Saganbo let out a low groan as Moro's energy surged through him. His muscles swelled, his ki climbed sharply, and the sudden increase in power tore his prison uniform apart, leaving him standing in the remains of it with a broad, vicious grin.
Gohan felt the change immediately. "His ki just shot up! How much power did Moro give him?"
"So he can transfer energy to other people too?" Jaco muttered, looking increasingly worried.
Saganbo flexed his hands, clearly enjoying the strength coursing through his body. "Thank you, Moro-sama."
"Go on, then," Moro said. "Show me what you can do."
Saganbo launched himself toward Earth's defenders, but Kale stepped forward before anyone else could meet him. Yellow-green ki erupted around her, lightning crackling through the aura as she transformed into Legendary Super Saiyan Two.
"I'll handle him!"
Rather than wait for Saganbo to reach her, Kale gathered destruction energy in her palm and sent it directly into his path.
Moro recognized the technique at once. "Dodge!"
Saganbo glanced at the approaching energy and laughed. "That little thing? I'll knock it away!"
He swung his hand straight into it.
The moment his palm made contact, the confidence vanished from his face. A terrifying sense of death swept through him, and he tried to pull his hand back, but the destruction energy had already begun eating through it.
"W-Wait—!"
His right hand disintegrated, followed by his arm and the rest of his body. Saganbo barely had time to understand what was happening before the energy erased him completely, leaving nothing behind.
Gohan broke into an excited smile. "Nice one, Kale!"
Piccolo looked at the empty space where Saganbo had been standing. "That would've been a difficult fight without Hakai."
Jaco was still staring. "She just... erased him?"
Moro's expression darkened. Of all the ways Saganbo could have died, this was particularly stupid. He had warned him to dodge, and the fool had decided to slap the attack instead.
Android 17 looked toward Moro with a mocking smile. "Your men aren't much to brag about, are they?"
Moro narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
17 stepped forward, his attention fixed on the ancient wizard. "Then I guess we'll deal with you ourselves until Goku and Vegeta get back."
Far away from the main battlefield, Krillin and Master Roshi were having a considerably worse time.
Krillin had pulled his master behind a large rock, giving them a moment to catch their breath while the fused prisoner searched the surrounding forest. Roshi was breathing heavily, and even Krillin's two months of training had done little to prepare him for the sudden increase in their opponent's strength.
"I'm about done," Roshi admitted. "I don't have much left."
Krillin looked toward the enormous woman moving through the trees. They couldn't keep hiding forever, and if she found them while they were both exhausted, the fight would be over almost immediately.
"Damn it... Guess we'll have to give it everything we've got." He clenched his fists and looked toward the sky. "Goku, hurry up. We could really use you right now."
Before Roshi could stop him, Krillin flew out from behind the rock and charged the fused prisoner.
"Krillin, don't! You can't beat her like this!"
Krillin ignored the warning and drove a punch toward her, but she caught it without difficulty. Her other hand drew back, and the grin spreading across her face made it clear she intended to finish him with the next blow.
Krillin tried to pull free.
The fist came down.
A single finger stopped it.
Goku had appeared beside Krillin, holding back the enormous punch as though it weighed nothing.
"Goku?!"
"Sorry I'm late."
The fused prisoner stared at the newcomer in disbelief. "Who the hell are you?"
She tried to force her fist through his guard, then swung at him again when that failed. Goku simply waved one hand, sending her flying backward with enough force to break the fusion apart.
The three women tumbled across the ground and came to a stop separately.
Roshi emerged from behind the rock, visibly relieved. "Goku! You finally made it."
Goku gave him a quick smile. "Krillin, Master Roshi, I've got to go help Gohan and the others."
"Go on," Roshi said immediately. "We'll take care of things here."
Goku nodded and disappeared through Instant Transmission. Roshi promptly hurried toward the three women while they were still recovering, leaving Krillin to watch his master resume his inappropriate antics with an expression of complete resignation.
At the main battlefield, Piccolo and the others were still facing Moro when Goku appeared among them.
"Goku!" Piccolo exclaimed, his relief obvious.
"Dad!" Gohan turned toward him at once.
"Sorry I'm late," Goku said, raising a hand in greeting.
Moro smiled as though he had been expecting him. "Goku. Your timing is excellent."
Goku glanced toward the spot where Saganbo had disappeared. "Kale erased that guy, huh? Nice work."
Kale rubbed the back of her head, a little embarrassed by the praise.
Moro studied Goku more carefully. The Saiyan's presence was different from what he remembered on New Namek, and the change was substantial enough to make him curious.
"You've grown stronger."
"Yeah. I'm not the same as last time."
"Then show me." Moro's smile turned challenging. "Let's see what all that training accomplished."
Goku took a slow breath, and a brilliant silver-white aura began gathering around him. His expression settled as the energy rose, the familiar pressure of Ultra Instinct Sign spreading across the battlefield.
Moro's smile faded slightly.
"That isn't a mortal technique, is it?"
"No. It's Ultra Instinct Sign, a technique of the gods."
Gohan watched the transformation with renewed excitement. "It's been a while since Dad used Ultra Instinct."
"He couldn't maintain it properly before," Piccolo said. "That's why he stopped relying on it."
Kale looked at Goku's aura. "It looks much more stable now, doesn't it?"
Piccolo nodded. "It does."
Moro's attention remained fixed on Goku. He had expected the Saiyan to return stronger, but seeing him use a divine technique still came as a surprise.
"So you really can use the power of the gods. Interesting."
Goku raised his hands into a fighting stance, his face calm.
"Here I come, Moro."
"Go ahead."
Goku threw a punch from where he stood.
The fist never touched Moro, but the force behind it struck his shoulder hard enough to tear away a patch of fur and leave a thin trail of smoke rising from the impact.
Moro glanced down at the damage, then looked back at Goku.
Another punch followed, and this time the pressure came in a rapid succession of blows. Moro endured the first few before raising his arms to guard, the invisible impacts forcing him to defend himself despite the distance between them.
Piccolo watched the exchange closely, trying to make sense of what Goku was doing.
"Is he actually hitting Moro from over there?"
[End of chapter]