The vast starry sky appeared beyond the porthole, dotted with countless stars.
Son Goku and the others were tossed around inside the spaceship.
Krillin bounced out of his seat, hit the ceiling, then fell back down with an "Oof!"
Son Gohan clung tightly to the armrests, swaying back and forth as the water bottle at his waist clinked.
Piccolo braced one hand against the wall and steadied Son Gohan with the other, his brows furrowed.
Son Goku planted his feet apart to keep his balance, but still bumped his head against the ceiling.
"Soro!" Krillin exclaimed, clutching his head. "We weren't ready yet! You could've at least let us buckle our seat belts!"
"You can move around freely now." Soro glanced back with a smile and pressed a few buttons on the control panel. "Once we're out of the atmosphere, the ship will be stable."
"Huh?" Krillin rubbed his eyes and looked out the porthole. "We're out of the atmosphere already?"
The starfield beyond the window was still, and the ship had stopped shaking. It was as steady as if they were on the ground.
"I want to see Earth!" Son Gohan hurried over to the window, gripped the sill with both hands, and pressed his face against the glass.
Outside, Earth had become a blue sphere wrapped in white clouds, turning quietly against the blackness of space.
"By the way, Soro." Son Goku followed him to the window for a look, then stretched his arms and legs and rolled his shoulders, his face full of anticipation. "Where's the gravity training equipment Bulma mentioned?"
"Downstairs." Soro smiled and headed for the lower level. "Come with me."
Their footsteps rang out crisply on the metal staircase.
This was the same spaceship Nappa had used to come to Earth.
After Bulma and Dr. Briefs remodeled it, the cramped interior had grown dozens of times larger.
The walls were lined with silver-white metal panels, the floor covered with nonslip rubber mats, and the lighting was soft.
It now had two levels.
The upper level was mainly a living area, with several beds, a table, and a storage cabinet in the corner.
The lower level was the training area, equipped with gravity training equipment and more.
The gravity training equipment was actually the same equipment Soro had used before. They had simply moved it here.
There were metal walls, a heavy hatch, and a control panel in the center.
Soro had asked Dr. Briefs if he could make a Gravity Ring.
By wearing it on a finger, the ring would let its wearer adjust their own gravity.
Dr. Briefs had thought it over and stroked his chin. He figured it shouldn't be too difficult, but it would take time.
Soro was looking forward to it.
With a Gravity Ring, he'd be able to train anytime, anywhere.
Led by Soro, everyone went downstairs together.
"Is this the Gravity Training Room?" Son Goku circled the room, knocking on the metal wall. It gave a dull thud.
He asked eagerly, his eyes shining. "How do you adjust the gravity?"
"Just turn the knob at the center, and you can change the gravity right away." Soro walked over to the control panel.
He reached out, gripped the knob, and turned it, setting the gravity to ten times Earth's.
The instant the knob turned, a crushing pressure surged in from every direction, rapidly weighing down on everyone in the room.
The air grew heavy. Every breath took effort.
Caught off guard, Krillin and Son Gohan's knees buckled. They sank down and were forced to their knees.
Krillin braced both hands against the floor, veins standing out on his forehead.
Son Gohan gritted his teeth, his little face flushed red. His knees pressed into the floor as he fought to keep from collapsing.
Piccolo gritted his teeth and held on. His legs trembled slightly, but his knees didn't buckle. The muscles in his back were taut.
Son Goku also dipped under the pressure, bending at the waist, but quickly adjusted. He straightened up and steadied his breathing.
Soro, on the other hand, stood there as if nothing had happened, hands in his pockets, grinning.
"Hey, Soro!" Krillin cried, nearly in tears as he braced himself against the floor. "We weren't ready!"
"Would your enemy wait until you were ready before killing you?" Soro asked with a smile, tilting his head at Krillin.
Krillin had no answer. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he lowered his head and fell silent.
"Anyone who doesn't want to train can leave," Soro called to the others, pointing toward the door. "I'm going to increase the gravity again."
Krillin and Son Gohan struggled against the pressure and crawled upstairs on their hands and feet.
Sweat poured down Krillin's bald head, dripping from his forehead.
Son Gohan gritted his teeth and climbed one step at a time, his water bottle swinging at his waist.
Son Goku and Piccolo stayed behind.
Son Goku rolled his wrists, planted his feet apart, and got into position.
Piccolo steadied his breathing, folded his arms, and stood to one side.
Soro went to the control panel, gripped the knob, and raised the gravity to twenty times Earth's.
The knob turned, and the pressure doubled again.
Son Goku sank under the weight, his knees bending. He hurriedly braced himself against the floor.
His teeth clenched, veins faintly bulging on his forehead.
Piccolo had it worse. His legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees.
He braced himself with both hands, his back arched and his breathing quickened.
As for Soro, he still stood there as if nothing had happened, arms folded, his expression unchanged.
It seemed the gravity couldn't affect him at all.
"Soro." Son Goku looked up, sweat beading on his forehead. "How many times Earth's gravity is this?"
"Twenty times Earth's gravity." Soro smiled faintly, his tone relaxed.
"So this is twenty times gravity!" Son Goku said. He looked at Soro in surprise, scanning him from head to toe twice. "Soro, how come you're not affected at all?"
"The Gravity Training Room was finished a while ago." Soro grinned and folded his arms. "I've already been training ahead of time, and I've adapted to fifty times gravity."
The corner of Son Goku's mouth twitched. He opened his mouth slightly, then shut it.
Piccolo's eyelid twitched, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
The two of them were at a loss for words.
After a moment of silence,
Son Goku turned to Soro and scratched his head, complaining with an exasperated laugh. "That's so unfair! No wonder your power's been growing so fast. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I wanted to train here too."
"I saved the fifty times for you." Soro smiled, folded his arms, and leaned against the control panel.
"You saved the fifty times for me? What do you mean?" Son Goku asked, confused. He tilted his head, his brows drawing together slightly.
"With your talent, you'll have no problem handling a hundred times Earth's gravity!" Soro declared with a smile. "So hurry up and get used to fifty times gravity. Once you've more or less adapted, I'll train with you."
Before you continue