A Namekian adolescent spars with his friends on a blue field of grass at the outskirts of their village. Children run along the shores of a crystal green ocean at its edge. They laugh and scream as they go about their games of tag and hide and seek.
A booming detonation silences their joyous noises. The youths stop to stare as a black and red cloud mushrooms on the horizon to meet those high above. Flashes of lightning reveal a monstrous silhouette within the flaming smoke.
The rest of the villagers wander from what they are doing to behold the sight. Adults pick up children as furious gusts of wind threaten to blow them away. The bulbous head of the horrific cloud spreads outward bringing a gruesome dark upon the land. It floods over the village and releases acidic rain. All the Namekians seek shelter in their homes, except for one adolescent
"Nail, return to your home. It's dangerous."
Nail looks over his shoulder to find their great champion approaching the catastrophe. Never before has such an imposing Namekian walked their planet. He strides against the wind. His yellow robe flutters atop his purple tank top and pants. The only thing holding it to his body is an orange sash around his waist matching the color of the scarf around his neck.
"But I want to help," says Nail.
The champion shakes his head. Nail watches the brown scar across his sightless left eye move side to side. The milky white pool sickens him as memories conjure of the day his hero attained the wound even their people's great regenerative ability could not heal.
"We don't know what we're up against. I'll scout out the danger first. Remember, a true warrior never rushes in unprepared if he can help it."
Nail nods as the muscular Namekian takes flight. He runs through the thickening rain that nips at his skin. When he finally gets inside, he presses his face to a window awaiting the return of his idol. However, he can see nothing through the darkness and the deluge.
Hours pass and the rain stops but the black clouds do not relent. Nail spots an approaching aura in the sky and rushes outside. He feels the comforting presence of the champion before he can see who it actually is, but an evil stench lingers about him. The aura sputters out, and the figure falls.
Nail takes flight ahead of anyone else trying to do the same. His hero drops into the ocean, and he dives in after him. He lifts the huge man to the surface. Purple boils litter the paladin's skin, and he is careful not to touch them as he pulls him to shore.
The large man screams awake, startling those gathered around him. His sightless eye widens in terror.
"Get to the ships. You must all evacuate the planet immediately. There is no saving it."
Nail and everyone else just stare at him.
"Now!"
Screeching from high above grabs their attention. Winged imps with reddish purple skin descend upon them. This is all the more convincing they need. They sprint from the demons to escape on the spaceships.
Nail strikes a fighting pose, but the great hero grabs his wrist and chases the others, pulling him along.
"They're small fry. We can take them," says Nail.
"They aren't the problem."
They run to ships made of the same white material used for their houses. Their oblong shapes and four spiked legs give them the appearance of huge insects.
A circular platform floats to the ground from their base allowing for access. The paladin stuffs Nail into one as it closes and then presses up from beneath to force it shut faster. Nail bangs on the floor as it seals shut and merges seamlessly with the floor.
"Wait! What are you doing? You have to come with us!"
A crushing fear smashes into Nail's ki sense. It halts his fists and brings him still as a statue. No one around him even breathes. He bites his lip with a sharp fang until it bleeds. The pain pulls him out of the fear, and he crawls to the round window for piloting. Someone else manages to make it to the pilot's seat and initiates the take off sequence.
Nail peers out the bottom of the window as he feels the ship starting to rise. His idol battles against the hordes of monsters from earlier. They fly after the ships on their batlike wings, but the champion tackles them down with his brawny body and blasts more with radiant yellow energy. But he cannot get them all, and two ships are swarmed and ripped open by the growing numbers.
As the ships go down one by one, Nail finds that his is the next to be targeted. Five vicious monsters race towards him. The Namekian champion crashes through their rank causing them all to somersault.
Nail cheers and pumps his fists. The enemies regroup and attack all at once.
The paladin blasts away one, then two. He kicks a third and punches a fourth. But the last one grabs him from behind and sinks its fanged mouth into his neck.
He roars.
The others find their balance and latch onto him too. Each one bites his body.
"No!"
Nail pounds on the glass as the ship picks up speed.
"Slug! Don't give up! No one can defeat you! Slug!"
A ferocious roar rolls in on a thundercloud. The storm rips across the surface of the planet concealing the monster within. It races for the ships to wipe them out in one attack.
Slug's voice cries above the gale force winds. He extends his arms to the side despite the demons tearing at his body.
"With my left arm I preserve our people's past."
Golden white ki billows from his left hand.
"And with my right arm, I protect our future."
Radiance plumes from his right hand. He brings his hands together before him. A sphere of gold and white energy expands from his whole body. The demons clinging to him vaporize.
A beam the size of the sphere fires into the approaching storm. It illuminates the clouds enough to catch a glimpse of the vile leviathan within. The storm halts for just a moment as the beam holds off the monster.
The ship hits full acceleration. The image before Nail minimizes as the ship breaks through the atmosphere. From space, Nail can see the festering lesion of dark clouds taking over the beautiful green planet he calls home. But soon it too shrinks away from sight.
###
Nail springs to a sitting position in his bed. A cold sweat runs down his muscular body. He throws back the covers and swings his legs over the edge of the adult sized mattress. He cups his eyes with his hands and breathes deeply.
"Why? Why does that memory still haunt my dreams after all these years?"
He looks outside and finds dawn has not yet arrived. He wipes himself down with a towel and puts on a navy vest. He lets it hang open over his white pants. He steps outside and takes off into the night sky.
###
"Concentrate Gohan," says Goku. "Remember, mold your ki so it's lighter than air. Then expand it through your whole body."
Gohan inhales in his cross-legged position. The life force within him tickles as it feathers his insides to take its new form.
He feels the tiled floor beneath him leave his butt. He creaks one eye open. An image of his dad bobs up and down. He opens his second eye and finds himself floating.
"Alright! Way to go," says Goku.
He grabs Gohan from the air and pulls him close for a hug.
"I did it! I did it! I pictured myself like a balloon filling with helium, and it worked."
The father and son grin at each other.
"How is your Genki Dama training going?" says Gohan. "Have I slowed you down?"
"You could never slow me down son. I always have time for you. I'm just having trouble since we're so far away from anything with ki."
Goku looks out one of the tiny windows to the blackness of space as their ship travels.
"But I've been working on expanding the range I can connect with others to summon their ki from. Not much luck yet though."
"Wow that sounds amazing. I'm sure you will get it soon."
"Oh yeah. Hopefully I'll be able to reach an entire planet someday. That would make it really strong!"
Krillin watches the two of them train.
"Man, I wish I could have as much fun as those two on such a long trip," he says.
He places his hands behind his head and looks at Bulma sitting next to him at the main control station of the spaceship. She remains engrossed in plotting their course through space, going over measurements and trajectories.
Krillin looks back at the training lesson for a moment and then back to Bulma.
"Everything alright, Bulma?"
"Huh, oh, sorry. I've just been recalculating everything to make sure it's right. I know Goku got directions from the god of the universe and all, but I'm too much of a perfectionist not to double check."
"You know, you've been over those numbers a hundred times. Are you sure you're not stressing yourself out? Maybe you should get some rest."
Bulma chews on her lip.
"I can't rest Krillin. Taking a break isn't going to bring Yamcha back."
"I know we have a lot of work to do. But worrying yourself to death isn't going to help. There really isn't much more we can do right now. Not until we get to the Namekians anyway. So you need to take care of yourself when you can."
Bulma stops chewing and bites down hard. She sighs and scoots back in the chair.
"You're right. I hate you for it, but you're right."
She stands up and rubs a hand back and forth across his bald head. Krillin smiles. The touch of her soft hand fills him with joy. She gives a half smile and heads for the ladder to a lower level of the ship.
"I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me if you need something technical."
"Will do," says Goku. "Hey Krillin, do you want to show me that image training thing again? I could use all the practice I can get right now."
Krillin sighs and wonders how his friend never gets bored of training.
"Sure, but do you really need it? It felt like you had a power level of 8,000 when you came back to Earth. And you said that Kaioken technique can push you even higher. Plus, you're even stronger now after recovering from the battle. Who could possibly stop you?"
"The Kaioken is amazing, but it comes at a heavy cost. I'd like to get strong enough not to need it. But what did you mean my power level was 8,000?"
"Oh, Bulma helped our training with the scouter technology. We all got pretty good at estimating power levels based on how much ki we can sense."
"So that was about 8,000 huh? I guess that means my max would have been 16,000."
"Wait, I thought you could multiply your power. You said you did a times three at one point. Wouldn't that mean your max is 24,000?"
"It doesn't work that easily. Just like I have to train how much active ki I can have and how much of it I can use at one time, I have to train to control the same thing with Kaioken."
"Oh, so it's like a second layer over your normal active ki."
"Kind of, yeah. When I did the times three, my body was pretty banged up, so I probably had a power level of about 5,000. So that brought me up to … up to…"
Goku counts on all ten of his fingers.
"About 15,000. Still not above the possible sixteen I could handle."
"I'm with you now. And as you said, using those higher multipliers burns up more ki even faster so being able to use a double or less would be ideal."
"Right. My power level feels like about 10,000 now and could be 10,500 when I fully recover. So I'm training to be able to double that during a Kaioken."
"Wow! Ten grand! That's crazy. I'll never be able to catch you then. Hey, do you think I could learn this Kaioken thing? Maybe that would help me at least be useful."
"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're also a lot stronger after the battle. You unlocked quite a bit more power when you faced your fear and self-doubt. That extra confidence pushed your yuki up a lot."
"Yeah I guess I do feel stronger, and I haven't really trained at all since then. Maybe you're right."
Krillin smiles. Goku fist pumps.
"Well what are we waiting for," says Krillin. "Let's start that image training!"
"Right on," says Goku.
###
Their spherical vessel enters the atmosphere of a planet. It safely lands, and Goku and the rest step out. It is a mountainous region with grassy plateaus.
Bulma checks her Dragon Radar for any indications but it gives none. She frowns. Krillin tries to think of something to tell her but nothing comes to mind.
"I wonder if the Nameks have any strong fighters like Piccolo?" says Goku.
"Really?" says Krillin. "We're just here for the Dragon Balls. You can look for a match after that."
"Hehehe, you're right," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"And we are going to find some," says Krillin, giving a thumbs up. "Right Bulma?"
She looks up, smiles, and nods.
"Uh oh," says Goku. "Do you guys feel that?"
Paleness takes over Krillin's face.
"Feel what?" he says. "Do you, uh, sense some Namekians?"
"Maybe…"
Krillin's face lights up.
"… but also a bunch of evil auras."
Krillin's face droops.
"They feel about half as strong as the first alien that came to Earth."
"No way! How many are there? I could probably only take on two or three."
"I won't lie, there's a lot of them. But Krillin, Gohan, remember the courage you showed during the battle with the Saiyans. If you can find that confidence again, you both can defeat several of these guys."
"You, you really think so, Dad?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay but I'd still like to avoid them," says Krillin.
"I don't think we have a choice. They are with the Nameks. Probably looking for the Dragon Balls too."
"Oh man."
"Don't worry Krillin," says Bulma. "We got this. Right?"
She smiles.
"Uh, yeah we do," says Krillin.
He smiles at her sudden optimism.
Bulma digs out a Capsule and throws it. A moped without wheels appears. She hops onto it. With the push of a button, it lifts a couple feet from the ground.
"So Goku, which way?"
Goku nods and takes a low flight with the others following.
"Oh," says Bulma, "and they probably have scouters, so you guys will have to keep your power levels down."
They weave through the valleys between the peaks. The closer they get, the more ki sources Krillin can sense. Each one adds a knot to his stomach.
"They're just over the next ridge," says Goku. "Let's land behind it. Gohan, push your power a little lower."
Gohan's face scrunches up as he tries to follow the command.
They follow him as he dips to land behind the last hill on the edge of what appears to be flatland with a village. Goku and Krillin peer around opposite sides of the boulder while Gohan peers over the top of it.
Krillin looks back at Bulma who stands beside Goku. He shifts his lips side to side before returning his attention to the situation.
A few dozen humanoids of various monstrous qualities wear armor just like the Saiyans. They shout at the Namekians who look fearful. Several of them lay on the ground, not moving. The most human looking of the soldiers stands with a foot on a child's back. The flesh colored horns growing from his head is all that distinguishes him from an Earthling. He points some kind of blaster worn like a gauntlet at the child's head. Most of the troopers wear these weapons.
Bound in chains and held by two soldiers, an adult Namekian with a single antenna watches helplessly at the sight.
"My name is Napple," says the human-like soldier. "And I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy."
He points to the chained Namekian.
"Our Namekian partner over there already told us where to find you. And he also told us about the Dragon Balls. So why don't you make this easy for everyone and tell us where they are."
No one says anything.
Napple lifts his foot and stomps it on the child. A pained squeal escapes him.
Goku and Krillin feel a surge in ki. They look up to Gohan who grits his teeth and clenches his fists.
"Gohan," says Krillin, "you need to keep your ki in check or we'll lose the element of surprise."
Gohan wants to follow the instruction. Fear of the enemy even tells him to, but an anger defies the logic. Seeing the helpless child beneath the boot of the oppressor fuels his rage.
A series of beeps go off. Krillin whips his head to the soldiers who all look at them as their scouters light up. Krillin swallows hard.
"So you guys were waiting for backup to save you," says Napple. "A few extra bodies isn't enough to stop us. Come on out, all of you!"
An aura bursts around Gohan as he takes flight from the boulder.
"Woah," says Goku. "Way to go son. You've already mastered flying."
Bulma jabs him in the side.
"Goku."
"Oh, right."
He races along the ground after his son.
Krillin pats the sides of his head a few times.
"Alright, here we go!"
He sweeps out wide forming a ki bolt in each hand. Napple takes aim at Gohan with the gauntlet blaster and fires a bullet. Krillin deflects it with his own blast clearing the way for Gohan.
Gohan slams a right hook into Napple's face. The strike knocks him into one of his allies. He swoops down to the Namekian child as the soldiers surround him.
Krillin freezes as a group of enemies moves to engage him.
Goku sprints for Gohan but meets opposition of his own. One member charges straight at him. Goku twists to the left to kick his right foot through the ankle of his aggressor. He plants the foot and spins on it so his left heel comes around and crushes the man's ribs. Goku springs from his right leg, swings it over the left one, and smashes the ball of his foot into the side of the enemy's head. The force ejects him from the battlegrounds. The others stop their approaches immediately.
"Who's next?" says Goku.
He watches all of the scouters light up and beep as he brings forth his passive ki. A growl escapes his throat as the energy releases from its dormant state.
The soldiers gawk as the numbers tick up faster than anything they have seen before. Heat radiates from the scouters and burns their ears as the processors overload.
"Unreal," says one of the soldiers. "This guy went from barely being on the radar to almost 10,000!"
"Who cares you idiot," says another. "There's more than enough of us to match that. Everyone, charge!"
Goku braces as two dozen men storm him.
Krillin outpaces the people ganging up on him, zipping between every physical and energy attack they throw. But there is no time to counterattack, and his stamina tires from the effort.
A foot catches him in the chin. A second one strikes his stomach. Kick after kick pummels Krillin as the gang punts him around. After the pain infuses every part of him, a numbness takes its place.
A piercing scream reaches his ear as he collapses to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees two soldiers approach Bulma. The army grunts smother him with stomping boots, flattening him to the dirt.
He watches Bulma backpedal from her assailants. His eyes shift to Goku and then Gohan hoping they can tend to her. Both of them are equally occupied fending off their own attackers.
A man with a crocodile face grabs Bulma by the wrist.
Anger blossoms deep within Krillin. His ki sprouts around him in a massive gust. The pulse rips off his attackers. He pushes up and takes flight. He holds a hand above his head. A sharp ringlet crawls up the arm to his palm.
"Kienzan!"
The plate sized disc soars forth. It cuts off the crocodile man's arm. Bulma falls to her back from the sudden release. The man attempts to scream, but Krillin's foot crushes his throat and chokes it away.
The beaked partner never gets the chance to react as Krillin punches him between the eyes, knocking him out cold.
"You okay Bulma?" he says, holding out an arm to help her up.
Instead of taking it, she grabs the severed arm and flips it so the gauntlet blaster is pointed at him.
Krillin shrieks and ducks. Bulma works her hand into the device and clicks the trigger button. A yellow bullet hits an incoming soldier in the chest.
"I guess that makes us even," she says, giving Krillin a wink. "This isn't my first adventure. I can handle things too."
Krillin laughs.
"I see that. How about you give me some cover fire then."
"You got it!"
Krillin engages the enemies in hand to hand combat while Bulma snipes at them from afar to catch anyone in his blind spot. Confidence swells in his body despite the odds against them.
Gohan stands over the young Namekian while lashing out at anyone who tries to move in. They advance and retreat trying to find an opening. Finally, one of the soldiers gets an arm around his neck from behind. He struggles but a blow to his gut from someone else knocks the breath out of his attempt. A furious beatdown follows with him unable to defend himself.
His internal organs push up against his throat threatening to spew forth. A green fist on the end of an elongated arm punches away the attacker. Gohan follows the arm all the way back to the Namekian prisoner who now stands free of his chains.
The Namekian's hand retracts and grabs hold of the soldier holding Gohan to pull the foe in. He rushes forward with his single antenna pulled back across his scalp. Just as they are about to collide, the Namekian delivers a kick to the off balance man, sending him over the crowd. He falls in next to Gohan.
"Thanks for saving me," says Gohan.
"Don't thank me yet," the Namekian says. "And if we don't make it, let's give them hell before we go."
"Yeah. My name's Gohan by the way."
"Call me Namekuji."
A replenishing warmth washes over Gohan. He looks behind him to find the Namekian child touching his back with his hands. A golden light ripples out from them.
"My name is Dende," says the boy. "It's not much, but I'll use my healing power to help."
Gohan smiles and nods.
Goku takes a boot to the gut and slides along the ground on his feet.
Man, there are just so many of them. I can't beat them all fast enough.
His eyes check his friends.
Looks like Gohan and Krillin won't last much longer either. I guess I have no choice.
His meridians swell with power, and his aura bursts forth as an inferno. A group of soldiers fall upon him as he powers up. The flaming aura suffocates from sight beneath the heap of bodies.
A roar grows from within as the bodies fly off one at a time. An explosion of red dispatches the rest of them all at once. Goku stands with clenched fists over his head and legs spread wide. His thundering scream deafens the battlefield.
Every single scouter in the vicinity joins the chorus of chirps as they attempt to read the growing power level. The numbers shoot up even faster than before. The scouter computers heat up from the intense workload. A few of them explode as the ceaseless rise in ki overwhelms their sensors. The shock and burn along with the loud bang injures their heads.
Krillin and Gohan both look at Goku in awe of the power he generates. Their foes dance as the ground beneath them shakes.
"Unreal," says Krillin. "Even the scouters can't measure his ki properly."
The group around Goku back up one shaky boot at a time.
"Who the hell is this guy? He's almost as strong as Vegeta," says a soldier.
Goku vanishes. They all swivel their heads wildly.
Shockwaves rush over them from all directions. Each time they turn to see their source, all they find is one of their comrades jettisoning from the ground with chunks of armor trailing after them. No sign of what clobbered them can be seen.
Goku blitzes around his opponents who appear to stand still. His muscles blazes with molten glass cutting them from within. Every punch and kick he delivers bruises his bones. He forces himself onward until none of his group remain standing.
He reappears in the center of the carnage. He heaves for air. Every remaining soldier stares at him. He raises his fists.
"Who's next?"
The power on their scouters tick down rapidly as they stand in stunned silence.
"Quick! Get him before he can power up again!"
The thugs surrounding Krillin and Gohan charge forth. Their scouters sound again. They all stop and look up.
"Another huge power level!" says one.
A scouter blows up, and its owner speaks.
"And this one is off the charts."
A Namekian races in from high above with an arm across his chest. He dives straight down and swings the arm. A wide arc of energy rips free and surges in size.
Most of the soldiers escape the main blast and obliteration from the explosion. However, the concussive wave rolls over their ranks, sending them all tumbling.
They stare from their dazed state. One of them scampers to his feet and bolts from the fight. The rest quickly follow. Even those already injured in battle limp away. They scramble over one another to get into their giant spacecraft that looks like a crab without pincers.
Goku watches the vehicle launch off. The legs retract into the hull of the ship, and it breaks from the atmosphere. He drops to his butt and leans back on his hands.
Gohan flies in and hugs his neck. In his enthusiasm, he fails to slow enough and spins around his father once.
"Wow dad! That was incredible."
"Yeah Goku," says Krillin, swooping in. "There were enough of them to make, like, two Vegetas."
"Thanks guys, but I kinda trashed my body doing that. Going to need some time to recover. Besides, you should be thanking the new guy for saving us. I was about to get swamped if it weren't for him."
They watch as the Namekians run to their savior and pat him on the chest and back. He does not return their smiles and waits for the praises and gratitude to subside.
Goku, Gohan, and Krillin approach as the crowd thins while Bulma comes out from behind the boulder.
"Halt!" says the savior, holding out hand.
Goku and the rest freeze in place as the swelling of ki alerts them to the danger.
"Woah, woah, woah," says Krillin. "We were just trying to help."
"You're not welcome here. Leave!"
Dende tugs at the edge of the champion's blue vest. It flaps open to reveal a bare chest beneath.
"It's okay Nail. They held off those goons before you showed up."
Nail grunts and lowers his arm.
"Don't be naive Dende."
He scowls at Goku.
"I'll let you live, but you will leave and never return."
"Uh, about that," says Krillin. "We could actually use a little help ourselves. We were wondering if you guys had any Dragon Balls."
The crowd gasps, and Nail's arm takes aim again along with a rise in his ki.
"So you are here to steal the Dragon Balls just like everyone else."
The Dragon Team shakes their heads.
"Naaaiiil!"
Nail turns to the sound of his name. A huge Namekian stands above all of them.
"I sense no evil in their hearts. Let them be."
"But Lord Guru."
"Silence."
The powerful warrior steps aside and bows his head. Dende and the others do the same. The crowd of Namekians parts as a set of shoulders rises above their heads. A huge member of their species sloshes forward inch by inch with an obese stomach that spills back and forth with every step. Gohan wonders if the momentum will push the big Namek off balance in either direction.
The robes hanging over the wide belly obscures the presence of his legs beneath. When he reaches the Dragon Team, he steadies himself and drops to a seated position. A deep thud shakes the ground.
A cough sends ripples through the fat, wrinkly face of the Namekian. He clears his throat and speaks.
"I sense a great sadness in your hearts. I do not know what pain has inspired you to seek us out, but it must be terrible to journey so far to find relief. Tell me, how do you know of the Dragon Balls."
"One of your kind used to live on our planet," says Bulma. "He gave us Dragon Balls."
"I see. But I'm afraid we cannot help you. Our Dragon Balls were lost many centuries ago. A catastrophe nearly destroyed the Planet Namek, and we fled from our home. The person who made it to your planet must have been a survivor from that time. What was his name?"
Goku, Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan lower their eyes. Their shoulders droop, and their heads sag.
"We don't know his name," says Bulma, "we just called him Kami. But he's gone now. We don't have Dragon Balls anymore."
"I understand this must be difficult news. If there was anything we could do, we would. Especially after your help today. I can offer you food and shelter for the evening, but in the morning, we must depart. It is not safe for us to remain here now that our location has been discovered. If you think of anything else you may need. Feel free to ask, and I'll do what I can."
The Dragon Team nods their solemn heads. Guru instructs an elder named Moori to lead them to the Namekian homes.
"Moori is my father," says Dende to Gohan. "He will make certain you are well taken care of."
Gohan offers a forced smile. No one else says a word as they follow Moori.
"Lord Guru," says Nail, after the Earthlings have left. "If you truly trust them, then maybe they can help us recover our Dragon Balls so we can take back our home and finally be at peace. All we've ever needed are some strong warriors to—"
Guru waves his hand to dismiss Nail's words.
"The Dragon Balls are not to be misused," he says. "I have learned that lesson all too well. They are better off without them. And so are we."
Nail flattens his lips. Anger bubbles in his blood.
"But Lord Guru, if we could use them just one more time to restore things to the way they used to be."
"It sounds like you are more concerned with Slug's fate and not that of our people. If you leave us, who will defend us from the next attack? Slug knew being champion demands sacrifice. I suggest you learn it too."
The anger boils to rage.
"Slug gave everything for you and the other elders despite your misuse of the Dragon Balls. We owe it to him to pay back his sacrifice."
"Enough! I will hear no more of this. Even in their absence, the Dragon Balls still plague our people. I will never use them again."
A gust of wind blows over Guru as Nail expands his aura and blasts off to the sky.
###
The Dragon Team stays in a large domed building that sits like a circus tent. Many arched entrances line the walls. They sit as a group near the center. The strange food they are offered insults their tastes, but they are too depressed to care. They do not look at one another because the feeling of loss and failure is plain on their faces.
As night settles in, Nail approaches them. Goku rises to his feet sensing a challenging aura from him.
"Come with me," says Nail. Goku attempts to respond, but Bulma cuts him off.
"What for? Are you kicking us out early?"
Nail chews his lip.
"No, but there are too many prying ears where we are now for me to explain," he says.
Bulma finally looks up with a quizzical expression. She pans her friends' faces. They nod and get up to follow Nail as he leads them from the building.
Dende runs up behind them calling Nail's name and pleading for them to slow down. Nail does not respond and keeps his eyes firmly fixed ahead.
"Dende, return to your home. It's late."
"But Nail. Where are you going? What if those goons come back? We need you."
"They won't. Now go."
Dende catches Nail and falls into stride with him.
"Where are you going? Is it for the village? Can I help?"
"No Dende. Go home."
Dende is quiet for a moment and loses momentum. A flare of courage lightens his step, and he catches back up.
"But this could be valuable training for me being a great champion like you. Please let me come."
Nail stops and glares at the Dende. Gohan recognizes the look of irritation and shivers. Apparently Dende is familiar with it too as he turns around.
Gohan speaks to him as he passes by.
"Don't worry. He'll come around. My mentor was the same way, but deep down he really cared about me. It was just hard for him to show it."
Dende offers a weak smile and continues back to the village.
"Now the other tagalong," says Nail. "Show yourself."
A Namekian with an injured antenna drops in from above.
"Namekuji," says Gohan. " What are you doing here?"
"Well it looked like maybe you guys were up to something important. I wanted to help if I could. This seemed like an opportunity to connect with my people after being isolated from them for so long."
Nail scoffs.
"Let me get to the point then. I want to recover the Dragon Balls. Doing so is going to be the most grueling endeavor you ever experience. I won't have time to save any stragglers. So can all of you hack it?"
They nod their heads.
"But are they really still out there?" Bulma says. "I thought the elder said they were lost."
"It's possible the previous set was destroyed in the cataclysm. But even if that's the case, there is a sacred idol which was left behind during our exodus from our home planet. If we can recover it…
"Then your elder can make the Dragon Balls again," says Goku. "Kami had an idol in the shape of Shenron. I saw him use it to restore Earth's Dragon Balls.
"Right."
Nail smiles for the first time.
"But why haven't you gone back for it yet?" says Bulma.
"Lord Guru fears for our safety and won't risk the lives of our warriors. I've always been willing to try but haven't had a group who would venture with me. But with your help, I finally have the opportunity to do it."
"And you're sure Lord Guru will help us when we bring the idol back?" says Bulma.
"I am certain of it."
Bulma looks at the others. Goku and Krillin shrug and nod.
"Okay," she says. "Let's go to Namek!"
Author's Note 3/11/2022: Thank you for reading my longest chapter yet. I didn't even realize it had so much detail until I was all done. I'm sure you have a pretty good idea of where this arc is heading now, but I promise I have a few surprises along the way. See you in the next chapter.