HOMELAND
Not a day into their trip, Krillin, the sole human, along with Piccolo, Raijin and Fujin have already figured out their routine. Given the tight spaces, considering the 3 fairly large Namekian warriors, it consists mostly of meditating, image training and a whole lot of discussion.
Topics vary, but a lot of it is Piccolo and his 2, umm, nephews? working through issues of their, or their parent's past. Krillin gets a ring side seat to much of this and there are some obvious hints that Piccolo's attempt to save Gohan was, perhaps not as altruistic as it would have been, had he been the boy's sole trainer. He was in fact, not the one to 1st step in the way. That honour fell to Railin.
It is during one such conversation when Piccolo suddenly gets up and walks over to the hastily installed storage locker packed with Hoi-Poi capsules of various contents. After examining the out-of-place looking locker for a while, he opens the lower door, revealing a stow away, complete with a small torch and a couple of books.
Being desperate to both help and maybe get out from under his slightly overbearing mother, Gohan has decided to come along for the ride. Being so close to Earth, Krillin floats the idea of turning around but seeing Gohan's reaction, instead suggests that if anyone asks, they didn't find him for several days.
The, now 5 of them, return to their meditation and image training, and Gohan can now participate in the discussions, instead of just listening to them.
On the trip they deal with the rebel ship much faster and then when running into Fake Namek, the presence of this trio-de-vert is enough to put the fake Namekians off so they quickly move on to their actual target.
So with the various Namekian's help, the Briefs family had managed to fix the ship in only a few days before both throwing themselves head into building the second, Capsule Corp ship. With the rebels and Fake Namek also handled in short order, they arrive on Namek well over a week ahead of schedule. Has Vegeta even made to to Frieza Planet 79 yet? If so, he is likely still chilling in his bacta tank.
Either way, Frieza is also at an earlier point in his quest for the Dragonballs. It takes them quite a while to get from one ball to the next, so while his original encounter with Krillin and Gohan was him collecting his 5th ball? from Dende's village, I think it's fair that he is much farther behind here. Lets say he has only 2 at this point, so the Radar doesn't highlight his efforts quite as dramatically.
When they arrive they quickly head towards the closest village, which, oh so conveniently, is Moori's. The Namekians there are mystified to meet 3 completely unknown brothers, with very strange names. Piccolo is a bit quiet, standing behind Gohan and Krillin, while Fujin and Raijin are having a great time meeting their long lost relatives.
After explaining things, they are quickly given the Dragonball and they head to what would have been Frieza's 4th target, the 3 star ball, was it? Ever the curious one, Dende, with Moori's permission, decides to accompany them on their quest. The familiar face will surely help expedite things. We will skip over the in-flight entertainment where Dende likely enquires all about them, their father and Piccolo's origins.
After they collect their second ball, Krillin pulls out the Radar to see where to go next. Dende is fascinated by the device but alarmed when they see 2 of the balls moving rapidly toward a 3rd. Well that's, that's odd. Why would anyone else be collecting the balls? Oh no, is it Vegeta? How could he have healed so fast?
SHOCK-AND-AWE
Reaching out to sense their recent adversary, they are hit instead by the full force of Frieza's 1st form, which dwarfs the other powers trailing along with him. That power is, is insane! And worse, it's about as pure and as unadulterated an evil as they've ever sensed. Even Piccolo, someone who has long prided himself in being the most Evillest of Demon Kings, is left speechless.
Perhaps that time with Gohan, his 2, umm, relatives and maybe even the other Z-Fighters has had some effect? Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves.
When Dende tentatively reaches out as well, he breaks down crying. He sensed the village disappearing, one by one as they are likely tortured, for what? The ball? This changes everything. They, they need to be careful. That power can clearly see the Dragonballs as well, as it had headed straight for that other one.
They head back to Moori's village to consider their next move when the 3 local warriors arrive, having heard of, or felt bad things happening. They know of only 1 person who might be able to help them in this and he is days away, guarding Elder Guru.
Knowing that they can't risk taking the Dragonballs there, 2 of the 3 new arrivals offer to carry the balls far away and keep moving, avoiding the enemy forces.
They take the 2 balls and fly off in different directions. Then the 3rd Warrior says that he will take them to meet, I guess the closest thing they have to a Guardian of Namek, their eldest of Elders and father of them all, Guru.
So, does Dende go with them? After sensing Frieza, I think he might want to. There has to be something they can do to face the purity of that evil. Anything.
The 7 of them are met at Guru's tower by the imposing Nail. He greets the Warrior and little Dende, then quickly assessing Fujin and Raijin, he greets them as well. With Piccolo, he is a bit more circumspect. There's a darkness about him. And these 2 short, fair skinned ones are interesting, if relatively harmless. An dark Namekian though? Not ever in their book of legends is there mention of a Namek with such a dark heart. We're going to ignore Lord Slug since movies aren't strictly cannon, so we can basically pick and choose.
They are shown inside and meet with Guru. Dende relays both their story and what he has sensed moving around on the planet. Guru has been aware of something dark as well but wasn't close enough to get a good read on him. Now, reading Dende, and then Fujin's mind, he is, for lack of a better term, sent into despair.
There is nothing on the planet that can combat the likes of that. Even Nail, for all his power, is nothing, in comparison. They need to make their wishes as quickly as possible to nullify the balls before whatever that thing is, gets what it wants. And they will need help, help that he can give, even though it may shorten his life span further.
The Z-Fighters are no doubt interested in the term "WishES".
POTENTIAL
Having read Fujin's mind, and thus knowing most of what Kami knows, about his past, Guru can see that ultimately, it was not Piccolo, or Kamicolo, or whatever you want to call him's fault. He was stranded on that world, filled with a people whose hearts are all over the place.
Their darkness had infected him, corrupted him. While their unified self could possibly have purged the evil another way, at the time there was no time, given Garlic manoeuvring to become guardian. While the darkness in this Piccolo's heart, was then passed on in the soul of his father, there was also, a softening around the edges.
Guru says that there may be a way to help cleanse some of Piccolo's soul. It would not remove the evil, just, sort of smother it, in a Guru's memories of the Namekian people. Piccolo isn't at all sure about this. It feels right but, he doesn't actually want to be changed, does he?
Does he want to risk his priorities changing with that sheer bulk of knowledge? He looks down at Gohan, who he is almost fond of, and then at Dende and he can see the mixture of awe and fear in the child's eyes. He also recalls Kami's other children Ryujin and Suijin.
He remembered wanting to despise them but instead feeling only that vague sense of kinship. His memories of his father's own children likely instilling some sense of, or desire for family. Finally Piccolo steps forward and undergoes the Namekian equivalent of a Mind Meld.
As he staggers away to process things in peace, Guru goes on to unlock the potential in first Fujin and Raijin before moving on to the 2 pale ones. Much to his surprise, Guru then beckons Dende forward to have his potential unlocked as well. The boy was right, these are dark times and they need all the help they can get. Having a healer on hand will be a great help.
The other, as yet unnamed Namekian warrior has unfortunately, already had his potential unlocked, so not much can be done there.
Piccolo finally returns from staring out at the wide, majestic vistas of his now vividly remembered home world. You're likely familiar with those beautifully slow panning shots that take up a good half to 2/3rds of an episode? Yeah, one of those.
He kneels down before Guru and the deed done, he is back on par with, if not slightly above the already considerable increases that his brothers received. That Mind Mend had imparted more than just memories. Certain techniques are now known to him. Juicy, maliciously abusable, but oh so forbidden techniques among them.
Nail and the other unnamed Namekian warrior, can we call him Sopra like in What If: Vegeta Spared Nappa? Great, lets do that. Nail and Sopra are just a little bit amazed at what the potential unlock is doing for this trio of Namekian warriors. How could they have that much potential hidden away inside them?
Guru can do the exposition on the child of Katas, that legendary Super Namekian that torn himself apart to form Kami, their father and Piccolo Daimao, his father, after a fashion.
VISITATION
Their conversation is brought to a halt when they sense an energy heading their way. If that's their normal operating level power, how high is it really? Those from Earth mention that the Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa, both, did not seem inclined to suppress their strength, so, if they're with them then, hopefully that's all there is to see.
They depart to intercept and are met, by not 1 but 2 powers. Zarbon and Dodoria have been dispatched to investigate some strange power spikes and maybe a Dragonball over thatta way.
They are entirely unprepared for what meets them. Having had a bit more time to acclimate, while Guru waxed lyrical about various topics, they are all much further toward their maximum unlocked potentials. At this point, even the likes of Krillin is currently almost as strong as Nail, who in turn, is easily twice as strong as Frieza's soon to be ex-favourite dogs bodies.
Krillin does the deed, knocking them both out, sending Dodoria over a nearby horizon moments before sending Zarbon to crater in the ground. Piccolo says that he should have killed him, like they should have killed Ve... huh, that, doesn't sit quite right with him. Maybe... no, no he should have killed them. They're a threat to the planet. But they're so weak, relatively speaking. Hardly any real threat at all.
Zarbon eventually wakes to find himself surrounded on all sides by these oddly confident Namekians and, and some not Namekians. What are they? These small, pale skinned ones. Wait, that small pale skinned one had almost casually taken both him and Dodoria down. Hmm, best to play it safe for now. Scouter's still on? Yup, and, yes, it's still transmitting. Lets see what he can get them to say.
Ah, uh huh, they are looking for the Dragonballs as well are they? Yes, yes, they have a collection of them do they? On a far away island in a big ocean? Yes, he could certainly find that on the map they made while in orbit. Oh, this is Perfect! Frieza's power is spiking and, yup, it's moving off rapidly. His lord will be so pleased he managed get this juicy information out of these blabbering id...
Zarbon never saw the green fist that knocked him out, then was held there for a moment, palm open, ready to fire. Damn it, Piccolo thinks to himself. He Knows he should kill the man but he just doesn't want to do it!
Nail sees Piccolo's frustration and can empathise. He feeling just a little bit out of his depth right now. First the news and then the feeling of that insanely powerful thing, then he got to watch as his impressive might was made so thoroughly mediocre.
Like this, he says, as he takes Zarbon by the cape and launches him over that same horizon that Dodoria flew over, almost an hour ago.
COLLECTION
Right so, everyone can feel that nasty one making a bee-line for the one big ocean right on the other side of the planet? Great, what does that Radar thing say? Is he taking his balls with him or? No? YES! It worked! Zarbon's scouter had done just what they'd hoped.
They then fly off on their own search. Nail contacts the 2 warrors who are busy flying around with their 1st 2 balls, then returns to Guru's side, having little more to add to the group. Krillin, Gohan and Dende head off with Guru's 1 star ball in one direction to pick up the remaining ball, while Piccolo, Fujin and Raijin head off in another to the now 3 balls left at Frieza's ship.
When they arrive, they are initially unsure how to deal with the ship's guards. Will killing them alert Frieza? No, he's almost 2/3rds of the way to that island. Surely the scouter wont work though that much solid planet. They they charge in, knocking the rank and file soldiers down and out of the way.
As they fly away from the relatively undamaged Frieza force ship, and the other group shake hands or whatever Namekians do, with that last ball's village elder, a small pod enters the Namekian system and a pudgy Samurai walks into Goku's hospital room with a bag of Senzu.