The air was thick with tension. Dust from the earlier battle still hung in the breeze as Gohan stepped forward, his eyes narrowing on Tagoma's battered form.
Rizze clenched her small fists behind him. "Go get him, Uncle Gohan! Show him what a real Fighter can do!"
Gohan smiled faintly over his shoulder. "I will, Rizze. Just watch."
Tagoma straightened, cracking his neck, blood dripping from his lip. "You think you can beat me without even transforming? Arrogant brat."
Gohan adjusted his sleeves, his calm expression unchanging. "Let's find out."
In an instant, both blurred from sight.Tagoma's punch whooshed through empty air as Gohan appeared behind him, driving a kick into his ribs that sent him tumbling through the ground. Tagoma snarled and retaliated, but Gohan ducked under his next strike, countering with a rapid flurry of punches.
Shockwaves rippled through the field. Even Razor raised a brow, impressed.
"Still got his touch," he muttered.
18 smiled slightly, arms crossed. "He's holding back, too."
Tagoma staggered, gasping. His training with Frieza had made him strong — but his injuries from fighting Rizze had dulled his edge.
"You… think you've won?" he spat.
Gohan shook his head. "No. I just think you should've stayed down."
He leapt into the air, cupping his hands. "Kaaa… meee… haaa… meee—"
Tagoma screamed in fury, lunging forward, but it was too late.
"—HAAAAAA!"
The brilliant blue beam engulfed him completely. The explosion turned the sky white. When it cleared, Tagoma was gone — reduced to nothing but dust.
A small Namekian frog, sitting several yards away, also vanished in the shockwave.
Krillin winced. "Oof… poor little guy."
Rizze jumped excitedly. "Yay! Uncle Gohan did it!"
Gohan exhaled, powering down as he turned toward Razor. "Your daughter's amazing. She pushed him to his limit."
Razor nodded once. "That's the point."
Frieza watched from his throne, expression still calm, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Interesting. Seems Earth still has some surprises left."
Meanwhile, on Beerus's Planet…
The scene was the complete opposite of Earth's chaos.
Cherry-pink leaves drifted lazily through the air as Goku and Vegeta launched themselves at Whis, fists blazing. Their attacks came from every direction — but Whis moved like flowing water, evading every strike without even looking at them.
"Oh, I do love spring," Whis said dreamily, sidestepping Goku's punch. "The blossoms are so peaceful."
"Would you quit talking about flowers?!" Vegeta snarled, launching a volley of kicks. "Take this seriously!"
Whis smiled. "Oh, but I am."
He blocked both their punches effortlessly and then — with a gentle tap — knocked their heads together.
"Gah!" "Ow! Dammit, Kakarot, watch where you're going!" Vegeta yelled.
Goku rubbed his head. "Hey, you're the one charging in!"
Fuming, Vegeta dashed forward again. "I'll handle this myself!"
"Wait—Vegeta!" Goku called, but Whis was already gone from sight.
In an instant, Whis appeared behind Vegeta and delivered a light chop to his neck. Vegeta hit the ground face-first, unconscious.
Whis sighed and gently placed him aside. "You really must learn patience."
Goku stared warily. "Okay, that was kinda mean."
He launched forward, unleashing a barrage of blows, but Whis danced through them effortlessly, spinning gracefully. A flick to Goku's forehead sent him tumbling through a grove of trees.
Moments later, Vegeta stirred, groaning. "Tch… damn angel…"
"Ready for round two?" Goku grinned, floating beside him.
"Just don't get in my way this time!"
Together they attacked again. Their combined power shook the ground — but Whis merely smiled, stepping aside from every strike as if strolling through a park.
After several minutes, Whis raised a hand. "That's enough for today."
Both Saiyans stopped, panting lightly.
"You two still think before you move," Whis explained, as he landed on the ground. "You must let your bodies act on their own. That's the key to true mastery."
Vegeta scowled. "You mean… that ridiculous 'instinct' nonsense again?"
Whis chuckled. "Precisely. Vegeta, your problem is you overthink. Try to relax."
"Relax?!" Vegeta barked. "I don't need to relax—I need to win!"
Whis smiled patiently. "And that's exactly your issue."
Goku laughed. "Guess I'm better at that part. Man I do love a good nap."
In the blink of an eye, Whis appeared in front of him and jabbed him lightly in the stomach.
"GUH—!" Goku dropped to one knee, clutching his gut. "Aw, come on, Whis! That was a cheap shot!"
Whis smiled. "And you, Goku, tend to overrelax — and sometimes, you're far too overconfident."
Goku grinned weakly. "Heh… guess you got me there."
Suddenly, a sneeze echoed from behind them — followed by a distant boom.A nearby moon exploded into glittering fragments.
"Ah-choo!" Beerus yawned, floating down in his sleeping gown, rubbing his eyes. "What's all this noise? And… where'd that moon go?"
Whis clasped his hands behind his back. "Good morning, Lord Beerus."
Beerus blinked, staring at the two Saiyans. "Wait a second… what are they doing here?"
Goku waved awkwardly. "Heya, Lord Beerus Sir! Uh… we've been training with Whis sir!"
Beerus's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Training, hmm? Are you planning to challenge my position as the God of Destruction?"
Goku shook his head quickly. "No way! I just wanna get stronger, that's all!"
Vegeta crossed his arms. "And I can't let this idiot surpass me. That's all there is to it."
Beerus sighed. "Hmph. Typical Saiyans."
He turned to Whis. "So what bribe did they use? Something high in calories, I assume?"
Without missing a beat, Whis smiled and materialized several boxes. "Pizzas, this time my Lord. Freshly brought from Earth."
Beerus's eyes sparkled. "Pizzas?! Hand them over!"
"Patience, my Lord," Whis replied. "They'll taste better warm."
A few minutes later, Beerus was dangling from a tree branch, devouring slice after slice. "Mmm… divine! But wait—did you say 'this time'? Meaning… they've been visiting often?"
Whis chuckled innocently. "Perhaps."
Beerus glared. "And you didn't tell me?"
Before Whis could respond, a familiar voice echoed.
"Someone's been ignoring his messages again!"
The Oracle Fish floated toward them, clearly annoyed. Whis blinked. "Ah, I may have left my staff behind…"
He summoned it with a flick, and the scene on the orb flickered to life — revealing an angry Bulma.
"Finally! Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to reach you?!"
Whis smiled nervously. "My apologies, Miss Bulma. How can I help you?"
"Is Goku and Vegeta there?!"
Both turned toward the orb. "Hey, Bulma!" Goku waved.
Bulma's voice was sharp. "You two morons! Frieza's back — and he's on Earth right now!"
Vegeta's eyes widened. "What Frieza's revived?!"
Goku's expression turned serious. "We'll be there, Whis. How long will it take?"
Whis tapped his chin. "Roughly thirty-five minutes."
"Thirty-five—?!" Bulma yelled. "No way! Use Instant Transmission you idiot!"
Goku frowned. "Can't — the distance is too great. I can't sense anyone's energy from here."
Bulma groaned. "I'll tell everyone to power up! Now!"
On Earth, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tien, Piccolo, Gohan, and Rizze nodded as they began to raise their power.
Moments later, Goku grinned. "Got it!"
With a flash of light, both Goku and Vegeta vanished — reappearing instantly before the Z Fighters.
"Sorry we're late, everyone!" Goku said, rubbing his head.
Krillin sighed. "Better late than never…"
Then Goku spotted Razor. "Hey! Long time no see!"
Razor nodded back. "Still carefree as ever, I see."
Before Goku could reply, a cold, familiar voice echoed through the air.
"So… we finally meet again."
Frieza stood , stepping off his floating chair, eyes locked on Goku. "I've waited far too long for this."
Goku smirked. "You sure you wanna try again, Frieza? We've gotten way stronger since Namek. What makes you think you stand a chance now?"
Frieza's smirk deepened. "Four years. Four years inside a chamber where time itself bends. And now… I'm reborn. I have trained for the first time in my life, just for this revenge."
Goku grinned at the prospect of fighting a strong opponent and fly towards him.
Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "Tch. Damn Kakarot always rushing in first."
Goku stepped forward, aura starting to rise. "Then let's see how much you've really improved."
Frieza floated upward, the ground trembling beneath his power.
"At long last," he whispered, smiling. "Let the revenge of a lifetime begin."