Nail piloted the ship toward Krillin. The spacecraft was sleek and silver-gray, with sharp wings resembling an eagle's, giving the illusion of a phantom as it moved. It could function both as a short-range vehicle and a weapon in interstellar combat.
Krillin boarded the ship, finding its interior rich with metallic textures and elements of alien technology.
"Let's go," Krillin said to Nail with a calm tone.
Though Nail was a bit goofy, he wasn't incompetent. With practiced skill, he operated the spacecraft. It slowly ascended, and once it reached a certain altitude, it shot off like a streak of light into the stars.
Watching the morning star fade into the distance, Krillin couldn't help but marvel:
"Galactic Headquarters really has impressive tech. This ship is leagues faster than those on Namek."
After all, the Galactic Organization was a major force in the universe, and its ships were built with superior performance in mind.
Nail's hands danced over the holographic controls. After a while, he reported:
"All set. The ship's in autopilot mode now. It will automatically calculate black hole radii and navigate around them."
"Not bad, Nail. You seem like a simple guy, but you're full of surprises," Krillin said, giving him a thumbs-up.
Nail scratched his head sheepishly. "It's just basic stuff, basic stuff."
Krillin, having learned from past experiences, ensured that the ship analyzed planets along the route and recorded their basic information. This way, he could identify suitable life-supporting planets for resupplying.
Taking advantage of the travel time, Krillin brought out his gravity training chamber. In the path of training, standing still was equivalent to falling behind. While Krillin knew his innate talent couldn't compare to the top-tier fighters of the universe, he firmly believed that hard work could make up for it.
Nail, seeing Krillin pull out what appeared to be a small house, was stunned. While he had some understanding of space-related technology, this was far beyond anything he'd ever seen.
Krillin noticed Nail's shock and laughed. "I'm going to train. Feel free to join me if you're interested—I'll even teach you a couple of tricks."
From their earlier sparring, Krillin had realized that while Nail's battle power was 500, his combat techniques were terrible, relying purely on brute strength.
Krillin entered the gravity training chamber.
Nail hesitated for a moment outside. Krillin had a battle power of 50,000, while he… well, Nail felt intimidated. But then he thought about returning to his homeworld. If he couldn't even handle himself, how could he hope to save his people from the forces of evil? Gritting his teeth, he mustered the courage to step inside.
The interior of the chamber was not as terrifying as Nail had imagined. It was simply an open training ground.
Krillin noticed Nail's entry and felt a tinge of admiration. Nail was a loyal individual. To accommodate him, Krillin set the gravity to 20x, based on Nail's current battle power.
Nail, looking around, was puzzled. "Is this where Krillin trains? It looks so basic. Nothing special at all."
But suddenly, the air seemed to grow heavy. Nail found himself unable to move as immense pressure bore down on him. Sweat poured from his forehead as he cried out, "Krillin, what's happening?!"
Krillin chuckled. "Relax, this is just 20x gravity. Get used to it."
Leaving Nail to adjust on his own, Krillin began his own training. Stretching his body, his joints cracked audibly as he warmed up.
In an instant, Krillin vanished, his hands firing off energy blasts that pursued him as he darted around the chamber. His movements grew faster and more fluid as he honed his agility, searching for the rhythm of battle.
Nail stood frozen, slack-jawed. All he could see were fleeting gusts of wind, unable to track Krillin's movements. Even under 20x gravity, Krillin's speed was astonishing. Nail's eyes sparkled with admiration, and his confidence in saving his homeworld grew stronger.
Two Weeks Later
Time flew by. Krillin sat cross-legged, meditating, while Nail ran laps in the chamber, his pace unaffected by the gravity.
Opening his eyes, Krillin smiled. "Not bad. You've improved a lot compared to two weeks ago. It seems Nail just needs a breakthrough moment."
Status Update:
Year: Age 756
Name: Nail
Age: 250 years
Race: Dirt Mound Alien
Battle Power: 750
Potential: 200,000
Seeing Nail's potential, Krillin mused, "With 200,000 potential, he could become a prominent figure in the Straw Hat System."
Standing up, Krillin approached Nail.
"Krillin!" Nail said respectfully as he stopped running.
"Close your eyes," Krillin instructed. "Feel every bit of energy within your body. Try to synchronize your breathing with the flow of energy."
Nail's eyes lit up. "Krillin is teaching me martial arts!" He eagerly followed the instructions, closing his eyes and concentrating.
Though Nail could sense his energy, he struggled to harmonize with it, his face showing signs of frustration. "Am I just too stupid?"
Krillin noticed his anxiety and said gently, "Training is a gradual process. Don't rush it. Reflect on what I said."
"Energy is like a lake. When a single drop falls into it, ripples spread outward. The waves move steadily, spreading from the center. Now, think of yourself as that center. The energy is within you. Awakening it doesn't require rage—it requires calm, like water."
Nail's expression softened as he pondered Krillin's words. "So, I'm the center of the energy, like a black hole in the universe. A black hole pulls everything in—even light. But once it absorbs enough, it radiates particles back out into the universe. Is that how energy works?"
Excited, Nail exclaimed, "I understand now!" Closing his eyes again, he focused. Soon, a faint aura appeared around him—his ki.
Even Krillin was a little surprised. "Did I just stumble across a chosen one? I barely explained anything, and he's already got it. Maybe not all goofy-looking aliens are duds after all."
To accommodate Nail's training, Krillin decided not to push the gravity beyond 100x. Growing stronger could take a little longer—losing a few thousand battle power wouldn't make a difference. After all, he couldn't beat Frieza's toenail yet anyway.
Watching Nail train, Krillin thought mischievously, "He owes me for this. When the time comes, he'll pay me back—maybe with some rare stones!"
Krillin's Status:
Year: Age 756
Name: Krillin
Age: 21 years
Race: Earthling
Dimension: Level 1 (Comparable to Korin)
Battle Power: 375,000 (Next Limit: 5,000,000)
Potential: 4,635,000
Training Speed: Lightspeed
"Not bad," Krillin thought. "I've still got 770 Senzu Beans left. But I need more energy. Becoming a VIP-level powerhouse is still a long way off. If I could activate VIP mode, I'd grow stronger just by sleeping. I'd surpass Frieza in a year!"
"Snap out of it, Krillin!" he scolded himself, shaking his head.
Two Weeks Later
The ship approached its destination. Nail, filled with anticipation, pointed at the star system ahead. "That's the Straw Hat System!"
Krillin replied calmly, "Don't get too excited. I can see it."
The Straw Hat System was a spiral galaxy. From a thousand light-years away, it resembled a peculiar hat, with a ring of stars outlining the brim and a bright core protruding at the center, surrounded by dark dust bands.
Krillin turned to Nail, his tone serious. "Once we enter the Straw Hat System, find an uninhabited planet to land on. Don't get too close to your homeworld."
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