Swagger

Although King Cold was somewhat surprised that Piccolo could use Kaio-ken, he quickly accepted it.

No need to think about it—it had to be that fellow countryman's doing...

The two clashed.

Piccolo's fists poured down on King Cold like a torrential storm.

Boosted by the Tenfold Kaio-ken, he moved so fast that even Son Goku could barely catch a glimpse of his afterimage.

Every punch carried power far beyond everyone's imagination.

As they struck King Cold's blue-purple skin, each blow erupted with a dull boom.

"Haah—!"

Piccolo roared and whipped a kick toward King Cold's neck.

The latter raised an arm to block, but the force of the kick still knocked him half a step back.

That half-step gave everyone hope.

"So strong..."

Yamcha's eyes widened.

Krillin clenched his fists, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Piccolo... he can actually fight King Cold to this extent..."

Yet atop a distant mountain.

An Xiu's brow faintly furrowed at the sight.

He saw it clearly—although Piccolo's punches were relentless, not one had truly struck a vital point on King Cold's body.

Meanwhile, every punch Piccolo threw was draining his already limited stamina.

An Xiu knew better than anyone how great the burden of the Tenfold Kaio-ken was on the body, especially for Piccolo at this level of power.

On the battlefield, King Cold still looked composed.

"Not bad. Your fists have some swagger!"

He wiped away the blood Piccolo had drawn on his face.

"But how much longer can you keep this up?"

Before he finished speaking, King Cold's tail lashed out like lightning, viciously striking toward Piccolo's abdomen.

Piccolo crossed his arms to block, but the blow still sent him flying dozens of meters away. His feet plowed two deep trenches through the ground.

"Uncle Piccolo!"

At that moment, several figures shot in from different directions.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Son Goku's voice rang out from the sky.

Son Goku, Son Gohan, Raditz, and Nappa had returned at full strength after eating Senzu Beans.

Golden auras blazed around them. The four Super Saiyan energies intertwined, making even the sky change color.

"Let's go!"

Son Goku attacked first, using Instant Transmission to appear behind King Cold. His right fist, carrying the power of Full-Power Super Saiyan, smashed toward the back of King Cold's head.

King Cold twisted aside to evade, only to be struck in the chest by Son Gohan, who rushed in from the front.

Immediately after, Raditz and Nappa closed in from both sides.

Their fists landed simultaneously on either side of King Cold's ribs, producing two heavy booms.

Piccolo gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressed the churning blood and energy within him, and activated Kaio-ken once more as he charged forward.

Five against one!

Golden and purple auras collided and intertwined across the battlefield.

The resulting shockwaves completely reshaped the terrain for several kilometers around.

The ground split apart, mountains crumbled, and the air released piercing detonations with every collision.

For a time, the battle actually reached a balance.

Although King Cold still held the upper hand, the coordinated teamwork of the five repeatedly neutralized his attacks.

Son Goku's Instant Transmission made him impossible to guard against, while Piccolo's frontal assault forced him to focus all his attention there.

The flanking pressure from Son Gohan, Raditz, and Nappa made it impossible for him to free himself.

"Hmph, now this is more like it."

King Cold grinned, the battle intent in his eyes growing ever fiercer.

But he soon noticed a subtle shift in the situation. The scales of victory were beginning to tip in his favor.

Piccolo's breathing grew increasingly ragged.

He had been fighting under the Tenfold Kaio-ken for nearly four or five minutes. The strain on his body was far beyond anything anyone present could imagine.

His muscles began to tremble against his will, and the force behind his fists gradually weakened.

Now.

A cold gleam flashed through King Cold's eyes. He deliberately exposed an opening, luring Raditz into attacking with all his strength.

Just as Raditz's fist was about to hit his face.

He abruptly sidestepped.

With a backhanded grab, he caught Raditz by the wrist, swung his entire body around, and used him as a weapon to smash into Nappa.

"What?!"

Nappa had no time to dodge. Raditz's body slammed directly into him, sending both of them flying.

At the same instant, King Cold's tail snapped out like a whip and precisely coiled around Piccolo's ankle.

Piccolo's heart jolted. Before he could break free, a tremendous force yanked his entire body over.

"Uncle Piccolo!"

Son Gohan tried to rush to his aid, but a casual energy wave from King Cold forced him back.

Son Goku was likewise intercepted in midair by an energy blast King Cold fired from his other hand.

The next second, King Cold's right fist slammed brutally into Piccolo's abdomen.

That punch held nothing back.

Piccolo's eyes rolled white instantly, and he spat out a huge mouthful of purple blood.

The aura of the Tenfold Kaio-ken went out in an instant. He fell from the sky like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Piccolo!"

"Uncle Piccolo!"

Everyone froze.

Krillin, watching from afar, turned deathly pale. Tien Shinhan's three eyes widened, while Yamcha seemed to stop breathing altogether.

Just moments ago, they had seen the dawn of victory. But now, their strongest fighter had fallen just like that.

Son Gohan stared blankly in the direction where Piccolo had fallen.

He could no longer sense Piccolo's energy—no, it was still there, but so faint it seemed as though it could go out at any moment.

Uncle Piccolo...

That Uncle Piccolo who had stayed by his side, trained him, and protected him. That Uncle Piccolo who called him useless whenever he fell, yet always reached out a hand to pull him back up. That Uncle Piccolo who had used his own body to block Nappa's attack and save him...

Now, he had fallen once again.

Son Gohan's world fell silent at that moment.

He could not hear Uncle Krillin shouting. He could not hear his father's voice. He could not hear King Cold's triumphant laughter.

He could only hear his own heartbeat.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The sound grew faster and louder.

Something was breaking out from within his chest—rage that had been suppressed for far too long, the part of himself he had always deliberately held down.

"Unforgivable..."

Son Gohan slowly raised his head.

His pupils had turned light green.

"Absolutely... unforgivable!!!"

A violent golden aura exploded from within him, shooting into the heavens.

Countless thick bolts of lightning leaped wildly around his body, crackling sharply.

Every strand of his hair stood on end, its gold becoming even more radiant. The two locks hanging over his forehead rose as well.

The ground beneath his feet shattered inch by inch under the impact of that power, and every piece of rubble within several miles was hurled away by the shockwave.

The sky darkened under the pressure of his energy. Dark clouds rapidly gathered, lightning flashing continuously within them before being scattered by the golden light.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Vegeta's movements suddenly stiffened.

His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief toward that energy.

That was... Kakarot's son?!

That brat had actually gotten there before me...

"Hehehe, where are you looking, Vegeta?"

Frieza's voice sounded beside his ear.

Vegeta hastily blocked, only to be knocked back dozens of meters by Frieza's punch.

He steadied himself, gritted his teeth, and felt his heart fill with unwillingness.

First Piccolo, and now Kakarot's son.

One after another, these people were surpassing me.

I'm the prince of the Saiyans!

"Damn it!!!"

Vegeta roared, turning his blazing fury into strength as he charged at Frieza again.

But he knew clearly that he was still far from that realm.

Atop the mountain.

Trunks stared dumbfounded at the golden pillar of light rising in the distance.

"That's... Gohan?"

The Son Gohan he remembered was the one who had been battered all over by Android 17 and Android 18, yet still stood in front of him to shield him. But he had never seen Gohan display such terrifying power.

Trunks murmured, "Is this the better future you spoke of?"

An Xiu folded his arms, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Just watch. The show isn't over yet."

On the battlefield.

Son Gohan, transformed into Super Saiyan 2, crashed into King Cold's chest like a golden meteor.

He moved so fast that even King Cold could not fully react before that punch slammed into his crossed arms.

Boom—!

A shockwave exploded outward.

For the first time, King Cold was driven back head-on. His feet carved two trenches hundreds of meters long across the ground.

"Interesting, very interesting!"

King Cold steadied himself and laughed loudly.

At last, he felt a trace of threat.

However, that was not enough.

His gaze passed over Son Gohan and landed on Son Goku in the distance.

The true protagonist of the Dragon Balls world had yet to unleash the power he should possess.

King Cold made up his mind.

He suddenly erupted with energy, knocking back Son Gohan's pursuit. Then he spun around and dove toward another direction.

His targets were Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien Shinhan, who were watching below.

"Not good!"

Son Goku reacted immediately and tried to use Instant Transmission to catch up.

But King Cold was too fast.

In the blink of an eye, he was already standing before the three.

Tien Shinhan was the first to react. He crossed his arms to block, only to be sent flying by a palm strike from King Cold.

Yamcha did not even have time to react before King Cold's tail struck his chest, making him spit blood as he flew away.

Only Krillin remained.

"Krillin—!"

Son Goku's voice rang out from behind.

King Cold gave Krillin a cruel smile.

Watching the fear in the little bald man's eyes and Son Goku's twisted expression, a vicious thought arose in his heart.

He did not go for the kill. He merely punched straight through Krillin's abdomen.

Crack!

The sound of shattering ribs was crisp and piercing.

Krillin's scream was like a knife stabbing viciously into Son Goku's heart.

Then Krillin's body crumpled limply to the ground.

Everything around them fell silent.

Son Goku stood where he was.

His head hung low, his fists clenched until they creaked.

Scenes flashed uncontrollably through his mind—the first time he met Krillin, the two of them training together at Kame House, entering the World Martial Arts Tournament together, fighting Piccolo Daimao together, together...

Krillin.

His best friend.

The one who had grown up beside him.

Again and again, he always lost the people most important to him.

"You... you... bastard!!!"

A golden aura erupted.

Lightning like Son Gohan's crackled wildly around Son Goku.

But unlike Son Gohan's, this aura was more violent, more surging, like a volcano that had been suppressed for countless years finally finding an outlet to erupt.

Every strand of his hair stood on end, and the bangs over his forehead rose with it, leaving only a small lock hanging between his brows.

Cold fury burned in his golden eyes, and his entire body radiated a suffocating pressure.

Son Gohan stood shoulder to shoulder with Son Goku.

The father and son's two immense Super Saiyan auras intertwined, even forcing back King Cold's unfathomable, terrifying pressure.