In the spacious courtyard of Bulma's house in West City, Son Goku and his brother Raditz were locked in a fierce battle.
Following Yamiru, the others also stepped outside to watch the fight.
Dr. Brief specially turned on the outdoor lights, making the courtyard as bright as a stadium during a night match.
"As expected, Raditz is stronger," Yamiru observed after watching for a while. "However, Goku has the advantage in technique. He always remains calm during battles and can maintain his state at all times."
Bardock stood beside him, silently watching his two sons fight.
Just as Yamiru said, Raditz had the upper hand in raw strength—his punches were faster and his attacks more forceful. However, Goku's martial arts talent allowed him to play to his strengths and avoid direct clashes, minimizing his energy consumption. His excellent ability to anticipate attacks also significantly narrowed the gap in speed between him and Raditz.
"Damn it! Kakarot, you slippery little frog!"
Raditz felt that only about sixty or seventy percent of his punches were actually landing with force, as if he were hitting cotton. It was incredibly frustrating.
Goku, on the other hand, seized every opening, suddenly closing the distance and unleashing a dazzling flurry of attacks on the stunned Raditz.
Back when he first left Mount Paozu, his movements were already too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.
Now that he had grown even stronger, his speed had reached a point where, to Tights, Bulma, and the others, it seemed like his arm had vanished for an instant.
"You bastard!"
Having taken several punches, Raditz was enraged. Enduring Goku's onslaught, he charged up energy and unleashed a blast right at Goku's face!
With a loud "Wah!" Goku was sent flying, smoke rising from his head as he crashed onto the ground.
Raditz leaped into the air, panting slightly. He stared at Kakarot lying on the grass, his heart skipping a beat—had he accidentally killed him?
He cautiously glanced at his father, who was watching from the sidelines. Seeing that Bardock made no move, Raditz relaxed slightly.
Just then, Goku groaned, clutching his smoldering face. "Ow! That's hot!"
Then, with a kip-up, he sprang back to his feet. Looking up at Raditz hovering in the air, he muttered, "How am I supposed to fight like this? I can't fly."
"You can't fly?" Raditz was stunned. Kakarot's combat ability had exceeded expectations, but to think that despite such growth, he still hadn't learned how to fly? "That's completely backward, you idiot..."
"How about this?" Goku, unwilling to remain at a disadvantage, chuckled and looked up at Raditz. His pupils turned crimson. "Since Dad's watching, it should be fine, right…?"
"Hmm?"
From the sidelines, Bardock and Gine were the first to sense something unusual. In an instant, Goku's ki swelled several times over!
"Goku's appearance…" Tights squinted at him. The way he suddenly froze in place seemed off.
Bulma remarked, "Ah, he's probably about to transform."
"This brat—!" Raditz, hovering in midair, had a clearer view. Kakarot's pupils were turning red, his body thickening, his hair growing wilder. This form, this buildup… He was stunned, suddenly looking up at the night sky. No, there was no full moon!
Raditz's gaze snapped downward just in time to see Goku roaring as his body expanded, transforming into a massive Great Ape. He was dumbfounded. "Impossible! There's no full moon…!"
"Roooaaar!"
The transformed Goku pounded his chest, his power surging tenfold—what an exhilarating feeling!
"Hey, Goku, isn't this a bit much?"
Yamiru had unknowingly floated up to Goku's face, speaking helplessly. "You can only transform once a month. Why waste it so casually? What if there's an emergency later?"
"Are you insane?" Raditz's face darkened as he instinctively backed away in midair. He snapped at Yamiru, "After transforming, he loses all reason! Standing that close, do you have a death wish?"
Yamiru waved a hand dismissively. "No need to worry."
Raditz stomped the air in frustration. "Who's worried?! I'm calling you an idiot!"
To his absolute horror, the Ozaru actually responded, "Heh heh, couldn't help it, couldn't help it…"
Then, as if to emphasize his point, the massive creature scratched his head with a palm the size of a satellite dish—his actions entirely human-like.
"..."
Raditz was utterly shaken. His entire worldview felt like it was crumbling.
In his previous understanding, only Saiyans of royal blood, like Vegeta, could retain their rationality after transforming into a Ozaru.
But Kakarot?
That damn low-class warrior, the lowest of the low—how was this possible? How could he do this?
As Raditz stood in midair, his mind in disarray, the Great Ape began to shrink under Goku's own control. His massive form gradually contracted until he returned to his original state—a naked boy standing on the ground.
"Raditz could transform too, right? Winning like this feels a bit underhanded."
Goku rubbed his head and swayed his tail, completely unbothered.
Gine flew over, carrying a set of clothes.
"He actually turned back on his own…" Raditz frowned deeply, his expression full of confusion. "Has this brat fully mastered the Ozaru transformation? How is that even possible…"
Yamiru descended and asked curiously, "So now you can transform into Ozaru without needing the Moonlight rod?"
Goku scratched his head. "I'm not really sure… I just imagined seeing the full moon or the Moonlight rod, and before I knew it, I had transformed."
Yamiru nodded. Back when they first searched for the Dragon Balls, Goku had once transformed into a Great Ape inside King Satan's castle due to an illusion. He hadn't expected that, after all these years, the kid had figured out the transformation on his own.
Maybe Shenron had gone a little overboard when restoring his genetic sequence related to the Great Ape form…
Still, since the Special cells in Goku's body could no longer proliferate, the Great Ape transformation was ultimately a dead end. If he became too fixated on that power and neglected the Super Saiyan path, it would be a complete waste of potential.
After putting on his clothes, Goku called out to Raditz in the air, "Forget it, I can't beat you!"
"..."
Raditz's face twisted in frustration. That rational Great Ape Kakarot just now—if he had gone all out, he could have killed Raditz with a single strike.
"What kind of joke is this? Damn it!"
"Hey,"
Yamiru flew up again, hovering at Raditz's level with a playful smirk. "How about regaining a little confidence against me?"
"What?"
Raditz didn't quite catch his meaning, but before he could react, Yamiru had already thrown a punch.
Boom!
Their fists collided midair, sending out a deep, thunderous shockwave.
"A mere Earthling…"
Raditz was truly pissed off now. Getting scared by a low-class warrior like Kakarot was humiliating enough. And now, even an Earthling dared to challenge him?
"I'll kill you!"
Fury ignited in his heart. With a sudden knee strike, he sent Yamiru flying backward.