At dusk, the cooking smoke had cleared from Mount Paozu.
Son Gohan hopped down from his chair and walked to the kitchen doorway. Chi-Chi was washing dishes, still wearing her apron.
"Mom, I'm heading out for a while. Dad and the others are still fighting the androids, and I'm worried. I need to go check on them."
Chi-Chi's hands stopped moving.
She set the bowl in the sink, wiped her hands on her apron, and turned around.
Her face was full of worry. Her son had only just returned, and now he was leaving again. Chi-Chi didn't stop him; she simply stepped forward and straightened Son Gohan's collar.
"Be careful, Gohan."
"I will, Mom."
Son Gohan walked outside. Lazuli was waiting, leaning against the doorframe, her golden hair stirring gently in the refreshing evening breeze.
Chi-Chi poked her head out of the kitchen and waved at Lazuli. "Come by for a meal again sometime, Lazuli!"
Lazuli nodded slightly, a faint smile touching her lips as she waved goodbye in return.
The two figures shot into the sky and vanished into the night.
The lights of Mount Paozu shrank behind them to a single point, soon swallowed by the darkness.
After flying for a while, Son Gohan stopped in midair.
Thousands of lights shone below, while the lights of distant towns were scattered across the land. The night wind swept past their ears, carrying a slight chill.
Lazuli stopped beside him and looked at him, seeming not to understand why he had halted.
"We're going somewhere first." Son Gohan turned around, his tone unhurried. "You're a hot commodity right now, after all. Cell dreams of absorbing you."
At those words, Lazuli got goosebumps. The thought simply disgusted her.
Just imagining some Frankenstein-like creature swallowing her into its tail made her feel sick all over.
"So the safest place for you is by my side."
Son Gohan held out his hand. "Let's go."
He took Lazuli's hand. Her fingers were slender and fair. Being led by a ten-year-old boy stirred a strange feeling in her—something odd that she couldn't quite describe.
No one had ever held her hand like this before. The boy in front of her was clearly younger, and his hand was small, yet somehow he made her feel she could rely on him.
She didn't resist, letting Son Gohan hold her hand.
The night wind tousled her golden hair. She lowered her eyes, and a hint of softness passed over her cool, alluring face.
Instant Transmission activated.
Whoosh—
The night vanished, replaced by endless daylight.
Planet Namek.
Beneath the pale green sky, blue lakes dotted the islands, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of plants.
There was no night here. Lazuli blinked and looked out at the unfamiliar world.
She remembered the feeling of being led by the hand just moments earlier, and the corners of her lips curled into the faintest smile. Forget it. Why dwell on that?
Son Gohan closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding energy.
"Let's go."
A burst of white aura erupted, and he became a streak of light, flying toward the area where the energy signatures were concentrated.
Lazuli followed close behind.
The two swept over a lake, trailing long ripples across its surface.
The village soon appeared in view.
White, mushroom-shaped buildings were scattered across the grass. Several Namekians were working in the fields, and when they saw two streaks of light approaching from the horizon, they looked up.
Son Gohan landed at the village entrance. Dende ran out from the crowd, delight bright on his green face.
"Gohan! What brings you here?" Dende took Son Gohan's hand and looked him up and down. "Has the android crisis been resolved?"
"Not yet." Son Gohan shook his head. "There's still a powerful android wreaking havoc on Earth. My dad and the others are fighting him, and things are pretty troublesome."
Lazuli, standing nearby, pouted, her short golden hair shifting slightly.
She shot Son Gohan a sidelong glance. What a show-off.
That Cell guy could probably be beaten by this kid all on his own.
When he beat up her brother in the ruins of West City, he hadn't looked troubled at all.
But Lazuli didn't call him out. She only turned her gaze into the distance, watching a group of green-skinned aliens as her usual cool expression returned.
Dende's face immediately filled with worry.
"Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?"
That was exactly what Son Gohan had been waiting to hear.
He grabbed Dende's hand, his expression turning earnest in an instant. The sudden movement made Dende lean back slightly.
"I do—more than ever, Dende."
Son Gohan took a deep breath, his tone growing serious.
"There's no Kami on Earth right now. The previous Kami fused with Uncle Piccolo, leaving the position vacant."
"And the Dragon Balls on Earth disappeared along with him. The androids have killed so many innocent people this time, and we need Shenron to bring them back."
"Porunga can only revive one person at a time. Bringing back that many people one by one just isn't practical."
Son Gohan looked at Dende and clasped his small green hands.
"So we're counting on you, Dende. Come back to Earth with me, become the new Kami, and create a new Shenron."
Dende's eyes widened as he listened. He hadn't realized the situation was so serious.
But only a few seconds passed before he nodded firmly, without a trace of hesitation in his voice.
"Gohan, I'm willing to go to Earth. I'll help you."
Son Gohan smiled and patted Dende on the shoulder. "That's great."
"But—"
He looked toward the largest mushroom-shaped building at the center of the village. Before returning to Earth, he still needed to borrow Planet Namek's Dragon Balls. There were some preparations he had to make first.
Nearby, the Grand Elder nodded gently, a warm expression on his aged face. He raised a hand, and several Namekians immediately got to work.
Before long, the seven Dragon Balls had been gathered. Each was a basketball-sized, orange-yellow sphere, a whole size larger than the Earth Dragon Balls, and they glowed with a gentle sheen.
They were arranged in a circle, drawing a second glance from Lazuli. She stood nearby with her arms folded, curiosity flashing in her blue eyes. She had only ever heard of the Dragon Balls in Dr. Gero's database; this was her first time seeing them in person.
Son Gohan walked up to the Dragon Balls and planted his feet.
He took a deep breath. After learning Namekian Language to make a wish to Shenron, he could now speak it clearly.
He opened his mouth and called, "Come forth, Shenron, and grant my wish!"
The Namekian words rang out, each syllable carrying a strange rhythm. The air began to tremble faintly in time with the incantation.
All seven Dragon Balls shone with golden light.
Blinding beams shot into the sky, surging and expanding before coalescing into an enormous figure.
Porunga.
His body, several times larger than Earth's Shenron, hovered in midair. The fearsome dragon head looked down from above, its red eyes fixed on the figure below.
"Whoever gathered the Dragon Balls—speak your wish."
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