Noticing that everyone's eyes had once again turned to him—and this time Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi were among them—Lin Chuan let out a soft laugh.
This was back in his hands.
To be honest, he hadn't expected Son Goku to completely treat him as a pillar of support.
After all, even though he had shown his strength and goodwill, and told them so much about what was going on, he had only just arrived on Earth.
How should he put it? Though this was the situation he wanted, Lin Chuan was also a little resistant to it.
That resistance came from being used!
Son Goku wasn't doing this because he truly trusted him. It was simply because they weren't enemies right now, so he wanted to rely on Lin Chuan to stabilize the situation.
People said that young Son Goku had average intelligence, was single-minded, and never used his head?
That was total nonsense!
That seemingly casual smile and those clear eyes aside, his intentions were obvious.
"Since you've put it that way, I can promise I won't stand by and let Earth be destroyed!"
"After all, there really is something I need on this planet. The environment is nice, too, and suitable for living."
"However, don't count on me to step in and suppress Vegeta and the others. If you really can't beat them a year from now, I'll protect Earth from destruction. Consider it the price for borrowing the Earth Dragon Balls and staying on Earth. How does that sound?"
With that, Lin Chuan brought the conversation back around to borrowing the Dragon Balls.
Since Son Goku was using him, Lin Chuan naturally had to make his own position clear.
His words amounted to agreeing to Son Goku's request.
"That's all I need to hear. You can use the Dragon Balls, but you can't wish for something like eternal life, or anything that would endanger the world."
"Otherwise, no matter what, we won't help you find the Dragon Balls."
Son Goku put the unpleasant terms up front.
He'd realized long ago that Lin Chuan would bring this up. It had just been put aside when they started talking about Vegeta and Frieza's information.
Now that they'd circled back to it, it was only natural.
Was Son Goku clever? He certainly was, but he could also be a little foolish.
If Lin Chuan were just pretending, and went back on his word when he made his wish, what could Son Goku do about it?
Son Goku should be glad Lin Chuan truly wasn't an enemy and wouldn't make that kind of wish.
"Don't worry. That sort of wish holds no appeal for me! Besides, I assume Earth's Dragon Balls have their limits, right? If a wish exceeds their power, they can't grant it." Lin Chuan nodded, then took the opportunity to look at Piccolo. "Actually, I was wondering earlier where Earth's wish-granting Dragon Balls came from. Now that I've seen you, a Namekian, I understand! You must have created the Dragon Balls, right?"
"I've heard Namekians have all sorts of unusual abilities. Your ability to regenerate your limbs is one of them, and making Dragon Balls is another, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes.
He'd said this deliberately, to bring Planet Namek onto the stage and make everyone here realize that there were Dragon Balls on Planet Namek, too.
"You're right about some things, but wrong about others! I didn't create the Dragon Balls. My specialty is fighting!" Piccolo replied bluntly, staring at Lin Chuan with his usual arrogance.
Even though his strength was lacking, King Piccolo's pride remained intact.
"Is that so? Then you're a warrior-type Namekian. Still, you're rather weak. Warrior-type Namekians normally have a Combat Power of over 2,000!" Lin Chuan said.
He couldn't even remember whether that number was accurate, but according to how things had unfolded in the original story, warrior-type Namekians were strong enough to kill high-ranking soldiers in the Frieza Force, and could also control their power to unleash it in an instant.
He did remember one Namekian in particular: Nail.
He was the first person on Planet Namek to face Frieza head-on.
His Combat Power reached 42,000.
Hearing Lin Chuan's words, everyone grew uneasy again.
This was especially true of Krillin, Master Roshi, and Bulma, who had only just arrived and learned some of what was going on.
Who would have thought Piccolo was an alien, too?
And if warrior-type Namekians normally had a Combat Power of over 2,000, did that mean King Piccolo could only throw his weight around on Earth? Back on Planet Namek, he'd be nothing?
Piccolo clenched his fists, his resentment and unwillingness to accept it plain to see.
Just think: the members of his race he'd never met all had a Combat Power above 2,000. And him? Even with the Special Beam Cannon pushing him beyond his limits, he could barely reach 1,500.
"Now that I think about it, Kami did tell me this when he was training me. Piccolo, before you separated from Kami, you were an incredibly powerful being... If you two became one again, your strength might shoot up dramatically. It wouldn't be impossible for your Combat Power to reach several thousand." Son Goku suddenly spoke up.
This was a secret. On Earth, only Kami Piccolo, Mr. Popo, Son Goku, and Piccolo knew the details.
"Hmph! Don't try to manipulate me! Do you think I'd take an easy way out? Son Goku! Don't think we're friends just because we fought side by side once! I'm still King Piccolo. Once those two Saiyans are defeated, you're next!" Piccolo declared before leaving.
He didn't hesitate. After taking one last look at everyone present, he shot straight into the sky.
Piccolo left!
No one tried to stop him.
Lin Chuan was completely dumbfounded...
Had Piccolo forgotten to take someone with him???
His gaze drifted to Son Gohan and lingered there for a while. Without Piccolo to train him, could Son Gohan still turn out the way he had in the original story?
Damn, after talking for so long, it seemed he'd managed to derail the most important part of the plot...
If Son Gohan wasn't there, could Piccolo still change as quickly as he had in the original story?
He was about to say something else.
Just then, Son Goku suddenly raised his head and looked toward the distant sky.
He cried out, "Kami, you've been watching what's happening here this whole time!"
Son Goku's sudden words startled everyone present, Lin Chuan included.
He knew how the story went and knew Kami had this ability, but he hadn't expected him to get involved at this point.
No one interrupted Son Goku as he communicated with Kami. After a long while, Son Goku looked delighted and spoke up. "Kami just contacted me telepathically. He wants us to go together to Kami's Lookout. He has something important to tell us in person."
"He also invited you, Elder Brother, and Lin Chuan. He said that although you're Saiyans from another planet, we've made peace instead of remaining enemies, and you'll be living on Earth from now on. He hopes you'll come with us to Kami's Lookout. Most importantly, he wants us to train together and face the enemy who'll arrive in a year."
Before you continue