Meanwhile…
On the distant cliff, Ragar, who was standing guard outside the Grand Elder’s house, had already noticed Talot’s movements.
He, too, had benefited greatly from the previous battle. With his talent and insights, his strength would soon break through to a new level.
“Ragar, what do you think of those two children?” The Grand Elder’s voice sounded from beside him.
Ragar was startled but he immediately replied respectfully, “With all due respect, Grand Elder-sama, I’m not sure about Salari’s talent, but Talot’s talent is definitely far beyond mine. Given time, he’ll surpass me without question.”
The Grand Elder nodded slightly, then smiled. “Don’t look down upon yourself. After all, you are the only combat-type Namekian I created. If you apply yourself, your power could increase significantly; you might not be any less than them.
“Our clan will face many crises in the future. You must become stronger, and we’ll also need the help of outsiders…”
As the Grand Elder spoke, Ragar listened seriously and in the end, he received an order from the Grand Elder: to maintain a good relationship with Talot and Salari.
Moreover, he was permitted to regularly spar with them and to explore Planet Namek’s landscapes with them instead of constantly standing guard by his side.
“I understand, Grand Elder-sama. But… are they truly going to be the saviors of our race?” Ragar found it hard to believe, but he dared not question it, muttering under his breath.
In his view, Talot and Salari were probably only friendly because of their interest in the Dragon Balls. After all, they needed something from the Namekians.
The Grand Elder didn’t answer, giving him a look that seemed to say, “You’ll understand one day.”
…
In the blink of an eye, several days passed.
Talot was on an empty island, training his Ki. The complete Ki training technique granted by Porunga had filled in all the gaps in his previous understanding of Ki.
Now, having corrected his mistakes, he suddenly realized that he can actually be stronger than before. He had been suppressing his own power, exerting unnecessary control, which prevented his aura from being fully released and made it impossible for him to reach his maximum potential.
“The sound of the wind…
“The sound of the water…
“The sound of insects…
“….So this is true mastery of Ki control—precise down to the smallest detail! Not only has my perception sharpened, but the world I can sense has also become clearer!”
“The way I used to perceive and control Ki was just a crude manipulation.”
Sighing from time to time, Talot continued to gain new insights over the past few days.
The aura and body should be completely merged, so every move, even bodily instincts, could be perfectly adjusted.
When still, his Ki was as calm as a tranquil pond, reflecting everything around him.
When in motion, it wouldn’t cause turbulent ripples but could expand in an instant to cover everything around!
“Congratulations! You’ve broken through to a new level,” a voice suddenly sounded from behind Talot.
Talot had already sensed someone approaching, so he stood up and smiled. “Just a small progress, nothing that impressive. But it’s you whose aura has grown even stronger since our last fight—you’ve broken through as well.”
The visitor was Ragar.
“How about another spar? No brute strength this time, just technique and combat skills. Let me see how much you’ve learned,” Ragar offered.
“With you as an opponent, I wouldn’t miss it,” Talot nodded with a grin.
Despite the apparent age difference, Ragar spoke to Talot as someone of the same generation.
Strength represents everything, and Talot indeed gave Ragar a sense of maturity beyond his years.
The two exchanged smiles.
Unlike their first fight, which had been a test of strength, an all-out fight, this time it was a spar of technique and Ki usage, without the explosive spectacle of their previous battle.
In short, this kind of fight was meaningful for both Talot and Ragar.
On the other side…
Inside the spaceship…
As Talot and Ragar’s sparring created a powerful clash of auras, Salari, who was busy honing her own strength, was startled. She quickly turned off the Gravity Device and rushed out of the spaceship, hurrying to the scene.
By the time she arrived, she only caught the final part of Talot and Ragar’s fight.
The battle was drawing to a close, with the fight ending in a draw.
Though it appeared that neither had won, they each had an edge in their own areas of expertise. In reality, this wasn’t a fight with a winner or loser—they were both using the other to verify their progress.
“Brother Talot, why are you two fighting again?” Salari asked, her voice full of concern.
Ragar smiled without saying anything. Over these days, he’d figured out that Salari and Talot weren’t actually siblings.
Although Namekians didn’t have gender, Saiyans were different.
“It was just a spar, nothing serious. By the way, you came at the right time, Ragar plans to take us to see other places on Namek…”
Hearing this, Salari perked up with interest.
Since their arrival on Planet Namek from Earth, it had been somewhat dull for her. Despite so many things they’d gone through, she found it rather boring.
Now, getting a chance to see the other places of Namek would at least relieve that boredom.
…
And so, time flew by.
Half a year in Earth time—a full year on Namek—passed quietly.
As they integrated into life on Namek, Talot and Salari came to understand Namekian customs and way of life on a deeper level.
To Talot and Salari, the Namekians were astonishing.
They possessed powerful abilities but chose not to use them. Instead, they relied on their own hands to restore the planet’s ecological environment.
At first, Talot couldn’t understand why the Namekians were so stubbornly devoted to this approach.
But after witnessing the Namekians’ tireless efforts, day and night, to create a brighter future without complaint, Talot realized: these were survivors who had lived through destruction, and they had come to cherish everything deeply.
All Namekians had inherited the Grand Elder’s will, hoping that, one day, Planet Namek would be restored to its former glory.
Though this wasn’t fulfilled in the original story, such determination was admirable.
In a way, it was Frieza who ultimately freed the Namekians from their fate. Later on, when the Eternal Dragon was revived and transferred them to a new Planet Namek, it changed everything.
In some sense, the Grand Elder’s passing marked a new era for the Namekians, allowing them to finally let go of the past.
Speaking of which…
In these six months, both Talot and Salari had experienced tremendous growth in strength.
Talot’s current power level had reached 64,000.
Salari’s current power level stood at 18,000—the same as Vegeta’s power level during his invasion of Earth in the original work.
It’s important to note that both Talot and Salari were only seven years old at this point.
While the increase in their power level is impressive, it’s the overall improvement in their combat ability that truly matters.
They have been training using the gravity training device, the Ki training method provided by Porunga, and sparring matches with Namekians.
Of course, part of their rapid growth was due to these factors, but another significant factor was Ragar himself.
As the only combat-type Namekian on Namek, Ragar had been training crazily to increase his strength ever since his first battle with Talot.
Over these days, Ragar would frequently spar with Talot, sharing battle experience and training insights. Talot, in turn, shared his own insights and allowed Ragar to train in the Gravity Chamber as well.
This mutual exchange allowed both to grow together.
Just a minute earlier, Ragar and Talot had finished their twenty-fifth sparring match.
Once again, they stopped before reaching the end. This time, however, Ragar deeply understood the terrifying extent of Talot’s talent.
He was the most gifted warrior among the Namekians. A year ago, his power level had been 55,000, and now it was close to 69,000 points. Yet, despite having a 5,000-point advantage, he could no longer defeat Talot.
From this spar, Ragar could tell that Talot had held back—he hadn’t gone all out.
“You’re really getting better and better; I’m no match for you now.,” Ragar sighed.
“You’re as modest as ever—you weren’t going all out either,” Talot didn’t take it seriously.
The two stood side by side, sharing their reflections.
“We’ve been on Namek for quite a while, and the Dragon Balls are usable again. It might be time to make our wish and leave,” Talot said.
They had stayed so long for the Dragon Balls, and all the Namekians, Ragar included, were aware of that, so it didn’t come as a surprise.
“Time flies, doesn’t it…” Ragar sighed.
Unknowingly, time had flown by. So much had happened, yet looking back, it all felt like yesterday.
Ragar and Talot exchanged glances. In this time together, they had come to understand each other deeply, forging a bond of friendship.
But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
Talot wasn’t a Namekian and wouldn’t stay on Planet Namek. Even though they will still remain for a short while after making the wish, they would eventually have to leave.
Ragar had known this all along.
And so, this twenty-fifth sparring match was, in a way, their final duel before parting ways.