The Hardest Time of His Death

Training Under Ten Times Gravity

Goku tells King Kai about the two Saiyans heading for Earth. Using his antennae, King Kai calculates that they will arrive in 158 days. Goku panics at the tight timeline, but King Kai assures him that 158 days of training under ten times Earth's gravity is worth thousands of years of ordinary practice. He warns, however, that to beat the Saiyans, Goku will need to surpass even King Kai himself, since the Saiyans outclass him as well.

The first exercise is deceptively simple: catch Bubbles, King Kai's pet monkey. Goku strips off his weighted clothing for extra speed but still cannot lay a hand on the nimble animal. After dinner, King Kai instructs him to put the weighted gear back on. Training under the combined burden of heavy gravity and heavy clothing will compound the benefits dramatically.

A Quiet Moment on Earth

As Gohan and Piccolo settle in for the night, Gohan mentions that Goku once told him Piccolo is not truly evil, that his reincarnation made him different from the original Piccolo Daimao. Gohan says he understands what his father meant. The comment visibly bothers Piccolo, who responds by threatening an even harsher training session the next day.

Progress on All Fronts

Forty days pass, and Goku finally catches Bubbles. King Kai is so impressed that he begins to believe Goku might be capable of mastering the Kaio-ken, a technique so difficult that even King Kai himself could never perfect it.

On the Lookout, Tenshinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Kuririn, and Yajirobe have completed their training with Kami. He declares that all five have surpassed his own strength and orders them back to Earth to refine what they have learned in the remaining days before the Saiyans land. The chapter closes with Uranai Baba visiting Kame-Sen'nin and Bulma, admitting she cannot predict what the future holds.