Anyone with a deep understanding of Saiyans knows this:
The principle behind powering up lies in stimulating dormant energy within the S-cells, thereby increasing the efficiency and intensity of energy utilization.
However, whether in Dragon Ball or in any other universe, true power does not belong to those with the largest energy reserves—but to those with the greatest control over their energy.
Poor control leads to only two outcomes:
Losing control of one's own power, or Having that weakness exploited in combat, resulting in rapid exhaustion.
This is why, whenever a Saiyan first ascends to a new Super Saiyan form, their battle duration is drastically shortened—they simply cannot control the surge.
Take Frieza's Golden Form as an example.
Unable to properly manage his massive power, he rushed to challenge Goku—only to have that flaw exploited and suffer defeat.
True powerhouses prioritize energy control and minimizing leakage above all else.
That is precisely what makes Super Saiyan One: Full Power so terrifying—it turns a form with extreme energy consumption into something as stable as a normal state.
Frieza, the so-called "emperor," lost largely because of overconfidence and catastrophic energy mismanagement.
By contrast, beings like Perfect Cell, Kid Buu, and Jiren possessed extraordinary control over their power—allowing them to dominate Goku repeatedly.
This principle applies universally.
Including this world.
Lucas clenched his fist, sensing the state of his body, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"You're weaker than before," Carol said calmly, arms crossed as she watched him.
"Earlier, when you were using the Space Stone, you posed a greater threat. And yet you abandoned it."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"So either you're a fool—
or you're stronger now."
Lucas lifted his head.
Within his cyan pupils, crimson flames flickered faintly.
Carol wasn't wrong.
In terms of raw energy output, he was indeed weaker than before.
Even by pure perception alone, he felt weaker than his original Super Saiyan state.
But no one understood his body better than he did.
Lucas vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Carol, his fist already crashing forward.
Carol crossed her arms instinctively—
And was immediately shocked.
Lucas's speed was several times faster than before.
Boom!
The moment his punch struck her crossed arms, she felt an incomparably dense and terrifying force slam into her Binary energy barrier.
The once near-indestructible defense rippled violently, barely holding together.
Before Carol could counterattack—
Lucas's second punch had already arrived.
This time, there was no miracle.
Her Binary energy shield shattered.
Carol was sent flying.
Whoosh—
Lucas became a streak of crimson afterimage, catching up instantly.
His fists glowed with intense red light as he unleashed another ferocious barrage.
Carol immediately abandoned the idea of blocking head-on. With a thought, her Binary energy shifted her body sideways to evade—
Bang!
She slammed into an invisible wall.
She recognized the source instantly.
Lucas himself.
For the first time, genuine shock filled Carol's heart.
Lucas's combat power had increased by several multiples, yet his outward energy fluctuations were at their weakest.
It made no sense.
In nearly twenty years of roaming the cosmos, Carol had rarely encountered anyone capable of challenging her directly.
And when she did, her Binary form crushed them effortlessly.
She had never realized just how much extreme energy control could amplify combat strength.
Lucas's current state was simple in essence:
He was using Red Lantern rage energy to suppress and regulate the volatile Super Saiyan power within him.
Previously, when Lucas attacked in Super Saiyan form, nearly forty percent of his power was wasted.
Some dissipated during internal accumulation.
Some leaked during execution due to insufficient control.
Even the remaining sixty percent failed to fully realize its potential.
Now?
That waste was gone.
In truth, Lucas had forcefully entered a state equivalent to Super Saiyan One: Full Power—using the Red Lantern as a stabilizer.
And he showed no mercy.
Under the influence of the Red Lantern, his desire for battle surged relentlessly.
After smashing through Carol's Binary defense once more, Lucas seized her arm as she attempted to retreat.
With a violent pull, she lost her balance and was dragged directly toward him.
His other fist was already prepared.
Carol knew that if this continued, defeat was inevitable.
She roared inwardly as her Binary energy erupted like a supernova, attempting to blast Lucas away.
Lucas's lips curled upward.
Instead of punching, his right hand opened.
Energy condensed instantly into a circular energy blade, spinning at extreme speed.
In the next instant, the blade met Carol's energy head-on.
Like a chainsaw cutting through wood—
Her explosive energy was split apart, forced violently to both sides.
Yes, Carol's total energy output in Binary form still exceeded Lucas's.
But her power was like a giant wooden shield and club—
While Lucas's energy was a steel-forged spearhead.
No matter how large the shield, it could not compensate for inferior hardness.
As the energy was cleaved apart, the circular blade dissolved back into energy, wrapping around Lucas's fist—
And that fist smashed squarely into Carol's face.
Before she could be thrown away, Lucas grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back—
Boom!
A knee strike slammed into her abdomen.
Before she could defend—
Lucas twisted his waist and drove his elbow into her temple.
The impact stunned even Carol in Binary form, knocking her balance completely off.
Then—
Lucas's left fist clenched.
A rising uppercut, blazing with condensed energy, smashed into her chin.
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