"'Look closer, I'm sure you'll figure it out' my ass! Damn that Tarble, sitting there with that annoying smirk on his face as if he's already got all the answers when he hasn't even gotten his feet wet! We've searched the entire damn lake a hundred times over, and he's got the gall…!" Tater ranted as the triplets flew through the air back to the Namekian village.
"To be fair, though, he usually does have all the answers, you know." Tommy interjected.
"..." Tater didn't respond immediately. He knew full well that, without Tarble's brain, they'd all have died on that target world like their parents had planned. But still, "I got swallowed by five different fish, and that bastard has the gall to laugh, like he already found the damn treasure."
The other two shared the same sentiment. Though they were forced to admit that they had a lot to learn from these Namekians, searching the lake for that stupid treasure was beginning to get more and more irritating every day, and the novelty of the Namekian lifestyle was beginning to wear off.
Especially for Tater. Apparently, Namekian fish just loved Tater tots, because he'd get swallowed every single time he let his guard down.
"At least we're definitely getting stronger." Lynn noted, looking on the bright side.
Tater simply clicked his tongue in reply. His sister wasn't wrong. Since they'd begun searching the lake, the siblings had been living in the Namekian village, away from Tarble, Pepper, and the Celatus camp. Since they were already there, the Namekians hadn't been shy in sharing their culture with the triplets, even sparring with and training the trio whenever they saw the siblings training on their own every morning.
At first, each of the village's warriors had been able to defeat the trio three-on-one with ease. They'd had pointers for each of the Saiyan triplets.
They'd told Tater that he was strong, but slow.
Lynn was the opposite, agile, but lacking in raw power compared to Tater.
And they'd told Tommy that he was more versatile than his siblings, but slightly lacking overall, something that he'd already known, since his power level was the lowest of the Saiyan team.
With the Namekians' help, each of the three had begun making their own way in the world of Martial Arts, now capable of beating any single one of the village's warriors if they worked together, though a single glance toward where Tarble's energy was regularly spiking as he attempted to control his Ikari transformation made their efforts seem worthless in comparison to their leader's raw power.
"...Treasure…" Tommy muttered to himself, so quietly that Lynn barely heard him, despite flying right beside him.
"What's that, Tom?" She wondered.
"I'm just thinking… What if Tarble did figure something out?"
"He never even touched the water, Tommy." Tater reminded his brother, "Tarble just likes to pretend that he knows everything."
"But what if there's no treasure in the lake…?" Lynn thought aloud. Even she didn't completely understand where she was going with the suggestion, but it just felt right. But Tommy let out a gasp, like he'd been suddenly struck by lightning.
"Aha! That's it!"
"Are you saying that you think that they lied to us about the treasure in the lake?" Tater narrowed his eyes, but Tommy shook his head.
"It's a Namekian treasure, Tater! I've got it! C'mon, let's hurry up!"
…
About two hours later, Tommy placed the Dragon Ball onto the table in front of me back at the Celatus spaceship with a satisfied expression on his face.
"It was life! The beauty of life!That was the treasure!" Tommy laughed as he explained it. Just as I'd figured.
"Congratulations, Tommy. I knew you guys would figure it out eventually." I replied with a smile. "Namekians don't value material possessions. Even the Dragon Balls, to them, are only valuable for their history and what they represent." I rolled the ball around on the table. It was about as big as a bowling ball, and as heavy, too, "I think it's time to collect the rest, guys."
"If they make me jump into another lake…-" Tater muttered, but I ignored him.
"There are seven Dragon Balls in total. We're not going to be allowed to meet the Grand Elder until we collect six of them."
"Wait, I don't remember them actually saying that…?" Pepper cocked her head in confusion.
"I want to collect six of them." I reconsidered my statement before continuing, "That means that there are five more villages out there. Let's each pass one test."
"It took three of you a whole month, working together, to pass the last test, Tarble. Are you sure that you want to pass those tests alone? It may be more beneficial for you to work together and pass the tests one-by-one." Doctor Hyperion weighed in his own opinion, but Lynn replied in my stead.
"That was because we weren't thinking of it right. We can do this." She said. The rest of us nodded along with her, as I continued.
"We each get one test. Then, we meet at the Grand Elder's tower. Alright?" I asked.
"Screw-"
"Are you scared that you won't be able to pass the test, Tater?" I challenged with a raised eyebrow.
"You, Tarble. Screw you. Bet I'll pass my test before you pass yours."
"It's a bet. Tomorrow, I'll be waiting for the rest of you guys at the Grand Elder's lair." I smirked, bumping fists with Tater, then Tommy, Lynn, and finally Pepper, before we all left the Celatian ship, blasting off in different directions.