Advancing Towards Planet Namek

"Namekian?"

"I only learned today that I'm a being from space... No wonder I've always been different from others..." Kami's expression was grave as he spoke.

"Kami..." Mr. Popo looked at Kami as he said this.

"When I created the Dragon Balls long ago, there was a sense of familiarity... Could it be that in my distant homeland, someone else had made something like this?... It was the memories of my ancestors that made me..." Kami murmured.

"That's right, Kami's homeland is the distant planet Namek. Several hundred years ago, a drastic climate change occurred on Namek. Kami's parents sent him to Earth, but they themselves didn't make it in time..." Krillin said slowly.

Kami continued: "I grew up in the Saiton Highlands. There was a house there, and in it, a letter that said, 'I'll be there soon, wait for me!' So I believed my parents would surely come... But I waited for a very, very long time... It was miserable... There was no food there... I kept waiting... For about twenty years! No, thirty... In the end, I gave up. I left Saiton, left that house..."

"Heh, thinking back now... That house was a bit strange!" Kami revealed a relaxed smile, the confusion that had plagued him for centuries finally cleared.

"That house was the spaceship Kami used to come to Earth," Krillin explained.

"I wonder what's become of Namek, after all, it's been centuries since I left..." Kami spoke with longing for Namek, for his homeland.

When a person grows old, the desire to return to one's roots becomes exceptionally strong—especially for a homeland that had only ever existed in Kami's dreams. As a true descendant of the Yellow Emperor, Krillin could deeply understand Kami's feelings at this moment.

"Kami, do you remember how I mentioned before that Korin and I were planning to leave Earth? And with Earth's current technology, it's hard to build a spaceship capable of interstellar travel, so the ship I rode as a child is the best choice," Krillin said slowly to Kami.

Hmm, Kami nodded.

"Kami, why don't you come with me? Let's go to Namek."

When Kami heard Krillin's words, light shone in his eyes, but it quickly dimmed as he shook his head and said, "As the Guardian of Earth, I have the responsibility and the duty to protect it. I shouldn't abandon my post without permission."

"It's fine, Kami. With Mr. Popo here, Earth can be fully protected," Mr. Popo quickly said to Kami.

"That's right, with Mr. Popo here, it's no problem. And isn't Goku there for the next generation? Don't worry about it," Krillin seized the moment to add.

Kami hesitated. Should he go or not?

Krillin struck again: "The ship is fast. A round trip won't take more than a few days."

Once Porunga granted the wish, he probably wouldn't need the ship anymore.

Kami grew even more uncertain. Namek? An illusion seemed to appear before Kami's eyes. He reached out to grasp it, but it dissipated like a flower in a mirror. After pondering for a long time, Kami said, "Fine!"

"Kami feels some guilt. Because of King Piccolo, the world suffered a calamity. Now... I'm probably an unworthy Guardian," Kami muttered to himself.

"Kami, you've done exceptionally well. Don't be too hard on yourself," Krillin comforted him.

Kami waved his hand, signaling Krillin not to say more.

Krillin swallowed the words he was about to speak.

"Now let's go to the Saiton Highlands to retrieve the ship. After all these years, I wonder if it's broken down," Krillin said, vaguely recalling that the ship had been repaired.

Mr. Popo had already brought out the Flying Carpet. He said to Kami and Krillin, "Please come aboard. The Saiton Highlands are a bit far, but riding Mr. Popo's Flying Carpet will get us there quickly."

Krillin and Kami nodded and stepped onto the Flying Carpet.

Mr. Popo chanted a spell, and suddenly the surroundings changed drastically. The wind howled past Krillin's ears... "Holy shit!" Krillin screamed inwardly at the ruthlessness. Instant Transmission—as an essential skill for fighting and escaping—he absolutely had to learn it.

"We're here. We can go down now," Mr. Popo said slowly.

"Right here. It's just ahead," Kami said, his face full of memories—though they were painful ones.

The house was round, with four legs, like some kind of beetle...

"Definitely the unique architectural style of the Namekians," Krillin thought to himself.

As the group walked forward.

Kami spoke to himself: "No doorknob, no lock. Just say one word and it opens..."

"Piccolo—meaning 'different world.'" Krillin still remembered that.

Kami softly uttered, "Piccolo." The ship's underside lowered, and everyone stepped onto it, like an elevator. Krillin and Kami were lifted into the ship's interior.

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to pilot the ship," Kami said helplessly.

Krillin grinned. "No need to pilot it. It's fully voice-activated, but you have to use the Namekian language—the one you and Piccolo spoke at the Martial Arts Tournament."

Kami's face lit up with sudden realization. He really was dumb!

"Kami, say 'fly to the Sacred Temple.'"

Kami nodded. "&%&&#%^"

Well... foreign languages really were...

The control panel displayed a string of characters.

"It says 'understood.'"

As the words were spoken, they had already landed atop the Sacred Temple in an instant.

Krillin and Kami couldn't help but rejoice. Krillin: "The ship is perfectly intact." Kami: "I can return to my homeland."

The group stepped out. Krillin said to Kami, "Teach me a few simple Namekian phrases."

No matter how hard a foreign language was, he had to learn it—that was the reality, no way around it. Krillin let out a deep sigh.

Kami: "&...%%...&"

After a long while, "We'll set out tomorrow. Before that, we need to make some preparations—at least stock up on food and set up a shower room in the ship..."

Kami said, "I photosynthesize..."

On Mount Paozu...

"Goku, you really can't come. I can't take you with me to train in the universe. Look, Chi-Chi is about to give birth—you need to take good care of her..." Krillin explained earnestly to Goku.

Before leaving Earth, he had to come talk to Goku. Once he was gone, Earth's protection would fall to Goku during this time.

When Goku heard the name Chi-Chi, he froze for a moment and stopped insisting on going to the universe. Looks like his teaching had some effect after all—Krillin couldn't help but give himself a mental pat on the back. Chi-Chi was a good woman; marrying Goku had been a bit of a raw deal for her. Goku had never lifted a finger around the house, and Chi-Chi had raised the kids all on her own. Faced with reality, she had transformed from a gentle girl into a nagging woman, always pushing Gohan to become a great scholar, afraid he'd follow in Goku's footsteps...

He had no idea when he'd be back from the universe. It was time to secure a future for Goku's family. Letting Chi-Chi work at the Haidilao Group, giving her 20% of his 49% annual dividends—that should be enough. Krillin still believed money was just for spending; to him, it was dirt.

"Goku, in a couple of years, when the kid's a bit older, let Chi-Chi go work at the Haidilao Group. I'll have a word with Lanqi."

"Haidilao Group?" Goku asked with a blank, innocent look.

Krillin slapped his forehead. "Forget it, I'm wasting my breath. I'll talk to Chi-Chi myself."

July 1st, Era 756.

"Kami, ready to go!"

Popo wiped his tears and waved goodbye to Kami, making it feel like a farewell for life and death.

The two boarded the spaceship. Kami was a little excited too—after all, he was finally going back to his homeland.

Krillin spoke to the console: "Set course for Planet Namek."

"Ding, understood. Estimated time: five days."

The spaceship shot off into the sky with a sudden burst.

On Korin Tower, Korin and Fanyu waved at the departing ship. Korin muttered quietly, "How strong will you be when you come back next time?"

Far away in Yunzabit Heights, Piccolo felt Kami leave Earth and snarled, "Old man, what are you up to now!" He glanced up at the sky.

Krillin stared at the receding blue planet outside the window and silently clenched his fist. "Wait for me, Android 18. I'll be back soon."

The Earth arc is over for now. Krillin has successfully stepped into the universe. The story won't be as uneventful as before, because the beginning was just Earth's transition period, and Krillin is using this time to rise.

Thanks to My Handsomeness Goes Unnoticed, Greed, Bamboo Leaf, Qinghua, Invincible, Names Are But Clouds, and Reader 2018—all you big shots for the recommendation tickets you gave Xiao Ci. Your tickets are my motivation to keep typing, hahaha.