?
The Grand Elder blinked in confusion.
This child's divine presence (Ki) was only at the level of a Grand Kai—so why did he dare to step forward before the Supreme Kai had even spoken?
The Grand Elder glanced at Supreme Kai Shin, as if seeking his permission. Shin, for his part, nodded with a look of smug satisfaction. This elderly Namekian has a good eye, he thought. He knows I'm the most important one here!
"Dammit, are you treating me like thin air?"
Gran saw the expressions on both their faces and reached his limit. He decided to let just a tiny fraction of his power leak out.
BOOM—!
An unparalleled force exploded outward instantly. The terrifying shockwave roared like a primordial beast, and the sheer pressure vaporised the Grand Elder's house!
RUMBLE—!
All of Planet Namek began to quiver. Every Namekian on the planet was instantly forced to their knees, prostrating on the ground. This sudden vibration sent waves of terror through the population. Has the end of the world arrived?
"Th—This... My Lord, please stop! I am willing to lend you the Wish Orbs!" The Grand Elder's face turned deathly pale as he cried out.
"Hmph!"
Little Gran gave a cold snort. "Supreme Kai is nobody. I'm the boss here. Do you still plan on ignoring me?"
Gran only intended to give the old man a scare; he had no real intention of making things difficult. He quickly suppressed his power.
Supreme Kai Shin: "..." Kibito: "..."
This is one competitive kid!
The Grand Elder wiped the cold sweat from his face. It turned out this child had been hiding a power so terrifying it defied logic.
"Nail!"
The Grand Elder dared not hesitate any longer and summoned his warrior guardian. Before long, a Namekian who looked remarkably like Piccolo arrived.
When Nail arrived, he was stunned to see that the walls of the Grand Elder's home had vanished into thin air. He saw three strangers standing before the Elder. Nail reacted instantly—the terrifying power that had just rocked the planet must have come from here. These people were trying to assassinate the Grand Elder!
Nail lunged toward Gran and the others.
"Nail!"
The Grand Elder, well aware of Nail's protective nature, shouted a reprimand. "These three are the legendary Grand Kais and the Supreme Kai. Do not move! Go and gather the Wish Orbs here at once."
The Grand Elder understood the duties of the gods well enough. Their job was to balance the universe and eliminate factors detrimental to its development. If they were seeking the Dragon Balls, they likely faced a problem beyond their own power. Therefore, even though Gran had just released a horrifying aura, the Elder wasn't worried that these deities would make an evil wish.
"Yes!"
The Grand Elder's orders were absolute. Nail quickly departed.
Watching Nail's back, Gran became pensive. If this follows the anime plot, this guy is destined to fuse with Piccolo during the Namek Saga.
"Gran, you still haven't said what we can do once the Dragon is summoned," Shin asked.
"Once summoned, you can make a wish. As long as the request isn't too difficult, the Eternal Dragon can usually grant it." Gran took the time to explain to the ignorant Shin while they waited for the balls.
The Grand Elder narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected the "Grand Kai" child to know so much.
"It can grant wishes?"
Shin was perplexed. He pointed at the Grand Elder. "Since the Dragon can grant wishes, and he's clearly so old, why hasn't he wished for eternal youth?"
As soon as he said it, the Grand Elder responded: "Lord Supreme Kai, we Namekians love peace and respect the laws of nature. Life, old age, sickness, and death are part of that natural order. We would never make such a wish."
As he spoke, there was not a trace of fear regarding death on the Elder's face.
"Ah? I... I see!" Shin's eyes widened. He couldn't believe such a race existed.
"Shin, you might not know this, but Planet Namek suffered a massive climate cataclysm years ago." Gran looked at the Grand Elder with a hint of admiration in his voice. "But they didn't use the Dragon Balls to change it. They viewed it as a punishment from the heavens for their past over-reliance on technology."
If someone like Frieza had these Dragon Balls, he would use them to make all sorts of unnatural wishes. But the Grand Elder didn't. That was the most admirable trait of the Namekian people.
Hearing this, Shin felt a pang in his heart. The spirit of the Namekians moved him deeply.
The Grand Elder turned his gaze back to Gran. "I did not expect this young Lord Grand Kai to understand our people so well!" His eyes softened, and the lingering fear he felt toward Gran began to dissipate.
"Grand Kai? I'm not a Grand Kai." Gran shook his head and pointed to his clothes. "I am the current Candidate God of Destruction."
Gran didn't realise that the Grand Elder was calling him a "Grand Kai" based on the level of his divine dimension.
Shin nodded. "That's right. This kid next to me isn't a Grand Kai; he's that 'Candidate Destroyer' or whatever."
Wait... what?!
The Grand Elder's breathing became erratic as a tidal wave of shock crashed over his mind. He stammered, "He... he is the Lord Candidate God of Destruction?"
"That's what the kid says." Shin looked at Gran, then back at the Elder, puzzled. "From your expression, it seems you recognise this title, just like that Yardratian Elder did. Is being a 'Candidate Destroyer' really that famous?"
Little Gran: "..." Grand Elder: "..."
Is this really something a Supreme Kai would say? How can he be so ignorant?
"My humblest respects, Lord Candidate." The Grand Elder struggled to stand.
"You're getting up there in years; just stay seated." Gran waved him off and pointed at Shin with a sigh. "Something happened in the Sacred World of the Kai years ago, which is why he's so... uninformed."
"I see." The Grand Elder nodded. No wonder he felt the Supreme Kai was clueless about everything. And no wonder Gran claimed to be the boss of the group from the start. If the child were a Candidate God of Destruction, it made perfect sense!
However... knowing Gran's true identity brought a new wave of worry. This was a cold and ruthless Destroyer—even if only a candidate. If he got angry, would he wipe Planet Namek out of existence?!
"You're the Grand Elder, right? Since you seem to know a lot about Destroyers and Supreme Kais, tell me more about..." Shin began to pester the Elder with questions while they waited. Because of Gran's presence, the Elder was cautious and didn't dare say too much for fear of offending the child.
Gran admired the Namekian resolve, but he felt that a Candidate God of Destruction should maintain a cool, aloof persona. So, he didn't tell the Elder, "Don't worry about my title, I'm actually not scary."
Time passed slowly. Within half an hour, Nail returned with the remaining six Dragon Balls. The Grand Elder breathed a sigh of relief; he hoped this Candidate Destroyer would make his wish and leave Namek quickly.
"Shin, get ready to witness the legendary Eternal Dragon!"
Gran reached out his hand toward the Grand Elder's chair, and the Dragon Ball resting there flew into his palm through the air.
Nail glanced at the Grand Elder. The Elder nodded. "Begin the summoning of Porunga."
"Yes!"
Nail stepped beside Gran. Gran placed the final Dragon Ball on the ground.
The seven basketball-sized orbs gathered together, instantly resonating. Each one began to pulse with a brilliant light. Gran felt a surge of excitement. The seven Dragon Balls of Earth started the story, but the seven Dragon Balls of Namek brought it to a climax.
If the timeline held, Frieza, Vegeta, and Goku would eventually come here to fight over these very orbs. The most iconic scenes in the history of anime were born right here!
"Lord Supreme Kai, can these really grant wishes?" Kibito whispered.
"I'm not sure. This is my first time seeing such magical pearls," Shin replied, his eyes narrowing. "It's starting!"
Nail began to chant the incantation in the Namekian tongue. As the final word left his lips—
BOOM—!
The weather shifted violently! The sky turned pitch black in an instant.
VROOOOOM!!!
The resonance of the Dragon Balls became a piercing hum as all seven erupted in golden light.
Crackle! Snap!
Accompanied by arcs of golden electricity, seven beams of light shot into the sky, merging into one. The massive pillar of golden light morphed into a colossal, dragon-like being.
"He's here!" Gran clenched his tiny fists, his heart racing.
"Lord Candidate, this is the Eternal Dragon, Porunga. In our language, it means 'God of Dreams,'" the Grand Elder explained.
"The name is fine, but he's a bit of an eyesore, isn't he?" Shin commented from the side. Kibito nodded; whatever the Supreme Kai said was law.
Gran looked up at Porunga. He looked like a muscular version of the genie from Aladdin. Calming his excitement, Gran added, "Yeah, he is pretty ugly!"
Nail: "..." Grand Elder: "..."
Suddenly!
"You who have summoned me... state your three wishes. I can grant any wish you desire!" The Porunga circling in the air spoke in a deep, booming voice.
"Any wish?" Shin's eyes went wide. He tugged at Gran's sleeve. "Gran, he said he can grant any wish!"
"Don't listen to his nonsense. He's lying to you!" Gran's lip curled. It seemed every Eternal Dragon said the same thing when they appeared. But anyone who watched the anime knew they had plenty of limitations.
Seeing this arrogant dragon acting so tough, Gran felt like teasing him. He gave a wicked grin.
"Nail, tell him my first wish. My first wish is to obtain a body of true immortality that even Lord Zeno cannot erase!
Nail, the Grand Elder, Kibito, and Shin were all completely baffled. Who is Lord Zeno?
Despite his confusion, Nail translated the wish into Namekian.
"#&$^...."
As soon as Nail's voice faded, the sky fell into a deathly silence!!
Porunga's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Cold sweat began to pour down his massive green features.
"Th—This... This wish cannot be granted!"
"See, Shin? I told you these dragons were liars," Gran said, tilting his head back.
Hearing Gran's voice, Porunga finally shifted his gaze down toward him.
THUMP—!!
Porunga's entire massive body shuddered. He somehow produced a tiny handkerchief out of thin air and began dabbing the sweat from his brow, speaking with deep reverence:
"M—My respects to the... Lord Candidate God of Destruction!!"
The audience: "..."
Where did that tiny handkerchief even come from?!
"Gran, this dragon knows you, too!" Shin nudged Gran's shoulder. He hadn't expected so many people in this universe to recognise a Candidate Destroyer.
Hearing Shin speak, Porunga turned his gaze toward him next.
"S—Lord Supreme Kai!!"
Porunga nearly jumped out of his skin. Good grief, what is happening today? Why are all these heavy hitters coming out of the woodwork?!
"Oh? You recognise me, too?" Shin was a bit surprised, but he pouted. "Didn't you just say you could grant any wish? Why couldn't you grant Gran's wish?"
Porunga: "..."
Did you even hear what he asked for? He wanted immortality that even the Omni-King couldn't erase! Even the Super Shenron would struggle with that! How am I supposed to do it?!
"Lord Supreme Kai, Lord Candidate... I am deeply sorry. That wish is far too difficult. I cannot grant it!"
"Since that one is a no-go, let's try another. Make me the number one fighter in the entire multiverse," Gran said playfully.
Porunga: "..."
He really wanted to slap himself. It was bad enough running into these two legends, but he had to go and brag in front of them!
"Judging by the look of constipation on your face, I guess that one is out too," Gran laughed. "Alright, here's my third request: Give me true, absolute, eternal life!"
Man, when I watched the anime, I thought the Dragon really could do anything. Let's see if I can scare the life out of you guys!
"..." Porunga looked like he had just swallowed a fly. He stammered, "Lord Candidate... please, have mercy on me!"
Gran didn't react much to Porunga's begging; he was having fun. But Shin's expression turned icy. "So you were lying just now when you said you could grant any wish?"
The Grand Elder's heart skipped a beat. Porunga was always full of tall tales, but this time he had stepped into it! The Supreme Kai was angry—what if the Candidate Destroyer got angry too? If he did, Namek was finished!
The Elder looked at Gran. Fortunately, the boy didn't look upset.
Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere became incredibly awkward. Gran stared at Porunga, who was still hovering there begging for mercy. No one knew what he was thinking.
Shin couldn't be bothered with a lying dragon anymore; he looked at Gran. What will this kid actually wish for?
The Grand Elder and Nail exchanged a look. They, too, were curious about the Candidate Destroyer's true desire.
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