The impact of their clash sent ripples through the air, disturbing the Namekian atmosphere as Toji and Frieza separated, each sliding back several meters across the blue-green grass.
Frieza's tail lashed behind him, carving a shallow groove in the soil as he reassumed his characteristic stance - legs together, arms spread at waist height, palms facing outward.
His crimson eyes gleamed with something beyond mere battle-lust; there was curiosity there.
Across from him, Toji settled into his own stance - legs spread wide for stability, arms raised and open at his sides, fingers splayed.
The human's grin stretched across his face, wild and eager, yet his eyes remained sharp and calculating.
"You should know, warrior," Frieza began, his voice carrying easily across the battlefield, "you're the challenger here, not me. Like many challengers before you, you will see the fruitlessness of your efforts."
The tyrant's tail curled elegantly behind him as he continued, "Don't think you have what it takes to claim the title of Strongest from me. For if you do - then you are sorely mistaken."
Toji's grin only widened further. "Nah, I'm sure I'll win."
The simplicity of the response seemed to amuse Frieza, whose lips curled into a cold smile.
Then, without warning, both warriors vanished - their forms blurring as they moved at speeds beyond simple mortal perception.
They reappeared in the center of the field, Frieza's fist connecting with Toji's forearm in another thunderous clash.
The ground beneath them cratered from the force, chunks of earth rising into the air before gravity reclaimed them.
Toji countered immediately, his knee driving upward toward Frieza's midsection. The emperor twisted, his tail whipping around to strike at Toji's exposed side.
The human caught the appendage mid-swing, using the momentum to spin and launch Frieza toward a nearby plateau.
Frieza righted himself mid-flight, his feet touching the rock face for only an instant before he propelled himself back toward Toji like a bullet. His horns lowered, aiming to impale the human.
Toji sidestepped, his hand shooting out to grab one of Frieza's horns. Using the tyrant's momentum against him, he pivoted and slammed Frieza into the ground.
The impact sent dirt and debris flying skyward, but Frieza was already moving again, his tail lashing out from the dust cloud to wrap around Toji's ankle.
With a sharp tug, he pulled the human off-balance and fired a purple energy blast from his fingertip.
Toji twisted in mid-air, the Death Beam grazing his shoulder as he brought his hands together. "Let's see if I can do this right, It's one of Vegeta's favorites" he muttered, focusing his ki between his palms. "GALICK GUN!"
The purple beam erupted from his hands, mimicking Vegeta's signature technique with surprising accuracy.
Frieza's eyes widened slightly before he countered with his own energy wave, the two beams colliding in and illuminated the Namekian landscape in purple light.
-------------------------
Meanwhile, the rest of Frieza's forces had recovered from Toji's initial ki burst and were now facing off against the Z Fighters.
Captain Ginyu directed his squad with sharp hand signals, while Zarbon and Dodoria flanked them on either side.
"Recoome, take the bald ones. Burter and Jeice, handle the Namekian. Guldo, the child is yours," Captain Ginyu ordered, his gaze fixed on Goku. "I'll handle the Saiyan called Kakarot myself."
Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms. "And what about me, Ginyu? Have you forgotten who the Prince of all Saiyans is?"
Captain Ginyu's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I haven't forgotten, Vegeta. Lord Frieza has special plans for traitors like you."
"Too bad he won't get the chance to implement them," Vegeta replied coldly, his aura flaring around him. "I'm not the same warrior who left Planet Frieza No. 79. My power has grown exponentially."
Nappa stepped forward to stand beside his prince, his massive frame dwarfing most of the Ginyu Force. "And I'm not the same either. We're going to crush you insects!"
Zarbon flicked his long green braid over his shoulder, his expression one of elegant disdain. "Such bold words from the emperor's cast-offs. Perhaps we should remind you of your place in the hierarchy."
"Enough talk!" Piccolo growled, removing his weighted cape and turban, throwing them aside. The items crashed to the ground, creating small craters. "If you're going to fight, then fight!"
Krillin moved closer to Gohan, his stance protective despite the boy's power being more than his. "Stay sharp, Gohan. These guys aren't like anything we've faced before."
Gohan nodded, his young face set with determination. "I'm ready, Krillin."
The standoff lasted only a moment longer before both sides exploded into action. Recoome charged at Krillin, his massive fist cocked back for a blow.
The bald monk dodged with surprising speed, countering with a kick that caught the giant off-guard.
Burter and Jeice moved in tandem, their coordinated attacks forcing Piccolo on the defensive.
The Namekian's arms blurred as he blocked and parried their strikes, his expression never changing from its stoic concentration.
Guldo faced off against Gohan, the four-eyed alien's breath held as he froze time around them.
In the frozen world, he positioned himself behind the half-Saiyan, preparing to strike when time resumed.
Captain Ginyu and Goku circled each other, each measuring the other's stance and movements. "I've heard stories about you, Kakarot, the scouters bestowed quite the interesting information," Ginyu said.
"The low-class Saiyan who defeated Raditz - a mid-class warrior nearing Elite and allied with a monster to defeat Prince Vegeta. Impressive for someone of your background."
Goku's expression remained focused. "My name is Goku, and I don't care about Saiyans and their class systems. All I care about is protecting my friends and family."
"Noble sentiments," Ginyu mocked, "but they won't save you from-"
His words were cut short as Vegeta appeared behind him, driving his fist into the captain's kidney. Ginyu stumbled forward, directly into Goku's waiting knee.
"How do like that Ginyu? Your power level of 176 000 is nothing compared to mine now," Vegeta stated with a smirk.
-------------------------
Zarbon and Dodoria found themselves facing Nappa, whose power had grown far beyond what they remembered.
The massive Saiyan's fist connected with Dodoria's face, sending the pink alien flying backward with blood spurting from his broken nose.
"Impossible!" Zarbon gasped. "Your power level is-"
"Far beyond yours," Nappa finished with a cruel grin. "Want to see what else has changed?" Without waiting for an answer, he opened his mouth wide, gathering energy for his attack.
--------------------------
Above the chaotic battlefield, Toji and Frieza continued their dance of destruction.
Their energy beams had dissipated, and they were once again engaged in close combat, their movements too fast for most observers to follow.
Frieza's tail lashed out like a whip, forcing Toji to dodge repeatedly as the tyrant pressed his advantage. "Not bad for a human," Frieza remarked, his breath still even despite the exertion. "Most species would have succumbed by now."
Toji laughed, the sound genuinely joyful despite the intensity of their battle. "I'm not most species," he replied, before focusing his ki into his right hand.
The energy condensed, elongating and solidifying into a glowing white staff.
Frieza's eyes widened with interest. "Energy manipulation at that level? Fascinating."
Toji twirled the ki staff expertly, the movements fluid and practiced despite his relatively short training period.
He had absorbed Goku's power pole techniques through observation alone, integrating them into his natural fighting instincts.
"Let's see how you handle this," Toji challenged, lunging forward with the staff extended. The weapon grew in length mid-thrust, nearly catching Frieza off-guard.
The tyrant twisted aside, his hand grabbing the staff only to find it burning his palm. He released it with a hiss of surprise rather than pain. "Energy that maintains solid form yet retains its burning properties? Most impressive."
Toji continued his assault, the staff changing length and direction with each attack.
Sometimes it extended to catch Frieza when he thought he was at a safe distance; other times it contracted suddenly- depending on how much Ki he instilled in it, allowing Toji to close the gap for a physical strike and deal easier with that annoying tail.
Frieza adapted quickly, his movements becoming more precise as he learned to anticipate the staff's changes.
With a sudden burst of speed, he appeared behind Toji, his tail wrapping around the human's throat.
"Creative," Frieza acknowledged, "but predictable after a while."
Toji didn't struggle against the hold. Instead, he allowed his ki staff to dissipate, the energy flowing back into his body.
Then, with a sharp exhalation, he expelled ki from every pore, creating a repulsive force that broke Frieza's grip.
The tyrant was pushed back several meters, his feet carving trenches in the Namekian soil. "My, my," he chuckled. "You're full of surprises."
"I'm just getting started," Toji replied, his hands moving in circular patterns as he gathered ki between them. The energy took shape, forming into a swirling disc of razor-sharp power - an adaptation of Krillin's Destructo Disc, but with Toji's own modifications.
Instead of throwing it immediately, he compressed the disc further, until it was only the size of his palm but glowing power. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying toward Frieza.
The tyrant dodged easily, but the disc changed direction mid-flight, curving to follow him. Frieza's eyes narrowed as he realized the attack was being controlled telepathically.
He fired a Death Beam at it, but the disc split into three smaller discs, each continuing to pursue him.
"Persistent little things, aren't they?" Frieza remarked, weaving through the air. He raised his hand, gathering purple energy before firing a barrage of Death Beams that destroyed two of the discs.
The third, however, managed to slice across his cheek, drawing a thin line of purple blood. Frieza touched the wound with his fingertip, examining the blood with mild surprise. "First blood to you," he acknowledged. "It's been quite some time since anyone has managed that."
Toji nodded in acknowledgment of the compliment. "You're as good as advertised. I haven't had to try this hard since... well, ever."
This caught Frieza's attention. "Oh? You've never been challenged before? How interesting." The tyrant's tail swished thoughtfully. "Have you trained extensively for this encounter?"
Toji shook his head, blocking a sudden tail strike with his forearm. "I only started training about a month ago or so, and for ten days at most at that. What about you?"
He told Frieza this truthful information since he was interested in whether the tyrant trained himself or not- if Frieza someway sensed he was lying, perhaps he wouldn't tell him.
This information would possibly decide how he will deal with the Emperor.
Frieza chuckled, the sound strangely melodic coming from such a feared being. "It depends on what one defines as training. I've had some fights with my older brother, Cooler. They were all quite short though, and I've won all of them, of course."
This information made Toji's expression turn slightly more serious. "Did you become stronger from those fights?"
A smirk spread across Frieza's face as he gathered energy between his palms, compressing it into a dense sphere. "Yes, a lot in fact."
The revelation gave Toji pause.
If Frieza had grown stronger just from those brief encounters, was he still something he himself could handle? By how much did he grow exactly?
Internally, Toji debated with himself.
As they stood now, he could instantly increase his power and kill Frieza - if the tyrant proved too dangerous to let live.
But... that would be such a waste.
He himself needed strong opponents to grow in strength, and other methods of training weren't easy to come by.
He had been practicing the Kaio-ken extensively and had grown stronger from the muscle tears and healing - his own power level now 25% more than before at full power, reaching approximately 150 million at his maximum.
If it came down to it, he could fall back on the Kaio-ken...
While Toji was lost in thought, Frieza launched the compressed energy sphere. It moved deceptively slowly at first, then accelerated to blinding speed.
Toji snapped back to attention just in time, creating another ki staff and batting the sphere away.
The deflected attack struck a distant mountain, vaporizing it instantly. The explosion sent shockwaves across the landscape, the distant boom reaching them seconds later.
"Distracted?" Frieza taunted. "Perhaps I overestimated you."
Toji's focus returned fully to the battle.
He extended his ki staff, then surprised Frieza by separating it into two shorter staves, one in each hand. "Just thinking about how much fun this is," he replied, spinning the staves.
He launched forward, the twin weapons becoming blurs as he attacked from multiple angles. Frieza dodged and blocked, his expression showing genuine enjoyment of the challenge.
The tyrant retaliated by gathering ki in both hands, forming it into curved blades that extended from his forearms. "Two can play at energy manipulation," he declared, parrying Toji's staff strikes with his newly formed ki blades.
The clash of their energy weapons created sparks of light that rained down on the battlefield below, where the other fights continued to rage.
-------------------------
Guldo's time-freeze had worn off, forcing him to take another deep breath. But as time resumed, Gohan was no longer where he had been.
The half-Saiyan's instincts had warned him of danger and moved him the instant he felt control of his body return.
"Over here!" Gohan called, his voice coming from above. Guldo looked up just in time to see the boy's foot connecting with his face. The impact sent the four-eyed alien tumbling across the ground.
"Why you little-" Guldo sputtered, spitting out dirt and blood. He drew another deep breath, preparing to freeze time again.
Meanwhile, Recoome was finding Krillin a more formidable opponent than expected. The monk's speed and precision were making up for his relative lack of raw power.
"Stand still, baldy!" Recoome growled, his massive fists creating craters wherever they struck the ground.
Krillin darted between the giant's legs, delivering a sharp kick to the back of his knee. "Not a chance, big guy!"
Piccolo was handling both Burter and Jeice with remarkable skill.
His arms seemed to multiply as he blocked their coordinated attacks, his expression never changing from its stoicness.
"He's fast!" Jeice exclaimed, his accent thick with frustration.
"Faster than me?" Burter responded incredulously. "Impossible! I'm the fastest in the universe!"
Piccolo's lips curled into a cold smile. "Oh please," His form blurred as he accelerated, appearing behind Burter to deliver a devastating chop to the back of his neck.
-------------------------
Captain Ginyu was finding himself outmatched against the combined efforts of Goku and Vegeta.
The Saiyan prince's power had indeed grown exponentially, and Goku's technique was flawless.
"This can't be happening," Ginyu muttered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Lord Frieza will-"
"Frieza is busy," Vegeta cut in, his voice dripping with disdain. "And soon, he'll be dead. Just like you."
-------------------------
Nappa's battle against Zarbon and Dodoria was turning into a one-sided massacre.
The pink alien was already unconscious, his body embedded in a crater, while Zarbon had been forced to transform into his monstrous true form.
"You've gotten stronger, Nappa," Zarbon acknowledged, his voice deeper and rougher in this form. "But you're still just a monkey."
Nappa's response was a brutal uppercut that sent Zarbon flying upward. "And you're still just dead!" he roared, gathering energy for a Bomber DX.
-------------------------
Above the battlefield, the duel between Toji and Frieza had escalated further. They were now moving so quickly that they appeared as little more than streaks of light to those below, their clashes creating thunderous booms that echoed across the Namekian landscape.
Toji had abandoned his energy staves in favor of pure hand-to-hand combat, his strikes precise and powerful. Frieza had dismissed his ki blades as well, meeting the human blow for blow.
"I must admit," Frieza said between exchanges, "you're providing more entertainment than I've had in decades."
Toji grinned, blocking a tail strike with his forearm. "Glad to hear it. I was worried you might be getting bored."
Their battle carried them across the sky, over oceans and mountains, each testing the other's limits without fully committing to all-out warfare.
It was as much a dance as it was a fight - two natural born warriors exploring each other's capabilities.
Frieza suddenly broke away, flying upward until he hovered high above the battlefield. With a casual gesture, he lifted an entire mountain from its foundation, the massive rock formation rising into the air surrounded by his purple aura, descending on top of his raised him
"Let's see how you handle this," the tyrant called down, preparing to throw the mountain at Toji.
But before he could complete the action, something strange happened.
The world around them seemed to freeze - the mountain suspended motionless above Frieza's head, the battles below paused mid-action, even the waves in the green ocean stopped mid-crest.
For the first time the time-stop affected their fight.
But both Toji and Frieza of course themselves, remained unaffected- too powerful for something as measily as a green bug's ability to affect them.
They exchanged a confused glance before looking down to identify the source of the disturbance.
Below them, Guldo was running across the battlefield, his cheeks puffed out as he held his breath to maintain his time-freezing ability.
He was clearly fleeing from something - likely Gohan - and had inadvertently caught Toji and Frieza in his field of effect.
Frieza sighed in annoyance, the mountain still suspended on his hand raised above his head. "GULDO!" he called out, his voice carried with Ki- echoing in the frozen world.
The four-eyed alien skidded to a halt, looking up in shock as he realized his emperor was aware and moving within his stopped time.
'L-Lord F- Frieza,' Guldo stammered in his own mind as he continued to hold his breath.
"I don't appreciate my fun being interrupted like this," Frieza stated coldly, gesturing to the mountain he was still holding aloft with one hand.
Guldo began to tremble, his four eyes widening in terror.
Guldo wanted to begin to speak- to apolgoise but before he could respond, Toji simply pointed his index finger at the alien and released a thin beam of white light - identical to Frieza's Death Beam but in Toji's signature color - shot from his fingertip, piercing straight through Guldo's heart.
Time resumed its normal flow as Guldo collapsed, the light fading from his four eyes. The battles below continued as if nothing had happened, though Gohan looked around in confusion, having lost track of his opponent.
Frieza turned to Toji, annoyance on his face. "Was that really necessary? I was about to order him to stop."
Toji twirled his again newly created white ki staff casually, shrugging. "He seemed like a nuisance."
Frieza hurled the mountain at Toji, who extended his staff and slapped it away with surprising ease. The massive rock formation sailed through the air, crashing into the distant ocean with a big splash.
"He was," Frieza agreed, launching himself at Toji again, their conversation continuing between blows. "But he had his uses. Only someone on my level could move within the world of stopped time, which allowed me to have quite entertaining moments through the years when I made use of that fact."
Toji ducked under a tail swipe, countering with an upward staff strike that Frieza barely avoided. "Is that why you kept him around? Despite his obvious weakness compared to the others?"
"Indeed," Frieza confirmed, firing a barrage of Death Beams that Toji deflected with rapid spins of his staff. "He was my favorite after Ginyu, actually. Such a unique ability deserves recognition, don't you think?"
Their battle continued across the sky, neither gaining a clear advantage.
Toji's staff techniques were becoming increasingly sophisticated, the energy construct changing shape and size to adapt to each situation.
Frieza's natural combat instincts allowed him to counter effectively, his experience evident in every movement.
After another exchange that left them both slightly winded, Toji dissolved his staff and hovered at a slight distance. "I have to ask - are you getting bored with this warm-up? Because I certainly am."
The question carried clearly to those fighting below. Piccolo, who had just knocked Burter unconscious, froze mid-motion. Krillin's jaw dropped, while Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Warm-up?" Krillin whispered, his voice faint with shock. "That was a warm-up to them?"
Even Captain Ginyu, bleeding and battered from his fight with Goku and Vegeta, looked up in astonishment.
The power these two were displaying casually was beyond anything he had ever witnessed, including Frieza's demonstrations of strength (no one had the privlige to truly see Lord Frieza and Lord Cooler ever fight)
Frieza's characteristic laugh echoed across the battlefield. "Hohoho! Yes, I believe it is time we both got serious."
Toji crossed his arms over his chest, his expression becoming more focused. "I'll wait for you to power up. I can sense that your way of holding back is quite different - more like it's completely locked than held back."
The tyrant inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the observation. "You are correct. I thank you for your patience. Indeed, I've created many suppressed forms to contain my immense power."
Frieza began to descend toward a small island, preparing for his transformation. But before he could begin, Toji called out, "Wait!"
The emperor paused, looking up with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Before you transform," Toji continued, "I wish to show you some more of my power. I want you to understand - I'm not in the mood to wait for you to go from one lock to another. I want you to unlock all your power."
Frieza's lips curled into an intrigued smile. "Is that so?"
"Activate your scouter and see," Toji suggested. "I think you'll find it... informative."
Curious, Frieza retrieved - with Ki telekineses - another scouter from a compartment in his hover pod, which he had protected throughout the battle.
He attached it to his face, the red lens gleaming as it activated. "Very well. Show me."
Toji uncrossed his arms, spreading them slightly as he clenched his fists. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he began to raise his power level.
The scouter's numbers immediately began to climb: 613457... 759,051... 986,040...
The ground below them began to tremble as Toji's power continued to rise. When he crossed the one million threshold, he let out a roar that echoed across the planet.
The oceans churned, trees bent in the ki-generated wind, and clouds swirled above them in response to his rising energy.
1,568,111... 1,809,565... 2,090,014...
The scouter's numbers continued to climb until they reached 2,300,000 - and then the device fizzled and exploded, unable to handle the reading against Frieza's face.
Toji ceased his power-up, his white aura settling into a steady glow around his body.
The environmental disturbances gradually calmed, though the landscape showed clear signs of the energy that had just been released.
Frieza stared at him for a long moment, then began to clap slowly. "Marvelous," he declared, genuine appreciation in his voice. "Truly marvelous. I have clearly underestimated you, Toji Fushiguro."
The tyrant removed the broken scouter from his face, dropping it carelessly into the ocean below. "I won't make that mistake again. You've earned the right to witness my true form immediately."
Frieza descended onto the small island, his feet touching the blue-green grass. "Watch closely," he instructed, his voice carrying a hint of pride. "Few have ever seen this transformation and lived to tell about it."
The emperor's body began to glow with blinding white light. His form seemed to contract, then expand, his features shifting and changing as his power level skyrocketed.
The entire battlefield was illuminated- everyone still standing in awe at what they were seeing - by the transformation, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
When the light finally faded, Frieza stood in his final form - sleeker, a bit taller, with smooth white skin and purple bio-gems.
His horns were gone, replaced by an elongated skull. His tail, now thinner but more agile, swished behind him.
He assumed his characteristic pose - arms wide, height of his waist, hands open, legs together, head slightly tilted downward, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Is this satisfactory?"
----------------------------
(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter!
Do tell me how you've found Toji and Frieza's interactions and fight.
Also, next chapter it will be Toji vs Final Form Frieza.
Was Toji stupid for letting Frieza transform?
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)