Gaino came before the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder placed his hand on Gaino's head, but after five minutes, Gaino's battle power hadn't increased in the slightest.
Sweat appeared on the Grand Elder's forehead. At last, he lowered his hand.
The Grand Elder said to Gaino, "Your potential is far too great. I can't draw it out for you."
"Can't you?" Gaino had been prepared for this. He'd guessed that his potential was too great for the Grand Elder to draw out. And sure enough, he'd been right.
But the Grand Elder's next words gave Gaino hope. "Although I can't draw out your potential, Shenron can! The Shenron of Namek can draw out your potential."
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Nail said, "Grand Elder, Shenron is Namek's guardian. We shouldn't summon him unless it's necessary."
"I know what I'm doing. Just do as I say."
Seeing that the Grand Elder had made up his mind, Nail cupped his hands and said, "Yes. I'll go gather the Dragon Balls and summon Shenron."
A little while later, Nail entered the Grand Elder's house and said, "Grand Elder, the Dragon Balls have all been gathered. We can summon Shenron now."
"Mm." The Grand Elder nodded. Gaino and Laiya walked out of the Grand Elder's house and saw glass orbs the size of human heads, orange in color and marked with one to seven stars, floating before them.
"So these are the Dragon Balls?" Laiya said.
This was Gaino's first time seeing the Dragon Balls, too. He hadn't seen Earth's Dragon Balls back when he was on Earth, and he hadn't expected to see them on Namek. Compared with the Dragon Balls he'd seen onscreen in his previous life, they were even more spectacular in person.
Nail said to Gaino, "I'll summon Shenron now." Nail then began speaking in the Namekian language, muttering words Gaino couldn't understand.
In an instant, a blinding light shot up. The sky darkened, lightning flashed across it, and Shenron appeared.
A dragon with features of both eastern and western dragons appeared in the sky above Namek. Nail said to Gaino, "You can make three wishes."
"Three wishes?" Gaino asked.
"That's right. The mighty Shenron Porunga can grant three wishes," Nail replied.
"All right. My first wish is for him to draw out the potential within me."
Nail said something to Shenron Porunga. Porunga glanced at Gaino, and a glimmer flashed in the dragon's eyes. Gaino felt the energy inside him surge until his base battle power reached one hundred million. Only then did the energy stop growing.
After Shenron finished drawing out the energy within Gaino, he said something to Nail, then turned into seven streaks of light and flew off in different directions.
Gaino was stunned. Hadn't they said three wishes? Why had Shenron flown off after granting just one?
Nail came over to Gaino and said, "Shenron says your potential is far too great. Even Lord Shenron could only draw out a tiny portion of it, but that tiny portion consumed the energy for all three wishes. That's why he turned into seven streaks of light and flew away."
"So that's what happened. I was wondering why Shenron disappeared after granting just one wish! Well, although he didn't draw out all my potential, at least he brought out a little, and my energy increased. I'm satisfied. Let's go back to the Grand Elder's house!"
Gaino and the others returned to the Grand Elder's house. Gaino cupped his hands toward the Grand Elder and said, "Thank you for using Shenron to draw out my potential."
The Grand Elder said, "I'm sorry I couldn't draw out all of your potential."
"This is already more than enough, Grand Elder. Training still comes down to taking things one step at a time. You can't rush it, can you?" Gaino said.
The Grand Elder said, "You certainly take it well."
"Grand Elder, we came to Namek unannounced, and you've helped us so much. If you ever need help, Laiya and I will do everything we can."
The Grand Elder said, "I have only one request: if Namek ever faces a life-or-death crisis, come here and help us through it."
"Of course. You have nothing to worry about, Grand Elder. I, Gaino, always keep my word. When the time comes, I'll help you through it."
Gaino said, "But how can I contact you? How will I know when Namek is in its greatest peril?"
"I can teach you a special way to communicate. No matter how far away you are, if Namek is in danger, I'll contact you right away. It's a unique Namekian method, and only the Grand Elder knows this secret technique. Come closer, and I'll tell you."
Gaino floated over to the Grand Elder and leaned close to his mouth. The Grand Elder whispered something to him. Gaino nodded, then returned to his place.
"All right. In that case, Laiya and I will take our leave. If anything happens to Namek in the future, just contact me right away, Grand Elder."
The Grand Elder nodded to Gaino, then said to Nail, who stood beside him, "Nail, see our guests off."
"Yes," Nail replied.
Nail accompanied Gaino and Laiya to their spaceship, then said to Gaino, "Please keep your promise."
"Don't worry, Nail. I'll keep my word. You should train hard, too. I hope you'll be able to do your part for Namek when the time comes."
"Fighting for my planet is my duty. I'll work hard to improve."
"Mm, I know you will. All right, we'll be off. I hope you'll be strong enough to impress me the next time we meet."
Gaino and Laiya boarded their spaceship and started it up. The ship turned into a streak of light and vanished into the distance.
Nail went to the Grand Elder and asked, "Grand Elder, why did you go to such lengths to help them?"
The Grand Elder said, "Nail, you know that as Grand Elder, I have certain special perceptions. I sensed that at some point in the future, a disaster will befall Namek. And when that happens, a savior will appear and help us through it."
"Are Gaino and Laiya the ones you mean?" Nail asked.
The Grand Elder shook his head. "My vision was very vague, but I can say for certain that it was a Saiyan. Didn't you notice? Gaino and Laiya are Saiyans."
"Saiyans—the ones who invade other planets everywhere they go. Why would you help them?"
"Didn't you notice that Gaino and Laiya are different from other Saiyans? They're kindhearted. They don't have the bloodlust and viciousness of other Saiyans. That's why I helped them."
Aboard the spaceship, Gaino and Laiya were talking. Laiya said, "Brother Gaino, where are we going next?"
"Our next destination is Yardrat."
"Okay. Set the spaceship's course for Yardrat. Let's go!"