Farewell to Namek

After unlocking the potential of the five, the Grand Elder appeared even more aged. His breathing grew shallow, and Nail hurriedly stepped forward to support him. "Grand Elder, are you alright?" Krillin asked with concern. "I am fine, just a bit of energy spent," the Grand Elder waved a hand. "A few days of rest will suffice." Kashu stepped forward and retrieved a Senzu Bean from his system inventory: "Grand Elder, this is a Senzu Bean from our Earth. Eating one can restore your stamina and heal your injuries. Please, try it." The Grand Elder took the bean and placed it in his mouth. The miraculous effects were immediate; the Grand Elder's complexion turned rosy, and his breathing steadied. "A fine treasure," the Grand Elder laughed. "Thank you, Kashu." "You are welcome." Kashu turned to the others: "It is time for us to go." "Wait a moment." Piccolo suddenly spoke. He walked before the Grand Elder and knelt on one knee. "Grand Elder, I wish to know... about my origins." The Grand Elder looked at Piccolo, his eyes filled with compassion: "You are the son of Katatz. Three hundred years ago, to escape a catastrophe, Katatz fled from Namek to Earth. He gave birth to you there—no, he split into the Guardian and Demon King Piccolo. You are the descendant of Demon King Piccolo, and also a descendant of the Namekians." Piccolo's pupils contracted: "Katatz... is he still alive?"

"He is already dead. But his other half—the Guardian—is still on Earth." Piccolo fell silent. His relationship with the Guardian had always been one of hostility; the Guardian had sealed him away, and he had hated the Guardian in return. But now he knew: the Guardian was his other half, his father. "You have a chance to reconcile with him," the Grand Elder said. "The day you let go of your hatred, you can merge once more and become a complete individual." "Merge?" A complex look flashed in Piccolo's eyes. "Would that still be me?" "You would retain your memories and personality, but you would become stronger and more complete," the Grand Elder said. "Do not rush, child. Time will give you the answer." Piccolo stood up and nodded. Kashu patted Piccolo on the shoulder: "Let's go, let's head home." The five left the Grand Elder's village and flew toward the New Hope. As they parted, the Grand Elder stood at the village entrance, watching them leave. "Nail," the Grand Elder said. "I am here." "Remember these Saiyans. They are different from the others. They are eternal friends of Namek." "I will remember, Grand Elder." The New Hope ascended into the sky, flying toward Earth. Onboard, Krillin excitedly showcased his new power. He performed a thousand push-ups in the gravity room without his face flushing or his breath hitching. "1.2 million in combat power! I never even dared to dream of this!" Krillin said excitedly. "The Grand Elder is truly incredible!" "Your ki is purer than before," Tien Shinhan said, observing Krillin with his third eye. "Your energy efficiency has increased at least threefold." "Your third eye has grown stronger as well," Krillin noted. "Just now, when you looked at me, I felt as if I were being seen through." "This is the effect of the Grand Elder's unlocking," Tien Shinhan said. "I can now predict an opponent's movements a fraction of a second in advance. In actual combat, this is equivalent to having precognition." Piccolo sat alone in the corner of the cabin, eyes closed. He was feeling the Namekian bloodline within him—it was a sensation he had never experienced before, as if something had taken root and was growing inside him. "Piccolo, how do you feel?" Krillin walked over. "Good," Piccolo opened his eyes. "Better than ever before." "From now on, we are true partners," Krillin extended his hand. Piccolo looked at Krillin's hand, remained silent for a moment, then gripped it. "Indeed." Son Goku lay against the observation window, looking at the stars outside: "Brother, after we return, should we challenge even stronger opponents?"

"Stronger opponents?" Kashu asked. "North King Kai said that in the universe, there are Gods of Destruction, Angels, the Grand Priest, and even Grand Zeno. Those are existences countless times stronger than Frieza," Son Goku said. "I want to fight them." "Now is not the time," Kashu said. "Your strength is not yet enough to be noticed by a God of Destruction. Train for a few more years, and once you have mastered the Realm of Gods, we will go find them." "Alright!" Son Goku clenched his fists. "I will become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone!" Kashu looked at his younger brother, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "By the way, brother," Son Goku suddenly remembered something. "Do you think Frieza will come again?" "He will," Kashu said. "But not now. He was severely injured and will need at least ten years to recover. Ten years from now, his father, King Cold, might bring him to seek revenge." "Then let them come," Son Goku said. "We are not afraid." "We are not afraid." Five days later, the New Hope landed in New Vegeta City. Kashu stepped off the ship and saw three familiar figures running toward him. "Daddy!" Kariel was the first to rush over, throwing herself into Kashu's arms. "Daddy missed you too." Kashu picked up his daughter and kissed her cheek. "Daddy, I learned how to use a ki blast!" Kabrun ran over, a small blue energy sphere coalescing in his palm. "Not bad, not bad." Kashu patted his daughter's head. Kassis did not speak, but simply walked to his father's side and took his hand. "Kassis, have you been training well?" "Yes. I can sense ki within a hundred kilometers now." "Great progress." Bulma, Launch, and Tights also walked over. The three women looked at Kashu, their eyes filled with longing and concern. "You're back," Bulma said. "I'm back," Kashu said. "Hmph, if you had dared not to return, I would have gone into space to find you!" Launch wiped the corner of her eye. "No need to go, I am right here." Tights said nothing, simply walking quietly to Kashu's side and leaning against his shoulder.

Kashu extended his right arm, pulling the three women into his embrace.

In the distance, Son Goku and Chi-Chi hugged, Krillin and Tien Shinhan stood side-by-side with Chiaotzu, and Piccolo stood alone to the side, though a faint, imperceptible smile played on his lips. Luo Ling emerged from the crowd and looked at Piccolo: "You've become stronger." "You have as well," Piccolo said. "I can feel it." "Hmph." Luo Ling turned away. "Next time we spar, I won't lose to you." "I'll be waiting." Vegeta stood behind the crowd, arms crossed, watching the return of Kashu's group. His gaze lingered on Son Goku for a moment—he could feel that Son Goku's ki was several times stronger than it had been before he left. "Kakarot, you've become stronger," Vegeta said. "Vegeta, you've improved too," Son Goku said. "Your ki is more grounded than before." "Of course, I am the Prince of all Saiyans." Vegeta turned and walked away. "One day, I will surpass all of you." That evening, New Vegeta City held a grand celebratory banquet. At the banquet, Kashu told everyone about the Grand Elder unlocking their potential. "The Grand Elder said my potential was too vast for him to unlock," Kashu said, "but he gave us a lot of guidance." "Has everyone's potential been unlocked?" Gore asked. Krillin nodded: "I went from 500,000 to 1.2 million! Tien Shinhan went from 800,000 to 2 million! Goku went from 3 million to 25 million! Piccolo went from 2 million to 5 million!" "Twenty-five million?" Vegeta's expression turned ugly. His current combat power was only 300,000, nearly seventy times less than Son Goku's. "Vegeta, you don't need to be anxious," Kashu said. "Your potential is immense; it just hasn't been tapped yet. When you have the chance to go to Namek, you can also ask the Grand Elder to unlock it." "Really?" A glimmer of hope flashed in Vegeta's eyes.

"Really." Bulma walked over with a wine glass: "Kashu, did the Grand Elder say when the Namekian Dragon Balls can be used again?" "In a year," Kashu said. "The Namekian Dragon Balls are like Earth's; they turn to stone after use and recover in a year. Do you want to make a wish?" "I want to wish for Capsule Corp's stock to rise tenfold!" Bulma said. "Boring," Launch rolled her eyes. "Then what do you want to wish for?" Bulma countered. "I want... to make Earth peaceful forever," Launch said softly. Bulma fell silent, then patted Launch on the shoulder: "Then I shall make that wish too." Tights adjusted her glasses: "A wish can only be stated by one person. Let the three of us think together and come up with the best wish." The three women began to discuss. Kashu watched them and shook his head with a smile. He walked out of the banquet hall and onto the training grounds. Under the moonlight, the training ground was empty, with only the wind blowing. Kashu closed his eyes, feeling the Legendary Super Saiyan bloodline within him. The Grand Elder said the true condition for awakening the Legendary Super Saiyan bloodline was a "heart of protection." He had always been protecting—protecting the Saiyans, protecting Earth, protecting his family. Perhaps this was the reason he could continuously break through. "System, show status."

[Legendary Super God-Level System] Host: Kashu Age: 21 Combat Power: Base 4.5 million (↑500k), LSSJ Grade 1: 360 million, LSSJ Grade 2: 720 million, LSSJ Grade 3: 1.8 billion, LSSJ Grade 4: 3.6 billion LSSJ Awakening: 64% (↑2%) Family: 3 wives, 3 children Current Mission: None

"3.6 billion," Kashu clenched his fist. Peak mid-level God of Destruction. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky. The story of Namek had ended, but the story of the universe had only just begun. Frieza's father, King Cold, was still out there, the forces of the Demon Realm were awakening, and the rifts in parallel worlds were becoming increasingly unstable. "The road is still long," Kashu whispered to himself, "but every step counts." He turned and walked back to the banquet hall. Under the moonlight, New Vegeta City was brightly lit. This was his home, his roots, the place he would spend his life protecting.