Namek's sky trembled as Son Goku and Frieza, now in his final form, floated in the air, facing each other from afar.
After an unknown silence, Frieza broke it."Have you accepted the idea of your own death, Saiyan?"
As his words fell, Frieza raised one arm and pointed a finger at Son Goku.
A sharp purple energy beam tore through the air, streaking directly toward Goku.
Boom—
Just before it struck, Goku's palm swept out, effortlessly batting the beam aside.
The attack veered off into the distance, crashing into the sea below. A massive hemispherical dome of energy erupted from the point of impact, expanding rapidly before bursting apart.
The explosion's roar echoed between heaven and earth, followed by a violent shockwave that whipped the ocean into towering waves.
"This…"
Far away, Rapp and Toss—thousands of meters from the battlefield—watched the blast with wide eyes. Horror filled their expressions.The destruction was only from the aftermath.
If the side effects alone were this devastating, what kind of power did the fighters themselves hold?
Frieza, seeing Goku swat away his beam barehanded, paused. Then that sharp, almost delicate face curved into a cold smile.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
His fingers moved like a machine gun, firing a storm of purple beams—death beams—toward Goku.
The energy rained down like bullets, but Goku's hands moved with calm precision, deflecting each one as if brushing away flies.
The landscape, however, was not so fortunate. Mountains, trees, and terrain alike were obliterated wherever the beams struck. Explosions and fire raged in every direction.
[ Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained the Death Beam attribute. ]
As Frieza's barrage continued, Zeltron heard the system's voice in his mind.
[ Does the host wish to collect the Death Beam attribute? ]
Zeltron didn't answer immediately, his attention on the intense hand-to-hand clash that was about to begin.Ki-based attacks didn't drop combat power attributes, only special Ki attributes. Still, the Death Beam would be worth adding.
"Collect."
As the command left him, the attribute surged from Frieza's barrage into Zeltron's body. A moment later, "Death Beam" appeared on his virtual screen.
His combat power, already boosted from earlier battles with Goku and Frieza's second form, now stood at 43.77 million.
Frieza halted his barrage."You're better than I thought, but…"
His body vanished. Ripples spread across the water below—his path toward Goku invisible to most eyes.
To an ordinary observer, Frieza's speed was untraceable.But to Goku and Zeltron, it was perfectly clear.
"He's coming."
Goku moved first, launching a sudden kick before Frieza fully emerged.
Boom—
The strike sent Frieza flying, but in mid-air, he spun like a top and stabilized, his cheeks flushed from the impact.
[ Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained 30,000 combat power attributes. ]
Zeltron's fists tightened in satisfaction.'Thirty thousand from a single blow… at this rate, the gains will be massive.'
Frieza touched his cheek, his smile returning."In this form, you can still keep up with my speed. Apart from my brother, you're the first."
"Really? That's an honour," Goku replied, a faint smile curling his lips. "But the one over there is even stronger."
He glanced at Zeltron.
"That Saiyan?" Frieza followed his gaze, then laughed."You're joking. Saiyans like you are rare enough. Even your prince, Vegeta, could be killed with a finger."
"I'm not joking," Goku said seriously. "Zeltron is stronger than me."
Frieza didn't believe him. To him, Saiyans were still just monkeys—dangerous perhaps, but not on his level.
"No matter what, Saiyans must die today," Frieza said, his expression cold. "Because I hate Saiyans the most."
He lunged forward, Goku vanishing at the same time.
The air above Namek roared with the sound of blows too fast for ordinary eyes to follow. To Rapp and Toss, the two were invisible shapes; to Zeltron, their movements were crystal clear.
Punches, elbows, and kicks clashed in rapid succession. Each impact unleashed invisible shockwaves that churned the sea and shattered stone.
[ Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained 30,000 combat power attributes. ][ Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained 30,410 combat power attributes. ]
The system's notifications rang endlessly in Zeltron's mind. Combat power attributes rained from the sky like jackpots from a slot machine—each over thirty thousand.
"Collect all," Zeltron ordered without waiting for prompts.
The attributes surged into him, his power climbing rapidly:
43.8 million… 43.86 million… 43.92 million…
Every second added over 60,000. In just a few breaths, his strength had reached 44.4 million.
Meanwhile, Toss noticed something unusual."Rapp… look at Teacher Zeltron."
Rapp turned, seeing Zeltron surrounded by a white aura that rippled the air like heat. The ground trembled, the sea heaved—and this time, it wasn't from Goku and Frieza's fight.
Even Goku, mid-battle, sensed it.'His ki is still rising… what's happening to him?'
"Distracted while fighting me?" Frieza smirked and took his chance.
"Not good."
Before Goku could react, Frieza's tail whipped across his body, sending him hurtling into a distant landmass. The force split the terrain itself apart.
[ Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained 35,012 combat power attributes. ]
The battle paused, and Zeltron's growth halted as the final attribute sank into him. His combat power now stood at 48.36 million.
As Zeltron continued collecting the combat power attributes dropped by Son Goku and Frieza's battle, the sky in the distance suddenly darkened.
'Hm?'
Sensing the change, Zeltron moved away from the fight and turned toward the horizon.
Namek was unlike Earth. With its three suns rising in turn, the planet never experienced night. Yet now, the light was fading.
Elsewhere, Vegeta—now fully healed—slipped into his battle armor and unleashed a powerful Ki Blast.
Boom—
The blast tore a massive hole in Frieza's spaceship. From within, the furious Saiyan prince burst forth.
"Damn it! Those Earthlings used the Dragon Balls while I was recovering!"
Nearby, Son Gohan and Krillin heard the explosion. Turning, they spotted Vegeta flying straight toward them, rage in his eyes.
"It's Vegeta…"
The sight made both of them tense up. They had been planning to use the Namekian Dragon Balls alongside Vegeta to revive Piccolo, but being caught red-handed now left them at a loss.
"You two really dared to do it!"
Vegeta landed, immediately grabbing Gohan by the collar.
"That… Vegeta…"
"Namek's Dragon can grant three wishes—we only used one. There are still two left!"
Krillin quickly explained, hoping to calm him before he hurt Gohan.
The moment Vegeta processed this, his anger evaporated, replaced with satisfaction."For the sake of my eternal life, I'll let you go."
He released Gohan and looked up at the massive dragon in the sky."Give me eternal life!"
Both Krillin and Gohan's faces paled.
If Vegeta truly became immortal, Earth's future would be in danger.
But Porunga didn't respond.
"What's going on?" Krillin frowned.
Vegeta stood there with arms raised, smiling as though the wish had already been granted. Seconds passed. Nothing happened.
'Has he really convinced himself it worked?'
Even Dende blinked in confusion.
"Porunga hasn't granted anything yet… so why is he so happy?"
"No reason," Krillin said quickly. "Come on, state the second wish!"
At last, Porunga's voice rumbled across the sky."The second wish?"
Vegeta's smile vanished. He grabbed Dende roughly. "Namekian! Why hasn't my wish come true?"
Dende's eyes darted to Krillin, who explained, "Porunga needs the Namekian language to understand a wish. He can't understand you."
"Then tell him to give me eternal life—or I'll kill you now!"
Before Dende could respond, Porunga's massive body trembled."It seems the time is up."
In an instant, the dragon vanished. The seven Dragon Balls turned to stone and fell from the sky, the dark clouds dispersing to reveal bright daylight once again.
"What happened to it?" Vegeta dropped Dende, bewildered.
Krillin and Gohan didn't have to wonder for long. Dende knelt down, tears in his eyes.
"The Great Elder… he's dead."
The Namekian Dragon Balls were created by the Great Elder. With his death, they ceased to exist.
"The Great Elder is dead? Then what about my wish?" Vegeta demanded.
"It's useless," Krillin said. "Porunga is gone."
Vegeta's rage returned. "Damn you two! If it weren't for you, my wish—"
Gohan muttered under his breath, "Who told you to come so late…"
"What was that?" Vegeta glared, but Krillin stepped in.
"There's nothing we can do now. We should focus on helping Goku against Frieza, or none of us will survive."
At the mention of Frieza, Vegeta's expression shifted. Krillin was right—Frieza was the immediate threat.
"Fine," Vegeta said. "Your first wish was to revive that Namekian, wasn't it?"
From their guilty looks, he knew he was correct."Good. Now that he's alive, the Earth Dragon Balls will be back too. I'll get my wish there. But first… Frieza must die!"
Vegeta's aura flared as he blasted toward the battlefield where Zeltron, Goku, and Frieza were locked in combat.
Krillin and Gohan exchanged glances. 'He still hasn't given up…'
Meanwhile, the distant horizon grew darker still.
'Dark clouds… could it be?' Zeltron narrowed his eyes.
A spark of realization flashed in his mind.'So, Krillin and Goku have summoned the Namekian Dragon: Porunga.'
As expected, the darkness was from Porunga's appearance. With Dende's help, Krillin and Gohan had gathered the seven Namekian Dragon Balls.
Beneath the swirling black clouds, the golden-lit giant dragon towered, its body stretching endlessly into the heavens.
[Previously]
"Wow… Namek's Shenron is enormous," Gohan said in awe.
"That's right," Dende nodded. "State your wishes—he can grant three."
"Three? Not just one?" Krillin asked, holding up three fingers in disbelief.
"Namek's Shenron is stronger than Earth's. Porunga can grant three wishes," Dende explained.
Krillin grinned. "Then let's get rid of Frieza first."
"What? No! We have to revive Piccolo and Tien Shinhan!" Gohan protested.
Krillin argued, "We can use one wish to kill Frieza, and the other two to revive them."
"Hmm… that does make sense," Gohan admitted.
"First wish—kill Frieza!" Krillin declared.
Dende hesitated, then relayed the wish in Namekian.
Porunga's deep voice answered, "That is beyond my power."
Krillin sighed.
'Just as I thought.'
Just like Shenron had refused to kill Vegeta back on Earth—there was no way he could destroy someone as strong as Frieza.
"Then we'll revive Piccolo first," Krillin decided.
Before he could speak, Gohan heard Piccolo's voice in his mind: 'Gohan, revive me first. That way, Earth's Kami will be restored too, and Earth's Dragon Balls will return…'
As they planned, Vegeta—now healed—stepped out of the regeneration chamber.
'My strength is fully restored… stronger than before. With this, I can take on Frieza.' His lips curled into a confident smirk.
But the smirk faded as his senses picked up three enormous power levels.'That one's Kakarot… and another even stronger… Zeltron?!'
His teeth clenched. 'I am the Saiyan prince. How could two low-class Saiyans surpass me?'
Then he felt the third power—greater than both. 'Frieza.'
The anger melted into a dark smile. 'Once I have eternal life, none of them will stand a chance.'
Grabbing a battle suit, Vegeta dressed quickly. But through the window, he spotted the massive golden dragon in the sky.
'Shenron?!… those Earthlings!'
Fury surged through him as he blasted from the ship toward Krillin and Gohan.