Inside Frieza's mind, a cruel yet familiar idea had already taken shape—the same method he had once used on Planet Namek.
That was to destroy the planet beneath his feet.
Frieza could survive in the vacuum of space. Even if the planet was obliterated, he would still live. But the Saiyans? Sun Wukong and the others? They couldn't survive in outer space.
So what if he wasn't a match for Sun Wukong in combat? If he blew up Earth, then no matter what, he would be the last one standing. Victory through annihilation.
He had done something similar on Namek—though back then, he didn't destroy the planet right away. Instead, he gave Namek a five-minute countdown to self-destruction.
Not because he couldn't destroy it immediately.
But because he wanted to break Sun Wukong mentally—let him stew in despair, knowing the world was ending and he could do nothing to stop it.
Yet ironically, it had been Frieza who ended up in despair.
Looking back, if he had destroyed Namek right away instead of waiting, he might've killed Sun Wukong then and there. He wouldn't have lost, wouldn't have needed to return to Earth for revenge, and ultimately wouldn't have died there.
Frieza had learned from his past failure. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
There would be no countdown.
There would be no hesitation.
The moment he sensed he couldn't win, he would obliterate Earth—immediately.
Frieza shot a cold, sinister smile at Sun Wukong, whose instincts screamed that something was wrong.
That smile, combined with Frieza's earlier cryptic words, sent a shiver down Wukong's spine.
"Kakarot! Get out of the way!"
Suddenly, a shout echoed through the battlefield. A flash of energy surged in the distance.
Both Frieza and Wukong turned toward the voice and were stunned by what they saw.
Vegeta—his aura blazing blue—had transformed into Super Saiyan Blue. His arms were stretched forward, palms charged with immense power.
Frieza's eyes widened in panic.
He had taken too long.
Just as Frieza prepared to unleash his planet-destroying attack, Vegeta acted first.
"FINAL FLASH!!"
Vegeta's roar cracked through the sky. A colossal beam of energy shot forth, blinding and unstoppable.
Sun Wukong narrowly dodged out of the way—if he had hesitated for even a second, he would've been caught in the blast meant for Frieza.
"D-Damn it!"
The energy slammed into Frieza before he could react, engulfing him in a blazing inferno of power. He let out one last scream, filled with hatred and disbelief, before vanishing entirely within the beam.
Just before his body was vaporized, Frieza's mouth moved as though he wanted to say something—perhaps a question, or a final curse.
But he never got the chance.
His last words died with him.
The battlefield fell silent.
Sun Wukong floated over to Vegeta, his expression a mix of relief and regret.
"Vegeta, why did you do that?" Wukong asked, frowning slightly. "Why did you kill Frieza?"
"I was going to let him go!"
Vegeta crossed his arms and glared.
"I already told you, if you weren't willing to finish him, I would."
Wukong scratched his head sheepishly. "But... Frieza improved so much in such a short time. I just thought—it would be a shame to kill him without seeing how far he could go."
"You idiot," Vegeta snapped. "What were you planning to do—wait for him to come back again and destroy Earth?"
"I—I guess not…" Wukong replied, his voice lowering.
He knew his hesitation had been risky.
"But that's not even the main point," Vegeta continued. "Didn't you see the message Jack sent to the group chat?"
"Jack?" Wukong blinked in confusion. "What message?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Check your damn messages, Kakarot."
Wukong quickly pulled up the group chat labeled "Z-Fighter Emergency Comm."
Sure enough, there were two new messages from Jack.
Jack: "@Sun Wukong, @Vegeta—whichever of you is fighting Frieza right now, listen carefully. If you see Frieza kneeling or acting injured, be alert."
Jack: "That's probably the moment when he'll destroy Earth. Remember—Saiyans can't survive in space. If that happens, you die."
Wukong's eyes widened as he read the messages. "This is just like... the original version."
Back in the original timeline, Frieza had indeed destroyed the Earth while pretending to be defeated. Only Whis's time-rewind ability had saved them from extinction.
Jack's message had changed everything.
Thanks to that warning, Vegeta had been prepared. The moment Frieza knelt, Vegeta had powered up and delivered a fatal, preemptive strike.
There was no hesitation. No delay. No mistakes.
Vegeta had saved the world.
"You see now?" Vegeta said, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "If it wasn't for Jack's reminder—and if I hadn't charged up beforehand—Earth would be dust by now. We'd all be dead, and it would've been your fault."
Wukong looked down, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah... You're right, Vegeta. Thanks."
He meant it. He could see it clearly now—Frieza really had intended to destroy the Earth. The cold look in Frieza's eyes... the smirk... everything pointed toward a desperate final move.
Vegeta's timing had been perfect.
"The real credit goes to Jack," Vegeta added. "Without his insight, I might've hesitated too."
Just then, a familiar voice cut in.
"The situation's been resolved. That's good," said Lord Beerus, approaching with Whis floating lazily behind him.
Beerus glanced at the charred spot in the distance where Frieza had vanished.
"I saw Jack's message, too," the God of Destruction said calmly. "Even if Frieza had destroyed the Earth, Whis could've reversed time again. But that sort of magic takes effort. If we can prevent the destruction entirely, we should."
Whis nodded. "Indeed. Using my ability to rewind time is not without its consequences. I prefer to save it for emergencies."
"Exactly," Beerus added. "So good job, Vegeta. That was quick thinking."
Vegeta gave a curt nod in response. "I'm not about to let that bastard blow up Earth twice."
"Hmph," Wukong mumbled. "I still can't believe Frieza would go that far..."
Vegeta gave him a sidelong glare. "Did you forget what happened on Namek?"
"No, I just—"
"Then stop giving him chances!"
Beerus looked thoughtful. "The real problem isn't just Frieza. It's that someone used the Dragon Balls to resurrect him."
Whis agreed. "It's not the first time, either."
Vegeta sighed. "That's what annoys me. I don't want to kill him again and again like some video game villain. It's tiring."
"We need to make sure no one collects the Dragon Balls to bring him back again," Beerus said.
"Exactly," Vegeta replied. "We can't allow his subordinates to gather them in secret."
Wukong looked around, then asked, "Do we know how he came back this time?"
Whis tapped his staff. "The records show the Dragon Balls were gathered by one of Frieza's loyalists. They summoned Shenron and wished for Frieza's resurrection."
"We need to track them down," Vegeta said. "And make sure they don't do it again."
"Or," Beerus added lazily, "next time, don't hold back."
Wukong gave a soft chuckle. "Got it. No more second chances."
The group stood in silence for a moment, the wind blowing lightly across the scorched battlefield.
The crisis was over.
Thanks to Jack's timely message, and Vegeta's decisive action, the Earth was safe.
But it was a close call—too close.
They had narrowly avoided destruction. And it served as a painful reminder:
In a world filled with powerful enemies and dangerous choices, hesitation could cost lives.
Vegeta looked into the sky, arms still folded. "He won't get another chance."
And everyone silently agreed.
This time, they had won.
But next time?
They would be ready.
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