Bulma finished checking the atmospheric composition and oxygen concentration, then changed into her work suit and stepped out of the spaceship.
The moment she landed, she completely lost her temper.
"You two really let my words go in one ear and out the other!
"This is an unknown planet on Namek! How could you just run outside so recklessly? Don't you use your brains? Idiots!"
Krillin and Gohan, who were still surveying the environment, froze awkwardly under Bulma's scolding.
They didn't dare talk back.
Bulma's temper was notorious, and if they pushed her any further, neither of them would get a good look later.
"A-Aunt Bulma, please don't be angry…"
"Right, right—everything's fine, isn't it?"
As they tried to calm her down, Bulma rolled her eyes and ignored them.
She pulled out the Dragon Radar from her waist pouch.
"Let's hurry and find the Dragon Balls. Once we make the wish, we can go straight back."
She muttered this to comfort herself.
The radar lit up, and within seconds, a Dragon Ball signal appeared.
This surprised Bulma—she didn't expect a reading so fast. Krillin and Gohan immediately leaned in, their excitement rising.
It was real. Namek had Dragon Balls.
But before the joy could settle, Gohan stiffened. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Krillin… did you sense that? Over there—in that direction—there are a lot of powerful energies."
"Where? Let me check…" Krillin's smile faded as he focused, sensing carefully.
His face turned pale.
"There really are a lot of strong energies… and these energies feel kinda…"
"Oh, stop worrying!" Bulma huffed. "This is Namek! Kami and Piccolo are super strong too. Isn't it normal for Namekians to be strong? And didn't King Kai say the current Namekians are all honest and law-abiding?"
"That's true," Gohan said softly, "but those energies feel… evil."
Krillin nodded. "Yeah. They're nothing like Piccolo's energy. A few of them feel so evil it's hard to imagine."
Bulma instantly shrank her neck.
"W-wait… you mean someone other than us is on Namek? D-Don't tell me the Saiyans came here before we did?"
Krillin swallowed hard. His legs felt weak.
"What do we do? Maybe we should go back to Earth first. Then return after Goku recovers…"
Coming to Namek had already been a huge step for him. If he died here, it'd be dying in a foreign world.
"I agree! Let's leave before they find us! If they make their wish and kill the Dragon like King Piccolo did—oh no, oh no…"
Her panic made Krillin and Gohan even more indecisive.
After some frantic discussion, they decided to contact Earth first before doing anything else.
But they had no idea their unrestrained energies had already been detected by Frieza's scouting soldiers… and by Vegeta, who sensed everything from afar.
Meanwhile — about 1,000 kilometers northwest
Vegeta had sensed everything and quickly grasped Namek's situation.
He could feel Frieza, Zarbon, and Dodoria. He also sensed the Grand Elder and Nail.
Most importantly, he sensed Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan.
Bulma's energy was unfamiliar, but Krillin and Gohan's were unmistakable.
"Hmph. Arriving at the right time, as expected. I really look forward to seeing their faces again."
A smirk formed as Vegeta rose into the air.
In the next instant, he exploded with speed—closing a thousand kilometers in moments.
And that wasn't even one-fifth of his full speed.
Vegeta knew Frieza must have realized he was on Namek by now, but they still weren't approaching him. Clearly, Frieza didn't give a damn.
Or perhaps they simply couldn't pinpoint him because he was hiding his energy.
But the moment Frieza tried to approach, Vegeta could erase his presence instantly, leaving them blind.
From fifteen thousand kilometers away, even if Frieza flew at top speed, Vegeta would have plenty of time to react.
Unless Frieza tried blowing up Namek itself, they had zero chance of killing him.
With a perfect hiding technique, Vegeta had no reason to stay cautious.
Back with Krillin and Gohan
The moment Vegeta's energy appeared, Krillin and Gohan froze in terror.
They had already guessed a Saiyan might be here. Now that Vegeta's energy was unmistakable…
"What do we do—what do we do?! Vegeta is really here! And he's coming straight toward us!" Krillin panicked.
Gohan hurriedly lowered his energy.
"Quick—suppress your power, Krillin!"
"No—it's too late!" Krillin's face turned gray. Looking up at the sky, he could already make out Vegeta's fast-approaching figure.
In the blink of an eye, Vegeta arrived. He canceled his power-up and descended naturally before them.
Krillin and Gohan held their breath, forcing themselves to stay calm.
Vegeta looked at them with amusement, then glanced toward the spaceship.
He couldn't see the inside, but he knew Bulma was watching him.
"Damn it! After injuries that bad, you recovered perfectly… and reached Namek before us," Krillin finally said, breaking the suffocating tension.
If he stayed quiet any longer, Vegeta's pressure alone would crush him mentally.