the dying cook could even sit up without a heart.
Suddenly, his body and the medical pod melted into a puddle of purple poison. "What?!"
"I have to admit, you almost managed to fool me there."
Kaka spun around to see Makima standing in the entryway with Komatsu's body floating next to her, wrapped in chains. The Control Devil smiled devilishly at the Nitro. "To think you'd be willing to trick us all into obtaining PAIR for you, my, my, such a daring plan."
"How did you…?"
"Figure it out? I'll be honest, I already had my suspicions about you from the moment we met, but it was really thanks to Coco figuring out the truth behind 'Enbu'. I'll have to give him my thanks after this is over." Makima snapped her fingers, and Kaka was pulled from her spot and into her direction. She moved out the way to let the Nitro barrel across the ground. "There's a reason I needed to keep information away from you and wished to keep close to Komatsu's body."
Kaka picked herself up off the ground. "Keep information? You were more than happy to talk all about the divine spirit your husband possesses."
"Only, because I figured you had some information to gain from risking it. Yet, you still have no idea who we truly are, do you?" Makima's smile pissed off the Nitro even further. "You seemed far too interested in teaching 'Enbu' to us out of the goodness of your heart. Trust me, I know all about manipulation to get what you want. Unfortunately, you made one tiny, little mistake."
Kaka's eyes narrowed. "And what's that?"
"You looked me in the eyes." Makima answered, coldly, her eyes flashing briefly.
"...GRAH!" Kaka lost her temper, dashing straight for the Control Devil. "I'll have to deal with those treacherous hunters before Bambina kills them later! For now, I'll devour you and send you to greet your husband in hell!"
Makima's eyes flashed once more when Kaka was inches from grabbing her. The Nitro's eyes went wide as she felt her insides twist in unbearable manners. Her body followed her contorting organs as they were moved into the direction of the ground. She screamed painfully, twisting and turning. "I do have to thank you for teaching me about 'Enbu'. This ability to manipulate the cells in my own body is child's play, but taking control of the individual cells in someone else was a different manner entirely. A new avenue that I hadn't realized before, so I'll be sure to put this to good use."
"Y-you…!" Kaka spats pitifully.
"Careful, I still need you alive for the moment. There's some information that you likely have that may prove beneficial to me, so I'll be taking a peek into your mind. Apologies if it causes you to lose your sanity." Makima slowly approaches with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Kaka could feel a sense of fear building inside of her the closer Makima got. "And for the record…"
Kaka screamed when Makima gripped her head by the fur, raising her head to meet the Devil's eyes. "My darling is far from finished."
As he lay buried in rubble, his Super Saiyan form gone, Son Goku could see something that was only visible to him. A bright burning source of power that warmed the cold feeling of the mountain. It was familiar, yet foreign all at the same time. His body called for that heat as if it were the missing piece of the puzzle.
A puzzle? Yeah, that's what he felt like.
His body felt like a puzzle that had been missing a crucial piece. His training to use 'Enbu' called for that piece, but he just couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked.
What was it? What was that piece?
If that's the case, then give up and accept that you've hit a limit you can never overcome!
Lord… Beerus?
Had he hit his limit?
Get stronger, darling, but I don't think you need me to tell you that.
No way! Not yet! Not when there's such a strong opponent right in front of him!
Any wall, regardless of the form it takes, was an obstacle that existed to be overcome! He never allowed it to stop him before and he won't start now!
SPARK!
That burning source of power grew even stronger with the strengthening of his determination. Goku reached forward, grabbing that heat with his hands, festering it to mix within his soul. The power that had shown him that his world-his universe-was far bigger than he thought resurged like a rejuvenated flame.
Goku's eyes snapped open, changing from their black hue to a bright crimson.
They failed.
Their plan of using the true form of 'Enbu' to please the Monkey King had been going well. Thanks to Coco's research of the ancient ruins prior to their first encounter with Bambina, the Four Kings had managed to keep pace in the battle. Unfortunately, the very last part of the dance had been forgotten, unknown to the four as the dance reached its end. Bambina's anger skyrocketed, his body bulging with muscle mass alongside his power.
"GOAAAAAA!" Bambina roared; the mountain quaked in fear of his might.
"WE FAILED!" The four jumped back to avoid getting swallowed by Bambina's jaws. Bambina's head lodged itself into the ground, making him look like a peacock. While he was busy getting himself unstuck, the Gourmet Hunters tried to regroup.
"What the hell?! He's trying to eat us?!" Sunny screamed.
"Is he upset because the dance wasn't completed?!" Coco wondered.
"Damn! We forgot how Bambina's the problem child of the Eight Kings! He's throwing a temper tantrum!" Toriko realized.
"Looks like we'll just have to take PAIR the old fashion way!" Zebra declared, building up a burst of energy in his throat. "Explosive Echo Voice!" A devastating shockwave echoed across the mountain, stunning the Monkey King.
"This is our chance! Combine and hit him all at once!" Toriko ordered. The Kings transformed their left arms, charging forward together. "Eat this, Monkey King…!"
Their combo attack smashed right into the monkey's stomach. "FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS TRUE FIST!"
Unfortunately, their attack did nothing to the furious monster. Bambina opened his jaw wide to devour them whole. Toriko and co. split off to avoid getting eaten. "Don't stop! Keep combining until we can take him down!"
"Four Heavenly Kings Super Sonic Voice Cutter!"
"Four Heavenly Kings Mold Spear Wild Dance!"
"Four Heavenly-"
"GOAAAAAAA!" Bambina tore through them like they were butter, scattering the four across the ground. He tore a chunk of the ground apart, nearly splitting the mountain in half. Sunny used his hair to keep himself from falling inside, which left him open for Bambina to strike.
"Jet Fork!" Toriko blocked him off, thrusting a drill-like attack into the king's stomach. He grimaced when the monkey barely flinched. "Dammit! He's just shrugging it off!"
Sunny flipped himself into the air, pulling his hair together for an offensive attack. "Toriko! Combine!"
"Yeah!"
"Super Spatula-Jet Nail Punch!" The two kings struck at the same time, their attack coated in a mixture of blue and yellow energy. The initial knockback was followed by a consecutive wave of hits that threw Bambina across the air.
"Coco! Follow me!" Zebra ordered, blasting a ball of sparking energy into the air above Bambina.
"On it!" Coco fired a wave of poison into the thunder ball in the sky. Their attacks joined together in a bustling burst of poisonous energy.
"Thunder Poison Cannon!" The attack collided with Bambina, exploding in a violent shockwave that rained down poison on the mountain peak. Everyone other than Coco used their defensive ability to keep the rain from touching them.
"Did that get him?!" Sunny asked. His question was answered with Bambina's massive fist barreling down on them, crushing the ground beneath.
"Not even close!" Zebra shouted.
Toriko came to a frustrating conclusion. "Beating him is impossible! Attacking like this is just going to tire us out! Focus on grabbing his balls!"
The Monkey King lunged for Coco, grabbing the poison hunter in his fist. However, the hunter melted, revealing himself to be a poison doll. His confusion lasted until he felt four hands touch his beloved PAIR.
"PULL!"
But no matter how hard the kings pulled; Bambina's balls just wouldn't come off. "W-what?!" Toriko gasped.
"They won't come off!" Sunny yelled.
"It's as if they're fused to the Earth! They just won't come off!" Coco grunted.
Suddenly, Bambina's head flipped back with his mouth wide open. He took off a good chunk of their arms' skin with a single bite. Blood and bits of flesh poured out of their wounds in troves. The attack was so sudden that Toriko instinctively moved out of step with his brothers, breaking their synchronization. "JET FORK!"
"Toriko, wait!"
"He broke the 'Enbu'!" Zebra shouted.
As a result of his reckless action, the full weight of the mountain's gravity came down on him. Toriko collapsed, unable to move now that his body was completely out of sync. "D-dammit!" Bambina towered over the blue-haired hunter, opening his mouth to tear him in half in a single bite.
"TORIKO!" The others rushed forward, but they wouldn't be able to reach him in time.
Toriko was trying to get his 'Enbu' back together, but the gravity of the situation was weighing down too heavily on him.
As if fortune was smiling down on him this day, Bambina's meal was interrupted by someone pushing back against his jaws. All eyes widened at the sight of Son Goku protecting Toriko from getting consumed. But the strangest part wasn't his actions, but the mist-like red aura pulsating around him. "...Goku, you're-"
"Sorry, for leaving you guys hanging like that. I'll take it over from here." Goku's voice was calm, not an ounce of strain present in his tone. "I'm starting to understand it, this 'Enbu' thing."
Coco's eyes fixated on the strange phenomenon occurring around the Saiyan. He watched as the aura touched the ground below, rejuvenating the destroyed landscape back to its previous state. "H-how is he doing this?"
Goku pushed Bambina back, causing the monkey to stumble, disgruntled snarls emanating from his mouth. "Just like Toriko said earlier, it feels like my body can recall every single fight I've ever been in. Like every inch of my soul is reaching out for something new-something stronger than before. A sensation that I surely won't forget from this point forward."
"GOAAAA!" Bambina punched forward to crush the Saiyan, but Goku caught his fist effortlessly. "Goah?!"
"How about it, Bambina? One last fight, you and me? Where we go all-out to see who is stronger until we're satisfied?" Goku said, softly.
Bambina punched out with his other fist but received a devastating counter that sent him spiraling through the air until he crashed against the ground. The Heavenly Kings watched the scene in stunned silence, their Appetite Demons observing the Saiyan's evolution with desirable curiosity.
Goku pulled his arms into his chest, taking a deep breath as he focused his energy. The burning flame within him grew hotter and hotter until it exploded like an erupting volcano. A pillar of crimson light illuminated the continent like a beacon.
Every single creature on the continent-no-in the "Gourmet" World froze at the awakening of divine power, their attention placed squarely in the direction of the battle happening inside of the Monkey Restaurant.
Below the mountain, resting on top of Kaka's comatose body, Makima smiled at that pillar. "Of course, it only took the sensation of battle to help you complete that final step." Behind her, she missed the way Komatsu's body twitched in response to the divine energy sweeping through the air.
Bambina stared in awe, memories of times long gone echoing through his mind, his eyes locked onto the divine presence that stood across from him. The same could be said for the Heavenly Kings as they kept themselves back.
When the light vanished like a whisper in the night, Son Goku lightly floated above the ground. His body was a bit thinner; his hair had changed from black to red, and his presence could no longer be detected by any mere mortal.
Son Goku had re-ignited the spark of the Super Saiyan God within him.
"Let's do this, Bambina!" Goku called out to his opponent. "This'll be the last round!"
Snarling at his opponent's declaration, Bambina charged forward to continue their battle from before. Goku did the same, dashing like a bright red comet, their fists clashing in a devastating shockwave that crumpled the mountain peak completely.
Chapter End
NOTE: Next chapter is likely to be shorter than this, maybe. It's just the conclusion to everything with PAIR (Mostly from Makima's perspective) and then they'll head home. Here's what to expect: Mini Arc conclusion, time skip chapter, and then the start of RoF.
I hope you guys liked Goku learning how to enter SSG on his own. Vegeta had a huge head start which is why he already had the transformation figured out at the start of the chapter.
To explain some things that I decided to skim over. The true form 'Enbu' extends to a dancing ritual that Coco discovered in some ancient ruins. He was untrusting of Kaka, so he and the others hide that fact from her the entire time. Makima caught on and worked with him to deceive her. Goku was kept out of the plan, because he'd end up messing it up.
Goku was originally going to go into SSJ3 before SSG, but I decided to cut that for time's sake. Just know that full power/blood lusted Bambina would be on the same level as SSJ3, so yeah, next chapter is going to be obvious in how it ends.
I do not regret a single bit of what you're about to read in this short.
Short 7: Roommates
Since he recently earned his right to train under Whis on Lord Beerus' planet, Vegeta has found himself running around the planet as if he were some chore-boy. They've barely done any actual training that could hone his skills and instead he's just been preparing meals for Lord Beerus, cleaning up the palace, or feeding their pets. It was insulting for someone like him, the Prince of all Saiyans, to be relegated to a servant.
However, he knew that it was a pill that needed to be swallowed if he wanted to survive here for the time being. Upsetting Whis would mean getting sent back home and pissing off Lord Beerus would mean getting erased. Either way, he was stuck as a servant for the foreseeable future.
At this current juncture, he was preparing a hearty breakfast for Lord Beerus, or at least, he figured it was for Lord Beerus. Whis had informed him that even though the God of Destruction was asleep, he had moments of sleep eating. So, it was his responsibility to prepare the large assortment of food as 'training'.
Frustration gnawed at his temples. "Surely, not even Lord Beerus can eat this much in his sleep, can he?" Vegeta was actually starting to appreciate the cooks at Capsule Corp and even Makima's ability to effortlessly cook up 20-course meals at the drop of a hat. One day, he'll have to ask the Control Devil how she managed to put up with this for over a few decades.
As he cooked, his ears twitched at the approaching sound of footsteps. But that didn't make any sense to him. There were only three people on this planet that could walk, he was one of them. Whis rarely walked much and was currently on Earth to have brunch with Bulma, and Lord Beerus should still be sleeping for another three years. Quickly cleaning off his hands, Vegeta re-equipped his gloves to prepare himself for a potential intruder.
So, imagine his shock when the person walking into the kitchen happened to be none other than Fami. The lazy Famine Devil is dressed in only her black lacy bra and panties with pink slippers on her feet. She yawned loudly, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes, ignorant to the blushing prince staring at her.
"W-what the actual hell?!" Vegeta screamed, his face as red as a tomato.
"Hm?" Fami blinked, adjusting her eyes to see him. "Oh, it's you. Forgot you were here."
"What are you even doing here?! How did you get here?!" Vegeta demanded, then reminded himself of her state of dress. "And why are you naked?!"
"Does it bother you?" Fami asked.
"Yes, you vulgar woman!"
"I don't care." She walked past him to reach the fridge. She opened it up, pulling out an assortment of boxes filled to the brim with food. She had to bend down to reach some of them, giving the prince a full show.
"GAH! DAMMIT, WOMAN!" Vegeta turned away, embarrassed. "First it was Lilith and now you! Why the hell do you sisters refuse to have even a shred of dignity?!"
With her plethora of boxes in her arms, the Famine Devil lightly kicked the door closed. "Have you never seen a woman in her underwear before?"
"Of course, I have!"
"Then stop acting like a teenage boy." She shrugged.
Vegeta had to stop himself from firing off a Big Bang Attack to blow her to pieces. These Horsemen knew how to piss him off in the most aggravating ways possible. "What are you even doing here?"
"Is there an issue with a lady spending time with her boyfriend?"
…
…
…
"What."
Fami blinked at his blank expression. "Ah. Whis probably didn't explain it to you. Yeah, I'm the reason you've been cooking so much food." Then she paused as she thought. "Well, Beerus does take some of it for himself as he mumbles in his sleep, but yeah."
"What."
"Anyway, finish cooking up that breakfast. I'll be back down after finishing all of this." Fami walks past the stunned prince without a care. He stood there in that spot until he could no longer hear her footsteps.
Vegeta's brain was trying to comprehend the utter insanity that was just revealed to him. The more he thought about it, the more it didn't make a lick of fucking sense to him. And each second thinking about it just made his stomach churn with disgust.
Maybe the only positive here, as annoying as it is to admit, to be found about his situation is that he at least has someone he knows on here that isn't Kakarot.
Short End