Coming back from the dead might have been hard to accept in other worlds, but in the Dragon Ball world, it was perfectly normal.
You could hardly call yourself a powerhouse if you hadn't died a few times.
Bulma didn't press him any further. Instead, she earnestly lectured him:
"I'm glad you understand. Don't be so impulsive next time. Can you beat both androids on your own? Don't you know how powerful they are? You're always so reckless.
"Last time, you lost an arm. This time, you almost lost your life."
Son Gohan ducked his head, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes, yes."
"And you, Trunks. You're twelve already. Use your head instead of just thinking about killing and charging into battle. If both of you die, what am I supposed to do?"
Trunks ducked his head too, not daring to answer.
He sneaked a glance at Son Gohan and found Son Gohan sneaking a glance at him.
Neither of them could hold back a laugh.
"Laughing? You can still laugh?"
Both immediately put on serious faces again and buried their heads in their food.
With two big eaters of Saiyan blood at the table, the food was soon swept clean.
They had eaten and drunk their fill.
Warmth spread through Son Gohan's body. He could feel his strength rapidly recovering, and it soon broke through his previous limit.
This is the unique gift of Saiyan blood. Every time we recover from the brink of death, our power increases dramatically. Son Gohan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and excitement welled up inside him.
He knew this was probably something like latent potential. Once it was exhausted, there might be no more boosts.
Otherwise, Saiyans could simply exploit this loophole until they became invincible. What chance would any other race have?
Before, he had always been evenly matched with Android 18.
But now, if he dared to push his luck, pinning Android 18 down and beating her wasn't out of the question.
Heh heh.
A sharp gleam flashed through Son Gohan's eyes as he imagined crushing Android 18's damned head.
But fantasies were only fantasies. Son Gohan had no real urge to rush out and fight the androids right now.
Who was he kidding?
Android 17 was still right there beside Android 18.
That guy wasn't some pushover who only knew how to pose. Son Gohan knew he was even stronger than Android 18.
What if he rushed over now and died again?
Son Gohan valued his life now. Without absolute confidence, he had no desire to provoke those two monsters.
The old Son Gohan would become overconfident whenever his power increased, as though part of his intelligence had been converted into strength, making him dumber.
But after merging with another soul, that flaw had disappeared.
He now treasured his life and kept a very cool head.
"Gohan, stay here for the next few days. Focus on recovering, and don't go running around. Do you understand?"
Bulma spoke as she cleared the cluttered table.
Looking at Son Gohan, she remembered how lively and thoughtful he had been as a child. Her heart ached, and her eyes filled with tenderness.
He had once been such a vibrant young boy.
Now, he had only one arm left, and the safety of the entire world rested on his shoulders.
It was far too heavy a burden.
She sighed.
"Okay, I understand, Aunt Bulma." Son Gohan nodded and helped Trunks clear the dishes.
His eyes shifted as an idea struck him, and he continued, "Aunt Bulma, didn't Uncle Vegeta ask you to build a Gravity Room for him? Is it still around?"
The old Son Gohan naturally hadn't known about this, but now, no one knew better than he did.
He remembered that Bulma had converted a spaceship into a Gravity Room for Vegeta.
Vegeta had usually trained inside it.
But the old Son Gohan had known nothing about it and had never put it to use. He had spent all his time outside with Trunks, trying to figure things out on their own.
Still, that was understandable. For one thing, Son Gohan really hadn't known.
For another, all the Z Fighters had died when Son Gohan was nine. With no one to teach him or discuss training with, becoming a Super Saiyan on his own had already been an extraordinary feat.
There were far too many things Son Gohan didn't know.
Bulma paused when she heard his question.
Then she said, "Yes, that did happen. I converted the spaceship he brought into a Gravity Room. It's still at the old Capsule Corporation site, but the androids attacked the company once, so the ship is probably damaged."
"What do you want it for?"
Trunks pricked up his ears beside them.
He was deeply curious about the past, especially anything involving Vegeta.
What kind of person had Dad been?
Son Gohan said, "To train in, of course. It suddenly occurred to me that if we use a Gravity Room to train our bodies, Trunks and I might be able to defeat the androids soon."
"Really?" Bulma's eyes widened.
She was undoubtedly a genius when it came to technology, but in martial arts and training, she was a complete novice.
"Yes, of course." Son Gohan nodded. "I'll go look for it now. I'll be back soon."
"Gohan, I want to come too," Trunks said eagerly.
"Sure," Son Gohan replied.
"Be careful. If you can't find it, I can build another one. We're just short on materials and equipment now, so it might take a while," Bulma reminded them.
"Got it. We'll come back after taking a look."
Son Gohan and Trunks flew toward the old Capsule Corporation site.
"Gohan, what kind of person was my dad?"
Trunks couldn't help asking as they flew.
"Your dad..." Vegeta's face came to Son Gohan's mind, and he continued with a smile, "He was a very proud man, and fiercely competitive."
"Then who was stronger, Dad or Mr. Goku?" Trunks's face was full of admiration.
At that moment, Trunks was just like any ordinary child asking someone about his father.
Son Gohan glanced at Trunks. Unable to bring himself to shatter the boy's image of his father, he smiled and said, "They were equally strong."
Trunks brightened at his answer. "Hehe, I knew it. Mom said the same thing."
Son Gohan was a little surprised. Bulma had said that too?
Soon, they arrived at the old Capsule Corporation site.
It had once been the most prosperous part of West City.
But its former glory was gone. Only ruins remained.
Looking down from high above, they could see the ground riddled with craters.
The towering buildings were badly damaged too, and many places were covered in damp moss.
Son Gohan surveyed the area from the air.
He soon spotted his target.
"Found it. Over there."
A sphere about ten meters in diameter lay tilted in a fissure. It was almost certainly the spaceship.
Son Gohan and Trunks landed and approached the sphere.
"It really is the spaceship," Son Gohan said delightedly.
Although it was covered in moss and had a large hole torn through it, it was unmistakably a spaceship.
Trunks had never seen anything like it before and was intensely curious.
He touched it here and there, getting moss all over his hands.
Son Gohan circled the spaceship.
At last, he found a raised button.
The spaceship really is damaged. I don't know if this capsule button still works. I'll have to take it back for Bulma to look at. Maybe she can repair it, Son Gohan thought.
With that in mind, Son Gohan firmly pressed the button.
The spaceship began to shake. Then, with a BOOM!, a cloud of smoke burst out, and it turned into a capsule in Son Gohan's hand.
Trunks, who had still been touching the spaceship, jumped in fright.
"Gohan, you could've warned me! You scared me half to death."
"Haha, you're not that easily scared. Come on, let's head back first," Son Gohan said with a laugh, putting the capsule away.
The two retraced their route home.
Before you continue