"How is this possible? You… how did you do it? And this power—where did it come from?"
Frieza's voice was no longer calm.
"This King clearly remembers that when you escaped back then, you were gravely injured!
Even if you recovered, your combat power couldn't possibly exceed one million in such a short time!"
Although Frieza still believed in his own strength, Vegeta's performance had made him feel a genuine sense of danger once again.
He refused to believe that Vegeta's power had appeared out of nowhere.
There had to be some unknown factor behind it—something Vegeta had experienced during this time.
"S-so could it be…"
A terrible premonition suddenly surfaced in Frieza's mind.
Vegeta's growth was simply too abnormal. It forced him to recall the ancient legend passed down among the Saiyans—
The Legendary Super Saiyan.
"No! Impossible! That's nothing but nonsense!!"
Frieza's eyes turned bloodshot as his emotions surged violently. A terrifying aura burst out of him once again.
Vegeta, floating above him, paid no attention at all.
From Frieza's muttering, Vegeta had already guessed what he was thinking.
Unfortunately for Frieza, he had guessed wrong.
Vegeta hadn't even transformed into a Super Saiyan yet. His base power alone was already more than enough to suppress Frieza completely.
Even if Frieza transformed again—into his third form—it would change nothing.
…
At the same time.
On North Kai's Planet.
The warriors continued to observe the battle through North Kai's abilities.
By now, everyone had a much clearer understanding of Vegeta's terrifying strength.
Frieza's transformation earlier had indeed shocked them. That overwhelming, evil aura was enough to make their hearts tremble.
But when even the transformed Frieza was still being brutally suppressed by Vegeta, their emotions shifted once again.
Without realizing it, they had already subconsciously begun to see Vegeta as being on their side.
After all, Vegeta defeating Frieza was undeniably a good thing.
"There shouldn't be any suspense left, right?" Yamcha spoke first.
"With the strength Vegeta's shown, even if Frieza transforms again, he won't stand a chance."
Yamcha had always been the most outspoken one.
Even back when they were alive, he was often the first to charge into battle—sometimes just to show off.
And it was precisely because of that habit that he had once been taken down by a Saibaman in a mutual destruction.
"I agree," Tien Shinhan nodded. "Vegeta hasn't even gotten serious yet, nor has he transformed into a Super Saiyan. The gap is simply too large."
Even Piccolo felt that the outcome was already decided.
After all, none of them knew that Frieza still had two more transformations he hadn't revealed.
"You're all too naive," North Kai suddenly said grimly.
"I already reminded you before that Frieza could transform. Why are you so sure he only has one transformation?"
Those words struck like a hammer, plunging the group into silence.
Chiaotzu hadn't spoken the entire time.
On one hand, he was naturally quiet and introverted.
On the other, his psychic connection made him sensitive to North Kai's emotions—and he could clearly feel that things were far from over.
Although Chiaotzu didn't talk much, he was far from stupid. In fact, he often thought more deeply than the others.
North Kai's consistently serious expression—his lack of excitement even when Vegeta held the advantage—was proof enough that the battle's outcome was not yet settled.
"Don't tell me…" Piccolo's pupils shrank. "Frieza can transform a second time?!"
If that were true, then the situation would become extremely dangerous.
Tien Shinhan and Yamcha exchanged tense glances.
"But even if Frieza can transform again," Yamcha argued, "Vegeta can still become a Super Saiyan, right? He should still win."
"Let's hope so," North Kai muttered darkly.
"Otherwise, not only Planet Namek—but Earth as well—will be dragged down. And you can forget about being revived."
Then, North Kai revealed everything he knew.
"I'll be clear with you," he said gravely. "As far as I know, Frieza can transform twice more."
"The second transformation will be stronger than the first… and the third transformation's power will be dozens—no, even hundreds of times greater than the second."
The moment his words fell, the surroundings went deathly silent.
Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu all stared in shock, as if they had just seen a ghost.
"So this… is the true Universe Emperor," Piccolo said quietly, clenching his fist. A deep sense of helplessness welled up inside him.
He had once called himself the Demon King.
Now, even thinking about that title felt laughable.
They had always been confined to a single planet. Before they could even fully understand Earth, the scale of the universe had already crushed their understanding entirely.
…
Back on Planet Namek.
On the battlefield.
Faced with Vegeta's complete disregard, Frieza flew into another rage, charging forward and unleashing a flurry of frantic attacks.
The wrath of the Universe Emperor was terrifying—but Vegeta was simply too strong.
If Frieza didn't transform further, this was meaningless.
"Enough!" Vegeta shouted coldly. "This level of attack isn't even enough to warm me up."
In an instant, he took control of the battle.
Vegeta stepped forward and smashed a punch straight into Frieza's face.
There was no suspense.
Frieza was sent flying once again.
Vegeta didn't stop. His ki erupted as he instantly closed the distance, appearing above Frieza at even greater speed. He clasped his hands together, forming a battle hammer.
BOOM!!!
A dull, thunderous impact shook the sky.
Frieza had no chance to retaliate as he plummeted downward, slamming straight into a massive island.
The island shattered instantly under the terrifying force.
Frieza's body was embedded deep in the rubble, his expression twisted in pain and rage, wounds covering his entire body.
"This is your limit?" Vegeta said coldly. "Frieza, I know you can still transform. Hurry up."
"Otherwise," he continued calmly, raising his hand as ki gathered in his palm, "I'll really kill you."
With a casual wave of his hand, an overwhelming pressure descended.
RUMBLE—!!!
The ki blast detonated around Frieza, severely injuring him yet again and blasting him backward through the air.
He finally came to a stop only after crashing into the peak of a distant mountain.
That display was more than enough as a warning.
Vegeta advanced once more, stopping in front of Frieza.
His arms were crossed.
His posture was relaxed.
And his eyes still carried that same gaze of absolute disdain.
Frieza clenched his teeth, rage boiling violently within him, flames practically burning in his eyes…