Dididi——
Soon after Zeltron detected, through his Ki Sense ability, that Vegeta and the others were flying toward this location, an energy signal appeared on Toss's detector.
"Someone's coming." Toss exclaimed.
He and Rapp immediately turned their gaze skyward.
In the distance, three white energy clusters rushed rapidly toward them.
These belonged to Vegeta, Son Gohan, and Krillin.
The first to arrive was Vegeta.
"That is..." Vegeta's face shifted dramatically as he spotted Zeltron and Frieza locked in combat far ahead.
"Is that… the final form of Frieza?"
Though Vegeta had never seen Frieza's final form before, Ki Sense made recognizing the immense power unmistakable.
Vegeta continued to watch Frieza, then shifted his eyes toward Zeltron.
Seeing that Zeltron was actually matching Frieza blow for blow, Vegeta's expression hardened.
Krillin and Son Gohan soon followed Vegeta's lead, rushing to the battlefield.
Like Vegeta, they were instantly captivated by the ferocity of the fight between Zeltron and Frieza.
Yet Son Gohan's attention was soon drawn away toward Son Goku's heavily scarred figure below.
"Father!" he cried in alarm.
Son Gohan surged toward his injured father without hesitation.
Krillin tried to stop him, but Son Gohan was already speeding toward Son Goku.
"Hey Gohan!"
Krillin had no choice but to follow.
Upon landing beside Son Goku, Son Gohan's face filled with concern.
"You're here!" he breathed.
Zeltron's gaze shifted to Son Gohan and Krillin with a slight smile.
"Glad to see you're alright," he said.
Krillin greeted Son Goku, relieved seeing his condition was stable, then glanced up at Zeltron and Frieza engaged in battle.
The ferocity of their punches and palm strikes caused the very earth to tremble.
"That's amazing, the true strength of Zeltron."
Son Goku nodded in agreement.
"If this keeps up, Zeltron might just defeat Frieza, and that would mean safety for us all," Krillin said with excitement.
But before Krillin could finish, an explosion roared as Frieza struck Zeltron from above.
Zeltron was blasted down like a cannonball, crashing into the ocean below.
What no one noticed was the subtle, knowing smile that briefly crossed Zeltron's lips as he plunged.
Krillin's smile stiffened, and scratching his head awkwardly, he muttered,
"It's okay, Zeltron's strong enough to withstand this."
Frieza was relentless, unleashing barrage after barrage of energy spheres on the sea.
"Go to hell, monkey!" Frieza roared maniacally, pumping out a relentless storm of energy balls.
The sky rained with devastation.
Krillin's face grew grave as he witnessed the destructive inferno around Zeltron.
Despite his confidence in Zeltron, concern grew—if Zeltron fell, Frieza would have no reason to spare anyone.
"This-"
Krillin's thoughts raced, praying silently for their ally's safety.
Frieza launched dozens of energy orbs into the sea.
Rather than exploding immediately, these clustered like pulsating dark eggs on the ocean's surface.
"Die!" Frieza hissed.
When the last orb descended, the entire sea burst into a massive inferno.
Flames soared high, steam rising violently as the ocean boiled.
For nearly a minute, the fierce heat and shockwaves rippled outward.
Then, silence returned.
The waters calmed.
But Zeltron remained submerged, unseen.
"Zeltron's energy…" Toss whispered, noticing his readings vanish from his detector.
Panic crept into his voice.
"How could an attack like that kill Master Zeltron?"
Rapp stared wide-eyed at the calm sea below.
At that moment, Son Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta sensed the same—their companion's energy completely vanished.
"Unbelievable… Zeltron's Ki has disappeared!"
Krillin's face drained as terror gripped his heart.
He considered the possibility that Zeltron suppressed his ki to avoid detection.
Yet as time dragged on, Zeltron did not resurface.
Krillin's anxiety deepened to despair.
'Is Zeltron… dead?'
His eyes flicked toward the sky, then to Frieza's looming form.
Frieza towered relentlessly, an unstoppable demon in Krillin's eyes.
"Good riddance, monkey's dead at last. You're next!" Frieza sneered darkly.
Still unaware of the vastness of the universe, Krillin, Toss, and others underestimated Zeltron's true nature.
Unknown to them, Zeltron possessed rare abilities—instantaneous movement and fusion skills.
Perhaps, Zeltron could yet survive.
Yet, despair clouded the rescuers' minds as they saw their friend vanish.
Frieza's malicious gaze then turned toward the injured Son Goku, Krillin, Son Gohan, and Vegeta.