The chapter opens with Dango falling through endless darkness, his body completely healed yet completely exposed. There was no light, no sound, only the suffocating weight pressing down on him, locking his limbs in place no matter how hard he tried to move.
Dango kept falling. "Am I dead…"
The thought echoed in the void as memories began to surface, one after another, vivid and unrelenting. His mother's face came first, followed by Bango, then Kuba, then Nikel. Each memory flickered like a dying star before giving way to the next, until his mind drifted back to Planet Jumper.
The scene shifted.
Dango stood just beyond the massive walls of a settlement, the desert stretching endlessly around him. A monstrous sandworm erupted from beneath the ground, its jaws wide as it lunged toward a helpless figure. Without hesitation, Dango launched himself forward and drove a single flying kick straight through its head, the force exploding the creature instantly.
He hovered in the air afterward, calm and unmoved.
Below him, Kipo, a young man sent out as a yearly sacrifice, stared up in complete shock. His fear had vanished, replaced by something else entirely. Admiration.
Dango carried him through the air and gently set him down near the towering walls. The moment his feet touched the ground, Kipo turned to him, gratitude written all over his face. He thanked him quickly, almost breathlessly, then asked for his name, offering his own in return before questioning why Dango had come to such a place.
Dango gave a small smile and began telling his story, everything that had led him here. Kipo listened closely, hanging on every word. By the time he finished, there was no doubt in Kipo's mind that Dango was no ordinary traveler; he was a warrior of unbelievable power.
Still, something didn't add up.
Kipo frowned slightly, confused. If Dango was that strong, why come here? This planet had no real fighters, no challenges, nothing worthy of someone like him.
Dango's expression shifted just a bit as he explained. His ship was running on its last reserves of fuel, and the only thing that could keep him going was a rare substance found on this planet.
Nenryō.
Kipo's eyes lit up with excitement; he knew exactly where to find Nenryō, and as a gesture of thanks, he offered to guide Dango himself. But before they could move, a massive sandworm burst from the ground, its enormous body reaching the walls. It slammed forward with terrifying force, sending citizens screaming in every direction.
Kipo froze, fear rooting him to the spot, convinced the worst was coming. In an instant, Dango unleashed a concentrated blast that obliterated the creature. The sandworm vanished in a flash, and without hesitation, Dango scooped Kipo into his arms. The citizens watched in stunned silence as Dango glided through the air, carrying Kipo as if he were weightless, descending smoothly to the ground.
As they walked among the shaken townspeople, Dango noticed their strange stares. At first, he assumed they were afraid, but soon he realized their awe ran deeper. They pressed close, eyes wide, bombarding him with questions. How could he fly? Was he an alien? And why, how, was he so unbelievably strong? The crowd buzzed with curiosity and disbelief, each person trying to make sense of the warrior in their midst.
Kipo stepped forward, raising his hands to calm the crowd, warning them not to push too far, fully aware of Dango's temper from the countless stories he had heard along the way. The townspeople were in shock, screaming and pointing, asking if Kipo was a ghost and questioning how he could be alive when they thought he was supposed to be dead.
Some of the girls whispered cruelly, calling him creepy and ugly, which only made Kipo's frustration boil over. He shouted at them, his voice cracking with rage, reminding them that he had given his life for the people, and this was how they repaid him. The crowd fell silent, caught in a mix of awe and a growing sense of guilt.
Then a little girl spoke up, contradicting Kipo's claims. She reminded everyone that he had lost a game of rock-paper-scissors to a homeless man and had been chosen as a sacrifice to the worms. Both he and the man were seen as useless, she said, and she described how he had cried and begged not to be killed. Hearing this, Kipo curled up in despair, his shame and sorrow consuming him, while the others laughed at his misery.
To Kipo's surprise, Dango spoke to the crowd casually, answering their questions with effortless ease. Watching him like this, Kipo began to wonder if Dango was really as godly as he had imagined. Then Dango's gaze wandered to the women of the town, and even he couldn't help the faint flush that crept across his cheeks at their beauty.
Without warning, Dango scooped Kipo up into his arms and took off again, gliding through the air with ease. He looked down at Kipo and asked simply, "Where to?"
Though Kipo shouted at Dango to shut up, he was still salty about the earlier comment.
Dango held Kipo in his arms and smirked. "Hey, it's not my fault your face looks like crap, and your body looks like a starving dog."
Kipo fell silent, only pointing toward the castle with a depressed look on his face while the crowd below kept shouting. He told Dango that the king, Clemat, was in charge of the system used to collect Nenryō and power the city. Even as he warned our hero to be respectful, Dango just kept smiling, leaving Kipo wondering how crazy this kid really was.
As they flew toward the upper levels of the walls, the difference was immediately clear. People here wore clothes that resembled modern fashion, sharply contrasting with the rags worn by those in Kipo's section. Guards stationed around the area gaped in shock, unable to believe someone was flying above them.
Inside the king's throne room, King Clemat sat upon his prestige throne. He was a striking man, blonde-haired with piercing blue eyes, his hair cut in a neat bowl style, complemented by a large, impressive beard. Draped in royal robes, he conversed quietly with his wife, Mona, a stunning woman with long orange hair and warm brown eyes. Their daughter, Mial, stood nearby, inheriting the beauty of her mother and the hair and eyes of her father, making her a perfect blend of both parents.
The king shared his plan with his royal counterparts, explaining his idea of setting himself as next year's sacrifice. His family immediately called him a fool, shocked at the decision, yet he insisted it was necessary for them to continue living. Despite their objections, the king admitted that the decision was already finalized.
As the discussion continued, he explained why this choice made sense. More of the poorer citizens in the walls were beginning to doubt the royals' intentions, believing they no longer cared to set an example. This year, a young man, poor, unattractive, and considered foolish, had been sent as the sacrifice, and it had caused whispers of dissent among the people. The king believed that by choosing himself, he would restore order and reinforce the authority of the throne.
Mona countered sharply, reminding him that it had been Clemat's ancestor, a hundred years ago, who had built the walls, and she called the people ungrateful. All they had to do was give up one person each year to keep the worms from growing angry enough to break through.
Mial, eager to prove herself, offered to take the place of the next sacrifice. Her parents barely glanced at her, dismissing her entirely as they argued over the decision. She had been marked as next in line anyway, destined to take the role within the next five years, after which her mother would join the king in the ritual.
This was the world, cruel and unforgiving.
As Mona wept quietly, Clemat convinced himself that this was the best choice for the survival of his bloodline. With so many men thirsting for his daughter's hand, he saw the sacrifice as a way to secure their legacy and ensure his name would be remembered. In his mind, he would go down as a hero. After all, this was the life of a true king.
Just then, a guard burst into the throne room, dropping to his knees as he quickly explained the situation. Outside, they had spotted Kipo, the very person who had been sent beyond the walls, alive and being carried by a boy who was flying. Even more unbelievable, the guard claimed that Kipo seemed to have control over this boy, who had single-handedly killed a sandworm the size of the wall.
The news shocked everyone. Mona immediately assumed Kipo had come seeking revenge for being left to die. Mial, on the other hand, believed he was here to save the land, though her idea was quickly dismissed by the others. Clemat's face hardened. Without hesitation, he ordered every guard to assemble. The royal family's life was now at serious risk.
Before Clemat could issue another order, voices erupted outside the window, shouting and arguing. Then, with a sudden crash, the glass shattered. Dango appeared, holding Kipo firmly in his arms as they landed gracefully on the ground.
Kipo didn't even have a chance to speak before a guard charged at them, shouting for them to escape.
"Go! I'll buy you time!" he yelled, spear in hand.
But before he could reach them, Dango planted the guard's head into the ground with effortless precision. The attack was so fast and brutal that the royals hadn't even managed to rise from their thrones.
Dango dismissed the guard's attack as rude, barely suppressing a smirk at the thought that such a weak weapon could ever harm him. His gaze then shifted to the royals. The women cowered in fear while Clemat rose from his throne, sweat beading on his forehead, and demanded to know what Kipo wanted.
Kipo, skinny and anxious, quickly clarified that it wasn't about him; it was about Dango. Clemat's confusion deepened, and he was utterly shocked when Dango suddenly knelt before him, leaving everyone, including Kipo, speechless.
Dango spoke carefully, explaining his situation and the reason for his visit: he needed some Nenryō. He addressed Clemat with respect, calling him Your Highness, a habit ingrained from his homeworld, where even kings, no matter how strong, were treated with courtesy as Rita had taught him.
Clemat stumbled slightly in his seat, letting out a relieved gasp. Just Nenryō, that was all? Dango nodded and the king agreed, but only under one condition.
A few days later, Dango was seen outside the walls, Kipo clinging to his back as Dango tore through a herd of sandworms. Kipo groaned, complaining about the blood splattering everywhere.
When they finally stopped for the day, the two sat atop the walls, catching their breath. Dango told Kipo he didn't have to come along, but Kipo refused, preferring to stay out of trouble rather than risk the king being on his back. After all, thanks to Dango's big mouth, he was now promised to marry the princess.
He had been a simple, humble blacksmith, and now he was expected to become king one day. Dango slapped him on the back with a laugh, nearly sending him tumbling over the edge.
"I'd be glad to have such a pretty wife," Dango teased.
Kipo's cheeks flushed, and he sighed, remembering exactly how he had gotten himself into this mess
A few days earlier, Clemat had requested Dango's help in exterminating the sandworms, and Dango had agreed. However, he made one condition: that his friend Kipo be treated with respect afterward. Kipo looked confused, barely able to comprehend that the boy considered him a friend.
The king paused, thinking carefully, and then offered the princess's hand in marriage, if both she and Kipo desired it. Kipo glanced at her, expecting disgust, but instead, the princess blushed, which caused his nose to bleed from shock. Clemat immediately worried he had made a mistake, but Dango simply nodded in agreement, confirming that everything was fine.
As the memory came to a close, Dango felt the roar of the Oozaru, flashes of its rampage flickering through his mind. When his eyes opened, he saw the massive creature below him, swallowing everything whole. The vision jolted him awake.
As he took in his surroundings, he noted that his body was in perfect condition. He pushed himself up from the bed and looked out the window. Namekian children played peacefully outside, their laughter carrying through the air. Then he paused, realizing he was still completely naked.
Stepping outside, Dango froze in shock. Not only was Moori standing before him, but a young Namekian warrior was with him as well. The warrior's gaze locked onto Dango, sizing him up with a careful, calculating intensity.
"Hello there," Moori said calmly, his gaze steady on Dango.
The narrator's voice broke the moment, echoing through the scene. "How will Dango's story progress? Will the Saiyans somehow find him, or will a new threat appear entirely?"
The chapter closes on a desolate planet, its life being drained by a massive, towering tree. Floating above it is a cloaked humanoid, hair just barely visible beneath the hood, clad in Saiyan armor. In one hand, he holds a strange, glowing fruit. Slowly, he pulls back his hood, revealing himself to be Turles, the Crusher Core looming ominously behind him. The silence of the scene speaks volumes, a storm of danger waiting to unfold.
He takes a bite of the fruit, a dark smirk spreading across his face, knowing that soon he will hold the power to rule this entire universe.
Far across the galaxy, on the opposite side of the universe, Lord Slug sat upon his throne aboard his massive ship. In this timeline, he appeared to be in his youth, his presence far more imposing, his power radiating with quiet dominance.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, a smirk forming across his face as his gaze stretched into the vastness of space. His eyes searched endlessly, as if drawn by something calling out to him.
Planet Namek.
To Be Continued.