The ground shook as Goku exhaled, steadying his stance. His black eyes locked on Cooler, the towering figure standing calmly with his arms folded. The Namekian winds howled around them, carrying dust across the battlefield.
Without hesitation, Goku lunged forward, his fist cocked back. His punch connected squarely with Cooler's face.
The impact cracked the air with a thunderous BOOM! Dust blasted outward, scattering stones in all directions. Cooler's head snapped back slightly, but he didn't move to dodge. He simply took the hit.
And then—he laughed.
"Impressive," Cooler said with a smirk, rubbing his jaw. "It's been a very long time since anyone has actually made me feel pain."
Goku slid back two steps, his fists raised. "Don't get too comfortable. That was just the start."
Before Cooler could respond, Goku rushed again, this time twisting his body into a powerful spinning kick. His heel slammed directly into Cooler's stomach. The bio-armored tyrant grunted as his body was launched backward, smashing into the side of a towering mountain. The structure trembled, split apart, and collapsed in a storm of rocks.
But Goku didn't pause.
He dashed through the falling debris, appearing in front of Cooler just as the tyrant pushed himself out of the rubble. Without warning, Goku unleashed a flurry of punches—fast, precise, relentless. His fists blurred like lightning, raining down on Cooler's chest and arms.
This time, Cooler raised his forearms in a cross-guard, blocking most of the strikes. Sparks of ki crackled with every impact.
Goku narrowed his eyes, waiting for an opening. He found it.
In the middle of his barrage, he ducked under Cooler's counter-swing, slipped inside, and drove his knee upward. Cooler staggered slightly, and Goku twisted, delivering another sharp kick that sent him blasting through the mountain and skidding across to the next island.
Cooler crashed into the ground, carving a trench through Namek's soil before halting at the edge of a cliff.
In a flash, Goku was above him again. He descended with a fierce downward kick, forcing Cooler to roll aside. The ground where Goku struck cratered instantly.
"What's wrong, Cooler?" Goku taunted, his voice calm yet sharp. "Don't tell me you're only here to stand still and take hits. You'll never win that way."
Cooler brushed dust from his shoulder and straightened his posture. Instead of looking angry, he grinned. His crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"You're fast, Saiyan. And stronger than I expected. But don't fool yourself. Up until now… I've merely been testing you."
He raised one clawed hand, ki gathering rapidly into a pulsing sphere of violet energy.
"Let's see how you handle this."
With a flick of his wrist, Cooler hurled the enormous ki sphere toward Goku.
The energy tore across the sky like a comet, its heat distorting the air.
Goku's eyes widened. He braced himself, his aura igniting. "Kaioken… times TEN!"
His body flared crimson as he cupped his hands to his side. The familiar blue glow of condensed ki roared into existence.
"Ka…me…ha…me…HA!"
The brilliant wave of blue energy surged forward, colliding with Cooler's purple sphere. The two attacks ground against one another, a storm of sparks exploding between them. For a moment, they held evenly, locked in place—until Goku roared, pouring more power into his beam.
The sphere was forced back, pushed across the horizon. With a deafening BOOM, it shot past Namek's atmosphere, streaking toward the distant moon.
A second later, the moon shattered in a spectacular explosion, chunks of glowing debris scattering into the void. The shockwave rattled even the seas of Namek, sending waves rolling toward the shores.
Cooler's eyes widened slightly, not with fear, but excitement. His lips stretched into a grin.
"Yes! That's it!" His voice boomed with genuine delight. "Now I understand why Frieza lost. If I hold back any further, you will challenge me."
Goku smirked, wiping sweat from his brow. "Glad you're finally taking this seriously. Because so am I."
He spread his stance, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His body trembled, his aura expanding wildly. The ground beneath him cracked, fissures racing outward as trees bent from the sheer force of his energy.
"Raaaaaaaghhh!" Goku screamed, his voice echoing across the planet.
The rivers nearby surged, waves rising like tidal walls. The very crust of Namek shook violently. The sky darkened, thunder rumbling overhead.
And then it happened.
Goku's black hair flashed golden, rising upright as his aura transformed into a blazing golden flame. His eyes snapped open, now a piercing green.
Cooler's smile widened.
"So… the legend was true. The Super Saiyan. A golden warrior feared even by my brother."
He tilted his head, admiring Goku like a rare specimen. "Magnificent. Truly magnificent."
Goku raised his chin slightly, his expression stern. "This is the power that defeated Frieza. And if you're anything like him, Cooler… this is the power that will defeat you too."
Cooler chuckled darkly, stepping forward. "Don't be so quick to decide the outcome, monkey. You've shown me your trump card, so I suppose it's only fair I show you mine."
His body suddenly expanded, muscles swelling. His horns elongated, his face sharpened into a more sinister form. His entire aura pulsed as his power skyrocketed.
This was Cooler's Fifth Transformation.
The ground beneath him split from the sheer gravity of his energy. Namek's skies flashed with unnatural lightning.
And Rudra was standing quietly on the same island, watching everything unfold. He too didn't know… what Cooler's last form truly was!
Rudra's eyes narrowed as he muttered to himself,
"Damn… if this fight goes out of hand, I'll have to step in. I can't just let things run wild."
He folded his arms, his gaze fixed firmly on the clash before him.
"Cooler… just what are you hiding? Whatever it is, if Goku can't handle it… I'll be ready."
Back in the battlefield, Goku stood his ground as Cooler's transformation ended. The tyrant towered taller, his bio-armor sharper, his presence overwhelming. His aura burned with raw destruction.
Cooler flexed his clawed hands, admiring his own strength. "Five million units of power… and rising. Do you understand now, Saiyan? Even your golden form may not be enough."
But inwardly, Cooler smirked. He hadn't revealed everything. He had trained to unlock something far beyond this—a Golden form of his own. But he wasn't ready to show it. Not yet. He would let the Saiyan think he was winning, lulling him into false hope… before crushing him entirely.
"Shall we continue?" Cooler asked with a sinister grin.
Goku lowered his stance, golden aura flaring brighter. "Yeah. Let's finish this."
And with that, the battlefield erupted once more.