As the group reappeared, they found themselves on the lush, green fields of Planet Namek.
Kibito Kai spoke weakly, his face pale. "This method won't hold him for much longer. I can feel the sealing power of the Z Sword weakening by the second..."
"Understood. Then let's hurry and gather the Dragon Balls to bring Dad back," Gohan said, his resolve firm.
After explaining their situation to the Grand Elder Guru, the Namekians were more than happy to help. After all, these warriors were their saviors.
In record time, the seven Namekian Dragon Balls were gathered.
The Dragon Balls pulsed with a brilliant orange light, and a massive beam of energy shot into the sky. The entirety of Planet Namek was plunged into darkness as a colossal green figure materialized above them.
"Speak your wishes. I shall grant any three of them."
Porunga made his entrance with a voice full of grandeur, his presence dominating the horizon.
"Please, revive Son Goku!" Gohan shouted.
Porunga remained silent for a long moment. Finally, he spoke, "Son Goku is not dead. I cannot revive someone who is still living."
"Then please, bring him here!"
Porunga paused again. I suspect you are just trying to make things difficult for me.
"Son Goku is not currently in this world," the dragon replied. "I cannot bring him across dimensions."
Gohan and the others were stunned. Not in this world? What does that even mean? Where could he be?
Gohan forced himself to remain calm. "Then... is there any way to bring Son Goku back?"
"There is," Porunga answered without hesitation this time. "It requires the combined power of seven Saiyans to summon Son Goku!"
Gohan went silent. Seven Saiyans? Are you kidding me? You think this is a game of 'Summon the Dragon'?
Porunga's expression seemed to say: Exactly. You hit the nail on the head, buddy.
Vegeta began counting the Saiyans on Earth: himself, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Bulla, and Pan. That was only six. Where were they supposed to find a seventh?
"But we only have six..."
The group fell into a somber silence. Finally, Gohan looked at Vegeta. "Should we... revive someone?"
"Revive who? Those other Saiyans likely reincarnated ages ago."
Gohan turned back to Porunga. "Shenron, are there any Saiyans left in Hell?"
"Yes," Porunga replied. "There is one named Broly. Do you wish for me to revive him?"
The suggestion caused both Vegeta and Gohan to freeze. Broly? Revive him for what? To make things worse? They'd likely have the Earth destroyed by Broly before they even had a chance to deal with Xicor.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind them. "My, it looks like you're all in quite a pickle."
"Kakarot?!"
"Mr. Goku?"
"Dad?"
"Wait... no!" Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "You aren't Kakarot. Who are you?"
Though the man looked identical to Kakarot, his aura and demeanor were worlds apart.
"I see. In this timeline, you haven't met me yet..."
At that moment, Porunga noticed Turles. The massive dragon's eyes widened, and he suddenly lowered his head in a submissive, almost groveling gesture.
"I... I humbly apologize! Most esteemed Lord God of Destruction of Time, welcome to Planet Namek. It was insolent of me to speak to you from such a height..."
The newcomer was indeed Turles. Seeing the dragon's reaction, Vegeta and the others felt their brows furrow even deeper.
"God of Destruction of Time? Who exactly is this guy?"
Turles casually waved a hand at Porunga. "Alright, your work here is done. You can go."
"Understood!" Porunga sounded immensely relieved. He vanished instantly, and the Dragon Balls turned to stone, scattering across the planet.
Gohan and the others were dumbstruck. Wait... our wishes! You didn't even grant the wishes before you left!
"Don't worry about it," Turles said, sensing their panic. "Son Goku? I can help you bring him back. After all, I'm a Saiyan too!"
Vegeta glared at him. "Who are you really? And what is your objective?"
Turles chuckled. "The dragon already told you—I'm a God of Destruction of Time. But I'm also a Saiyan from another dimension. My name is Turles."
"As for my objective? I want to see how strong the Son Goku of this timeline actually is. Is that reason enough?"
Turles was genuinely curious about Super Saiyan 5. He had no idea how the transformation worked, and he wanted to see it with his own eyes. Plus, he could pick up some massive stat points while he was at it. SSJ5 looks cool, doesn't it? Well, it's about to be mine.
Vegeta let out a cold snort. "Hmph. I don't care what kind of god you are. if you threaten the Earth, I won't hesitate to take you down!"
"Uncle Vegeta, let's not be so hostile," Gohan said, stepping in to de-escalate. He grabbed Vegeta's arm. "I don't sense any malice from this man. I think we can trust him for now."
"Hmph. He'd better stay that way," Vegeta grunted, turning his head away with a huff.
They returned to Earth and gathered Bulla and Pan. The seven Saiyans—Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Bulla, Pan, and Turles—joined hands in a circle. They began to flare their Saiyan ki to its absolute limit, attempting to summon Son Goku.
Lila, the Western Supreme Kai, had already been captured and neutralized. Since Gohan wasn't sure of her exact relationship with his father, he had opted to simply restrain her for the time being.
Hum—!
As the seven auras began to resonate, a pillar of white light shot into the heavens, piercing through the dimensions.
A moment later, a powerful presence appeared in the air.
The man wore a dark green gi and had the signature "crab-head" hairstyle. The sight of that familiar face brought tears of joy to the eyes of Gohan, Goten, and Pan.
It was indeed the Son Goku of this world!
"Hey everyone! Long time no see!"
Goku gave a characteristic, friendly wave.
"Dad!"
"Uncle Goku!"
"Grandpa!"
"Kakarot!"
They all looked at him with profound emotion. It had been years since they had last seen him.
"Hahaha! I already know what's been happening," Goku said. He turned his gaze to Turles. "So, your name is Turles? Maybe we can spar later. But right now, I've got to handle that Xicor fellow!"
Goku's gaze shifted to the vibrating Z Sword.
Truth be told, he was curious about this person claiming to be his son. He certainly didn't remember having a third child, especially one this powerful. If he hadn't mastered the transformation of Super Saiyan 5, he wasn't even sure if he could beat the guy.
The Z Sword began to emit a sharp, mournful cry. It seemed Xicor had sensed Goku's presence, and his fury was fueling a massive surge of power that slammed against the seal.
"Oh no!" Kibito Kai cried out in terror. "The Z Sword's divine power is vanishing! The seal is about to break!!"
Just as he spoke, a hairline fracture appeared on the blade. Crack... crack...
The cracks spread instantly across the steel until, with a deafening BOOM, the sword shattered into a million fragments!