The moment the words "final blow" fell, the whole world fell silent.
Frieza's energy surged to its limit.
Black energy burned like the flames of hell beneath Namek's collapsing sky. There was no fear on his face, only pure madness and a thirst for destruction.
"Kakarot"
"Today, either you die, or this planet goes down with you!"
He raised both hands.
"Destroy!" Black energy gathered in his palms, forming a gigantic sphere of light. This wasn't an ordinary energy attack. It was a terrifying force powerful enough to destroy an entire planet!!
"Destruction Ball!" A purplish-black beam shot skyward, piercing the heavens!!
The sky over Namek split apart completely. What shone through the cracks wasn't starlight anymore, but the scorching red glow of molten lava. The entire planet was wailing.
I stood in the distance, watching the black beam of light.
(So this is... the Emperor of the Universe's full-powered attack...)
(In the original story, Frieza used this move and nearly killed Dad...)
(But this isn't the original story.)
I clenched my fists.
(I'll write the ending of this world.)
"Gohan." Goku's voice reached me.
I looked up.
That golden figure hovered in the air, his golden aura burning higher than ever before. His silhouette looked impossibly mighty against the light.
"Watch closely."
He didn't turn around.
But I knew he was smiling at me.
"This is your dad's power."
The next instant, he moved.
"Kamehameha!"
Blue light burst from his palms!!
But this time, it wasn't ordinary blue light!!
His golden aura and the blue light intertwined and fused, forming a brilliant beam: a golden-and-blue Super Kamehameha.
The beam shot out!
It met Frieza's Destruction Ball head-on!
"Boom!"
Two world-shattering energies collided in the sky!!
The sky over Namek exploded.
That wasn't a metaphor.
It really did explode.
The golden beam and the black beam clashed fiercely above Namek!
The shock wave swept in all directions like a tangible tsunami!
"Ugh!" My body was sent flying, my back slamming hard into a boulder. "Cough, cough..." Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.
But I didn't close my eyes.
I stared fixedly at that golden light.
(Please... Dad...)
On the battlefield, the clash between the two forces reached a fever pitch!!
The golden Kamehameha and the black Destruction Ball were locked in a stalemate in midair!!
"Ha ha ha ha!!" Frieza laughed maniacally. "That's it?! Kakarot!! You think this level—"
"Shut up."
Goku's voice cut him off.
His golden aura surged once more!!
"I'm not—"
His energy broke through some invisible threshold!!
"—finished yet!!"
This wasn't an ordinary burst of power.
It was the resolve to surpass his limits!!
At that moment, the golden light overwhelmed the black!!
"W-What?!" For the first time, Frieza's expression wavered!!
"Impossible!! How could my full power be surpassed?!"
Goku didn't answer.
His figure became a golden meteor, hurtling straight toward Frieza!!
"Final blow!!"
Golden energy enveloped his entire body!!
"Kamehameha!!"
This time, he wasn't firing an energy wave.
He was the energy wave itself!!
"N-No way!!"
Frieza's eyes widened in terror.
He tried to defend himself.
But it was already too late!!
"Boom!"
Golden light pierced through the black!!
Frieza's body was swallowed by the golden light!!
The black Destruction Ball crumbled under the golden light's assault!!
"AAAAAAAAAH—"
Frieza's scream echoed beneath Namek's sky.
His body kept falling through the golden light.
One.
Two.
Three.
Golden energy blasts rained down like a meteor shower, relentlessly pounding his body!!
"First strike."
"For this planet!!"
"Second strike."
"For everyone you killed!!"
"Third strike."
"For my son!!!"
The final blow.
Goku appeared directly above Frieza!!
Golden energy gathered around his fist.
"SUPER KAMEHAMEHA!!!"
A gigantic golden beam descended from the sky!!
"No—!"
Frieza's scream cut off abruptly.
"BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!"
The sky over Namek.
Exploded completely.
Golden light swallowed everything.
When the light faded,
Frieza's figure appeared before me.
He was kneeling on the ground.
His body was charred black.
His energy was nearly gone.
The once-arrogant Emperor of the Universe now looked like a stray dog driven from its home.
"Heh... heh heh..."
He raised his head, the corners of his mouth twisting into a crooked smile.
"Kakarot... you win..."
"But..."
A glint of madness flashed in his eyes.
"This planet... is going to be destroyed too."
As soon as he finished speaking,
"Crack."
The entire ground shook violently!!
"Crack, crack, crack—!!!"
An even larger fissure appeared!!
Lava burst up from the crack!!
"Namek's going to explode!!" I cried out!!
Goku's expression changed too.
"Gohan!! Get over here!!"
"I know!!"
I ran toward him as fast as I could!!
Just then,
"Crack."
Frieza stood up.
He staggered to his feet, with barely any energy left. But the crazed grin on his face was more grotesque than ever.
"Kakarot..."
His voice was hoarse and twisted.
"You think... I'll let you and your son... escape alive?"
He raised a hand.
His last trace of black energy was gathering in his palm.
"Even if I die, I'll take you both with me!!"
"Dad!!"
My voice was sharp with despair!!
But Goku didn't dodge.
He stood where he was.
Then he smiled.
"Frieza."
His voice was calm.
"Thank you."
"...What?" Frieza froze.
"Thank you... for helping me surpass myself."
Goku lifted his head, and his golden aura blazed once more.
"And thank you for making me realize something."
"What... what is it...?"
The next instant, Goku's figure disappeared.
It wasn't Instant Transmission.
He was just so fast that no one could see him!!
"Thud!!"
A fist slammed into Frieza's abdomen!!
Frieza's eyes widened as he looked down at the golden fist.
"You—"
"That punch was for Gohan."
Goku's voice came from behind him.
"Because you made him worry."
"Bang!!"
Another punch!!
"That one was for Namek."
"Because you... destroyed their home."
"One last punch."
Goku stepped in front of Frieza.
"This one's for you."
"Because you... were a worthy opponent."
"Bang!!!"
Frieza's body collapsed once more.
This time, he couldn't get back up.
"Gohan!!"
Goku reached out to me.
"Let's go home!"
I didn't hesitate.
I rushed over and grabbed his hand tight.
"Yeah!!"
The next instant—
"Instant Transmission!!"
Golden light enveloped us.
When it faded,
we were already floating in space, outside Namek.
And before our eyes,
the deep blue planet
was slowly crumbling apart.
"Boom!"
A huge fissure spread across the planet's surface.
"Boom!"
Another one.
"Boom boom boom boom boom—!!!"
The entire planet exploded.
Namek, in the darkness of space,
became a brilliant firework.
Goku and I floated in space,
watching that "firework."
For a long while, neither of us spoke.
"Old man..."
My voice was a little hoarse.
"We... survived."
"Yeah."
Goku's voice was soft.
"We survived."
He turned to look at me.
His face, usually marked by a goofy grin, was now streaked with blood and covered in wounds.
But his eyes were gentler than ever.
"Gohan."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"...For what?"
"For... believing in me."
He reached out and gently ruffled my hair.
"And..."
"For letting me know I have an amazing son."
At that moment, my eyes suddenly stung.
Damn it, being reincarnated as a four-year-old makes it so easy to cry.
It's definitely not because I want to cry.
Definitely not.
I rubbed my eyes hard.
"Old man, that... Super Kamehameha of yours..."
"Oh, that." Goku scratched his head. "I was going to give it a cooler name, but then I realized..."
"Realized what?"
"That Kamehameha was still the best."
"..."
I stared at him, speechless.
That was my goofy, airheaded old man, all right.
"But..."
Goku's smile faded a little.
"That move... I might only be able to use it once."
"What do you mean?"
"That power beyond my limits... comes at a steep price."
He raised his hand and looked at his fist.
"For a while... I probably won't be able to turn Super Saiyan again."
My expression changed.
"Then—"
"Don't worry." Goku waved a hand. "Krillin and the others should've already gone back. Once we get to Earth... I'll just need to rest for a while."
"Besides..."
He ruffled my hair again.
"Now I have a Super Saiyan son."
"Even if I can't transform... I still have you."
"..."
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something.
But in the end,
nothing came out.
I just silently
clenched my fist.
Don't worry, old man.
I'll help you protect the future of this world.
I won't let anyone... take anyone else away from you again.
In the distance, Namek's explosion was still raging.
But amid that light,
I saw something slowly rising.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing toward the glow.
Goku followed my finger.
"...The Dragon Balls?"
Sure enough.
Namek's seven Dragon Balls had survived the explosion.
They were slowly drifting into the depths of space.
"When Krillin and the others get back..." Goku mused, "we can make a wish, right?"
"What should we wish for?"
"Lots of things, I guess." Goku smiled. "To bring Piccolo back to life... and send everyone back to Earth..."
"And..."
He looked at me.
"Thank you, Gohan."
"For seeing that fight through with me."
I froze for a moment.
Then
I smiled too.
"Old man."
"Yeah?"
"We're father and son."
"Of course we'd fight together, wouldn't we?"
Goku's smile shone brighter than ever.
"You're right."
He held out his hand.
"Let's go, Gohan."
"Home."
I took his hand.
Golden light enveloped us once more.
Amid the blazing light of Namek's explosion,
two figures slowly disappeared.
Namek was destroyed.
Frieza was defeated.
But this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning of a legend.
As the name Super Saiyan resounded throughout the universe,
as the Saiyan prince trained hard on Earth,
as distant enemies sensed this energy,
a new storm began to brew.
But that was a story for another time.
(Namek Saga · End)
(The big guy wasn't blown to bits; he still had a breath left in him. The protagonist's take: Big guy, remember this—next time we meet, I'll blast you to pieces!)
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