Planet Namek!
In a secluded valley, a round house stood out against its surroundings.
Inside, Bulma was enjoying a bubble bath in a porcelain tub, humming an unfamiliar tune. Suddenly, a violent earthquake sent her into a panic. The tub rocked from side to side. Forgetting everything else, Bulma scrambled out, grumbling, "Damn it, what's with this planet? There's an earthquake every other minute. I can't even take a proper bath. Forget it, I'm done!"
Her graceful figure was smooth and radiant as jade, completely bare. She was naturally beautiful, like a lotus emerging from clear water, without any need for adornment. She dried herself off, casually wrapped a towel around her, and headed to the bedroom. Her graceful steps would have made any man who saw her get a nosebleed...
She had no idea that this wasn't the force of nature at work. It was the result of everyone's battle!
Over on Piccolo's side, Zarbon had been beaten until his skin was torn and his body covered in wounds!
His ugly face and wide, toadlike mouth had swollen up even more from the beating.
"Impossible! How can this be? Your battle powers are clearly so low. After transforming, mine was a full 28,000! How could I still lose to a mere Earthling like you?" Zarbon asked Krillin in terror.
"Your battle power might be a little higher than mine, but you can't control your energy after transforming! You clearly don't transform very often. Is it because you're ugly?" Krillin asked, looking at Zarbon's ashen face.
"Spare me! I'll tell you where the Dragon Balls are. Just let me live! Please!" Zarbon fell to his knees, begging in terror.
Before he could finish, Piccolo raised his right arm and gathered a beam of energy at his index finger. It shot straight through Zarbon's forehead. His head burst like a watermelon, spilling dark blue blood!
"Hmph. Spare you? You killed so many of my people and still expect to go on living..." Piccolo muttered coldly.
"Piccolo, why'd you kill him? He already surrendered!" Krillin complained.
"Shut up, you bald-headed fool. Have I been too nice to you lately? Is that why you think you can interfere in my business? Spare him? Who spared my people?" Piccolo glared at Krillin, his eyes full of murderous intent.
Krillin shuddered. He'd forgotten that the man before him was the terrifying King Piccolo!
"Come on, Uncle Piccolo, don't be mad! Uncle Krillin didn't mean it!" Gohan tried to soothe him.
"Hmph... Hurry up and find the Dragon Balls. Don't waste time!" Hearing his godson's words, Piccolo decided not to bother arguing with Krillin.
He folded his arms and waited while Krillin and Gohan searched everywhere. They checked a spaceship and opened the Dragon Radar. The Dragon Balls were clearly right there, yet they couldn't find them.
A sudden thought struck Piccolo. He looked at the spot where Frieza had been standing earlier. The soil beside it looked freshly turned. With a wave of his hand, an invisible blast of air shot toward that spot. After a faint explosion, five gleaming Dragon Balls appeared.
"Hey, you two! Bring me the One-Star and Two-Star Dragon Balls!" Piccolo called.
At the sound of his voice, the two flew over. They were astonished to see five Dragon Balls in the pit.
"Uncle Piccolo, how did you know Frieza buried the Dragon Balls in the dirt?" Gohan asked.
"Hmph. Look carefully. The soil over there is completely different from the soil around it. One patch is dry, the other damp." Piccolo might have been proud, but he always answered his godson's questions.
The three of them gathered around the seven Dragon Balls.
"Uncle Piccolo, should we revive Uncle Tien and the others first?" Gohan asked.
"Let them wait a little longer. Vegeta has other plans. We'll revive them next time." After speaking, Piccolo addressed the Dragon Balls: "Shenron, come forth and grant my wish..." (The author doesn't know Namekian, so Japanese will have to do!)
He called out in Namekian, a language Gohan and Krillin couldn't understand.
The weather changed in an instant. The clear sky darkened, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed!
The seven Dragon Balls blazed with dazzling light, releasing a tremendous wave of energy. Shenron appeared!
Piccolo and the others stared at Porunga, who looked nothing like Earth Shenron. His body widened from a slender neck to a thick torso, and his shoulders were powerfully muscled. A pair of black, conical horns jutted from them, and a finlike structure ran down the middle of his spine!
Krillin stared at the dragon, his voice tinged with fear. "That's terrifying... Earth's Shenron is much cuter!"
"State your wishes. I can grant you three," the dragon said in a hollow voice.
"First wish: leave the six of us behind and transport all the remaining Namekians to Earth," Piccolo said in a string of words.
"Your first wish has been granted. Everyone except you five and Frieza has been transported to Earth!" the dragon declared.
Bulma, who had just finished getting dressed, suddenly vanished. Grand Elder and the rest of the Namekians had also arrived on Earth!
"Second wish: make Vegeta fifteen centimeters taller!" Piccolo said awkwardly.
Shenron was visibly irritated. They'd summoned him just to make such a wish! But the rules wouldn't let him refuse, so he had no choice but to grant Piccolo's request.
"Your wish has been granted. Vegeta is now fifteen centimeters taller!" the dragon declared.
At the other battlefield, while they waited for Frieza to finish transforming, they saw the sky darken and realized that the others had summoned Shenron! Suddenly, Vegeta's body shot upward at a speed too fast for ordinary people to see. He grew fifteen centimeters, from 1.65 meters to 1.8. His proportions were flawless, and the muscles beneath his tight Battle Suit showed off a perfect golden ratio!
"Haha! I'm finally taller. Now Bulma and I can have an even better 69!" Vegeta exclaimed excitedly.
What a wicked thought! If the others found out, would they drown him in spit?
By then, Frieza had finished transforming. He'd skipped his second form and gone straight to his third! His petite, finely shaped, silver-white body revealed an utterly terrifying battle power!
He looked up, puzzled. "What's going on? Why has the sky gone dark? I've been here for days and never seen night on Namek!"
He glanced around and suddenly spotted Porunga. His puzzlement gave way to anger!
"Damn it! You took advantage of my transformation and summoned Shenron!" he shouted, then charged at Porunga with all his might!
Vegeta was still celebrating his newfound height and, caught off guard, let Frieza get away!
Goku hurried after him, but even without using his full power, Frieza was now too fast for him to catch.
Piccolo and the others sensed a powerful, evil energy rushing toward them. Their hearts tightened!
Piccolo hurriedly stated the third wish.
"Give Vegeta the power to heal bodies, like Majin Buu!"
"Make me immortal, so I can live forever and never die..."
Frieza's shout rang out as he arrived, calling his wish to the dragon!
"Very well. That's simple! Your wish has been granted. I'm leaving now!"
Shenron vanished into the Dragon Balls. The seven Dragon Balls on the ground shot up into the sky and disappeared along with Grand Elder and the others!
Earth
The seven petrified Dragon Balls crashed heavily into the ground. Grand Elder and the others hadn't expected the dragon to come with them, too!
Bulma was worried about Vegeta, afraid something might happen to them on Namek.
Back on the battlefield, Frieza saw the Dragon Balls disappear. His rage boiled over, and he gritted his teeth. His silver-white skin seemed to grow even paler. He was furious beyond words!
"Fine! Fine! You summoned Shenron behind my back! You're all going to die. You ruined my wish for immortality! I'll make you suffer horribly and scream in agony! Aaaah..." Frieza's energy erupted uncontrollably, and his overwhelming battle power sent Gohan and Krillin tumbling far away. Their battle powers were simply too low!
Piccolo gritted his teeth and held on. His battle power was no small thing, at twenty million, but the enraged Frieza had at least sixty million!
Vegeta and Goku arrived soon after. Vegeta looked unconcerned, while Goku radiated a powerful fighting spirit. The Saiyan blood in his veins began to boil. He couldn't believe Frieza was this strong!
Goku turned to Piccolo and said, "Piccolo, you're no match for him. Let me try first!"
"You're all going to die!" Frieza shouted, firing one of his signature Death Beams at Piccolo.
Piccolo was just about to argue with Goku, but Frieza's sudden attack caught him completely off guard. The beam pierced his chest, and he collapsed.
Seeing his godfather killed from far away, Gohan erupted with several times his usual power and charged at Frieza...
"You bastard! You killed Uncle Piccolo!"
In an instant, he appeared in front of Frieza. His small body bent slightly as he kicked Frieza in the chin! The sudden attack sent Frieza flying backward...
Before you continue