Temporary Stay

Raditz did not take the lead this time, choosing instead to follow obediently behind Nail.

The two did not exchange a single word for the entire journey until they reached the village where Elder Moori had previously been.

Nail was simply dissatisfied with Raditz; his first impression had been poor, and he remained confused by the Grand Elder's decision.

What exactly had the two of them discussed before he arrived?

As soon as he brought Raditz to Moori's village, he turned around and hurried back without a moment's delay.

As for taking this guy to the other villages, he had already left that task to Moori.

Raditz watched his retreating figure and curled his lip.

Combat-type Namekians were just like that—irritable.

"Haha, it seems you have passed the Grand Elder's test, guest." Moori walked over, and upon seeing the Dragon Ball in Raditz's hand, he immediately understood the Grand Elder's choice.

"You can just call me Raditz."

Raditz tossed the Dragon Ball in his hand. "Mm, the Grand Elder was indeed quite easy to talk to."

"Elder Moori, I wonder what your test might be?"

"No rush, no rush." Moori smiled mysteriously and led Raditz to the room where the Dragon Ball was kept.

"Since the Grand Elder is very satisfied with you, as his child, I am naturally willing to provide you with some convenience."

Moori enthusiastically took the Dragon Ball from its stone pedestal and placed it into Raditz's hands.

"You may take the Dragon Ball first."

Raditz accepted this second Dragon Ball, feeling quite pleased.

"Thank you for your generosity, Elder. You will surely become a great leader like the Grand Elder one day, leading the Namekians to grow and thrive!"

Raditz wasn't just flattering him; in the future, this Elder Moori would indeed take over the position of Grand Elder.

"Eh, let's not say such things." Moori waved his hands repeatedly. "Everything is due to the Grand Elder's wise leadership."

"Now, my test is also quite simple: I only ask that you stay in our village for a while, interact more with our young people, and live among us for a period."

"How about it? Simple, right?"

It was indeed very simple.

Time was the one thing Raditz had in abundance, so staying here for a while was perfectly acceptable.

"Very well."

"Good, good, good. I will go instruct someone to build a house for you."

Moori turned and left with a smile, his footsteps light.

In truth, this was not the test he had originally designed.

However, when he had communicated with the Grand Elder via telepathy earlier, he heard that Raditz possessed immense strength.

He had changed his original plan immediately.

His goal was clear: to build a rapport with Raditz and, if possible, earn his friendship.

He understood the principle that an innocent man is guilty of a crime if he carries a treasure.

Once the news that the Namekians possessed Dragon Balls was exposed, it would inevitably attract the covetous eyes of the powerful.

If it were someone like Raditz, it might be fine, but if someone greedy who would stop at nothing were to come...

The Namekians, already on the verge of extinction, could not withstand such a consequence.

And now, by gaining Raditz's friendship, they would have an ally for the future.

It could be said that Elder Moori was racking his brains for the future of his race.

Raditz was unaware of Moori's little scheme, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.

He followed Moori's arrangements and settled in comfortably.

Aside from his daily training, he would chat with Moori, listening to him recount the history of Namek, and he would also join the young Namekians in planting saplings.

He heard that these saplings would look magnificent once they grew up, as they had once covered the entire planet.

What they were doing now was trying to recreate that scenery.

Listening to the grand ambitions of the youth before him, Raditz couldn't help but chuckle.

It wasn't that he found anything wrong with what the boy said, but seeing that face—which looked so much like Piccolo's—wear such a shy smile felt instantly comical.

It was a pity he hadn't brought a camera; he really wanted to see what Piccolo's expression would be if he saw this scene.

Several days passed, and Raditz felt as if he had truly become one of them, growing familiar with everyone. The young Namekians were no longer reserved and would occasionally ask him for advice on how to grow stronger.

On this day, Raditz did not go to train.

He sat in an open space with a strange piece of equipment laid out before him. It had a few buttons, a signal light, and a retractable antenna.

"I remember Bulma teaching me like this before; why is there no signal?"

He fiddled with it for a long time, but the signal light simply refused to turn on.

This set of equipment was a communication device that Bulma had shoved into his hands before he left Earth.

It could receive and send messages directly to Earth from anywhere in the universe, allowing for real-time communication.

However, the prerequisite was that the device's location had to be relatively stationary; it could not be used while moving at high speeds.

Raditz had been wandering through space previously, his position constantly changing, so he had never had the chance to use it.

Now that he had arrived on Namek and intended to stay for a long time, it was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

Seeing that the signal light remained unresponsive, Raditz hesitated for a moment before giving the side of the device a light tap.

"Beep-beep!"

The signal light flickered to life!

"..."

What kind of lousy quirk was that?

Raditz held the communicator to his ear, adjusted the frequency, and listened intently.

A burst of static came from the communicator, followed by a familiar female voice.

"Hello?"

"Bulma, it's me."

"Raditz?!"

On the other end of the line, Bulma's voice rose by several octaves, carrying undisguised surprise.

But soon, her tone turned cold.

"Hmph! You still have the nerve to call?"

"Hehehe, Bulma, don't be like that. I've actually missed you quite a bit," Raditz chuckled.

Hearing Raditz's words, the corners of Bulma's mouth curled up, and her tone softened. "Then why don't you come back?"

"I can't come back just yet, but Bulma, you'll never guess what I've seen."

Several small children were walking over curiously; this little "Piccolo" look was actually quite cute.

Listening to the man on the other end putting on airs, Bulma replied, "Hmph! You probably don't want to know where I am either, right?"

"Hm?"

"Where are you?" Raditz asked immediately.

Bulma didn't keep him in suspense. "I'm at Goku's place, and everyone is here. Do you know why we came?"

Raditz pondered for a moment, his tone uncertain. "It wouldn't be for Goku's wedding, would it?"

"Eh?! How did you know?"

So it really was that. Raditz remembered that Goku and Chi-Chi seemed to have gotten married right after the Martial Arts Tournament.

"That's a pity. Since I'm not there, wish them a happy wedding for me."

"If you want to say it, say it yourself," Bulma said crisply.

"I'm handing the communicator to him."

After a flurry of noise, Goku's voice rang out.

"Hello? Is that Raditz?"

"It's me, Goku. Happy wedding."

"Hehe, thank you."

Goku spoke with a smile, then added with an eager tone, "Raditz, you must be really strong by now, right? I really hope to have a match with you."

"Wait until I get back," Raditz promised. "I hope your kung fu hasn't slacked off, otherwise you won't be able to keep up with me."

"I definitely won't," Goku said, his tone full of confidence. "Raditz, do you remember Piccolo? I fought him at the Martial Arts Tournament, and I even won the championship."

"Is that so?" Raditz understood.

It seemed the butterfly effect he had caused hadn't changed the outcome of that duel.

Piccolo had still been defeated by Goku.