The battlefield had fallen silent, as though the entire planet was holding its breath. The wind carried the crackle of electricity, the ground hummed with unspent power. Standing amidst the ruins, Goku glared at Cooler, his aura blazing like a tempest of golden fire laced with jagged arcs of lightning.
Every arc that danced across his body split the earth beneath his feet. His eyes—cold, piercing—were no longer the eyes of the gentle warrior. They were the eyes of wrath incarnate.
Cooler staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand. The mighty emperor's golden form still shone brilliantly, but his once smug face had tightened with unease. He growled low, refusing to admit what his instincts screamed—fear.
"So this… is your hidden card?" Cooler's voice wavered slightly but hardened with pride. "Pathetic. You've merely polished your rage into a new coat of paint. You are still a monkey. Still beneath me."
Goku said nothing. His silence was louder than any retort.
The air snapped—Goku vanished.
Cooler's eyes widened. A crack of thunder followed instantly as Goku appeared right in front of him, fist cocked. The punch slammed into Cooler's face before he could brace himself. The impact hurled the tyrant across the sky, leaving a shockwave that ripped clouds apart.
Cooler roared and stopped himself mid-air, aura flaring, only to find Goku already there. A kick struck his ribs, followed by an elbow to his back, then another strike to his gut. Each blow landed faster than the last, wrapped in lightning, shaking his armored body.
"Damn you!" Cooler spat blood, swinging a desperate backhand. Goku blocked it with one arm and countered instantly, driving his knuckles into Cooler's jaw. The tyrant spun, crashing through a rocky plateau that exploded on impact.
The dust hadn't even cleared when Goku's silhouette burst through, lightning trailing him like a god of storms. His fists became a blur, pounding Cooler with unrelenting force.
"Impossible!" Cooler bellowed, staggering back. "This… this strength… how?!"
Goku's voice thundered, low and deadly:
"You call yourself an emperor. You call yourself a god. But all I see is a coward who toys with lives!"
His punch landed against Cooler's chest, sending him skidding across the ground. Goku didn't relent—he was there before Cooler even fell, slamming him into the dirt with a brutal kick. The ground split open, an enormous crater forming beneath the impact.
Cooler roared, his pride burning hotter than his pain. His golden aura surged, and he thrust both hands forward. "ENOUGH! GOLDEN NOVA!"
A colossal sphere of blinding golden energy erupted from his palms, consuming the crater in light. The explosion shook Namek, tearing mountains apart and boiling lakes into steam.
But within the explosion… lightning roared back.
The golden sphere cracked in half—split cleanly down the middle.
Through the storm of destruction, Goku emerged, his fist still extended, his aura overpowering Cooler's blast. His hair glowed brighter, his eyes sharper, his lightning louder.
Cooler gasped, horror breaking through his mask. "He… broke through my attack?!"
Goku's voice cut through the chaos.
"You're not fighting the same warrior anymore."
In an instant, Goku appeared above Cooler, hands clasped together. He brought them down in a crushing double hammer blow, slamming Cooler into the earth. The ground shattered, fissures racing outward for miles.
Cooler screamed in rage, forcing himself up, his armor cracked, his pride bleeding more than his wounds. "YOU FILTHY SAIYAN! I AM COOLER! THE SUPREME EMPEROR! I WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED!"
Goku's aura blazed brighter, lightning striking the ground around him. His face twisted with fury as his voice boomed:
"You already lost the moment you laid a finger on Rudra!"
He raised his hand, golden energy surging into his palm. The ki condensed, wrapped in lightning, screaming like a storm in human form.
Cooler's crimson eyes widened. "What… is that?!"
The sphere pulsed violently, arcs of lightning exploding off it. Goku's entire body trembled as he poured every ounce of wrath into the attack.
"KAMEHAME…" His voice echoed across the ruined plains, charged with fury.
Cooler's instincts screamed danger. He lunged forward, aura blazing, desperate to stop the attack.
Goku's glare locked onto him, lightning splitting the sky.
"…HAAAAAAA!!!"
The beam unleashed—golden and white, wrapped in streams of lightning. It roared across the battlefield like a god's judgment.
Cooler screamed, throwing his own energy wave to counter. Their blasts collided, ripping the world apart. The clash tore open the sky, thunder rolling, earth crumbling, oceans boiling.
For a moment, they were locked, equal forces straining against each other.
Then Goku roared, aura exploding, lightning amplifying the beam tenfold. His power surged past the breaking point, fueled by fury, grief, and vengeance.
Cooler's attack faltered. His eyes widened in disbelief. "No… NO!"
The wave consumed him, dragging his body into the storm of energy. His golden aura struggled, cracked, then shattered as the beam overwhelmed him, swallowing his screams in a blinding eruption.
The explosion erupted into the heavens, visible across the planet. A mushroom cloud of golden light expanded, shaking the stars themselves.
Silence followed. Dust and smoke blanketed the battlefield.
Goku stood in the center, his chest heaving, his aura still crackling with lightning. His glare remained sharp, unblinking, fixed on the fading glow of the explosion.
Cooler's silhouette finally emerged, scorched, battered, yet still alive. His armor was cracked, his golden glow dimmed. His body trembled—but his eyes still burned with hatred.
He staggered forward, laughing bitterly through blood.
"Hahahaha… remarkable. Truly remarkable. You've pushed me further than anyone else…"
Goku's fists clenched tighter, his lightning snapping around him.
Cooler smirked weakly, though blood stained his lips.
"But don't fool yourself, Saiyan. That wasn't enough. I'm not finished."
Goku's jaw tightened, electricity flashing in his eyes.
"Then I'll keep pushing… until you are."
The storm had not ended. It had only just begun.
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