"Honestly, it's always like this," Bulma grumbled, dissatisfied, staring at the spot where Goku had vanished.
She had gathered the Dragon Balls, but not only did she miss out on the last wish, she didn't even get a thank you from Goku.
However, she was used to it. As a childhood friend, Bulma knew Goku better than anyone.
Stretching languidly, Bulma turned and headed towards the resting area of her estate.
Vegeta remained where he was, the last words Goku had spoken echoing in his mind.
"The tail is more than just a power enhancer... it has other functions?" Vegeta murmured, pondering the meaning of his words.
He felt that Goku was hinting at something.
But soon, Vegeta cleared his mind of all doubts.
He wanted to see how much his strength would increase after his tail grew back.
With Vegeta's deliberate guidance, the vast Super Saiyan energy pool within him was stimulated, unleashing a torrent of power.
Golden ki surged like erupting lava, igniting his S-Cells, and dyeing his black, spiky hair gold.
In an instant, Vegeta had transformed from his base state into a Super Saiyan 2.
The power gained in his base form was amplified exponentially after transforming into a Super Saiyan.
After stabilizing his Super Saiyan 2 transformation, Vegeta could clearly feel that his power had increased significantly.
The bottleneck he had vaguely sensed during his training was now much more defined.
"Hmm?! This feeling...!" Vegeta suddenly tensed, an unprecedented sensation welling up inside him.
Was this... a sign of a breakthrough?!
...
On King Kai's planet, Goku teleported back through Instant Transmission.
Before King Kai could ask, Goku directly explained his intention.
He asked King Kai to help him find a planet that was about to have a full moon, or was currently in the midst of one.
Hearing Goku's request, King Kai immediately guessed what he was planning.
"Now I understand why you wished for your tail to grow back. It's for the Great Ape transformation."
"But Goku, you're so strong now, and you've mastered Super Saiyan 3. The Great Ape transformation seems redundant, doesn't it?"
In King Kai's eyes, Goku was wasting his time by going through the trouble of growing his tail back to transform into a Great Ape.
The Super Saiyan transformation was far superior to the Great Ape form.
"You'll understand soon enough, King Kai," Goku replied, not elaborating, but flashing a meaningful smile.
"Alright, then let me see if I can find a planet with a sparse population that is experiencing a full moon," King Kai said, seeing Goku's confidence.
Using his Kai powers, King Kai released his antennae, sending his thoughts across the entire North Galaxy, searching through countless planets one by one.
Time passed, and ten minutes had gone by.
King Kai was drenched in sweat from the mental strain.
Finding a sparsely populated planet with a full moon in the vast North Galaxy was no easy task. It was a massive burden on his mental energy.
If Goku weren't his student, he would never have done this.
Goku, for his part, remained patient and waited quietly.
"I've found it! There are no humans on this planet, only some animals. And it's about to be a full moon."
"I'll send you the planet's location and coordinates. You can use Instant Transmission to get there."
King Kai transmitted the planet's coordinates and direction to Goku's mind through his thoughts.
"Thank you, King Kai." Goku smiled and raised his fingers to his forehead.
Using the planet's coordinates, he amplified his ki and locked onto the planet's location.
With a thought, Goku vanished from King Kai's planet.
...
On a small asteroid in the North Galaxy, within the Prawn Star Cluster, Goku arrived via Instant Transmission.
The planet's environment was similar to Earth's, making it suitable for human life. It was currently night.
The planet was silent, and all of its inhabitants were asleep.
Goku stood on barren ground, a night wind blowing, chilling him to the bone. The moonlight bathed him in an ethereal glow.
Upon arriving, Goku used his ki to scan the entire planet.
As King Kai had said, there were no humans on this planet, only wild beasts with limited intelligence.
The ki he had used as a conduit was right beneath his feet, specifically, beneath this piece of land.
Goku looked up at the silent night sky, where a crescent moon hung.
"The full moon... is it coming?" Goku stared at the silent night sky, and as he watched, the full moon appeared!
As the Blutz Waves emitted by the full moon entered Goku's eyes, he felt the blood in his body begin to boil, and his tail began to resonate due to the Blutz Waves.
"Here it comes... this feeling!" Goku said, clenching his fists, enjoying the sensation of his blood surging through his body.
The S-Cells in his body were stimulated by the Blutz Waves, causing them to stir. The blood in his body boiled, its temperature rising, becoming as hot as magma.
Goku's body underwent astonishing changes. His muscles swelled, and his powerful physique became increasingly menacing. The raging Saiyan blood within him threatened to burst his body.
The Great Ape transformation was extremely painful. Goku grit his teeth and endured the agony of every cell in his body splitting and reorganizing.
He had experienced this during his first Great Ape transformation, so he wasn't worried.
"So, this is the Great Ape transformation... I didn't experience it fully when I was injured... I didn't think it would be so painful to experience it again..."
"Come on!! Great Ape... and then Super Saiyan 4!!"
Goku roared, and the Saiyan blood in his body was completely ignited.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Goku's heartbeat grew increasingly intense, a terrifying drumming sound as his body underwent dramatic changes. His body began to expand at an alarming rate.
A bloodthirsty, savage, and cruel will began to take over.
"Awoooo!!" Goku roared, a primal sound more befitting a wild beast.