"What? The strongest Saiyan has a battle power exceeding eighteen thousand?"
At Capsule Corporation, Bulma stared in disbelief the moment she heard the report.
At first, when Piccolo's power level had broken past seven thousand, she believed the crisis was already easing. She even wondered whether the danger might shift from the Saiyans to Piccolo himself.
But who could have imagined that the strongest Saiyan would reach such an overwhelming level?
A battle power of eighteen thousand. What did that even mean?
It was more than ten thousand higher than Piccolo's current strength.
Could such a vast gap really be closed in just a few months?
Seeing the unease on Bulma's face, Gohan smiled calmly. "You don't need to worry too much. There's still time before they arrive. Uncle Piccolo and I can continue getting stronger, and my dad is training with King Kai. He probably won't be weaker than them."
Gohan's reassurance helped Bulma steady herself. She still chose to believe in the bond between father and son.
Her gaze then shifted to Raditz, who lay sprawled on the ground like a pile of mud. "So, what are you planning to do with this Saiyan?"
"To be honest, he's no longer a threat to us," Gohan replied. "On the contrary, he can serve as a sparring partner."
"A sparring partner? Aren't you worried he'll rebel?" Bulma asked, still uneasy.
Gohan looked completely confident. "Don't worry. With Uncle Piccolo here, nothing will go wrong."
Piccolo remained silent, his expression calm and unreadable.
Seeing the two of them like this, Bulma sighed. "I really can't stop you. Whatever happens, I'm not taking responsibility."
"Don't worry," Gohan said with a smile as he glanced at Raditz.
His uncle had once been subdued by Vegeta and Nappa and had never truly been strong. With both Piccolo and himself present, keeping Raditz in line would not be difficult.
As for betrayal, once Vegeta was defeated, Raditz would understand the meaning of knowing when to submit.
"Then our training should continue, Gohan," Piccolo said.
Though he did not mention the terrifying number of eighteen thousand, it clearly weighed on his mind. He had no intention of losing to the Saiyans who were about to arrive.
"Yes, Uncle Piccolo," Gohan replied, taking a deep breath as he prepared to focus fully on training.
There was still much to be done. Not only the upcoming Saiyan invasion, but also another confrontation that awaited him.
Beyond that, who knew how many threats still lurked in the universe?
Living peacefully in this world had never been easy.
...
Reviving Raditz soon proved to be nothing more than a brief interlude. Earth returned to its calm, while the Z Fighters trained relentlessly in places unknown to the public.
Months passed in the blink of an eye.
Gohan and Piccolo never stopped training, gradually increasing the gravity in the chamber from thirty times to fifty times Earth's gravity.
Under such extreme conditions, both of their strengths rose dramatically.
Raditz, forced into the role of sparring partner and living punching bag, also improved accordingly.
Of course, this was not due to diligence on his part, but rather the terrifying innate trait of the Saiyan race.
Each time he was pushed to the brink, his power surged. His battle power now exceeded five thousand.
Still, after being defeated countless times by Gohan and Piccolo, Raditz had become obedient, at least on the surface.
Inside the gravity chamber.
Gohan had fully adapted to fifty times gravity. His potential had been further awakened, and his strength had reached a level that even frightened himself.
Because of this, he began practicing meditation.
He adjusted his state of mind, preparing himself for what lay ahead.
In this calm state, he could feel the pulse of the Earth itself. The vitality of all living things flowed clearly through his awareness.
It was a sensation so beautiful it defied words.
And yet, at this moment, Gohan could grasp it.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
Two powerful energies appeared, racing toward Earth at incredible speed.
"They're here," Gohan murmured.
He could clearly sense their strength. They belonged to Vegeta and Nappa.
The decisive battle was finally approaching.
[Survival time has reached one year. Congratulations, you have obtained an additional challenge opportunity.]
Hearing the familiar but rarely heard voice, Gohan's focus shifted slightly as he began to inquire about the matching process.
After confirming that the matched battle space existed independently of reality, and that no amount of time spent there would affect even a single moment outside, he made his decision without hesitation.
"Begin matching."
At his command, the dormant system finally activated after a year of silence.
A faint purple light enveloped Gohan's body.
[Recording warrior data...]
[Matching you with an evenly balanced opponent...]
[Please wait...]
[Real-time data recorded. Please monitor your condition closely.]
[Opponent successfully matched. Attempting world connection. Integrating into the space-time sequence...]
In the next instant, Gohan's vision expanded dramatically.
Countless layers of time and space overlapped before his eyes, forming a scene impossible to describe with language.
Purple crystals floated within the void, each containing an entire space-time universe. Even gods would struggle to explain such an existence.
When Gohan focused on one crystal, his own data appeared upon it.
Name: Gohan
Age: Five
Battle Power: 37,000
Combat Style: Demonic Energy
Transformation: None
Seeing his own statistics, Gohan's expression remained calm.
He already had a rough understanding of his strength.
Although training under fifty times gravity had not caused explosive growth, due to his steady approach and refusal to harm himself for shortcuts, this level was more than sufficient for what lay ahead.
Opponent: Turles
Profile: The space warrior Turles, aided by an unknown benefactor, sent his shattered soul back into the past. He later brought the seed of the Tree of Might to Earth. The tree absorbs all energy from the planet it takes root on, growing endlessly until the planet is destroyed...
"Turles?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Gohan's eyes.
He remembered this character clearly. A figure from the movies, one who looked exactly like his father.
In truth, Turles' own strength was unremarkable, relying entirely on the fruit of the Tree of Might.
But what did it mean for a shattered soul to return to the past?
In this parallel world, was Turles also just a minor figure, perhaps even reborn?