Undercurrents Surge

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the Frieza Force spaceship.

Because there were no Scouter units, it was impossible to accurately locate the Namekian people on Planet Namek, leaving Frieza with no choice but to wait here for news from his subordinates.

Five Dragon Ball orbs had already been collected; if things had gone smoothly, the final two should have been found within these past few hours.

Yet, he never imagined that those damned Namekian people would seize the opportunity to destroy every single Scouter while they were caught off guard.

The most infuriating part was that there was no reserve stock of Scouter units for this trip to Planet Namek, and the staff on board the ship were non-combatants, so they hadn't been equipped with them either.

As for the scouts sent out, some had been killed and others had gone completely missing; it was safe to assume they were all dead.

This served as a lesson for Frieza, making him realize that he must never be so careless again.

"How much time has passed?" Frieza's expression was far from pleasant as he stood in the lounge of the cockpit.

The octopus-headed alien creature being questioned shivered and immediately replied, "Reporting to King Frieza, it has been over six hours since you returned."

"Six hours, is it? The agreed-upon time was three hours. It seems Dodoria and Zarbon are likely in grave danger. Given the strength of the Namekian people, it would be difficult for them to kill them... Heh heh! Vegeta, oh Vegeta, you are the only one capable of taking out Dodoria and Zarbon, aren't you? Perhaps the other two Dragon Ball orbs are already in your hands!" As Frieza spoke, he maneuvered his floating hoverchair to the edge of the cabin, peering through the viewing port at the scenery outside.

When he first arrived on this planet, he had found Planet Namek quite interesting because it lacked a night cycle, but things were different now; he had begun to loathe and detest this world.

"In that case, I shall wait for you to come to me. Even if you don't, you cannot leave Planet Namek. In just five days, the Ginyu Force will arrive. With the latest model of Scouter, you won't be able to escape the palm of my hand." After saying this, Frieza's sinister expression turned cunning, and that eerie laughter erupted from his throat, sending chills down the spine.

Inside the lounge, the octopus-headed alien creature serving Frieza felt his head throbbing, fearing that at any moment, a single slip-up would lead to his death at the hands of King Frieza.

On the other side of Planet Namek.

After rescuing Dende, Krillin and Son Gohan returned to their hiding spot and did not venture out again.

Having barely managed to shake off Dodoria, they dared not risk their lives again, even though several hours had already passed.

All things considered, their actions this time had been incredibly courageous.

At first, they only wanted to see what the Frieza Force was up to, but they never expected that group to resort to violence at the slightest provocation, going so far as to not even spare a child.

Gohan could no longer stand by, and Krillin had no choice but to join the fray.

It was fortunate that Planet Namek was a world without night, which made the Solar Flare even more effective, helping them escape the ordeal without harm.

It was quite miraculous; even without Vegeta stepping in to kill Dodoria, they had still managed to avoid the crisis.

It was hard to tell if this was just fate—that they wouldn't have been threatened by Dodoria if not for Vegeta—or if some mysterious power was correcting the trajectory of events.

Of course, they were still terrified, as the gap in strength was simply too vast.

The strength of Dodoria alone was enough to make them feel suffocated.

The group had already decided to stay hidden here until Goku arrived on Planet Namek.

But just moments ago, Dende had received a telepathic message from the Grand Elder and had communicated with him briefly.

According to the Grand Elder, Dende was to bring Krillin and Son Gohan from Earth to meet him.

"If you all go, what about me? You aren't going to leave me alone in this wilderness, are you?" Bulma was filled with anxiety.

Setting aside the threat of the Frieza Force, Planet Namek was a completely unfamiliar and primitive world. Even though she had brought many high-tech products from Earth and had a Portable Capsule House to live in, she was still afraid of being left alone.

Krillin looked at Bulma, feeling conflicted.

"Actually, staying here is safer than coming with us. This place is well-hidden, and your energy signature is very faint. Even if the Frieza Force can sense energy, they won't detect your presence, Bulma." Krillin's words brought Bulma some comfort, but it was the loneliness that was the real culprit.

"So, you're just leaving me here alone? I knew it, I'm just a tool to be discarded once used." Tears welled up in Bulma's eyes, and her complaints left Krillin and Son Gohan speechless.

"How about we take Aunt Bulma with us? Dende said the remaining Namekian people have all gathered together; perhaps it's safer there." Son Gohan spoke up, though he was also seeking Krillin's opinion.

After spending this time together, his trust in Krillin had reached a high level. Krillin was indeed clever, but more importantly, he was mature and steady, capable of considering every situation from all angles.

"That could work. If we really have no other choice, we can pilot the spaceship and take all the Namekian people and the two Dragon Ball orbs away from Planet Namek. That way, neither Frieza nor Vegeta will see their ambitions realized." Krillin thought for a long time before nodding in agreement.

"Then let's not delay, let's go. It will take a long time to fly there from here," Dende said.

As mentioned before, walking would take far too long and was simply unacceptable.

Knowing that the Scouter units were gone, they didn't have to worry about being detected, so they could fly, though it was best not to leak too much energy.

"Did you all forget? The spaceship isn't just for space travel. I can pilot it to take us there; it'll definitely be faster than you flying." Bulma's words made the three of them suddenly realize.

"I completely forgot we could do that. Then I'll leave it to you, Bulma." Krillin slapped his forehead and laughed awkwardly.

Previously, they had been focused on how to hide the ship and ensure its safety, and since they hadn't planned on bringing Bulma, the ship hadn't crossed their minds.

"Hmph! So it turns out you still need my brain. Taking me along will definitely be much more convenient than you acting on your own." After Bulma said this with a haughty air, she quickly ran into the back room to pack her bags. Once everything was ready, the group boarded the spaceship.

Under Bulma's piloting, the ship lifted off and, guided by Dende, headed toward the central region where the Grand Elder resided.