The sound of fists colliding echoed throughout the training room.
Krillin and I moved in sync, attacking from opposite sides while Nappa defended with surprising efficiency.
For someone who once relied mostly on brute force, he had improved.
Not enough to call him graceful.
But enough to be dangerous.
Krillin lunged first, forcing Nappa to block.
I followed immediately with a low kick aimed at his side, but Nappa shifted just enough to absorb the impact before pushing both of us back with raw physical force.
He frowned.
Then, while catching his breath, he looked at me.
"There's something I've been wondering, Miss Bulma."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
He crossed his arms.
"Why don't you use your armor?"
Krillin stopped beside me, apparently curious as well.
Nappa continued.
"And Krillin doesn't use his either. Both of you have them. Yet you fight like this instead."
I wiped a bit of sweat from my forehead and smiled.
"That's because I treat this"—I pointed at myself—"as my real base."
Nappa narrowed his eyes.
"…Explain."
Base Before Multiplier
I took a deep breath before answering.
"My armor multiplies my current power level."
Nappa nodded slowly.
"I know that."
"But that's exactly the problem."
He looked confused.
So I continued.
"If I rely on the armor too much, I become stronger artificially—but my actual body doesn't catch up."
Krillin nodded quietly, already understanding.
I continued.
"It's better to increase my natural base power first. That way, when I use the armor, I have better control over that multiplied strength."
Nappa stayed silent.
Then I added:
"It's the same principle behind your mechanical spine."
That got his attention.
"It wasn't designed to make you stronger," I said. "It was designed to help you control your power better."
Nappa slowly nodded.
"…And to let you shut off my ki if I betray you."
I smiled faintly.
"That too."
Krillin laughed awkwardly.
Nappa just stared at me for a moment before grunting.
"…I understand."
Not fully.
But enough.
Uneven Growth
Training resumed shortly afterward.
As expected—
My growth rate had improved dramatically after becoming half-Saiyan.
Even Krillin noticed it.
But there was still a problem.
Neither Krillin nor I were strong enough to truly push Nappa to his limits.
That meant:
Nappa's growth had slowed
Compared to—
Goku and Raditz.
Another Room, Another Battle
I could feel their ki from the other training chamber.
Violent.
Relentless.
Explosive.
Goku's Kaioken.
Raditz's mechanical heart.
Both pushing each other to the edge.
And unlike us—
They could go all out.
Because the healing pods were there.
If someone got badly injured?
Recover.
Then train again.
It was dangerous—
But effective.
The Future in Mind
From my previous timeline, I already knew something.
By the time we reached Namek—
Nappa should be strong enough to challenge Vegeta.
That thought alone made me smirk slightly.
Maybe his ego needs to be cracked a little.
Not enough to destroy him.
Just enough to make him think for himself.
Battle Puppet Assignment
While sparring, my thoughts drifted to another project.
One of my battle puppets.
I had already prepared it specifically for Goku's team.
A remote support unit.
Unlike my other puppets—
This one looked like a Saiyan.
Or more accurately…
It looked like:
Goku… if he had been born a woman.
A foot shorter.
Softer facial structure.
Still humanoid enough not to immediately be mistaken for a machine.
Krillin once stared at it and simply said:
"…That's weird."
I had ignored him.
Purpose of the Puppet
Its power level was limited to my own natural level.
That was intentional.
If it became too powerful on its own—
I wouldn't be able to control it effectively.
Like my other battle puppets:
no emotions
no soul
no self-awareness
Just a remote combat support unit.
Controlled by:
me
or Oracle Module if necessary
One Week Left
The ship would be ready in one week.
Just one more week.
And even after everything—
I still felt nervous.
Because no amount of preparation changed one simple truth.
I had lived through this once before.
And now—
I was about to step into that future again.
The Namek Plan
My role there was already decided.
I would go with:
Krillin
Piccolo
To meet the Grand Elder Guru.
Warn the Namekians.
Show them the future if necessary.
Show them:
Frieza's invasion
their deaths
the destruction of Namek
If Guru saw everything—
He might cooperate faster.
At least…
That was my hope.
Separate Missions
Meanwhile:
Goku.
Raditz.
Nappa.
And one of my battle puppets—
Would handle the battlefield side of things.
Eventually…
The Ginyu Force.
And after that—
Frieza.
A Dangerous Possibility
There was still one thought I couldn't ignore.
What if—
Goku and Raditz became strong enough to defeat Frieza without Super Saiyan?
That would change everything.
History would shift again.
And without Super Saiyan—
The future would become even harder to predict.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Then shook my head.
I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
There was no point worrying about something that hadn't happened yet.
Planning was useful.
Obsession was not.
Back to Training
Nappa rushed forward again, fists raised.
Krillin grinned.
"Talking time is over, huh?"
I smiled and raised my guard.
"Looks like it."
Nappa smirked.
"Enough distractions. Come at me."
The three of us moved again—
Fists.
Ki.
Impact.
Training continued.
Because one week from now—
Everything would change again.