Emotions Are Forged Through Battle

The ground was soaked with a thick green liquid, and green blood continuously seeped from Nail's arm, forming a shallow layer on the ground. Nail lay on the ground with his eyes closed, as if devoid of life, only his pulse beating faintly every few minutes.

Krillin stared blankly at the sky, breathing slowly. Krillin seemed to want to reach for a Senzu Bean, but a slight movement caused him to groan in pain and pass out again.

Kami, far from the battlefield, grew anxious and asked urgently, "Great Elder, why haven't they returned after such a long time? That burst of Ki just now was so overwhelming I could barely breathe."

The Great Elder smiled slightly. "It's alright, just wait quietly for them to return."

Kami nodded, but the worried expression on his face never left.

Two days later...

Krillin's stamina had been restored by the System, but all his bones felt like they were falling apart, leaving him unable to move. The Senzu Beans were in his Capsule, and he couldn't retrieve them now. Krillin began to feel anxious, not for himself, but because he could feel Nail's Ki fading.

Nail was an excellent warrior. It would be a true shame if he died like this. If the other Namekians learned that Nail died in a battle against him, even the Great Elder's word might not be enough to borrow the Dragon Balls.

"System, are you dead? Say something if you're not."

Ding! Welcome to our service, how may I help you!

"Cut the crap, quickly get me a Senzu Bean, hurry."

Hehe, no problem.

"Deduct ten thousand Energy." the System said cheekily.

"Damn it, this easy? I knew it wouldn't be that simple, but I can't worry about that now. Nail's Ki is getting weaker and weaker."

Krillin suddenly felt a sweet bean in his mouth. He slowly chewed and swallowed it. Krillin's eyes snapped open, his injuries completely healed. Krillin quickly took a Senzu Bean from his Capsule and leaped towards Nail's direction.

Krillin looked at Nail's collapsed form. Nail's injuries were far more severe than his own. He had at most half a breath left, while Krillin, though unable to move, would recover over time. But Nail was different; with the passage of time, Nail would die.

Krillin slowly bent down, pried open Nail's mouth, and put the Senzu Bean in. Krillin sent a surge of Ki into Nail, and Nail stirred slightly. After a long while, a crunching sound was heard as Nail slowly swallowed the Senzu Bean. With the bean down, Nail's eyes snapped open. He saw Krillin looking at him and smiled faintly. "I lost."

Krillin also smiled and said nothing, slowly helping Nail up. The broken ends of Nail's arms had healed and stopped bleeding, though they hadn't fully regrown yet.

Krillin was puzzled. Since Nail could unleash such powerful Battle Power, why didn't he show it when fighting Frieza? Nail's burst of power didn't last long. It depended on Nail's objective.

Nail's fight with Frieza was purely to stall for time. If he had unleashed his full power, he would have lost his fighting ability very quickly. Frieza, finding it boring, would have killed Nail soon after and gone back to the Great Elder. Nail gradually revealed his combat abilities to pique Frieza's interest and buy time for Dende.

"You really can't underestimate a combat-type Namekian!" Krillin couldn't help but smile wryly to himself.

Nail slowly stood up and said to Krillin, "I'm sorry, I haven't experienced a battle like that in a long time. I went all out at the end... and almost made a grave mistake."

High-burst power has its limits, and after the burst, a long period of weakness follows. Even with such power, he wasn't Krillin's opponent. Nail was truly impressed by Krillin. But Nail couldn't help but feel a bit bitter.

Krillin laughed heartily. "It's okay, fighting you opened my eyes and brought me a step closer to understanding Martial Arts."

"Yeah, if I had died, what would have happened to the Great Elder's safety?" Nail said deliberately.

Krillin: "..."

Nail chuckled, "Just kidding."

"Krillin, stand back a bit."

"Okay!"

Hng... Ah... Ha! Veins bulged on Nail's forehead, and his broken arms writhed. Suddenly, two streams of water shot out from his broken arms, and Nail's severed limbs regrew.

"The food Krillin gave me is amazing. Not only did my stamina fully recover, but I even bypassed the period of weakness."

Nail flexed his new arms. "Feels good."

"Krillin, how many days have we been out here?" Nail asked Krillin.

"Three days."

"What? Three days?" Nail exclaimed in shock.

Nail quickly got up and flew towards the Great Elder's location. He hadn't forgotten his duty.

"Wait for me, Nail!" Krillin then unleashed his Ki and chased after Nail.

Nail flew towards the Great Elder at full speed. Moments later, panting heavily, Nail wiped the sweat from his brow. Seeing the Great Elder's residence safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, the Great Elder is safe, otherwise I would be a sinner of all of Planet Namek."

"Why were you flying so fast? With us here, the Great Elder wouldn't be in any danger," Krillin said, catching up to Nail.

Nail looked at Krillin gratefully, nodding with a smile. This gratitude represented not only Krillin's promise to protect the Great Elder but also Krillin's willingness to fight him, satisfying Nail's desire for battle. For the time being, he would peacefully guard the Great Elder and would not engage in any other battles until... the Great Elder's passing.

Kami was sitting and chatting with the Great Elder. Having not seen his kin for many years, Kami was like a lost child who had found his mother, with endless stories to tell. However, the Great Elder was old and sometimes fell asleep mid-sentence, while Kami would quietly wait for him to speak again.

"Great Elder, I'm back," Nail said respectfully to the Great Elder.

"You're back so soon?" The Great Elder looked at the spirited Nail, whose expression had changed significantly, with more joy. The Great Elder praised him again, "Nail, you belong on the glorious battlefield."

The Great Elder didn't ask about the outcome of the battle. He knew then that the result wasn't important; the process was more crucial. Nail's current spirit was the best outcome. The Great Elder slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

Planet Namek has no night, it is always daytime, which is perfect for the Namekians' photosynthesis.

Krillin yawned. "I'm not used to this. Nail, I'll be counting on you regarding borrowing your Dragon Balls." Krillin asked Nail in a pleading tone.

"No problem, leave it to me. I'll gather the elders from each village to bring the Dragon Balls." After saying that, Nail found an open space and sat down, his body floating in the air, resembling Piccolo practicing.

Immediately, a special Dragonic wave emanated from Nail, a special informational wave that only Namekians could receive. "Great Elder's orders: Clan leaders from all villages, please bring the Dragon Balls to the gathering point."