Rishi smiled, but it was not a kind smile.
"Tell me, Saiyan," Rishi said, his voice calm and low. His fists were closed so tight his hands shook. Energy rolled off him like heat from a fire. "What is your name?"
Goku looked straight at him. He was not smiling now. His face was serious.
"Call me Kakarot," Goku answered. "And I'm about to show you why nobody should ever underestimate a Saiyan."
Suddenly, blue light exploded from Goku's body. The ocean far below jumped and waves crashed hard against the ship. The wind screamed. Goku's power filled the whole sky.
Rishi did not even blink. He simply lifted one hand and waved it gently.
At once, his two warriors flew away from him. One went east, one went west. They moved so fast they disappeared in the blink of an eye. The plan was simple: split the battles so no one could help each other.
"Be careful, Kakarot!" shouted Vegeta from far away. He was already flying after one of the warriors. His voice was angry, but there was worry in it too.
"Goku, don't die on us!" Caulifla yelled. Her voice was strong and wild. "We still need you!"
Next to her, Kale said nothing. She only pressed her hands together tight, nodded once, and flew off after her own enemy.
Now only Goku and Rishi were left floating in the sky.
Rishi looked at Goku's blue hair and shook his head slowly.
"This same form again," he said, sounding bored. "It's getting old."
He stretched his right hand forward. Purple light, dark and terrible, began to grow in his palm. It twisted and turned like living smoke. The air itself seemed to scream.
"Hakai," Rishi whispered. His voice was cold as ice.
The purple ball shot forward faster than light. It was the energy of destruction, the same power Gods of Destruction use to erase whole planets. Nothing was supposed to survive it.
Goku did not move. He did not try to run. He did not even raise his arms to block. He just stood there, eyes locked on the attack, calm and steady.
The Hakai hit him dead center.
BOOM!
A giant purple explosion covered the sky. It grew bigger and bigger, eating the clouds, pushing the ocean down so hard that a huge circle of dry land appeared far below. The water ran away from the power like it was scared. The ship rocked back and forth like a toy in a storm, but Whis waved his staff and it became still again.
Dark smoke rose high, higher than mountains, higher than the sky, all the way into space. For a long time, nobody could see anything.
On the ship, Lord Beerus was lying on a big couch someone had put outside so he could watch. He licked his ice cream slowly.
"Whis," he said with his mouth full, "do you think Goku can handle this one?"
Whis stood straight, hands behind his back, looking up at the smoke.
"Even I cannot tell yet, my lord," the angel said softly. "But let us believe in the Saiyan's determination. Earlier, when he arrived with Vados… I felt something new inside him. Something I have never felt before. Something very strong."
Far away, on another part of the ship, Piccolo stood alone. His arms were crossed. His cape moved in the wind.
"Don't lose to him again, Goku," Piccolo said under his breath. "Show him your Saiyan pride. Show him everything you learned from all the times you died and came back. Don't let us down."
Back in the sky, the smoke still hung thick and black.
Rishi lowered his hand.
"Hmm," he said. "I guess he had nothing left to offer me."
He could not feel Goku's energy anymore. There was only silence.
Then—
CRACK!
A tiny blue light appeared inside the smoke.
The light grew.
It grew fast.
Blue fire pushed the dark smoke away like the sun burns away morning fog.
And there stood Goku.
His gi was torn. His face had dirt and blood. But his eyes burned brighter than ever. The blue aura around him was bigger, wilder, stronger than before.
He was smiling.
Rishi's eyes opened wide for the first time.
"Impossible," Rishi whispered.
Goku wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
"That hurt," Goku said, voice rough but happy. "But I've felt worse."
He cracked his neck left, then right.
"My turn."
Meanwhile, far away in the snowy mountains, Vegeta floated in the cold air. His arms were crossed. His eyes glowed red with anger.
In front of him floated Rishi's second warrior.
The warrior wore a long robe that covered everything. His face was hidden in shadow.
Vegeta spit on the ground.
"Take off that stupid robe already, you bastard," Vegeta growled. His fists were so tight his gloves made noise.
The warrior laughed low.
"As you wish."
VUUUUM!
The robe flew off like it was blown away by an explosion.
The man underneath was tall, taller than Vegeta. His skin was white and black, smooth like stone. Two long black horns, sharp and curved, grew from his head. His eyes were pure black, no white in them at all.
He smiled a terrible smile full of sharp teeth.
"Call me King Frieza," he said. His voice was smooth and cruel.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed.
"How am I not surprised," he said through his teeth. "I'm going to defeat you, Frieza. Once and for all. This time you stay dead."
King Frieza laughed loud. The mountains shook from the sound.
"Hahaha! Monkey, know your place!" he shouted. "Let me show you power greater than Golden Frieza. And look closely—I am not the Frieza from your weak little universe. See these horns?" He touched one proudly. It was one foot long, black, and sharp like a blade. "Your universe's Frieza never grew horns like these. I am king of a thousand Friezas!"
Vegeta did not care.
"No matter," he said. Blue energy began to leak from his body like steam. His hair started to shine. "I'm still going to crush you so hard you'll never come back."
Both warriors looked at each other.
Then they smiled the same angry smile.
BOOM!
They crashed together in the middle of the air.
The explosion destroyed ten mountains in one second. Snow and rock flew everywhere like rain.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
They fought faster than the eye could see. Every punch, every kick, every knee and elbow made white light that blinded anyone who tried to watch. Each blow was strong enough to destroy a whole city. Maybe a whole country.
The ground far below cracked open. Huge pieces of mountain fell into deep holes that appeared out of nowhere.
King Frieza blocked a punch, then another, then another.
"You're strong!" he shouted, laughing as he flew backward through the air.
"Shut up when you fight!" Vegeta screamed.
Then Vegeta vanished.
King Frieza looked left. Looked right.
Nothing.
BAM!
Vegeta appeared behind him and kicked him so hard in the back that the sound broke the air like thunder.
King Frieza flew down like a meteor. He crashed into the ground and made a crater so deep it reached hot lava far below. Steam and fire shot up into the sky.
Vegeta floated above the hole, breathing hard, eyes burning red and blue.
"Get up," he said. "I'm not done with you yet."
Far away, Goku and Rishi still floated in the sky. The smoke was gone now. Only blue and purple light remained.
Rishi's face was no longer calm. His eyes were wide. His hands shook just a little.
Goku raised one hand and pointed at Rishi.
"You said this form was old," Goku said. His voice was low and strong. "Let me show you something new."
His blue aura exploded even bigger. The ocean shook again. The sky turned bright.