High above the battlefield, a green figure streaked across the sky at astonishing speed.
Like a shooting star, it flashed by in an instant, so fast that many people couldn't even tell what it was.
When the figure reached the battlefield, it didn't join the fight immediately.
Instead, it stopped directly in front of Son Gohan.
Only then did everyone clearly see the newcomer.
It was Piccolo.
The moment Gohan saw him, his face lit up with excitement.
"Uncle Piccolo!"
For more than a year, Gohan had trained alongside Piccolo.
It was Piccolo who had taught him how to survive in the wilderness, guided his training, and accompanied him as he grew stronger.
When they fought Vegeta on Earth, Piccolo had even sacrificed his own life by throwing himself in front of Gohan to save him.
To Gohan, Piccolo was someone incredibly important.
Hearing Gohan call out to him, Piccolo quickly replied,
"Gohan! You're alright?"
"What happened just now?"
Although he was deeply worried, he remained calm on the surface.
A moment earlier, he had sensed Gohan's energy suddenly surge to an incredible level, only to weaken dramatically after clashing with Frieza.
He had assumed Gohan had been gravely injured.
But seeing Gohan standing there completely unharmed filled him with both relief and confusion.
Then his eyes fell on Dende standing behind Gohan.
He understood immediately.
"Dende... you healed Gohan, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Dende nodded.
He wasn't surprised that Piccolo, despite never having met him before, recognized him.
After all, Piccolo had already fused with Nail and inherited all of Nail's memories and knowledge.
Naturally, he also knew about Dende's healing ability.
Dende also knew how powerful Piccolo had become.
According to his memories, after merging with Nail, Piccolo's battle power had surpassed one million.
Now that all of their strongest fighters had finally gathered, Dende noticed that Frieza's attention had shifted entirely to Piccolo.
Apparently, he still hadn't noticed him.
Dende immediately began calculating in his heart.
"I clearly saved Gohan's life just now, yet that useless system still didn't trigger the return reward! What's going on?"
"Did I remember wrong? Does the system really need a full year of cooldown before it activates again?"
He carefully recalled the moment when the system had upgraded.
It had clearly stated that the cooldown had already been reset.
"Is a one-in-ten chance really this low?"
"Forget it. I'll just keep watching the battle. The next time someone is critically injured, I'll try again."
"I haven't used it ten times yet. Statistically, the system's return reward should trigger at least once by then."
Piccolo had no idea what Dende was thinking.
Seeing that everyone was safe, he finally relaxed.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he carefully sized up Frieza.
"So that's... Frieza?"
Through Nail's memories, Piccolo had already seen Frieza before.
However, back then, the tyrant had only been in his first form—a small figure barely 1.4 meters tall.
But now...
The monster standing before him was over three meters tall.
"So he transformed..."
"No wonder his strength has increased so dramatically."
Piccolo silently marveled.
His expression gradually turned serious.
He could clearly sense that the Frieza before him was several times stronger than the one Nail had fought.
That overwhelming aura made even Piccolo instinctively become cautious.
Seeing Piccolo appear, Vegeta curled his lips into a look of disdain.
"Hmph. I was wondering who it was."
"So it's that useless Namekian I crushed so easily back on Earth."
His eyes were filled with contempt.
"Since he's standing here alive..."
"Does that mean you idiots wasted the Dragon Balls just to revive trash like him?"
Thinking about it only made Vegeta angrier.
His eyes widened as he roared in fury.
He couldn't accept that the Earthlings had secretly used the Dragon Balls behind his back...
And had squandered such a precious wish on reviving someone who had already died.
"Damn it..."
"If only that wish had been used to make me immortal..."
Piccolo's eyes sharpened after hearing Vegeta's mockery.
Even so, he never took his gaze off Frieza.
"Vegeta."
"You actually dare call me trash?"
"I'll remember those words."
"Once Frieza is dealt with..."
"I'll settle the score with you."
Vegeta's sneer only widened.
"Hahaha!"
"What a joke!"
"You think you're capable of defeating Frieza?"
"Is that some special Namekian sense of humor?"
His laughter dripped with ridicule.
"Fine."
"Go throw your life away first."
"Once you're dead..."
"Then it'll finally be my turn."
Piccolo ignored him completely.
His entire focus remained fixed on the enemy before him.
It wasn't only Vegeta who doubted him.
Even Krillin wore a grim expression.
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
"This won't work..."
"Even if Piccolo trained under King Kai..."
"He still can't possibly defeat Frieza!"
"Goku trained with King Kai for an entire year..."
"And his power only increased by less than ten thousand."
"Piccolo..."
"Please don't act recklessly!"
"If you die, the Dragon Balls we worked so hard to restore will disappear all over again!"
Krillin's heart was filled with worry.
Their entire journey to Planet Namek had been for the sake of restoring Earth's Dragon Balls.
If Piccolo died here...
Everything they had fought for would become meaningless.
For the first time, Krillin regretted using one of their precious wishes to bring Piccolo to Namek.
Meanwhile, Goku's eyes never left Piccolo.
Confusion flickered within them.
"Strange..."
"What exactly happened to Piccolo?"
"Why has his aura changed so much?"
Goku pondered silently.
The Piccolo standing before him felt completely different from the rival he remembered.
Although he knew Piccolo had trained under King Kai...
There was something else about him.
Something mysterious.
Even more importantly...
Goku could sense the tremendous power hidden inside Piccolo's body.
Seeing another powerful opponent arrive, Frieza's expression gradually became serious.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at the newly arrived Namekian.
"This fellow..."
"Why does he look so familiar?"
He examined Piccolo carefully, searching his memories.
Suddenly...
A figure flashed through his mind.
Nail!
"It's him!"
Frieza muttered in surprise.
But almost immediately, he shook his head.
"No... that's impossible."
"I tortured that Namekian until he was barely alive."
"He couldn't possibly still be living."
Then another realization struck him.
The little Saiyan boy whose neck he had snapped...
Was somehow alive again.
And that Earth-born Saiyan...
He had pierced him clean through.
Yet he, too, had been completely restored.
"What secret are these people hiding?"
Frieza slowly swept his gaze across the group.
However, after taking another careful look at the Namekian before him, he noticed something different.
His aura.
His demeanor.
Even his power.
Everything felt completely different from Nail.
"Perhaps..."
"They merely resemble each other."
"But regardless..."
"He's still no match for me."
As that thought settled in his mind, the seriousness on Frieza's face gradually disappeared.
A confident smile returned.
"No matter what tricks you're playing..."
"You're still no match for me."
He had absolute confidence in his overwhelming strength.
Even this mysterious Namekian inspired no fear within him.
After all...
Throughout the entire universe...
No one had ever been truly capable of challenging Lord Frieza.
Piccolo, however, remained perfectly calm.
He stood motionless, an intimidating aura radiating from his body.
"Hmph."
"Frieza..."
"You despicable monster."
"Today..."
"Will be the day you die."
His eyes turned ice-cold as he fixed Frieza with a murderous stare.
-------------------
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