"I am Golden Frieza."
"This…"
The moment Frieza completed his transformation in an instant, the entire audience fell silent.
Anyone with eyes could tell: Frieza's mastery of this form was leagues beyond Frost's.
Tap. Tap.
Arms folded, golden tail swaying lazily, Frieza strolled toward Frost one step at a time.
Frost's whole body tensed. He didn't say a word.
Under countless stares, Frieza slowly bent at the waist.
"Mr. Frost… please instruct me."
"Please instruct me." Frost bowed as well, then retreated more than ten meters, facing Frieza from a distance.
The air tightened.
Most spectators didn't think Frost had a chance. Deep down, they desperately wanted him to win, but Frieza's confidence and hard-earned ruthlessness were already bleeding through that polite mask.
Even without fighting him, you could feel it. The pressure rolling off Frieza was suffocating.
Compared to Frieza's unyielding dominance, Frost's presence was visibly weaker almost… submissive.
Frost knew better than anyone: their earlier exchange had been child's play. The real fight only began now.
He rubbed his left wrist, thinking to himself.
As long as he slips up once… I can flip this.
One sting from the hidden needle would be enough to end it.
But the rules declared anyone who killed an opponent the loser, so he'd reduced the dosage on the poison to something that would only knock a target unconscious.
The rules also forbade weapons, of course but his needle left nothing more than a microscopic puncture, nearly impossible to detect.
Frost raised his head toward Frieza and found him smiling… strangely.
The next second, Frost became a streak of golden light and lunged.
BOOM !
Two golden figures smashed together. Turbulence burst outward, and the supposedly indestructible arena cracked and caved at the point of impact.
The result was exactly what everyone expected.
Frieza didn't move an inch.
Frost staggered backward again and again.
Grinding his teeth, Frost steadied himself and attacked once more.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gold flashes flickered. It looked like they were purely contesting raw power.
Frost was clearly losing, yet he kept charging relentless, unbroken.
"Frost really has fighting spirit!" Goku clenched his fists, eyes shining. "He really is the hero of Universe 6!"
Piccolo frowned. "He doesn't give off Frieza's violent aura… but something still feels off."
Whis glanced at Piccolo. "And why do you think that, Mr. Piccolo?"
"Instinct," Piccolo said flatly. "Like Lord Beerus said, anyone who keeps 'justice' on their lips all day is worth doubting."
Whis smiled. "Who do you think will win?"
"If Frieza wanted to play it safe, he could've ended this match easily already. But Frost's style makes me feel like he's still holding something back."
Whis turned slightly. "And what does Levos think?"
Levos considered for a moment, his expression grave.
"I don't know. Until it's decided, anything can happen."
Naturally, he had no reason to reveal the truth about Frost's hidden poisoned needle.
Winning or losing didn't matter to Levos. If anything, the longer this dragged on, the more it benefited him.
Even setting aside Cell Max training at seven times speed inside the extra space, simply watching and analyzing combatants in real time was a continuous harvest.
And the gains didn't stop there.
Absorbing the divine, violent god-ki in that space, and exploring the mechanics of the golden transformation those offered even more direct, tangible returns.
Thanks to observing Frost and Frieza, Levos had already mapped out how a Golden transformation would work for Cell Max.
Once the body's attributes were developed to the proper threshold, it would happen naturally.
A Golden Cell Max… I can grind that out in secret anytime.
Levos's blood surged. His eyes gleamed as he watched the two fighters below.
If Frost could force Frieza into a darker, more refined golden state, Levos's harvest would only grow.
Frieza's responses were as vicious and seasoned as ever. Frost was already being pushed into a series of close calls.
Yet Frieza wasn't rushing to end things. He was simply carving wounds into Frost, piece by piece.
As for why…
Levos guessed it easily.
Frieza was grinding too using high-intensity real combat to sharpen himself.
That realization made Levos conflicted.
He wanted Frieza to prolong the fight and reveal more, but he also didn't want Frieza to become too strong.
Because Frieza's talent was monstrous. One slip, and you'd be surpassed before you even realized it.
As time passed, Frost's aura began to waver.
He was about to lose the ability to maintain the golden form.
Many people noticed it and perked up.
The match was about to be decided.
"Oh my, my." Frieza smiled faintly. "Your speed is slow enough to irritate me."
Frost stayed silent. He understood Frieza wasn't mocking his speed.
He was pressuring him.
For the entire fight, Frieza hadn't shown the slightest opening not once. Even when Frost deliberately acted weak, Frieza refused to relax his guard.
"Scheming" and "cunning" weren't strong enough words anymore.
It felt like Frieza could see straight through him. Like resistance itself was pointless.
Our race is arrogant by nature, Frost thought. We're not supposed to be this cautious… especially not while holding an absolute advantage.
What kind of life has this monster lived?
Frost couldn't make sense of it, but he believed his trump card was still hidden.
He launched another charge as usual, right palm aiming straight for Frieza's chest.
BOOM !
At three body-lengths away, Frost's right hand erupted in dazzling light. A ki blast detonated.
The explosion was small yet enough to disturb Frieza's vision for a heartbeat.
Frieza snorted coldly and locked onto Frost's right hand, clamping down.
A terrifying force surged through Frost's fingers. His knuckles shattered with crisp, sickening cracks.
He couldn't pull away at all.
But this was his final strike. There was no retreat.
A cold glint flashed.
A hair-thin black needle slid out from his left wrist so fine it was almost invisible.
He was about to use his last resort.
Frost thrust his left fist forward. Pain made it seem weak, almost powerless.
Just as the fist was about to graze
Frieza's eyes sharpened. In the instant before impact, he tilted aside.
"Needle-sting? Poison?" Frieza's voice turned icy. "So this is your last hope?"
A savage grin split his face as he drove an elbow down into Frost's left arm.
Crack!
Bone snapped.
Frieza seized Frost's arm the one that had revealed the needle.
Frost failed.
His final card was exposed, and under Frieza's overwhelming strength, he could do nothing but be handled like prey.
"Hohohoho !"
Frieza raised Frost's wrist high. His arrogant laughter echoed across the arena.
"The righteous Mr. Frost, hiding a poisoned needle on his body just to win? How disgraceful."
His words made the audience squint and focus.
Sure enough at Frost's left wrist, a tiny black needlehead was visible.
If you weren't looking for it, you'd never notice.
"This…"
"No! Impossible!"
"Mr. Frost is upright and honorable! He's the leader of Universe 6's peacekeeping force! How could he use a poisoned needle on the arena?!"
Cabba was the first to refuse to believe it.
The stands erupted.
"A man who claims to strike down criminals… violating the rules with such a dirty weapon? What is going on?"
"But everything Frost says and does screams 'good man'! How could he do something like this?!"
"Is this really the same paragon of justice who fights evil across the universe, rebuilds war-torn regions, funds children's aid, and has won the Universal Peace Prize multiple times?!"
"It's Champa! It has to be Champa forcing him!"
"Right! Champa would do anything to win he forced a righteous warrior to use a hidden weapon!"
"And he even said 'even shameless justice is justice!'"
"Investigate! Thoroughly!"
"Champa, you're disgracing all gods with this!"
Champa was dumbstruck. "It wasn't me! I didn't! I only I only helped him raise his potential before the match…"
"Champa, what are you still denying? Would a mortal dare scheme in a moment this important without a god backing him?!"
"You're not fit to be a God of Destruction!"
Champa looked like he was about to cry.
This really had nothing to do with him.
All he'd done was use the Namekian Dragon Balls to raise his fighters' potential ceiling. He knew nothing about any poisoned needle.
With a heavy thud, Champa dropped to his knees toward the highest platform and confessed everything every pre-match "bug exploit" method he'd used to increase his team's strength.
"Grand Zeno, Grand Priest using poison needles is absolutely not something I ordered! I don't even know why Frost would have needles growing out of his body…"
"Um," Grand Zeno spoke.
Champa instantly went silent.
"You have to follow the rules," Zeno said, expression empty.
That hollow gaze made cold sweat break out on every god present. No one dared pile on Champa anymore. One after another, they knelt.
"Yes! Yes, of course!" Champa stammered, sweating like rain, nodding so hard his neck looked ready to snap.
Frieza's smile vanished. He found the scene… interesting.
"So the fate of gods is held in the hands of a little runt." His voice was soft, but full of disdain. "How… unpleasant."
The Grand Priest's gaze shifted to Universe 6's stands.
Champa looked like he might actually sob. "Grand Priest, you know I would never dare instruct a fighter to break the rules…"
The Grand Priest didn't respond directly.
"Vados. What do you think?"
Vados smiled gently. "Grand Priest, this matter truly has nothing to do with Lord Champa."
Then she spoke calmly, cleanly revealing Frost's true face.
Frost had always been a hypocrite. A venomous man.
His "justice" was nothing but camouflage.
In Universe 6, Frost would secretly ignite wars, then lead a "peacekeeping force" to quell them. Afterward, he'd buy up the devastated land for pennies, then profit massively by "redeveloping" and "revitalizing" it.
The poisoned needles hidden in his body were his own doing.
"…That is the real Frost, as he exists in Universe 6."
The explanation shocked everyone.
Champa, meanwhile, was shaking with fury.
"I'll kill you!"
Frost's face went ashen.
He could already see his fate.
Champa wasn't exactly known for being broad-minded, gentle, or merciful.
And then, a voice entered Frost's mind.
"Brother Frost… how about we cooperate?"
Frost stared at Frieza in disbelief. "W-why?"
Frieza's eyes narrowed into a thin line. "Because it's a chance to toy with gods."
"How could that not be fun?"
"What do you want from me?"
"Just a promise…"
On the high platform, the Grand Priest declared, "Given Frost's cheating behavior, the winner of this match is "
"Wait, Grand Priest."
Every heart tightened.
All eyes turned to the one who interrupted him.
Frieza.
"Please don't declare me the winner so easily. I want to personally kick this trash off the arena."
Beerus tensed, worried the outcome might shift again.
But then he thought it through.
The victory was already decided.
Frost had no more power to fight back.
Frieza simply wanted to savor the humiliation.
Beerus didn't like Frieza's insubordination, but he wanted even less to irritate Zeno and the Grand Priest at a moment like this.
Most people thought the same.
Whis, however, gently advised, "Torturing a defeated opponent is meaningless. Besides, Frost broke the rules first."
Frieza gave a dangerously charming smile. "I believe Frost's needles are simply part of bodily modification. They cannot be clearly classified as 'weapons.'"
Levos frowned.
What is Frieza trying to do, going out of his way to defend Frost?
Instinct told him Frost should be disqualified immediately.
And yet… he couldn't deny his curiosity about Frieza's true intent.
For a moment, the arena fell into an uneasy silence.
The Grand Priest nodded evenly. "Very well. The match will continue."
Frost glared at Frieza. "You'll regret this decision!"
Frieza's tone was indifferent. "I look forward to it. But with your left wrist broken… what method do you have left to turn this around?"
With a casual sweep of his palm, Frieza slapped Frost down to the floor.
Then, with three-toed feet, he slowly ground across Frost's body inch by inch.
Frost's face twisted. Moans spilled from his mouth as he writhed along the ground.
The audience assumed Frost would soon surrender under unbearable pain.
Suddenly
Frieza's movement stopped.
As if something had stung him.
In the instant Frieza's mind blurred and a gap appeared
Frost exploded upward!
BOOM !
Frost launched himself and smashed a fist into Frieza's eye socket.
Frieza flew straight off the arena, crashing outside the boundary.
Frieza… lost?
Everyone's faces changed.
They could hardly believe what they'd just seen.
"Hmph." Frost flicked the blood from his tail, lips curling into a smug grin. "In fact, it's not just my wrist. I installed needles in my heel and at the tip of my tail as well."
The entire arena erupted.
No one expected Frost to be shameless to this degree.
Levos flashed forward, caught Frieza, and brought him back to the stands.
On the sole of Frieza's foot, there it was an almost invisible puncture mark.
Universe 7's fighters fell silent.
Frieza had already exposed the poisoned needles, yet he still lost to a despicable sneak attack out of sheer arrogance.
It was maddening.
The Grand Priest's voice rang out.
"Frost wins this match. Universe 6 gains one point."
The stands went quiet again.
No one even knew what to say.
Frost flew back to Universe 6's platform. Facing Champa whose anger was practically bursting through the roof Frost spoke coldly.
"Lord Champa. I'd like to cash in the promise you offered for winning."
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