Thirty percent?
Fifty percent?!
Hearing Frieza say that, Son Goku was visibly shocked.
At that very moment, a group of people besides Goku had also heard Frieza's words.
They were on North King Kai's Planet in the Other World.
North Kai was using his ability to observe the universe below, watching the battle on Namek.
A crowd had gathered around him.
They were none other than Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu, who had been killed during Earth's defense, along with North Kai's pets, Bubbles and Gregory.
"Thirty percent! So from just now until now, Frieza's been using less than a third of his power?!" Yamcha shuddered and cried out.
"T-That's just ridiculous! Goku's already like this, and Frieza's only been playing around." Chiaotzu's voice trembled, and so did his body.
"Now do you understand why I didn't want Goku and the others picking a fight with that monster Frieza? You have no idea how terrifying he is. Goku made a terrible mistake," North Kai said gravely.
"If that's true, does that mean Goku has no chance of winning?" Yamcha asked.
"If Goku loses, he'll be killed too," Chiaotzu said.
The two were filled with worry, and Bubbles let out a series of mournful "woof-woofs."
"There's no turning back now. If we die, we die. We can come here afterward, and we'll all get to see each other again," Gregory said, standing with his hands on his hips.
He was taking it all rather well.
Everyone else was anxious, but Tien Shinhan managed to stay somewhat calm. "Don't forget, Goku can still use the Kaioken! Frieza is terrifying, and he's only used thirty percent of his power so far, but if Goku uses the Kaioken, he can definitely win!"
That's right, there was still the Kaioken!
Hope suddenly rose in Yamcha and Chiaotzu's hearts.
But before they could feel happy for long, North Kai's words doused their hopes.
"Goku was already using the tenfold Kaioken just now... He's reached his limit."
"What?! He was already using the tenfold Kaioken?!" Tien Shinhan said incredulously, his three eyes wide.
Despair swept through their hearts once more.
North Kai sighed. His expression was grave, and he looked utterly regretful.
Namek.
On the battlefield.
Cold sweat ran down Son Goku's face. Though shaken, he forced a smile.
"Then I guess I'll just have to see for myself how powerful your fifty percent is!" With that, Son Goku held his breath and focused.
His aura kept rising, growing sharper and sharper.
Goku knew full well that if he didn't fight with everything he had now, he was finished.
He had never felt this way before.
Frieza was the most difficult opponent he had ever faced.
Even with the tenfold Kaioken, he still seemed so weak and helpless.
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! Come on, this is your last chance to show me everything you've got." Frieza narrowed his eyes at Goku and revealed the smile only he could make.
"As you wish! Haaaaah!!!" Goku let out a thunderous yell.
In an instant, a thick, deep-red aura burst from his body, enveloping him from head to toe.
At full power with the tenfold Kaioken, his battle power truly rose to thirty million!
And that was only the beginning.
Tenfold wasn't the limit. Goku pushed himself further, raising the Kaioken multiplier to eleven... twelve... thirteen...
At last, he forcibly held it at fifteenfold!
With the fifteenfold Kaioken, Goku's aura reached an unprecedented peak.
Forty-five million!!!
Frieza was slightly surprised, but his expression quickly turned mocking again.
"So this is your full power? If that's all you've got, then this king will be disappointed."
As he spoke, Frieza launched an attack.
In an instant, he crossed the distance between them and appeared in front of Goku.
He slammed an elbow into Goku's face, sending him flying.
Goku had managed to withstand it only because he had used the fifteenfold Kaioken to raise his strength as close to its limit as possible.
Otherwise, that single blow would have left him seriously injured, or even unable to fight.
Goku wasn't seriously injured, but blood streamed from his nose and mouth, leaving him in a sorry state.
He didn't dare let his guard down, much less rely on luck.
Goku braced himself, concentrating with all his might.
The difference in their strength was now glaringly obvious.
Frieza didn't pursue him. Watching Goku stay so alert, he wore a cruel smile.
In the next instant, he simply vanished, making Goku's heart jolt.
Before Goku could react, his ankle slipped, and a sharp pain shot through him.
Frieza had moved behind him at incredible speed and tripped him.
As Goku fell, he instinctively reached for the ground, trying to push himself back up.
But Frieza's attack gave him no chance to react.
His tail coiled around Goku's neck again.
To prevent a repeat of what had happened when Goku bit him, Frieza had clearly taken care to avoid that possibility this time.
After completely restraining Goku, Frieza slammed an elbow into his chest. The powerful blow made Goku spit up bile. He clutched the spot where he'd been hit and whimpered.
In less than ten seconds, Goku had fallen completely onto the defensive, unable to fight back at all.
His body had taken hit after hit, and he nearly lost his breath.
"Damn it!!!" Seeing the way Frieza looked at him, as if he didn't matter at all, Goku clenched his teeth and unleashed the Kaioken as he charged at him.
He threw punches and kicks in a flurry, attacking with a ferocity unlike anything he'd shown before.
But this time, he couldn't even touch Frieza. Frieza dodged every attack.
Frieza seized an opening and kicked Goku straight to the ground.
Goku stayed down for three brief seconds, then rolled over and got back to his feet.
By now, even someone as powerful as Goku, with the Kaioken boosting his strength, was beginning to pant.
His body couldn't keep up with this level of fighting.
Seeing this, Frieza once again revealed that eerie, cruel smile. "Oh-ho-ho-ho! You've finally started panting. It seems you've reached your limit."
Hearing Frieza's words, which sounded like a sentence being passed, Goku could only force himself to steady his mind.
He marveled at Frieza's strength, while wondering how he could possibly win.
Keep pushing the Kaioken!
It was his only option now.
But if he kept pushing the Kaioken, his body wouldn't be able to take it...
Before you continue