The Gap in Strength Becomes Apparent

Thirty percent?

Fifty percent?!

Hearing Frieza say such things, Son Goku was visibly shocked.

At this very moment, besides him, there was a group of others who had heard Frieza's words.

They were on North King Kai's Planet, located in the Other World.

North King Kai was using his ability to observe the lower universe, watching the battle unfolding on Namek.

He was surrounded by people.

They were none other than Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu, who had been killed during the defense of Earth, along with North King Kai's pets, Bubbles and Gregory.

"Thirty percent! So from the beginning until now, this guy Frieza has been using less than a third of his power?!" Yamcha shuddered, exclaiming aloud.

"Th-this is too absurd. Goku is already like this, and Frieza was just playing around?" Chiaotzu's voice was trembling, and his body shook along with it.

"Now do you understand why I didn't want Goku and the others to provoke a monster like Frieza? You have no idea how terrifying he truly is. Goku has made a grave mistake," North King Kai said, his tone heavy.

"If that's the case, doesn't that mean Goku has no chance of winning?" Yamcha added.

"If Goku loses, he'll be killed too," Chiaotzu said.

The two were filled with anxiety, and Bubbles let out a mournful "Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh" sound.

"There's no turning back now. If he dies, he dies; at least after death, he can come here, and we can all see each other again," Gregory said, hands on his hips.

He, at least, had a clear perspective.

Everyone was anxious and uneasy, save for Tien Shinhan, who maintained a shred of composure. "Don't forget, everyone, Goku can still use the Kaioken! Frieza is indeed terrifying, and he's only shown thirty percent of his power so far, but as long as Goku uses the Kaioken, he can definitely win!"

That's right, there was still the Kaioken!

Hope suddenly welled up in the hearts of Yamcha and Chiaotzu.

But they hadn't been happy for long before North King Kai's words doused them with a bucket of cold water.

"The Goku you just saw was already fighting with a ten-fold Kaioken... He has already reached his limit."

"What?! He already used a ten-fold Kaioken?!" Tien Shinhan widened his three eyes, saying in disbelief.

Despair instantly swept over their hearts once again.

North King Kai sighed, his expression grave and filled with profound regret.

Namek.

On the battlefield.

Cold sweat dripped down Son Goku's face; despite the shock in his heart, he forced a smile.

"Then I'll have to see for myself just how strong that fifty percent of your power really is!" With that, Son Goku held his breath and focused his mind.

His aura continued to rise, becoming increasingly sharp.

Son Goku knew clearly that if he didn't fight with everything he had now, he would likely be finished.

He had never felt this way before.

Frieza was the most difficult enemy he had ever encountered.

Even with the ten-fold Kaioken, he felt so weak and powerless.

"Ohohoho~! Come, this is your last chance to show your full strength." Frieza narrowed his eyes, looking at Son Goku with that signature smile only he could wear.

"As you wish! Haaaa!!!" A roar erupted from Son Goku's throat.

In an instant, a dense, deep-red aura burst from his body, enveloping him from head to toe.

Under the full power of the ten-fold Kaioken, his combat strength truly soared to thirty million!

This was only the beginning.

Ten-fold was not the limit; Son Goku pushed past his limits again, the Kaioken multiplier reaching eleven-fold... twelve-fold... thirteen-fold...

Finally, it was forcibly locked at fifteen-fold!

With fifteen times the power, Son Goku's aura reached an unprecedented peak.

45 million!!!

Frieza was slightly surprised, but his expression was quickly replaced by one of mockery.

"Is this your full strength? If this is all there is, then I am disappointed."

As he finished speaking, Frieza took the initiative.

In a flash, he crossed the distance between them and appeared right in front of Son Goku.

A strike with his elbow slammed heavily into Son Goku's face, sending him flying.

It was only thanks to Son Goku using the fifteen-fold Kaioken to push his strength to the absolute limit that he managed to withstand it.

Otherwise, this single blow would have been enough to leave him severely wounded, or even render him unable to fight.

Son Goku had not suffered a critical injury, but blood flowed from his nose and mouth, leaving him looking incredibly disheveled.

He dared not be careless, nor did he dare to harbor the slightest shred of wishful thinking.

Son Goku stood ready, focusing every ounce of his energy.

The disparity in their strength was now on full display.

Frieza did not pursue, instead watching the vigilant Son Goku with a cruel smile.

In the next instant, he vanished from where he stood, causing Son Goku's heart to skip a beat.

Before he could even react, he felt his ankle slip, followed immediately by a sharp, searing pain.

It was Frieza, who had moved at super-speed behind him to trip him.

As his body plummeted, Son Goku instinctively pressed his hand against the ground, trying to leverage himself back up.

But Frieza's assault gave him no chance to react.

His tail coiled around Son Goku's neck once more.

To prevent a repeat of the previous biting incident, Frieza clearly took steps to avoid that possibility this time.

With Son Goku completely restrained, Frieza slammed an elbow into his chest; the sheer power of the strike made Son Goku retch bile, and he clutched the injured area while letting out a whimper.

In barely ten seconds, Son Goku had fallen completely into a disadvantage, utterly unable to fight back.

His body had endured blow after blow, and he nearly failed to catch his breath.

"Damn it!!!" Seeing the way Frieza looked at him—as if he were nothing—Son Goku gritted his teeth, unleashed the Kaioken, and lunged at Frieza.

His punches and kicks came in a flurry, a level of intensity that could not be compared to their previous exchange.

Yet, this time, he couldn't even touch Frieza, who dodged every single strike.

Frieza seized an opening and kicked Son Goku, sending him flying into the ground.

Son Goku hit the dirt, paused for a brief three seconds, then flipped himself back up to his feet.

By now, no matter how strong Son Goku was, or how much he boosted his power with the Kaioken, he had begun to pant.

His body could no longer keep up with the intensity of this battle.

Seeing this, Frieza flashed that eerie, cruel smile again: "Ohohoho! You've finally started to run out of breath. It seems you've reached your limit."

Hearing Frieza's voice, which sounded like a death sentence, Son Goku could only force himself to steady his mind.

He marveled at Frieza's strength in his heart, while wondering how on earth he could possibly win.

Continue to push the Kaioken!

Right now, that was his only option.

But if he continued to push the Kaioken, his body would not be able to take it...