"Even so, I disdain gaining power in such an augmented way."
"To think that I would merge back with Kami, that old man, I must say, Grand Elder, it will never happen in this lifetime!"
Piccolo's stance was resolute.
Little did he know that in the future, due to the crisis posed by the androids, he would merge with Kami and become one again.
The Grand Elder, having seen the memories, seemed to also see into the future.
This was one of his special abilities.
"The future is not something anyone can fully guarantee won't happen."
"Child, I will not interfere with you or force you. So rest assured!"
"As the Grand Elder, I once fought alongside your father. Without him, there might not have been a me today... I owe Katas too much. As a child lost to another world, I have failed to bring you back for so many years... Now that I am on the verge of death, I can only offer you a small gift to compensate for my debt to you."
"I hope that with my help, you will not only become stronger but also be able to protect our people and this homeland in the future."
Saying this, the Grand Elder began to exert a slight force with his hand.
He did not hesitate to activate his power at this opportunity.
While Piccolo was still hesitating and confused, a mysterious power enveloped his body.
An indescribable mysterious force permeated his entire being, leaving Piccolo dumbfounded.
His physical body was being opened up, and his soul was also being elevated.
"My power is actually... this, this...!!!"
His body and soul underwent a complete transformation.
Piccolo's power level exploded dramatically!
'Whirr~~~!!!'
A snow-white aura uncontrollably swirled around Piccolo, creating an intense aura of authority.
Seeing this, Lin Chuan instinctively protected Bulma behind him, creating an energy barrier.
Seeing this, Gohan also concentrated his energy, standing before his mother.
"The potential unleashed to reach such a level?! Piccolo's latent potential is not inferior to that of the Saiyans!"
"After all, in the future, he even gains the power of the Dragon God, transforming further into Orange Piccolo, truly becoming a Super Namekian."
Evaluating internally and understanding the situation, Lin Chuan looked forward to Piccolo reaching even higher limits.
Although this power surge was strong, it could not compare to Lin Chuan's current level.
However, the fact that Piccolo could now achieve higher strength implicitly suggested that the Grand Elder's potential unlocking could reach even greater heights.
"Uncle Piccolo..." Gohan exclaimed, astonished at the sudden surge in Piccolo's energy.
Bulma and Chi-Chi, unaware of the specifics, maintained a scared demeanor throughout.
The unleashing process lasted for over a minute.
Finally, the Grand Elder withdrew his hand, and Piccolo stopped increasing in power, quickly regaining his senses.
"That's all I can do..."
"Although part of your body is missing, your potential is still beyond my imagination. I couldn't unlock all of it; I hope you're not disappointed."
With the Grand Elder's kind words, how could Piccolo feel unsatisfied?
At this moment, his respect for the Grand Elder deepened.
His current strength was now at least several times what it was before!
Only Lin Chuan could see that his power level had reached 225,000!
That was five times the previous figure!
"Why would you unlock my potential knowing I am the evil side? Why would you make me stronger? Aren't you afraid that with this power, I could revert to being the great demon king of the past?" Piccolo postured as if he were the demon king again, arrogantly speaking.
Was he doing this intentionally, wanting to hear how the Grand Elder would respond?
The previous memory retrieval had revealed his identity to the Grand Elder.
Thus, there was no need to hide his ambitions.
"You... won't. Perhaps your predecessor might have, but you, as you are now, definitely will not." The Grand Elder pierced Piccolo's heart with a calm statement, transforming him completely.
"Hmph! Don't expect me to say 'thank you,' and don't you dare die... I wouldn't want to have just returned to my homeland only to see you, the Grand Elder, die for me." Piccolo's emotions were complex as he spoke these words and then turned to leave the room.
It wasn't that he didn't want to stay longer, but being there made it difficult for him to breathe.
He struggled to maintain his composure, unwilling to let outsiders detect any change.
After all, he would surely have noticed; he was no longer his former self.
Especially after this past month and the recent space journey...
"Cough, cough, cough... This child still needs an opportunity to change himself completely... Well, it's time to thank you, Earthlings and Saiyans properly." The Grand Elder coughed a few times, shifting his focus, and then looked at Lin Chuan and Gohan.
Bulma and Chi-Chi were ignored.
Because they needed to possess greater strength.
Still, he continued to express his gratitude with a kind and benevolent smile.
After several exchanges, Bulma and Chi-Chi were no longer afraid.
Because the Grand Elder was a good person, not as intimidating as he appeared on the surface.
With no barriers to communication, Lin Chuan also spoke of his purpose: "Grand Elder, I'm not one to beat around the bush. Since you foresaw our arrival early on, you might have guessed why I came to Namek."
Without further ado, Lin Chuan got straight to the point: "First, I hope you can help me unlock my potential, just as you did just now for Piccolo. Of course, I hope you can also unlock this child's potential."
"Second, I would like to borrow your tribe's Dragon Balls. Although Earth also has Dragon Balls, their limited abilities cannot fulfill my wishes."
As Lin Chuan finished speaking, he looked at the Grand Elder, who nodded slightly.
After digesting Lin Chuan's words, the Grand Elder slowly spoke: "I can see that your strength is already profoundly unfathomable."
"Being so strong, you still wish to become stronger? While I can unlock potential, given my current state and your existing power level, it might only have a minimal effect on you."
The Grand Elder paused, then looked at Gohan: "Based on this child's foundations, if he has sufficient potential, he might be similar to that child Piccolo... but it's not guaranteed that it can be developed."
After speaking, the Grand Elder looked again at Lin Chuan.
"You said I should just go ahead and unlock the potential, regardless of the outcome, and you won't blame me." Lin Chuan responded.
The Grand Elder nodded, then added: "There's no problem unlocking potential. After all, you are benefactors to our tribe, especially since you've returned Katas's child."
"However, regarding the matter of the Dragon Balls, I regret that I cannot agree immediately. Everything has its give and take; something else must be given up to gain something!"