Developing Potential

Kasso walked into the house and flew up to the second floor, where he saw a giant Namekian sitting in a chair.

He had known from the anime that the Grand Elder was enormous, but he hadn't expected him to be this huge. Even sitting down, he looked four meters tall and two meters wide.

The Grand Elder looked a little different from how Kasso remembered him from his previous life. He seemed quite old now, though not as frail as he had been during the great Namekian conflict. He could still open his eyes, too.

"Hello, Grand Elder!" Kasso greeted him politely.

"Saiyan, what brings you here?" The elderly Grand Elder's voice was somewhat deep.

Young Nail, standing to one side, looked surprised. So he was a Saiyan. He'd heard that Saiyans were known as a warrior race. No wonder he was so strong.

Kasso froze for a moment, then understood. As the leader of the Namekians, the Grand Elder had survived the great climatic disaster and lived for so many years. It wasn't surprising that he possessed the ability to foresee the future.

"Hello, Grand Elder. My name is Kasso, and I'd like to borrow your Dragon Balls," Kasso said earnestly.

Planet Vegeta would explode in about three months, so time was extremely tight. If the Grand Elder refused to lend him the Dragon Balls, Kasso would be in serious trouble.

With his current strength, there was no way he could take them by force.

"No! Our sacred relics can't be lent to outsiders!" Young Nail immediately objected to Kasso's request.

The Dragon Balls were sacred to the Namekians. How could they lend them to some outsider? What if this guy made some evil wish? They'd be done for.

The Grand Elder remained seated, ignoring Young Nail with his eyes closed and his body perfectly still. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a glint flashing within them!

"Very well. I can lend them to you, but you must agree to one condition!"

Kasso listened quietly.

"The request is simple. In the future, a great disaster will befall my planet. When that time comes, I hope you will save my people and this planet!" the Grand Elder said.

A great disaster would strike Namek in the future?

Young Nail froze, then suddenly understood. The Grand Elder was asking someone else for help because, in the future, Young Nail wouldn't be strong enough to protect Namek—or the Grand Elder.

He knew what the Grand Elder was capable of. If the Grand Elder said it would happen, it had to be true.

Young Nail clenched his fists, deeply unwilling to accept it.

"Of course. I'll do it," Kasso replied excitedly.

Kasso thought, The Grand Elder's foresight is terrifying. Has he predicted that great conflict in the future, too?

Even without him, Goku would be able to save the Namekians in the future!

Of course, now that he'd agreed, he would keep his promise. He wouldn't let Frieza's forces harm a single Namekian!

"Good. I'll have Young Nail accompany you and help you summon Shenron!" the Grand Elder said.

"Thank you, Grand Elder!" Kasso was thrilled. He'd finally managed to borrow the Dragon Balls.

Now that he had them, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. There were still three months before Planet Vegeta exploded, so he had enough time.

Once he made his wish, he could use Instant Transmission to leave Namek and make it back to Planet Vegeta.

Young Nail felt a little down. At the Grand Elder's words, he snapped out of it and was about to lead Kasso away when he noticed that Kasso didn't seem eager to leave. He was fidgeting awkwardly.

What else did this little brat want?

But when he remembered that they would need Kasso in the future, Young Nail fell silent again.

"Um... I heard the Grand Elder can unlock someone's potential without any side effects. Could you do that for me?" Kasso asked, blushing.

Kasso felt a little embarrassed. He'd borrowed their Dragon Balls, and now he wanted the Grand Elder to unlock his potential, too!

"Grand Elder, your health..." Young Nail said, worried about him.

The Grand Elder was very old and shouldn't overexert himself. That was why Young Nail had tried to stop Kasso from asking to see him in the first place.

But before he could finish, the Grand Elder cut him off.

"No problem!" The Grand Elder didn't hesitate. Helping with one favor was no different from helping with two, so he agreed at once.

Besides, unlocking someone's potential wouldn't harm him. It merely used up his energy, which would recover after some rest.

Kasso remembered how Gohan and Krillin had come to the Grand Elder in the anime to have their potential unlocked, increasing their battle power several times over.

He couldn't help getting excited. Would his battle power rise several times, too?

Kasso went to the spot the Grand Elder had indicated. A huge hand suddenly settled on his head!

It felt warm. A stream of heat flowed through him from head to toe, passing through every part of his body.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind, not thinking about anything else. The warmth continued to flow through him, as though he were soaking in a newly opened hot spring. Every cell in his body relaxed!

Suddenly, Kasso felt a mysterious power deep within him being drawn out!

It was impossible to describe where this power lay. He didn't know if it came from his mind, his heart, or deep within every cell.

Slowly...

Boom!

Kasso released a powerful aura, as though he were in the middle of a battle!

3,000!

4,000!

8,000!

Kasso's battle power kept climbing.

His strength erupted like a volcano, surging from within and unleashing a terrifying aura.

12,000!

His battle power finally reached twelve thousand.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The air currents spread in every direction, making Young Nail's clothes flap in the wind!

"So strong!"

Young Nail's eyes widened in disbelief.

Kasso basked in the intoxicating feeling of power. He had spent several months in hibernation aboard the spaceship, and his battle power had barely increased. It was only around 2,000 now.

He hadn't expected the Grand Elder's potential unlock to be so powerful. His battle power had jumped straight to 12,000—a full sixfold increase!

So this was what it felt like to wield such incredible power.

Kasso steadied himself and drew the energy spilling from him back into his body.

With such a sudden surge of strength, he'd have to train hard. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to truly control it!

It was just like Frieza. He had three transformed states, each one unlocking even greater power, but he didn't stay in his third form.

Why not?

Because the power was too great, and Frieza couldn't control it. He had no choice but to stay in his base form!

Well, it wasn't quite right to say Frieza couldn't control it. He was exceptionally gifted, and if he'd been willing to train, mastering that power would have been easy!

In the Dragon Ball Super side story, Frieza returned from Hell and trained for just three months before becoming Golden Frieza. Clearly, he wasn't incapable of controlling the power of his third form. He was just too lazy!

"Thank you, Grand Elder!"

Kasso bowed halfway, sincerely expressing his gratitude.

"It was nothing. All right, go make your wish," the Grand Elder said, waving a hand.

"Come with me!"

Young Nail turned and flew toward the sky.

Kasso nodded to the Grand Elder, then hurried after Young Nail so he wouldn't lose sight of him.

Given Young Nail's personality, if Kasso got separated from him, he'd never come back to look for Sora. He might even be hoping Kasso would get lost!