At that moment.
No longer stuck at a height of one and a half meters, Tarble was in a very good mood, a faint smile on his lips.
Hearing Son Goku's words, he teased him:
"Son Goku, you could wish to grow taller, too."
At that, Son Goku shook his head without even thinking about it.
"I'd never make such a boring wish to Shenron."
Tarble's face stiffened. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily as he ground his back teeth together.
Boring?
How was that wish boring?
So many people wanted to make a wish like that but couldn't, and had to put lifts in their shoes instead. And you're telling me it's boring?!
Just you wait!
Once we get into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, you're in for it!
At the thought, an insidious smirk crept across his lips, and his eyes glinted with amusement.
Seeing this, Son Goku suddenly felt uneasy.
In an instant, his smile disappeared. His expression turned solemn, and he put a hand to his chest.
But the next second, the feeling of unease vanished.
For a moment, he was completely confused.
"What's going on?"
"I felt a little strange just now, but now it's gone..."
"How weird!"
He furrowed his brows and thought it over, but couldn't figure it out.
Then he turned his attention elsewhere, excitement and anticipation returning to his face.
"Tarble, we've had our wishes granted. Shall we head back?"
"You've got to teach me properly how to transform into a Super Saiyan 4!"
At that, Tarble gave him a meaningful look and replied with a chuckle, his words carrying a double meaning. "No problem."
"I'll teach you with all my heart. I guarantee you'll learn!"
Son Goku understood only the literal meaning and immediately beamed. "That's great!"
"Then let's go back!"
As he spoke, he appeared beside Tarble in a flash and grabbed his arm.
From the looks of it, he was about to use Instant Transmission to return to Earth.
Seeing Son Goku ready to bolt without even saying goodbye, Tarble felt speechless and quickly called out to him.
"Wait a second!"
"What is it?" Son Goku stopped, though he didn't understand. "Is there something else we need to do?"
Something else?
And he had the nerve to ask!
You use someone else's stuff and then just leave without a word?
Couldn't you at least thank them again and say a quick goodbye?
Using people and tossing them aside—he really was Scum Rott!
Pah!
Tarble glared at him. Trying to teach him manners would be slower than smashing his head against a block of tofu.
He'd do it himself.
Then he turned to Mulin and the others, bowed slightly, and offered his sincere thanks. "Thank you, Grand Elder Mulin, for granting our wishes. We won't impose on you any longer!"
As he spoke, he pointed at Son Goku, who was still holding on to him, and said helplessly, "I need to teach this guy a new transformation. Just look at him—he can't wait."
Son Goku didn't pick up on the teasing at all. After listening, he nodded earnestly. "Yeah, Tarble's right. He's going to teach us an even stronger transformation."
"If there's nothing else, we'll be off, Grand Elder Mulin?"
"Oh, oh!" Mulin quickly came to his senses. Since even Son Goku had said so, he believed him without hesitation. "Well, you two are welcome to visit anytime. We'd be glad to have you."
Hearing that, Tarble didn't bother wondering whether he was just being polite. He readily agreed, as quick as lightning. "Then goodbye, Grand Elder Mulin. We'll bring Dende back here sometime, too."
"Until we meet again!"
If he could benefit from Son Goku's good fortune, there was no reason not to.
Besides, he'd already been thinking about making another wish next time!
Without giving them a chance to say anything else, he called out to Son Goku, who was still looking a little dazed. "Goku, let's go!"
"Huh? Oh, we're leaving!"
"See you next time, everyone!"
At least Son Goku knew enough to say goodbye before they left.
His voice still echoed in the air.
Whoosh!
But Tarble and Son Goku had already vanished from the spot.
Looking at the place where they'd disappeared, Mulin smiled faintly, then called out to his people. "Everyone, put the Dragon Balls away and get back to what you were doing."
"Yes, Grand Elder!" ×N
The Namekians dispersed in response.
"Grand Elder, that Saiyan named Tarble has an even more terrifying aura than Son Goku."
"That's right, Grand Elder. Why did you make an agreement with him? Aren't you worried...?"
The two speakers were currently the strongest two warrior-type Namekians. They usually took turns guarding Grand Elder Mulin.
Of course, they also took turns training.
Before the last one could finish, Mulin cut him off.
"Pena, you sensed Mr. Tarble's aura, too."
"There isn't a trace of evil in him, so he certainly isn't an evil person. I trust my judgment."
"Besides, he's so powerful. Using a few wishes to befriend him is a good thing."
"If we run into a difficult problem in the future and ask him for help, he'll do everything he can for us."
The two guards exchanged a look and said nothing.
They felt it would be better to keep their hopes in their own hands than place them in someone else's.
Mulin paid no mind to what they were thinking. Gazing into the distance, he warned them,
"From now on, don't show Mr. Tarble any disrespect. Understood?"
"Yes, Grand Elder." ×2
Tarble and Son Goku had no idea what happened afterward on New Namek.
By then, they had already returned to Earth and gone straight to Kami's Lookout.
Vegeta and Licks had been waiting there for quite some time.
"Kakarot, what took you so long?" Vegeta asked with a scowl.
When he noticed that Tarble had suddenly grown taller, he couldn't help taking a closer look.
In his estimation, ten minutes would have been more than enough to make a wish.
But half an hour had passed already.
He and Licks, along with Son Gohan, Trunks, and Son Goten, had rushed around buying a large amount of food.
After they'd bought the food and other supplies and returned to the villa, they waited for several minutes without anyone showing up. So they decided to head to Kami's Lookout and wait there.
But after arriving, they'd waited almost another ten minutes before the two finally returned.
All in all, they'd been left waiting around for over ten minutes. Who wouldn't be annoyed?
Son Gohan and the others had waited five minutes. When no one showed up, they'd already gone back.
And the only person Vegeta could imagine dragging his feet was Son Goku.
After all, whenever Bulma held a party, Son Goku was almost always the last to arrive.
Faced with Vegeta's accusation, Son Goku immediately shifted the blame to Tarble.
"I wanted to get back quickly, too! Tarble spent a while talking with Mulin and the others!"
Vegeta fell silent at once.
As for Tarble, he couldn't be bothered dealing with that guy, Son Goku. Instead, he looked over at Dende and Mr. Popo.
"Dende, Mr. Popo, we're here to bother you again."
The moment he finished speaking, he saw a distinct smile in Mr. Popo's eyes, despite his otherwise expressionless face. Mr. Popo nodded in greeting.
In particular, he looked Tarble up and down.
Dende smiled and said, "It's no trouble. You can come by whenever you like."
Of course, Dende had also noticed that Tarble was taller than before, and took a couple of extra looks.
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