"Stop, Nail. Return. You are indeed no match for him, and he bears no ill will. Bring him to see me."
The Grand Elder's voice echoed in Nail's mind.
His fists tightened, his expression full of frustration and unwillingness.
"But Grand Elder, this person is too dangerous…" Nail muttered, glaring at Vegeta.
Vegeta naturally heard it.
He didn't need to guess — only one being on Namek could command Nail so directly: The Grand Elder.
"It seems the one behind you doesn't intend for us to continue fighting," Vegeta said with a faint, mocking smile.
He was actually annoyed.
Because even though Vegeta had a transmigrator's perspective — seeing the story from above like a god — he still had emotions.
And the situation rubbed him the wrong way.
To sum it up:
They want to fight, so they fight. They want to stop, so they stop.
And if Vegeta didn't possess his current strength? He'd most likely be dead already.
Would the Grand Elder have stopped Nail before the killing blow?
Probably not.
"Tsk… talk of good and evil only exists because of personal interest. With enough strength, you get a voice. With enough power, you stand invincible and take what you want," Vegeta sneered inwardly.
Meeting Nail's glare, Vegeta withdrew his aura.
He had a bigger goal here — he needed his potential unlocked.
Nail slowly withdrew his killing intent as well, though his eyes still burned with resentment.
"Don't think I can't do anything to you. If you try anything against the Grand Elder, I'll tear you to shreds!" Nail growled.
Vegeta had no further patience for his nonsense.
"If you think you can, go ahead and try. For now, take me to your Grand Elder."
Nail clenched his teeth, trapped between duty and humiliation, but eventually turned around and walked ahead.
Vegeta followed casually.
Nail's power was fine, but his brain was a different matter — rigid and painfully narrow-minded.
He wasn't this stupid in the original storyline, but seeing it firsthand, Vegeta now understood why Frieza felt so annoyed dealing with him.
They returned to the rocky mountaintop.
Vegeta ignored Nail completely and strode straight into the Grand Elder's dwelling.
The house was massive — not just outside, but inside too — yet simple.
No technology, no decor, just stone walls like a primitive structure.
In the inner chamber sat the Grand Elder.
His enormous, aging body slumped on a stone throne, breathing slowly like even moving would exhaust him.
"Welcome, alien," the Grand Elder said, his ancient voice echoing gently.
At the same time, he began using his mental power to peer into Vegeta.
It wasn't aura-sensing — it was something deeper. He attempted to see Vegeta's nature… his past… even the future.
But in his weakened condition, he saw nothing.
Vegeta frowned slightly, displeased.
"Grand Elder of Namek," he said bluntly, "your subordinate attacked me the moment I arrived. Doesn't seem like much of a welcome. If that is your way of welcoming guests, then Namek has a pretty unique tradition."
A flicker of disdain appeared in his eyes — which made Nail bristle with anger.
"That was my own action! It had nothing to do with the Grand Elder! Outsiders can't be trusted!" Nail barked.
Vegeta ignored him, keeping his gaze locked on the Grand Elder.
As if Nail would dare attack without permission. The idea was laughable.
"Enough, Nail. Leave us. I want to talk with him alone," the Grand Elder said.
"But—"
"Go. He will not attack me. And he truly has not deceived us, nor is he an enemy of Namek."
Nail clenched his jaw, glared at Vegeta for a long moment, then finally turned to leave.
"Close the door," Vegeta said mockingly.
Nail nearly choked on his fury.
Once the silence settled, the Grand Elder sighed deeply and spoke.
"You came to find me, so you must have a purpose. If I am not mistaken, it is for the Dragon Ball in my possession, is it not?"
"Yes. The Dragon Balls are what I want," Vegeta replied openly. "And given the situation, they aren't safe with you. If you give them to me, that's actually the safest option."
He said it casually, but he meant every word.
Of course, he also needed a Namekian to summon Porunga — but that could be handled later.
"I can give you the Dragon Ball," the Grand Elder said, "but I am curious — how do you plan to face that being? You are very strong, but nowhere near strong enough to fight him."
"I don't deny it," Vegeta replied directly. "Right now, I am just an ant before Frieza. You already know his strength. So I don't have to explain."
He stepped forward slightly.
"But I also know that you, Grand Elder of Namek, can unlock a person's hidden potential. I need you to unlock mine.
On this planet, only I — Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince — can develop enough power to defeat Frieza and save the Namekians."
His tone held both coercion and temptation.
Because this was the truth of the universe:
In a world where the strong prey on the weak, there is only profit.
With enough profit, anything could be negotiated.
The Grand Elder was shocked, then silent.
This was not the future he had foreseen.
The one meant to save Namek was supposed to be a Saiyan from Earth… not this ruthless prince.
"Still hesitating?" Vegeta smirked. "Heh… I figured you might have foresight. You probably know fragments of the future. You're waiting for those Earthlings, aren't you?"
The Grand Elder flinched.
Vegeta pressed on.
"Even if they arrive — even if you unlock their potential — they won't be strong enough to beat Frieza's foot soldiers.
And even if Kakarot comes, he won't magically jump to that level overnight. Right now, I am your best choice. The future of this world is decided by me."
Judging by the Grand Elder's expression, Vegeta knew:
He was right.
The old man truly had the power to see the future.