"The gap between us... it's really this huge? I... I'm finished..."
The massive explosion unleashed by the full-power Kamehameha, boosted by more than twentyfold Kaioken, finally dissipated. Son Goku saw the body that filled him with despair.
Frieza had a few minor wounds and looked somewhat battered, but in reality, he hadn't suffered any serious damage.
That attack had been Son Goku's last hope of defeating Frieza, but the result was cruel.
For Frieza, the attack had barely hurt him, but it had been a tremendous insult.
It also made Frieza's face twist with anger. His killing intent was so intense that anyone could sense it, even without him deliberately releasing it.
"Wonderful! Just wonderful! Saiyan Monkey, your name is Son Goku, isn't it? You're the first to have hurt me this badly! To be honest, that last attack really stung!!"
The instant he finished speaking, Frieza shot down from the sky, his aura erupting.
His speed was inconceivable. Son Goku's face filled with terror, and his body began trembling even more violently.
For the first time, he felt such despair.
Even after giving everything he had, this was all he could manage.
North Kai's warning surfaced in his mind.
He'd clearly been warned, but he hadn't listened. He'd insisted on fighting Frieza.
Now it was too late for regrets. He was at the end of the line.
Son Goku realized that he was probably about to be killed without mercy.
At that moment, he was no longer thinking only about fighting back.
Instead, he wondered what was going on with Piccolo.
Since Piccolo had seen what was happening here, why wasn't he taking the chance to get Krillin and Gohan out of there?
Son Goku said nothing, panting nonstop. Frieza could tell that he'd reached the absolute limit of his endurance.
"Looks like your fury has burned itself out. Now, you can feel my fury." Frieza's expression suddenly changed.
In an instant, he shot forward, wreathed in pale-purple energy, and slammed his head into Son Goku's forehead.
Son Goku couldn't react to an attack like that, let alone withstand it.
At full strength, perhaps he could have blocked it or dodged, but now he was at the end of his rope.
Son Goku screamed as he flew hundreds of meters, skidding close to the ground. The terrifying force carved a deep trench into the earth.
Frieza sneered and strode toward the fallen, screaming Son Goku. When he reached him, he said nothing, simply kicking Son Goku as he tried to get back up.
Clearly, Frieza intended to repay Son Goku a hundredfold for the humiliation he'd suffered.
BOOM!!!
The instant Son Goku was kicked into the air, Frieza struck him again.
His body went completely out of control, hurtling toward another island.
KRAKABOOM!!!!!
The terrifying explosion shook everything within dozens of miles. Several islands and the surrounding waters trembled violently.
When the smoke cleared, Frieza had once again appeared near Son Goku.
The mocking laughter left the badly injured Son Goku unable even to speak.
Seeing this, Frieza lost interest.
He raised a hand, and a terrifying burst of energy erupted, blasting a bottomless, pitch-black chasm open before Son Goku.
Son Goku swallowed hard.
"I already told you: if I get serious, you're no match for me! I gave you a chance, and you failed to appreciate it! Still, you did manage to fight me this far. You're the first Saiyan Monkey to push me to this point. As a reward, this will be your burial ground. You should feel honored—I've never left anyone with a whole corpse." As Frieza spoke, he prepared to strike.
But the next second, he suddenly froze.
Son Goku had raised both hands toward him.
That was a first in a thousand years.
At first, Frieza couldn't understand what Son Goku was doing.
But then he figured Son Goku might be afraid of dying and was raising his hands to surrender. Frieza was willing to accept that.
After all, it was much more satisfying to crush a stubborn fool before bringing him to heel than to win him over with words alone.
The campaign on Namek had cost him too many capable subordinates. If Son Goku was willing to submit, Frieza could put him to good use.
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! Since you're being sensible and begging for mercy, I don't mind giving you another chance..." Frieza folded his arms, striking a self-satisfied pose. "But you've already offended me! So if you want to keep your life, you'll have to conquer a hundred high-value inhabited planets for me as payment! And the Earth will belong to me as well!"
Frieza kept talking to himself.
He had no idea what Son Goku was doing.
Hearing Frieza's arrogant words, Son Goku wished he would keep talking a little longer.
If he could just buy enough time, he could gather the life energy from the planets surrounding Namek.
The life energy of a single planet wasn't enough to threaten Frieza.
That was why he hadn't used the Spirit Bomb earlier.
Now that he'd been driven to this point, it was his last hope.
He would draw on the life energy of every inhabited planet in the star system and blast Frieza to pieces in one strike.
With life energy, the purest kind, he would destroy the evil Frieza.
"What? You still won't answer me? I've been more than generous... And I already know you want to surrender, so you can lower your hands." When Son Goku still didn't answer, Frieza frowned.
Son Goku still didn't respond. He was focused on gathering energy.
That made Frieza, who had just calmed down, grow impatient again.
"You're ignoring what I'm saying? I told you to lower your hands!" His icy shout rang with authority.
Frieza saw the unyielding determination in Son Goku's eyes.
He clearly wasn't surrendering. He was still unwilling to give up.
"Fine! You dare make a fool of me! You're using this to stall for time. What move are you planning now? Go on, show me! I'll make sure you die with your eyes open!" Frieza's forehead bulged with veins.
Hearing that, Son Goku knew he couldn't buy more time just by staying silent.
"Don't be in such a hurry. You'll see it soon enough." Son Goku forced a smile.
He had to draw all of Frieza's attention and keep him from looking up.
The Spirit Bomb was already gathering beyond the atmosphere, but he still needed a little more time for the life energy from the other planets to arrive.
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