Piccolo spread his arms, using his body to take Nappa's fatal blow head-on.
Pfft!
The energy pierced through his chest, leaving a shocking bloody hole.
Piccolo swayed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He slowly turned his head, looking at Gohan, who was safely behind him but already stunned.
For the first time, a gentle smile appeared on his always-cold face.
"You… were the first… to not treat me like a monster… willing to talk to me…"
"This year… wasn't… so bad after all…"
With that, Piccolo collapsed heavily.
Elsewhere, Kami also vanished.
"Uncle Piccolo!!!"
Witnessing Piccolo's death, immense grief and anger shattered Gohan's inner defenses.
An unprecedented force erupted from Gohan's small body.
"Masenko!!!"
A golden energy wave shot from his hands, striking Nappa precisely.
Nappa stumbled back, genuinely surprised.
"This brat…"
Vegeta's scouter screeched an alarm.
"Battle power 2800! How is that possible?!"
But the moment was fleeting.
After the outburst of anger, Gohan collapsed, exhausted and powerless.
Nappa stretched the shoulder hit by the Masenko, a cruel smile twisting his face.
"Interesting kid… but the game's over."
The shadow of death settled over the battlefield.
Piccolo's death was a crucial plot point—necessary for Goku's eventual journey to Namek. But Gohan could not be harmed.
Goku's energy approached, but he was still far from the battlefield.
At this moment, only exhausted Krillin and collapsed Gohan remained.
On the distant snow-capped mountain, Loren let out a long sigh, tinged with helplessness.
"Sigh… looks like it's time to work overtime."
Nappa's massive foot pressed down on Gohan's small back, face against the rough gravel.
Despair engulfed the boy.
"Gohan!"
Krillin roared and rushed forward—but Nappa casually waved a hand, sending him sprawling.
Krillin struggled to rise, powerless, watching Gohan suffer.
Earth seemed doomed.
From a high rock, Vegeta sneered indifferently.
"Low-level planet scum… fragile and pathetic."
"Hurry up and finish them, Nappa."
"Don't waste time."
Atop the snow mountain, Loren's system alarm blared.
[Ding! Major Obstacle Detected: Gohan is on the verge of death, which will severely affect the host's future. Please intervene immediately!]
If Gohan died, Goku would likely rage uncontrollably.
A furious Goku against Vegeta was unpredictable.
And Goku, at this point, could not yet become a Super Saiyan—his power base was insufficient.
If Goku also fell, Earth would lose a key fighter, collapsing future events and the Dragon Ball timeline, risking global catastrophe.
And… Earth's food was the best in the universe. Elsewhere? Bugs.
"It seems I have no choice…"
Loren stood, brushing off imaginary snowflakes.
In the next instant, his figure blurred—imperceptible to the naked eye—and vanished from the snow peak.
On the battlefield, Nappa grinned, raising his massive palm. A destructive purple energy orb condensed.
"Kid, say goodbye to this world!"
Krillin closed his eyes in despair.
The energy ball plummeted—
—but a shadow appeared beside Nappa without warning.
Nappa didn't even react. His senses couldn't process the figure appearing in a flash.
Suddenly, an incomprehensible, immense force struck Nappa's waist.
Bang!
His enormous body twisted into a bizarre "C" shape.
The arrogant Saiyan's sneer froze. Horror filled his eyes.
Then, like a cannonball, Nappa flew backward.
Boom!
He carved a deep gully through the ground, smashing countless rocks, finally slamming into the distant mountain wall Tien Shinhan's Tri-Beam had once hit.
Dust and debris rose skyward.
Nappa's massive body slid down the wall like mud, crashing hard onto the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth.
Bones felt shattered, intense pain overwhelming him.
Even this battle-hardened Saiyan groaned in agony.
He tried to rise… and failed.
Severely injured. All with a single strike.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Krillin and Gohan stared blankly.
What… just happened?
They didn't even clearly see the attacker—only that Nappa, despair-inducing and fearsome, had been thrown like a fly.
Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief.
How could this happen?
How could he, the Saiyan Prince, fail to see the actions of a low-level planetary scum?
As dust cleared, a slender figure appeared where Nappa had stood.
Loren didn't assume a combat stance—he casually clapped his hands, brushing off imaginary dust.
He looked at the surviving Gohan and Krillin, his voice calm, tinged with helplessness as if complaining about the heat.
"Big guy… can't you just quietly wait for Son Goku to return?"