Amond and the others had been hiding in the shadows, ready to follow Lord Turles' orders and launch an ambush against any newcomers.
Yet, before Turles even gave a command, they saw him his face half-destroyed from the earlier explosion fly straight out while he was speaking to the child.
This was completely beyond their expectations.
They had followed Lord Turles through countless great feats from betraying Frieza's army to traveling across the universe, using countless planets as nutrients to grow the Tree of Might. Everything had gone smoothly under Turles' strength and intelligence, until now.
No one had imagined he would be defeated by a child.
Although the boy was of the same race as Turles, he was clearly very young. How could he possess such immense power?
Before they could ponder further, beams of light shot past them. Gohan crashed violently into the mountainside.
The mountains erupted with blinding light, splitting the valley in two as thick smoke spiraled into the night sky.
"Bastard!"
A hoarse, ominous voice came from deep within the mountains.
Having traveled the universe with Turles, Amond and the others immediately recognized their master's voice. But unlike his usual confidence, this voice was filled with pain.
The group acted instantly, transforming into beams of light and rushing forward at full speed.
Multiple energy blasts shot from all directions into the shattered valley.
The jagged valley, illuminated by the night sky, shimmered with dazzling colors.
At that moment, Gohan instinctively sensed the ki gathering around him.
Yet his mind remained calm. While retreating slightly, he gathered energy, forming a spherical ki orb in his right hand.
Boom!
The high-energy sphere plummeted directly toward Turles' position.
Gohan spun swiftly, not even glancing at the exploding sphere, and immediately countered the surrounding beams.
When Turles' four subordinates attacked, he could already sense the strength of their ki.
Even the weakest among them was far stronger than Raditz.
This revealed the true power of the Tree of Might: it allowed a low-level warrior like Turles to command a squad whose average power level reached 10,000.
Remember, even Vegeta the Saiyan prince hailed as the strongest genius in Saiyan history never had a subordinate whose peak power exceeded 10,000.
Yet now, Gohan could face them all alone.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Before the attackers even reached their designated positions, the sensors' readings spiked beyond the limits, shattering the equipment.
"What?"
A wave of intense fear surged through them.
Before they could react, it felt as if a mountain had struck them, and they were hurled violently away.
Pain seared through their bodies.
Clearly, their opponent's speed was too great; they had no chance to react.
"Damn it, how is he so strong?"
Amond and the others were in disbelief.
They had traveled the universe alongside Lord Turles but had never encountered an opponent like this.
Even with bodies enhanced by the Tree of Might, they could not fight back; before being heavily injured, they could barely see the enemy.
Swish!
As if flung into the distance.
Gohan hovered in midair, surrounded by a surge of dazzling white light. The intensity of his energy was so strong it condensed into solid-looking, flame-like pillars.
He seemed like a sun illuminating the entire valley.
In the distance, the Kai dragon tilted its head, staring at the scene. As Gohan's close friend, it had never seen him like this before.
Had he just turned into the sun?
Before it could process, beams of light radiated outward from Gohan, resembling fireworks bursting across the sky.
But unlike ordinary fireworks, each beam carried devastating power.
The beams struck all of Turles' subordinates directly.
Wherever the overwhelming energy hit, the figures vanished instantly.
Gohan quickly suppressed his ki. Though he was in a world of comparable strength, it felt too real. To avoid attracting other powerful beings, he decided not to draw attention.
Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the shattered valley.
He sensed a ki rising rapidly.
According to his calculations, his previous attack should have been enough to eliminate Turles.
"It seems he still has some tricks left."
A glint sparked in Gohan's eyes, his muscles tensing as a faint aura enveloped him once more.
He knew clearly that Turles had other strategies.
Rumble!
In the distance, the opponent's ki surged. Countless rocks were lifted by a violent wind, scattering wildly in all directions.
The flying debris struck the scorched forest with intense force.
The once-lush forest now looked even more desolate, as if under a relentless meteor shower.
Gohan remained suspended in midair, expression calm.
No matter how fierce the debris, nothing could come within three feet of him.
Then, a dark beam shot toward him at incredible speed.
Inside it, Turles' figure appeared once more, moving faster than before, even applying pressure to Gohan.
Boom!
The air compressed violently, producing a massive explosion.
Terrifying flames tore through the void.
Shockwaves rippled outward, felt even beyond the forest's edge.
Defenders of the planet rapidly closed in.
"How is this possible? You didn't have this power last time!"
Turles' voice rang out through the flames. Though still shocked and angry, his tone was stronger than before.
"Last time?"
Gohan feigned confusion.
"Hmph, looks like the situation has changed!"
Seeing Gohan feign ignorance, Turles sneered.
"But the result is already set. The one destined to rule this universe is me… Turles!"
As he spoke, the opposing ki flared violently.
The purple-white aura expanded, seemingly splitting the night sky in two.
"Did I just… injure your face?"
Gohan's mind raced. Instantly activating the Kaio-ken he had just learned, he suppressed Turles' ki in a blink.
Then, mercilessly, he punched Turles square in the face.
Honestly, the face looked exactly like his father's, and every time he struck it, a twinge of guilt stirred within him.
This time, Turles was knocked back only a few dozen meters before halting forcibly midair.
He glared at Gohan fiercely, then pulled an insect-like object from his pocket.
"Hmph. I, Turles, am the universe's destined emperor! You, the son of a low-level warrior, truly think you can defeat me?"