"Hahaha!"
Seeing this, Frieza burst into mocking laughter.
His icy eyes were filled with disdain, and a sneer spread across his face as he said arrogantly,
"So just because you took off your clothes, you think you've become stronger? How utterly ridiculous!"
He threw Piccolo the exact same taunt Vegeta had used against him moments earlier.
Piccolo's expression didn't change.
But Goku and the others knew the truth.
Piccolo had always trained under extreme weighted clothing that weighed well over a thousand pounds.
Now that he had cast off those burdens, both his speed and power had increased dramatically.
Frieza, however, knew nothing of this secret.
With a cold snort, he spread his hands apart as immense energy gathered before him, condensing into a massive ki blast.
With a thrust of his palms, the gigantic energy wave shot forward at incredible speed, hurtling straight toward Piccolo and everyone behind him.
The instant Frieza attacked, Piccolo displayed speed unlike anything before.
His figure blurred, disappearing from where he stood.
The others behind him were far enough away to evade the attack with ease.
Fearing that Dende might not be fast enough, Gohan grabbed his hand as they dodged.
"Dende, watch out!"
"I'm fine!"
Feeling Gohan's concern, Dende couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart.
Piccolo effortlessly slipped past Frieza's energy blast before vanishing once again.
The next instant, he appeared before Frieza like a phantom.
"What?!"
Frieza's face changed dramatically, his eyes widening in shock.
He had never imagined Piccolo could move this fast.
The Namekian's speed had become so incredible that even Frieza could barely follow his movements.
Caught completely off guard, Frieza hastily rolled backward several times before finally managing to widen the distance between them, staring at Piccolo with newfound caution.
"Hahaha! Frieza, weren't you so confident? Why don't you attack again?"
A playful smile spread across Piccolo's lips as he openly taunted him.
Frieza's anger instantly exploded.
His eyes blazed with fury as he swung his arm, unleashing several more deadly energy blasts in rapid succession.
But no matter how hard he tried, Piccolo evaded every single one with ease.
"Damn you! You slippery insect!"
Frieza roared through gritted teeth.
He simply couldn't understand it.
How could taking off a set of clothes increase someone's strength so dramatically?
Piccolo's speed was completely different from before.
Frieza knew very well that the earlier Piccolo would never have been able to dodge his attacks.
Yet now, not only could he evade every blast, he was steadily forcing Frieza onto the defensive.
If this continued, there would be no way for Frieza to vent the rage boiling inside him.
With that thought, he decided to use one of his deadliest techniques—
Death Beam.
Without warning, Frieza suddenly opened his mouth.
A brilliant beam of destructive energy shot out instantly, racing toward Piccolo with terrifying speed.
Among all of Frieza's techniques, this was his fastest attack.
"Piccolo, watch out!"
Krillin and the others cried out in alarm.
This time, however, Piccolo didn't dodge.
Taking a deep breath, he gathered brilliant light into his outstretched hand, all five fingers pressed together, and slashed directly toward the incoming Death Beam.
"Haaaaah!"
With Piccolo's roar, Frieza's attack was actually deflected away.
At the very instant he swung his arm, the gathered light in his hand expanded dramatically after knocking aside the Death Beam, transforming into a massive energy wave that blasted straight toward Frieza.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion engulfed the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared, Frieza was still standing.
He had managed to block the attack, but smoke curled from his body, leaving him looking battered and disheveled.
"You dare..."
Seeing the relaxed look on Piccolo's face, Frieza could no longer maintain his composure.
Veins bulged across his forehead as his fury finally erupted.
Krillin stood frozen in disbelief.
He had never imagined Piccolo could suppress Frieza throughout the entire battle.
Vegeta's expression was equally grim.
"That Namekian... he's actually stronger than Frieza."
Goku, however, remained serious.
As an observer, he could clearly tell that although Piccolo currently held the advantage, Frieza was still hiding something.
Only Gohan wore an excited grin as he shouted,
"Uncle Piccolo, you're amazing!"
Frieza glared at Piccolo with murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
Then, before long, a sinister smile slowly spread across his face.
"Heh heh heh... I have to admit, I underestimated you. It seems not all Namekians are worthless after all. You actually have some skill."
His voice dripped with mockery and contempt.
Piccolo answered coldly,
"Hmph. You only realized that now?"
The corners of Frieza's mouth curled upward.
"In that case, I'll grant you the honor of witnessing my true power!"
As his words fell, Frieza's aura began rising once more.
His energy swelled higher and higher, and an overwhelming pressure spread across the battlefield.
Seeing this, Vegeta's heart was instantly gripped by fear.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he muttered,
"What?! That monster can still become stronger? Does his power have no limit?"
Vegeta knew all too well.
If Frieza's strength increased again, he wouldn't stand the slightest chance.
His legs began to tremble.
Cold sweat covered his forehead.
Only now did he realize how foolish he'd been to think he could challenge Frieza.
"I... how could I ever fight someone like him..."
Regret filled his heart.
If Piccolo hadn't suddenly appeared and ruined his plan, he might have already suffered near-fatal injuries and then been healed by Dende.
But now...
It was too late.
"If I nearly die again... would that really be enough to surpass Frieza?"
Vegeta hesitated once more.
His current battle power was roughly seven hundred thousand.
Even if surviving another near-death experience doubled it, he'd only reach a little over one million.
The Namekian standing before him already possessed a power exceeding one million.
Even after another Zenkai boost...
Could he truly defeat them?
As that thought crossed his mind, Vegeta turned toward Goku.
"Why is Kakarot so calm? Isn't he afraid?"
Then something suddenly occurred to him.
"That's right! He almost died earlier! But how did he survive? That little Namekian never healed him!"
"...Could it have been those beans from Earth?"
"Damn it! He must have used one of those to recover and grow stronger!"
"Before this, his battle power had already exceeded five hundred thousand."
"Now that he's survived another near-death experience..."
"...Could it be... Could Kakarot have already become a Super Saiyan?"
The moment that possibility entered his mind, Vegeta's gaze toward Goku became filled with jealousy.
At the same time, the fear in his heart completely vanished.
"No!"
"I have to become a Super Saiyan!"