Hold Majin Buu in Check! Limit - Super Saiyan 3!!

With Babidi zeroing in on Capsule Corporation, retrieving the Dragon Radar becomes the absolute top priority. Without the radar, locating the Dragon Balls scattered across the globe would be virtually impossible, and any hope of undoing Buu's destruction through wishes would be lost permanently. Trunks is dispatched at maximum speed to reach his family home before Buu and Babidi arrive. Meanwhile, Goku uses Instant Transmission to teleport directly to Majin Buu's current location. His objective is simple but incredibly dangerous: keep the Majin occupied and entertained long enough for Trunks to complete his mission and escape. One mistake could mean instant death, but Goku has never been one to shy away from impossible odds.

A Saiyan's Progression

Standing face to face with the most dangerous creature on the planet, Goku begins a calculated display of Saiyan power. He starts at his normal base form, builds his energy slowly, then escalates to Super Saiyan, letting the familiar golden aura wash over him. The power output is enormous, and Trunks, flying at top speed miles away, senses it and involuntarily stops in his tracks. Goku realizes the boy has paused and mentally urges him to keep moving. There is no time for awe or spectacle. The clock is ticking, and every second Trunks wastes in the air is a second closer to Babidi reaching Capsule Corporation first.

After demonstrating Super Saiyan and the ascended Super Saiyan 2 form, Goku tells both Buu and a visibly nervous Babidi that there is still yet another level beyond what they have witnessed. The very Earth itself begins to tremble and crack as Goku channels power that transcends anything previously demonstrated by a mortal being. His hair lengthens dramatically down past his waist, his brow ridges sharpen and become more pronounced, and a colossal golden aura engulfs his body like a roaring inferno. This is Super Saiyan 3, a transformation Goku achieved through years of grueling, focused training in the afterlife. It is a form so incredibly powerful and energy-intensive that it would likely never have been achievable while he was still alive.

The Super Saiyan 3 transformation is genuinely awe-inspiring in both its visual impact and raw power output, but it carries a severe and unavoidable cost. The form drains energy at a catastrophic rate that far exceeds any previous transformation, and Goku's already limited remaining time on Earth shrinks with every passing second he maintains it. Each moment spent in this state brings him measurably closer to being pulled back to Other World permanently. Still, the gambit accomplishes its primary objective. Buu is thoroughly captivated by the spectacular display of power, and Trunks now has the critical window of time he needs to reach Capsule Corporation and retrieve the radar.