Elder

Turles looked at the Namekian elder before him and realized that he was probably about as old as the Grand Elder on Namek. Considering that Namekians lived for more than three hundred years, this elder might have been one of those who had fled Namek back then.

Turles politely bowed slightly to the old man and said, "Respected elder, Turles greets you!"

Seeing Turles bow, Raditz hurriedly followed suit, fumbling through a bow of his own. He didn't dare act up now.

Raditz had never expected so many of these Namekians to have power levels above one hundred thousand. If he hadn't been able to sense their energy, he never would have guessed that a planet could be home to so many powerful fighters.

The Namekian elder looked a little surprised. The Saiyans he remembered hadn't been so polite, and this Saiyan named Turles had a calm, restrained presence, nothing like the violent, arrogant manner of other Saiyans. It seemed the Saiyan race had produced someone remarkable.

As the elder pondered this, a kindly smile appeared on his face. He spoke slowly. "Child, you're nothing like your people nowadays. You remind me of the Saiyans I remember. It seems Dero has made a remarkable friend on this trip."

Turles hadn't expected the elder to think so highly of him. And from what he'd said, Saiyans in the past had been different from those of today.

Curious, Turles asked, "From what you say, it sounds like you've met other Saiyans before?"

At that, the elder gazed at Turles for a long while. At last, with a wistful look, he said, "Our two peoples, the Namekians and the Saiyans, were once among the strongest races in the universe. Saiyans were mighty fighters. Though they loved battle, some of them were righteous warriors. The Namekians of that era, meanwhile, had advanced technology and traveled across the galaxy. It was only natural that we came into contact with the Saiyans."

"However, after we fled Namek more than three hundred years ago, we heard that the Saiyans had also gone through a civil war. Many powerful Saiyans died in the conflict, and their reputation began to turn sour."

"Two once-powerful races, reduced to this in the end. It's truly lamentable."

The elder sighed wistfully.

"I see!" Turles said, beginning to understand.

Perhaps the Saiyans of Universe 7 and Universe 6 had taken different paths because of that civil war.

The Saiyans of Universe 6 hadn't had a civil war, so they had continued to live on Planet Sadala. Over the course of their long evolution, their tails gradually disappeared, and so did the Great Ape Power that influenced their violent nature. This allowed them to maintain their righteous, peaceful outlook, and the Saiyans of Universe 6 grew stronger even in their normal forms.

The Saiyans of Universe 7, on the other hand, had lost most of their powerful fighters in the civil war. Only a portion of the race remained, led by people like King Vegeta I, and they wandered through space. To survive, these Saiyans, who weren't particularly strong, had no choice but to rely on the Great Ape Transformation. As a result, their tails didn't disappear; instead, they became an indispensable part of Saiyan life.

Turles knew from experience the violence and bloodlust that came with the Great Ape Transformation. If the Saiyans had relied on it for a long time to boost their strength, then their violent, cruel nature was hardly surprising.

Turles fell into deep thought, but Dero began to grow anxious. He had already reported the matter to the elder, so he had no choice but to prompt Turles.

"Turles, you said Namek still exists, and that the Grand Elder is still alive. Is that right?"

"Hm?"

Coming back to himself, Turles looked at Dero, then turned to the elder. He saw the undisguised excitement in the elder's eyes and said:

"That's right! Our Saiyans have been 'working' for Frieza, the ruler of the North Galaxy. I saw Namek mentioned in some mission records. They described the planet, and there were definitely signs of life there."

Turles glanced at Dero and continued, "As for the Grand Elder, I only heard about him from someone else. They said that a Namekian warrior named Nail had once called an old Namekian the Grand Elder!"

Hearing this, Raditz, who had been standing quietly with his head lowered, couldn't help looking up at Turles. But he trusted Turles, so he lowered his head again.

Dero and the Namekian elder, however, were overcome with excitement. Since leaving Namek, this was the first time they had heard news of their homeworld.

The elder looked at Turles, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he said nothing. He could only stare intently at Turles, his eyes filled with longing to return home.

Turles could see the longing in the elder's eyes. He understood how the old man felt. But he had come to Muhua Planet intending to take Dero to Namek, so he spoke up directly:

"I came to Muhua Planet for two reasons. First, I had an agreement with Dero. Second, I need to go to the North Galaxy to pick up one of my people. So, if possible, I'd like to take Dero with me."

"I heard there are some miraculous orbs on Namek that can grant wishes. I hope I can borrow them when the time comes. Don't worry, I won't make any evil wishes. I just have a few questions that need answering. One of them is about the whereabouts of my other people. Elder, would you be willing to let Dero travel with me?"

Turles didn't hide anything from the elder. He told him all of his reasons.

Hearing Turles, the elder studied him closely. "The Dragon Balls! That's right, Porunga is still on Namek. Very well, I agree!"

"Dero!"

"Yes, Elder!" Dero hurried forward when the elder called him.

"Go with Turles and see Namek. If our people are really there, stay on Namek for a while. The Grand Elder is a learned man. I hope he can help you grow even further!"

"Elder, I..." Dero's voice caught in his throat.

"Enough, enough! Don't let your friend see you making a spectacle of yourself. If you go, you can visit on my behalf. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to see my home's scenery again..."

As he spoke, the elder slowly closed his eyes. Before long, soft snores came from him.

Seeing that the elder had fallen asleep, Dero could only compose himself before leading Turles and Raditz out of the house.

As they walked, Dero couldn't help asking Turles about Namek.

"Turles, what's Namek like?"

"I've never seen it. How would I know? I imagine it's as beautiful as Muhua Planet!"

"Yeah, it must be beautiful!"