"Hmm. One year here, one day outside. So, the time dilation is the same as Earth's Chamber."
The moment the door sealed behind them, Rhode processed the temporal rules of the space. The environment was familiar in its austerity: thin, crisp air, a vast, featureless plain stretching into a white, oppressive haze. The low oxygen and psychological weight were challenges in themselves, perfect for forging both body and will.
He then tested the gravity function. "Adjustable from one to ten thousand times. That should be more than sufficient." Whether ten thousand times was Porunga's limit or its judgment of a mortal's survivable ceiling, it didn't matter. For their current level, it was an immense, even excessive, range.
"Aira, we'll be cultivating here for a while," Rhode stated, turning to his companion, who was silently assessing the sterile expanse.
Aira gave a sharp nod. "The atmosphere, the pressure... and adjustable gravity. It's an ideal training ground."
"One year inside equals one day out. Let's aim for a full year, to start." Rhode set the initial goal, then added with a slight smile, "Though, anyone who can't handle it is free to leave early."
"Hmph! It definitely won't be me who leaves!" Aira shot back, her pride instantly engaged.
"We'll see," Rhode replied, his smile lingering. He began unpacking, activating several Hoi-Poi Capsules. A simple, durable shelter materialized, stocked with preserved food, water, and neatly stored jars of Senzu Beans. He had prepared meticulously on Earth for this exact scenario.
As Rhode and Aira settled into the grueling, accelerated rhythm of the Time Chamber, a very different scene was unfolding in the cosmos.
A sleek, predatory spacecraft cut through the starry void. Suddenly, a strident alarm blared on the bridge.
"What is it?" snapped the ship's commander, Simoreka. He was short, with sharp, intelligent eyes and light green skin, his hair styled in aggressive spikes.
A subordinate rushed in. "Boss! We've detected several individuals in survival suits adrift in the sector ahead. They're… flaring their energy signatures. Trying to get our attention."
"People? Out here?" Simoreka was skeptical. He glanced at his sole companion—a mountain of muscle and fat named Yunba, who was methodically shoveling food into his mouth with undiminished focus. "Yunba, thoughts?"
"Do whatever," Yunba mumbled around a mouthful, not looking up from his meal.
"Useless!" Simoreka cursed, his temper flaring. "All you do is eat!"
"Of course I eat!" Yunba retorted, finally pausing. "How else do I grow? How do I get the strength to rob people if I don't eat?"
"Why did I ever team up with you?" Simoreka groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He desperately needed a competent, steady partner. This walking stomach was going to be the death of him.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of Yunba's relentless chewing grated on his nerves. Simoreka turned his glare back to the subordinate. "Fine. How powerful are these stranded idiots?"
When his boss asked, the subordinate trembled and quickly replied respectfully, "B-boss! The detected power levels are around thirty thousand for the lowest, and around a hundred thousand for the highest!"
He was afraid of answering too slowly and facing the wrath of his already displeased superior.
"Oh? That weak?" Simoreka was momentarily taken aback. If that was all, then there was no threat. His mind immediately turned to more practical matters: Were they intelligent? And more importantly, how much loot were they carrying?
With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Bring the ship closer."
Under Simoreka's command, the ship altered course and soon intercepted the three drifting, desperate figures in their battered space suits. They were hauled aboard.
Once their suits were removed, the trio revealed themselves: Pasda, Panai, and Geti—the very Universe Pirates who had failed to rob Rhode and had only narrowly escaped death by using the power-dampening functions in their suits to hide from his final barrage. Now, they were emaciated, their faces gaunt, their energy utterly depleted, looking more like ghosts than warriors.
"Oh my god!" Even with his own battle power exceeding 600,000, Simoreka was startled by their wretched state. "How did you end up like this?"
Recovering from his shock, he pressed for answers.
Facing this new, terrifyingly powerful figure, Pasda and the others recounted their entire ordeal in detail. They emphasized that their attackers might have been from Frieza's Army, hoping to avoid any misunderstanding that could bring further disaster upon themselves.
"Frieza's people?" Simoreka's eyebrow arched in disdain. A mere 530,000 power level, and he calls himself Emperor of the Universe? How laughable. If it weren't for Frieza's powerful father, King Cold, he'd have been eliminated long ago.
"Don't worry," Simoreka said with a dismissive wave. "From now on, you're part of the Saganbo Pirates. You have nothing to fear from Frieza." While King Cold was formidable, their own boss, Zarbon (or more accurately, their true leader in the hierarchy), was a force to be reckoned with as well. They maintained separate territories, but it wasn't out of fear.
"Now," Simoreka's gaze sharpened, falling on the three, "tell me where you've hidden your treasures. And are there any habitable planets nearby?"
"Boss, our stash is here," Pasda readily gave up the location of their loot, then added, "As for habitable planets... the nearest one seems to be Namek. But that planet is very primitive. It has no valuables at all."
"Oh? No valuables?" Simoreka didn't believe a word of it. "We'll go take a look for ourselves."
The decision was made. The Saganbo Pirates now had a new destination: the peaceful, green world of Namek.