North Kai, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu—and even Bubbles and Gregory—all believed that if Goku went to Namek, he would almost certainly die.
They hoped Goku would understand their good intentions, but at the same time, they knew his personality far too well.
Things had already reached this point. They were only three days away from Namek. Retreating now was never something Son Goku would do.
"Even though I know my strength is far inferior to Vegeta's, I still want to go to Namek this time," Goku said calmly.
His answer was exactly what everyone had expected.
There was nothing more they could say. Persuasion was meaningless now.
However, Piccolo—of all people—felt a trace of admiration rise within him.
Piccolo and Goku had once been bitter enemies.
Over the past year, after the Saiyan invasion of Earth, even though they hadn't met or spoken directly, Piccolo had indirectly acknowledged Goku through Gohan's growth and changes.
Likewise, Goku had acknowledged Piccolo as well.
When a greater enemy appears, former enemies naturally begin to stand on the same side.
"Son Goku," Piccolo transmitted, his voice firm, "you haven't disappointed me, and you haven't made me look down on you.
Very good. Don't be afraid. No matter how strong Vegeta is, remember this—you defeated him once before."
Piccolo paused briefly, then continued.
"If Vegeta can become a Super Saiyan, then there's no reason you can't do the same."
Those words resonated deeply.
Because of them, North Kai, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu all looked at Piccolo differently.
They never expected the former Demon King Piccolo to speak like this.
But it wasn't a bad thing.
They had already fought side by side. Piccolo had long since become one of them.
"Thanks, Piccolo," Goku replied with a smile.
"I know I'm definitely not Vegeta's opponent right now, but I still have to go. As a martial artist… as a warrior… my heart won't allow me to retreat."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"And like you said—maybe I can become a Super Saiyan too."
At this stage, Son Goku was truly mature.
Unlike much later, he wasn't reckless to the point of gambling everything just for a fight.
Even if he pursued strength and battle for his own sake, he would never drag others into danger or risk everything blindly.
His goal was clear.
No retreat.
Goku knew that if he turned back out of fear now, he would never move forward again.
"You really live up to your name, Goku!" Yamcha said excitedly, fired up by Goku's resolve.
"I believe you can do it! Surpass Vegeta again! We won't fall behind here either. Once we're revived, I'll challenge you again!"
Tien Shinhan nodded seriously. "You always stay ahead of me—but this time, I won't fall behind. When we meet again, I'll definitely surprise you."
"Me too," Chiaotzu said quietly, nodding.
Everyone's morale rose.
Even North Kai felt stirred, realizing that he needed to train these people properly and seriously.
"Since you've made your decision, then stick to it," North Kai said. "At worst, you'll just die one more time. After that, you can come straight to me."
He cracked a small joke to ease the tension.
The communication cut off.
Inside the spaceship, Goku took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and walked decisively toward the gravity training device.
"I'm almost used to sixty-five times gravity already," he muttered. "Next… let's go straight to one hundred times."
He adjusted the gravity multiplier.
From sixty-five times to one hundred times—this was no small jump.
If not for the rapid improvement he had made over the past three days, and the constant gravity training, his body would have collapsed instantly.
"As expected… one hundred times Earth gravity…" Goku gritted his teeth. "This really is… tough…"
In the dark red gravity chamber, Goku began throwing punches and kicks.
Every movement felt like a mountain pressing down on his body.
His motions were slow and heavy, as if pushing any harder would cause his body to shatter.
Exhaustion flooded him.
But Goku endured.
He had to become stronger.
Before reaching Namek, he not only had to fully adapt to one hundred times gravity—he needed a breakthrough.
Otherwise, how could he ever face Vegeta?
…
Elsewhere in the universe.
A massive spaceship, similar in style to Frieza's, was traveling toward Namek.
Its owner was King Cold.
He had also received news of the Dragon Balls.
Although he wasn't as fast as his son Frieza, he still wanted a share of anything capable of granting wishes.
For years, a single sentence from the God of Destruction Beerus had forced him—the former Emperor of the Universe—into the shadows, living a dull and restrained life.
Now that something as miraculous as the Dragon Balls had appeared, he had no intention of missing this opportunity.
"How much longer until we reach Namek?" King Cold asked, seated upon his massive throne.
Beside him stood a trusted subordinate with a combat power of 300,000.
This alone showed that even after retreating from the forefront, King Cold's forces remained formidable.
His foundation, built over countless years, far surpassed Frieza's relatively short reign.
"Reporting, Your Majesty," the subordinate replied, "at our current speed, it will take approximately five more days."
"Five days…" King Cold frowned. "Then Frieza will likely have already gathered the Dragon Balls and made his wish."
He paused, recalling something.
"Two days ago, I heard that all scouters on Namek were destroyed, forcing Frieza to urgently summon the Ginyu Force. How long until they arrive?"
"Approximately three days," the subordinate answered without hesitation.
"Three days…" King Cold sighed, his expression growing heavier. "That means we'll arrive two days after the Ginyu Force."
He was too slow—and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Still," the subordinate added cautiously, "Frieza may not find the remaining Dragon Balls that quickly. The Namekians have likely gone into hiding after learning about scouters,
and Earthlings have also arrived on Namek. Intelligence suggests those Earthlings can suppress their ki to avoid detection."
"I hope so," King Cold said slowly.
"I don't want my son to make his wish alone and then destroy the Dragon Balls."
"…Because with Frieza's personality," he added coldly, "he is absolutely capable of doing exactly that."
...
📢 Author's Note
The full completed version of Dragon Ball: Call Me Super Vegeta (Part 1) is now available on Patreon!
✅ Part 1 Complete — 140+ Chapters
Follow Vegeta's incredible journey as he surpasses his limits, challenges powerful enemies, and rises to become an even greater Saiyan warrior.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your continued support and happy reading! 💙