A false alarm

"Idiot, that man is Nappa," Captain Ginyu snapped. "Fine, we'll kill Nappa first. Lord Frieza will wipe out the entire Saiyan race soon enough anyway, so let's clear out the Saiyans here on Earth first."

Jeice and Recoome nodded in agreement.

A moment later, the three streaked across the sky in a flash of white light, racing toward Nappa's location.

"Vegeta, heh... I never thought this moment would come so soon..." The Guardian's figure grew increasingly indistinct, on the verge of disappearing.

"Old man, tell me your last wishes. I'll do what I can." Vegeta sighed. He could already sense the tragic fate awaiting him.

"At least you have some conscience." The Guardian smiled faintly, then abruptly changed the subject. "But Piccolo really came through."

Vegeta froze for a moment. Something about the Guardian's expression seemed off.

Could it be?

In the next instant, Vegeta was delighted to see the Guardian's figure suddenly become solid again.

Vegeta stood stunned. What the hell was going on?

Looking more closely, he saw that the Guardian had returned to his original appearance, and even his body's color had been restored.

"What happened?" Utterly bewildered, Vegeta carefully tried to sense Piccolo's energy.

Strange. Piccolo's energy really had vanished, so why was the Guardian still alive and kicking?

"Come on. I'll explain on the way." The Guardian smiled and darted ahead.

Although Vegeta was puzzled, the fact that the Guardian hadn't dropped dead was incredible news for him.

"As Piccolo was dying, he condensed all the essence in his body into his son. His son is now hidden somewhere safe, and because he's inside an egg, his energy is completely concealed," the Guardian explained with a smile.

Vegeta was astonished. So that was it.

A false alarm!

Demon King Piccolo really had come through for him.

"We're almost there. Let's hide our energy before they notice us!" Vegeta looked ahead and instructed the Guardian.

The Guardian nodded solemnly.

"Wait, old man, why are you still following me? Demon King Piccolo's son is an egg now. How are you supposed to fuse with him? Why don't you go back to your Lookout instead of getting in my way?" Vegeta glanced at the Guardian, feeling that he was something of a burden.

What Vegeta needed was the Guardian's Dragon Balls, not the Guardian himself.

"Go about your business. I'll just have a look around." The Guardian smiled, showing no intention of leaving.

Vegeta frowned. He couldn't shake the feeling that the old man had some hidden agenda.

Still, he couldn't be bothered with the Guardian now. They were drawing ever closer to the Dragon Balls' location.

Fortunately, Vegeta had left the Dragon Balls on a rugged, rocky mountain. It was easy to hide there, and Ginyu and the others would have a hard time spotting him.

Meanwhile, after flying for a while, Ginyu and the others were getting closer and closer to Nappa.

Suddenly, Ginyu stopped in midair and gazed east.

"Captain, what's wrong?" Jeice asked in confusion.

"Have you noticed? There's someone in that direction with a power level of around a hundred. Heh heh, he must be a friend of Vegeta's. If we kill him, don't you think Vegeta will be even angrier?" Captain Ginyu wore a broad smile, brimming with confidence.