The air on Namek shuddered with each strike.
Mountains cracked, rivers boiled, and the sky itself trembled as Super Saiyan Goku and Cooler's Fifth Form collided in a storm of fists and ki blasts. Their movements were so fast that the landscape seemed to warp around them.
Every punch rattled the planet. Every kick carved shockwaves across the horizon.
---
Cooler (smirking, mid-fight):
"Impressive, Saiyan. You're stronger than Frieza ever warned me about… but still just a monkey swinging wildly."
Goku (gritting his teeth):
"We'll see about that!"
With a roar, Goku blurred forward, his golden aura flaring, and drove his fist into Cooler's gut. The impact created a thunderclap that echoed across the ocean, launching Cooler into the side of a distant mountain.
The ground cracked beneath Goku's feet as he powered up, pushing his limits even further. His hair glowed brighter, sparks of energy snapping across his aura.
---
Cooler rose from the rubble, dust falling from his mutated armored body. His crimson eyes narrowed, but there was a hint of satisfaction in them.
Cooler (mocking):
"You've forced me to feel pain. Congratulations. But pain only excites me more."
Before he could counter, Goku darted in, landing a spinning kick across Cooler's jaw, then another to his chest. Cooler staggered backward.
Goku didn't relent—he unleashed a barrage of punches, each one faster, harder, more desperate than the last. His strikes were a blur, carving shockwaves into the air, pushing Cooler back inch by inch.
---
Cooler crossed his arms, defending. But Goku found an opening. With a primal scream, he slammed both fists into Cooler's chest, breaking through his guard.
The force hurled Cooler into the sky, his massive frame colliding with an island. The ground erupted in a volcanic explosion, waves flooding outward.
Cooler collapsed on the ground, his breathing uneven. For the first time, cracks appeared in his armored body.
---
Rudra, watching from a distant ridge, clenched his fists. His eyes locked on Cooler's fallen form.
Rudra (thinking):
Did… did Goku actually win?
Goku hovered above, golden aura blazing, chest heaving.
Goku (panting, smiling faintly):
"I… I did it. Cooler's finished."
He turned, looking out over the battered planet, hope flickering in his eyes. The thought of Earth, his friends, and the Dragon Balls gave him a rare moment of relief.
But then—
---
A low sound rumbled from the rubble.
A chuckle.
Then laughter.
Deep, chilling, mocking laughter that rolled across the battlefield like thunder.
Cooler (rising slowly, blood on his lip):
"Hahahaha… oh, Saiyan… how naïve you are."
Dust and stone fell away as Cooler straightened, towering once more. His aura, which had been faint, suddenly ignited.
Cooler (grinning cruelly):
"Did you really think that was enough? That I—Cooler, son of King Cold—would fall so easily?"
The air grew heavy. Even the Namekian winds stilled.
---
Cooler spread his arms wide, and his ki flared outward, tearing cracks into the ground. The sky darkened, as if the planet itself sensed what was coming.
Cooler (voice booming):
"Let me show you… a power beyond imagination! A form even Frieza never dreamed of!"
Goku's eyes widened. His gut twisted. He could feel it—the rising ki, far beyond anything Frieza ever unleashed.
Rudra (under his breath):
"...No way… this… this is something else entirely…"
---
Cooler's body began to glow. His skin shimmered, shifting from deep violet to radiant gold. His bio-armor gleamed like polished metal, reflecting the broken sky. Crimson eyes blazed like burning suns.
The transformation shook Namek to its core. Oceans churned, lightning cracked, and the air became suffocating.
When the light faded, Golden Cooler stood before them.
A godlike figure. Regal, terrifying, unstoppable.
---
Cooler (smirking, flexing his hand):
"Magnificent, isn't it? Months of training… perfecting what my foolish brother never achieved. A form worthy of a true emperor!"
He clenched his fist, and the very space around it rippled.
Cooler (mocking Goku):
"You pushed me, monkey. Be proud. You forced me to reveal my masterpiece. But now… your little victory means nothing."
---
Goku floated back a step, his aura flickering. His mind reeled.
Goku (thinking, panicked):
That energy… it's beyond anything I've felt before. Even Frieza's final form… it's nothing compared to this…
Cooler tilted his head, his smile a predator's grin.
Cooler (coldly):
"Ready yourself, Saiyan. The real battle… starts now."