A streak of light pierced the sky and finally stopped atop the tallest stone pillar on Planet Namek.
As soon as she landed, Dende rushed out, clutching the last remaining orange bead in her arms.
Piccolo didn't follow them inside.
He stood quietly atop the stone pillar.
Gazing into the distance.
He could sense that Son Goku was confronting that powerful energy!
Piccolo instinctively clenched his fist.
He thought that after a year of arduous practice, he had been completely transformed.
When the real crisis struck, all he could do was flee with the weak.
Intense self-blame and resentment gnawed at his heart.
Just then, a soft footstep sound came from inside the house.
Piccolo snapped out of his daze and turned to look.
Nail slowly emerged from the shadows of the stone house.
" The Grand Elder has something to discuss with you..."
Piccolo was slightly taken aback.
He looked at this man of the same clan before him.
From Nail, he sensed a familiar warrior's pride, but also a profound and unyielding sorrow.
Nail didn't avoid Piccolo's gaze; he simply added in that deep tone.
Go ahead...
Piccolo didn't ask any more questions, just nodded, and stepped into the stone house with a belly full of doubts.
The Planet Namek Grand Elder sat quietly on the enormous stone chair.
His body was extremely old.
Upon seeing Piccolo enter, the Grand Elder slowly opened his cloudy eyes a crack.
The light shining through that crack, though faint, seemed to pierce through everything.
At a glance, he saw through the turmoil of resentment and anger deep within Piccolo's heart.
"You've come..."
"Child..."
I can sense the resentment in your heart.
" Planet Namek... has reached its final moment of life and death."
"I know your resentment. After arduous training, the potential hidden within you has been awakened a second time..."
"Bring it on..."
"I'll help you unleash the hidden power within your body..."
Upon hearing the Grand Elder's call, Piccolo stopped, his brow furrowed, and his eyes revealed obvious worry. He spoke in a deep voice, " Grand Elder... your current condition..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
Given the Grand Elder's current condition, further potential development would be tantamount to suicide.
The Grand Elder saw through Piccolo's worries.
He smiled and shook his head; though his voice was weathered, it carried an undeniable firmness.
"It's alright... I know what I'm doing."
"My life isn't over yet..."
The Grand Elder's gaze seemed to pierce through the stone house, looking towards the distant horizon, at the area where a fierce battle was taking place.
"The future of Planet Namek will not end here..."
Come, child...
Upon hearing this, Piccolo no longer hesitated.
He walked step by step to the throne.
The Grand Elder slowly raised his large, wrinkled hand and gently placed it on Piccolo's head.
The next second.
"Ugh--!"
Piccolo's eyes widened suddenly, veins bulged on his forehead, and his muscles trembled violently and uncontrollably!
An immense power, like a flood bursting its banks, surged wildly from the depths of his blood!
Outside the stone house.
Nail stared inside.
"Boom--!!!"
A terrifying shockwave suddenly erupted from inside the stone house!
Feeling this power, a ray of hope appeared on Nail's face!
The blast wave came quickly and went quickly.
As the terrifying sense of oppression slowly dissipated, the stone house returned to calm.
The Grand Elder's hand slid limply from Piccolo's head. His breath grew even weaker than before as he leaned wearily against the throne, panting heavily.
He slowly raised his head, then slowly opened his palm, and then suddenly clenched it!
An unprecedented, powerful feeling, as if he could Control everything, filled his entire body.
Without a doubt, this force is very strong!
but...
not enough!
Compared to that guy who's currently fighting Son Goku, he's still far from adequate.
They weren't even qualified to get involved in that battle.
He turned his head and looked at the Grand Elder, who was leaning against the huge stone chair, his breathing becoming extremely weak.
This old man, who had protected Planet Namek for countless years, was now like a candle flickering in the wind, his life force fading at any moment.
Outside, his compatriots, those vibrant lives, had been ruthlessly slaughtered.
anyway...
Planet Namek should be protected by him, Namekian!
Without further hesitation, he turned to the Grand Elder, who was already on his deathbed, and gave him a sincere look.
No words were spoken.
This is both a farewell and a soldier's final tribute before heading to the battlefield.
Are you going to your death?
A steady voice rang out from the doorway.
Nail had already stood up straight without anyone noticing.
His deep eyes gazed calmly at Piccolo.
"What incredible power!"
Nail's tone carried a hint of admiration and complexity that even he himself was unaware of.
"I never imagined that we Namekian could be this powerful..."
"If you were a... complete Namekian, how incredible would that be..."
Nail then changed the subject.
"But you know very well in your heart."
You can't beat those guys out there.
"Going out now will only mean throwing your life away; it will be pointless."
Piccolo stopped, turned his head, and looked at him coldly.
So what?
Nail's gaze was also fixed on the distance.
There was no direct answer to Piccolo's question.
Do you know?
"We are the combat-type Namekian..."
"It was created to protect the continuation of the ethnic group."
"On Planet Namek now, there are no other warriors left besides us..."
"They all sacrificed themselves to protect their community."
" Piccolo!"
Nail's tone suddenly became firm and resolute!
Piccolo waited silently for his next words.
"Please carry the hopes of the Namekian!"
"Let's secure the future of the Namekian!"
Let's keep going!
Somewhere on Planet Namek, time rewinds to the moment when Son Goku and Gokua longed to meet!
Faced with Gokua's arrogant and condescending attitude, Son Goku's eyes instantly became sharp, and a dazzling golden aura suddenly erupted from his body!
Gokua felt the blinding golden light and the powerful pressure. He gripped his longsword tightly, his fighting spirit equally high!
Are you alone?
"That's a bit of a pity!"
"Looks like I'll have to take care of you before those guys get here!"
"Finally met someone like this! I can finally loosen up my muscles!"
Son Goku did not respond to this.
He simply silently assumed a fighting stance.