With this, how could my strength not improve?
Son Goku was so happy.
Seeing Goku grinning like a child, Bulma's face lit up with a radiant smile, too.
She said, "As long as you like it!"
"I love it, of course I do!"
Son Goku continued, "Um, Bulma, I'm going to try twice the gravity now. How do I do it? There's only one button."
Bulma explained, "Press the button once to pop it up, then move the switch downward.
The gravity multiplier will appear. Once you've adjusted it to the level you want, press the button again.
It's currently set to one times gravity, which means it hasn't been adjusted. Try it yourself."
Son Goku nodded. "Okay!"
With that, Son Goku followed Bulma's instructions and began adjusting the gravity.
When he moved the switch down once, he immediately felt the strain on his body increase.
He moved it down again, and the strain increased once more.
Only after adjusting the bracelet to four times gravity did Son Goku start to feel that moving was difficult.
Bulma glanced at the setting and couldn't help but gasp.
"Hey, don't push yourself too hard! You just started, and you're already at four times gravity. You'll get crushed!"
Son Goku nodded and immediately moved the switch back up.
At last, he adjusted the gravity to twice his normal weight, which was the most suitable for him right now.
"That's great! Starting tomorrow, I won't have to wear my shell. I can wear this and train with them."
Bulma laughed, hands on her hips. "If you show off to them, Chi-Chi and Krillin will probably ask me for one, too."
Son Goku froze. "Then what should we do?"
Bulma shrugged. "What can we do? They're your friends. I wouldn't feel right refusing them. I'll work overtime tonight and make two more, one for each of them!"
"Thanks, Bulma!"
Bulma blew out a ring of smoke and smiled faintly. "It's been a year, and you're being so formal with me again."
"Hehe!"
Bulma stubbed out her cigarette. "All right, didn't you say you were training again tomorrow? Go take a bath and get some sleep!"
As she spoke, Bulma ushered Goku into the bathroom.
"I'll help you scrub your back. And while I'm at it, I can check whether little Goku's grown at all after a year..."
Master Roshi gazed at Bulma's brightly lit house next door, regret showing in his eyes.
"We finally have a pretty girl visiting, and there isn't enough room for her. Sigh! If only my house were bigger."
Chi-Chi nodded, too. "I wish I had a house of my own."
Just then, the blue-haired Launch walked into the living room.
"I cut up a lot of fruit. Did Goku and Bulma go next door?"
Chi-Chi's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood. "Oh, they went next door. I'll take them a plate!"
Launch smiled. "You're so thoughtful, Chi-Chi. Sorry for the trouble!"
"It's no trouble!"
The next day, the three of them continued their training without wearing their shells.
In their spare time, Master Roshi also taught them how to control their ki.
Before long, Son Goku, Krillin, and Chi-Chi had spent another two months training on the island.
Goku's strength wasn't the only thing that had improved.
Krillin and Chi-Chi had also gotten used to three times gravity, and they had both made great progress.
That day, after the three of them finished training, they caught two fish and a dinosaur.
Taking advantage of the cool weather, they were barbecuing with Master Roshi, Launch, and Bulma.
Suddenly, the whole island fell into chaos.
A group of armed soldiers surrounded Kame House and pointed their guns at them.
"If you don't want to die, get up and help us search the sea for the Dragon Balls!"
Bulma froze and looked up at the approaching soldiers. Then she spotted the insignia on their uniforms, and her pupils shrank.
"You're... the Red Ribbon Army?"
The man looked at Bulma, then noticed Launch and couldn't help staring.
"Well, well! These two cuties are gorgeous. How about having some fun with us?"
Bulma frowned and turned to Goku.
"Goku, they're bad guys. Beat them up!"
"Got it!"
Before Goku could move, Launch grinned, hoisted her machine gun, and opened fire on the Red Ribbon Army soldiers.
Of everyone at Kame House, only Bulma couldn't fight.
The others were no pushovers.
Master Roshi went without saying.
Krillin and Chi-Chi were both immune to bullets.
Taking care of a few low-ranking soldiers was no trouble at all.
In just a few moments, not only had the soldiers been knocked down, but the plane in the sky had also been blasted out of the air by a ki blast.
Master Roshi asked curiously, "Who were they, and why did they come here?"
Bulma took out the Dragon Radar and pressed a few buttons.
"I think I know why they came here."
Krillin asked, "Why?"
Chi-Chi said, "They want to gather the Dragon Balls and make a wish, obviously."
Bulma nodded. "That's right. They're after some ambitious wish. There's a Dragon Ball in the sea near this island.
Their radar isn't very precise, so it's hard for them to find it.
If all they know is the general location, searching the sea for one Dragon Ball is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
There are only a few scattered islands in this area, and ours happens to have the most people.
Naturally, the Red Ribbon Army wanted to enslave the people on this island and make them search for the Dragon Ball.
That's what just happened."
Chi-Chi, Krillin, and the others all understood.
"So that's what happened!"
"Using force to bully the islanders for their own selfish desires? That's awful!"
Krillin looked at Master Roshi and said, "Master Roshi, let's go take out those bad guys!"
Master Roshi scratched his bald head. "But do you know who they are?"
Chi-Chi said indignantly, "They're bad guys, no matter what! As martial artists, we should punish evil and promote good!"
Krillin said, "Chi-Chi's right. I'll defeat them for the villagers!"
Chi-Chi looked at Goku and asked, "Goku, are you coming?"
"Of course!"
Son Goku didn't hesitate for a second.
He'd completely forgotten about the Red Ribbon Army.
All he wanted was to grow stronger. He hadn't expected to get involved with them, since he hadn't gone looking for trouble.
But he hadn't expected them to come here and cause trouble, enslaving the villagers.
Now he had a reason to fight them.
Seeing the three youngsters, Krillin, Chi-Chi, and Goku, brimming with a sense of justice and ready to take out the Red Ribbon Army, Bulma had a strange thought.
Even in this life, they'd still end up enemies, despite not provoking them first.
It seemed that the Red Ribbon Army were destined to be their foes. There was no avoiding it.
Bulma stood up. "They're the world's largest evil organization, the Red Ribbon Army.
"For years, they've run amok and done whatever they pleased. They've grown even more brazen in recent years.
"It seems that martial artists like you really do need to take them down."
"The Red Ribbon Army?"
Chi-Chi scratched her head. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere."
Krillin suddenly paled.
"What?
"The people who attacked us just now were members of the Red Ribbon Army?"
Bulma nodded. "That's right!"
Krillin's legs suddenly went weak.
"It's over, it's over! I've heard they're a gang of vicious criminals!"
Chi-Chi looked at Krillin. "What's wrong, Krillin? Are you scared?"