A few minutes earlier...
Lookout
Summoned by Dende, Piccolo arrived at the Lookout.
"Uncle Piccolo, you're finally here!" Dende greeted him anxiously.
Piccolo nodded slightly and immediately asked, "Old man, are you saying you want me to assimilate with you?"
He cut straight to the chase, addressing the Old Kami within Dende.
The Old Kami's voice echoed in the minds of Mr. Popo, Piccolo, and Dende.
[That's exactly what I mean. Rather than assimilation, think of it as a fusion… we were originally one being.]
[Moreover, I've already assimilated with Dende. The Earth Dragon Balls are currently petrified and unusable, so we can't separate Dende and me.]
[Using the Dragon Balls on Namek is impractical. Trunks' separation technique could work on us, but we can't contact him right now.]
[Therefore, my plan is for you to assimilate Dende directly, and then we'll merge inside his body.]
[After resolving the crisis, we'll separate Dende again. This is the only solution I can think of at the moment.]
Piccolo had already anticipated Old Kami's decision, but he didn't know if Dende would agree. He turned to Dende, seeking his answer.
"What do you say, Dende? Are you willing?" Piccolo asked.
Without hesitation, Dende nodded. "Uncle Piccolo, for Earth's sake, I'm willing."
"But... will this really stop the crisis?"
Dende's question cut to the heart of the matter.
Piccolo and Dende both waited anxiously for Old Kami's reply.
Old Kami's voice echoed again, though this time it trembled slightly.
"To be honest, Piccolo, I don't have much assurance either."
Piccolo's eyes narrowed at these words, this was the answer he least wanted to hear.
But with the situation already dire, he decided to throw caution to the wind.
"Dende, let's assimilate first. We can't afford to hesitate."
With that, Piccolo reached out to place his hand on Dende's shoulder.
Simultaneously, Dende closed his eyes.
Their bodies were enveloped in a brilliant light. When the glow subsided, Dende had vanished from his spot, assimilated into Piccolo.
At the same time, Piccolo's soul merged with Old Kami's.
A complete Super Namekian was born.
Piccolo's face lit up with his former vitality, a clear indication of the immense power he now wielded, a level of strength he had never dared to imagine.
Looking at the newly transformed Piccolo, Mr. Popo's gaze trembled slightly. This form reminded him of Old Kami in his younger days.
"Lord Kami..."
But Piccolo immediately denied it. "I am Piccolo, Mr. Popo."
Mr. Popo fell silent.
Just then, Paragus spoke up from the side. "Um, Lord Piccolo, I have a question I'm not sure I should ask."
Piccolo nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Can this form really defeat that enemy?" Paragus asked.
Piccolo had already recognized the problem himself. While he had indeed grown stronger, his current power remained insufficient. He had fallen too far behind.
As Broly's father, Paragus viewed Piccolo's current progress with indifference. Compared to his son Broly, Piccolo's improvement was utterly insignificant.
"Hmm, merging again has indeed enhanced my power somewhat, but... Old Kami, you owe me an explanation."
Piccolo addressed Old Kami within his mind.
Having already sensed Piccolo's question, Old Kami chuckled softly and replied earnestly, "Piccolo, do you know why I decided to merge with you?"
"Because we are Super Namekians, possessing unparalleled potential. But... that potential can only be fully realized by reuniting into one being."
"Now, I have a way to fully awaken our latent potential."
"We need to have Dende upgrade the Dragon Balls again and use them to wish for a Potential Unlock."
Piccolo was stunned by Old Kami's words. "If what you say is true, I'm willing to try it. However, there's a serious problem we need to address first."
"Aren't the Dragon Balls in a petrified state?" Piccolo asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Old Kami closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, answering Piccolo, "Actually, there's more than one set of Dragon Balls."
"Mr. Popo, please take us to my former resting quarters."
At Old Kami's words, Mr. Popo paused briefly, as if already understanding his master's intention.
"Yes, Lord Kami."
Mr. Popo swiftly led Piccolo to the bedroom where Old Kami had once rested.
After some rummaging through drawers and cabinets, seven Dragon Balls with black cores came into view.
"What are these?" Piccolo asked.
Mr. Popo gathered the seven black-cored Dragon Balls in his arms and began walking outside, explaining, "These were the Dragon Balls Kami created before splitting from King Piccolo. They were the first set of Dragon Balls on Earth, flawed versions, incomplete."
"After using these Dragon Balls, they will scatter across the universe. Moreover, if they aren't gathered back within a year, the planet where they were used will explode."
"Now that Lord Piccolo and Old Kami have merged back into one being, these Dragon Balls are usable again. Before, they were just inert stones."
"I suppose Old Kami had no other choice but to use these Dragon Balls?" Mr. Popo asked.
Old Kami immediately replied, "You're right, Mr. Popo. But now, I believe Dende's ability can compensate for these Dragon Balls' flaws."
"Come, Piccolo, place your hand on the Dragon Ball and use Dende's ability to upgrade it. This will eliminate the Dragon Ball's side effects."
Hearing this, Piccolo followed Old Kami's instructions precisely.
He slowly closed his eyes, and Dende's ethereal silhouette appeared behind him.
At that moment, Dende and Old Kami simultaneously exerted their power.
A mysterious light shone upon the black-hearted Dragon Ball. The miraculous light flared, completing the Dragon Ball's upgrade.
"Now, make your wish, Lord Piccolo," Mr. Popo urged.
Piccolo nodded, carrying the black-hearted Dragon Ball to an open area.
"Arise, Shenron!"
Light erupted in all directions, and a crimson dragon materialized above the Lookout.
Unlike the previous green Shenron, this one was colossal, with blood-red eyes and a malevolent aura.
When the crimson Shenron saw Piccolo, it showed no reverence, instead arrogantly declaring, "State your wish."
Piccolo made his wish: "Unlock my hidden potential!"
The crimson dragon's eyes glowed. "Your wish has been granted."
(End Of This Chapter)
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