After all, Vegeta had been their enemy not long ago.
Now that they knew the reason behind his sudden surge in strength, Krillin and Gohan found it hard to accept. It felt unfair.
Gohan stepped forward and said to the Grand Elder, "Grand Elder Guru, you shouldn't trust him. He's a terrible person. He invaded Earth and killed lots of people—our companions included."
"Gohan is right. He killed his own comrades back then. His promises are worthless. If I'm guessing correctly, he definitely has a hidden motive," Krillin added gravely.
Grand Elder Guru simply listened in silence.
To say Vegeta had a hidden motive—well, the only thing worth coveting on Namek was the Dragon Balls.
And in truth, if Vegeta did genuinely help save Namek from extinction, the Grand Elder would be willing to give him a Dragon Ball for his own wish.
Plus, summoning the Dragon required a Namekian incantation.
That meant the scope of the wish would still be under Namekian control. They didn't need to worry about Vegeta making a wish that could destroy the universe.
The Grand Elder had lived far longer than any of them. His perspective was vastly different from Krillin and Gohan's.
So far, Vegeta hadn't harmed a single Namekian. He hadn't destroyed their homes. Instead, he had eliminated the invaders and protected Namek.
From a Namekian perspective… Vegeta wasn't an enemy.
If the Grand Elder wanted to be blunt, he could easily say: He may be your enemy, Earthlings, but he is not mine.
But he wouldn't say that aloud. It would only deepen the tension.
Right now, he also wanted to help the Earthlings—giving them a real chance to survive this crisis.
"Actually, I think even though Vegeta looks fierce and did invade Earth… he didn't seem that hostile toward us. If he wanted to kill us, he would've done it already," Bulma said suddenly.
"Maybe there's some backstory. Maybe he was following Frieza's orders and rebelled later. If he's willing to help, then this crisis might really be solvable…"
"And didn't he say he'd give us two wishes and only take one himself…?"
Bulma's voice softened as she spoke.
When they first met Vegeta, he didn't harm them. Sure, she felt like he had suspicious intentions toward her, but in the end, he only took the Dragon Radar.
Thinking back on it, she actually regretted tricking him. She shouldn't have gambled by giving him a fake Dragon Radar.
Now that Vegeta surely knew it was fake—would he be angry?
"You're thinking too simply, Bulma! Even if that monster helps us, he'll kill us afterward," Krillin said seriously.
"That's right, Aunt Bulma. Don't be fooled by his behavior earlier. After he gets the Dragon Balls, he probably won't let us live," Gohan agreed.
After everything they had gone through, their fear and distrust were deeply rooted.
"Alright, alright… you two decide what we do. I don't know anymore…" Bulma shrank back after seeing their intense expressions.
It wasn't impossible for things to unfold the way Krillin and Gohan feared.
"No matter what, let me unlock your potential first," Grand Elder Guru said at the perfect moment, easing the tension.
At his words, the atmosphere lightened slightly.
"Thank you, Grand Elder Guru." Gohan stepped forward and accepted the potential unlock.
The process was similar to Krillin's—but much longer.
After finishing, the Grand Elder looked noticeably weaker.
The technique consumed enormous mental energy. Vegeta's earlier question about whether it shortened lifespan wasn't wrong—it indeed drained life force indirectly.
Seeing his frail state, Krillin and Gohan felt both grateful and worried.
Nail clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to stop the Grand Elder but knew it was pointless.
"It's alright. Even if I didn't use this ability, my life is already near its end. Being able to help you before I die—and ensure the safety of my people—is enough. I hope you will protect them…" Grand Elder Guru said gently.
The words felt like a final testament.
Dende couldn't hold back anymore. He rushed forward, hugging the Grand Elder's leg as tears streamed down his face.
After a long moment, everyone finally stepped out to allow the Grand Elder to rest.
Outside, Nail suddenly blocked Krillin and Gohan.
"I hope you won't betray the Grand Elder's trust—or his efforts on your behalf."
His tone was sharp. The incident with Vegeta had clearly made him more suspicious of outsiders.
In the original story, Nail was much warmer toward Krillin and Gohan. But without Dende being saved earlier, it would've been impossible for him to treat them kindly at all.
"We won't let the Grand Elder down," Krillin replied.
"But realistically, even with our increased strength, we probably couldn't even defeat you… let alone stand against Vegeta or the Frieza Force. Staying here is the safest choice for now."
"Maybe… we should take everyone off Namek first," Gohan suggested quietly.
"Leave…? Perhaps when the final moment comes, there will be no other choice," Nail sighed. He had considered it too.
But there were no Namekian spaceships. The Earthlings' ship was likely their only lifeline.
Bulma suddenly realized something.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've overlooked it. I need to do a complete inspection. Gohan, help me out. If we're leaving Namek, that ship can't have any hidden issues."
"Okay, Aunt Bulma!" Gohan nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, on an island a hundred kilometers away—
Vegeta remained unaware of everything happening.
Still immersed in his Super Saiyan state, he kept his eyes closed, feeling the overwhelming transformation that Saiyan power had brought him.
...
Author's Note
I've created a second Webnovel account under the name Shadow_demon_007A2.
So far, I've already posted 9 different fanfics, including works from:
High School DxD, Shin Chan, Dragon Ball, Marvel, Ben 10, Pokémon, and Versatile Mage, with more on the way.
If you enjoy my stories, please visit the new account, give your support, and add the novels to your library—it really helps a lot.
Thank you for reading and supporting my work!
— Shadow_demon_007