Kakarot's Arc

Chapter 12 of 14

Cell's footsteps faded into the tunnels. Kakarot turned to face Broly. The Warlord of Planet Vegeta stood on the sand, arms folded, black hair lifting. He had already beaten Kakarot once and then healed him with candy, wanting a real fight. Now the crowd filled the weathered stone seats of the great colosseum. They waited for the death duel to finish. Broly reached into his sash. He pulled out a small candy and tossed it. Kakarot caught it. "Eat," Broly said. "I want you whole. I want no excuses." Kakarot swallowed it. His cracked ribs knit. His strength returned in a rush. He summoned his white form and charged. He threw everything at once. Broly blocked each strike without moving his feet. Then red light crept up Broly's arms. "Are you ready?" Broly asked. His muscles swelled. Lightning split the sky. Thunder cracked. The air pressed down so hard that ordinary people in the stands dropped to one knee. Broly's kick landed in Kakarot's chest before he saw it move. Kakarot flew back and slammed into the wall. He slid down and coughed blood. The white form was not enough. Charging in only got him hit. He pushed himself up and rushed again anyway, and Broly's fist buried into his gut. He crumpled. "Kakarot, stop!" Raddits shouted from the sand. His older brother had shielded him since they were boys, and he tried to now, stepping toward the fight. "You can't win by rushing him!" Sir Papa caught Raddits's arm. The bald paladin held him back. "No. This is Kakarot's," Sir Papa said. He looked at Kakarot through his glasses. "Stop attacking. You're thinking. Let your body read him." It was the lesson that had beaten Cooler. Chi-Chi stood at the wall. "I believe in you," she called. Her voice cut through the storm. She had never once doubted him. Kakarot stood. He stopped planning the next punch. He let his mind go quiet and let his body take over. Broly swung. Kakarot was no longer there. He flickered aside on instinct. Broly's fist tore only air. For the first time, Kakarot moved with the red form, not behind it. Broly grinned and pressed harder. Blow after blow came, and Kakarot slipped each one. He was not stronger. But he was no longer being killed. His body answered every attack before his thoughts could name it. Then his foot caught a crack in the sand. His body dodged the punch it saw coming. It ignored the second fist. Instinct could not be stopped, even to save himself. Broly's uppercut smashed his jaw. Kakarot spun and dropped. He rose slowly. He had survived the red form now. Instinct closed the gap Broly's power had opened. But the same instinct had left him open, and Broly had found the hole. To win the throne, Kakarot needed more than speed he could not control.