In the end, Kami contributed the spaceship he had used to reach Earth for Goku's journey.
Traveling with Goku to Planet Namek were Vegeta, Nappa, and Piccolo. Gohan was deemed too young, and with Goku going, there was no need for him to tag along. Since Piccolo spoke Namekian and could pilot the ship, there was no reason to bring the combat-incapable Bulma.
The four men spent an entire month cooped up in the cramped space. They barely managed to suppress their mutual desire to fight by pouring all their energy into training equipment, narrowly avoiding a mutual destruction scenario in deep space.
Upon successfully landing on Planet Namek, the four filed out, each breathing a collective sigh of relief.
"Hurry up and hide the ship. If Frieza and his men are already here, they'll know a ship has arrived. Ten to one, they'll send someone to investigate," Vegeta said, looking at Piccolo.
"Hmph. Didn't you say only a few of Frieza's subordinates are stronger than you? They probably won't send the heavy hitters at first. We can use that to ambush them," Piccolo countered.
"I didn't realize you had a brain; it really doesn't show," Vegeta smirked. "That's exactly what I was thinking. Let's give our opponents a lesson they won't forget!"
"Hell yeah! I've been itching to tear those guys apart," Nappa added with a cruel laugh.
Goku was also eager to test the strength of these aliens. Thus, while Piccolo went to hide the ship, the others stood their ground, waiting for the arrival. With Scouters in play, hiding was mostly futile anyway.
After a few minutes, several figures flew over. Upon seeing the leader, Vegeta's expression turned predatory. "Well, looks like we hooked a big fish right away."
"Dodoria?" Nappa chuckled. "Seems our lineup is something even Frieza has to take seriously."
Vegeta stepped forward to meet them. He curled his lip into a cold sneer at the bald, pineapple-headed Dodoria. "Dodoria, long time no see."
"Vegeta, Nappa... so it's you two." A playful smirk appeared on Dodoria's face. "You've actually done a great service this time. It's thanks to you that Lord Frieza learned about the miraculous Dragon Balls on Planet Namek. Why don't you come back with me to the Lord? I'm sure he'll reward you... handsomely!"
He emphasized the last two words with a dark undertone.
"Bastard!" Vegeta's face darkened instantly. Being monitored at all times was a grave insult to his pride as the Saiyan Prince. That grievance alone was enough to make him break ties with Frieza permanently.
"Dodoria, you're going to regret coming here to find me!"
Before the words fully landed, Vegeta charged. Goku and Nappa struck simultaneously.
"You idiot, have you forgotten the gap between us, Vegeta?" Dodoria remained calm. "You only have a power level of 18,000, while mine is 22,000!"
"You're the idiot. Open your eyes and look!" Vegeta's aura exploded. With a single punch, he sent Dodoria crashing into the ground, coughing up bile.
"24,000?! Impossible! It was clearly just 18,000 a moment ago!" Dodoria stared at Vegeta in disbelief.
"This is a technique I learned from the Earthlings. Marvelous, isn't it?" Vegeta laughed heartily, walking toward Dodoria step by step.
Meanwhile, Goku and Nappa finished off the henchmen and blocked Dodoria's retreat. Seeing himself surrounded, Dodoria broke into a cold sweat and immediately began to plead. "Vegeta, let me go, and I'll tell you a secret!"
"Sorry, but no secret is worth your life."
"No! It's about—"
Halfway through his sentence, Vegeta decapitated him with a swift strike.
"Eh? Not going to let him finish?" Nappa asked, confused.
"Fool. He was stalling for time. Someone is coming," Vegeta said.
"Yeah. There's a signature slightly weaker than yours flying this way at high speed," Goku told Vegeta. "We're not afraid of him."
"Frieza really looks down on us, sending them in one by one to die," Vegeta sneered. "In that case, we'll gladly accept this gift. It's best to whittle down their forces as much as we can."
As he spoke, a handsome man with long green hair appeared before them.
"Hahaha! Zarbon, you're out of luck," Vegeta smiled grimly.
…
"!"
Seated in his hover pod and clad in battle armor, Frieza stared in surprise at his Scouter.
"What is this? First Dodoria, and now Zarbon's signal has vanished as well. These useless grubs... can they not even handle Vegeta?"
Frieza's face clouded over. He needed to find the Dragon Balls and didn't have time for Vegeta's games.
"I suppose it's time to call them in to wipe out these rats."
Having made his decision, Frieza immediately ordered his remaining subordinates to move to the next village to search for more Dragon Balls.
…
"Phew... ha..."
After defeating Zarbon, Goku and the others weren't in great shape. Nappa, being the weakest, had taken the most damage and was currently unconscious.
"I miscalculated. I didn't expect him to be able to transform. That guy was hiding a lot," Vegeta panted. "We need to leave this place immediately. Now that his lapdogs are dead, Frieza won't let this rest."
"Where to?" Piccolo looked at Goku.
"Let's find Aomori. He has Senzu Beans that can restore us to full strength," Goku said, straightening up. "Besides, he arrived so much earlier than us; he must have a lot of intel."
Items that can restore injuries? Vegeta silently noted this information, not opposing Goku's suggestion. Compared to Aomori, Frieza was far more terrifying.
"Do you know where he is?"
"Yeah. I can sense his signature quite clearly."
"Then let's go."
The lightly injured Piccolo slung Nappa over his back. Along with Goku and Vegeta, he took to the skies, flying toward the direction where they sensed Aomori.
Before long, they spotted a white building perched atop a towering rock formation and a familiar figure standing before its gates.
"Aomori!" Goku waved happily.
"I didn't think you guys would follow me here," Aomori said in surprise. "I take it I'm not your primary objective."
This guy... it's only been a month, but he feels even more unfathomable. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and said, "We're here to stop Frieza from stealing the Dragon Balls. Since you love fighting so much, surely you're interested in him."
"Oh, you mean that terrifying fellow?" Aomori smiled. "He's too strong. Right now, I'm not confident I can beat him, so I've been staying here, biding my time."
"True. That aura of his is frighteningly powerful," Goku agreed, nodding deeply.
"So, we can cooperate for now to take down Frieza. Together, we can surely defeat him," Vegeta said with a smile. "We can settle our own disputes once this is over."
"Heh." Aomori rolled his eyes. "You're dreaming. Frieza is far more terrifying than you imagine. Right now, you don't even have the right to challenge him."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Whatever, come inside, and we'll talk."
The group followed Aomori inside the building, where they saw a Namekian as large as a small hill. Beside him was a young man who looked remarkably like Piccolo. Additionally, a large orb sitting atop the giant's head caught everyone's attention.
It was a Namekian Dragon Ball!
"Welcome home, child of Katas. I am the Grand Elder of the Namekians, and the father of us all." The Grand Elder looked very weak, barely opening his eyes as he gazed warmly at Piccolo.
"Katas..." Piccolo froze. He dropped Nappa haphazardly onto the floor, paused, and then said, "By seniority, he would be my grandfather. But let's get one thing straight, don't think you can order me around just because I'm one of your kin."
"Show respect to the Grand Elder!" the young man snapped, glaring at Piccolo. His intense pressure made Vegeta and the others turn pale, everyone except Aomori.
He's even more terrifying than Zarbon was... are there really Namekians this strong? Vegeta felt a sting of frustration.
"Nail, do not disturb the guests."
"Yes, Grand Elder." Nail suppressed his aura and stepped back silently.
"My child, regardless of everything, you are a Namekian. This is your home." The Grand Elder moved his finger slightly. "Come closer; let me look at you."
Piccolo hesitated for a moment but slowly walked to the Grand Elder's side. The Grand Elder placed a hand gently on Piccolo's head. After a long silence, he sighed. "I see. You split into two beings many years ago. No wonder your aura is so weak. If you had never separated, no one here would be your match."
"?!" Piccolo frowned. "Is that true?"
"Naturally." The Grand Elder nodded. "You are the most gifted among us. Much of your potential is still hidden within your body. Allow me to draw it out for you."
As he spoke, the Grand Elder's hand began to glow. Soon, Piccolo felt a terrifying surge of power welling up within him. He couldn't help but grin excitedly. "I've never felt this powerful before. This is incredible! Absolutely incredible!"
"Amazing! In just a few seconds, your Ki completely surpassed mine," Goku marveled.
Seeing someone he previously looked down upon surpass him in an instant made Vegeta feel bitter, but as the noble Saiyan Prince, he couldn't bring himself to beg for help.
Piccolo, however, spoke up for Goku. "Grand Elder, can you draw out his potential too? It's no fun being so much stronger than him all of a sudden."
"Well, if it means getting stronger, I won't say no!" Goku said with a grin.
"..." The Grand Elder didn't speak. Instead, he looked at Aomori. "I'll leave them to you. I'm feeling a bit tired; I'd like to sleep."
"Alright. It's a good chance for a trial run." Aomori turned to Goku and the others. "Who's first?"
"Eh?!!" Piccolo and the others were shocked. "Wait, you can unlock potential too?"
"Mm-hmm. Just learned it recently. Haven't tried it out yet."
"..." Vegeta wasn't sure if he should trust Aomori, so he spoke up. "Kakarot, you go first."
"Alright, then."
To avoid disturbing the Grand Elder's rest, the group moved to an open area outside. Aomori fed them chocolate, healing their injuries. Then, Goku sat on the ground, nervously waiting for Aomori to proceed.
"Relax, it'll be over soon." Aomori placed his hand on Goku's head and slowly probed his body with his Ki.
The key to the Unlock Potential skill was sensing the hidden power within the target's body, which was no problem for Aomori given his immense mental strength. Once sensed, he used a sliver of his own power to draw it out.
"Done." In less than two seconds, Aomori pulled his hand away.
An aura significantly stronger than Piccolo's erupted from Goku, sending a shockwave through Vegeta and the others.
"Incredible! I had this much power hidden away?" Goku stared at his hands in disbelief.
"I only guided a small portion out; there's still plenty buried deep within. Don't go slacking off just yet," Aomori warned.
"Right!"
"I'm next!" Vegeta walked up to Aomori impatiently. "Just so we're clear: I won't owe you any favors for this. At most, I'll spare your life once later on."
"I get it. The noble Saiyan Prince, right?"
"Tch!" Vegeta closed his eyes and sat down, ignoring the sarcasm.
Following the same process, Aomori unlocked the potential for both Vegeta and Nappa. Their power levels surged dramatically; while Nappa remained in the 20,000 to 30,000 range, the other three were all nearing a power level of 100,000.
"With this, we should be invincible!" Vegeta laughed loudly, already imagining Frieza kneeling and begging for mercy.
"What are you dreaming about? It's still not enough," Aomori said, raining on his parade. "If your power level is 100,000, then Frieza's is 500,000. And that's a conservative estimate; he might be suppressing his true strength even further."
"500,000?!" Vegeta was visibly shaken. "How is that possible?!"
"If you don't believe me, go try him yourself. I won't stop you," Aomori said, making a "go ahead" gesture.
"..." Vegeta ultimately didn't dare gamble with his life. "Then what else can we do? He'll finish collecting the rest of the Dragon Balls and come find us soon."
"Heh. Naturally, we use that 'glitch' in your Saiyan biology."
"You mean..."
"Whenever you're brought back from the brink of death, your strength increases exponentially, right?" Aomori pointed at Nappa. "He's a prime example."
Piccolo nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder you waited until Gohan was almost dead before you healed him back then. I thought you were just a psychopath; I didn't realize it was for this."
"Come to think of it, I think I got a lot stronger that way when I was a kid too," Goku recalled.
"You're right. We Saiyans do have that trait. But it's incredibly dangerous. One slip-up and we'd die at your hands."
"Don't worry about that." Aomori flashed a wide grin. "Inflicting pain... is what I'm best at."