So the Saiyans Perished

Facing Frieza, who hovered in the air in provocation, Son Goku took a deep breath, steadied his energy, and slowly ascended.

"Frieza, you are indeed formidable! However, it is far too early to draw conclusions. Our battle has only just begun," Son Goku said with a composed expression.

Although the previous skirmish had left him somewhat disheveled, after this test of strength, he had adapted to this level of combat.

Furthermore, as the intense battle progressed, the power within his body was boiling, as if craving an even more ferocious confrontation.

Hearing Son Goku's words, Frieza was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled up into an evil, charming smile.

"Heh heh... To maintain such composure while clearly at a disadvantage—your strength is impressive. This King has taken a liking to you. Are you interested in working for me? If you are willing to submit, you shall be the number one expert under my command. Aside from myself, you could be the highest commander of the legion, standing above billions." Frieza looked at Son Goku mockingly, extending an olive branch.

At a time like this, only a being arrogant to the extreme would seek to recruit an enemy.

Upon hearing this, Son Goku's expression shifted from earnest to stern. "You want me to sell my life for you, to invade and destroy other planets, to slaughter innocent lives? Do you think that's possible? Frieza! So many Namekians have died because of your selfish desires—do you not feel even a shred of guilt?"

"Ho ho ho! Guilt? What kind of joke are you telling! This world is governed by the law of the jungle; whoever possesses the greatest power holds the absolute right to speak! Besides, I am the Emperor of the Universe, born to be a king; everything belongs to me! If these Namekians had handed over the Dragon Ball sooner, I wouldn't have had to take action. It's a pity that some people rely on a bit of talent and act self-righteously, only to bring about their own ruin." Frieza's demeanor turned manic.

Son Goku frowned. "You are a monster!"

"A monster? Thank you for the compliment. Come to think of it, how are you Saiyans any better? Back in the day, the Saiyans invaded countless planets, frequently wiping out entire races and leaving no one alive. Now, you, a Saiyan, come here to lecture me? You aren't qualified." Frieza narrowed his eyes, not at all offended by the label.

On the contrary, being called a monster excited him immensely.

Son Goku took a deep breath.

He knew that what Frieza said was true.

However, he had his own thoughts, and without much hesitation, he spoke from the bottom of his heart.

"That is why the Saiyan race was wiped out!"

"What did you say?" Frieza was startled, his mouth agape, and his blood-red pupils revealed an expression of disbelief.

He never imagined that the Saiyan Monkey before him could say such a thing.

"I said, it is precisely because of the wanton slaughter of the innocent and the casual invasion and destruction of other races' homes that the Saiyan race was wiped out!" Son Goku repeated, his voice even louder this time.

Frieza was stunned, drawing in a sharp breath.

"You fellow, was your head smashed in? Is there something wrong with your brain?"

This was a jab; Frieza truly could not have guessed that Son Goku had indeed been dropped on his head as a child, which was why he had changed so completely.

"Enough, Frieza, let's stop this meaningless talk. Just as you said, whoever has the bigger fist holds the right to speak! I will defeat you!" Son Goku did not want to continue this useless chatter.

Hearing Son Goku's words and seeing his eager stance, Frieza shook his head with a look of pity.

"Your spirit is good, but you are a bit foolish... Since words won't work, then we shall let our fists do the talking! The warm-up ends here. You had better prepare yourself for what comes next." Frieza raised his hand and beckoned to Son Goku, then, as if thinking of something, added, "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Are you better at aerial combat or ground combat?"

"What if it's aerial? What if it's ground?" Son Goku countered.

Rendered speechless by Son Goku, Frieza rubbed his forehead and shook his head. "Forget it. Looking at all the known Saiyan Monkeys, none are skilled at aerial combat. In that case, let's do ground combat. How about over there?"

Frieza pointed toward a massive island not far away.

"Suit yourself, I'll follow you to the end!" Son Goku showed no sign of cowardice.

Having received a satisfactory answer, Frieza flew off first, with Son Goku following closely behind.

As the two officially touched down, this battle would begin its second major round.

Son Goku made his final preparations, shedding his weighted clothing to unleash all of his power.

Frieza was not easy to deal with; if he held anything back, he would lose miserably.

Frieza, however, was in no rush.

Watching Son Goku perform his comical movements, he mocked, "You may not yet realize how vast the gap in our strength is. Tell you what—to make your defeat more convincing, I won't even use my hands to fight you."

"You won't use your hands to fight me? You really are generous." Son Goku took this as a joke.

He could feel that Frieza was far too arrogant.

He would take advantage of this to catch his opponent off guard.

Once fully warmed up, a smile appeared on the corner of Son Goku's mouth, and he spoke politely, "Since you are being so generous, then, shall I make the first move?"

"By all means. I shall not retreat from any attack." Frieza gestured for him to begin.

The atmosphere grew quiet at that moment, becoming incredibly heavy.

Meanwhile.

At the edge of the battlefield.

Atop a towering cliff.

Piccolo, Krillin, and Son Gohan were watching the situation on the distant island with nervous expressions.

They had witnessed the initial clash between Goku and Frieza, and they were so shocked they were left speechless.

"What's going on? They've been talking for a while now, and now they aren't moving at all." Krillin's voice trembled as he spoke.

Beside him, Piccolo looked grave. "Don't be impatient! The battle is about to unfold again. They are both looking for an opening to strike, and they are testing each other's aura. Once someone is suppressed by the other's energy, the tide of battle will turn completely! Now, we can only pray that Son Goku has recovered from his severe injuries and that his current strength is enough to handle this form of Frieza..."

After saying this, Piccolo felt an extreme sense of resentment.

Originally, after assimilating with Nail, he had grasped absolute, overwhelming power, thinking he would never have to fear anyone again and could defeat anyone.

As it turned out, the slap in the face came too quickly; his current strength had been completely surpassed.

"I believe Dad will win!" Little Son Gohan clenched his fists, full of trust in his father.

"Let's hope so. If even Son Goku loses, then what we will face next is likely death." Piccolo gritted his teeth.