The battle between Piccolo and Frieza was fierce, but Frieza still refused to use his hands, treating the whole fight like a game.
Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand, Piccolo roared angrily.
"Frieza! Stop playing around and fight me seriously. Use all your strength!"
To Piccolo, fighting someone who deliberately didn't use their hands was nothing but humiliation.
Frieza smirked coldly.
"Why? Namek, you should be grateful for the privilege I've given you. Do you even understand the consequences of refusing me? I've only used one-twentieth of my power!"
"What…?!" Piccolo's eyes widened. "One-twentieth? Don't joke with me!"
He simply couldn't believe it. If Frieza's overwhelming strength came from just one-twentieth of his true power, then his full strength would be unimaginable.
Piccolo convinced himself that Frieza was bluffing. In his mind, Frieza had probably used at least half of his power by now.
Frieza looked at the Namekian's disbelief and shook his head.
"How pathetic. You don't even believe the truth. Fine then—I'll get just a little more serious."
The moment Frieza was slightly distracted, Piccolo unleashed all of his energy at once.
His combat power soared to eight million. With a burst of speed, he smashed his fist directly into Frieza's face.
Caught off guard, Frieza was knocked back thousands of meters before crashing into the lake.
"Awesome!" Gohan shouted in excitement. "Uncle Piccolo's going to win!"
Krillin's eyes lit up. "Piccolo really was holding back. He's incredible."
For a moment, the Z Warriors believed victory was possible. Maybe Goku wasn't even needed anymore.
But Tien Shinhan frowned. "The real danger is if Frieza still hasn't shown his full strength. Then things could turn very bad."
Chiaotzu shivered beside him. "Tien…"
The others grew uneasy too. Frieza's power felt like a bottomless pit—limitless and terrifying.
Frieza slowly floated back up from the lake, completely unscathed.
He wiped the water off his face with a grin, "Not bad, Namek. You're finally showing your true power. But if this is all you've got, then you're finished."
Piccolo clenched his fists, frustration burning inside him.
Even after using his full strength, he couldn't injure Frieza.
Frieza raised a finger, laughing wickedly.
"I've decided—I'll stop giving you special treatment. From now on, I'll fight using one-tenth of my power. Don't disappoint me, Namekian!"
His aura exploded, making the entire battlefield tremble.
Piccolo's eyes twitched, and despite himself, he took a step back.
The Z Warriors instinctively wanted to rush to his side, but Piccolo shouted, "Stay back! Don't interfere!"
"Uncle Piccolo!" Gohan cried.
Krillin shook his head. "He's right. If we get close, we'll only drag him down."
Yamcha and Tien Shinhan nodded grimly. For now, their only hope was to hold on until Goku arrived.
Meanwhile, Vegeta, still fleeing in the distance, sensed the battle with his Ki.
He laughed bitterly to himself, "I was such a fool. How could I ever think I could resist that monster, Frieza? But… I'll never let him have the Dragon Balls. If he gains immortality, the Saiyan Prince will be finished!"
Vegeta planned to seize the Dragon Balls himself, hoping to one day turn defeat into victory.
But suddenly—
Zzzzt!
A laser beam pierced straight through his back. Vegeta cried out in agony, blood spraying from his mouth as he plummeted to the ground.
Frieza, still facing Piccolo, casually lowered his finger and sneered.
"Pathetic. You really thought you could escape me, Vegeta? You overestimate yourself."
Vegeta lay on the ground, blood pooling around him. Only his Saiyan body's toughness kept him clinging to life.
Frieza turned back to Piccolo with a grin. "Alright, Namek. Let's continue. A fighter like you is rare—I should enjoy this while it lasts."
Piccolo's jaw tightened. He knew Frieza's power far exceeded his own, but there was no turning back.
He just had to hold on—until Goku arrived.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Dragon Ball: I Was Reincarnated as Goku — Part 1 Completed (Dragon Ball Z) is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙
...
Sorry for not uploading chapters regularly. I'm currently studying for my semester exams, so chapter upload times may vary for now.
From next month onward, chapters will be uploaded on time. Thank you for your patience and support.