Gohan jolted awake in a pool of his own blood, gasping as if he had just broken through the water's surface just in the nick of time. His fingers clenched over his heart, pressing down as if to hold it in place before it could beat its way free.
His body was trembling uncontrollably; whether from fear or trauma, he couldn't tell. For a frantic moment, his hands clawed over his arms, his legs, and his face—searching for the horrific wounds that should have been there.
But only his haunting memories and the phantom echoes of death's cold embrace remained.
So that's what death is like…
A deafening explosion shattered his thoughts.
BOOOOM!
The ground beneath him lurched violently. Gohan's head snapped up just in time to catch the furious battle raging in the distance. A golden streak tore across the sky, colliding with a violet blur before hammering it into the ground with earth-shattering force.
One look was all it took.
His father had done it.
"Dad…"
***
Vegeta's first thought upon waking was something crude—something along the lines of, 'Did anyone catch the number of that bitch?'
Then, clarity hit him like a knee to the nuts.
No. This wasn't some drunken blackout. And more importantly, he was supposed to be dead.
His eyes snapped open, and in one single motion, he shot to his feet. The ruined expanse of Namek stretched before him—a wasteland of shattered rock and scorched earth, as lifeless as it had been in his final moments.
Had he lost? Had Frieza won? Is this Hell?
For a brief second, he just stood there, utterly baffled. His mind scrambled to piece together some context, searching for any sign of what had happened. Suddenly, instinct took over, and his hand flew to his stomach, fingers pressing against his abdomen—solid, whole. No gaping wound. No pain.
Oh, and he was also completely naked.
Vegeta scowled at his lack of attire but forced his mind to focus. His memories were a fog, just scattered fragments of emotions and power without shape or substance. He couldn't recall his death, whenever that had been. But he did remember the fury. The unyielding, all-consuming rage that had burned through him. He had remembered feeling something—something vast, overwhelming, just almost within his reach.
And then… nothing. A void.
His hands clenched into fists. Tch. Standing here brooding over it wouldn't change a damn thing. The only thing that mattered was the present.
It didn't take him long to put the pieces together. He wasn't an idiot. There was only one known way to return from the dead, and the fact that he was standing here—very much alive—meant someone had made a wish.
But if he was back…
BOOOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through his thoughts. A powerful shockwave ripped through the air, shaking the very ground beneath him and rattling his bones.
His head snapped toward the source.
In the distance, two blurs clashed at impossible speeds, both radiating power unlike anything Vegeta had ever felt. Faster than he could follow, a golden streak drove a violet one into the earth with such force that Namek itself seemed to groan.
"…So, in the end, it was you after all… Kakarot." The unheard murmur was immediately lost in the howling winds. His arms crossed as his eyes remained locked on the golden warrior—his rival, his enemy, his fellow Saiyan—who now stood at the absolute pinnacle.
Vegeta said nothing more, for everything he needed to say had already been spoken.
So, he simply stood, watching. Memorizing every movement, every shift in stance, every pulse of the power that distinguished Kakarot as a Super Saiyan.
Then—
Crackle!
Vegeta didn't so much as twitch when a massive figure landed just beside him. He had sensed the approach long ago and recognized the all-too-familiar energy drawing closer. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet Nappa's. The towering Saiyan general stared back down at him.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
There was hardly a need to.
The silence between them was filled with everything words could not express—the scars of a thousand battles, the memories of shared glory, the echoes of victories and defeats spanning decades. And the silent understanding that, despite everything, they were still here. Together.
Just two proud Saiyan warriors.
Nappa smirked. Slowly, he held out his fist for a fist bump.
Vegeta grunted but curled his fingers into a fist as he reached forward. For a brief moment, it almost looked like he would return the gesture.
But then—
WHAM!
His fist sank deep into Nappa's gut.
"OOOURF!"
Air blasted from Nappa's lungs like a ruptured pressure valve. His massive frame crumpled, and his knees slammed into the dirt as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.
"No one asked you to throw yourself on the chopping block for me, dumbass…" Vegeta muttered, arms refolding across his bare chest. His voice was as sharp as ever, but buried beneath it was a hint of something he'd never acknowledge he felt.
Nappa wheezed as he struggled to drag air into his lungs. He had expected this to some extent, so instead of griping, he let out a deep, gravelly chuckle that made his freshly bruised stomach protest.
Then he noticed something.
Kneeling like this had put him at eye level with… well, a rather compromising part of Vegeta's anatomy. His grin stiffened.
"H-Hey! Mind where you're swingin' your thing, Vegeta! I'm already dyin' over here!"
Vegeta's eye twitched.
"OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, NAPPA, ACT YOUR DAMN AGE!"
***
Ajax awoke with a start. A phantom weight pressed against his chest, the remnants of a nightmare already unraveling, slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.
His eyes darted around, scanning his surroundings, but his mind lagged a few seconds behind. He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if to reassure himself they were real. His brow creased. Where—? What happened?
He tried to remember, but the memories evaded him. One thing was certain—he had died; that much was undeniable. But had he passed through King Yemma's palace? Surely, something like that would be unforgettable. But no matter how hard he reached for it, the space between his death and revival was a void.
The harder he tried to recall, the further the memory slipped away. Only faint impressions remained now. Wisps of a bygone dream.
Something about a door… maybe?
His entire body flinched involuntarily as a sharp, stabbing pain lanced through his skull the moment he tried to focus on the thought.
His breath left him in a slow, frustrated exhale.
Forget it.
Whatever it was, he couldn't remember it anyway.
BOOOOM!
The ground trembled beneath him, and the wind roared. In the distance, Super Saiyan Goku slammed Frieza into the ground. Even from afar, the sheer pressure of their power pressed down on him, sinking deep into his bones. It was suffocating and overwhelming.
'Hey, kid.'
Ajax startled, snapped out of his daze as King Kai's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
'Dende's already headed for the Dragon Balls to make the wish. He should be there by now.'
A breath of relief slipped from Ajax. With Frieza occupied, there shouldn't be any more threats …
His thoughts stalled.
Wait. No more…?
His face suddenly went pale.
'Something wrong?' King Kai's puzzled query was met with silence.
BOOM!
Ajax's body moved before his mind did, before he could articulate a response. The ground shattered beneath him as he rocketed into the sky, becoming a crimson streak against the emerald sky.
***
Dende flinched as a deafening shockwave from the distant battle rolled over him.
Before him, the Dragon Balls shimmered with energy, glowing ever brighter as they regained their immense energy. Their golden light reflected in his wide eyes, and he swallowed hard, forcing down his nerves.
A sudden gust tore through the area as the sky above darkened with an unnatural, foreboding gloom. Namek's vibrant greens and blues were devoured by an ominous black, and then, with a brilliant flash, the colossal, serpentine form of Porunga reformed in the sky.
Dende wasted no time. He drew a deep breath, gathered his resolve, and thrust his hands forward.
"Takkaraput pop paro pu—!!"
A large, gnarled green hand suddenly clamped over his mouth, smothering his words before he could finish.
Dende's eyes went wide with alarm. He thrashed, kicking and squirming, but the grip holding him was unyielding and impossibly strong. He craned his neck upward and found himself staring into the face of a Namekian.
But not one he recognized.
The figure was ancient, far older than any he had ever seen, save for Lord Guru. His skin was weathered and deeply wrinkled, as if time itself was etched into his face like cracks in parched earth. And though he wore a genial smile, it was not reassuring.
It was menacing.
When the old Namekian finally spoke, his voice was soft. Amused.
"Now, run along, little one. Let this old man have his wish. And in return…" He paused, his grin stretching wider, revealing yellowed teeth. "I just might fatten you up before absorbing you. How does that sound?"
Dende's blood ran cold. By now, he knew exactly who this was.
"HMPPH!!" A muffled cry escaped him as he fought against the iron grip that silenced him.
Lord Slug's smile only darkened. His gnarled face twisted further as he flexed his arm—then, with terrifying strength, he hurled the young Namekian through the air.
Dende's small frame slammed into a jagged rock formation with such force that the entire structure immediately shattered into dust and loose gravel.
Slug didn't spare Dende another glance, satisfied that no further movement came from the whelp. If the brat had somehow survived, he'd be far too weak to interfere.
Instead, the elder Namekian straightened, his spine cracking as he drew himself up to his full height. A slow exhale left him as he took in the sight before him.
Porunga.
The colossal Eternal Dragon loomed above, twisting through the storm-darkened sky.
Slug's smirk deepened.
He didn't fully understand how or why fortune had favored him at this moment, but it was of little consequence. Whether by luck or fate, he had outmaneuvered Guru and stolen the opportunity for himself. That triumph filled him with a vicious, bubbling delight.
His gaze flicked toward the distant horizon, where two staggering energies clashed in a battle that shook the planet to its core. Even from here, he could feel the sheer magnitude of their power—far beyond his own in his current state.
Of course, once he reclaimed his youth and secured his immortality, everything would change.
At full strength, he could crush either of the two in a direct confrontation. In fact, after absorbing so many Namekians, he could take them both on at once and still emerge victorious. But winning and killing were two entirely different matters.
This was especially true given that his next move was hunting down and absorbing his counterpart. He had no intention of immediately testing out his immortality by having half his soul ripped away.
That created a window—however brief—where either of the two in the distance could escape. If even one of them slipped away, it would become a major nuisance, as neither was the kind of enemy he could afford to leave unchecked.
If the Super Saiyan fell but Frieza escaped, the whelp would undoubtedly scurry back to hide behind his father. And Slug wasn't confident he could take down Cold in short order because that man was far too skilled at picking his battles and leveraging his resources.
When it came to Cold, a fight was never straightforward.
He also needed to consider that, given Frieza's well-known prodigious talent, by the time he finally cornered and defeated Cold, there was a real possibility Frieza could have grown beyond what he could contend with.
On the flip side, if Frieza perished but the Super Saiyan survived, he would undoubtedly face Cold's vengeful retaliation. To make matters worse, the Saiyan's rate of growth was also absurd, making it far too dangerous to leave him unchecked for any period of time. And if the current Super Saiyan was generous with his knowledge, he might end up dealing with not one, but multiple Super Saiyans.
And, of course, the worst-case scenario was both of them escaping.
On a grander scale, he couldn't afford to cause too much chaos across the universe either. Doing so would attract the attention of Whis—and by extension, God of Destruction Beerus, both of whom his Lord had made clear they were not yet ready to face.
His fingers curled as a simpler, more efficient solution came to mind.
He could just destroy the planet.
It was efficient. His wish would ensure his survival, while the Super Saiyan would undoubtedly perish in the void of space. As for Frieza… well, he could hunt the whelp down himself before he had the chance to flee back to his father.
A low, grim chuckle rumbled from his throat. Yes… perhaps it was only fitting for Namek to meet its end. The thought of destroying his own planet didn't bother him in the slightest.
After all, that had been its original fate.
A small orb of Ki formed over his palm. With a casual turn of his wrist, he let it drop. The glowing sphere sank effortlessly into the ground, melting through solid earth like molten steel through Styrofoam. It would continue to accelerate as it descends until it reached Namek's core—where it would trigger the planet's destruction.
The time it would take to reach the core was enough for him to claim his immortality and hopefully also absorb Guru. Once the planet detonated, one of his enemies would die, and he would personally hunt down the other.
His smirk widened as he prepared to speak his wish.
High above, as if sensing his intent, Porunga turned his massive eyes toward him.
"Porunga, Pari naru kami! Ryuu Torru Psuru…?" Slug's voice, brimming with triumph, abruptly faltered. It withered into nothing.
"…!?!"
His lips moved, shaping the words, but no sound emerged. It was as if the very air had stolen his words before they could manifest into his wish.
His expression darkened. His throat tightened as he tried again, forcing his mouth open—yet still, nothing. No vibration. No whisper. Not even the faintest breath.
Magic.
The realization sent fury coursing through him.
His yellowed eyes snapped first to the rubble, searching for any disturbance, but found none. Then, they darted to the horizon, seeking the source.
There—!
In the distance, another lone Namekian boy, clad in a simple blue vest, was hovering defiantly. His hands remained outstretched, frozen in the final gesture of the spell Silence.
Slug's eyes narrowed. Without warning, his arms shot forward, elongating like sinuous whips. The air whistled as they lashed out, and in an instant, his fingers clamped around the boy's arm before he could react. With a flex of his massive frame, Slug yanked him closer.
But something made him hesitate—the boy didn't panic. He didn't thrash, didn't beg. His eyes remained steady, filled with defiance and a quiet strength that Slug hadn't expected.
Then, to Slug's astonishment, Mushin did something no child his age should have been capable of.
With a sharp, brutal motion, the boy tore his own arm free by ripping it from his body in a spray of dark purple blood. Slug stared at the limp, severed limb still clutched in his grasp—just long enough for Mushin to exploit the moment of hesitation.
With a burst of speed, the boy vanished from his immediate reach.
Slug blinked, taken aback. Such composure… such courage, from a mere child.
For a brief second, their eyes met. Whatever admiration Slug might have felt drained as he forced a psychic link between them. His voice crashed into Mushin's mind like a rolling storm.
'Remove the spell!'
A few hours ago, that command might have cowed Mushin. But Mushin had changed a lot recently. In fact, for him, a few hours might as well have been an eternity ago.
Mushin only gritted his teeth, locking eyes with Slug as he shouted defiantly, "I'm not afraid of you!"
A moment of understanding passed between them.
They both knew there were only three ways to break a spell sustained by its caster. The first—have it undone by a superior spellcaster, which Slug, as a warrior-type Namekian, was not. The second—convince the original caster to dispel it, which they both now understood to be impossible. And the third…
Sever the energy source by killing the caster.
A grim atmosphere settled between them as they stared at each other in silence. Then—Slug moved. His body blurred forward like a falling meteor, his fist already cocked back.
Had fate been only slightly crueler, Slug's fist would have torn clean through Mushin's chest and ended his story then and there.
But that was not the reality.
Because before the strike could land, before Mushin could be smashed into oblivion—
A crimson aura blazed.
A red blur ripped through the air like a comet and slammed into Slug's side. A deafening sonic boom blasted outward as the unstoppable force carried a screaming Slug far, far into the distance.
Mushin smiled.
***
~ At the Same Time: King Kai's Planet: ~
'The one called Goku does not wish to be included in this wish.' Mushin diligently relayed Porunga's words to King Kai through telepathy.
King Kai's eye twitched.
'…Of course, he doesn't,' he muttered under his breath. Then, before the young Namekian boy could spiral into full-blown panic, he quickly interjected telepathically. 'Alright, alright, don't freak out—I'll talk to him.'
'Alright! I'll help Dende until then!'
King Kai exhaled sharply, rubbing both hands against his face as if he could physically push away the impending migraine. His antennas flicked in visible frustration. Bubbles, sensing his distress, hopped up and patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him—only for King Kai to shoo him away.
No one else had caught what happened. No one else had been watching closely enough when that decrepit old Namekian made his move.
But he had.
And that was why he knew the truth: Namek was finished.
Goku didn't realize it yet—he probably thought there was still time. King Kai latched onto that thought like a lifeline.
'Goku, listen to me!' King Kai raised a fist, shaking it as he shouted. 'Slug just lobbed an attack that's gonna blow the whole planet any second now! You can't withstand something like that! So quit being stubborn and get out of there—now!'
'No.'
King Kai nearly stumbled at the blunt response. He blinked, his antennas twitching so violently they might as well have jumped off his head. 'Is that a joke? Because if it is, it's not funny! We're talking about an explosion big enough to wipe out the entire planet!'
The silence on the other end made King Kai's stomach churn. Goku's usual carefree energy was replaced by something that unsettled him in a way he couldn't quite put into words. Nevertheless, King Kai tried again.
'Goku! Please, for the love of all that's good—just listen to me! You're the first person in a thousand years who's had this kind of power on the side of good! We can't afford to lose you now! Not when we've finally got someone who can actually make a real difference! Do you understand? You're our hope, Goku! Don't throw it all away!'
Goku didn't respond, at least not immediately. But when he finally did, his words were heavy.
'I've made my decision, King Kai. If you teleport me, I will never forgive you.'
'But what's the point of fighting him if you're just going to die when the planet explodes? I know you love a good fight, but this... this isn't the time to challenge yourself!'
The telepathic link crackled faintly—whether due to distance or from Goku's sheer power, King Kai wasn't sure. Then Goku spoke again.
'King Kai, you've misunderstood.'
King Kai's antennas snapped upright. 'What did I—'
'I'm not going to fight him.'
A pause.
'I'm going to kill him.'
Goku's presence abruptly vanished from King Kai's awareness, and for a moment, King Kai could only stand in silence. With a heavy heart, he reached out with his mind and found Mushin.
The rubble around the boy had shifted—Mushin had already located and dug out Dende from the debris, freeing him with a strength that belied his youth.
King Kai conveyed Goku's decision.
Mushin didn't speak, but everyone can sense his understanding. Without a word, Mushin exchanged a nod with Dende, who was healing his arm.
Then, Mushin turned to Porunga and completed what Dende could not.
Porunga's eyes burned red, the Dragon Balls pulsed with light, and a blinding radiance consumed everything.
In the next instant—
Everyone was gone.
Except for Goku and Frieza.