The Hope slowly approached the ship that had sent out the distress signal.
It was a medium-sized cargo vessel, its hull covered in dents and impact craters of all sizes. Several sections still sparked with exposed wiring.
At first glance, it truly looked like it had been devastated by the meteor storm.
"The other party has responded. They've agreed to let us approach," Bulma reported.
"Put them on the main screen," Krillin said calmly.
The display flickered to life, revealing an alien with an octopus-like head, dressed in a tattered captain's uniform. His face was filled with exaggerated gratitude.
"Thank you! Kind travelers! Your arrival is nothing short of a blessing from the universe itself!"
"No need to thank us. It's no trouble at all."
Krillin replied with a polite smile, though his eyes carried the faint amusement of someone watching a poor performance.
As the distance between the two ships closed to less than five hundred meters, everything changed.
The battered cargo ship suddenly shed its outer disguise. The damaged plating peeled away, revealing a menacing layer of dark metal armor beneath.
The sparking impact craters sealed instantly, transforming into rows of hollow cannon ports.
Dozens of laser turrets extended from the hull, locking onto the unsuspecting Hope.
On the screen, the octopus captain's grateful expression twisted into a vicious grin.
"Hahaha! Another group of fat sheep! Hand over everything you've got, or we'll blast you into cosmic dust!"
A system notification sounded in Krillin's mind.
[Detected hostile targets. Side mission triggered: Trash Cleanup.]
[Objective: Eliminate the pirate crew and remind them not every ship can be robbed.]
[Reward: Ki density +10 percent. Random skill fragment x1.]
"Oh no, we've been tricked."
Krillin said lightly, feigning surprise.
"Damn it! It's a disguised pirate ship!"
Bulma stomped her foot in frustration.
Goku immediately dropped into a fighting stance.
"Are they attacking?"
"Relax."
Krillin waved a hand, still completely at ease.
"Let them come. I'm curious what kind of toys these space pirates have."
From the pirate ship, a massive mechanical arm extended and clamped onto the Hope's hull. On the other side, a docking hatch began cutting into the ship with a harsh screech.
"Prepare to board! Move out! And remember, I want that blue-haired woman alive!"
The octopus captain barked his orders.
Boom!
The Hope's reinforced hatch was forced open.
A swarm of grotesque-looking pirates rushed in, wielding all kinds of energy weapons, shouting wildly.
Then they froze.
There were no panicked crew members waiting for them.
Instead, they saw a bald man lounging on a sofa, casually eating chips.
A green-skinned warrior stood nearby, staring at them with cold intensity.
A tall man with wild black hair cracked his knuckles, clearly eager for a fight.
And at the very front stood two children.
One, with purple hair, had his arms crossed, looking at them like they were idiots.
The other, with black hair, peeked from behind his companion, curiously eyeing their weapons.
"Boss… something feels off…"
One of the underlings whispered into his communicator.
"What's there to be afraid of? Just a bunch of humans, one Namekian, and two brats! Attack! Take out those kids first!"
The octopus captain roared.
"Hey, Gohan."
Trillin rolled his neck with a sharp crack.
"Dad said these are free toys. We split them evenly. No stealing."
"Okay!"
Gohan nodded firmly, fear gone, replaced by determination.
"You're asking for death!"
A bull-headed pirate charged forward, swinging a massive energy axe straight at Trillin.
Krillin didn't even stop eating. He spoke casually.
"Trillin, step left, lower your stance, then an uppercut."
Trillin vanished from where he stood. The axe sliced through empty air.
In the next instant, his small fist slammed into the pirate's jaw.
Bang!
The two-meter-tall brute was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing into the ceiling before dropping unconscious.
"Gohan, the one with the laser gun. Use Afterimage and get behind him."
Gohan's figure split into multiple illusions, confusing the pirate completely.
Before he could react, Gohan appeared behind him and struck the back of his neck.
The pirate cried out and collapsed.
What followed was less a battle and more a perfectly choreographed performance.
"Nice spin kick, Trillin. That's it. Send him flying!"
"Gohan, don't just dodge. Fire back with ki blasts. Remember what Piccolo taught you!"
"The one that looks like a slug. Trillin, use the beam. Aim low!"
Energy blasts filled the room. Screams echoed one after another.
Yet every attack was carefully controlled, avoiding the ship's critical systems.
Goku and Piccolo stood on the side, completely unable to step in, watching in stunned silence as the two children tore through the pirates like predators among sheep.
In less than five minutes, every pirate lay on the ground, either unconscious or too injured to move.
Inside the pirate ship's control room, the octopus captain trembled as he watched the one-sided defeat unfold.
"Monsters… those kids are monsters…"
He tried to cut the connection and flee, but it was already too late.
Krillin appeared behind him without warning.
"Hello there, Captain."
"H-how did you get here?!"
The octopus captain panicked, nearly losing control completely.
Krillin ignored him and walked to the control panel. His eyes landed on a blinking button labeled "Stealth Mode."
His interest was immediately piqued.
"Optical camouflage? Or some kind of spatial distortion? Interesting."
He grabbed the captain by the collar like lifting a small animal.
"Talk. Where did you get this technology?"
…
Half an hour later, inside the Hope's main hall.
Bulma looked like a child who had just found the perfect toy. Surrounded by small engineering robots, she excitedly dismantled parts of the pirate ship.
"This is amazing! It's phase-shift optical camouflage! Not only does it fool the eye, it can also evade most energy detection systems!"
"Give me some time, and I can integrate it perfectly into the Hope!"
Krillin leaned back on the sofa, glancing at the system panel that had just appeared.
[Side mission complete: Trash Cleanup.]
[Evaluation: S Rank. Effortless.]
[Reward granted: Ki density +10 percent. Skill fragment "Absolute Domain" x1.]
A warm current flowed through his body. He could feel his ki becoming denser, more refined, and significantly stronger.
[Name: Krillin]
[Race: Human. Limiter Removed]
[Saitama Template Integration: 40 percent]
[Base Power Level: 25,500. Suppressed State]
His base power had easily surpassed twenty-five thousand.
Krillin smiled in satisfaction. At this rate, even the journey itself was full of rewards.
One day later, Bulma successfully installed the stealth system onto the Hope.
With the press of a button, the massive ship vanished into space as if it had never existed.
"Done! Now we can slip into Planet Namek without Frieza noticing us!"
Bulma announced proudly.
The ship continued forward under stealth mode.
Five more days passed.
"Captain, we are approaching our destination."
The AI's voice woke Krillin, who had been sleeping under heavy gravity in the training chamber.
He gathered everyone at the viewing window.
In the vast darkness of space, a beautiful green planet floated quietly.
It radiated a gentle aura of life. Three suns circled around it, bathing it in endless light.
"That's… Planet Namek."
Piccolo stared at the planet, his expression complicated. It was the home he had never truly known.
But in the very next moment, everyone's anticipation was crushed.
Hovering in orbit above the green world was a massive disc-shaped mothership, far beyond anything they had imagined.
Like a vulture looming over its prey, it radiated a sinister and oppressive presence.
"That's… Frieza's ship."
Goku's face turned serious.
They were too late.