Planet Namek, a world bathed in the light of several gentle stars.
There were no bustling cities, no clamorous civilizations, only vast green plains and scattered lakes.
The Namekians here did not need to eat, surviving on only fresh water and sunlight. They were peaceful by nature, seeking no conflict with the world. Their entire social structure was simple and tranquil, like a forgotten paradise in the universe.
However, this peace, which had lasted for untold ages, was shattered today.
Piercing screams and the roar of explosions replaced the former tranquility. Thick smoke billowed from distant villages.
These wails and smoke were like ugly scars, continuously defiling this beautiful green planet.
And the root of all this was the legendary... Dragon Balls, rumored to grant "any wish"!
"Hey! Kid!"
Recoome, with his exaggerated appearance, bulging muscles, and Frieza Force battle armor, blocked the path of a young Namekian and said in a loud, rough voice, "Do you have any of those orange-yellow balls with stars inside? If you do, hand them over to Lord Recoome! Otherwise, if I kill you and still don't get the Dragon Ball, Captain Ginyu will punish me!"
The young Namekian trembled in fear, tears welling up in his eyes, and he whimpered in response, "I... I don't have one... I don't know..."
"Oh, you don't."
Recoome tilted his head, seemingly believing the other's words completely, and then, without warning, raised his hand and fired an energy blast!
Boom!
The small figure was instantly engulfed in the explosion.
"Hmm..."
Recoome scratched his bizarre hairstyle, a simple and confused expression on his face. "Why haven't I found a single Dragon Ball after going to so many villages? Could it be that Burter or Jeice found them first? What a headache..."
Muttering to himself, he pressed the scouter on his ear, and the screen immediately showed another energy reading nearby.
"Next one is over here!"
His sturdy body shot into the air, a cruel yet simple expression on his face, as he continued his "collection" journey.
Meanwhile, in another region of the planet.
"Hey! Guldo! There's still a village over there with life signs!"
On the other side, the red-skinned Jeice shouted at the short and stout Guldo, "Lord Frieza will be arriving soon, no slacking! Get to work collecting the Dragon Balls!"
After urging him on, he himself turned into a streak of light and sped towards the next target locked by his scouter.
Guldo let out a disdainful "tch," but under pressure from Jeice, he still turned and flew towards the distant village.
The entire Ginyu Force was rampaging across Planet Namek as if they were on steroids.
They were racing against time to collect the Dragon Balls, but this was not just to follow orders. They harbored the thought of gathering all the Dragon Balls before Lord Frieza's arrival and presenting them first to claim the top merit.
And the collection process, naturally, was accompanied by the indiscriminate slaughter and interrogation of the Namekians.
In a rocky area on slightly higher ground, a fierce battle was underway.
"Hyaah!"
Nail, the most powerful combat-type Namekian on the planet, was engaged in a fierce fight with a member of the Ginyu Force—Burter, who claimed to be the fastest in the universe.
The two figures crisscrossed at high speed in the air, their fists and feet colliding with dull booms.
As they fought, they continuously threw ki blasts at each other. Powerful energy projectiles were unleashed wantonly, blasting craters into the surrounding ground.
Nail's expression was grave. He fought with all his might, his attacks swift and precise, and for a time, he even slightly suppressed Burter, who was known for his speed.
Behind a large rock below, a young Dende peeked out, nervously watching the battle in the sky.
Seeing that Nail seemed to have the upper hand, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, his small hands clasped tightly to his chest as he silently prayed for Nail.
"Hmph, you've got some skill, Namekian," Burter said, stabilizing himself in mid-air and wiping the corner of his mouth where he had been hit. A serious expression appeared on his face.
"But this is as far as you go! Let me show you what the true fastest speed in the universe looks like! Blue Hurricane!"
Before he finished speaking, Burter's figure suddenly blurred, his body seemingly splitting into countless afterimages in an instant!
"What?!"
Nail's pupils shrank. The movements he could still track a moment ago were now completely impossible to see!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A continuous barrage of heavy blows rained down on Nail!
He had no time to mount an effective defense and could only rely on his combat instincts to endure.
But Burter's attacks came from all directions, at a speed that was despairing.
The number of wounds on Nail's body rapidly increased, and green blood continuously trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Nail!"
Seeing this, Dende's heart clenched again, and he couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
But it was this cry that exposed his position.
"Hmm?"
Burter's movements paused slightly, his red eyes instantly locking onto Dende behind the rock. "There's a kid hiding here? Haha! Then you're useless! I can just ask that kid about the Dragon Balls! Go to hell! Witness my Comet Flash Punch!!!"
Burter's figure vanished abruptly, and the next second, he appeared almost instantaneously in front of Nail.
His right fist, charged with power, glowed with a terrifying energy, and smashed towards Nail's chest at a speed that surpassed his visual perception!
If this punch landed, it would be all over!
"Damn it!"
Nail's pupils contracted violently. He had no time to dodge and could only hastily cross his arms in front of his chest and power up with all his might in an attempt to block it!
BOOM—!!!
A terrifying impact exploded in an instant!
Nail felt the excruciating pain of bones breaking in his arms, and his ki burst was easily torn apart.
It was as if he had been hit head-on by a meteor. His entire body was sent flying, and he could no longer hold back a mouthful of green blood, which he spat out with a "pfft."
"Waah! Nail!!"
Dende screamed and ran out from behind the rock, his short legs pumping as he desperately ran towards where Nail had fallen.
Nail crashed heavily to the ground and rolled several times before stopping.
His body was in agony, and his ki rapidly weakened.
"Nail! Nail, how are you?"
Dende ran to his side, looking at the heavily injured Nail, his small face filled with anxiety and fear.
But he suppressed his fear and placed his small hands on Nail's mangled chest. "Hang in there! I'll heal you right away!"
A soft, life-filled white glow emanated from Dende's hands. Nail felt a warm energy flowing into his body. The intense pain began to subside, and his wounds started to heal at a visible rate.
"Dende... thank you..." Nail managed to say, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart...
However, a shadow suddenly fell over him.
"Oh? This little kid... actually has a rapid healing ability?" a cold and mocking voice sounded from above him. "A very nice ability. From now on, you're Lord Burter's prisoner! You'll be serving the Ginyu Force from now on!"
Nail snapped his head up and stared at Burter's malicious grin.
"You!!"
Nail was instantly enraged. He forced his partially recovered body to stand and shielded Dende behind him.
He absolutely could not let this guy take Dende!
With a roar, he unleashed all of his remaining power and charged recklessly at Burter, preparing for a desperate fight!
He was gradually getting used to Burter's speed. If he could just hold on a little longer, just a little...
His thoughts were forcibly interrupted by a sudden, intense pain!
"Urgh—!"
Nail's movements froze instantly. He looked down in disbelief.
His abdomen had been completely pierced through at some point. A huge hole was gaping there, and green blood and his life force were rapidly draining away.
A fist covered in purple skin was slowly retracting from his abdomen.
"Hey, Burter, you're way too slow," a boisterous yet commanding voice sounded.
A purple-skinned man with two horns on his forehead, wearing the same battle armor, had appeared on the scene at some point and was leisurely wiping the blood from his hand with a handkerchief.
"Lord Frieza will be arriving in less than an hour. How many Dragon Balls have you collected so far?"
"C-Captain Ginyu..."
Burter's bravado immediately deflated upon seeing the newcomer. "S-sorry, Captain. This Namekian was a bit tough, it delayed me. As for the Dragon Balls, for now... I've only found one."
"Useless!" Ginyu reprimanded coldly, turning his gaze to the slowly collapsing Nail.
Nail fell heavily onto the cold ground. His vision began to blur, and the color of the sky seemed to dim.
Strength was rapidly leaving his body, and the cold touch of death crept over him.
'Am I... going to die?'
He looked at the orange-yellow sky, his consciousness beginning to drift uncontrollably.
It was over a year ago. A strange visitor who called himself "Whitley" had suddenly come to Planet Namek.
His power was immense, but his personality was surprisingly gentle, and he was very respectful to him.
He had even agreed to Nail's abrupt request for a spar, and after almost killing Nail by mistake during the spar, he had instantly healed him with a magical bean.
'If... if that lord were here...'
A thought flickered like a final spark in Nail's fading consciousness.
'If he were here... Planet Namek... my people... would definitely...'
He remembered the promise Whitley had made to him when he left:
"When your Planet Namek faces an irresistible enemy in the future, you can call out loudly... he will inform me."
Call out... call out what?
Right! That name!
As if a final surge of life, Nail felt a burst of strength well up from somewhere inside him.
He took a sharp, deep breath, squeezing out the last of his life force, and let out a faint but clear cry to the sky:
"Whi... s—!!!"
After shouting those two syllables, the light in his eyes completely faded, and his arm fell limply to the ground.
"Hmm?"
Ginyu looked down at the now-silent Nail and raised an eyebrow, a comical sneer on his face. "What are you shouting about before you die? You don't really think someone will come to save you just by calling a name, do you? How ridiculous..."
His words suddenly stopped.
Because a young male voice, tinged with a bit of amusement, sounded behind him without any warning. "Oh? And how do you know no one can save him?"
At first, Ginyu didn't react, subconsciously replying, "Of course, because I, Captain Ginyu, am here! Who would dare to save..."
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized something was wrong! He spun around abruptly!
On the empty ground not far behind him, four people were standing there silently, having appeared at some unknown time!
In the lead was a young man with black hair and black eyes, wearing black battle armor, with a lazy smile on his face.
Next to him stood another black-haired young man with clear, curious eyes.
Slightly behind them was... Vegeta? The one who had been wanted by their Lord Frieza for so long?
And the last one was a man with a silver-white broom-like hairstyle, wearing strange clothes, and holding a staff, smiling as he observed the surroundings.
The one who had just spoken was the black-haired youth in the lead.
"Vegeta! How dare you show your face before me!"
Ginyu was horrified. He knew that Vegeta had escaped when Lord Frieza himself had taken action. The battle power he had displayed at that time had caused a large number of the army's scouters to explode.
He suppressed his shock and shouted with false bravado, "Don't you know that this planet has been completely sealed off by Lord Frieza? You dare to sneak in with these people who have a death wish, Vegeta!"
But Vegeta completely ignored Ginyu's clamor.
Whitley, on the other hand, glanced at the lifeless Nail on the ground and casually waved his hand to Goku and Vegeta. "I'll leave these Frieza Force minions to you. Make it quick, or the Namekian casualties will be too great."
"Great! I can finally get some action!"
Goku could no longer hold back. He excitedly cracked his neck, his burning gaze locking onto Ginyu, and he immediately got into a fighting stance.
Vegeta, however, let out a cold snort, a cruel and violent light flashing in his scarlet eyes. "Hmph! This trash is yours! Everyone else, including Frieza! You are not to interfere!!!"
Before he finished speaking, his aura exploded, and his figure instantly turned into a streak of light, shooting towards the direction where other Frieza Force members were concentrated.
He desperately needed a release to vent the long-suppressed anger and humiliation in his heart!
"Hey! Vegeta! I promised Lord Kai I would defeat Frieza!" Goku shouted anxiously, but seeing that Vegeta was already far away, he had no choice but to refocus his attention on Ginyu.
"Then I'll just have to finish you off quickly!"
Ginyu was so enraged by their attitude of completely ignoring him and even dividing up their prey that veins popped on his forehead. "Bastards! How dare you two look down on me, Captain Ginyu! You will both regret this!"
Meanwhile, Whitley walked slowly over to Nail, crouched down, and checked for a pulse under his nose and at his neck.
"Good, not completely dead yet," he said to himself, turning his gaze to the large rock not far away.
"Hey, kid over there, stop hiding. Can you save him? If not, I will."
From behind the rock, Dende timidly peeked out half his head. He looked at the dying Nail on the ground, then at Whitley, who didn't seem to have any ill intentions.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and ran out, placing his small hands on Nail's horrific wound once again, activating his magical healing ability with all his might.
Whitley stood up and surveyed the green planet that had fallen into the flames of war and sorrow.
He looked over at Goku, who was already fighting Ginyu but was clearly holding back his strength as if he were just playing, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Seriously... making things so troublesome."
He rubbed his brow and suddenly had a very labor-saving idea. "Maybe I should just go to Frieza's location and clear the field with a 'Hakai'?"
As if reading his mind, Whis, who was standing beside him, elegantly tapped his staff on the ground and said in a teasing tone, "Now, now~ Whitley-san, you must try a little harder~ It would be best to resolve these matters within three minutes. By the way," his tone shifted, and an expectant smile appeared on his face, "may I contact Bulma-san now to order our meal in advance? After traveling for so long, even I am a little bit hungry, you know."
"Who are you kidding!" Whitley retorted, but in his heart, he gave up on that tempting, lazy idea.
"Forget it, forget it... Whis, where are the snacks you brought? Share some with me to calm my nerves."
Whis's expression became stern, and he coughed seriously. "Whitley-san, such behavior is inappropriate. Planet Namek is in dire straits right now, with countless Namekians suffering. How can you have the heart to think about eating snacks here? This is truly detrimental to your dignity as a candidate God of Destruction!"
Whitley shot him a look of extreme contempt. "Then what are you doing right now?"
At some unknown point, Whis had used his staff to conjure a set of exquisite tables, chairs, and a tea set.
Steam was rising from the spout of the teapot, and next to it were even a few plates of delicious-looking small cakes from Earth.
Whis sat down elegantly, poured himself a cup of black tea, took a gentle sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Only then did he look at Whitley and answer with a confident expression, "Ohohoho~ After all, I am but a humble attendant. Of course, unlike a great God of Destruction like you, Whitley-san, I don't need to be mindful of my image at all times. Therefore, it is quite reasonable for me to enjoy a little afternoon tea after a long journey."
Whitley: "..."
He felt the corner of his eye twitching.
Nail, who had just been pulled back from the brink of death by Dende's exhaustive efforts, slowly regained consciousness, and the first thing he saw was this extremely surreal scene.
Nail's mouth fell open, his mind a complete mess.
The Lord Whitley he remembered—"immensely powerful, gentle in nature, respectful of others"—why would he...
He began to seriously suspect that he had been hit in the head by the enemy, causing his memories to become distorted.
Should he go up and greet him now? After all, this person was the benefactor who had come to save him and his planet.
But...
The scene was simply too abstract, leaving him at a loss for what to do.
Just as Nail was lost in a deep state of confusion, Whis raised his cup to him with a smile.
"Oh my~ you're awake, little Namekian. Would you care for a cup of black tea? It's freshly brewed."
A gentle smile radiated from Whis's face, but his inner thought was: 'In any case, it's better to give it to this little fellow than to Whitley.'
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