Frieza's figure vanished.
His speed in this new form was several times faster than before.
A sharp sonic boom tore through the air as Frieza's fist, carrying force capable of shattering continents, slammed toward Loren's face.
For the first time today, Loren's expression changed—
Not laziness, but a hint of seriousness.
He raised his arm and blocked the punch precisely.
Boom—!!
At the point where their forces collided, the air detonated.
A visible white shockwave rippled outward.
The ground beneath Loren cracked violently, collapsing into a massive crater.
Loren himself slid back dozens of meters, his feet gouging two deep trenches into the earth.
"Hm?"
Frieza's eyes flickered in surprise, but cruelty quickly drowned it out.
Then he unleashed a storm.
Fists, knees, elbows—every part of his body became a deadly weapon as he attacked Loren with machine-like speed, far beyond what the naked eye could track.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each blow thundered across the battlefield like war drums.
Loren shifted into pure defense.
Sometimes parrying.
Sometimes dodging.
His movements were still clean and precise—
But he no longer looked relaxed.
He was being pushed back.
Vegeta stared, eyes wide.
Loren—the man he believed to be the Super Saiyan—was actually being suppressed.
This couldn't be.
Could the legendary Super Saiyan… be weaker than Frieza?
A cold despair crept into Vegeta's heart.
"Do you see, Saiyan?!"
Frieza howled with triumphant madness.
He savored Loren's retreat.
He savored forcing his enemy into desperation.
A heavy punch landed.
Loren crossed his arms just in time, but the blow sent him flying into the sky.
Frieza flashed forward, unleashing a powerful whip kick toward Loren's waist.
Loren twisted mid-air, barely avoiding a fatal hit.
But the shockwave from the kick brushed his arm, tearing a hole in his shirt and leaving a small red mark.
A bead of sweat slid down Loren's cheek.
His breathing grew faster.
Frieza saw everything—
And joy burst through him.
He's at his limit!
This Saiyan monkey is finally at his limit!!
"Die!"
Frieza conjured two violent purple energy spheres and hurled them.
Loren extended both hands.
Twin Kamehamehas burst out, struggling against the incoming blasts.
Boom!!
The explosion swallowed Loren completely.
When the dust cleared, Loren reappeared—
Breathing heavily, clothes torn, looking completely battered.
Frieza's joy overflowed.
He lived for this feeling—
The pleasure of crushing the strong beneath him.
He gathered power for the final blow—
And then—
Loren lifted a hand and waved lazily.
"Oh dear… honestly, I'm tired of fighting."
"Goku, you go ahead. I'm going to rest for a bit."
…
…
Frieza froze.
His prepared attack stalled in the air.
The smile on his face slowly collapsed.
What did this Saiyan just say?
Tired of fighting?
And he's letting someone else take his place?!
Does the Emperor of the Universe look like a tag-team match host?!
Loren didn't care at all.
He vanished in an instant, reappeared on a tall boulder far away, sat down cross-legged, and relaxed.
Frieza stared for exactly three seconds.
Then—
"DAMN IT!! BASTARD!!"
Frieza roared at the sky, veins bulging with rage.
"What do you mean by this?!"
"How dare you—HOW DARE YOU TOY WITH LORD FRIEZA!!"
This Saiyan monkey had been toying with him from the start.
The humiliation burned hotter than any wound.
A terrifying aura blasted outward violently.
Goku looked at Loren, who was casually sitting on a rock and watching like an audience member, then looked at the enraged Frieza whose ki was skyrocketing—
And suddenly understood.
Loren was giving him the stage.
Goku inhaled deeply.
The blood of a Saiyan warrior boiled.
He clenched his fists and stepped forward.
Now it was his turn.
Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta were stunned until—
Loren's lazy voice drifted over.
"Hey, you guys over there. Don't just stand around."
"Don't forget why you came to Namek."
Krillin and Gohan snapped back to reality.
Vegeta's whole body trembled.
Right.
The Dragon Balls.
Eternal life.
That was why he came!
Loren was buying time.
If Goku could stall Frieza—
They might just make it.
"Go!!" Vegeta roared, blasting into the sky.
"Gohan! Krillin! Follow me!" Goku shouted.
He took another breath—
His fighting spirit burning hotter than ever.
He faced Frieza.
"Oh? Another monkey not afraid of death?"
Frieza's rage redirected instantly.
"Just you?"
Goku's answer was action.
"Haa!"
"Kaio-ken!!"
Crimson light erupted, shaking the ground beneath him.
He became a streak of red lightning and charged straight at Frieza.
Frieza smirked and threw a casual punch.
Boom—!
Their fists collided.
Goku felt an overwhelming force crush into him and send him flying, skidding through the ground.
But he didn't hesitate.
He flipped, landed, and charged again.
He had to buy time.
Goku would hold Frieza here—
Long enough for the Dragon Balls to be summoned…
High above the sky—
Three streaks of light streaked toward their destiny.
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic Dragon Ball: I Became Invincible by Being a Lazy Salted Fish! Part 1 (Dragon Ball Z) is now fully completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 Dragon Ball (Chapters 1–123)
Organized into 17 posts, with multiple chapters per post for easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this story 💙