Frieza said to Piccolo, "Oh ho ho, Namekian, I underestimated your strength. Next, I'll use six percent of my power. I wonder if you can withstand it."
Piccolo snorted. "Bring it on."
"Very well." Frieza arrived before his voice did, driving a fist into Piccolo's abdomen. Piccolo spat a mouthful of blood onto Frieza's face.
"What filthy blood," Frieza said with a smile.
Piccolo clutched his stomach, taking a while to recover.
Seeing this, Frieza said, "Oh ho ho, not bad, Namekian. You recovered so quickly after taking a blow from me."
Piccolo said, "Frieza, since you've decided to show a little of your strength, I should show a little of mine."
Frieza laughed. "Oh ho ho, that joke isn't funny at all."
"Is that so?" The words had barely left Piccolo's mouth when he drove a fist into Frieza's stomach, sending spit flying from his mouth. He immediately followed up with a flurry of slaps, striking from both sides.
By the time Frieza reacted, he had already taken more than a dozen slaps.
Frieza flew into a rage, surged his ki, and broke free of Piccolo's assault in an instant.
He rubbed his face, then snarled at Piccolo, "Namekian, I originally intended to play with you a little longer, but you keep angering me again and again. I've decided I'm done playing. Next, I'll use ten percent of my power and wipe you out in one blow."
Piccolo sneered. "Does your face still hurt, Frieza? You keep making me slap you. Are you really that pathetic?"
"You have a death wish!" Before he finished speaking, Frieza was already in front of Piccolo, throwing a punch at his abdomen.
The moment Piccolo heard that Frieza intended to use ten percent of his power, he activated fivefold Kaioken. As Frieza rushed up to him, he reacted instantly and punched toward Frieza's head.
Piccolo took a punch and spat blood; Frieza took a punch and was sent flying. Both had suffered from the exchange.
Frieza steadied himself halfway through his flight, then flashed forward to attack Piccolo again. Refusing to back down, Piccolo charged at him too.
The two plunged into a fierce battle, trading punches and kicks in a brutal hand-to-hand fight, every blow striking flesh.
They fought from the ground to the sky, then from the sky to the water's surface. No one could follow their movements except Son Goku.
For the moment, Piccolo held the advantage. With fivefold Kaioken active, his power level had reached seventeen million, while Frieza, using ten percent of his power, had a power level of only twelve million.
Piccolo was thoroughly beating him down, slapping his face, driving punches into his chest, and kicking him around like a "ball," leaving Frieza unable to fight back.
Seeing that he was being overwhelmed even at ten percent of his power, Frieza raised his output to twenty percent.
Then he flashed behind Piccolo and hammered a fist onto the top of his head. Dazed by the blow, Piccolo plummeted from the sky.
Frieza wasn't about to let that opportunity slip away. He, too, began kicking his opponent around like a "ball," making Piccolo scream again and again.
Once Piccolo recovered his senses, he instantly unleashed his ki and raised his Kaioken to sevenfold, bringing his power level to thirty-three million eight hundred thousand.
Frieza was quite shocked. He had thought Piccolo had reached his limit, yet Piccolo could still raise his power level.
Piccolo didn't care what Frieza thought. He used the opening to catch his breath. He wasn't nearly as tough as Frieza.
Piccolo thought Frieza really ought to rename himself "Lord Punching Bag." The bastard could take far too much punishment.
Frieza said to Piccolo, "Oh ho ho, Namekian, you're truly impressive. Even with twenty percent of my power, I still can't finish you off. As a sign of respect, I'll use half my power next. Let's see you withstand that."
Piccolo's expression grew grave. Going by Frieza's words, his power level would rise to sixty million, while Piccolo could reach only thirty-four million at most with tenfold Kaioken. He would definitely be overwhelmed.
To fight him, he would probably have to use Twenty-Fold Kaioken. He didn't know whether his body could endure it.
Damn it, I'll risk it. Goku's here to back me up anyway. If I really can't beat him, I'll let Goku take over, Piccolo thought.
Then he gritted his teeth and began pushing his Kaioken higher. A red aura engulfed his body as his power level shot upward.
"Tenfold Kaioken! Elevenfold, twelvefold, thirteenfold... nineteenfold, Twenty-Fold Kaioken!" Piccolo forced out through clenched teeth.
Once Twenty-Fold Kaioken was active, every muscle in Piccolo's body ached and swelled, waves of tearing pain coursing through him.
Piccolo knew he couldn't fight for long, so he struck first. While Frieza was still marveling at the enormous increase in his strength, Piccolo smashed a fist into his forehead.
Frieza's pupils contracted, and he spat blood. Piccolo paid that no heed, pressing his advantage to finish him off. He grabbed Frieza's wrist, swung him around like a windmill, and hurled him high into the sky.
Then he aimed both hands at Frieza and unleashed a torrent of energy blasts, using Prince's Tactics. After firing more than a dozen blasts, he crossed his hands at his forehead and roared, "Masenko!" An immensely powerful energy wave shot toward Frieza.
At that critical moment, Frieza instantly raised his power to sixty percent, then fired an energy wave from both hands. It collided with Piccolo's Masenko and began pushing it back toward him.
Piccolo was stunned. Seeing that his energy wave was about to be driven back at him, he no longer cared whether his body could endure it and roared, "Twenty-fivefold Kaioken! Unleash it!"
The energy wave pouring from his hands instantly thickened and surged back with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, it reached Frieza. "Impossible!" Frieza cried in shock. Then the energy wave engulfed him.
Seeing this, Piccolo immediately deactivated Kaioken. Agonizing pain erupted throughout his body, the sensation of his muscles tearing unbearably intense.
Son Goku immediately came over and handed Piccolo a Senzu Bean. Without a word, Piccolo swallowed it, and all his injuries healed in an instant.
Son Goku said to Piccolo, "Piccolo, leave Frieza to me now."
Piccolo said, "Frieza survived my Masenko? He really can take a beating."
Son Goku said, "Frieza is far tougher than you imagine. He'll definitely use his full power next, and you're no match for him. Leave the rest of this fight to me."
"All right, Goku. Be careful," Piccolo said.
Son Goku said, "Don't worry. He won't get the better of me."
Piccolo nodded, then returned to the others.
Son Goku looked up at the sky, waiting for Frieza to appear.
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