Breaking the Deadlock with Great Ape Transformation

Among the ruins inside the spaceship, dust and smoke intertwined like a scene from the apocalypse. Kazer curled his hand into a claw and gathered purplish-black energy, preparing to deal Zhou Zilong a fatal blow.

Facing Kazer's oppressive presence, Zhou Zilong used his spatial abilities to feed himself a Senzu Bean. Then he raised his hands into the opening stance of the Kamehameha, clearly preparing to use Kaioken again and face his opponent.

"Zilong, a friendly tip: you can use Solar Flare to create an opening—Tien Shinhan may have invented it, but you figured it out on your own (*^__^*) Hehe. Then use Artificial Moon to trigger Great Ape Transformation. Your power will multiply, and it won't strain you as much as Kaioken does. Your Great Ape form increases your power twentyfold! And don't forget to use some of your spatial abilities, too." Xiao Ling's voice rang in Zhou Zilong's ear, like his strongest support.

"Right, how could I forget that move? I guess I just don't have enough combat experience!" Zhou Zilong thought. He took a deep breath, spread his fingers, and suddenly a dazzling light burst from his palms, illuminating the entire ruin. It was the legendary Solar Flare.

Under the blinding light, Kazer had no choice but to close his eyes to protect them.

Taking advantage of the brief moment of blindness, Zhou Zilong swiftly used Flight Technique, darting through the air like a ghost before landing steadily in a relatively safe spot. Once he touched down, he turned his left palm upward and began forming an Artificial Moon. A round ball of light, with a blue outer ring and a larger inner ring, took shape in his hand.

As Kazer drew closer, Zhou Zilong pretended to attack and threw the ball. Seeing it in motion, Kazer tilted his head and dodged it with ease.

"Now your last attack has missed, too. Be a good boy and become my nourishment!" Kazer said to Zhou Zilong in a hunter's voice as he reached him.

"I've been rebellious since I was a kid. I never listen to what people tell me. And you look like the sort of person I wouldn't listen to anyway, so I definitely won't take your advice!" Zhou Zilong said, glancing toward the light ball.

"Hmph. You're about to die, and you're still running your mouth!" Kazer sneered, his eyes full of disdain and mockery.

"Just you wait, lizard!" Zhou Zilong's words brimmed with defiance and stubbornness. An unusual light gleamed in his eyes—the light of someone yearning for victory.

Kazer frowned, his confusion deepening. He couldn't understand how Zhou Zilong could possibly turn the tables. Yet the next moment, an astonishing transformation began.

Amid the ruins, Zhou Zilong gazed at the warm glow of the light ball. Then his body began to change. Brown-black fur spread across his skin, his muscles swelled, and his body rapidly grew as if inflating like a balloon. At last, he transformed into a gigantic Great Ape, forty meters tall.

"Damn it. I had no idea this guy was a Saiyan! No wonder he was so confident!" Kazer exclaimed, stunned, but he understood everything in an instant.

"But I remember Frieza wiped out the Saiyan race years ago. And I never heard of a Saiyan this powerful back then. Could he be that genius warrior who was exiled?" Kazer muttered, a tumult of emotions stirring within him.

"I see. That light ball wasn't meant to attack me—it was an artificial moon!" Kazer's voice held a hint of understanding, but more than that, wariness toward the unknown power. He knew Saiyans gained tremendous strength under a full moon, and this sudden 'moon' was clearly a carefully planned way for Zhou Zilong to boost his power.

Without hesitation, Kazer swiftly gathered all the energy in his body. Light flared between his hands, forming a dazzling orb. He thrust his hands forward, sending it slicing through the air toward the energy orb suspended in the sky.

Clearly, Kazer wanted to destroy the energy orb. He knew something about Saiyan traits, but his attack was like a stone dropped into the sea, provoking no reaction at all.

"Lizard, you may be stronger than I am in my normal form, but I'm sorry to tell you that when I created the artificial moon, I added an Energy Protection Barrier. Your battle power isn't more than thirty times my own, so you can't break it," Zhou Zilong said after completing his Great Ape Transformation.

The Energy Protection Barrier was the blue ring of energy Zhou Zilong had added while creating the artificial moonlight. He had developed the technique after gaining a rudimentary understanding of a book on defensive laws that he had redeemed from Xiao Ling, his super system. Testing had shown it could withstand attacks up to thirty times his own power. Of course, the barrier couldn't last for an entire battle; it was time-limited. The more energy he put into it, the longer it lasted.

"I need to get out of the spaceship quickly. His body has grown, and the ship's interior is cramped. It'll seriously hamper his movements!" Kazer quickly assessed the situation as he saw Zhou Zilong charge toward him.

Just as that fist, bigger than a sandbag, was about to hit him, Kazer luckily dodged. Zhou Zilong's punch easily smashed a deep crater into the floor, making the entire spaceship tremble. The force seemed capable of tearing open the void, turning everything around it pale with fear.

"Damn monkey! I'll let you off for now. I'm leaving. Once I'm strong enough, I'll make you my nourishment!" Kazer said defiantly as he took to the air.

But just as Kazer thought he had escaped, an invisible force suddenly enveloped him, binding him tightly in midair and leaving him unable to move. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.

"I knew you'd try to run, so I used Spatial Imprisonment on you. Now you're like a fish on a chopping board. This fight is over!" Zhou Zilong's deep, commanding voice rang in Kazer's ears. He approached slowly, opening his enormous hands, large enough to blot out the sky.

Kazer's face was as pale as paper. He knew he was at his enemy's mercy, but his instinct to survive kept him from giving up. "I never expected you to have such unusual abilities, Saiyan. How about this? I'll tell you a secret if you let me go!" he tried, his eyes gleaming slyly as he offered information in exchange for his freedom.

"You're in no position to bargain with me!" Zhou Zilong's voice was cold as ice. He knew that in the world of Dragon Ball, he couldn't afford to show mercy to his enemies. He continued advancing, his enormous hands poised to crush anything in their way.