The massive Supernova tore through space, hurtling toward Talot like a small sun.
Seeing this, Talot tensed up, gathering what little energy he had left in his body to maintain his balance and stability.
A clash of energy waves?
Talot had no intention of doing that.
If he still had a lot of energy to spare, he might have given it a try, but in his current state, the energy he had accumulated was only enough for Instant Transmission.
Senzu Bean…
It wasn't time to eat one yet. He needed to push his body further, waiting until he reached the absolute limit before consuming it. That way, the power boost would be more stable and effective.
Talot always believed that the Saiyans' ability to grow stronger after recovering from near-fatal injuries wasn't something to be abused. While the results were impressive, overusing it could hinder future growth.
In the original work, Goku and Vegeta's limitless growth and constant breakthroughs in the later stages came after years of accumulated time and experience—and besides, they were the main protagonists, so he couldn't compare himself to them.
As the massive energy sphere closed in, the oppressive pressure became more intense.
"Heh heh heh heh~! Did you even lose the courage to fight back? Then just die, wild monkey…"
High in the sky, seeing that Talot showed no sign of resisting, Cooler maintained the stance of pushing the energy sphere with one hand while letting out a sinister, cold laugh.
In his eyes, Talot was already dead.
1,000 meters…
500 meters…
300 meters…
100 meters…
Right in front of him!!!
"So this is the absolute pressure that death brings? Compared to the last time I experienced Frieza's Death Ball, this is far more terrifying… Right now, I'm indeed much weaker than you. Even if I had fully transformed into a Super Saiyan, I probably still wouldn't be able to defeat you.
"But next time we meet, I will defeat you, Cooler."
At this moment, Talot fully realized the overwhelming gap in strength. Without hesitation—
In an instant, he activated Instant Transmission and vanished from the spot.
The moment Talot disappeared, the Supernova surged forward unimpeded, piercing through the planet's surface and burrowing deep inside—
Until it crashed into the planet's core.
In that instant, the entire planet was thrown into catastrophic upheaval.
The ground collapsed, tsunamis raged, and scorching magma erupted skyward.
The planet's inhabitants and other creatures, already struggling to find refuge amid the ongoing battle, now had nowhere to run. There was not even a sliver of hope for survival.
Their only fate—was death.
As the Supernova reacted violently with the planet's core, a tremendous explosion erupted—
And in a single moment, the entire planet was obliterated from the inside out!
'Boom!!!!!!!!'
The explosion of the planet erupted in a dazzling brilliance, its radiance blinding and magnificent.
The sheer force of the explosion was terrifying, shaking even the fabric of space itself.
As the blinding light of the explosion faded—
Countless fragments of the shattered planet drifted through the vastness of space.
Cooler stood with his arms crossed atop a massive chunk of planetary debris.
"Escaping from Frieza's grasp was impressive, but unfortunately, there's no way you could have escaped from me."
Brimming with arrogance, Cooler was certain that Talot had been annihilated by his Supernova attack.
What he didn't know was that Talot had slipped away the very moment the Supernova descended.
Not long after, a small spaceship slowly approached Cooler's location, navigating through the remnants of the explosion.
Since his main battleship had been destroyed along with the planet, Cooler had no choice but to board this smaller vessel.
As the spaceship's hatch opened, Cooler reverted from his final form and stepped inside.
This small spaceship had a very specific purpose—it was used to record footage of Cooler destroying planets.
As a result, its interior wasn't particularly spacious and couldn't compare to his flagship.
However, despite its small size, it was fully equipped with all necessary functions.
…
Inside the cockpit—
"Lord Cooler."
The pilots and crew stood at attention, their expressions solemn and respectful, not daring to offend him.
Serving someone like Cooler was akin to serving a tiger—any misstep could lead to disaster. As mere pilots and record keepers, they couldn't possibly withstand Cooler's terrifying presence.
"Pull up the footage of my battle with that wild monkey. You recorded it, didn't you?"
Cooler's crimson eyes glowed with authority as he gave the command.
"Yes, my lord!"
The spaceship's pilot quickly got to work, operating the controls with urgency.
Soon, a large screen lit up, projecting the battle footage.
The display showed scenes from Cooler's fight with Talot.
Cooler watched his own battle unfold, analyzing Talot's techniques as he observed.
This was a long-standing habit of his.
Ordinary opponents weren't worth reviewing, but Talot was different. Some of Talot's moves had genuinely caught his interest.
One technique, in particular, intrigued him the most.
It was Talot's ability to vanish instantly and reappear elsewhere in a flash.
This technique allowed Talot to appear behind his opponent without warning. Had Cooler not been stronger and possessed exceptional reflexes, he might have suffered multiple setbacks.
If he could master this ability, it would significantly enhance his combat prowess.
Unlike Frieza, who was blinded by arrogance, Cooler—while prideful—was willing to learn from his battles. He absorbed his enemies' techniques to compensate for his own shortcomings, continuously growing stronger.
This was the reason why he was stronger than Frieza.
After watching the footage several times, Cooler furrowed his brows.
Normally, in battle, no matter what technique his opponent used, he only needed to see it a few times to grasp it.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried, Cooler couldn't grasp the mechanics of this technique or find any pattern to it.
Just as he was contemplating how to learn this technique, a sudden change in Talot's appearance on the screen caught his attention.
The footage showed the exact moment when Talot reflected his Death Beam back at him.
For a brief instant, that Saiyan's form seemed to undergo a transformation.
"Rewind the footage and slow it down!" Cooler commanded.
"Understood, Lord Cooler," the pilot responded and began operating the controls.
Watching the playback at two or three times slower speed, Cooler froze in place.
On the screen, Talot's aura and hair had turned golden, and his pupils had shifted to a turquoise.
This transformation triggered a memory—a phrase passed down through generations in his race.
"Beware of Saiyans who emit a golden aura and can turn their hair golden."
At this moment, everything clicked for Cooler.
[No wonder this wild monkey was able to grow so strong in such a short time… So he really was a Super Saiyan!!]
Cooler was now absolutely certain—Talot was a Super Saiyan.
Fortunately, he was powerful enough to crush this Super Saiyan before he could truly develop. Otherwise, if Talot had been allowed to grow stronger, he would have caused major trouble in the future.
Though Cooler didn't believe a Super Saiyan could defeat him, such an opponent would undoubtedly result in a fierce battle.
But now, both Talot and those other two Saiyans had perished in the planet's massive explosion.
In this universe, aside from the two Saiyans under Frieza's command, no others remained.
There would never be another Super Saiyan again.
A new thought took root in Cooler's mind—he had to eliminate those two Saiyans serving Frieza.
Even if they weren't a threat now, that didn't mean they wouldn't become one later.
Only by leaving nothing to chance could he rest easy.
....
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