Seeing that familiar face sitting in the hoverchair, those who had met Frieza before froze in shock.
The blood-red eyes, the dark purple lips, the red lines trailing down his face like bloody tears, and those two sharp horns atop his head—it was unmistakably Frieza's first form.
"Frieza?! You actually came back to life?!"
"Ho-ho-ho! So many familiar faces. I'm honored you all still remember me."
One had to admit, the emperor's politeness was always impeccably maintained.
"You were killed by Uncle Turles! Why are you showing your face on Earth?"
Frieza squinted at Son Gohan, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. "You... you're that Saiyan brat from back then?"
His expression quickly curdled into rage. "Where is that bastard Turles?! This time, I'm going to tear him into ten thousand pieces!"
In the pits of Hell, he had treated Turles as his primary mental training partner, simulating battle after battle. Now that his subordinates had resurrected him and he had completed four months of hellish training, his strength had grown exponentially. He truly believed he could wash away his previous disgrace and claim his revenge.
"Hmph. You aren't worth Uncle Turles or my father's time. You don't deserve to have them step in."
Gohan looked at Frieza with cold indifference. In this timeline, he had never stopped training. A figure like Frieza simply didn't intimidate him anymore.
"Ho-ho-ho! How amusing. Even the children are arrogant now? It seems you've forgotten the terror of Lord Frieza. In that case..."
Frieza casually flicked his right hand.
In an instant, a swarm of soldiers charged forward.
"Kill them!"
"Charge! Lord Frieza is watching us!"
"Hmph. Still the same old tricks?"
Krillin and the others charged to meet the mob. They might not be able to take on Frieza, but they could certainly handle these fodder soldiers.
As for Frieza? They left him to Gohan.
Krillin and the rest erupted in white ki auras, tearing through the Frieza Force like a hot knife through butter.
True to his nature, the emperor didn't care in the slightest about his men's casualties. They were just expendable pawns; he could recruit a thousand more across the universe with a snap of his fingers.
"Ho-ho-ho. You seem quite confident in your strength."
Frieza wore a mocking smile as he watched Gohan approach.
"Shisami, Tagoma—go. Test this brat's mettle."
Upon their emperor's command, his two top lieutenants lunged at Gohan. However, the gap was too wide. Gohan delivered two casual punches, instantly sending both of them to the afterlife.
"Hmph. Frieza, your turn is next!"
Frieza's face darkened as he saw his best men dispatched so easily. He slowly stepped out of his hoverchair, a low, menacing chuckle vibrating in his throat.
"Ho-ho-ho. Truly unexpected. The little brat has grown quite strong. But you'll make a fine appetizer before I kill Son Goku and Turles."
Sensing the terrifying pressure radiating from Frieza, Gohan's expression turned serious.
Even in his first form, Frieza's ki was monstrous. How powerful would his final form be? No wonder he had the confidence to come to Earth for revenge; his power had indeed skyrocketed.
"I see. You've gotten much stronger than before. But if you think this is enough to run wild on Earth, you're dead wrong!"
"HAAA!"
Son Gohan instantly powered up, entering his Mystic form. The sheer, overwhelming pressure caused Frieza's pupils to contract. "Wh-What?!"
Seeing Gohan charge at him with blinding speed, Frieza nearly cursed out loud. Aren't we supposed to have a long-winded villainous monologue first?! What kind of lunatic just charges in immediately?!
Frieza was forced to skip straight to his final form.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two figures collided in a blur of motion.
Within seconds, however, Frieza was forced onto the defensive. With a devastating hammer-fist from Gohan, Frieza was sent crashing into the ground.
BOOM!!
As the dust settled, Frieza's battered figure emerged. He wiped a smudge of blood from the corner of his mouth and began to laugh.
"Ho-ho-ho! Magnificent. Tell me, how would you like to work for me? I might even consider letting Son Goku live."
Impressed by Gohan's talent, the emperor decided to extend an olive branch.
Gohan looked at him with pure disdain. "Hmph. Go back to Hell and repent!"
"Ho-ho-ho! It seems you've rejected my kindness. In that case, I shall show you my newest evolution!"
"HAAA—!"
Frieza let out a guttural roar, his muscles bulging as a titanic golden aura erupted from his body.
BOOM!
The aura flared with a brilliant, golden light, reminiscent of a Super Saiyan transformation. Frieza's appearance underwent a startling change.
His once-white skin turned a lustrous gold. Every inch of him glittered, radiating an air of pure, nouveau riche extravagance. This was Frieza's brand-new evolution: his "Gauche Gold Form." Or, as he preferred to call it... Golden Frieza!
"Ho-ho-ho-ho! Forgive the wait. This is the new me. In your terms, you may call me Golden Frieza!"
After the transformation, Frieza's wounds had completely vanished. His ki had reached a level of absolute terror.
Gohan's eyes narrowed. He could feel it—the current Frieza was no longer inferior to him.
"Tsk, tsk. Frieza's actually doing it. He stepped into the Divine Realm in such a short time. His potential really is something else."
Piccolo jumped, nearly firing a Ki Blast by instinct. He spun around to see Turles standing right behind him.
"Don't do that! Do you have any idea how much a heart attack hurts?" Piccolo snapped. "When did you get here? Are you worried Gohan can't handle it?"
"No, I just wanted to see Frieza's new look," Turles chuckled. "That 'gauche gold' look really suits his personality, doesn't it?"
Future Bulma was also staring in awe. "I can't believe the change... this ki is worlds apart from how he used to be."
She had seen Frieza in the past, but compared to the golden monster before them, the old Frieza was a joke.
As Gohan and Frieza clashed again, the other warriors gathered around Turles. The shockwaves from the fight were so intense that they couldn't get any closer. As for the Frieza Force soldiers? They had long since been disintegrated by the mere collateral damage.
Every strike between the two titans sent tremors through the earth, shattering mountains and turning boulders to dust.
"So powerful... is this the level Gohan is at now?"
Krillin and the others broke into a cold sweat, watching the battle with wide eyes.
Piccolo, however, let out a satisfied smirk. That's my student. He had been training with Gohan throughout this entire peace, and he knew Gohan's strength better than anyone. He could even sense the terrifying power still latent, buried deep within Gohan's soul.
Watching his pupil exchange blows with the Golden Emperor, Piccolo murmured to himself, "I wonder if Frieza can force that power out of you? I'm looking forward to it..."