Looming threats (Part 3)

{In loving memory of Akira Toriyama, the man who made our childhoods sparkle with joy, we will miss you Sensei.}

When they reappeared outside of time and space in the null realm, Whis and Vermont waved their staffs and created dozens of stars to shine light as Gohan growled, a spark of crimson electricity.

"I hope you realize I'm about to rip you in half," Gohan remarked as Beerus laughed.

"Keep dreaming!" he mocked, his grin morphing, mixing with another emotion—anger. His divine Ki enveloped him like a flame, his aura a deep shade of purple as he materialized in front of Gohan, with the same crazed angry face.

"Come on! Let's see why your bark is so loud!" Beerus said as Gohan's hair turned pink; his face was calm as he blocked Beerus's attack, nullifying the force, before returning with greater force.

"Oh, so you weren't just standing around! Show me what you're capable of!" Beerus exclaimed, launching a powerful kick. Gohan felt the impact, the force pushing him back, as they continued to exchange blows. Each time they clashed, both opponents increased their power, trying to outmatch the other.

'I didn't even see him move...' Gohan mused to himself before a look of anger washed over his face, as his aura became even more intense, matching Beerus before jumping ahead of him again.

Whis looked on intrigued. "Incredible, he has certainly grown tremendously!" he commented as Vermont looked at him.

"So you sent him here on purpose? Am I correct?" he asked as Whis chuckled.

Strix watched on in silence. She had never seen another Angel before. This was certainly not something she expected to happen so soon. Meeting more divine beings was a haunting experience. Glancing at the other Angel and carefully inspecting him, she could tell he was just as mighty as Vermont. They gave off the same insurmountable presence. Even though her emotions were disabled, she could still sense their power, and the thought of attacking felt like a candle willingly approaching the sun. It struck a weird sensation in her, making her tremble. Was she feeling fear?

Between the two Angelic beings, discerning which one was stronger wasn't within her capability. Yet, the extraordinary power she sensed emanating from Gohan felt mind-numbingly intense. The longer she tried to, the more dizzy she became, as if her senses just couldn't truly fathom the power before her.

"I shall neither confirm nor deny that statement, but yes," Whis answered with a smile.

Vermont sighed and smiled. "You just answered the question."

"Oh, did I? Lord Beerus might get upset should he find out," Whis teased as he laughed. "Hoho!"

Vermont seemed to find this just as amusing and joined in. "Hoho!"

Strix just watched in silence at the behavior of the Angels; it was... strange.

"However, this has been the most hands-on I have ever seen Lord Beerus. He had a strange premonition of a disaster that destroyed the gods and ruined the Angels," he answered, his eyes glancing over the lifeform in destroyer candidate attire. Vermont nodded.

"Although that was also the time he prophesized the Super Saiyan God emerging, I guess he must have thought they were perhaps linked," Whis explained as Vermont nodded.

"That is certainly a dark future Lord Beerus foresaw..." He quickly had a sudden realization. "So, they are all still alive, aren't they?" He asked. Whis smiled at him and cast a barrier over them, hiding them. He nodded.

"Lord Beerus brought them all back and is now training Lord Gohan's father. It also helps to know that they are descendants of Yamoshi, though they don't know this yet," he said as he passed his staff to Vermont, who looked inside and saw Goku and Vegeta training.

"This makes more sense..." Vermont said as a thought crossed his mind as he handed the staff back. 'Was that traces of Ultra Instinct I saw?'

'Have I been overestimating my strength simply because I had become Darkseid's equal in battle strength? I am certain of my strength, so why do I feel as if Lord Gohan had never used all of his strength until now?' Strix mused.

"Seems Lord Beerus' perception has fully matured. Some gods tend to fail gaining such insight. I thought his old age may have driven him crazy and was looking for a way out," Vermont said as Whis chuckled.

"Oh, he is losing his mind; that's still true. But I think he believes it's his only way of growing more powerful. How else would he surpass Lord Ramton and Lord Sky?" Whis joked as Vermont joined him, and they shared a good laugh at Beerus's expense with their weird sense of humor.

"But Lord Gohan is certainly amazing. I can only imagine how strong he will be once he achieves Ultra Instinct," Whis commented as a shock wave echoed into nothingness.

"He has incredible latent potential. Although I suppose if that power were to be unleashed the wrong way, it could become a problem," Vermont said as Whis looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Even to us?" Vermont chuckled.

"I believe so, yes. For a mortal turned deity, he will be formidable. He might take sixth rank eventually. I am sure Lord Beerus took this into account when he came across the descendants of Yamoshi. He might have become excited and perhaps decided to set in motion a course for the descendants of the Yamoshi clan to rise up again."

"He must be a prodigy," Whis commented as Vermont nodded.

"Which is why I pestered father to make him the next destroyer," Vermont said.

"I would certainly be jealous if Son Goku hadn't already achieved Ultra Instinct," Whis chimed, but instead of being surprised, Vermont nodded.

"I thought I saw it reflect in Son Goku's movements…" Vermont commented.

"Unfortunately, Lord Gohan hasn't shown any signs yet. It's why he is chasing raw power. Perhaps I have been too hasty in my decision to delay his divine training." Vermont had shown it to Gohan before but quickly got frustrated and decided to just train for raw power, so his Ultra Instinct training was on hold.

"Well, if I am being honest, Son Goku may have achieved it, but he is still lacking in pure power. So, he is still far below Lord Gohan in his current state, and Prince Vegeta has mastered Ultra Ego as well," Whis said.

"Just looking at the way he fought in the staff made me certain of it. They are incredible," Vermont said as Whis nodded, just as Beerus kneed Gohan and punched him away.

Gohan flipped and slowed his momentum before turning and looking at Beerus. "Impressive! But you're still sorely lacking if you want to beat me, brat!" He said as Gohan smirked.

"You are pretty strong," Gohan remarked. "You held back a lot during our first battle."

"You're giving up? Already? Are you actually a coward?" Beerus asked, a look of angered bewilderment on his face.

"Coward?" Gohan asked, a vein appearing on his forehead.

"Yeah yeah, let's see," Beerus said as an overwhelming power surged forward, causing Beerus to narrow his eyes and raise his arms. Sporting a dark shade of pink, his hair flowed back and forth, and Destroyer symbols shone on his chest, his aura now a deep purple in the shape of a great ape head.

The sudden increase in power was tremendous. Strix couldn't take her eyes off the battle, although she didn't even notice that she had balled her hands in anticipation. 'What tremendous power...'

"I know one thing, Beerus! You are going to pay!" Gohan roared as he instantly appeared in front of Beerus. The cat deity was stunned as he was struck, sending him off into the null void. Gohan immediately chased after him, delivering a vicious beating, playing pinball with the feline destroyer.

It didn't last for long as Beerus' anger exploded, forcing Gohan back. "Don't get cocky!" A purple aura surrounded Beerus, a power on par with Gohan suddenly achieved before they continued their battle, zipping across the null realm, clashing millions of times in an instant.

"I still have more power!" His aura burst to life as he concentrated, his power continued to rise before finally resting above Beerus again.

Beerus grinned as he sensed this new power, it dwarfed the previous level by a significant margin, not even in the same league. "Now then, destroyer god! Let me feel your power!" Beerus acknowledged as he powered up again.

They charged at one another and clashed, causing the void to shake before they clashed again, with Beerus grinning as they traded blows that would make hundreds of thousands of universes vanish instantly.

Gohan ducked just as Beerus' fist appeared. Moving forward, Gohan slid under his arm, elbowing the god in the ribs. Beerus grunted from the impact but smirked as he brought his elbow down on Gohan's head. The hit was severe, and Gohan nearly lost consciousness but held on, quickly catching Beerus' incoming attack. Gohan, utilizing Kai magic, shrunk his body, reappearing behind Beerus' head and regrew back to his normal height, his foot smashing into the back of Beerus' head.

The fight went on for a few minutes until Beerus and Gohan separated. Beerus had scratches and bruises, covered in cuts, but so was Gohan, and he was panting far more than Beerus.

"Incredible! You've come this far in such a short amount of time! I am more than satisfied! Even your earlier showing of strength was admirable, but this has been exhilarating!" He said as Gohan growled.

"Is this some sort of game to you?!" Gohan roared as he charged at Beerus, who blocked the attack and counterattacked, landing a vicious punch on his face. But Gohan turned back and glared at Beerus before launching a devastating combo, knocking him back.

"Oh, calm down, I am still barely trying in this battle. Besides," He said as he felt Gohan appear behind him, instantly stopping his momentum. He grabbed Gohan by the arm and threw him towards Vermont and Whis.

"Alright, Whis, I have had my fun; release them," he said as Gohan looked on confusedly, dropping out of his powered up state back to base just as Goku and Vegeta appeared from the staff.

Gohan stared at them as if they were ghosts, but Goku quickly made his way over to Gohan. "Hey, Gohan! It's great to see you again, son," he commented as Gohan couldn't believe his eyes.

"Dad? What? How are you here?" He asked as Vegeta floated forward.

"We were brought back the moment you went missing," he explained as Gohan looked at Beerus, who just smirked at him.

"But you said-"

"Sue me! I just wanted to see how strong you have become, and I wasn't disappointed so take this as a reward from your elder," Beerus said as Gohan hugged Goku.

"Is everyone fine?" He asked as Goku nodded.

"Yeah, your mom is missing you like crazy. Despite how it looked, when we all died, none of us actually felt pain. Lord Beerus just sent our souls to Whis' staff temporarily," Goku said before turning to Beerus.

"Can Gohan come back with us for a short while, Lord Beerus?" Goku asked as Beerus shook his head.

"Nope, absolutely not! He is not allowed to step foot back in the 7th," he said, stunning them. "Otherwise, I will really destroy you all," Beerus said with a glare. Gohan tensed, but Goku chuckled and whispered to Gohan.

"You probably haven't noticed because you're still angry at him, but if you sense his Ki, he doesn't actually mean it," Goku explained with a sneaky grin as Beerus grew angrier.

"Goku! What did you say!?" He demanded as he appeared behind Goku and wacked the top of his head, causing Goku to hold his head in pain before looking at Gohan.

"Only if you can force me to use my full power! I haven't stretched my muscles like that against anyone other than Whis, and that gets boring after a while, so keep training and come back to me when you are at least capable of that. I'll welcome the challenge! This power is great, but you can go further," Beerus grinned as Gohan's jaw clenched before nodding. He had a new goal.

"I'll make you eat those words, Beerus!" Gohan vowed as Beerus just smirked.

"Yea sure, kid." Goku noticed Gohan's clothes.

"Woah, Gohan, why are you dressed like Lord Beerus?" Goku asked as Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"It's because he is a destroyer god, you imbecile!" He said as Goku's eyes widened.

"What!? Really? Amazing congratulations, Gohan! I always knew you'd be great! You must be really strong now!" Goku said as Gohan just chuckled.

"Who's this?" Goku suddenly asked as he walked up to Strix. "Hi, I'm Son Goku! Gohan's dad."

"I am Strix Winterfell, subordinate of Lord Gohan." She introduced. "It is an honor to meet you, my lord!" She bowed respectfully.

"Ah, you can just call me Goku; all my friends do." Strix just nodded.

"You must be strong! We should fight!" Goku offered as Vegeta cut in.

"Not until I have a battle against her first!" Vegeta said.

"Oh, come on, Vegeta, why do you want to steal my fight!? Go find your own or wait for me to fight her first!" Goku defended as he started pushing back against Vegeta.

"I'm sure she would want to fight a real warrior, not a clown!" Vegeta remarked as Goku looked at him appealed.

"Vegeta!" Goku started but was cut off by Strix. "I would not mind fighting either of you," Strix informed.

"Let's go back, I have some people who'd like to meet you, Dad!" Gohan said, confusing him. "You can fight Strix on my planet," Gohan ended.

"Really?" Goku asked as Beerus floated towards Gohan with a serious face.

"You can continue with that just now; another reason as to why I came was to warn you," Beerus said as Gohan looked confused.

"Warn me? About what?" Gohan asked as Beerus narrowed his eyes.

"Good, you don't know yet. You still have time, but because of your idiotic father, the Grand Zeno has the idea of a multiversal tournament. We already had ours and we won, so soon it will be your multiverse," Beerus said as Gohan's eyes widened.

"The loser gets erased permanently from existence," Beerus said, stunning him even more. "The winner gets to use the Super Dragon Balls, capable of granting any wish."

"I read of those, but I didn't think I'd be able to use them," Gohan muttered to himself as Beerus nodded, looking like he was considering something.

"Oh, and one more thing, how far have you come with your destruction training?" He asked as Gohan thought to himself before answering.

"Well, I have a good understanding of it, but I still have a long way to go," Gohan said as Beerus nodded.

"I can tell. Well, later I'll give you some pointers," Beerus said, surprising Gohan as he put his arm around Gohan's shoulder.

"Come now! Show me the best food your universe has to offer as a thank you!" Beerus said as Goku just chuckled as he watched the scene. Gohan was so incredibly confused and conflicted inside.

"Uhm, sure," Gohan responded. I mean, until a few minutes ago, he hated Beerus with a passion. But after he found out that his family was alive and Beerus was actually training them, the hatred kind of sizzled. If they were alive, then Earth was fine too. He was still mad at Beerus, but now that he was a god, he could sense Beerus far better than anyone else. At least now that he wasn't blinded by his rage.

His intentions were…neutral. He didn't sense evil, just immense boredom and excitement. Beerus picked up on this and just ignored it as they made their way back to the 21st universe.

When they arrived back at the general assembly, Gohan and Beerus reappeared alone, as they had Whis, Vermont, Goku, and Vegeta return to Planet Gohan at a cruising speed.

"My lord, are you sure we can trust him?" Strix whispered to Gohan upon their arrival in the loud assembly. She tensed up when she noticed Beerus heard her.

"Calm down, candidate, your master and I aren't enemies, even if we look like it. We are both destroyer gods," Beerus said. If it surprised her, he had no idea because her face remained neutral along with her emotions.

"I understand, Lord Beerus," Strix said as she bowed, but soon the entire assembly realized they had returned, silence falling on them.

"Ah, she has manners," Beerus said as he leaned back and floated mid-air. "I hope these mortals enjoyed the little charade earlier," Beerus said as he looked around him, taking in the sight.

"I wonder if your Earth has delicious food as well," Beerus wondered as Gohan nodded.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Bulma pays for all your food, right?" Gohan asked. He assumed that would be the arrangements back home. "But here, the humans gave me a budget specifically for food. Anytime I come to Earth, I get to eat for free and as much as I like," Gohan bragged as Beerus leaned forward, surprised.

"WHAT!? You lucky bastard!" Beerus grumbled but gained a grin. "Well, you're right. I don't need a budget. Vegeta's wife is the richest woman on my Earth, and I can eat as much as I like! All I have to do is threaten to blow up the planet, and I can eat as much as I want," Beerus bragged proudly as Gohan sweat dropped.

"Anyways, we'd better get going," Gohan said as he turned to the general assembly.

"I returned to put your minds at ease. In fact, I have come up with a solid strategy to help you all sleep at ease. I shall broadcast my day-to-day duties and interactions, this will not just be limited to the earth. Due to certain restrictions, there will be censorship, but that will only be related to divine laws, and for my own privacy," Gohan pointed at Beerus briefly.

"But right now, for your safety, I'd rather have Beerus on my world," Gohan said as it was quiet in the hall. No one wanted to say anything because Beerus seemed far more dangerous than Gohan, and he almost made them disappear not too long ago.

"What!? Huh? Really?" Such murmurs echoed silently throughout the assembly, and the people online were confused, but excitement quickly took over as they began to take in the Lord of Destruction's words.

"Well, that's certainly something I never thought of. I guess it's similar to Universe 2 back in my multiverse. Everything becomes boring after a while. The last billion years, I had no fun at all. Balance is a chore, and the only decent god to fight me was over five billion years ago! Wait, maybe it was two billion years… no wait," he said as he tried to think back but just shrugged.

"Regardless, if it were up to me, I'd blow up anything that irritates me! Keeps all the mortals in check! And did you know I had an incident where the entire universe banded against me?" Beerus said as he started laughing.

"I just destroyed the whole thing and had the Grand Kaio make a new one," Beerus revealed. "In fact, I did it more than a few times. I say this because I sense something off on this planet; my intuition is rarely inaccurate," Beerus remarked as he scanned the humans below him, lingering on a woman in black.

"But you already do that…" Gohan remarked as Beerus glared at him. "Keep up that tone and I might just blow up a galaxy or two," Beerus said as Gohan just nodded.

"Sure," Gohan said with a smile, which took Beerus aback. "I'll have Vermont show you which galaxies need to be removed before they collide with newer ones and make a mess."

Beerus suddenly shook his head. "You expect me to do your work?" He asked somewhat angrily as Gohan smiled.

"You offered, didn't you?" He said as Beerus opened his mouth to retort but found he had no rebuttal.

"Well, either way, I take that back! Why not just destroy randomly? It still keeps the universe going," Beerus said.

"Because I want to have living beings around. I can only imagine the headache you must give Shin," Gohan said as Beerus grinned.

"The Supreme Kai just makes more planets and galaxies," Beerus countered.

"That's why the mortal level is low," Gohan answered, silencing Beerus with a mic drop moment.

Gohan placed his hand on Strix's shoulder and looked over at the Justice League. "Don't wait for me; I have another meeting on the other side of the universe in a few days. Unfortunately, the assembly was cut short, but more pressing issues have come up. I'll start broadcasting soon once I figure out the logistics of everything," Gohan said as he pointed at Beerus, who smirked.

Gohan eyed Diana. 'I'll be back in a few minutes for you. I just don't want everyone to know about us yet. Wait outside somewhere where no one can see you once you tell Batman to get the strongest people he can get a hold of. They need to be ready at least two weeks from now. The latest is a month,' he directly said to her. She just nodded with a serious expression.

But Beerus eavesdropped on the telepathic message as his jaw dropped. 'This upstart hasn't been a destroyer for at least a thousand years, and he already has a lover!? I refuse to lose in any way to you, Son Gohan!' Beerus thought as he glared at Gohan.

"Let's see how fast you are!" Beerus challenged as his purple aura burst to life, shaking the planet.

Completely caught off guard by this, Gohan tightened his grip on Strix and powered up to Super Saiyan God before they both vanished.

Gohan reappeared over his planet and saw Beerus laying on the ground with his eyes closed and yawning. "What took you so long? I had enough time to have a short nap, get up, sightsee, and come back here just to wait for you."

"It's your fault; no one said fly that fast," Gohan countered as Beerus sighed.

"Have you seen your true world yet?" Beerus asked as Gohan shook his head.

"I still need to fine-tune my power. I have been chasing after raw power for a while now, so my control isn't great, and the 6th dimension is extremely hard for me to enter, even at full power. Anything less, and I fall unconscious," he said as Beerus nodded.

"But I know that if I can master my power, then that will make me much more powerful."

"Makes sense. Even with that form of yours, you would still struggle a great deal, I agree. And your mind would probably collapse after a few minutes anyways. But if you could properly focus that power, you could remain in the 6th dimension for a longer period," Beerus commented.

"I'm bored already; let's fight again!" He said as Gohan just walked past him towards the tree castle where he could sense the Saiyans, just as Whis, Vermont, Goku, and Vegeta arrived.

"Maybe next year sometime," Gohan said as Beerus sighed before walking towards the castle as well. A year was nothing; he could wait. When they arrived, they saw five Saiyans. Two were sparring while the other three were watching.

"Gohan!" Gine called out as she saw him and Strix, but she tilted her head in confusion when she saw a cat dressed like a destroyer and another blue-skinned man approach with Kakarot and Prince Vegeta?

The two other Saiyans stopped sparring, and shock enveloped them when they spotted the two new Saiyans.

"Guys, this is Lord Beerus. He is a god of destruction, the one I told you all about," Gohan said as they eyed him with fear, but they didn't back up as Beerus turned and looked at Gohan angrily.

"Just what did you tell them about me!?" He asked as Gohan shrugged, a tinge of irritation forming within.

"The truth."

Beerus growled before shrugging. "Fine, but you'd better fix it," Beerus said as Gohan looked at him angrily. His anger ignited Super Saiyan Rose, but he was yet again significantly stronger than previously; Beerus's words just pushed him too hard.

"Look, okay, you have no right to act like this! We aren't friends! Do you know what it's like to believe that your family and friends are dead? I'm still really mad at you!" Gohan said, stunning everyone as Beerus looked surprised but clenched his jaw.

"You'd better watch your tone before I—"

"Before you what? Blow up the planet? Because we both know Whis and Vermont would just stop you before it even makes contact," Gohan said as he looked around and noticed the frightened expressions of everyone around him. Sighing, he powered down and continued to his castle but was stopped when a hand grabbed his shoulder, turned him around, and decked him, knocking him back.

Gohan looked at Beerus, surprised, as he glared at him. "Leave! You aren't welcome in the 21st," Gohan declared as he continued walking away and vanished.

"Gohan!" Gine called out but met silence.

The area was silent as Beerus clenched his fist in anger before he turned to Whis. "Let's go!" He said as Whis nodded, but Goku interjected.

"Wait, Gohan said he wanted me to meet some people," he said as Beerus glared at him.

"He should have thought of that before he acted like a brat," Beerus answered as he walked next to Whis, who waited for Goku to place his hand on his back.

Gine looked at Goku. "Are you Kakarot?" She asked as Goku scratched his head and nodded.

"I go by Son Goku, but Kakarot is my Saiyan name," Goku said as Bardock, Raditz, Kakarot, and Chi Chi came into view.

"Chi Chi?" Goku asked surprised as he walked up to them.

"No, Kakarot," Garlia said as she looked at him in wonder. He looked so much like Kakarot, just he had a really relaxed expression, and the way he walked was fluid, almost like he wasted no movement while walking as well. "I am Garlia."

Vegeta also noticed them at this point as he let go of Whis and walked up to them. "Saiyans? What are you doing here…you should all be dead," Vegeta said in shock as the Saiyans looked at him in shock.

"V-Vegeta? Dead? What do you mean?" Kakarot asked, but Vegeta never answered; his mind was too blown.

"Back in our universe, Vegeta and I are the last remaining pure-blooded Saiyans around, well besides Broly," Goku said, and it was almost like a bomb went off.

"Planet Vegeta was destroyed."

"That can't be, the Saiyans are the strongest species in the universe," Kakarot said as he walked up to them.

"Woah, you look like me!" Goku pointed out as he looked at both Kakarot and Bardock. "It's like a mirror."

"That's because I am you…" Kakarot said as he pointed at Goku, and Goku pointed at Bardock.

"And him?"

"I am Bardock, the father of Kakarot," Bardock spoke, but this made Goku flinch as he heard the man's voice and a memory flashed before his eyes, two parents in front of him while he was in a space pod, asking him to survive.

"We are from another universe, one where the Saiyans weren't destroyed apparently."

The group of Saiyans looked at Goku, inspecting him from head to toe. His aura was so calm; it was like he wouldn't hurt a fly, and he had this confused look on his face. If they didn't know any better, they'd think he wasn't a warrior. As Goku made eye contact with Kakarot.

"If you're me, that must mean you're really strong!" Goku said as he walked up to Kakarot with an excited expression.

"You can suppress your power really well too! You wanna fight?" Goku asked. He looked really happy and excited at the prospect of fighting another version of himself, but Kakarot looked really embarrassed as Vegeta started laughing really hard.

"You clown! He isn't suppressing his power at all; this is his max!" Vegeta said as he started holding his sides, making Kakarot want to hide his face. "You are forgetting how weak the Saiyans were compared to us now."

Goku looked at Vegeta confused. "Really?" As he looked back at Kakarot, who avoided his gaze.

"We are tens of thousands of times more powerful than Frieza was back on Namek, so try and compare your strength to when you first arrived on Namek." Vegeta explained as Goku held his chin in confusion. 

"I guess..."

"But to think I'd find a Kakarot weaker than Nappa!" Vegeta continued as he rubbed it in. He loved seeing Kakarot squirm uncomfortably as Gine stepped in front of Kakarot with a stern look.

"Oh, what's this? Need mommy to defend you?" Vegeta taunted as Kakarot growled angrily.

"Ohh, so the puppy has fangs," Vegeta mocked.

"Cut it out, Vegeta," Goku said as Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but a true Saiyan would rise to my challenge," Vegeta said as he turned and eyed Goku, who was slightly stunned. "Just as you had before," Vegeta said as their first battle flashed through his mind.

"I'm sure he can get strong if he really puts his mind to it," Goku finished, but Kakarot couldn't say anything because clearly, he had been training really hard, which Goku noticed after he said it, but this seemed to rub more salt in Kakarot's open wound.

Bardock stepped forward. "If you don't mind, Kakarot, I would like to fight you," Bardock said as Goku noticed Garlia sending her Kakarot a sympathetic look, which he ignored. He looked to Bardock and nodded.

"Don't you dare look down on the Prince of all Saiyans! On my pride, I will surpass you!" Kakarot swore as he glared at Vegeta, who smirked and nodded before Kakarot's words struck him.

"Did you just say 'Prince of Saiyans'?" Kakarot nodded before he realized something important.

"That's right, you are technically the prince of Saiyans in your universe, while I am the prince in my universe," Kakarot pointed out as Vegeta's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Politics, I never really understood it," Goku joked as he giggled. "But I think you broke Vegeta," Goku said as he waved his hands in front of Vegeta's face to get his attention.

Not too long after, Vegeta had a meltdown at the thought of Kakarot ever being royalty.

"Yeah, sure," Goku said with a goofy grin and inhaled and called out to Kakarot. "Hey me!" He said as Kakarot looked at him. "I'll train you," Goku said, surprising everyone. "If you don't mind, that is," Goku said.

"Uhm…" Kakarot didn't know how to feel about that but ultimately nodded. "Sure," he said as Goku grinned and shot him a thumbs up.

"He is nothing like you, Kakarot…" Raditz pointed out as the others nodded.

"Oh Raditz!" Goku said as he looked at him. "At least you aren't evil here," he said, stunning them.

"Evil?" He asked as Goku nodded.

"Yeah, years ago you came to earth and did some bad stuff and kidnapped Gohan. Back then you were really strong," Goku said as he looked at Beerus.

"Lord Beerus, mind if I stay for a short while?" Goku asked. Beerus was about to say no but stopped himself.

"If this universe's God of Destruction will let you stay here, then sure," he shrugged.

"Awesome! Thanks, Lord Beerus," Goku said as something clicked in Vegeta.

"Wait, if you Saiyans are here, that means that Planet Vegeta is still around here?" He asked as Gine nodded.

"Well, if Kakarot is staying, then so will I," Vegeta said with a grin.

"Like I said, if the God of Destruction doesn't mind, then lose your goddamn minds, but you ARE coming back to the 7th when I order so," Beerus said as Vegeta scoffed.

"I don't think Gohan would mind," Vegeta said as Goku looked back at Beerus, who was about to leave.

"Don't leave, Lord Beerus! I'll talk to Gohan!" Goku said as Beerus shrugged and took his hand off of Whis's back.

"I'll go sightseeing then," Beerus said as he vanished from sight just as Gohan reappeared with a woman.

"Oh hey," Goku said as he noticed Gohan return but turned to look back into the sky, clearly sensing Beerus in the cosmos. Goku noticed his expression before quickly making his way to Gohan.

Bardock, Gine, and Kakarot said nothing as they watched.

"It's alright, Gohan!" Goku said as he patted his shoulder. "Lord Beerus can be mean, but he means well. Don't be so harsh on him and let him stay," Goku vouched as Gohan sighed and nodded.

"As long as he doesn't blow up what isn't his," Gohan concluded as Vegeta smirked.

"You have certainly grown a backbone, haven't you, Gohan?" He asked. Gohan just chuckled before answering.

"Well, I am a God of Destruction now," he reminded.

"Well, you always had one, I suppose, but when you were angry, otherwise, you wouldn't hurt a fly," Vegeta corrected.

"What I'm interested in is how powerful you are now," Vegeta asked.

"Do you want to fight?" Gohan asked, surprising Goku and Vegeta. Gohan was never this straightforward, but Vegeta just grinned as he stepped forward.

"Of course, just don't cry when you lose!" He said as everyone became apprehensive.

"Uhm..." Diana gently nudged Gohan's side.

"But before that," Gohan said as he turned to the woman who was beside him. "This is Diana, we are in a relationship," Gohan informed his father.

This seemed to catch everyone off guard. No one was expecting the God of Destruction to casually mention a lover, specifically the Saiyans. She was obviously important, but they didn't think she was THAT important.

"Well, at least you know that Strix is not with Goha—" Kakarot didn't get to finish as Raditz punched the top of his head to shut him up. Luckily, no one heard what was said, or at least Raditz hoped so.

Diana's eyes widened somewhat, but she quickly recollected herself and looked at everyone. "It is an honor to meet everyone!" she announced as she scanned the small crowd of people.

"Nice to meet you!" Goku said as he made his way towards her and grinned before sticking his hand out for a shake. But she was very tall. If he were anyone else, he would have been intimidated by her impressive height. After all, Diana was six foot tall; she towered over Gohan as well.

"I am Gohan's father, Son Goku," he said as her expression changed.

"Wait, you're... I thought you died..." She said, confused, as Goku just laughed, and she realized that was probably rude. "I apologize; the words just came out," she said, somewhat embarrassed, causing Goku to laugh harder.

"Well, a lot happened, but everyone back home is fine, and I've died about three times already, so it counts," Goku said, stunning her as she turned to Gohan, who nodded.

"Turns out Beerus isn't a crazy god," Gohan said as she smiled.

"That is great news!" She was happy for Gohan.

"I can tell you're quite strong, and you aren't human?" Goku asked, confused, as she nodded.

"Indeed, I am Diana of Themyscira, an Amazon warrior princess," she said, stunning everyone.

"Yeah, believe it or not, Diana knows how to wield every weapon ever created, and she is a master martial artist as well," Gohan vouched as she smiled proudly. She liked that he was bragging about her skills to his father, a man who Gohan considers a great warrior.

"We should spar sometime!" Goku said as Vegeta pushed past.

"Enough of the talking, and let's fight! I want to see how strong Gohan has become," Vegeta said as Gohan chuckled.

"You sure are in a rush to lose, huh Vegeta?" Gohan said as Vegeta smirked.

"This will be fun!"

"Let's see how strong you are," Gohan said as he flew upwards. Goku pouted, but Vegeta had a grin on his face.

"No fair, Vegeta! I wanted to fight Gohan as well!" Goku said as Vegeta glared at him.

"Shut it! Your father wanted to fight you, remember?" Vegeta said as Goku lit up.

"That's right!" He said as he looked at Bardock, who smirked at the excited look on his face.

"We can fight after I watch how far Gohan has come," Goku said as Bardock nodded.

"Besides Kakarot, you told me to find my own fight so that's exactly what I'm doing!" Vegeta finished.

Gohan and Vegeta floated apart from each other as Vegeta smirked. "Let me see what you can do as a God of Destruction! I know you are no match for Lord Beerus, so this should prove interesting," he said as Gohan shrugged.

"Come at me, Vegeta," Gohan said as Vegeta's smirk grew, and his power started rising at a tremendous rate, shaking the destroyer world.

"I can't wait to see how powerful Gohan has become," Goku said as he stared at the two in the sky with everyone watching.

No one said anything because they weren't sure how strong Vegeta was. If he came with Goku, then surely he must be incredibly powerful. He clearly wasn't afraid of either Gohan or Goku.

Vegeta smirked as his hair turned a deep royal blue, transforming into Super Saiyan Blue.

"I didn't know your version of Super Saiyan God mixed with Super Saiyan was with blue hair," Gohan said, confusing Vegeta.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a thought occurring to him. "That's right, you deities have pink hair," Vegeta mocked, as Gohan smirked.

"Pink or not, it's still too much for you," Gohan said, transforming into Super Saiyan God, his red hair burning in the wind as Vegeta growled.

"Are you trying to mock me?" he asked, as Gohan shook his head.

"No, I just don't think Super Saiyan Rose will be necessary," Gohan said, as Vegeta growled.

"We'll see about that!" He charged forward, aiming a punch towards Gohan, who dodged it and punched back, but Vegeta dodged it as well before charging a weak ki blast as a distraction.

It didn't work, as Gohan flew straight through the blast and appeared in front of Vegeta with a smirk, landing a right hook and knocking the prince back. But Vegeta recovered fairly fast, snap vanished, and reappeared above Gohan, punching, but was surprised when Gohan's hand grabbed his fist without looking.

"Your attacks are definitely sharper, Vegeta," Gohan said, as Vegeta growled and started powering up again, his hair becoming an even sharper shade of blue.

"Let's see you deal with this!" He said, appearing in front of Gohan at high speed, surprising destroyer who barely blocked the attack and was launched back into the planet before stabilizing his flight.

"Woah, he actually pushed Gohan back," Garlia said, as Goku nodded.

"That is true, but Gohan is only using Super Saiyan God right now," Goku said, watching the fight. "Vegeta's ultra ego is really strong, so I am curious how Gohan handles it," Goku said, as Strix stepped forward.

"I am sure Lord Gohan is stronger," she said resolutely. "This Vegeta is strong, no doubt, but Lord Gohan has yet to use his pink-haired transformation," she revealed.

"Pink hair?" Goku asked, a thought occurring to him. 'Wait, gods have a different god transformation! Black used Super Saiyan Rose instead of blue?'

Goku suddenly became more excited as he continued watching. "Oh, this is awesome! I can't wait for them to go full power!" he said, as the Saiyans looked at him surprised. Goku was such a cheerful person.

Gohan and Vegeta traded blows, but it was clear Vegeta had an advantage when he used Super Saiyan Blue Evolution against Super Saiyan God Gohan.

They came to a standstill as Gohan wiped some blood from his lip. "You are really strong, Vegeta, no doubt, but if this is your maximum, you're about to have a rough time," Gohan said, as Vegeta smirked.

"A magician never reveals his hand. First, show me you are worthy of seeing my full power, Mister Destroyer," Vegeta said, as Gohan nodded and started powering up, his flame aura increasing in intensity, and Vegeta's expression straightened.

"You still don't want to show me your Super Saiyan Rose?" he said, as Gohan's Super Saiyan God power stabilized.

"I could, but then the battle would end too quickly," Gohan answered, as Vegeta smirked and charged towards him. But to his surprise, he didn't even reach halfway before he was launched out of the sky and into the ground, with Gohan above him ready to deliver another bone-crushing punch.

Vegeta barely dodged and tried to counter, but was met with a foot to the gut, blasting him into a moon.

Vegeta coughed up blood as he stared at Gohan. 'I suppose you weren't kidding, huh Gohan?' Vegeta mused as he reappeared back on Gohan's world. That trip to the moon actually really hurt Vegeta, but he would never say it out loud.

"But now it's time to show you the power I learned from a destroyer god!" he said as he crouched and started powering up, creating intense shock waves that surprised even Gohan.

"No way! That's energy of destruction," Gohan said, shocked as Vegeta completed his transformation and smirked at Gohan in his full ultra ego glory.

"Now let me show you the power a 'true' god of destruction taught me!" he said as he reappeared behind Gohan, who was stunned at the speed. As he turned around, Vegeta was already gone.

"The tides shift incredibly fast in this fight," Gine observed as Goku smiled.

"That is true. But I'm sure Gohan still has more power in reserve. The question is, how much?" Goku finished as Gohan was launched out of orbit by a punch that sent him through multiple moons and planets, only to come to a standstill in space. But to his surprise Vegeta was already waiting for him at the end of the trail.

Vegeta quickly pulled his leg back and kicked Gohan back to his world, making him go right through his castle, destroying it in the process. It was silent as the destroyer castle fell to the side.

"Gohan!" Diana called out. She contemplated helping him, but she knew as a warrior it wouldn't be right, because this was a one-on-one fight and their lives were not at stake.

Vegeta descended from the sky with a smirk, his purple hair glowing. He looked like a destroyer god.

Gohan got up and slowly floated upwards, smiling at Vegeta. "You're Ultra Ego is really impressive," Gohan admitted, Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Is this the limit to your strength?" he asked as Gohan shook his head.

"Oh no, I am only using about fifty percent of my full power in Super Saiyan God," Gohan explained, stunning Vegeta.

Gohan's aura sparked as his hair turned pink and his power increased tremendously. "Even your Ultra Ego won't be enough," Gohan said as Vegeta growled.

"Try me!" he said as he spiked his ki and charged to full power in preparation. Suddenly, Gohan shot up, making Goku's jaw drop. There was an extremely loud bang and a flash of bright white light as Vegeta was suddenly unconscious at the bottom of a crater, with a pink streak leading from Gohan's previous spot and a lightning trail.

Gohan stood on the other side in his base form. He wasn't panting or even remotely tired as he stared at Vegeta's unconscious form.

"Should probably help him," Gohan said to himself as he lowered himself back to the group.

"What was that, Gohan?" Goku asked, with stars in his eyes. "Your power was incredible for an instant. It completely overwhelmed Vegeta," Goku said as Gohan smiled sheepishly at his father's praise.

"It's just my Super Saiyan Rose transformation, Vegeta's version of Super Saiyan Blue."