Gohan released Vegeta and looked toward the mysterious energy. Although it was unfamiliar, Gohan knew that the source of this energy was something sinister. If you were to feel energy from someone pure, for example, Son Goku, it would feel warm and welcoming like a fire. However, this energy was cold and contentious like a raging blizzard.
"I don't feel anything," Vegeta said, peeling himself off the ground.
"Yes you do, Vegeta. Don't lie to yourself just because you want to finish our fight. There's no mistaking it. Majin Buu is awake."
"I don't care. We're going to finish what we started!"
"And then what! We let our friends and family die! You can fight me any time you want but we only have one chance to stop Buu and that's now!" Gohan erupted, and the violet lightning surrounding his body raged. Before he could lose his temper, he drew his breath and closed his eyes. He reverted to his natural, black-haired self when he opened them and spoke calmly.
"Vegeta. I learned a lot from our fight. I feel like you and I have come to an understanding. I meant what I said when I told you that I view you as family. Seeing you like this... It hurts, Vegeta. Thinking about Bulma and Trunks... What they must've thought when they saw you kill all of those innocent people... It hurts."
"Your feelings are meaningl-"
"I'm talking Vegeta. I let you share your grandiose words, now it's my turn."
"You're a victim here. Babidi played you. I know you say it was intentional and I believe you. I believe that you let Babidi take control of your body, but he's still manipulating you at your lowest point... I'm at my lowest too. We both lost our reason to fight in losing my father, but I'll make a promise to you right now, Vegeta. Help me fight Buu and Babidi... Release yourself from his spell and redeem yourself, Vegeta. After that, you and I will get stronger together the right way. I swear, I'll become one hundred times stronger than my dad ever was. We both will."
"Is that true?" Vegeta asked.
"Of course. I made a promise and I intend on keeping it."
"Not that, I trust you'll keep your word. Do you think my wife and son could forgive me?"
"We'll just tell them that you were being mind-controlled."
"I already told you that I was in full control this entire time."
"We can keep that part between you and me."
"Why would you do such a thing?"
"I already told you, Vegeta. You're family."
Vegeta was stunned. Gohan didn't resemble Goku as much as his brother did, but the way he smiled like an idiot at Vegeta at this moment was reminiscent of his late father.
'After all the pain I have caused this boy... he still sees me as a relative. If he can forgive me, then...'
"Fine. Let's fight Buu. And after that, you better keep your word."
"I will. I swear it. Let's go before it's too late."
Gohan took to the sky and Vegeta followed behind. As they flew toward the sinister energy, they wondered if their weakened bodies would be enough to fight Buu. Gohan wondered if he would ever be able to keep his promise.
Before long, they found the Supreme Kai lying face down on the ground while a fat, pink person wearing puffy white pants was dancing around in the desert. Babidi was beside him, clapping along, yet worry was etched on his face.
Gohan and Vegeta landed beside Shin, who looked relieved to see their faces.
"What happened?" Gohan asked.
"It's done. I couldn't stop them. Buu is back..."
"You're telling me that fat creature over there is Majin Buu?" Vegeta asked.
"Yes... It's all over. You two aren't strong enough to fight him. There's only one way we can win?"
"What do we have to do?"
Shin weakly raised his hand and placed it on Gohan's shoulder. He then looked to Vegeta and said, "I'm sorry, Vegeta," before he and Gohan disappeared.
Vegeta's eyes widened. "What!?" he shouted. Gohan and the Supreme Kai's energy had completely vanished. It was as if they were no longer on Earth. When he looked up, he saw the pink creature staring directly at him, and Babidi was cackling with a finger raised at the Prince.
Vegeta laughed. It was a breathless chuckle that turned into a cackle as he raised his face toward the clouds. "So, they've left me to fight on my own, have they?" Blood still dripped from his mouth as he spoke. He wiped it with his already blood-stained glove and stood tall.
"I don't need any apology from the Supreme Coward. I'll win this fight on my own. I am Prince Vegeta, I will not lose to whatever that thing is." Vegeta clenched his fists and released an explosion of Ki from his body as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
His eyes settled on the monstrosity in front of him. The image of the round and childish pink monster began to blur and Vegeta started to see a vision of Goku in his place. The late Saiyan was smiling dumbly at Vegeta, just like in old times.
"Kakarot..." Vegeta whispered, rubbing his eyes. "Am I hallucinating? Or is it... Is he here?"
"Vegeta," he heard Goku say. "You know what you have to do, don't you?"
Vegeta's eyes widened upon hearing his rival speak his name once more. His gaping jaw closed and shifted into a smile. "Of course," he said. "I guess it's my turn, isn't it?"
Goku didn't answer. The hallucination, or perhaps the spirit, of Goku faded away and Buu was seen walking toward Vegeta like a toddler. Through Buu's chilling energy, Vegeta could sense a Ki he knew almost as well as his own.
"Trunks." Vegeta turned and saw Trunks watching on a rock formation from afar. Goten, Piccolo, and Krillin were with him. Seeing the two adults with them, Vegeta deduced that Dabura must've been killed in some way or another. The facts of that matter were unimportant; what mattered to Vegeta at this moment was defeating Buu and making Trunks proud of being his son.
"Alright, Majin Buu, let's see how tough you really are!" Vegeta launched himself toward his opponent. Buu didn't react to the speeding Saiyan, nor did he flinch once Vegeta threw his fist into the Majin's face. Buu's face dented in on itself; Vegeta grimaced upon seeing his fist dig into the monster as if he'd punched dough.
Buu's body flew backward until it hit the sand. Like a ball, he rolled backward until he stopped on his back, stretching his arms and legs outward like a ball. This would-be lethal attack seemingly didn't even tickle Babidi's monster. Buu sprung back up to his feet and began waddling toward Vegeta again. The Prince watched as Buu, unscathed, began to skip toward him. It was a horrific sight, sending chills down the prince's spine.
"What... What is this thing..."
Vegeta let out a monstrous scream before launching himself at Buu once more. He started throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession, each one sinking into the bubblegum skin of the creature. Buu didn't react to these attacks, he simply stood idly and scratched his behind until Vegeta hit him hard enough to send him flying once again.
However, after Buu crashed into a formation of sandstone and rose to his feet, Vegeta could see that his attacks still didn't do any damage to him.
'Blast it! After all of that, there isn't even a single scratch on his body. And why isn't he fighting back? Does he think I'm too weak to fight? I'll show him who's weak!'
Vegeta's gaze was stone cold as Ki exploded from his body and began to crackle. As if second nature, he'd transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, lightning coursing around him and all. He extended a hand outward, pointing it at Buu as he focused energy into his fingertips like a railgun.
Vegeta silently built up all of his energy as Buu approached. If Buu wasn't going to move, all he needed to do was aim and fire. This shot needed to count.
The golden, electric aura around Vegeta started to expand. As every second passed, his body erupted with insurmountable power until it reached its limit. Still, Buu continued walking in a straight line as if Vegeta was attacking him with a child's toy. Without letting out even a whisper, Vegeta released that focused energy as a bullet of Ki, sending it through Buu's chest at the speed of light.
Buu, with a hole in his chest, fell backward cartoonishly and lay motionless on the ground. Vegeta fell to one knee, breathing harshly in victory. He could hear his son cheering him on in the distance, and for once, he felt as if he made his son proud.
This moment would be short-lived, as Vegeta could hear strange, wet sounds coming from Buu's body. Upon closer inspection, he could see that the hole in Buu's chest was beginning to close until the wound was completely healed.
"I'm possible... He-" Vegeta mumbled.
"Buu bored now. Bye-bye." Majin Buu's voice was high-pitched and he spoke as a baby would. However, the moment Vegeta felt Majin Buu's fist dig into his side after the creature instantly appeared in front of him, he knew that his power was far beyond that of an infant.
Vegeta hunched over and Buu started to dance in front of him and giggle. Vegeta, holding onto his stomach, tried to stand up and face Buu, but the Majin simply kicked Vegeta like an empty can.
Vegeta rolled like a barrel until his momentum ceased, watching as Buu skipped and jigged his way over to the Prince.
'This is ridiculous... He can heal anything I throw at him. He's unbeatable...'
Majin Buu extended his arm outward, shooting gum-like ropes from his hands and tying Vegeta up in it. Vegeta failed to break himself free; there was nothing left in the tank. Buu started playing with Vegeta like a ball, laughing and kicking him around. He then bounced on top of Vegeta like a trampoline, and in the distance, Trunks was seen trembling in anger.
He turned into a Super Saiyan and flew toward Buu, who was on top of Vegeta and using him as a punching bag.
"Get away from my dad!" Trunks yelled before kicking Buu away, sending him crashing through a massive rock formation.
"Dad!" Trunks started to untie his father. Vegeta's eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. "Dad, wake up!"
Goten landed beside him and asked, "Is he alive?"
"Of course he is! My dad is the strongest man in the whole wide world. My dad is the prince of all Saiyans!"
"Woah, a prince?"
"Yup! And there's no way a prince is going to lose to some ugly monster!"
Vegeta's face twitched as if his son's words activated something within him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, seeing the blurred silhouettes of the two Siayan boys, beaming down at him with their smiles.
"Trunks..." he said. "My son..."
Vegeta shot upward, "Where's Buu?" he asked, looking around frantically. Buu was so far away that he was a speck in the distance. Relieved, Vegeta decided that now was the time to end this fight.
"Trunks. Protect your mother for me."
Trunks tilted his head, smiling dumbly at his father. "What? We can both protect her. Why do I have to do it all by myself that doesn't make any sense? Are you going somewhere?"
"You two need to get as far away as possible. I will fight Buu alone."
"Dad, no! Let us fight with you."
"No!" Vegeta yelled, causing the two boys to jolt. "It's too dangerous."
"But we're tough!" Goten yelled.
"Yeah, if we gang up on him, we can beat him!" Trunks added.
Vegeta looked down at the two boys with a solemn grin drawn on his face. He remembered Gohan's words.
'Gohan was once just like these two boys in front of me. Yes, I remember when he was this small as if it were yesterday. Had he never told me, I would have never guessed that Kakarot could have said something to hurt the boy in such a way that it haunted him for the rest of his life. I won't allow Trunks, or even Goten, to be tormented by such words.'
"I know you are, Trunks. Both of you are far stronger than I could have imagined myself being when I was your age. Back then, a Super Saiyan was nothing more than a myth but look at the two of you... Becoming a Super Saiyan is as easy as brushing one's teeth. Still, despite your strength, I need to do this myself."
"But why!" Trunks asks.
"My son, I haven't held you in my arms since you were a baby." Vegeta approached Trunks and hugged him tightly. It was an awkward hug; Vegeta couldn't even remember hugging his own father once in his life. Still, he smiled down at his boy proudly, watching as the boy's face turned beet red.
"Dad... you're embarrassing me."
"I leave this world to you, please protect it with everything you have." Vegeta laughed to himself. "With me gone, I guess that makes you the Prince, doesn't it?"
"Dad?"
"I hope that one day you will be as proud of your father as I am of you. I love you, Trunks." With that said, Vegeta chopped the back of Trunks's neck and the boy fell unconscious.
"What did you do that for!?" Goten asked.
Vegeta glanced at the boy and smiled. "You know, you are the spitting image of your father; you even act just like him. As your father was, you too are strong. I leave this planet and Trunks to you. Keep my son out of trouble. I won't have much to worry about if he's anything like the man I met seven years ago."
Vegeta chopped Goten's neck as well and the child fell asleep beside his best friend. Piccolo, understanding what Vegeta was doing, landed in front of the two boys and picked them up over his shoulders.
"You have my thanks, Piccolo."
Piccolo nodded without saying a word. He was ready to take off, but Vegeta still had one last question.
"Will I be forgiven?" Vegeta asked.
"Forgiven?" Piccolo repeated, looking over Vegeta's shoulder to see that Buu was still in the far-off distance.
"By God. And my wife. I was just wondering if I would end up in the same place as Kakarot."
Piccolo looked blankly at Vegeta, shaking his head. "You already know the answer to that, but I'll be honest with you. Goku was pure of heart and fought for others. He sacrificed himself for the good of the planet and never acted selfishly. You, on the other hand... You've committed atrocities across the galaxy, killing millions of innocent lives. You and Goku are incomparable. You don't deserve to go to the same place; not after all that you've done. As for Bulma; she knew the man she was marrying."
Vegeta cracked another grin and looked toward Buu. "I appreciate the honest answer. Now go."
Piccolo flew away with the boys, leaving Vegeta to fend for himself against Buu.
Buu eventually reached the Saiyan and said, "Big meanie hurt Buu! Buu will kill you!"
Vegeta's smile grew ear to ear.
"And what will you do about it?"
Incredible energy started to develop at Vegeta's core. He was going to put everything into this last attack.
Even his life.
"I'm going to turn you into dust in the wind..." Vegeta proclaimed as that energy within him continued to swell. Buu started moving forward, but the immense energy started blowing him backward.
The energy within the Saiyan was so intense that his body started to shake. He wouldn't be able to contain it any longer; in just a few moments, his body was going to explode.
'Bulma. Trunks. I do this for you.'
'And Gohan... I'm sorry about missing out on my end of our deal. I swear... in the next life... you and I will have our rematch.'
Vegeta released one last earth-shattering scream before his body burst, causing a dome of Ki energy to expand outward in a golden explosion. The entire continent could feel the tremors created by this city-leveling attack. If Buu could heal, Vegeta ensured that there wasn't going to be a body left to do the healing.
From above, Piccolo watched Vegeta's explosion continue to expand. Never would he have thought that Vegeta would be capable of such an attack, nor would he have imagined that he would lay his life on the line to save the world...
Somewhere in the afterlife...
Souls of the dead would often enjoy themselves in many of heaven's buffets. However, this buffet in particular had quite the crowd and it wasn't for the food itself. As a spirit, eating was optional. The concept of an appetite was nonexistent. Those who chose to indulge themselves simply chose to eat due to its novelty. A man was seen devouring meals as if it were his last day in the afterlife; countless dishes and utensils were stacked and spread around on the nearby tables.
Suddenly, the man tensed up and his gluttony ceased. He could sense that something had changed, but he wasn't sure how.
The man, wearing an orange gi and blue undershirt, turned his head slightly.
"What's up with that energy?" he asked. "It feels... Strong."
He jumped out of his seat and turned toward the crowd, revealing his identity to those who couldn't recognize him from his attire alone.
It was none other than Son Goku.
Wanting to know the source of this powerful energy, Goku placed two fingers on his forehead and instantly transmitted himself toward its source.