BOOM!
A blinding energy wave streaked toward Rhode, detonating in a concussive flash of white. For a moment, the impact site was swallowed by a cloud of dust and smoke.
"Pathetic trash!" a voice snarled through the haze.
As the debris cleared, it revealed only a smoldering crater where Rhode had stood. The mysterious interloper was gone, seemingly obliterated.
The tall, menacing figure—the rejuvenated evil Namekian, Slug—spat a curse. He then turned his attention back to Goku, whom he had pummeled into the ground. Reaching down, he yanked the Saiyan warrior up by his gi, resuming a brutal assault that made Goku's cries of pain echo through the ruined city.
Unbeknownst to Slug, however, Rhode was far from destroyed. Having used the energy blast's cover to instant transmission away, he observed from a distance, silently marking the Namekian's insult for later reckoning. His arrival in this timeline—a parallel world, not the main one—had been accidental, a result of brushing against a spacetime node. He had materialized just in time to witness Goku's desperate struggle.
As the relevant memories of this cinematic reality surfaced—a world where Goku would attain the Pseudo Super Saiyan state and reportedly unleash a Hundredfold Kaio-ken—Rhode chose patience over immediate retaliation. He needed to see these legendary power-ups firsthand. The theoretical Hundredfold Kaio-ken, in particular, intrigued him; based on his own mastery of the technique, such a multiplier defied logic, and he was determined to discern its secrets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The savage rhythm of Slug beating Goku against the earth continued.
Hmm?
A sudden shift snapped Rhode to full attention. After a particularly vicious blow tore Goku's gi, his aura began to churn and fluctuate wildly.
Bang!
This time, when Slug's fist descended, it was caught in a vice-like grip. Goku, white smoke now wisping from his body, pushed back.
It's happening.
Rhode's breath hitched. As Goku's eyes bleached white and a torrent of blazing golden aura erupted around him—the full manifestation of the Pseudo Super Saiyan—Rhode focused every sense on him. A thrilling, resonant heat ignited within his own blood, a deep-seated power stirring as if answering a primal call. It vibrated on the precipice of eruption, a transformation so close he could taste its electric potential.
"AHHH—!"
But the moment shattered. A raw, piercing scream from Slug—now on the receiving end of Goku's wrath—scattered Rhode's concentration. The rising power within him guttered and subsided, sinking back into dormancy.
A cold, furious frustration washed over Rhode. His glare at the battered Slug could have frozen a star. The interruption was a profound aggravation.
Still not enough, he calmly assessed, reining in his anger. While Slug's interruption was a trigger, he knew the core issue lay within. His battle power was sufficient, and his S-Cells had matured over years of stable life. He met two of the three criteria for the legendary transformation. The final hurdle—the intense emotional surge—remained elusive.
Yet, this experience proved invaluable. Witnessing Goku's metamorphosis so intimately suggested another path: deep, empathetic resonance with another Super Saiyan's state could potentially catalyze the change. With slightly higher power or more S-Cells, the shared moment might have pushed him over the edge.
A new, urgent thought chilled his analysis. Time flowed differently across worlds. While only moments had passed here in this parallel timeline, years might have slipped by in his home world. Aira, who had always kept pace with him, could have surged ahead in his absence… perhaps even achieving the very transformation that still eluded him. The thought was a quiet, sharp spur in his side.
The thought was a cold splash of reality. If that were true, wouldn't I be the one getting beaten when I return? The mental image of Aira's smug grin as she effortlessly overpowered him was intolerable. A fierce, competitive fire blazed in Rhode's chest, burning away any hesitation.
With a determined focus, he performed the Multi-Form technique. A perfect, albeit slightly less powerful, clone split from his side. With a sharp gesture from his main body, the air rippled and tore, opening a shimmering portal to a realm of extreme gravity and endless horizons—his personal Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Without a backward glance, his true self stepped through, and the spatial gate sealed shut behind him, leaving his clone as the sole observer of this cinematic battle. His goal was absolute: either achieve the Super Saiyan transformation or push his base power to staggering new heights before facing home again.
His clone's attention snapped back to the fight. The Pseudo Super Saiyan Goku was a storm of unchecked fury, his aura wild and his eyes vacant white orbs. Driven by pure instinct, his entire being was laser-focused on a single objective: the annihilation of Slug.
THWUMP!
A devastating punch vaporized Slug's arm in a spray of green mist.
BOOM!
Another concussive blow sent the Namekian hurtling across the cityscape like a discarded rag.
"HRRAAAGH!" Slug roared, crashing to earth. Ignoring the ruined stump, he channeled his regeneration. Flesh and sinew writhed, and a new arm sprouted in moments. Enraged, he tore away his gloves and headgear, revealing his true Namekian visage. Then, his body began to swell monstrously, muscles bulging and frame expanding until he loomed over the ruins, a giant over ten meters tall.
The sight of Slug's natural form acted like a bucket of ice water on Goku's rage. The chaotic golden aura flickered and died. His eyes regained their dark focus, now wide with stunned disbelief. In Goku's experience, only the demon king Piccolo had been evil; every other Namekian, including his now-ally Piccolo, had been a friend. The revelation was a profound shock.
Now, the dynamic inverted once more. Towering over Goku, Giant Slug reclaimed the advantage, his massive fists hammering the Saiyan into the ground. Goku was battered, dodging fatal blows by a hair's breadth, until a colossal hand finally closed around him, squeezing the air from his lungs.
Yet, as if scripted, salvation arrived. The true hero of this narrative, King Piccolo—Goku's former nemesis turned unlikely guardian—soared onto the scene. In a coordinated move with Gohan, a piercing, supersonic whistle—a Namekian weakness—lanced into Slug's giant ears. The titan roared in agony, his grip faltering just enough for Piccolo to wrench Goku free.
"This plot is absurdly convoluted," Rhode's clone muttered, an unimpressed spectator to the melodrama. But his cynicism vanished in the next instant, replaced by intense scrutiny.
He watched as Piccolo, with a grunt of effort, placed his hands on Goku's back. A brilliant transfer of energy flowed between them. And then, it happened.
A pressure wave of sheer, terrifying power erupted from Goku, so potent it made the observing clone's skin prickle with alarm. The air itself seemed to scream, vibrating with a crimson-hued aura that crackled with unimaginable stress.
There it is! The clone leaned forward, every sense hyper-focused. This was the moment he—and his training main body—had waited for: Goku, fueled by a comrade's strength, pushing past all known limits to unleash the legendary, physics-defying Hundredfold Kaio-ken.