Piccolo's sudden and aggressive onslaught caught Goku completely off guard, leaving him no choice but to defend passively.
"Is that all you've got, Goku?" As the words left his mouth, a cold glint flashed in Piccolo's eyes. Seizing the opportunity, he delivered a powerful upward kick to Goku's chin.
Boom!!! A muffled thud echoed.
The immense force flipped Goku's body upward, launching him into the air.
The pain radiating from his jaw made Goku suck in a sharp breath. He realized he couldn't afford to keep holding back; if he did, Piccolo would pummel him mercilessly.
Piccolo's eyes locked onto Goku in the air. With strength coiled in his legs, he sprang forward, charging straight at Goku.
"Kaio-ken!!" With a loud shout, Goku activated 2x Kaio-ken. A surge of blood-red energy exploded around him, pushing his power level past the 6 million mark.
Just in time, he deftly evaded Piccolo's attack and landed a clean punch to Piccolo's face, forcing him backward.
Floating midair, the two stared each other down with matching smiles on their faces.
Piccolo raised his hand to wipe away a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, his eyes igniting with fighting spirit.
"Hrahhh!!" In the next instant, Piccolo powered up again. A torrent of aura erupted from his body like a flood.
The overwhelming energy surged in all directions as Piccolo revealed half of his true strength, his power level skyrocketing to the 15 million mark.
Stimulated by Piccolo's explosive aura, Goku's eyes burned with fiery fighting intent.
"In that case... 5x Kaio-ken!!" Goku pushed Kaio-ken further, adjusting his aura to match Piccolo's level.
Both of their power levels now surged to the 15 million mark. The battle between two warriors with power levels over ten million had truly begun.
BOOM~~!! The moment they clashed, a blinding shockwave of energy rippled outwards.
The moment the shockwave erupted out, their battle unfolded in the sky at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
Their movements were as fast as lightning, each collision generating terrifying shockwaves.
White and red streaks of light clashed again and again in midair, each impact followed by a piercing sonic boom.
Goku and Piccolo exchanged dozens of blows, each countering the other's attacks hundreds of times.
Bang!!
Piccolo's powerful punch struck Goku square in the chest.
Boom!!
Goku's sweeping kick landed on Piccolo's neck.
Both were knocked back, but immediately began charging energy and fired an Energy Ball at one another.
BOOM~!!! Explosive flames blossomed in the sky.
In the midst of the explosion's flames, the two individuals spun rapidly through the air before landing steadily on the ground.
Both watched each other warily, neither making the first move.
Grade 1 clash…ended in a draw.
"Incredible. I didn't expect your strength to have grown this much. Unbelievable… my whole body is starting to get excited," Goku said with awe.
The battle had fully awakened the fighting genes within him.
Right now, he could feel his blood boiling, his desire to fight surging uncontrollably.
"Hmph~! That was just the beginning, Goku!!" Piccolo snorted coldly. Now that he had deciphered Goku's fighting patterns, there was no need to hold back.
Piccolo crossed his arms, and the dormant power within him began to stir.
"Aarrrghhh!!" A ferocious, unrestrained roar burst from Piccolo's mouth.
Veins bulged on his forehead as his aura swelled violently, his power level increasing explosively.
"Just as I thought, you were hiding even greater power. But… so was I!!" Shocked by Piccolo's power, flames of battle blazed in Goku's eyes, and his blood-red aura flared with even greater intensity.
At that moment…10x Kaio-ken was unleashed!!
A massive surge of blood aura erupted as Goku's power level soared to match Piccolo's—30 million.
"Take this!! Goku!!" With a thunderous shout, Piccolo raised his hand and fired a Special Beam Cannon straight at Goku.
"Bring it on!!" Unwilling to be outdone, Goku unleashed a powerful energy beam to meet it head-on.
BOOM!!!
The two devastating beams collided, and the resulting shockwave shook the battlefield in all directions.
As the energy explosion erupted, Goku and Piccolo charged at each other simultaneously.
The fierce battle resumed once again.
Both fighters were giving their all to overpower the other. Drawing on his insight from their previous exchanges, Piccolo altered his fighting style on the spot, crafting an offensive tailored specifically to counter Goku.
Each of his attacks was swift and powerful. Even Goku, whose power level was equal to his, found himself completely suppressed.
Yet despite being suppressed, demonstrated incredible resilience; no matter how intense Piccolo's attacks were, they could not break through his defense.
Both seized an opening, charging their right fists and striking simultaneously.
BANG!! BOOM!!!
Their fists landed squarely on each other's faces, the immense force distorting their faces.
Reeling from the blows, they were both knocked back, tumbling until they reached the edge of the arena and finally came to a stop.
"Kame——hame——ha!!!"
Goku rapidly gathered energy and launched a burst-speed Kamehameha from his palms.
"Super Special Beam Cannon!"
Piccolo clasped his hands together, condensing energy at lightning speed and firing it.
The two colossal energy beams clashed at the center of the arena, unleashing terrifying arcs of destructive lightning. The arena was destroyed once more.
"Enough!! How long do you plan to keep this up, Goku?!" At that moment, Piccolo, unable to contain his rage, roared in frustration.
In the next instant, the energy surging from his hands increased dramatically, overwhelming Goku's Kamehameha in an instant.
"This is bad!!" Goku's pupils shrank. He immediately cut off his energy output and narrowly dodged the Super Special Beam Cannon.
However, the audience wasn't so lucky.
As the devastating energy blast hurtled toward the stands, terrified spectators began fleeing in all directions.
They completely forgot about the invisible barrier that surrounded the spectator area, one that shielded them from all harm.
The moment Piccolo's Super Special Beam Cannon touched that unseen wall, its destructive force was instantly absorbed and nullified by the strange power within.
This was the handiwork of the Angels. When they willed it, nothing was beyond their power.
This unique energy barrier could completely neutralize all dangers and absorb any threats.
"Whew, that was close. Good thing everyone's safe." Goku exhaled deeply, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
He had been worried about the crowd, but seeing that no harm had come to them, he was completely reassured, and now ready to fight with no reservations.
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