Leaving Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan behind, Vegeta wasted no time and shot across the sky at full speed, heading toward the Grand Elder's location on Planet Namek.
He could sense the position clearly because of Nail, who remained beside the Grand Elder.
Even though Nail suppressed most of his power, his aura stood out—far stronger than the average Namekian warrior.
As the only pure combat-type Namekian, his presence was unmistakable.
After cultivating his ki sensing for five long days, Vegeta's perception—while still not as sharp as Kakarot's—was already far superior to Krillin's and Gohan's.
Combined with his increases in power, his ki detection ability had reached an extremely sharp level.
"Strange… logically, the Grand Elder should still be holding one Dragon Ball."
Flying through the sky, Vegeta opened the Dragon Radar.
He hadn't been entirely sure earlier, but now that he was closer, the radar displayed nothing.
Even when it did show a reaction, the location and distance were completely wrong.
There was no Dragon Ball at the Grand Elder's position.
If he didn't know the original plot so clearly, he might have been confused—but with this, everything clicked instantly.
"No wonder that woman gave me the Dragon Radar so easily. It was a fake."
But even after realizing it, Vegeta didn't get angry.
If he didn't already know the Grand Elder possessed a Dragon Ball, he would've been tricked completely and only discovered the fake after chasing false readings again and again.
He didn't crush it—instead, he stored it away. He still needed to verify certain things later.
Then he accelerated rapidly.
Since he was getting close, there was no point hiding his energy anymore.
Frieza hadn't changed directions; he was still slowly moving toward another Namekian village. He clearly wasn't searching for Vegeta.
As long as Vegeta didn't provoke him, this was free time.
And since he might end up fighting Nail later, bursting out his aura now was actually helpful—it would show the Grand Elder and Nail his full strength and make future communication easier.
At the same time…
In the central region, atop a tall, pillar-like mountain, Nail remained on guard outside the Grand Elder's chamber.
Suddenly, his expression sharpened as he fixed his gaze toward the distant horizon.
"They found us already? How did these invaders locate this place?!"
Several villages had already been attacked. Countless Namekians slaughtered.
Now that someone approached the Grand Elder's location, Nail's simmering rage finally began to erupt.
As the strongest Namekian alive, he would have rushed out long ago if not for the Grand Elder's safety.
"Nail. Calm yourself. Do not act rashly. First, observe this newcomer's intentions."
The Grand Elder's voice echoed into his mind, halting him for a moment.
"But Grand Elder, these outsiders have already gone too far! Are we still supposed to endure this humiliation?!" Nail grit his teeth, voice full of resentment.
The Grand Elder sighed heavily.
"The Namekians are facing our greatest crisis in history… If I had foreseen this, I should have gathered all the clansmen sooner and used the Dragon Balls to create a new home to escape the slaughter… I didn't expect these invaders to massacre our people without hesitation."
"Grand Elder, since you see it clearly now, we can't let things continue like before!" Nail declared.
"Even if we don't attack first, if they've already come to our doorstep, then we will NOT be bullied!"
His words left the Grand Elder momentarily silent.
The Grand Elder was nearing the end of his natural life. He never imagined he would face such destruction before dying.
Now, all he could do was protect the last hope of his people.
"…Very well. If the newcomer shows any hostility or tries to seize the Dragon Balls by force, then display your strength and deter him."
Endless retreat would only make the aggressors push harder.
If Nail's strength could suppress the intruder, it would be the best possible outcome.
But the Grand Elder also knew that a terrifying evil presence—Frieza—now walked Namek.
Nail was absolutely no match for that demon.
That was why he had been holding back, observing, waiting.
Waiting for those from Earth.
A vision he had seen at the cost of his own lifespan foretold that Namek's fate would be tied to warriors from Earth.
That they alone could resolve this catastrophe.
Having been granted permission, Nail's fighting spirit surged.
His anger, suppressed for too long, finally had an outlet.
If the newcomer showed even a hint of hostility, they would face the full wrath of the Namekians.
Time passed.
Then a black dot appeared in the sky, growing larger and larger.
Nail's expression hardened.
At that moment, Vegeta had already seen his target.
He shot forward, then suppressed his aura as he descended onto the tall mountain.
In front of him stood Nail.
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy—intense pressure filling the air.
Even with his current strength, Vegeta couldn't help but be impressed when sensing Nail's power.
A Namekian with a power level of 42,000.
If Vegeta hadn't rapidly grown stronger, he would've been completely overwhelmed.
Nail stared at him coldly, releasing his full power without hesitation—pressing down on Vegeta with everything he had.
Vegeta's new scouter beeped constantly, reading the rising power level.
"Impressive strength," Vegeta said calmly. "But isn't it rude to treat me as an enemy without even asking my intentions?"
Nail's aura flared even more violently.
"Hmph! You invaders slaughtered countless Namekians! Are you NOT our enemy?!"
His voice was filled with righteous fury.
If Vegeta had said nothing, maybe the tension would've remained manageable—but now?
Now Vegeta had become the perfect target for Nail's pent-up rage.
"So you're just going to attack without a word? How indiscriminate."
Vegeta had long been prepared to fight Nail—after all, strengthening himself required real combat.
But he still wanted to clarify things first.
Fighting could come after that.