"Is it over?"

The question, asked by an elderly voice worn by the passage of time, yet also furtive from years of effective isolation, was posed from the cover of darkness to no one in particular, yet was nevertheless promptly received.

"Affirmative," a mechanical voice replied, echoing off the walls of the subterranean structure. "The alien pod exited the Earth's atmosphere three hours and twenty-seven minutes ago."

"Excellent. Has the analysis been completed?"

"Negative. Estimated time to completion: twenty-two hours."

"Oh, no rush. Based on the preliminary results, the model which I have-*cough*-designed already will be easily capable of handling Son Goku and company."

Suddenly, the shadowy figure's ruminations were interrupted by a high pitched beeping sound.

"Bio-samples from the two scenes of engagement have arrived."

The figure chuckled.

"Excellent. Now...let's see just what we can do with these, shall we?"

"You are certain?"

Kami asked Krillin the question, already expecting the answer, while Mr. Popo tended to the garden.

"Yes. M-Master Roshi said that when he looked into Vegeta's mind, he was thinking about something. An old legend he'd heard about a planet called Namek, that said that its people produced seven mystical spheres of immense power!" He took a breath as Kami nodded along before chuckling. "Yeah. Sounds familiar, huh?"

"Indeed," Kami said with a chuckle of his own. Meanwhile, Mr. Popo began forming an idea, and retreated into the central chamber.

Krillin watched him go, unsure what it was he was doing, while Kami continued. "To tell you the truth, when I was making the Dragon Balls all those years ago, I...I felt something. Sort of like...an ancestral memory. A connection to a distant home of which I knew nothing. Now...now it seems that I have even more answers regarding where I really came from."

"Course, it could be a pretty big problem for us if it turns out Vegeta's alive," Krillin responded. "Only one pod was recovered-the other was reported to have flown off for some reason. Seems pretty likely that he survived, at least long enough to call his pod and get into it."

"Yes...if you are correct, then it means great trouble for the people of this 'Namek,'" Kami mused. "I wonder...if age hasn't overtaken it, that human girl-Bulma, was it?-might be able to-"

Suddenly, the two were interrupted by a high pitched whine as Mr. Popo appeared before them on a flying carpet.

"Kami!" He exclaimed, evidently excited about something. "It's still operational!"

Krillin cocked his head in confusion while Kami beamed. "Excellent! Go meet with Bulma immediately-she should be able to have it relocated to a more suitable launch site."

"Yes, sir!" And with that, he disappeared once more.

"...Huh," Krillin said, after a moment of silence. "That, uh...that's one handy trinket you got there."

Kami simply chuckled. "The inhabitants of Other World possess many such 'trinkets.'"

"Well, you gonna tell me what he was talking about?"

"A ship. One likely capable of traveling many times faster than the speed of light. It was the ship which Mr. Popo believes had brought me-or, rather, the entity I used to be-to this planet as an infant."

"Wait a second-you know you're an alien?"

Kami looked at Krillin, surprised. "Why, yes, for some time now. Because really, in retrospect-"

"Then why didn't Piccolo know he was an alien when the Saiyans brought it up?"

"I only learned of it after the first incident with King Piccolo was resolved. Mr. Popo discovered my ship while looking for plants to put in his garden, but couldn't figure out how it worked. I had long held suspicions that I was not of this world, but only when he informed me of the ship's existence did I truly know for certain."

"So because you didn't know when you split up with King Piccolo, then Piccolo didn't know either?"

"Correct. And, from there, it simply didn't seem all that important," he said simply before continuing. "Anyway, I'm not typically allowed to leave the Lookout unless in the event of an emergency, so I sent Mr. Popo to study it. Eventually, I told him to say the...I suppose, 'Namekian' word for 'open,' and lo and behold, it did."

Krillin's eyes widened slightly. "Ohhh, so that's what you and Piccolo were speaking at the 23rd Tournament! I always wondered about that." He then paused before confusion set in once more. "Wait, but if he didn't know he was an alien, how did he know your people's language?!"

"It would seem that that was another ancestral memory that the being we once were possessed, even as an infant, and which Piccolo inherited from his father."

"Huh. ...Weird."

"In any event, it was easy to deduce that the ship operated based on voice command, but without knowing what my planet was called or what was out there, I couldn't order Mr. Popo to attempt to go. So, it's just been sitting there. Waiting, I suppose, for an occasion like this, in which it would be crucial."

"Yeah..." Krillin said as he thought it over. "Well, I should probably go inform the others. Between bringing in Goku and finding Piccolo, I never really had the time to-"

Without warning, Kami gasped in pain and was left staggered, nearly falling to the floor. Krillin rushed to his side.

"Kami! What's going-?" He began before Kami clutched his wrist, whether out of a desire for support or fear, he wasn't sure.

"He's...he's back," he muttered, to Krillin's confusion. "I don't know how he managed it, but he's back!"

"Who's back?"

As Kami's breathing stabilized, he let go of Krillin's wrist and got up to his feet. "Let me explain," he said before taking a deep breath. "When King Piccolo created Piccolo Junior, his reincarnation, he didn't just pass on his memories. He passed on his very consciousness into the mind of the developing child, intermixing alongside Junior's own. For the first three years of life, this leftover consciousness was strong within him, guiding him on a path towards evil and revenge against Son Goku. But after his defeat, and at an accelerated rate following his battle with the Saiyans and bonding with his young son, that consciousness had grown considerably weaker while the other-the Piccolo we know-matured and grew stronger. I thought that King Piccolo as a separate entity within him was nearly extinguished, and yet...now it seems he's taken over."

"And with the kind of crazy strength he has now..."

"He will surely kill Son Goku, and everyone else on this world, with ease."

Krillin's eyes widened in fear before he frantically reached out with his senses. Surprisingly, it took him far less time than usual to track down Piccolo's energy, which he could already tell was increasing with every second on course to the hospital. Kami touched his shoulder.

"Krillin," he said simply. "If there truly is no hope of saving him...I trust you will not hesitate to do what must be done."

Krillin looked up at Kami with a look of shock, which then morphed into a quiet sadness. After steeling himself, he nodded solemnly. Without another word, Krillin kicked off of the Lookout and took flight as fast as he could, hoping against hope that he could make it in time.

Ironically enough, it was the smell of chicken being served at a restaurant across the street wafting through the opened window which finally roused Goku from his unconscious state.

"Ah, good. You're awake. I was worried I wouldn't get to see the look in your eyes."

He did his best to look around the room and pinpoint the source of the voice while his vision came back into focus, eventually spotting a green blur concealed by the darkness.

"Piccolo...?" He muttered weakly, still fading in and out.

"Hm. In a manner of speaking."

"You...sound different."

"Do I? Interesting."

As his vision returned, he got a better look at the figure sitting right in front of his bed, and quickly noticed the shape of his eyes. No longer calculating and proud, but ruthless and cold. The eyes of an entity born of pure evil, with nothing within them but the impulse to destroy. He'd only seen such eyes a handful of times in his life, and combined with the particular manner in which Piccolo carried himself, his eyes soon widened in recognition.

"You..."

"Ah! So you recognize me? Your intellect is as sharp as ever, Son Goku."

"How...?"

"Sshhhhh," Piccolo silenced him as he got out of the chair. "Please, no more talking. Your voice is so irritating, even when you're barely conscious. Besides...I wouldn't want anything to spoil the moment."

"Where is-?"

"Oh, my son isn't available right now, although believe me, he'd like nothing more than to speak with you," Piccolo said softly as he lifted up a finger. "Unfortunately, I'm far too busy to allow that. I've got a lot on my plate. At the top of the list, well...I'm sure even you can piece it together."

His finger began to glow with a highly concentrated mass of yellow ki, while Goku tried in vain to move in spite of his injuries.

"At last," Piccolo mused. "After nine long years...my revenge is at hand."

Goku winced instinctively as the finger beam reached its apex, before a sudden crash, a cry of shock, and a burst of energy caused him to widen his eyes in surprise. Before he could observe anything else, however, he drifted off to sleep once more, his earlier efforts at moving having drained what energy he could muster.

Piccolo crashed through the wall and out of the building, tumbling towards the ground for a few seconds before he canceled his momentum with the power of flight. As nighttime traffic continued below him, he looked into the eyes of his attacker before breaking his hold with a blast from his eyes, followed by a swift kick to knock him backwards.

Krillin hovered a few feet in front of him, slightly damaged by the Demon King's attacks.

"Tch. I wasn't expecting you to grow wise to it so soon. But no matter-I can make the time to kill you before getting back to Son Goku, if that is your wish. We both know you're the only one of them even remotely capable of stopping me-and that my power far exceeds yours."

Despite his anxiety, Krillin forced a somewhat wobbly smirk. "You think so, huh?" he replied, as confidently as he could manage. "We'll see about that." He hovered in place for a second as he began to gather ki, entering into his Max Power state and charging Piccolo.

"Ah. So that's his plan. Well, no matter-the speed decrease from that state should allow me to easily-" Piccolo's thoughts were interrupted by a powerful right hook to his jaw which sent him flying down several city blocks. Before he could react, Krillin flew to meet him and landed a series of powerful blows all throughout his body, each one intended to take him closer and closer to the forest which surrounded the city. As they approached the city limits, Krillin attempted to finish the combination with a powerful swing, but found his strike blocked by the Namekian warrior at the last second with noticeable exertion. Krillin flew back a pace before trying several other angles of attack, only to find each one blocked.

"Damn it! I didn't think his strength was increasing that fast! I've got to end this now!"

As he thought this however, he noticed that Piccolo was locked in concentration, gathering his energy as he looked towards the buildings behind Krillin with a perverse anticipation.

"MASENKO...!"

Upon hearing the word, Krillin hastily drew his hands together and charged up as much energy as he could.

"HAAA!"

Krillin's ki blast only barely managed to meet Piccolo's own, and the entire city shook with the resulting explosion. When the smoke cleared, the buildings behind Krillin were relatively intact minus some slight fracturing, while Krillin himself was left bleeding in several places, and forced to return to his normal form.

"Just...as I thought," Piccolo said, with some exertion of his own. "You may still be more powerful than I am currently...but your sentiment towards your fellow lower creatures makes you weak...and easily exploited."

Piccolo drew two fingers to his forehead and began to charge up a Special Beam Cannon. Krillin grit his teeth and reentered the Max Power form, ignoring the scream of pain all throughout his body as he prepared to counter. However, just as Piccolo was about to fire, the two were distracted by a third voice added to the engagement.

"Masenko-HA!"

Suddenly, a bright yellow blast of ki collided with Piccolo's face, breaking his concentration and staggering him in spite of its relative weakness. He turned towards the source of the attack, only to find Gohan barely managing to fly, one arm in a cast and bandages wrapped around his head. After a few seconds of panting, the boy began to plummet towards the ground.

Piccolo found himself trying to fly towards him against his will, and hastily corrected himself.

"No! The boy...must die!"

He flew forward once more, then was stopped again.

"Son Goku's bloodline...must be erased!"

Meanwhile, Krillin had immediately taken off as fast as he could manage, exiting the Max Power state and rushing towards Gohan, only barely managing to catch him before he hit the ground.

"The boy...no...stop this, you-!"

Krillin looked up as Piccolo hastily charged up an attack, only to jerk his arm away and fire it into the forest. He snarled furiously.

"You will not...prevent me...from obtaining my revenge!"

Krillin's eyes widened as he gently set Gohan down to the ground. "Could it be...?"

Piccolo growled in anger and drew his hands to his face, as if he were suffering major head trauma. "I've...waited too...long-No! I won't let you-! Stop this now, you sentimental-!"

The Namekian's argument was interrupted by an uppercut from Krillin, followed by a rapid flurry of punches and kicks at the off-guard warrior.

"No! I...cannot...lose!" Piccolo got out before a roundhouse kick from Krillin knocked him into the ground. As he struggled to get back up, Krillin swiftly landed another kick on the back of his head, leaving him barely conscious.

"Krillin!"

Krillin turned around, recognizing the voice as belonging to Yamcha, who he could see had hastily flown to his position.

"Yamcha! How did you-?"

"Throwing around energy blasts like that? Hard not to sense," Yamcha replied. "Plus, Bad Launch called us from Kame House. Oolong told me she said something about Piccolo attacking her, but by the time he picked up, you burst in and punted Piccolo through the window. Woke me up right away, heh heh." He staggered slightly as he landed onto the ground next to Krillin, evidently still in bad shape.

"You sure you should be fighting so soon?"

"Hey, it's not like the bad guys ever pick a convenient time to put the whole world at stake," Yamcha replied. "Speaking of whom..." he began charging up a Spirit Ball, only to be held off by Krillin.

"Just give him a second."

"What-Krillin! He just tried to kill you and Goku! Why-?"

"Look, it's a long story, but the gist of it is that King Piccolo is in our Piccolo's head and has somehow gained control over his body. But if I'm right..."

Piccolo drew his hands to his head once more as he shakily got back up to his knees, then lifted himself off the ground for a split second before coming back down, all the while screaming in agony. After ten seconds of this, he drew his head back and let out one final scream before falling onto his back, exhausted. As Krillin took a cautious step towards him, he could notice one slight detail: his eyes, no longer malignant and cruel, had returned to their look of quiet intensity-eyes reflective of the proud warrior they had slowly come to know. These eyes then came to focus on the forms of Krillin and Yamcha hovering over Piccolo's prone body.

"His voice...it is...silent within me," he muttered weakly as he glanced over at Gohan. A slight look of relief played across his features as he could continue to sense the boy's energy.

Krillin sighed in relief. "Yamcha...go and take Gohan back to the hospital. You both need to rest."

"What about you?" Yamcha asked.

"...I feel like it's about time Piccolo and his 'uncle' had a little chat," Krillin replied cryptically, lifting Piccolo up by his shoulders as he continued to drift in and out of consciousness. He lifted up off the ground and flew to Kami's Lookout as fast as he could manage.

"Yes...it is as he says."

Kami gazed into Piccolo's eyes as soon as he had regained consciousness, a gaze which seemed to peer directly into his soul.

"There are some slight fragments remaining-emotions and impulses from the other consciousness which will likely continue to influence his actions for the remainder of his life. But they shall do only that-influence. The distinct consciousness of King Piccolo has been completely submerged by Piccolo's own mind. The circumstances of this long night...shall never come to pass again."

Piccolo scoffed. "I could've told you as much without being dragged halfway across the planet."

"You did almost kill him and his friends an hour ago. It's understandable that he would want to verify your claim."

"Tch!" Piccolo walked off with his arms crossed.

"Closed off as ever, I see," Kami quipped. "But...I no longer sense any truly malevolent intentions from you." Piccolo simply remained there while Krillin listened, fascinated. "You are certainly still ready and willing to kill anything perceived as a threat, and your continual indifference for most sentient beings is certainly something you could work on. But...there is a spark of goodness within you. I must admit, I am curious to see how that spark will develop."

Piccolo scoffed louder, as if he was insulted by the mere notion. Kami simply chuckled.

"In any event, Mr. Popo came by with your young friend a few minutes after you left, and again some time before you arrived." Mr. Popo smiled slightly at the acknowledgement, having just returned Bulma to her home at Capsule Corporation. "They recently tested the ship's functionality-apparently it can travel from here to the planet Jupiter in less than a minute. Of course, we still have no idea how far away Namek is, but I imagine it won't take too long after the girl has finished modifying the ship's language banks."

"With luck, you may even arrive fast enough to-" Mr. Popo began, but silenced himself when Kami glanced at him sternly. Krillin cocked his head in confusion, before understanding dawned.

"Oh, yeah! We could use the Dragon Balls on Namek to restore you to your youth! Or make you immortal! Then the Dragon Balls here would still be around, and you and Piccolo wouldn't have to die!"

"And your friends Chiaotzu and Master Roshi would be condemned to remain in Other World for the period of one Namekian year, not to mention all of the innocents of East City. Assuming, of course, that you even obtain these Namekian Dragon Balls."

"But sir-!"

"Enough," Kami replied, forcefully. "I will not be so selfish as to put my own dilemma ahead of so many innocent lives. Understand, you two: if you manage to gather the Namekian Dragon Balls, reviving all those killed by the Saiyans will be your top priority. Is that clear?"

"...Yes, sir," Krillin replied. Piccolo simply growled.

"Piccolo..."

"Alright, fine! Top priority. Got it."

Kami looked into Piccolo's eyes once more before turning to Krillin again.

"Well, enough about all of that. Mr. Popo will take you back to the hospital and have you treated for your injuries." Krillin nodded and turned towards Mr. Popo. Mr. Popo took Krillin's hand as he led him onto his magic carpet, the two of them quickly disappearing en route to the hospital.

When he was certain they were gone, Kami turned to Piccolo.

"Tell me, Piccolo. What was it that drove your father to take control once more, beyond his own revenge?"

Piccolo was evidently reluctant to answer, but took a deep breath and responded. "He mentioned something about...merging with you. To become the being that you once were, and thereby avoiding the matter of your death. Then, he would use this new entity's immense power to subjugate the Earth."

"Hm..." Kami furrowed his brow in intense thought, drawing a curious look from Piccolo.

"Wait a minute...are you suggesting-?"

"It's faint, but...I believe that the entity we once were was aware of a method to fuse two separate beings together into a single composite, one participant being the physical model for this being while the other's mind and body was absorbed. Truthfully, I had considered it as a last resort during your father's reign of terror, but I did not know enough about it to safely proceed, knowing the strength of his evil nature. I am not aware of the precise technique involved, but I do know this: the power resulting from such a technique would be exponentially greater than that of either participant." He became lost in thought once more. "I wonder...now that his mind is no longer within you..."

Piccolo took a step back in shock. "Don't tell me-!"

"True, it would likely result in the destruction of the Dragon Balls of Earth, and effectively end my own life, but it would provide you with immense power, and allow you to live, no longer dependent upon our life link for survival. You could serve as a true Guardian of this planet-a capacity of which I am now hardly capable."

Piccolo seemed to think this over for a second. "...My personality would remain intact?"

"I...am not sure. It is possible that our minds could merge as a result of such a fusion, or that yours would simply supplant my own."

Piccolo mulled over this for much longer. "Hmph. I wish not to serve as the official Guardian of this world. Seems far too restrictive. And tedious."

"You may appoint a successor, if you so wish. The important thing is that you-and, perhaps by proxy, me-would be in a much better position to defend this planet from future threats. Taking your father's physiology into account, there may even be the possibility that you, like him, possess eternal youth. You could be in your physical prime for the entirety of your life, unhampered by my frailty."

Piccolo stared wide-eyed into space, processing everything that Kami had said. Eventually, he answered with a remarkably uncharacteristic response.

"I...I need time. Time to...consider the possibilities."

Kami nodded. "I'd say 'take as much as you need,' but then again...neither of us has too much left."

Piccolo didn't hear him, his mind lost in thought as he leaped off the Lookout and took off into the night sky. Kami watched him go, wondering if perhaps he was wrong for even considering the possibility, and mulling over the potential risks.

"Still...at first, I had never considered it. But now, with his father's soul virtually gone...now I may yet have the chance to be of some use to this world...even if it is at the cost of myself."

With that, he turned back towards the Lookout's central chamber just as Mr. Popo returned, left to think over his own options as he felt his own strength slowly abandoning him.

Elsewhere, millions upon millions of miles away, a large set of doors slid open as several figures walked down a pink pastel-colored hall-a shorter figure accompanied by two others. To his left, Dodoria, a man with a large, round figure, pink skin, and a bulbous head, sneered. To his right, Zarbon, a teal-skinned, green haired man with yellow eyes and several pieces of jewelry, held a more stoic expression. The short figure, despite only reaching to either man's shoulders in height, was the main source of apprehension among various other aliens within the room, who promptly turned back to their computer monitors and looked as busy as they could manage.

The short figure looked upon them all with indifference, and a hint of amusement, until he found the one who had summoned him here: a purple alien with a remarkably long cranium and yellow spots.

"What is it, Appule?" Frieza, ruler of most of the known galaxy, remarked with annoyance.

"Ah, yes, Lord Frieza! Please, do forgive me for the interruption, but we were just reviewing Nappa and Raditz's scouter logs, as you had requested after they failed to arrive at Frieza Planet 57 three months ago."

Frieza nodded, his boredom evident. "Okay. And?"

Appule replied, trying his best not to anger his lord. "After a year of scouter silence, we finally received several hours of auditory transmissions from Nappa's scouter. Judging from the telemetry, we believe it came from a world called 'Earth,' a pending acquisition. Raditz visited it a year prior, judging by what we were able to recover."

"And this matters why?"

As Frieza asked this, Appule hesitated. On the one hand, he knew the price for angering Frieza, as well as his own precarious standing. One mistake could easily disintegrate him and all of his people into nothing but ashes. But on the other hand, if the information in Nappa's scouter log was accurate...it could prove catastrophic for the entire universe.

Frieza noticed his hesitation and took a step forward. "Will you answer my question, Mister Appule?"

Frieza's glare broke apart Appule's rebellious thoughts. "L-listen to this, sire!" With that, he pressed a button, and the scouter log began to play back.

"They're going to use the Dragon Balls to become immortal," they heard an unknown man, evidently aged, answer matter-of-factly. The term 'Dragon Balls' brought up some murmurs from the soldiers. Most, after all, had heard the legend of the Namekian power spheres, and their miraculous effects, but had dismissed it as nothing more than a fairy tale. "After they've got that settled, they've toyed with the notion of subjugating this planet and its people, using the Earth as a breeding camp in order to rebuild the population of the Saiyan race, although this 'Prince Vegeta' person has expressed doubts on the plan. He wants to become immortal so that he can become capable of defeating a galactic tyrant by the name of 'Frieza,' thus allowing him to rule over the entire universe for all eternity."

When the old man had concluded and the recording ended, Frieza and his attendants looked on in disbelief along with his soldiers. Some muttered regarding their surprise that Vegeta would take such a step, while others pitied his foolishness.

"T-that's all we could recover, Lord Frieza. After that, Nappa's scouter stopped transmitting. The only response we've gotten since then was an automated communication from Vegeta's Attack Ball, informing Frieza Planet 79 of his imminent arrival. We can infer from this that Vegeta has been critically injured, perhaps near death." This set off the soldiers' speculation once more, but Frieza silenced them all with a raised hand and pondered to himself for a minute before chuckling.

"Oh ho ho ho! You've obtained a rather significant piece of information, Appule!" Frieza said, an evil grin moving across his features.

"T-thank you, my Lord!" Appule replied, already regretting his decision.

"So...evidence of the power spheres' existence has finally made itself known. And under the prospect of immortality, no less! That definitely seems worth a look-see, don't you think?" he addressed to Dodoria and Zarbon, who both nodded their heads in agreement. "I thought so. Well, then...helmsman!" He suddenly pointed to a crocodile-like alien sitting at the helm controls. "Alter our course! By my decree, we shall waste no time in heading for Planet Namek at once!"

"Y-yes, sire!" he replied, hurriedly typing in the coordinates and making note of the month-long ETA. Meanwhile, Zarbon voiced the unstated concern among the troops.

"Um, my Lord?" he asked, unusually restrained. "What is to be done with Vegeta?"

"Hm?" Frieza queried, his mind elsewhere. "Oh. Well, obviously he must be killed, assuming his injuries don't do it for us. I will not tolerate such acts of rebellion from my staff-the sheer nerve of wishing to overthrow me is inexcusable."

"Still, he may be a valuable source of information on these 'Dragon Balls,'" Zarbon pointed out, causing Frieza to slowly nod in acknowledgement.

"He may very well be dead, but one can never leave things to chance when it comes to Saiyans," Dodoria replied. "Learned that lesson back before they all got wiped out."

"My thoughts exactly, Mister Dodoria. Now, Mister Zarbon, make arrangements to have Vegeta's pod...intercepted at Frieza Planet 79. Instruct the staff there to revive him if he can be saved. If he does not cooperate, he must be killed immediately."

"Yes, sir!" Zarbon responded before pausing once more. "Who do you wish for me to send? Shall I contact the Ginyu Force?"

Frieza pondered this before shaking his head. "No, no-no need to trouble them with a small fry like Vegeta."

"Well, if they ain't available, I'd be happy to take him out," Dodoria said with a chuckle.

"As much as I admire your enthusiasm, Mister Dodoria, I'm afraid I will need you and Zarbon by my side. These Namekians are rumored to possess all sorts of supernatural abilities beyond the scope of my ordinary soldiers."

Dodoria nodded after a few seconds, obviously displeased. Frieza thought for a moment before arriving at an answer. "Ah, yes! Cui! He and Vegeta have been bitter rivals for years! What better person to kill him? Plus, at last report, he was already on Frieza Planet 79!"

"Tch," Dodoria replied in response. "He don't realize how lucky he is, finally getting to wipe the smug grin off that dumb monkey's face."

"Sir, if I may?" Zarbon interjected. "Cui's power level is precisely equal to that of Vegeta's. It may be risky sending him alone, even considering the personnel we have on that planet already."

"Not to mention that whole 'Power Ball' trick of his," Dodoria added.

"Hm...fair point. Luckily, I have just the two soldiers to send after him. I will inform Cui of their arrival later."

With this task completed, Frieza smiled, already envisioning a world in which he could freely rule the universe for all time.

"Yeeesssss. No one-no one-to check my expansion! No mythical genies, no Gods of Destruction, and certainly no Super Saiyans will stop me now!"

With a subdued laugh which only barely held in his utter glee, the ship engaged its FTL drive and began racing towards the distant Planet Namek.

And with that, our Saiyan Saga comes to a close! Sorry if you were perhaps expecting more from the whole Piccolo situation, but then again, we do have the prospect of him fusing early, so that's something. Also, a more detailed look at some other events going on behind the scenes, including the set up for the next arc of our story: the journey to Namek! But with no Fake Namek. Moving on.

Anyway, I kinda went back and forth on how I wanted Piccolo to respond to the offer, as whether or not he did could have pretty big ramifications. But, for now, I'm kinda kicking that down the curb. We'll get our answer soon enough.

In the meantime, no questions, so we'll skip that.

And now, power levels:

Piccolo(possessed): 1,500 and rising.

Piccolo(possessed, Masenko): 2,600

Gohan(Masenko, weakened): 300

Kami: About 400