Planet Namek

The spaceship slowly landed on Planet Namek's soil.

The hatch opened, and air fresh with the scent of grass rushed in. Son Gohan walked down the steps, then transformed the spaceship into a Capsule Corp capsule and stored it in his internal space. Turning around, he surveyed the surroundings.

This planet was completely different from Earth.

There were no vast continents here. As far as the eye could see were scattered island chains, with islands of all sizes separated and interwoven by lakes.

Yet the sky remained bright at all times. There was no alternation between day and night; it was daytime all year round.

The entire planet was peaceful and serene.

Son Gohan closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding energy.

In the distant place where the Namekians lived, streams of gentle, mild energy appeared in his perception.

He suddenly flared his aura. Energy erupted around him as he flew in that direction.

"Who goes there?!"

"An outsider has broken in!"

Several Namekians emerged from the distinctive white buildings, their faces filled with vigilance.

They all had roughly the same green skin, wore loose and simple white robes, and looked alike save for subtle differences.

But when they saw the visitor's face clearly, their wary expressions immediately relaxed.

"You are..."

An elderly Namekian narrowed his eyes and examined him closely.

"You're Son Gohan? Son Goku's son?"

"Gohan!"

A voice came from behind the crowd.

Dende squeezed past several of his clansmen and ran to the front, his face full of delight. He still looked as innocent and carefree as ever, and he was especially happy to see his childhood companion.

"It has been a long time, Dende." Son Gohan nodded. "Sorry for dropping by so suddenly."

"What are you talking about?" Dende smiled until his eyes nearly narrowed shut. "Come in, come in!"

The crowd surrounded Son Gohan and led him into the village. Mushroom-shaped buildings were scattered across the grass, with low-growing plants around them.

The Namekians stood quietly nearby, occasionally whispering to one another, their gazes filled with curiosity and goodwill.

Son Gohan followed them into the largest building and met the new Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder sat on a raised platform. He was a full size larger than an ordinary Namekian, and his face bore a gentle, kindly expression.

He looked down at Son Gohan without speaking, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Grand Elder," Son Gohan stated his purpose directly, "I would like to borrow Planet Namek's Dragon Balls."

The Grand Elder gave a slight nod, signaling for him to continue.

"In another two and a half years, androids will appear on Earth."

"They are extremely powerful—the kind that can destroy star systems." Son Gohan spoke calmly, deliberately making the matter sound grave. "I want to use the Dragon Balls to make a wish, strengthen myself, and protect Earth."

The Grand Elder showed no hesitation after hearing him out.

"Of course you may."

His voice was low and slow as he spoke.

"If you had not stepped in back then, Planet Namek would have long since been destroyed by Frieza."

"The Namekians have never forgotten that debt of gratitude. Use the Dragon Balls as you please."

Son Gohan solemnly thanked him.

The Grand Elder waved a hand, indicating that it was nothing, then immediately instructed his people to gather the Dragon Balls.

Several Namekians sprang into action at once, flying off in every direction.

Before long, all seven Dragon Balls had been gathered.

Planet Namek's Dragon Balls were far larger than Earth's. Each one was the size of a basketball, their orange-yellow spheres crystal clear and radiating a soft glow.

The Grand Elder instructed everyone to place the Dragon Balls on the ground in a circle, then turned to Dende.

"Dende, you summon him. You and Gohan are companions, so it will be easier to communicate."

Dende nodded and stepped forward.

Son Gohan stood beside him, watching as Dende began to chant the incantation.

It was in the Namekian language, its pronunciation obscure and difficult to make out. The air trembled faintly as the chant was spoken.

All seven Dragon Balls erupted with blinding golden light.

A thick pillar of light shot into the sky, several times wider than the one summoned by Earth's Dragon Balls.

The pillar of light gathered in midair, finally forming an incomparably enormous figure.

Son Gohan raised his head.

Planet Namek's Shenron, Bogalun.

It was several times larger than Earth's Shenron, its body like a small mountain.

Bogalun stood upright, its dragon head ferocious, its pectorals and biceps knotted and bulging with a primal, beastlike oppression. Its imposing red pupils looked down from above.

Son Gohan silently thought that this one looked more like the Western dragons from his past life.

Then Bogalun spoke.

It spoke in Namekian, which Son Gohan could not understand.

Dende turned to Son Gohan. "Bogalun says that whoever gathered the seven Dragon Balls should state their wish."

Son Gohan gave it some thought.

He had already worked out his wishes on the way here.

Instant Transmission, specifically Kibito's kind of Instant Transmission—the unrestricted kind that did not require sensing ki.

"Dende, tell him." Son Gohan paused. "Grant me Kibito's unrestricted Instant Transmission, the kind that doesn't require sensing ki."

Dende turned and relayed the wish to Bogalun in Namekian.

A red glow flashed through Bogalun's eyes.

"Done. Your wish has been granted." The majestic voice rang out. After a pause, it continued, "State your next wish."

Son Gohan sensed the changes in his body.

He could not say exactly what had changed, but the space around him had become far clearer to his senses. Instinctively, he felt that with a single thought, he could go anywhere.

"My second wish," Son Gohan said, "is to learn Namekian and the common language of the gods."

Dende relayed the wish once more.

Red light flashed through Bogalun's eyes.

A vast amount of knowledge suddenly flooded into Son Gohan's mind. Those obscure, incomprehensible languages abruptly became clear and understandable.

He could understand Namekian.

"My third wish," Son Gohan said, turning to Dende, "let me say it myself."

He looked up at the enormous dragon in midair and spoke in the Namekian language he had just learned. His pronunciation was still somewhat clumsy, but it was sufficient.

"My third wish—at the current stage, guide the development of Piccolo's potential, Earth's Kami's potential, and Dende's potential. Also develop Dende's magic power to the greatest extent possible."

After hearing this, Bogalun's red eyes flickered.

"Done. Your wish has been granted. Farewell."

As its voice fell, Shenron's enormous body began to fade, transforming back into seven streaks of light that scattered toward the distance.

Dende stood beside him, utterly frozen. His hands were slightly spread apart as the magic power within him surged like floodwaters released from a dam. The sensation of his strength rising was so distinct that he did not know what to do.

"This... this is..."

Son Gohan looked at Dende and nodded in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, on Earth.

Kami's Lookout.

Kami stood at the edge of the lookout, his aged hand resting on his staff. Suddenly, a force exploded from deep within his body.

His muscles began to swell, the wrinkles on his face faded somewhat, and his eyes brightened. He had not felt this kind of power in many years.

Elsewhere, Piccolo sat cross-legged in the wasteland, meditating. Suddenly, the ki within him began to rise wildly—an explosive surge.

His power shot upward by multiples. He abruptly opened his eyes, stared at his hands, and clenched his fists in disbelief.

This power—!

It had already reached the level of a Full Power Super Saiyan.

He rose to his feet, feeling the surging power within him, and remained silent for a long time.

"Incredible."

Back on Planet Namek.

The wishes had been made, and the Dragon Balls had flown away.

Son Gohan bade everyone farewell. "Grand Elder, thank you."

The Grand Elder nodded with a faint smile.

Son Gohan then turned to Dende. "Dende, I'll come play with you when I have time."

"Take care, Gohan." Dende waved.

Son Gohan closed his eyes and locked onto a ki.

Earth—Piccolo's ki.

Instant Transmission, activated.

Whoosh!

His figure vanished from the spot, clean and decisive.

The next moment, he appeared in a valley somewhere on Earth, standing atop the tallest rock.

Piccolo stood not far away. Seeing the figure that had suddenly appeared, his pupils shrank sharply.

"Gohan? Why did you suddenly—"

"Uncle Piccolo," Son Gohan said, "I used Planet Namek's Dragon Balls to make several wishes."

"One of them was to unlock the potential of you and Kami, so you can deal with the androids two and a half years from now."

"I see." Piccolo fell silent for a moment, lowering his head to look at his hands. "No wonder my power suddenly increased so much."

Son Gohan nodded.

"Goodbye, Uncle Piccolo. I need to continue training."

Piccolo did not ask further questions. He simply spat out a single word.

"Okay."

Instant Transmission activated again.

His figure vanished.

This time, Son Gohan appeared in a city.

All kinds of shops lined both sides of the street, their signs bright and colorful.

Pedestrians streamed back and forth. After looking around for a while, Son Gohan found an old-looking bookstore and pushed open the door.

The owner was a bald middle-aged man, dozing with his head on the counter.

"Boss, do you have that kind of book?"

The owner opened one eye and sized up the child before him.

"What kind of book?"

"The kind—you know." Son Gohan made a gesture.

The owner's mouth twitched as he sat up straight.

"You little brat, have you finished your homework? Go on, get out of here. Don't get in the way of my business."

"I'm not a little brat."

"Yeah, yeah, you're not." The owner waved him off, his tone dismissive as he impatiently urged, "Come back after you've grown some hair."

Son Gohan glanced around the shop. The prominent displays were filled with proper reading material, and there were none of the magazines he had imagined even in the corners.

Forget it...

Maybe the owner had hidden them away. Either way, there probably wasn't another store on this street.

He walked out of the bookstore and stood by the roadside, changing his approach.

Search for Turtle Hermit's energy.

Instant Transmission activated.

Whoosh—!

The island of Turtle House was bathed in brilliant sunshine.

Turtle Hermit was lying on a beach chair, sunbathing while reading a magazine.

A figure suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him, startling him so badly that he nearly slapped the magazine onto his own face.

"Ah—!"

Turtle Hermit scrambled upright, his sunglasses slipping crookedly to one side.

"Y-you—you—you—aren't you Gohan? How did you suddenly pop up here?!"

Son Gohan had no time to explain. His gaze had already locked onto the stack of colorful magazines beside Turtle Hermit.

The contents of the covers were not suitable for description here.

"Grandpa Turtle Hermit, let me borrow these for a bit."

He reached out and took a few, flipping through them casually. As expected of Turtle Hermit, he had quite the stash hidden away, and they were in excellent condition—clearly collected year by year.

"Goodbye."

Instant Transmission activated.

His figure vanished.

Turtle Hermit froze for two seconds, then sprang from his chair and rushed outside.

"Hey—!!! Give my treasures back!!! I haven't even finished reading them yet!!!"