Under the cover of optical camouflage, the massive hull of the Hope slipped into Planet Namek's atmosphere like an invisible ghost, silent and undetected.
Outside the viewing window, the scenery shifted from the deep black of space to a suffocating, eerie green.
This was nothing like Earth's calm blue skies. The heavens here were a sickly yellow-green, with heavy clouds hanging low, pressing down on everything below.
Three suns burned in different corners of the sky, leaving no shadows anywhere on the planet, yet somehow making the world feel even more lifeless and unnatural.
"We've arrived."
Krillin stood at the main console, his eyes slightly narrowed.
He didn't need the system's prompt. With a body that had already broken through its limiter, his senses alone were enough to detect the thick stench of blood saturating the air.
It wasn't just a smell.
It felt more like a field, a malignant presence formed from the despair and dying screams of countless lives.
[System notification: Environmental change detected. Current location: Planet Namek.]
[Loading map data…]
[Warning: Multiple high-energy signatures detected. Hostile faction: Frieza Force.]
[AR interface activated.]
Krillin's vision shifted instantly.
The barren green plains and distant jagged mountains became overlaid with countless red markers.
Each one represented a lifeform with a power level exceeding one thousand.
Far to the north, several dark violet clusters burned like miniature suns, radiating overwhelming pressure without restraint.
"So… much evil energy."
Goku's usual smile vanished. He pressed against the window, his brows tightly furrowed.
"And there are so many of them. They're everywhere."
"It's not just evil."
Piccolo's voice trembled.
He gripped his white cape so tightly that his knuckles cracked under the strain. Sweat streamed down his normally stoic face, veins bulging across his temples.
"They're slaughtering them."
He forced the words out through clenched teeth.
As a Namekian, his heightened hearing made him the one suffering most.
The dying screams of his people, the helpless prayers of the elderly, the terrified cries of children, all of it pierced directly into his mind like countless needles.
"Damn them!"
Piccolo could no longer hold back. A white aura erupted around him as he prepared to rush out of the ship.
A hand pressed firmly onto his shoulder.
"Calm down, Piccolo."
Krillin's voice was steady, almost emotionless, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"How can I stay calm? Those are my people!"
Piccolo roared, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
"If you rush out now, all you'll do is expose our position and draw Frieza's army here. You won't save anyone."
Krillin met his gaze.
"Frieza is over there. You can feel him too. If you go now, you'll die. And if you die, who's going to bring them back?"
Piccolo froze.
The violent surge of his aura gradually subsided, though the killing intent in his eyes only deepened.
"Bulma, take us down."
"Find a hidden canyon."
Krillin withdrew his hand and spoke calmly.
The ship descended silently, landing among towering stone formations.
When the hatch opened, the damp, unfamiliar air of Namek rushed in.
Vegetation here was sparse. Only a strange tree called Ajisa grew across the land, its bare trunk topped with a few round leaves.
"We split up."
Krillin gave his orders without hesitation, like a seasoned commander.
"Goku, take Gohan and Trillin to gather the Dragon Balls. You have the radar, so move fast."
"If you encounter isolated soldiers, let the kids handle them for practice. But if it's too much, retreat immediately. Don't get dragged into a fight."
"Trillin, keep an eye on Gohan. Don't let him panic."
"Got it, Dad!"
Trillin, dressed in his battle suit, cracked his knuckles excitedly and threw a couple of punches into the air.
"I'll protect my crybaby little brother."
Gohan flushed red. "I'm not a crybaby!"
"Piccolo, find any surviving Namekians and move them somewhere safe."
"As a warrior-type Namekian, you should be able to conceal their energy."
Krillin continued.
Piccolo stared at him for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood. I owe you one."
With that, he shot into the sky as a streak of white light.
"What about us?"
Bulma fidgeted nervously with her handheld computer.
"We're staying here to guard the base?"
"Guard?"
A faint smile curved on Krillin's lips, revealing a hint of something cold beneath.
"No. We're fishing."
Bulma blinked, confused.
Krillin didn't explain.
He opened the system panel, staring at the deep red data filling the display.
[Name: Krillin]
[Base Power Level: 25,500. Suppressed]
[Saitama Template Integration: 40%]
"This planet is full of experience points."
Not long after the others left, two Frieza Force scouts in brown battle armor flew past the stone forest in a small hovering craft.
Each wore a single-lens scouter.
"I think my scouter just flickered."
One of them, a reptilian alien, frowned.
"Probably a glitch. This dump of a planet only has those green farmers anyway."
His three-eyed companion spat dismissively.
"Seriously unlucky. Getting assigned to a backwater like this."
Suddenly, the reptilian's scouter began beeping rapidly.
"Huh? That's… a spaceship?"
Although the Hope was cloaked, residual heat from its engines had been picked up at close range.
"Looks like high-end tech! Jackpot!"
The three-eyed alien grinned and raised the energy cannon on his arm.
"Shoot it down and present it to Lord Frieza!"
Just as they were about to fire, a chill shot up their spines.
It felt like being locked onto by some ancient predator.
They stiffly turned their heads.
Below them, standing on a rock, was a bald Earthling.
He wore an orange martial arts gi, hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking up at them.
He wasn't in a fighting stance.
He wasn't even releasing any energy.
He simply looked at them.
What kind of gaze was that?
Empty. Silent. Detached.
As if all life meant nothing.
Boom.
Without warning, both of their scouters exploded.
Then their hearts stopped.
Overwhelming fear shut down their bodies instantly.
The two scout crafts spiraled out of control, crashing into the rocks and erupting into flames.
Krillin lowered his gaze, as if he had merely swatted two flies.
[System notification: Frieza Force scouts eliminated x2.]
[Experience gained: Minimal.]
[Triggering S-rank regional mission: Savior of Namek.]
[Objective: Eliminate high-ranking Frieza Force members, including Dodoria, Zarbon, and the Ginyu Force.]
[Reward: Major increase in Saitama Template Integration. Random S-rank skill x1.]
"So it's starting already."
A hint of excitement flickered in Krillin's eyes.
Far away, thousands of kilometers from there, inside a massive crab-like spaceship.
Seated in a floating chair, the galactic emperor Frieza gently swirled a glass of crimson liquid.
"Oh?"
He looked at the main screen as the incoming feed abruptly cut to static.
"Two of my scouts just lost their life signals?"
His voice was soft and refined, impossible to read.
Standing beside him were two figures.
One was a bulky, pink-skinned creature covered in spikes. The other was a handsome, blue-skinned warrior with long green hair.
"Probably ran into some Namekian resistance."
Dodoria snorted.
"Those green worms are weak, but sometimes they struggle a bit."
"No… that's not it."
Frieza raised a finger and tapped the frozen frame on the screen.
Though blurry, a faint orange figure could be seen.
"The scouter shows no detectable power level at that location."
"So just an ordinary person?" Zarbon frowned.
Frieza let out his signature, chilling laugh.
"No power level, yet capable of stopping my men's hearts in an instant. Don't you find that interesting, Dodoria?"
"I'll check it out!"
Dodoria grinned eagerly. He had long grown bored of waiting.
"Whatever it is, I'll rip its head off and bring it back to you!"
"Go ahead."
Frieza waved lazily.
"And see if there's a village nearby. We're still missing a few Dragon Balls."
"At once!"
Dodoria shot out of the ship as a streak of pink light.
Back in the stone forest.
Krillin suddenly looked up toward the distance.
In his AR vision, a red marker with a power level of 22,000 had broken away from the main group and was heading straight toward him at high speed.
"The big fish took the bait."
He stretched his neck, then called out to Bulma, who was reinforcing the ship's camouflage.
"Bulma, staying home is boring. I'm going for a walk. I'll be back before dinner."
"Hey, where are you going now?"
Before she could finish complaining, Krillin had already vanished without a trace.