c69: Apokato Brothers
"Whis, can you help me locate Son Goku?" Li Xu asked, arms folded.
Tracking Goku across the universe was no small feat unless he released a significant burst of ki, his presence would be almost impossible to detect with normal means.
"That's simple."
Whis lightly tapped the crystal orb of his scepter against the ground. A shimmering light screen unfolded midair, displaying a live scene of Son Goku engaged in battle. But Goku wasn't alone two unfamiliar yet familiar figures fought alongside him.
"How did they even end up meeting?" Li Xu frowned in confusion.
On the screen, Goku was clashing with two powerful foes figures that Li Xu immediately recognized. They were the Apokato Brothers, known from the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero extended lore and spin-off media dangerous warriors originally enhanced by technology, now seemingly evolved even further.
Li Xu placed two fingers to his forehead, attempting to lock onto Goku's ki with Instant Transmission, but couldn't find a signal.
The World of the Gods of Destruction was cloaked in divine energy a unique space detached from the mortal universe. Even though Whis had granted Li Xu access, the sheer distance and Goku's currently restrained ki made detection impossible.
"Whis, where exactly are they?" Li Xu asked.
"They're on a planet called Gedemu, located at the far edge of the Northern Galaxy," Whis replied, his voice calm as ever.
Li Xu turned to Bulma. "Bulma, I want to head there. Will you come with me?"
"Of course I will!" Bulma clung to his arm immediately, not wanting him to leave without her especially after so many years of separation.
"Xiaoyi, Bra you two stay here for a bit. I'll be back soon." With that, Li Xu vanished, leaving the divine realm with Instant Transmission.
Due to the vast distance, he couldn't jump directly to Planet Gedemu. Instead, he performed multiple staged transmissions, using known celestial coordinates and high-energy ki signatures along the way to "hop" through the cosmos.
---
Planet Gedemu was located in the outskirts of the Northern Galaxy, its civilization still in a primitive tribal phase. Though humanoid, the natives had minimal energy manipulation skills and very low combat power. The terrain was rugged, with wastelands dominating the horizon.
In a barren region of the planet, Son Goku was engaged in a fierce battle with the Apokato Brothers.
Goku's body was sheathed in white aura, reminiscent of his high-level Super Saiyan forms, likely pushing toward Super Saiyan 3 or experimenting with Ultra Instinct's base form.
"Goku's power level has jumped a lot," Li Xu observed, arriving on Gedemu with Bulma by his side. Though he hadn't teleported directly into the battle, he had landed nearby, where Goku's ki was now clearly perceptible.
Li Xu measured Goku's energy. Roughly 3 million in base power but fluctuating, probably due to form shifting or suppressed power.
"And it looks like everyone else is here too."
Several familiar ki signatures caught his attention one belonging to Vegeta. That surprised him; last he heard, Goku and Vegeta weren't traveling together anymore.
Even more shocking was the presence of Gohan and Chi-Chi, indicating that Goku had brought his family into space again.
Rounding out the group were Krillin, Piccolo, and Tien Shinhan, whose energy levels had also risen. All had apparently joined Goku's extended training tour across the universe.
"Husband, let's go! I want to see everyone." Bulma's voice was filled with emotion; it had been over five years since she'd last seen most of them.
"Right." Li Xu nodded and moved cautiously toward the battlefield with her, suppressing his ki and remaining hidden for now.
---
On the field, Goku exchanged fierce blows with the Apokato brothers, each of them attacking in rapid unison. Their synchronization made them especially dangerous, with one launching power beams while the other attacked physically.
"We're completely useless in a fight like this," Krillin muttered bitterly from the sidelines. Despite training in space with Goku, his combat power was still in the tens of thousands a dramatic improvement over his Earth days, but far below the level of the warriors now clashing.
"Damn it, how did the gap get this wide again?" Piccolo said with quiet frustration. He had been pushing his limits every day, but Goku's growth, especially when training among gods, was astronomical.
"Dad will definitely win!" Gohan shouted from nearby. At his current level, Gohan was already stronger than Krillin, and likely on par with mid-level Super Saiyans but not yet strong enough to assist meaningfully.
"Gohan, while your father is holding them off, let's go secure their spaceship so it doesn't get destroyed in the crossfire," Chichi urged, eyeing the ongoing battle nervously.
"But Mom, Dad's still fighting them!" Son Gohan protested, brows furrowed with worry.
"Your father will win, I'm sure of it. If we recover their ship and bring it back to Earth, we can sell the tech and use the money for your schoolbooks and even hire the best tutors to help you catch up." Chichi's tone was firm, mixing her ever-present pragmatism with motherly concern.
"Okay…" Son Gohan nodded reluctantly, and flew alongside his mother toward the distant spacecraft.
---
BOOM!
On the battlefield, under the synchronized barrage of the Apokato Brothers, Son Goku briefly lost his rhythm. He was caught mid-dodge and smashed into the ground with force.
BANG!
The impact left a deep crater, and a massive plume of dust swallowed Goku's form.
"Goku!" Krillin and the others shouted in alarm, tension rising on their faces.
---
"Fascinating… Even now, Goku's still suppressing his strength." Li Xu remarked with interest, observing the fight from a distance with Bulma by his side, hidden from the combatants.
Although Goku's base power level was currently around 3 million, he still hadn't tapped into his full arsenal particularly Kaio-ken, the technique taught to him by King Kai that allowed short-term, high-risk power boosts.
---
The Apokato Brothers, originally introduced in a supplemental Dragon Ball storyline, had reportedly merged with alien tech that gave them brief surges of immense power in earlier continuities. However, in their current state, their individual power levels hovered around 4 million, well below their peak during their original cinematic appearance.
"But once they fuse, it'll be trouble," Li Xu warned, shaking his head. He disagreed with Goku's tendency to let opponents reach their full potential just to challenge himself. That mindset could easily backfire if the enemy's power exceeded expectations.
---
As the smoke cleared, Son Goku emerged from the crater. His orange gi was tattered, revealing bruises and cuts, and a thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
"It's been a long time since I've had a fight like this!" Goku exclaimed, clearly exhilarated despite the injuries. He wiped the blood away, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
---
"Kaio-ken!"
Goku's shout echoed across the battlefield. His aura flared into a blazing red flame, his body surging with enhanced energy. In an instant, his power skyrocketed Kaio-ken x1.5, a conservative but controlled multiplier that pushed his strength well past 4 million.
---
"Damn it… I'm the Prince of all Saiyans how can I fall behind again?" Vegeta growled, feeling Goku's energy spike. His fists clenched in frustration.
Vegeta's journey had been harsh. After witnessing Li Xu defeat Captain Ginyu, he began refining his ability to control his rage understanding that reckless anger wasn't the path to power.
Through intense training and self-discipline, his strength grew steadily. When Frieza sent Dodoria to eliminate him, Vegeta instead turned the tables and killed the brute.
But exile in space came at a price.
His ship, embedded with a Frieza Force tracking device, made him a constant target. During the ensuing skirmishes, Nappa and Raditz were both killed by elite members of Frieza's army.
Still, Vegeta's power continued rising, and most of Frieza's underlings were no longer a threat to him. He was ambushed multiple times but emerged victorious, cutting down entire squads of Frieza soldiers.
Yet Frieza had more elite warriors up his sleeve.
With Ginyu Force now dead courtesy of Li Xu Frieza dispatched the Apokato Brothers to finish the job and eliminate Vegeta.
Eventually, Vegeta crossed paths with Goku and the others during their travels. Though their reunion was anything but friendly, Goku soundly defeated him. However, Goku chose to spare him, leaving Vegeta alive something Vegeta never forgot.
Now, the Apokato Brothers had tracked them down again, forcing Goku and the group into another intense confrontation.
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