The mushroom cloud in the sky gradually dissipated, its final burst of radiance fading into tranquility.
Moments later, however, Baby Aize's body began to plummet back to Earth at an increasing speed.
It turned out that it had taken Piccolo so long to charge his attack that Baby Aize's body had actually been propelled beyond Earth's atmosphere.
From the ground, Baby Aize appeared minuscule, like an insignificant speck of dust.
The Earthlings hadn't had time to grasp what Piccolo's attack had accomplished.
Krillin stared wide-eyed at the faint glow emanating from Baby Aize high above and asked in disbelief, "What just happened? I couldn't even see it clearly!"
His face was a mask of bewilderment and shock; he was utterly baffled by the recent events.
Chiaotzu frowned and pondered for a moment before saying: "That level of attack... Piccolo must have used the Demonic Flash. Otherwise, there's no way he could have blasted that guy into outer space..."
His voice carried a hint of uncertainty, but more than anything, it was speculative.
Yamcha, his face a mask of confusion, finally asked, "So... did we win?"
His voice was filled with doubt and anticipation as he desperately hoped for a definitive answer.
Everyone gazed up at the sky, waiting for Baby Aize to fall.
Their hearts were filled with unease and tension; they were unsure if the battle was truly over. In that moment, the entire world fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the howling wind.
"I can't sense that guy's ki anymore! Grandpa Piccolo really won!" Pan shouted.
But just then, Tien Shinhan, who was hovering above them in the sky, wore a grave expression on his face as cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
His gaze remained fixed on Baby Aize as his memories rewound twenty years.
Back when he was training on Planet Kaiō, Tien had used King Kai's perception to witness the entire battle between Frieza and Goku.
He was acutely aware of Frieza's immense power and his terrifying tactics. He knew that Frieza could transform up to three times.
Yet this current opponent, clearly of the same lineage, had only transformed twice.
Tien Shinhan immediately sensed that something was amiss, and a foreboding premonition gripped his heart.
His eyes widened as he roared toward Piccolo with all his might: "Piccolo! It's not over yet! Quick! Finish him off with one final strike!"
Tien Shinhan's warning seemed redundant to Piccolo.
Having retreated to the sidelines for years, he was acutely aware of his limitations and frustrations. Having grown cautious and meticulous long ago, Piccolo carefully planned every move, leaving no room for error.
Now, with the immense power to traverse dimensions, he had become even more composed, his actions marked by greater prudence.
By the time Tien Shinhan glanced in his direction, Piccolo had vanished without a trace.
At that moment, his body was enveloped in a green aura as he defied the natural order. He gathered another Demonic Flash and, without hesitation, unleashed it directly at Baby Aize's rapidly plummeting body.
A colossal golden dragon spiraled skyward with breathtaking speed, hurtling toward Baby Aize like a living vortex.
Meanwhile, the Demonic Flash loomed like a massive, ravenous maw, hungering to devour Baby Aize whole.
The teetering Baby Aize kept his eyes tightly shut, seemingly savoring the memory of what had just transpired.
He muttered to himself, "That guy just used every trick he had against me, didn't he?"
The Demonic Flash was closing in.
Waves of searing heat washed over his battered body.
In the next instant, Baby Aize's eyes snapped open, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he erupted into maniacal laughter.
"Hahaha! Unbelievable! Utterly unbelievable! This body is far more resilient than I ever expected!"
"I am truly a genius! Who would've thought I'd choose such a perfect vessel?"
"Now, Earthlings! Face your punishment!"
As he spoke, an energy storm suddenly erupted in the sky above his figure.
The very thing Tien Shinhan had feared had come to pass. Baby Aize was undergoing his final transformation. Powerful currents of energy converged around him, forming a cocoon-like barrier that completely enveloped him.
Immediately afterward, Piccolo's Demonic Flash was deflected!
As the turbulent air currents dissipated, the Ultimate Baby Aize appeared in the sky. In this form, he resembled Cooler's final transformation stage even more closely, except without the mask.
An overwhelming pressure emanated from the sky.
Gazing at Baby Aize's new form, Orange Piccolo's expression hardened with determination.
Vanquishing him in a single strike was now impossible.
In an instant, Piccolo conjured four clones. This familiar technique was the Four-Body Fist. The five Piccolos charged toward Baby Aize in unison.
They surrounded Baby Aize completely, finally making him realize the truth.
"So, Piccolo was actually using this technique when he spun around earlier at high speed!"
Having already learned his lesson the hard way, Baby Aize wasn't about to fall for the same trick again.
He resolved to obliterate all the Piccolos.
Now stronger than ever, he sneered, "It's a pointless trick. All I need to do is lift a finger..."
"Solar Flare!" The three Piccolos shouted in unison and unleashed Solar Flares at Baby Aize.
Instantly, Baby Aize slammed his eyes shut. Even so, he felt the blinding white light as if it were about to rip his eyeballs out.
"Damn you! What have you done to me?!" Baby Aize roared.
In the next instant, however, the real Piccolo materialized behind him with a fully charged Special Beam Cannon, and it was already locked on target.
"I'm sending you to hell!"
Whoosh...!
Piccolo released the two fingers from his forehead, and an unprecedented Special Beam Cannon erupted from his fingertips.
BOOM!
As expected, it struck Ultimate Baby.
However...
Something unexpected happened:
Baby Aize actually endured the full force of the attack with his bare body. The Special Beam Cannon, which channeled all of Piccolo's power, only pushed Baby Aize back a few steps.
And it wasn't long before Baby Aize quickly regained his vision.
His face contorted in disdain. "Is that all? Such a pathetic technique."
With those words, Baby Aize teleported directly in front of Piccolo, giving him no time to react. Piccolo froze as Baby Aize's palm materialized against his abdomen.
Dazzling Light Explode!
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from Piccolo's abdomen, leaving only his head intact.
Immediately afterward, Baby Aize stomped on Piccolo's head.
"You were a clever little schemer... but ultimately, you were nothing more than that."
The spectators were stunned by Piccolo's defeat and unable to react to the sudden turn of events. Pan covered her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes, but they wouldn't fall.
Krillin and the others couldn't bear to watch; their faces were etched with fury and shock.
"Now, let me send you to your death." Baby Aize raised his leg, preparing to crush Piccolo's skull.
Pan let out a piercing scream. "No...no! Grandpa Piccolo!"
But Baby Aize's leg was already raised, aimed at Piccolo's skull.
Whoosh!
A laser beam streaked into view and struck Baby Aize's leg, forcing it off course.
A grating, mocking laugh echoed across the wasteland.
"Ho ho ho!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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