A Hundredfold Gravity Chamber?

Three years ago, he had still needed to personally travel from planet to planet in search of them. Now—

All he needed was a single command, and hundreds or thousands of Saiyan warriors would immediately depart, massacre the enemy planet, seize its core, and return.

Over these three years, the starfield under Divine Martial Battle Star's jurisdiction had appeared as peaceful as ever,

but beyond the edge of the North Galaxy, deep within the East Galaxy, calamities had struck again and again—at least thirty planets had been destroyed by Saiyan hands.

Over the past three years, Xuesaiya, Xuesaili, Palanti, Bardock, and the others had advanced by leaps and bounds!

And how could Barros, who had always been the strongest, possibly remain stagnant?

Three years ago, his limit in his normal state had been 620,000.

Now, he had refined more than a dozen planetary cores to temper his acupoints, while his body had been repeatedly forged by those same cores. His combat power had tripled, soaring straight to 1.8 million!

Of course, numbers were merely a yardstick, not the truth.

Though the transformation of Barros's aura and the growth of his combat power had not exploded dramatically, he had used every one of those dozen-plus planetary cores to forge his body and condense his acupoints. The strength of his flesh had long since undergone a complete transformation.

His body today was more than ten times stronger than it had been three years ago.

Even with his combat power currently at only 1.8 million, if he encountered a supreme expert with over three million combat power, Barros could still crush them in a single move.

He had never publicly tested his true limit, but he knew perfectly well where that threshold lay.

He simply had no intention of announcing it to the world.

To the Saiyans, Divine Martial Emperor Barros's 1.8 million combat power was already an unreachable peak.

Three years had passed, yet they still remembered: surface numbers never represented Barros's true trump card.

They also remembered that the source of the Saiyan race's strength—the race now standing proudly among the stars and shaking the heavens—came from one man alone.

After three years of careful cultivation, the loyalty of the entire Divine Martial Battle Star toward Barros had nearly become an unbreakable oath unto death.

Three years were enough to turn the world upside down.

Divine Martial Battle Star had entered a golden age of martial arts.

Meanwhile, the Saiyans on Planet Vegeta who had stubbornly refused to leave with Barros back then were in a state even worse than homeless dogs.

Though they had luckily evacuated before Planet Vegeta was destroyed,

in the days that followed, they were hunted down by Frieza's army again and again, falling one after another.

Three years ago, those who refused to leave had made up twenty percent of the Saiyan population—more than tens of thousands of people.

Three years later, fewer than a thousand remained. Most had fled the North Galaxy or huddled in remote, desolate corners of the universe, barely surviving.

None of this was a secret on Divine Martial Battle Star.

Yet no one pitied them, much less suggested bringing them back into the clan register.

In the eyes of today's Saiyans, Divine Martial Battle Star was the true ancestral planet. Those scattered outside were merely remnants of collateral branches.

Besides, those people were now weaker than even the lowest-ranking warriors of Divine Martial Battle Star. What use was there in taking them back?

There was, however, one piece of news that surprised Barros slightly—

Vegeta had actually gathered a small group of Saiyans and struggled to survive amid Frieza's army's relentless extermination, somehow holding on until now.

Vegeta's betrayal of Frieza had been expected.

When Planet Vegeta was destroyed, even if he had knelt and surrendered every last shred of his dignity to become a slave, Frieza would never have tolerated him again.

But relying on a few battered remnants whose combat power did not even reach 20,000, hiding everywhere, fleeing wildly across the universe, and shouting about revenge...

It was far too much like a joke.

Divine Martial Battle Star, Imperial Hall.

Kamosi stood solemnly before Barros. "Emperor Barros, the spacecraft you requested has been prepared. For this journey to Earth—that planet classified as a low-level civilization—how many guards do you intend to bring?"

After thinking briefly, Barros said, "Have Bardock and Jiyande lead the team. Pick a few Saiyans with outstanding combat power to accompany them."

"By your command! I will inform Lord Bardock and Lord Jiyande at once!" Kamosi nodded to Barros and turned to leave the hall and deliver the orders.

He had only taken one step when Barros suddenly raised a hand to stop him. "Kamosi, is there still no news from Planet Namek?"

Kamosi paused, quickly turned back, and dropped to one knee. Bowing his head, he answered, "Your Majesty, star chart calculations and trajectory tracking are proceeding at full force. Within one Divine Martial month at most, we will definitely determine Planet Namek's exact location!" (Though the terms "Divine Martial" had been added to years, months, and days, they differed little from ordinary calendars.)

"One Divine Martial month..." Barros repeated softly, and a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.

Then, a long-shelved thought crossed his mind. He asked, "Kamosi, have any Saiyans fighting outside ever reported seeing a giant tree on any planet—one that covered the sky and blanketed the entire planet?"

"This..." Kamosi thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

Barros lightly waved his hand, his tone growing calmer. "Forget it. Pass down the order and tell them to keep watch. The moment they find a giant tree that covers an entire planet, report it immediately!"

"Yes!"

After another moment's thought, Barros had nothing further to say. He gestured with his hand. "Go. Notify Bardock and the others. We depart this afternoon."

"Understood! I'll go make arrangements for Bardock and the others to prepare at once!" Kamosi nodded heavily, committing the matter of the "giant tree" firmly to memory before swiftly leaving the Imperial Hall.

As the hall doors closed, Barros was left standing alone within the vast Imperial Hall.

After a long while, a deep, icy voice filled with burning desire quietly echoed through the empty palace.

"Planet Namek... and... the Neural Tree!"

That afternoon, a small spacecraft rose from Divine Martial Battle Star and set out on its long voyage.

Among those accompanying it were Bardock, ranked fourth in combat power on Divine Martial Battle Star; Jiyande, one of the strongest Saiyans in the top ten; and several elite warriors with combat power exceeding 50,000.

The most eye-catching person aboard the entire spacecraft was perhaps Bardock's wife—Gine.

When she heard that Barros, Bardock, and the others were heading to Earth, Gine's heart shook. That was the planet her second son, Kakarot, had been ordered to go to years ago.

Years had passed. She did not know whether her son was safe, nor did she dare imagine that he might already have perished in the dust of some foreign world.

Yet she insisted on accompanying them on this journey—whether he was alive or dead, she wanted to see the truth with her own eyes.

Bardock could not refuse her, and Barros had no intention of stopping her, so he allowed the mother worried for her youngest son to join them.

The spacecraft tore through space at high speed, crossing several star systems in just a few days.

Though the ship appeared compact, it had everything they could need and was fully equipped.

During the long journey, no one found themselves bored.

According to the route, traveling from Divine Martial Battle Star to Earth would take over two months.

Naturally, Barros, Bardock, and the other Saiyans would not sit around and wait.

The gravity chamber.

The spacecraft's gravity limit had been set at three hundred times normal gravity.

Other than Barros and Bardock, the rest still found such intensity difficult to endure.

Clang—bang! Bang!!

The sounds of fists and kicks colliding were like metal striking metal, deafening to the ears.

The display in the gravity chamber clearly showed "100x," yet the three people inside moved, attacked, and defended as though they were under ordinary gravity, without the slightest hint of sluggishness.

The Saiyans watching outside burned with envy, clenching their fists as they wished they could rush inside and join the fight at once.

But they knew full well that under hundredfold gravity, merely holding on was difficult enough for them. Forget throwing punches or kicks—lifting a leg alone took enormous effort, much less fighting as effortlessly as the two men inside.

Before they could envy them for long, a figure was suddenly sent flying back, smashing into the wall of super-titanium starsteel with a bang.

Jiyande dropped to one knee, both hands braced against the floor as sweat rolled down his forehead.

He did not want to withdraw—an opportunity to receive Barros's personal guidance was rarer than a thousand years. How could he give up now?

After taking several deep breaths, he flipped to his feet. Lightning exploded from his palms as two blazing energy waves gathered, ready to fire directly at Barros, who was currently instructing Bardock!

"Ha—Chaos-Quelling Star Cannon!"

Arcs of lightning tore through the air and thundered toward Barros.

Bardock's eyes twitched in the midst of battle, and he instantly moved aside.

Barros, however, did not move at all. He merely raised his hand and clenched his five fingers. The violent energy wave wrapped in crackling lightning was crushed apart inch by inch in his bare hand!

And at the very moment the lightning vanished, Bardock had already condensed his energy into a sphere—

"Ha—!! Take this!"

A dazzling white-hot energy blast roared in his right palm. Almost at the exact instant Barros destroyed Jiyande's attack, it shot forth with a thunderous boom!

"Heh." Barros chuckled. His figure swayed slightly, and before the Ultimate Destruction Bomb had traveled even a meter, he slapped his palm against it and forcibly drove it back along its original path!

"What—?!"

Bardock had no time to react before the full-force strike he had launched slammed viciously into his chest.

Boom!!!

His entire body crashed into the wall. When he fell to the floor, the armor over his chest had split apart, and blood streaked across his body.

No matter how powerful the technique was, the body could not withstand all the force it had personally unleashed.

Barros flashed forward, chopping down with the edge of his hand and cleanly knocking unconscious Bardock, who was struggling to rise.

Then he flicked a finger, firing an energy wave that struck Jiyande precisely as he tried to attack from behind, sending him tumbling to the floor.

He glanced at the two unconscious men, shut off the gravity system, and pushed open the chamber door. "That's enough for today. Send Bardock and the others to the healing pods."

Just as he was about to step through the door, an elite Saiyan hesitantly spoke, his voice trembling slightly. "Your Majesty...!"

Barros naturally understood what they were thinking, but he did not stop. He simply continued toward his own cabin.

Just as those top Saiyans began to feel deeply disappointed, Barros's voice drifted over from afar. It was as light as a breeze, yet it made their hearts jolt as joy overwhelmed them. "Before we reach Earth, whoever can handle hundredfold gravity freely will receive my personal instruction!"

"Thank you for Your Majesty's grace!"

"Thank you, Emperor Barros!"

Everyone clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white, their bodies trembling with excitement.

A hundredfold gravity chamber?

They exchanged glances. Without needing to say a word, they all nodded in unison, their eyes blazing.

Barros's meaning was clear—so long as they crossed that threshold before landing on Earth, they could stand shoulder to shoulder with Bardock and Jiyande.

But none of them truly understood the weight behind his words.

For now, hundredfold gravity was still a towering wall before them.

But by the time they set foot on Earth and returned, that pressure would likely not cause them even the slightest sluggishness.

The sea of stars was boundless, and the galaxy stretched like a river of light.

The spacecraft traveled through it, as tiny as a grain of sand.

Yet across the entire universe, no one would dare underestimate the weight carried by this ship.

With Barros alone aboard, there was no need to say more. Even just Bardock and Jiyande, along with several top Saiyans gritting their teeth through intense training and advancing at astonishing speed, would be enough to carve out a blood-forged territory among the stars.

Having just left the gravity chamber, Bardock looked up and saw Barros standing alone before the viewport, gazing at the vast starry river. He could not help shaking his head with a smile before turning to leave.

A short while later, he had changed into a neat, dry combat uniform and returned to Barros's side.

Starlight reflected in his eyes. Without taking his gaze from the stars beyond the viewport, Barros asked calmly, "They'll soon be able to withstand hundredfold gravity steadily, won't they?"

Bardock paused slightly before replying, "Huh? Yes, Your Majesty! I estimate that in a few more days, everyone will be fully adapted."

He paused, looking at the flowing bands of light outside the viewport as his voice grew a little heavier. "Their progress really is incredible—two of them are already approaching the 100,000 mark in combat power!"

"Only natural. Their foundations are not weak, and now that they have a clear direction, they train desperately day and night. Catching up to Jiyande will not be difficult." Barros glanced sideways at Bardock, his words carrying a reminder. "But if you, the third strongest on Divine Martial Battle Star, are truly overtaken by those behind you, it will be hard to save face."

Bardock was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up. His voice rang out with force. "Rest assured! If they risk their lives, I will work even harder! My goal was never to hold onto my position. It has always been—to follow in your footsteps!"

The corner of Barros's mouth lifted in a faint smile.

The future was unpredictable. Once the trip to Earth was over, if those Saiyans truly risked their lives to temper themselves, it would not take long before they caught up to Bardock—or even left him far behind!

But there was no denying that the burning thirst for battle in Bardock's bones, and his pure determination to pursue strength, did not lose to anyone.

If others trained for one extra hour, he would train another two. When others stopped to catch their breath, he would already be gritting his teeth and sprinting onward.

At that thought, Barros suddenly turned and stared directly at Bardock's face, filled with determination. "Bardock, do you want to truly catch up to me? Do you want to become even stronger?"

"Yes!" He answered cleanly, without the slightest hesitation—becoming stronger and following in Barros's footsteps were the most burning obsessions in his heart.

"I'll give you a chance." Barros raised his hand and tossed something. A memory implanter traced a silver arc before landing steadily in Bardock's palm. "This technique is no weaker than the Divine Martial Battle Art. I cannot claim it can change Saiyan bloodlines, but reshaping one's aptitude is more than possible. Train diligently. I await the day you clear the starry sea for me and sweep away all obstacles in the eight directions!"

Bardock lowered his head to look at the object in his hand, light as a feather yet heavy as a mountain—it carried immense trust and responsibility!

The next instant, Barros was about to vanish through the cabin door when Bardock abruptly raised his head and shouted toward that upright back, "Your Majesty! Bardock will never betray your cultivation! I will surely sweep across the galaxy for you and shake the entire universe!"

Barros paused. The smile on his lips deepened, and then his figure transformed into a streak of light, vanishing in an instant.

Bardock stood there for a long time, watching that figure disappear. Only then did he impatiently raise the memory implanter and press it to his forehead.

This thing used the old method Saiyans employed to implant memories into young children.

But the one Barros had given him was small and portable. The kind on Planet Vegeta, however, had been huge, heavy fixed installations.

Scattered bits of data appeared like fireflies, then instantly converged into a surging torrent that crashed into Bardock's sea of consciousness.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes. Flames of light danced in his pupils, and his expression was filled with shock and reverence.

He had never expected that what Barros had given him was actually a secret body-forging art capable of tempering the muscles and bones and reversing one's aptitude.

Bardock knew his origins well—he was a low-class Saiyan. Because of that, even though his combat power now surpassed every elite Saiyan, he had never become complacent.

He understood better than anyone that his strength had come entirely from life-or-death bloody battles and relentless training that pushed him beyond his limits time and time again.

In terms of bloodline foundation and natural talent, he might not necessarily surpass high-class Saiyans, much less those exceptionally gifted elite members of his race.