BOOM!
BOOM!
RUMBLE!
The massive Tree of Might grew at an alarming rate, its canopy blocking what little light remained. Under its gloomy shadow, explosions erupted continuously. Warriors darted through swirling dust and darkness, their swift figures repeatedly flashing in and out of view.
Daiz, wearing a string of necklaces and shiny earrings, maintained a lazy demeanor during everyday life but was relentless in battle. Energy gathered in his hands, forming spheres of light that he fired in rapid succession like a machine gun. He faced off against Krillin and Yamcha, both of whom possessed rich combat experience and had greatly improved after their training.
Nearby, Turles's subordinate Cacao engaged Tien. As a former cosmic bounty hunter, Cacao possessed considerable strength. His body was covered in metallic armor that enabled high-speed movement when energy activated various nozzles throughout the suit.
With his third eye, Tien had excellent perceptual abilities. While others might struggle to follow Cacao's rapid movements, Tien could track him easily. Both fighters were evenly matched, engaging in several exchanges without either gaining a decisive advantage. Their battle had reached a stalemate.
The brothers Rasin and Lakasei were extraordinarily fast and worked together with perfect coordination. They alternated their attacks against Gohan and Chiaotzu. The four smaller fighters darted through the sky, colliding repeatedly, their afterimages constantly shifting.
"You little brats dare to challenge us!" Rasin and Lakasei wore smug smiles. "We'll make you suffer before we finish you!"
Below them, Gohan and Chiaotzu were already covered in wounds. Gohan's combat experience was limited, and the enemies they faced were far stronger than the Saibamen had been. Fortunately, Gohan's Saiyan heritage allowed him to quickly adapt to battle conditions, his potential gradually emerging with each exchange.
Even so, Chiaotzu and Gohan couldn't turn the tide in their favor. They could only resist with all their strength, facing their powerful opponents with unwavering determination.
"What kind of look is that? How dare you glare at me with such fierce eyes, you hateful brat!"
"This isn't over yet!" Gohan wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and assumed his fighting stance again. His small limbs were like hard, indestructible daggers pointing directly at Rasin and Lakasei.
"If you want it to end, then go to hell!"
The brothers attacked again, energy balls roaring toward their targets...
On another front, Turles found himself in a desperate struggle.
Raditz had joined forces with Goku and Vegeta, with all three surrounding Turles! Vegeta had initially objected to the three-on-one approach—it would be one thing against Frieza, but against a low-class fighter? Ridiculous! But Turles had targeted him specifically because he was currently the weakest of the three.
So Raditz and Goku had stepped forward to assist, creating a coordinated assault.
Countless phantoms of fists and feet collided and overlapped, producing powerful shockwaves that rippled through the air. Goku alone could nearly match Turles, and with the interference of the other two Saiyans, Turles repeatedly took hits, his battle armor breaking in multiple places.
Growing desperate, he drove his leg hard into Vegeta's side, then grabbed the prince and hurled him to the ground. Raditz seized the opening to deliver an uppercut that drew blood from between Turles's teeth, but Turles immediately kicked him away.
"Your resistance is pointless. The Tree of Might has already been planted. Unless you uproot it and destroy the Earth along with it, there's no way to make it disappear!" Turles glared at Goku, who had been fighting him most intensely. A powerful punch sank into Goku's face, causing his skin to compress and his neck to tilt to one side.
"That's because you don't know about the Dragon Balls! They can grant any wish, including saving the Earth!" While speaking, Goku forcibly pressed his cheek against Turles's fist and straightened his neck. The strength required was astonishing.
Dragon Balls?
The incredible counterforce against his hand? Turles felt his heart skip a beat.
The red aura surrounding Goku intensified, burning like flames soaring skyward. Quadruple Kaio-ken! Goku's maximum multiplier was half that of Raditz, but he could still push himself to the extreme for brief moments.
The risk was substantial—Goku's body might collapse under the strain!
The crimson light streaked toward Turles but passed through only an afterimage, leaving Goku exposed. Raditz shouted a warning, but he wasn't as fast as Turles, who had already appeared behind Goku.
Turles chopped downward with one palm, slicing through nothing but air!
Goku, too, had left an afterimage.
The real Goku materialized behind Turles, driving his elbow down and hammering the top of Turles's head! The devastating blow connected perfectly, unleashing its full power and leaving Turles momentarily stunned.
Having taken such a heavy hit, Turles crashed down onto a thick branch of the Tree of Might. But the assault wasn't over—Goku followed closely, kicking him airborne again before grabbing his ankle and spinning rapidly like a top with himself as the axis. After countless rotations, he hurled Turles away. The dark Saiyan smashed through several tree roots before creating a massive crater in the thick trunk.
"Power level... over 40,000!" Turles gasped.
During their battle, he had sensed Goku's extraordinary strength, and Goku had maintained the upper hand even in their deadlocked exchanges. If not for Goku's gradually diminishing stamina, Turles would have been in genuine danger.
Now he was embedded in the tree trunk, splayed out like a starfish, his back burning with pain.
"BOOM!"
Just as Turles attempted to rise, another shockwave arrived first, hitting him mercilessly. The energy expanded into a sphere, engulfing Turles before erupting in a growing explosion.
As the smoke and dust cleared, Turles was nowhere to be seen.
He had already hidden himself behind a boulder, clutching his bleeding, mangled left arm, sweating profusely.
"Damn it! Suddenly Kakarot's strength exceeded all my expectations. These guys..." Turles gritted his teeth, then noticed the rapidly growing Tree of Might and smiled again. "Hehehe, the fruit will soon be ripe. Earth's soil is truly ideal for planting—I've stumbled upon a treasure by accident."
"HA!" Just as Turles was congratulating himself, Goku kicked through the boulder, connecting directly with his back.
Impossible! Turles was sent flying, feeling as if his body might tear apart. Even more unbelievable was that Kakarot had no scouter—how could he detect his position? He had no way of knowing that Earth's fighters had mastered energy sensing.
The kick propelled Turles toward another branch.
Looking up, he saw Goku already standing before him.
"Turles, admit defeat." Goku had dropped the Kaio-ken, his body clearly pushed to its limits.
For him, the burst of power could only last a few seconds. That kick had used the last of his strength.
"Shut up!" Turles snarled, with no time to gather energy, he fired a massive energy wave directly at Goku.
Goku gritted his teeth and leapt away.
The beam of light blasted away a large section of the Tree of Might's branches, and Turles's eyes widened. He no longer cared about Goku—his attention was fixated on a single thing: fruit! There, not far ahead, hung a perfectly ripe fruit!
"No!" Raditz's face paled with shock as he activated Triple Kaio-ken and rushed forward with all his might. "We must stop him!"
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