"Right. Exactly like that." Whis agreed.
In that moment, Whis decided a hundred lavish meals mattered more than his three sisters. Besides, it wasn't like he could make the call anyway. He was just introducing the two sides.
A deal this good? Why not take a shot?
Whis chuckled to himself.
Ken obviously saw through that tiny little scheme. But it didn't matter. Let Whis be the "door-opener" first, and later he'd take his time pulling Vados and the others closer.
Amarella: "..."
Inside Ken's body, Amarella kept rolling her eyes, contempt written all over her face.
"Your appetite's insane," Amarella snorted. "You're not just aiming for Vados—you're not planning to let Kusu or Marcarita off the hook either."
"You've misunderstood me, Amarella." Ken sighed.
"Oh? How so?" Amarella blinked.
"It's not just the three of them." Ken spoke with absolute conviction. "I've got my eyes on you too."
Amarella: "..."
For a moment, Amarella had nothing to say.
"Then let's watch and see." Whis smiled, confidence plain on his face.
Merus quietly appeared at Whis's side and lowered his voice, sending a telepathic message. "Whis-nii… are you serious?"
"The wager's already set." Whis nodded, replying via telepathy. "Of course I'm serious."
"And if you lose…" Merus wiped at his forehead. "Whis-nii, are you really going to personally help Ken go propose?"
Ken was shameless. I treated you like a friend, and you're trying to become my brother-in-law?
"If I lose, I'll just mention it to Vados and the others," Whis said with a light smile. "Whether it turns into marriage or not has nothing to do with me." His eyes curved. "Besides, Merus… do you really think I'll lose?"
"I don't." Merus shook his head.
"Oracle Fish, what about you?" Whis asked.
"Couldn't see it." Oracle Fish shook its head.
"What were you about to say earlier?" Whis pressed.
"That." Oracle Fish answered.
Whis: "..."
"It's starting." Ken glanced over at them. "You two quit whispering and watch."
Whis and Merus stopped talking and looked down.
"Right—drop the heavy outfit, go in light, and your speed jumps up. Is that it?" Frieza smiled at Piccolo. "So you're confident in your speed. Fine. Show me."
Piccolo clenched his fists.
Frieza shot forward.
Piccolo didn't hesitate. He kicked off and rocketed into the sky.
Frieza followed.
Piccolo flickered out of sight and reappeared in a different stretch of sky.
"My power's nowhere near yours," Piccolo gritted out, "but in speed… I won't lose!"
The words hadn't even finished leaving his mouth before his pupils shrank and his face tightened.
Frieza was already right in front of him.
Piccolo's breath hitched.
Frieza lifted a finger and jabbed through the air. Invisible force slammed into Piccolo's knee.
"Agh!"
Piccolo screamed as a bloody hole opened in his knee.
Frieza flicked another finger. The next shot streaked straight for Piccolo's forehead.
Piccolo moved his head aside.
The invisible blast scraped across his cheek, carving a long, red gash.
Piccolo went cold.
Too fast… I can't dodge it.
Frieza's grin widened. Both hands fired in rapid bursts, like a machine gun. Hole after hole opened across Piccolo's body.
Piccolo's screams stacked one after another.
"Piccolo!" Goku couldn't take it anymore and shouted.
Someone moved faster.
"Stop!" Gohan's voice shook with fury. "Let go of Piccolo-san!"
Gohan flashed toward Piccolo.
Goku had only just started to lift off when Vegeta grabbed him hard.
"Vegeta, what are you doing?" Goku blinked.
"Kakarot—I saw you heal earlier!" Vegeta snarled.
"I can do a little," Goku admitted, "but that healing technique burns through energy like crazy… It took me this long just to fully recover it."
"Doesn't matter!" Vegeta clenched his fists. "Beat me half to death. Now."
Goku: "????"
"That's not great, Vegeta." Goku shook his head. "I don't like you, but I don't exactly hate you either."
Vegeta: "..."
"You still don't get it, Kakarot?" Vegeta's face darkened. "A Saiyan comes back from the brink of death, and our fighting power jumps!"
"Right, I know that." Goku's eyes lit in sudden understanding. "You're trying to boost your power that way?"
"It's the best way." Vegeta answered.
"…Alright." Goku nodded. "I'll try."
Up in the air, Gohan reached Frieza and snapped a kick at him.
Frieza reacted instantly, springing upward to avoid it.
Gohan surged above him.
"Die!" Gohan roared, blasting a massive ball of energy down at Frieza.
Vegeta's eyes widened, his expression shifting again and again.
Does this brat's battle power increase while he fights?
Frieza threw both hands and feet up and caught the falling blast.
Gohan pushed harder, driving Frieza down toward the ground with sheer output.
"Go, Gohan-nii!" Kale pumped her fists, eyes bright.
"Yeah! Go, Gohan!" Krillin shouted.
With a sharp heave, Frieza forced the energy ball back up.
The blast shot skyward—straight at Gohan.
"Gohan!" Goku's face drained as he prepared to fire.
Piccolo moved first. With a violent swing of his arm, he launched a ki blast into the rising energy ball and knocked it off course.
It tore past Gohan and vanished into the sky.
"Thanks, Piccolo-san." Gohan panted, forcing the words out between breaths.
Frieza's expression shifted. "That kid's output isn't low… I underestimated him." His eyes narrowed as another thought clicked. "Is he a Saiyan too? Whose kid is he…? He looks like Bardock's kid."
"You did well." Piccolo managed a smile, pride in his eyes. "Gohan… you're stronger. I'm glad."
"It's not enough, Piccolo-san…" Gohan shook his head weakly. "I used everything, and I still can't beat Frieza."
"Do you know what I wished for with Porunga?" Piccolo asked, still smiling.
"What did you wish for?" Gohan asked, curiosity rising. "My body… something about it feels strange."
"You'll know soon." Piccolo's smile turned pointed, and he left it there.
Frieza's face sank further.
More and more Saiyans keep crawling out.
Ken, a Saiyan, trained into some kind of angel.
Broly, a Legendary Super Saiyan, aiming to train into a God of Destruction.
And now these Saiyans too…
These monkeys never run out.
I can't let the Saiyans keep increasing.
And that Vegeta brat learned that technique—he's trying to become a God of Destruction too, isn't he?
I'll wipe you all out before your wings grow in.
"Kakarot! Do you understand or not?" Vegeta shouted. "Hurt me—badly! It's the only way to beat Frieza. Doing it myself won't work as well."
Goku fell silent.
After a brief pause, he spoke. "What if… we both injure each other?"
Vegeta nodded hard. The idea landed perfectly.
They locked eyes.
"But Vegeta—no with destruction energy please," Goku warned at once. "If you use that, I'll disappear."
"Do I look like that kind of person?" Vegeta snorted. "I can't stand you, but I'm not trying to kill you right now."
"Good." Goku let out a small breath.
"Good, good!" Frieza laughed. "Before you die, I'll show you my ultimate transformation! This is my true form!"
The moment he said it, Goku and the others all paled.
"Kakarot!" Vegeta bellowed.
"I'll count to three!" Goku gritted his teeth and started.
Without another beat of hesitation, the two fired ki waves at each other.
The blasts punched straight through both of them.
Everyone froze, staring at Goku and Vegeta like they'd lost their minds.
"Dad!" Gohan shot upward and—without thinking—planted a foot into Vegeta's face and kicked him away.
Vegeta: "..."
"Goku!" Krillin's face twisted, and he followed up by kicking Vegeta too.
Vegeta stumbled and tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before stopping. His vision swam, and he nearly blacked out.
His mind nearly snapped.
Just you wait.
"Guys, stop!" Goku hurriedly explained through blood. "Vegeta and I did this on purpose!"
"On purpose?" Krillin blinked and stopped.
Gohan had already gathered a huge mass of energy, ready to finish Vegeta off, but he froze when he heard his father.
Vegeta ground his teeth.
Kakarot didn't kill me—his kid and that bald guy almost did.
If I actually died like that, it'd be a joke.
"Ah… Piccolo-san, are you okay?" Gohan turned and saw Piccolo wobbling as he fell from the sky. He rushed over to support him.
Then Gohan caught sight of his father collapsed on the ground, and for a second he didn't know who to go to first.
"Gohan-nii… I'm scared…" Kale tugged his arm, her face pale.
She was still a kid, dragged into a battle like this, and she'd never been brave to begin with. Seeing the carnage up close made it worse.
"It's okay." Gohan steadied his voice. "I'm here. I'll protect you."
He glanced back at Piccolo, worry pressing down, and in that moment it felt like he'd aged years.
"Piccolo-san, Dad can heal… but he's hurt so badly, I don't know if he can still do it." Gohan scratched his head, helpless.
"It's fine." Piccolo smiled. "Dende's healing is better. While Frieza transforms, let Dende heal me."
"I don't need healing!" Vegeta laughed loudly from the distance.
Halfway through the laugh, his head spun.
Too much blood…
So this is the price of showing off.
"I don't need healing! I've got a regenerative body! Hahaha!" Vegeta laughed even harder and tried to force his body to regenerate.
Nothing happened.
"Damn it! The delay still isn't over?!" Vegeta exploded. His head tilted, and he toppled face-first, almost passing out.
Sheer will kept him conscious.
Frieza gathered energy, preparing for his final transformation.
"Dear me…" Whis smiled. "If Frieza-san shows his true appearance, this fight ends immediately." His eyes stayed cheerful. "Looks like Ken will be preparing a hundred lavish meals for me."
"Merus, remember this," Ken said, patting Merus's shoulder, voice heavy. "Until the very last moment, don't talk about giving up."
Merus: "..."
Does this have anything to do with me? Aren't you two the ones gambling?
"I'm saying it for myself too," Ken added seriously. "Let's keep each other honest."
"…Alright." Merus nodded, resigned.
Can you two stop dragging me into this?
Whis pressed a hand to his forehead, genuinely unsure what to say.
Down below, Dende appeared beside Piccolo and released a healing light that wrapped around him.
"Dende, be careful," Piccolo warned again and again. "Don't let Frieza see you, or you'll be in danger."
"I'm not afraid!" Dende bit his lip.
Moments later, Piccolo's wounds closed completely.
"Good." Piccolo rubbed Dende's head. "You're the best Namekian."
"Dende, go heal Goku!" Krillin urged.
"Yes!" Dende nodded quickly and moved toward Goku.
"Heal Vegeta first," Goku insisted stubbornly, blood spilling as he spoke. "He's hurt worse than me… and you two kicked him twice. If you don't heal him now, he'll die."
"Then heal Vegeta first," Piccolo told Dende.
"Got it!" Dende darted toward Vegeta.
A few seconds later, Vegeta's injuries vanished, and he stood up.
"I'll go heal Gohan's dad," Dende said, flying back toward Goku.
Across the island where Frieza stood, an even greater surge of energy erupted.
A vast pressure rolled out from far away, and a massive wave of light pulsed over the island.
"It's Frieza! He transformed again!" Krillin shouted. "Damn it—Taiyoken and Kienzan don't work on him!"
"He's worse than we thought," Piccolo said, voice low.
Dende reached Vegeta and finished healing, then turned back.
Vegeta flashed to Piccolo's side, face dark, eyes locked on him.
Piccolo stayed silent. He already knew what Vegeta wanted to say.
"Piccolo," Vegeta hissed, "you messed with the wish, didn't you? Where's my regeneration?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Piccolo replied calmly. "There's a delay."
"Who are you fooling?" Vegeta barked. "You think I'll believe that?"
"Believe it or don't." Piccolo's expression didn't change. "The wish is already granted. Maybe your body rejects that kind of regeneration."
"Rejects…?" Vegeta fell into doubt.
That… actually sounds plausible.
I'm a Saiyan genius warrior.
My Saiyan blood could resist a dragon's modification.
Still… something feels off.
No time for this.
My power jumped—hard.
Coming back from the edge just now, my battle power's at least 2,500,000!
Because Kakarot injured me?
Vegeta's heart raced.
My battle increased. Hakai should be more powerful now too.
If my destruction energy lands on Frieza this time, he's finished.
Frieza, come on.
I'm about to become a real God of Destruction.
At last, Frieza completed his Fourth Form.
This form was his true appearance.
The moment they saw it, Vegeta and the others all went a little stiff.
"He got smaller…" Krillin muttered, surprised. "That's Frieza's real face?"
"This is the best proof you can't judge strength by looks," Piccolo said grimly. "His energy jumped massively." His jaw tightened. "Damn it—even after fusing with the Grand Elder and Nail, I still can't do anything to him. We underestimated him."
Frieza slowly raised a finger.
A red streak flashed past Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Gohan, and Kale.
A thunderous blast erupted behind them.
When they turned, smoke rose from Dende's body.
Dende died on the spot—right in the middle of healing Goku.
Goku's injuries only recovered halfway before the healing cut off.
"Dad! Dende!" Gohan's voice cracked, grief and rage colliding.
I messed up, Piccolo cursed himself. I should've told Dende to heal outside Frieza's line of sight.
"No one's healing you now, right?" Frieza smiled at them like they were toys.
"Kale…" Krillin called, but her face had already drained again.
Someone died again.
I want to go home.
This is terrifying.
"Goku, are you okay?" Krillin asked urgently.
"I'm fine…" Goku's voice shook with anger. "Damn it… Frieza!"
Frieza's body blurred and vanished.
"He disappeared!" Krillin and the others shouted.
Before they could even blink, Frieza stood directly in front of them.
Everyone jolted.
"I said I'd show you something worse than Hell." Frieza's smile stayed gentle, his eyes full of mockery.
Gohan screamed and charged him head-on.
"Goku-san's son…" Merus murmured. "He's braver than he was a month ago." The image of that timid Gohan from a month earlier surfaced in his mind.
A month later, and he's charging the Emperor of the Universe himself.
If my Kale gets through this battle, she'll be braver too.
Piccolo followed right behind Gohan, launching a fierce assault on Frieza.
Goku tried to move in, but his half-healed injuries pulled tight, and he hissed through his teeth.
Piccolo and Gohan worked together, hammering Frieza with punches and kicks.
Frieza only dodged—every single strike—then flickered into the sky.
Piccolo and Gohan both jumped back and fired ki waves upward.
Frieza vanished again.
"He disappeared again!" Krillin shouted.
Piccolo and Gohan's faces tightened.
"Hmph. Behind you." Vegeta pointed sharply.
Frieza's figure phased in behind Piccolo.
He smiled lightly, raised his right hand, and a red streak shot from his fingertip toward Gohan.
Gohan froze, too stunned to dodge.
"Gohan!" Goku forced himself to move, teeth clenched.
He was too far.
"Move, you idiot!" Vegeta shot up and kicked Gohan away.
The red streak slammed into the distant lake, blasting a column of water hundreds of meters into the air.
"I didn't see his movement or attack again…" Krillin's face turned chalky.
Gohan lay on the ground, shaken—and startled for another reason.
Vegeta… saved me?
"Thanks, Vegeta," Goku said quickly.
"Th-thanks…" Gohan echoed.
"Don't misunderstand." Vegeta grinned with smug satisfaction. "I didn't do it to save you." He tilted his chin. "I did it so you could watch something more interesting."
"Are you sure you can win?" Piccolo asked, turning to him.
"Yes." Vegeta snorted. "Stop getting in the way. All of you, back off. I'll handle him."
"Vegeta, you're awfully confident," Frieza said with a smile. "Fear make your brain rot?"
"Laugh while you can!" Vegeta lifted his right hand. A tiny purple-red point of light formed in his palm. "How about it, Frieza? You dare take this destruction energy again?"
"Oh? Destruction energy again?" Frieza snorted.
"I'm asking if you dare!" Vegeta pushed. "If you don't, forget I said anything."
Frieza fell silent.
After a brief hesitation, he made his choice. "Try it."
"Don't regret it!" Vegeta didn't hesitate. His stance locked, ready to throw.
Merus let out a helpless sigh.
"Vegeta-san's energy increased a lot," Merus said quietly, "but the strength of his destruction won't rise just because his energy rose." He shook his head. "He's too arrogant."
Ken stayed silent. He understood.
Vegeta was always like this. If he didn't die once or twice, he'd never learn. Only after that would the arrogance get worn down, little by little.
And only then would Vegeta truly rise—and become a real God of Destruction.
Whis didn't say a word. If Merus could see it, Whis saw it even more clearly.
"Kakarot, watch closely!" Vegeta shouted. "I'm about to erase Frieza!"
He hurled the destruction energy straight at Frieza.
Frieza snorted and backhanded it away with a single slap.
The purple-red point wobbled through the air and dropped onto a distant small island.
The entire island vanished like a soap bubble popping.
"What… what…?" Vegeta stared at Frieza, disbelief smashing across his face.
Then it clicked.
Damn it…
My destruction energy didn't get stronger.
Only my normal energy did.
"Vegeta," Frieza said, smiling wider, "your destruction energy barely changed. Who gave you the confidence to think that tiny bit of destruction energy could beat me?"
"You… you bastard!" Vegeta trembled head to toe. "I won't lose to you!"
He shot forward like a streak of light.
Frieza's figure blurred into something unreal.
"I've got you—nowhere to run!" Vegeta roared. "My destruction energy didn't improve, but my battle power did!"
His punch cut through empty air.
Vegeta's expression turned ugly.
Where is he?
Where did Frieza go?
"Hahahaha!" Frieza's laughter rang out from behind him, down on the ground.
Vegeta whipped his head around, shock stamped across his face.
"I put in a little effort and you can't even keep up," Frieza mocked, laughter thick. "And you want to be a God of Destruction? Stop trying to make me laugh."
Vegeta's face went pale.
"Let me tell you the truth," Frieza said coldly. "Whether it's destruction energy or battle power, you're nowhere near me." His smile returned, sharper than before. "If you're a God of Destruction, then I'm the Grand Priest!"
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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