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Chapter 16 - Chapter 16 - The Dragon, The Tyrant and Nail

The seven Dragon Balls glowed, swirling with golden energy. The skies of Namek darkened ominously, rumbling with cosmic thunder. An unnatural stillness fell across the land as lightning cracked through the green sky.

Goku, Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, Roshi, Raditz, and the rest of the Z Fighters stood in a semicircle around the glowing spheres.

Goku (raising a hand): "Okay. Here goes."

He stepped forward, heart steady, and shouted:

Goku: "Rise, Shenron! Grant us our wish!"

The energy pulsed… but nothing happened.

Krillin (nervously): "Uh… you sure you said it right?"

Raditz (frowning): "The skies changed. That means the dragon was summoned."

Suddenly, a massive column of light burst skyward in the distance—across the horizon, far from their position.

A colossal silhouette materialized in the sky—Porunga, the Eternal Dragon of Namek. Unlike Shenron, this dragon was hulking, muscular, and serpentine, with wings that spread like a divine curtain across the stars.

Piccolo (alarmed): "Wait. That's not Shenron…"

Gohan (confused): "But we have the Dragon Balls, right?"

Master Roshi (gravely): "It's the Namekian dragon. Not ours."

Krillin (desperate): We wish for Frieza and his men to vanish from Namek!

Porunga hovered silently in the sky… unmoving. His eyes glowed. But no wish came.

Goku (slowly): "Maybe… he doesn't understand us?"

Raditz: "Of course. If this dragon belongs to the Namekians, it probably only responds to their language."

Piccolo (realization dawning): "That explains why Grand Elder had to speak the words himself…"

Krillin (grim): "So we're stuck? We have the Dragon Balls, and we can't even make a wish?!"

The darkening sky twisted above Frieza's headquarters. His eyes widened, then narrowed. He stood silently, sensing the shift.

A scouter blared.

Frieza (darkly): "The sky…"

His tail snapped behind him. The air trembled under his sudden surge of power. He saw a huge figure at a distance.

Frieza (cold fury): "The Dragon… has been summoned."

He clenched his fists, muscles tightening under his bio-armor. His calm broke for the first time.

Frieza (roaring): "NO!!"

In a flash of light, Frieza erupted into the sky, leaving his stunned soldiers behind. The very ground trembled from the shockwave of his departure.

The group stared at Porunga, hovering silently in the distance, glowing with divine might but unmoving.

Krillin (frustrated): "We need a Namekian! Now!"

Gohan (desperate): "What if we fly to Nail or the Grand Elder?"

Goku (tense): "No time. Someone's coming."

A heavy silence fell over the team.

The next moment—

A violent explosion shook the land as Frieza descended like a meteor, crashing into the cliffside.

Frieza (voice laced with hatred): "I WISH FOR IMMORTALITY!"

But nothing happened. He stood before them—small, sleek, and terrifying in his First Form. His cold red eyes burned with pure wrath. His power blanketed the area like an iron curtain.

Frieza (hissing and confused): "It didn't work!"

The ground beneath their feet cracked under the sheer weight of his aura.

Raditz (barely breathing): "It's him. That's Frieza…"

Piccolo (serious): "Everyone… stay calm."

Frieza: "Seven Dragon Balls. So close… and yet, you mongrels dare!"

He said coldly.

Frieza (mocking): "Delightful, isn't it? You pathetic little gnats gather them for me—only to stand helpless."

Goku (stepping forward, calm): "We won't let you get that wish."

Frieza tilted his head, amused.

Frieza: "You'll try."

Without warning, he raised a single finger—and fired a blast straight at Gohan.

Goku (shouting): "GOHAN!"

But before the blast could hit, Piccolo dashed forward, deflecting it into the sky with a well-timed counter.

Piccolo: "You'll have to go through all of us first."

Frieza smiled darkly.

Frieza: "Very well. Let's make this… entertaining."

Meanwhile – Far Across Namek

Nail and Dende having felt Porunga's energy, soared across the skies toward the dragon's summoning point.

Nail (thinking): "They must need help. I hope I'm not too late."

The battle for the fate of Namek… was about to begin.

Frieza stood calmly amidst the chaos, facing the full might of Earth's defenders—Gohan, Piccolo, Raditz, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Master Roshi. Goku stood further back, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the tyrant with razor-sharp focus.

Frieza (smirking): "So many brave fools... it's almost adorable."

Piccolo (gritting his teeth): "Talk all you want, Frieza. This ends today."

Tien (raising his hand): "Chiaotzu, stay back. This guy's the real deal."

The group charged all at once.

Piccolo and Raditz struck first, their synchronized blows catching Frieza off guard. Raditz landed a roundhouse to Frieza's side while Piccolo slammed a double-fisted hammer onto his back. Krillin followed with a Destructo Disc from the air, which Frieza barely dodged, slicing the rocky terrain behind him in half.

Krillin (grinning): "He's not untouchable."

Tien and Yamcha joined from both sides. Tien unleashed a barrage of Tri-Beams while Yamcha dove in with a Wolf Fang Fist amplified by Kaioken x2. The combined attacks actually forced Frieza to block, his scouter beeping wildly.

Frieza (annoyed): "Tch... irritating vermin."

Gohan (yelling): "MASENKO!"

The golden beam struck Frieza square in the chest, launching him back. Dust clouded the area. For a moment, it seemed like they'd won.

But then the smoke cleared.

Frieza hovered midair, cracked armor and singed skin visible. Blood ran from his lip.

Frieza (coldly): "I must admit... you're far more troublesome than I expected."

With a flick of his fingers, the battlefield exploded in a violent shockwave, sending the fighters tumbling.

Frieza: "Very well. Allow me to show you... my next form."

The air thickened. Frieza's muscles bulged grotesquely, his height doubling. Horns curved upward from his skull, and a deeper, more brutal voice echoed across the land.

Frieza (Second Form): "Do try to entertain me."

He vanished—and reappeared behind Tien.

Frieza: "Boo."

He slammed Tien into the ground with a monstrous punch. Raditz charged in, but Frieza caught his fist mid-air and kneed him in the gut, sending him flying.

Piccolo (Kaioken x3): "You're not the only one who can transform!"

With a thunderous roar, Piccolo landed blow after blow, his strength bolstered by the Grand Elder's unlock. He matched Frieza strike for strike for several seconds before Frieza caught him with a backhand.

Krillin and Yamcha: "Solar Flare! Spirit Ball attack!"

Blinding light stunned Frieza, allowing Yamcha to pummel him with a homing energy ball. Gohan, Raditz, and Tien added a combined beam assault.

Frieza stumbled out, smoking and furious.

Frieza (enraged): "ENOUGH! I will not be made a fool of!"

Bones cracked as Frieza transformed again. His body elongated, his head mutated into a grotesque crown of spikes, his power surging to terrifying levels.

Frieza (Third Form): "Now... suffer."

The Z Fighters fought valiantly, using teamwork to their advantage. Raditz and Gohan used synchronized flight to flank him, Krillin continued to distract him with blinding bursts, and Tien took brutal hits to protect his teammates.

Piccolo (panting): "We need to keep the pressure on!"

Gohan: "I won't let you hurt my friends! KAIOKEN!"

Gohan surged forward, energy flaring. He actually knocked Frieza down with a brutal energy punch to the jaw. Raditz followed with a spiraling ki blast, damaging Frieza's left arm.

Frieza (growling): "You brats...!"

With a roar, he unleashed a massive death wave, knocking them all back, wounded.

Frieza: "I'm done playing. Now witness perfection."

All went silent. Frieza's body contracted, becoming sleek, streamlined, perfect. His final form radiated cold cruelty and unrestrained power. The very air seemed to freeze.

Piccolo: "So that's it... his true form."

Frieza moved. In a blink, Yamcha was struck down. A single jab to the chest. He collapsed.

Tien, charging in, was backhanded into a mountain. Krillin tried to shield him—and was crushed under a foot.

Krillin (gasping): "S-so fast... I couldn't even see..."

Piccolo and Raditz pushed Kaioken to the limit, their bodies barely holding together. They managed to land a few hits, but were overwhelmed within seconds.

Frieza (laughing): "This... is no longer a battle. It's a lesson."

Gohan stood tall, bruised and bleeding.

Gohan (defiant): "I won't give up! KAIOKEN x5!"

He soared toward Frieza, but was caught mid-air, slammed into the ground, and buried by a ki blast.

Goku was about to step in when the Dragon Ball theme song played and the Credits roled.

Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z

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