Dende looked at the Earth's glowing yellow sun and grinned happily.
"Mr. Popo, the Earth never looked so beautiful.
"The Earth does look exceptionally wonderful today," Mr. Popo agreed cheerfully. "I don't see how anything could ruin it."
Dende's searching eyes glazed over the world beneath him and focused on two pinpoints of growing flame. His mouth zoomed open in surprise.
"Mr. Popo, prepare the lookout for guests," Dende said, walking as close to the approaching figures as possible.
"Yes, young Kami," Mr. Popo said with a slight bow before walking into the temple-like building.
Piccolo landed on the structure first with Goku not even a half-step behind him.
"Ah, Piccolo, you're back! And Goku, too?" Dende's eyes focused on the body Goku now carried in his arms in front of him. "And who is this?"
Piccolo frowned, immediately causing Dende to lose his smile. "That's what we need to find out," Piccolo stated flatly. "She calls herself Niy and she's-"
"A female Namek?!" Dende stood wide-eyed as he stared at the unconscious body.
"Something like that," Piccolo muttered
"Do you feel okay, Dende," Goku asked suddenly.
"Do you feel any different than normal," Piccolo asked, reinforcing the importance of the questions by the tone of his voice.
"No, I feel fine. In fact, I was feeling wonderful until you guys came," Dende replied honestly.
"Thanks," grumbled Piccolo sarcastically as he folded his arms thought.
"Actually, if you want, I can probably search her memories," said Goku out of the blue.
Piccolo returned, "I was counting on it, but I need to ask Dende something first."
Turning towards his younger counterpart, Piccolo calmly asked, "Dende, in Namek's history was there anything equal to the Earth's guardian?"
Dende furrowed his green Namek brow, "Well, as you know, the Eldest nameks guard the dragonballs on Namek, so if I was to make any comparison between Earth and Namek, I would say that the oldest Namek is Earth's Guardian."
Piccolo's frown deepened. "I came to the same answer," he said. "But that's not what I'm looking for." Piccolo thought for a second before adding, "Nail was a Namek trained in 'the old ways'. Was there any Namek in history of 'the old ways' that was empowered by the planet itself?"
Dende closed his eyes and dug into his deepest memory. "There was a legend long before the years of Frieza and long ago on our original planet during an era when 'the old ways' were not old and were practiced all over the planet. Fighting back then was both an honor and a tradition. The bravest, most honorable, and most skilled warrior was called the planet's Champion. It was said that he was blessed with the power of the planet so that if it was ever in trouble, the true Champion of the planet would be there to protect it with his life," Dende said, his thoughts traveling back to the present.
Piccolo looked down at Niy's still body.
"So what does all of this mean," Goku asked quietly.
"It means that the Earth has chosen its Champion," Piccolo growled.
"Mr. Popo, the Earth never looked so beautiful.
"The Earth does look exceptionally wonderful today," Mr. Popo agreed cheerfully. "I don't see how anything could ruin it."
Dende's searching eyes glazed over the world beneath him and focused on two pinpoints of growing flame. His mouth zoomed open in surprise.
"Mr. Popo, prepare the lookout for guests," Dende said, walking as close to the approaching figures as possible.
"Yes, young Kami," Mr. Popo said with a slight bow before walking into the temple-like building.
Piccolo landed on the structure first with Goku not even a half-step behind him.
"Ah, Piccolo, you're back! And Goku, too?" Dende's eyes focused on the body Goku now carried in his arms in front of him. "And who is this?"
Piccolo frowned, immediately causing Dende to lose his smile. "That's what we need to find out," Piccolo stated flatly. "She calls herself Niy and she's-"
"A female Namek?!" Dende stood wide-eyed as he stared at the unconscious body.
"Something like that," Piccolo muttered
"Do you feel okay, Dende," Goku asked suddenly.
"Do you feel any different than normal," Piccolo asked, reinforcing the importance of the questions by the tone of his voice.
"No, I feel fine. In fact, I was feeling wonderful until you guys came," Dende replied honestly.
"Thanks," grumbled Piccolo sarcastically as he folded his arms thought.
"Actually, if you want, I can probably search her memories," said Goku out of the blue.
Piccolo returned, "I was counting on it, but I need to ask Dende something first."
Turning towards his younger counterpart, Piccolo calmly asked, "Dende, in Namek's history was there anything equal to the Earth's guardian?"
Dende furrowed his green Namek brow, "Well, as you know, the Eldest nameks guard the dragonballs on Namek, so if I was to make any comparison between Earth and Namek, I would say that the oldest Namek is Earth's Guardian."
Piccolo's frown deepened. "I came to the same answer," he said. "But that's not what I'm looking for." Piccolo thought for a second before adding, "Nail was a Namek trained in 'the old ways'. Was there any Namek in history of 'the old ways' that was empowered by the planet itself?"
Dende closed his eyes and dug into his deepest memory. "There was a legend long before the years of Frieza and long ago on our original planet during an era when 'the old ways' were not old and were practiced all over the planet. Fighting back then was both an honor and a tradition. The bravest, most honorable, and most skilled warrior was called the planet's Champion. It was said that he was blessed with the power of the planet so that if it was ever in trouble, the true Champion of the planet would be there to protect it with his life," Dende said, his thoughts traveling back to the present.
Piccolo looked down at Niy's still body.
"So what does all of this mean," Goku asked quietly.
"It means that the Earth has chosen its Champion," Piccolo growled.