Unleashing Potential

Son Gohan stared wide-eyed at Vegeta, who looked like he'd gone mad. What kind of unbelievable reasoning was that?

Forget it. He'd just have to trick Vegeta into going to Earth first.

If Vegeta was left to wander the universe, he'd probably only ever become a second-rate warrior, wasting the talent of the Saiyan Prince.

He'd be an indispensable asset in the Tournament of Power.

"Where should we go next?" Yamcha asked, seeking everyone's opinion.

"I want to return to Earth and use its Dragon Balls to bring the dead Namekians back to life."

Piccolo looked at the devastated Namek. After assimilating with Nail, he felt a stronger connection to the planet.

Earth's Shenron had one restriction on mass resurrection: it could only revive people who had died within the past year. Otherwise, the world would descend into chaos.

Without that restriction, wishing back everyone killed by Frieza's forces would bring all the Saiyans back to life, too.

Time was limited, and Piccolo wanted to return to Earth as soon as possible to take care of this.

"There's no rush, Uncle Piccolo. Since we're already here, let's visit Namek's Grand Elder."

Son Gohan looked at the little bottle in his hand. Sealing Slug away like this seemed like a waste. Maybe the Grand Elder would know what to do, so he wanted to ask.

Besides, Namek's Grand Elder could unleash people's hidden potential, making everyone even stronger.

"Are you going to see the Grand Elder? I can show you the way." Dende had come along, too. He was timid, but still mustered the courage to speak up.

He knew that these people had saved Namek.

"That would be great. Thank you, Dende," Son Gohan said gratefully.

Vegeta hesitated, then followed them. Led by Dende, the nine of them flew toward the Grand Elder's home.

Before long, the tallest mountain on Namek came into view. There was a small house on top, where the Grand Elder lived.

"I'll go in and announce you first." Dende landed at the entrance and hurried inside.

"No need. Let them all come in," a frail, elderly voice called from within.

The group filed inside. The house was cramped and undecorated. Usually, only Dende, Nail, and the Grand Elder lived there.

With eight more people, it immediately felt crowded.

A very old Namekian, three times Piccolo's size, sat in a specially made chair with pointed corners.

"Sorry to trouble you, Grand Elder. We're sorry that Nail chose to assimilate with Uncle Piccolo. We've come to ask you for a favor," Son Gohan said apologetically, looking up at the Grand Elder.

The old man sat with his eyes closed, as if asleep, and didn't answer Son Gohan.

Krillin whispered, "Did he fall asleep?"

The Grand Elder's frail voice suddenly rang out. "My life is nearly at its end. Thank you for protecting Namek."

"I'm glad Nail made that choice."

"You're Piccolo, aren't you? Come here, child. Stand beside me." The Grand Elder had a kind expression, and his cloudy old eyes seemed able to see through everything.

Piccolo was usually arrogant and unruly, but at the Grand Elder's words, he became docile. He walked over slowly and stood to the left of the chair.

"You're Katatz's child, aren't you?"

The Grand Elder gazed at Piccolo kindly. Katatz had been his contemporary, but after the crisis that struck Namek, the Grand Elder had been the only one to survive.

Piccolo shook his head, bewildered. He knew nothing about what had happened in the past.

The Grand Elder didn't explain further. Instead, he looked at the group. "What brings you here to see me?"

"We came to ask you to unleash our potential, Grand Elder," Piccolo replied respectfully, following Son Gohan's earlier suggestion.

"Fortunately, my remaining years are few. Let this be my way of thanking you for saving my children and protecting Namek."

The Grand Elder slowly extended his aged hand and placed it on Piccolo's head. His enormous palm easily covered Piccolo's entire head as he began to unleash his potential.

"Gwaaah!"

Piccolo couldn't help but cry out in exhilaration. A pillar of white light enveloped him, releasing a special energy as his battle power surged.

"Cough, cough!" The Grand Elder raised his hand, then suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

Dende hurried over and held the Grand Elder's hand in both of his, asking anxiously, "Grand Elder, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I only drew out his potential, yet I feel exhausted. It seems my life really is coming to an end."

The Grand Elder coughed a few more times. He was perfectly calm, with no fear of death.

"Your potential is immense. Never in our history has there been a Namekian as powerful as you."

"I was only able to draw out part of your potential." The Grand Elder looked at Piccolo with satisfaction.

He beckoned to the others, inviting them to come forward.

Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu each took their turn having their potential unleashed by the Grand Elder. Their strength increased by varying amounts.

"This feels amazing! It'll save us so much time training!" Yamcha shouted excitedly.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The Grand Elder's coughing grew worse, and Dende's little face was full of worry.

Son Gohan felt terrible watching him and urged, "Grand Elder, maybe you should stop. The rest of us don't need to have our potential unleashed."

"Cough!" the Grand Elder replied weakly. "It's all right. In my final moments, I want to see just how great a Saiyan's potential is."

Next, Son Goku and Vegeta had their potential unleashed by the Grand Elder. The pillars of white light around them were brighter and more dazzling than the one that had surrounded Piccolo.

Son Goku, in particular, felt that he was just one step away from becoming a Super Saiyan. But that step was the hardest of all.

"Astonishing! So this is a Saiyan's potential? No wonder they're the warrior race of the universe," the Grand Elder exclaimed.

"The Saiyans really are monsters," Krillin muttered.

Son Gohan was the last to step forward. The instant the Grand Elder placed his hand on his head, his eyes flew open. A terrifying, overwhelming power erupted from every part of Son Gohan's body.

The pillar of white ki solidified and shot into the sky. With a loud boom, it blasted a hole through the roof.

The Grand Elder's aged hand jerked back as if he'd been shocked. His entire body trembled faintly, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Grand Elder, what's wrong?" Dende asked with concern.

"I can't go on." The Grand Elder panted, a trace of fear in his cloudy eyes, but even more excitement.

"This child's potential is a bottomless pit. If I keep drawing it out, my few remaining moments of life will be over in an instant."

Son Gohan felt warmth surge throughout his body. His blood seemed to boil as power continued to pour into him, bringing him even closer to becoming a Super Saiyan 2.

"That's incredible!" Krillin and the others cheered.

"Damn brat!" Vegeta seethed with jealousy.

"Thank you, Grand Elder. There's one more thing I'd like to ask you about." Son Gohan took out the little bottle, preparing to release Slug.

"I already know." The Grand Elder interrupted him before he could finish.

He looked at Piccolo and asked seriously, "Are you willing to assimilate with Slug?"