Gohan squinted at the tiny, insect-like object in Turles' hand and immediately thought of the Demon Realm.
It resembled a rare item from that place.
Apparently, it was called a Revival Beetle, functioning much like a Senzu Bean capable of instantly healing any injury.
No wonder Turles could recover so quickly.
But how had he acquired it? Had he ever been to the Demon Realm, or did he possess some other strange and chaotic artifact?
If it was the latter, Gohan knew he would need to be extremely careful.
After all, if Turles had merely been to the Demon Realm, as long as he didn't act like Tien, he wouldn't be an unstoppable opponent.
But the second possibility carried unlimited hidden dangers.
Gohan suspected his opponent might have additional tricks, so he quietly pushed his Kaio-ken to its maximum, now at four times normal strength.
This was the upper limit his body could withstand.
Pushing further risked the same fate his father faced when using a quadruple Kaio-ken his body would collapse under the strain.
Although it would temporarily boost his power, it would be far too costly.
Turles immediately swallowed the beetle, and his wounds healed instantly. A cold smirk appeared on his face as he retrieved a deep-red fruit from beneath his scorched cloak.
This object was unusual; it was clearly one of the so-called God Tree Fruits.
"Heh, you are stronger than before," Turles said with a cold laugh, raising the fruit to his mouth. "But this time, I will be the victor!"
He prepared to consume the God Tree Fruit.
In that instant, a crimson aura erupted. Turles barely had time to react before he realized his hand was empty.
A flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes.
Where did the fruit from my mighty Tree of Might go? How could it vanish from my hand in the blink of an eye?
The confusion didn't last long.
He saw Gohan floating above him, holding the God Tree Fruit.
"What?"
Confidence instantly turned to terror in Turles' eyes. He had seen the child fight; his speed shouldn't be this fast. What was happening?
Yet, having experienced similar surprises before, he made a quick decision.
He turned toward the abyss where the Tree of Might seed had fallen.
At the same time, he fired countless ki blasts with both hands, clearly attempting to intercept Gohan in midair.
Gohan didn't have time to examine the fruit's nature. Seeing Turles trying to escape, he immediately refocused and accelerated his pursuit.
Dense ki blasts poured like a flood.
But the crimson light passed through them, dodging every attack with incredible speed and striking Turles instantly.
Turles twisted his body, crossing his hands to form a circular ki barrier.
Then, as he opened his hands, the ring expanded outward.
Boom!
The energy halo surged toward Gohan.
This time, Gohan didn't dodge. He froze midair and delivered a powerful kick to the platform below.
Encased in dense ki, the kick shattered it completely.
The energy halo then dissipated, falling as a cascade of light.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that none of his techniques could stop the opponent, Turles was enraged, veins bulging in his eyes.
He still possessed special abilities linked to the Fusion Beetle.
But the boy had already eliminated all his subordinates. That meant even if he wanted to use the Fusion Beetle, he was powerless.
Now, his only option was to wait for the Tree of Might to grow.
But with the speed this kid displayed, he wouldn't even have a chance to wait.
Damn it!
He could hardly believe that even after returning, this boy had forced him into a corner. He had almost no way to fight back.
Would the great Lord Turles fail to conquer the universe again and die on this planet?
Despite shock and anger intertwining, Gohan launched his attacks with even greater intensity.
Aware of Turles' connection to the Demon Realm and fearing additional tricks, he resolved to end the battle quickly.
A crimson aura enveloped him, blood pumping faster, muscles visibly swelling.
Buzz!
A sharp sonic boom echoed clearly across the night sky.
Turles looked up to find Gohan right in front of him. He quickly pushed his power to the limit, preparing for a direct confrontation.
However, with a sudden rush of wind, the crimson aura shifted direction, spiraling in a wide arc through the air.
Before Turles could react, a sharp pain tore through his waist.
He felt as if his body had been ripped apart.
Clearly, his opponent's speed was too great; he had no time to react.
"How is this possible? Saiyans should grow stronger after recovering from near death. My power should have increased dramatically, yet the gap between us remains so vast?"
As Turles lunged forward, disbelief etched across his face, he desperately tried to reach the small pouch containing the Revival Beetle.
But with his hips shattered in a compound fracture, every movement caused excruciating pain.
Even for a lower-class warrior raised in a brutal, bloody world, enduring such agony and retrieving the item quickly would be nearly impossible.
Fortunately, his suffering didn't last long.
Gohan's killing intent surged. Hands positioned before his forehead, he gathered energy to unleash a Majin Flash strengthened by quadruple Kaio-ken.
Crack!
Dense lightning swirled around Gohan's body.
The red-and-white light blazed intensely across the land, causing light pollution even in the abyss where the Tree of Might was growing.
The overwhelmingly powerful ki radiated far, reaching well beyond the forest.
Sensing disturbances in the forest, Goku emerged to investigate.
He quickly realized the energy belonged to Gohan.
But the intensity confused him. He knew the boy's potential, yet with little training, his power should not be this formidable.
Yet this ki rivaled Goku's own.
Sensing something was off, he darted toward the source, seeing bright flashes in the distance.
Crimson and blue-white auras intertwined, their power so immense even Goku was astonished.
"Kaio-ken?"
Having taught Gohan this technique, he immediately recognized the ki.
But he had only taught him today, without letting him practice. How could the boy have mastered it so quickly?
"Honestly, Gohan's talent never ceases to amaze me. It took me almost a month to master this move!"
Recalling his rigorous training on King Kai's planet, his eyes shone with joy and surprise.
However, when he looked at Gohan's opponent, his expression turned serious. Who was this enemy? Why did that hairstyle look so familiar?
Rumble!
In the next moment, the intensely concentrated ki blast exploded, striking the figure in the distance.
The massive beam slanted across Earth, extending infinitely into space.