New Kami Dende

Son Gohan had two major knots in his heart.

One stemmed from a lack of sufficient firepower.

The second was death.

He was, in fact, someone who had already experienced death once.

Because of this, he did not fear it; instead, he felt that every extra day he lived was a bonus, leading him to cherish life all the more.

Now, having wished for super-powered recovery and regenerative abilities, his entire mindset had undergone a significant shift.

This world needed him to stay alive too much; strictly speaking, his life no longer belonged to him alone.

And a powerful survival ability meant more ways to protect those he wished to protect.

It also meant having more means and methods to eradicate his enemies.

Although, perhaps, maybe, this ability likely couldn't withstand the erasure of Grand Zeno or the destructive power of a God of Destruction.

Nor could it block the angelic power of an Angel.

But regardless, his survivability had increased significantly, and that was beyond doubt.

Son Gohan felt refreshed, his thoughts clear and unobstructed.

His realm was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Son Gohan had a feeling that he was only one opportunity away from breaking through to Super Saiyan 2.

In such a wonderful mood, even the ugly Shenron looked cute to him.

At this moment, the Shenron in the sky spoke once more.

"The second wish has been granted. Do you have any other wishes? I can still grant one more."

As it spoke, Shenron looked down at Son Gohan, its eyes filled with awe.

Although its body was massive, making Son Gohan on the ground look as small as an ant in comparison, there was one thing it was very clear about.

Son Gohan possessed terrifying power.

The magnitude of that power was such that destroying the entire solar system would be an effortless task.

In the world of the strong, physical size was not the only standard for measuring power.

Son Gohan looked around at all the Namekians present, his gaze finally landing on the Great Elder as he said, "Great Elder, do you have any wishes?"

Great Elder Moori shook his head. "No, we rarely have need of Porunga's help."

Son Gohan asked with a glimmer of expectation, "Oh, then I would like to ask: is there a way to revive someone who has been dead for over a decade?"

Great Elder Moori shook his head and said, "Porunga cannot revive those who died of natural causes or those who have been dead for too long, as their physical bodies are gone and their souls have already been reincarnated."

"What if the physical body still exists and the soul is still attached to it, but they are dead—currently in the Other World or training with King Kai—is there still no way?" Son Gohan continued to ask.

"There... there is such a situation?" Great Elder Moori's expression turned to one of shock.

This completely subverted his worldview.

Thus, Son Gohan explained the situation regarding Son Goku, Vegeta, and the others to the Great Elder.

Great Elder Moori clicked his tongue in wonder after hearing the tale.

However, he still shook his head and said, "Porunga cannot revive those who died of illness, as death by sickness is considered a natural death. As for the other situation you mentioned, perhaps upgrading Porunga's abilities could make it possible..."

"I am truly sorry, Mr. Gohan. I had no idea so many things had happened on Earth, and that even Mr. Son Goku had passed away. It is truly a great pity."

Upgrading might make it possible? Was the Shenron version too low?

Then he would just have to look into upgrading it later; after all, Dragon Balls retconning their own rules was a common occurrence, nothing strange about that.

In truth, Son Gohan had already guessed this would be the result, so he hadn't held out much hope when he asked.

Therefore, he felt no disappointment at this moment.

There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

But then again, those companions who had been dead for years might not even want to be revived, right?

After all, they seemed to be living carefree, worry-free lives in the Other World and with King Kai.

Sigh.

Then, for the third wish...

Son Gohan thought for a moment and said to Dende, "In that case, Dende, let's use the third wish to ask for the coordinates of Planet Yardrat."

Once he had the location, he could go whenever he wanted.

Because his next priority was to find a new Kami for Earth and bring him back to activate the new Dragon Balls; that was the most urgent matter.

After all, he couldn't just take a newly found Kami to Planet Yardrat to train for several years.

He could afford to wait, but Earth clearly could not.

As for why he didn't just wish for Instant Transmission directly, Son Gohan had his own considerations.

Setting aside whether Shenron could even grant such a wish, even if he learned the technique, he would be unable to Instant Transmission to Planet Yardrat without being able to sense the ki of a Yardratian. After all, he didn't just want to learn Instant Transmission; there was more to that planet than just one technique.

There was more to learn there than just Instant Transmission.

"The coordinates for Planet Yardrat?"

"Yes, understood." Dende nodded and made the wish to Shenron once again.

A red light flashed in Shenron's eyes, and a stream of information was transmitted directly into Son Gohan's mind.

It was the exact location of Planet Yardrat.

Shenron was all about speed.

The efficiency was top-notch.

Wish granted!

Shenron's voice boomed across the sky: "Very well, all wishes have been fulfilled. Farewell~"

Immediately following, golden light erupted from its body, and the form of the eternal dragon dissipated.

The seven petrified Dragon Balls fell with a series of thuds, creating deep craters in the ground.

Aside from the difference in size, there were other distinctions between Namekian Dragon Balls and Earth's Dragon Balls.

Earth's Dragon Balls would scatter in all directions after a wish was granted.

This was because the old Kami feared that the endlessly greedy humans of Earth would exploit the system to make constant wishes, so he increased the difficulty of gathering them.

However, he never could have anticipated that Bulma would later invent something like the Dragon Radar.

The Namekians were peace-loving and naturally kind, rarely needing to use the Dragon Balls, so the Grand Elder had set it up so that the petrified Dragon Balls would not fly away after a wish was granted.

These petrified Dragon Balls would be returned to the seven villages to be guarded once more.

After Shenron vanished, the black clouds dispersed rapidly. Within a few breaths, the sky of Namek cleared, and sunlight once again bathed the land.

Son Gohan walked up to the Grand Elder and said, "Grand Elder, I have one more favor to ask."

Grand Elder Moori replied, "There is no need for such formality, Mr. Gohan. Please, speak your mind. It is our honor to be able to help our benefactor."

Son Gohan said, "Heh, it's like this. Earth is currently in need of a guardian. I would like to ask you for someone to go to Earth and become the new Kami."

Grand Elder Moori said, "Oh, that is certainly no problem, though we must also seek the individual's consent. Do you have a candidate in mind, Mr. Gohan?"

Son Gohan pointed to Dende, who was standing to the side, and said, "Yes, Grand Elder, I would like Dende."

Dende looked taken aback at being singled out.

The Grand Elder smiled at Dende and asked, "Dende, are you willing to go to Earth and serve as Kami?"

Dende looked stunned: "I... am I allowed to?"

"Dende, although your combat ability is average, you are a member of the Dragon Clan with excellent potential and very comprehensive abilities. Of course you can be the Kami of Earth," Grand Elder Moori said.

Son Gohan added, "Dende, do you have any concerns that are making you hesitant?"

Dende let out an "ah," then quickly shook his head: "No, no, I'm just worried I won't be up to the task."

"It's fine, you have to believe in yourself. You heard what the Grand Elder said, didn't you? He said you are a very talented member of the Dragon Clan, and he wouldn't lie about that. You will surely become an excellent Kami," Son Gohan said.

"Then, I'll give it a try," Dende said.

When a good friend needs help, it is only right to step up.

The feeling of being needed was truly wonderful.

Dende liked it.

At that moment, Dende felt a mix of nervousness and genuine happiness.

"Hahaha, good," Son Gohan laughed heartily.

After some pleasantries, Dende said his goodbyes to the Grand Elder and the others.

For a race like the Namekians who do not need to eat, a farewell is truly just a farewell.

There was no need to spend hours fussing over food and drink.

Son Gohan took out a Capsule Corp Capsule and tossed it onto the open ground, where it transformed into a spaceship.

Everyone was stunned by his display of technology.

Son Gohan didn't offer much explanation, instead beckoning Dende to hurry onto the ship.

The two boarded, Son Gohan tapped in the coordinates for Earth, pressed the launch button, and the ship vanished into the horizon, streaking toward the vastness of space.

Just like that, another half-month passed.

On this day, a spaceship arrived in the sky above Earth and made a smooth landing.

It was Son Gohan and Dende.

The two jumped out of the ship, and Son Gohan stored it away once more.

After putting away the spaceship, Son Gohan first used his ki to sense the state of Earth. Confirming that the planet was safe and sound, he said to Dende, "Let's go, Dende. We'll head to Kami's Lookout first."

"Mm, alright." Dende nodded.

The two took to the air and flew toward Kami's Lookout.

A short while later, they arrived at Kami's Lookout.

Arriving almost at the same time as them were Trunks and Bulma.

This was because Trunks had sensed Son Gohan's ki and immediately rushed over with Bulma.

Upon seeing Son Gohan, Trunks ran over in pleasant surprise, looking him up and down with an excited expression:

"Brother Gohan, you're finally back. This is so great! Wow, your arm grew back, and—oh my god, you even have a tail! So cool, so cool, it's just too cool!"

Son Gohan raised a hand to ruffle his hair and scolded him with a laugh, "You brat, it's only been a month, how did you become such a chatterbox?"

"I'm not, I'm just too happy," Trunks laughed.

"Mr. Gohan," Mr. Popo greeted from the side.

Son Gohan smiled and nodded at him.

"Gohan, you've become handsome. The scar on your face is gone, your left arm has grown back, and it looks like you've grown taller, too. Hahaha, I officially declare you the most handsome man I've ever seen!"

Bulma stood with her hands on her hips, laughing heartily, looking as if she had returned to the way she was over a decade ago.

Then, she looked curiously at Dende standing next to Son Gohan: "Is this the new Guardian you went to find?"

Son Gohan chuckled, "Hehe, that's right, Aunt Bulma. Actually, you've met him before."

"Ah, really? Are you serious?" Bulma looked at Dende with some surprise.

"..."

But unfortunately, Namekians were all cut from the same cloth; she couldn't remember who the Dende before her was at all.

The only one she remembered was Piccolo.

Dende appeared a bit embarrassed, though he still remembered Bulma.

Even though over ten years had passed, Bulma had maintained her appearance very well; she hadn't changed much, having only become more mature.

Son Gohan smiled and introduced them, "Let me introduce you. This is Dende, the new Guardian I specifically went to Namek to find."

"Aunt Bulma, back when we were on Namek, that Namekian child who went through those hardships with us? It was him—the one who knew healing magic."

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember!" Bulma's expression shifted to one of sudden realization.

"Hello, Ms. Bulma, long time no see," Dende greeted.

"Hello, hello," Bulma responded.

Seeing an old acquaintance made her very happy.

"Dende, this is Trunks, Aunt Bulma's son and also my disciple. This is Mr. Popo, the caretaker of Kami's Lookout. From now on, he will assist you with your duties," Son Gohan introduced them one by one.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you all," Dende nodded, being very polite.

Trunks was also very polite, nodding in return, "Hello, Brother Dende."

Mr. Popo bowed to Dende, "Greetings, Kami-sama. You can just call me Popo from now on."