Frieza's relentless flurry of attacks naturally did not kill Zeltron.
Beneath the chaos unfurling above, deep in thought, Zeltron calculated his next move.
Even before Krillin and Vegeta arrived, he was already considering how best to withdraw from Frieza's sight.
After all—if Zeltron remained on the battlefield, then Frieza, arrogant and merciless as he was, would hold nothing back. The tyrant would fight until either his enemy or the entire planet was nothing but ashes.
So Zeltron devised a cruel but clever plan.
A "suspended animation."
He deliberately took one of Frieza's fierce blows and let his body rocket into the sea below. The instant he sank beneath the waves, Zeltron suppressed his ki to its lowest point—so faint that even Burter's scouter in orbit would never pick it up, nor could Goku or the others sense him through their Ki perception.
And as for how Zeltron could remain hidden in the dark depths of the ocean for so long, the answer was simple: a rare skill.
Years before, on the distant Dallas Star, Zeltron had acquired a peculiar ability known as "Turtle's Breath." With it, he could remain submerged for an inconceivably long period of time without running out of air.
'I didn't expect that this useless trick would one day become my lifeline against Frieza…'
Floating silently in the ocean's abyss, Zeltron brought up his system screen in his mind's eye, staring at the glowing symbol of the "Turtle's Breath" attribute. A small smirk tugged at his lips.
Had he not chosen to collect that skill, he'd surely have already been exposed—his survival ruined by Frieza's razor-sharp instinct.
His eyes drifted down to the cracked section of his Saiyan-style battle armour. The shoulder plate on his right side had been shredded, the damage caused by the vicious shockwave of Frieza's ki blast just as Zeltron lowered his aura to feign vulnerability.
'Damn him… even holding back, Frieza nearly killed me.'
He traced the jagged edge of the broken armour with his fingers, his expression dark but calm. Slowly, however, his scowl softened into a grim smile. He had cheated death—and he lived to plot the next strike.
Rising slightly, Zeltron gazed upward. All around him stretched the midnight blue depths, rippling water above catching the glow of scattered sunlight, tiny fish darting past his body in nervous swarms. Though he could not see the battle raging on the surface, his Ki Sense painted a vivid picture.
'Vegeta. Krillin. Gohan. And Goku… The pieces are in place.'
Zeltron exhaled slowly, bubbles drifting past his face, his heart thundering in rhythm with the escalating powers above.
"Now… it begins. Son Goku, it's your stage. Transform. Show me the wrath of the Super Saiyan… and Frieza… don't you dare kill him before that happens."
With that, Zeltron drifted quietly closer toward the water's surface, keeping his ki hidden, his anticipation sharp as a blade.
Up above, the battlefield was on the brink of collapse.
Son Gohan, Krillin, Vegeta, and Goku faced Frieza. The overwhelming aura of the galactic emperor radiated like a crushing storm. His golden eyes gleamed with contempt as he floated before them.
"Gohan, Krillin—run away!" Goku commanded, straining to rise but collapsing back to the ground, body wracked with pain from his earlier clash. His breaths came ragged, but his eyes burned with desperation.
Unable to hold him back, Goku shouted hoarsely again, urging his wounded friends: "Quickly—get out of here!"
"Hmph. Run?"
Frieza's mocking voice slithered into the air before anyone could react. In a blur that defied sight, he vanished—only to appear an instant later right beside young Gohan. His sinister grin widened.
"You may try."
The boy froze. Krillin's heart plummeted. Cold sweat trickled down both their faces as they stared into the icy gaze of the monster who had slaughtered entire civilizations without remorse.
Krillin instinctively staggered back a step, trying to put distance between himself and death, but his legs shook violently. He clenched his fists, but the crushing dread left him breathless, immobile. He knew. If Frieza willed it, he would die before he could blink.
Across the field, Vegeta's expression hardened. His sharp Saiyan eyes narrowed as he measured Frieza's impossible speed.
'So fast… I didn't even see him move.'
Frieza turned, his words dripping venom. "Vegeta. Prince of the fallen Saiyans. Are you prepared to die?"
The proud warrior met the tyrant's gaze with rising defiance.
"Hmph… Frieza. I am not the same man I once was. Killing me will not be so easy." His fear dissolved, replaced by a wild gleam in his eye.
"Oh?" Frieza chuckled darkly.
"Show me, then. Let me see what growth you boast of."
And in the same heartbeat, Frieza was gone—then reappeared inches from Vegeta. Before Vegeta could even react, Frieza's arm speared cleanly through his chest.
Time slowed.
Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief as blood burst from his mouth. Gohan and Krillin's screams caught in their throats, their faces pallid with horror.
Vegeta—the proud Saiyan prince, who had clawed his way through death and humiliation—struck down in a single strike.
Frieza ripped his hand free, letting Vegeta's body slump to the ground like discarded trash. "Hmph. So much for growth," he spat with cold amusement.
Vegeta's chest heaved weakly. His eyes still held fire, still held hatred.
'Prince of all Saiyans…' His thoughts screamed.
'Kakarot… even Zeltron… they stand, they fight… and I… I am nothing?'
His lips parted, whispering the name: "Kakaro—" But the word faltered. His breath left him. His eyes dimmed. Vegeta, warrior prince of Saiyans, was gone.
Frieza sneered down at his corpse. "Finally… the traitor Vegeta dies like the insect he is." Then his eyes slid coldly to the surviving trio—Goku, Krillin, and Gohan. His smile widened cruelly.
"So, who's next?"
The tyrant's gaze pinned them in an icy vice. Krillin's heart faltered. Gohan trembled but refused to step back.
Frieza raised a finger, pointing first at Gohan, then turning it toward Krillin. "You… or you?"
Krillin's breath stopped. His body locked, drenched in despair.
"It's decided." Frieza's finger sparked, gathering energy, a purple glow churning into a deadly sphere. The air hissed as the ball swelled before firing into a bright, piercing beam.
It struck before Krillin could even scream. The beam blasted through his chest, piercing his heart.
"Krillin!!" Gohan's shriek tore across the battlefield, raw despair flooding his young voice.
Under the sea, Zeltron abruptly opened his eyes. His ki-sense alerted him instantly.
"Krillin's life force—it vanished…!"
In that next heartbeat, the ocean above split. Waves rose high, and the atmosphere trembled.
For in his grief and fury, Son Goku's aura began to change.
The transformation that would shake the universe… had finally begun.