Chapter 35: The True Nature of Saiyans
Vegeta abruptly stopped speaking, looking at Goku with some confusion. "Kakarot, did I knock your brain loose?"
"Haaah!"
Ignoring Vegeta, Goku clenched his fists and charged at Lin Qi, his punches and kicks brimming with a murderous intent.
"Kakarot, what's wrong with you?" Vegeta was stunned by Goku's sudden behavior.
Why is he getting serious all of a sudden? With killing intent? And why is he attacking Lin Qi?!
"Are you possessed?!" Lin Qi dodged Goku's punches and kicks, then delivered a hand strike to the back of Goku's neck, knocking him unconscious.
As Goku fell, Vegeta caught him. Lin Qi frowned and fell into thought.
Could this be the Kakarot from Dragon Ball Z whose Saiyan instincts were restored? But...
Lin Qi discreetly glanced at Goku's closed eyes. No dark circles...
The eye sockets aren't black!
Then what's wrong with this guy?
"Put him on the lounge chair and wait for him to wake up. Let's see what's going on..." Lin Qi said indifferently, gesturing for Vegeta to take care of it.
Waiting was excruciating, but fortunately, Goku woke up after only two hours.
He sat up on the lounge chair, looking bewildered at Lin Qi, a grim-faced Vegeta, and an anxious Trunks surrounding him.
"What's wrong..." Goku tilted his head, looking at the three in puzzlement.
"Do you feel unwell anywhere?" Lin Qi asked cautiously.
"No..." Goku rubbed the back of his neck. "It just hurts a little here... and my head hurts a bit too..."
"Tch, you idiot! What are you doing, scaring us like that!" Vegeta let out a sigh of relief.
He seemed normal enough—perhaps he got too excited while sparring?
"You really scared me..." Trunks also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured that Goku seemed fine.
"Then no more sparring for now!" Lin Qi said as he stared into Goku's eyes for a moment. "Let's go eat!"
Lin Qi was the first to head toward the sliding door to the balcony, with Vegeta and Trunks following.
Just then, Goku began emanating an aura filled with malice. As he watched the three walk away, a sinister grin spread across his face.
Lin Qi abruptly turned around, looking past Vegeta and Trunks at the grinning Goku.
At that moment, black outlines appeared around Goku's eye sockets, and he extended his hand toward Trunks.
Noticing Lin Qi's expression, Vegeta also turned back, surprised by Goku's appearance. "Kaka... Kakarot?!"
That familiar grin... Is this the true nature of Saiyans?!
"Hmph..." Goku's malicious grin deepened, and a ki blast shot from his palm toward Trunks.
Bang!
Lin Qi moved swiftly, intercepting the blast and deflecting it away from the unprepared Trunks.
The ki blast flew toward the artificial lake near the balcony, exploding upon impact and sending up a torrential spray of water, as though a heavy downpour had begun.
"You..." Soaked by the lake water, Vegeta stared in shock at Trunks, who was shielded by Lin Qi, then yelled at Goku.
"Kakarot, are you insane?! Why are you attacking Trunks?!"
"Mr. Goku... he suddenly seems so strange!" Trunks, still shaken, pursed his lips as he looked at Goku.
"It's like something's changed!"
"Ugh..." Goku clutched his forehead as Vegeta's angry roar rang out.
His mind was in utter chaos, with countless memories cracking and being consumed by darkness.
"Ahhh..."
The pain intensified, and Goku began to levitate, fists clenched as he roared toward the sky.
The aura emanating from him caused the balcony to shatter inch by inch, debris falling away.
"Bulma..." Vegeta, alarmed by the destruction, turned to search for Bulma.
"Father... Mom took Bra out shopping earlier!" Trunks shouted, trying to calm Vegeta down.
"Damn it, Kakarot..." Vegeta turned back, his gaze icy as he glared at Goku. "You destroyed my home!!"
"My noble Saiyan prince, what are you shouting about?" Goku sneered provocatively at Vegeta.
"You... Have you returned to your Saiyan nature?" Vegeta froze for a moment, then grew even angrier.
"Enough talk—let's fight for real, Vegeta!" Goku's tone grew more hostile, his grin more ferocious.
"Hmph, you dared to attack Trunks!"
Vegeta took a few steps forward, leaping into the air to confront Goku. "I won't let you get away with this!"
"Hey!" Lin Qi called out, squinting at the two hovering in the air, then glancing around at the now-destroyed villa. "Take your fight somewhere else!"
"Hmph..." Goku snorted, keeping his eyes fixed on Vegeta, completely ignoring Lin Qi below.
Vegeta, however, noticed Lin Qi's peculiar expression and gestured toward the desert area. "Let's go—settle this there!"
"Is that where you've chosen to be buried?" Goku sneered at Vegeta before turning into a streak of light and soaring into the sky.
As Trunks tried to follow, Lin Qi stopped him. "No need for you to go. Stay here, clean up... and wait for Bulma to come back so you can explain things to her!"
"I'll handle Goku and Vegeta myself."
With that, Lin Qi followed after Vegeta and Goku.
When he arrived in the desert, the two were still idly exchanging taunts, the battle yet to begin.
However, as he approached, Lin Qi noticed black outlines around Vegeta's eyes as well.
"Vegeta too? Has he returned to his nature, or is this like when Babidi controlled him?" Lin Qi frowned slightly.
Things were becoming increasingly complicated.
Supreme Kai Realm
Watching the crystal ball, the Elder Kai let out a heavy sigh. "It's over..."
"Ancestor, what's happening to Goku?" Kibito Kai asked in confusion.
"Do you remember the Saiyans on Planet Vegeta? Those pure-blooded Saiyans..." The Elder Kai cast a disdainful look at Kibito Kai.
"Uh..." Kibito Kai's gaze filled with horror for a moment before returning to normal. "I think Frieza was scarier than the Saiyans!"
"..." The Elder Kai's mouth twitched as he clenched his fist, giving Kibito Kai a thump on the head.
"Do you remember why Goku, as a newborn, was sent to Earth all those years ago?"