Piccolo's Retreat

Namek.

Because of the battle between Vegeta and the others and Frieza just now, the once peaceful planet had already suffered shifts in its crust and rivers flowing backward! Every part of the planet had been affected, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions breaking out everywhere! Luckily, they had moved everyone else to Earth earlier! Otherwise, who knew whether Bulma and the others might have been caught up in it!

While Goku and Vegeta were talking, Piccolo had already started fighting Frieza!

The two battled in midair, trading blows at close range.

Whooshes rang out as they moved at a speed beyond an ordinary person's ability to follow! Their fists clashed violently, making the air feel oppressive! A closer look would reveal that Frieza wore a faint, disdainful smile the whole time!

He was playing around. He wasn't even using his full strength. Every punch Piccolo threw felt like it was hitting steel! Frieza's hard fists made Piccolo's arms tremble slightly! It was his body's natural reaction to the blows!

Piccolo didn't have time to worry about that and continued to fight head-on! Seizing a moment when Frieza let his guard down, he swung a high kick toward Frieza's head! Frieza's body tilted, and Piccolo charged after him, instantly appearing where Frieza was falling. He followed up with a knee strike!

His knee made intimate contact with Frieza's head.

With a sharp smack, Frieza shot into the sky!

Piccolo pressed his advantage. He leaped into the air and attacked Frieza with both legs without pause! Looking closely, one could see that Piccolo's other hand was raised, a finger pressed to his forehead as he charged his ultimate technique: the Special Beam Cannon!

This move was extremely powerful, but its one drawback was that it took too long to charge! He could only seize an opening, attacking to buy time while charging it!

Frieza shouted angrily, "That's enough! You wretched Namekian, I'm done playing with you!"

As he spoke, Frieza's tail suddenly wrapped around Piccolo's right leg. Piccolo's attack came to an abrupt halt!

Frieza spun like a top. Piccolo was forced to spin in place along with him! Once they were moving as fast as a tornado, Frieza released his tail. Piccolo went flying, and the powerful centrifugal force left him unable to control his body at all! He slammed heavily into the ground.

Piccolo's body crashed into the earth, leaving a huge crater.

His finger was still pressed to his forehead as he gritted his teeth and kept charging.

"Come out! That little attack was nothing to you," Frieza called loudly as he looked at the crater before him!

Piccolo seized the chance to keep charging in secret inside the crater. He didn't come out. The dust hadn't settled yet, so Frieza couldn't see what he was doing!

Growing impatient, Frieza raised an arm toward the crater. A Death Beam gathered at his fingertip, and he fired a series of beams into it like bullets!

Piccolo watched the beams strike the ground beside him, confused. Why weren't they hitting him? Then he suddenly understood: Frieza couldn't sense energy yet and could only rely on his eyes!

Before he could finish thinking, a beam suddenly grazed the skin of his right arm and struck the ground, leaving a tiny hole! Wisps of heat rose from it...

"This won't work. Even if he can't sense my energy, with beams flying everywhere, one could still hit me! I'd better get out," Piccolo thought.

Piccolo flipped out of the crater and flew into the air! The dust cleared, and Frieza took a closer look. So Piccolo had been charging a move in secret. Frieza said disdainfully, "So you were preparing a special attack! Don't worry. I'll give you time!"

"Frieza, you're too arrogant! If you've got the guts, take this attack!" Piccolo shouted angrily at Frieza's contemptuous expression!

"I'll give you time. You'd better put a little more into it, or I won't have enough fun!" Frieza taunted.

He stood with his legs bent in a horse stance and his hands held at his waist, ready to take the attack head-on!

Piccolo had finished charging! He shouted, "Take this, Frieza! Special Beam Cannon..."

A vast yellow beam surged toward Frieza as Piccolo called out!

Frieza's whole body tensed. He sensed a hint of danger, but still disdained dodging and took the attack head-on!

The attack struck Frieza above the neck, around the chin! Frieza's head snapped back as he fell backward!

Piccolo panted heavily. That attack had greatly weakened him!

"Piccolo, be careful! Frieza's energy hasn't dropped at all!" Goku shouted a warning!

Piccolo stared at Frieza in shock!

"Ho, ho, ho! Not bad, Namekian! That attack actually gave me a kind of pain I've never felt before!" Frieza said, facing the sky.

Then he straightened himself in midair and looked at Piccolo with interest!

Before Piccolo could react, Frieza charged at him! He threw a powerful punch at Piccolo's nose, then grabbed Piccolo's arm with his other hand and pulled him back. His knee slammed forward! Piccolo coughed up blood in agony and let out a scream.

"Ah!!!!!"

Frieza continued throwing punches, striking again and again with blinding speed! Piccolo's bent body resounded with thuds!

Smack... thump...

An indescribable pain spread through Piccolo's entire body! But he couldn't find a chance to fight back. Frieza's attacks were simply too fast!

Piccolo could only grit his teeth and endure!

Then Frieza swung his arm around and struck Piccolo hard near his left ear with an arm like steel!

Piccolo cried out and fell. The tremendous force sent him rolling several times. Before he could get up, he dropped to his knees, one hand braced against the ground and the other clutching his injured ear as he screamed in pain!

A Namekian's sensitive inner ear was more fragile than a human's! Frieza's last blow had already made blood flow from it!

"Heh, heh, heh. What's wrong? Can't take it anymore? I haven't even used my full strength! How about I fight you with both hands tied? That would be a special favor!" Frieza continued to taunt him!

Piccolo was slowly recovering, and the pain was easing!

He slowly stood up and floated in the air. "Frieza, stop acting so self-important! I haven't used my full strength either!"

With that, he removed his turban with one hand and took off his cape with the other. He bundled them up and threw them to the ground!

With a thud, the ground cracked!

It turned out that Piccolo had kept his heavy clothes on throughout the fight!

After taking them off, his whole body felt light and relaxed! It was as if the pain had vanished along with the weight being lifted from his body!

"Not bad. Looks like you've got some strength after all! None of my men are as talented as you," Frieza said!

"How about it? Interested in working for me? I'll make you second only to me, with a place above everyone else!" Frieza offered.

"Hmph, Frieza, I have no interest in being your dog! Besides, Vegeta is much stronger than you. So much for being second only to you!" Piccolo replied disdainfully.

"Then die, you wretched Namekian!" Frieza shouted angrily! With that, he charged at Piccolo!

Piccolo powered up, and a vast aura enveloped his whole body. His battle power had already surpassed 20 million, reaching around 25 million!

The two traded blows again, battling at close range!

Frieza had lost interest in playing around. Every attack now radiated a heavy pressure! Piccolo gritted his teeth and took the blows head-on, his body trembling and twitching!

Boom, smack...

The terrifying shock waves from the two of them scattered every cloud in the sky. The heavens were clear!

Piccolo couldn't hold on any longer. He retreated out of the fight and panted slightly!

"What's wrong? Can't keep going? Let me send you to your death..." Frieza pressed on.

He raised one hand toward the sky! Above his palm, a circular blade of light formed, just like Krillin's signature move, the Destructo Disc!

The disc spun sharply! It looked as if it could slice through even the space around its edge!

Frieza waved his hand and hurled it at Piccolo!

Piccolo looked unconcerned.

An attack like that was easy to dodge! Just as Piccolo jumped to avoid the disc—

A sinister smile appeared at the corner of Frieza's mouth! He made a strange hand sign with his fingers, directing the disc, much like a Destructo Disc, to fly back!

"Piccolo, watch your back..." Goku shouted a warning.

Before he could finish, Piccolo sensed danger. As his body was about to fall, he forcibly rose higher again.

"Damn it..." Piccolo was shocked!

The disc sliced through him, and the area below his hips began to separate from his torso!

His legs had been severed from his body!!

Goku powered up and rushed over to Piccolo, quickly feeding him a Senzu Bean!

"Heh, heh, heh. What a shame. You managed to dodge it! Now you can spend the rest of your life as a cripple!" Frieza said with an evil laugh!

"Damn you, Frieza! I'll never forgive you!" Goku shouted angrily!

"Goku, don't worry. Don't forget that we Namekians can heal ourselves!!!" Piccolo said!

Piccolo swallowed the Senzu Bean, and strength gradually returned to his body. He gave a loud shout. "Yah..."

Two new legs burst from the cut at his waist!!

"I'd forgotten... You scared me to death. How was I supposed to explain this to Gohan when we got back?" Goku said, letting out a sigh of relief!

"Goku, it's up to you. I can't beat him. I've used up all my strength," Piccolo said unwillingly!

"Okay, Piccolo. Go rest. I'll take over!" Goku said eagerly!

The thought of fighting someone as powerful as Frieza made his blood surge and filled him with a powerful desire to fight!

Piccolo retreated to Vegeta's side. New clothes appeared on him, identical to the cape and turban he had thrown away. He watched as Goku entered the fight!...