He didn't want her coming along. He was heading to Planet Namek to endure grueling training, not to take a vacation. A companion would only slow him down, unless she could actually spar with him.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous deep space is?" Bulma refused to give up, attempting to persuade him with logic. "You've never been to another planet, right? Do you even know, "
She droned on about the strict precautions necessary for space travel, trying to convince him that the journey was perilous and that he would be at far greater risk without her expertise.
"You're absolutely right," Naruto agreed smoothly. "But I'm still going alone."
"Fine, you miser!" Seeing his unwavering resolve, Bulma stormed off with a pout.
"Hmph. You think I have no other way just because you won't take me? Someday, I will definitely travel the stars."
Three days later, Naruto boarded a spaceship bound for Planet Namek. In the interim, he had visited Korin Tower and secured a fresh bag of Senzu Beans from the sage.
The journey from Earth to Planet Namek took six days.
The short duration was deceptive, Namek was incredibly distant. Using standard Earth technology, the trip would have taken 4,339 years.
Interstellar travel times in this universe had always been a bizarre mystery. Vegeta and Nappa took a full year to reach Earth. Krillin, Gohan, and Bulma took a month to reach Planet Namek, yet the pod modified by Dr. Brief completed the transit in just six days.
Interestingly, Vegeta returned to the Frieza Force Base from Earth in under a month.
The narrative setting placed Earth at the edge of the galaxy. Perhaps Vegeta had simply been too far from Earth at the time, or his ship was outdated, or perhaps the Frieza Force Base was also located on the galactic fringe.
"Let's try the Gravity Room." The spaceship hummed on autopilot, requiring no manual control. Naruto's only priority now was maximizing his training time.
He entered the mid-level training deck and activated Gravity Mode. "Let's start with 11x gravity."
Naruto pressed the switch, and a familiar, crushing pressure instantly slammed into his body.
"Feels pretty good."
The six days flew by in a blur of sweat and exhaustion.
Everything went smoothly. He encountered no Frieza Force scouts, and the ship suffered no mechanical malfunctions. By the time they neared Planet Namek's orbit, Naruto had barely adapted to 13x gravity. He wasn't a freak of nature like Goku, who could jump from 10x to 100x gravity in under a week.
For Naruto, 13x was already rapid, steady progress.
As the massive green sphere drew closer in the viewing port, Naruto felt a surge of anticipation.
The Dragon Balls on Planet Namek had to be stronger than Earth's, right?
Could he wish to become the strongest warrior in the universe?
Planet Namek is ten times the size of Earth, yet it looks completely desolate. Originally, Namek was more vibrant than Earth, and the ancient Namekians possessed exceptionally advanced technology. However, aggressive overdevelopment caused severe atmospheric pollution and destroyed their protective ozone layer. Cosmic radiation turned the lush world into a wasteland. Most Namekians went extinct, only a few clansmen survived by scraping by in shelters or fleeing to other planets. Now, roughly one hundred Namekians remained on the entire universe.
Upon arriving in the atmosphere, Naruto sensed numerous presences with power equal to or greater than his own. He shrunk his spaceship into a Hoi-Poi Capsule and flew directly toward them.
The Namekians tending to the sparse green vegetation sensed his approach. They stopped their agricultural work and looked up in Naruto's direction.
Ki sensing was a standard ability every adult Namekian possessed. Even those who were not warrior types had combat power that dwarfed any normal human on Earth.
With highly advanced technology combined with their biological ability to assimilate and grow stronger, the race's potential was staggering. Had Namek avoided disaster, and had all warrior-type Namekians merged, they could have birthed an expert with terrifying strength.
"An alien?" A chubby Namekian watched Naruto descend from the sky. "It has been many years since visitors from other planets came here."
The surrounding area was vast and barren. Due to previous overdevelopment, Namek lacked minerals of any commercial value. Because the locals combat power was decent, even the Frieza Force had no interest in invading.
The potential income simply didn't justify the military expenditure. The planet was rated as worthless trash. Had Frieza not eavesdropped on Vegeta talking about the Dragon Balls, he might never have set foot on Planet Namek in his lifetime.
"Hello, Namekian. I'm an Earthling." Naruto descended slowly, offering a bright, sunny smile.
Seeing Naruto's friendly demeanor, the chubby Namekian smiled back. "Hello, Earthling."
In an unfamiliar environment facing total strangers, a genuine smile was the best diplomacy. Naruto used his to signal he harbored no ill intentions.
The two exchanged a few polite words. Naruto learned the other man was the village elder, named Tsubasa.
Naruto claimed he was traveling through the stars, originally intending to visit Yardrat to learn their miraculous abilities, but his ship had accidentally strayed off course to Planet Namek.
Tsubasa received Naruto warmly, though the local refreshments were quite special: plain water. Namekians generally did not eat solid food and survived on water alone, so that was exactly what they served their guests.
The water tasted crisp and sweet, though it did nothing to fill an empty stomach.
The locals were exactly as the universal rumors suggested: extremely hospitable.
In truth, they were welcoming primarily because Naruto's ki carried no malice. Otherwise, they would not have been nearly so kind. Tsubasa, for example, looked completely ordinary, but his combat power rested at 1,200. On Earth, he would be an untouchable overlord. None of the Z Fighters, including Goku and Piccolo, could currently match him. Demon King Piccolo's meager 260 points meant absolutely nothing in his presence.
"Can I train here for a while?" After filling his stomach with water, Naruto stated his true purpose.
"Of course," Elder Tsubasa agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Agreed," he repeated, patting the tall Namekian standing quietly beside him. "Puru is the strongest warrior in our settlement. If you want to train, ask him for help."
"With his strength, he'll make a great sparring partner."
Most Namekians disliked violence. Consequently, a village usually had only two or three warrior-types, some had only one.
This specific village had only one.
That was Puru.
Warrior-type Namekians generally hovered around a combat power of 3,000, but Puru possessed at least 4,000. This made him a formidable powerhouse even among his own kind.
Naruto looked at Puru and offered a polite nod. "I'll be in your care during this time, Puru."
"The honor is mine," Puru replied coolly.
Another Piccolo-style stoic.
Over the following period, Naruto trained with Puru by day and held grueling extra sessions in his Gravity Room by night. His life became a seamless cycle of endless training, and his physical strength surged.
Trading blows with a stronger opponent was undeniably the fastest way to grow.
Namekians automatically learnt to use ki upon reaching adulthood. They could effortlessly conceal their energy and manipulate their combat power using unique internal methods. However, their actual hand-to-hand combat skills lagged far behind Earth's martial artists, they were sloppy and unrefined.
Puru clearly held more raw power than Naruto, yet he couldn't gain a decisive advantage during their spars.
It mirrored the time Krillin and Gohan first arrived on Planet Namek. With only 1,500 points of combat power, they expertly toyed with Dodoria, whose power exceeded 20,000. They rescued Dende right under his nose and escaped safely. Yet, when three Namekians with over 3,000 points faced Dodoria, they offered no real tactical resistance and were slaughtered one by one.
Their combat experience was simply abysmal.
It made sense. Namekians hated fighting and lacked the martial discipline to match their raw power.
Several months passed.
Naruto would have starved long ago, literally wasting away to bone, if he hadn't stocked up on high-calorie food from Earth, supplementing his diet with the small animals and fish found in Namek's sparse lakes.
By this point, his body could easily withstand over 20x normal gravity.
A uniquely designed, saucer-like spaceship drifted into Planet Namek's orbit.
"Great King Turles, we have a positive energy reaction from the planet ahead." Inside the dimly lit command center, several strange aliens worked at their glowing consoles. Numbers scrolled rapidly across a screen as one reported, "According to the computer, this planet supports life."
"Send a scout pod to analyze the soil's purity. If it is suitable for planting, we land."
A cold, commanding voice emerged from the shadows.
"Yes, King Turles," the crew responded in unison.
A moment later, a small spherical pod launched from the ship's bay, streaking toward the green planet below.
Several hours later, the scout pod transmitted its geological data.
"King Turles, computer analysis confirms this planet is highly suitable for planting the Tree of Might."
The Tree of Might was an extraordinary, parasitic plant. It drained a planet's total life force to grow, producing divine fruits said to be enjoyed only by the gods. A single bite could increase a warrior's combat power astronomically.
"Oh?" Turles stepped from the shadows, showing a rare flash of excitement. "How many fruits can we expect?"
"We estimate around ten."
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