"Goku, you brought this on yourself!" Cell sneered. "You have no idea what you just did—you're going to get your own son killed! I'm not going to hold back, not even a little. You'll regret this."
With that, Cell didn't hesitate. He shoved the Senzu Bean into his mouth and swallowed.
The fatigue he'd burned through vanished instantly. His body snapped back to peak condition.
Boom!
A heavier, more oppressive power surged out of him, swelling fast.
"So Senzu Beans really are the real deal," Cell said, sounding almost impressed.
"Gohan, you can do it!" Kale shouted at the top of her lungs.
Gohan glanced her way and gave her a small nod.
I have to be someone she can look up to, he told himself. I can't lose to Cell.
"Supreme Kai's kid, good luck!" Zeno-sama called out, cheering him on too.
"AAAAH!"
Gohan roared, and his energy burst outward.
A violent shockwave expanded from him in rolling layers, whipping the air into a storm around the arena.
Cell's eyes widened.
Goku's son has this kind of power?
Trunks looked stunned.
Gohan in this era is already this strong?
Vegeta's expression tightened. He hadn't expected Kakarot's kid to reach this level.
Just in raw Super Saiyan power alone… he's already way past me.
How is that even possible?
"Gohan—yes!" Piccolo shouted, openly thrilled.
"Not bad," Merus said with a pleased smile. "His growth is impressive."
"Gohan's gotten so strong!" Kale clapped excitedly, beaming.
Zeno-sama nodded, satisfied. "Mm. The kid's decent."
"Yes, Zeno-sama," Merus agreed. "I didn't expect Goku's son to reach this point either."
Jiren didn't say a word. He simply glanced at Gohan with open disdain.
That's it?
This is what you call "impressive"?
If you put me in that ring, I'd kill Cell with a look.
Majin Buu—still stuck as a little pony—kept his mouth shut.
Bier didn't comment either.
Broly and Ai only watched in silence, faces calm.
Gine pressed close to Bardock, hands clenched, anxious for Gohan.
"Bardock… he'll be okay, right?" she asked quietly. "Can he beat that monster?"
"Relax," Bardock said, keeping his voice low. "Even if he can't, I'm here."
"Aren't you not allowed to fight?" Gine asked.
"If it comes to that," Bardock murmured, "I won't care about rules."
Cell's smile sharpened as he stared at Gohan. "So you weren't bluffing, Goku."
Then his eyes went cold. "But thinking your kid can challenge me? That's just arrogance. I'll erase him right now. Take a good look at what your bad decision costs. Your son's about to die."
He moved, dropping beside Gohan in a flash.
Gohan immediately set his stance, steadying his breathing.
"Still fired up, huh?" Cell mocked.
He kicked.
Gohan raised his forearm and caught it cleanly.
Cell flipped back to reset, then lunged again, swinging a hand down in a hard palm strike.
Gohan jumped, slipping past it.
Cell's expression twitched.
Twice. He blocked once and dodged once. Annoying little brat.
Cell flashed in front of him again and threw a heavy kick.
Gohan shifted to the side and let it cut past him by inches.
"Gohan, yes!" Kale cried, practically bouncing.
Cell's jaw tightened. "Fine. You want speed? I'll give you speed."
He pushed his movement to the limit and appeared right in Gohan's face.
Smack!
Cell grabbed Gohan by the collar, yanked him forward, and slammed his forehead into Gohan's head.
Blood immediately welled on Gohan's brow.
Cell followed with a ruthless string of punches to Gohan's face, each one snapping his head aside.
Then he flung Gohan away like he weighed nothing.
"Ha!"
A ki blast slammed into Gohan mid-flight and drove him backward, skidding him straight into a nearby mountain.
Gohan's body punched through the rock, carving a path clean through it.
The mountain collapsed in chunks. Dust exploded into the air.
"Gohan… Gohan…" Kale's eyes went red, her whole body shaking. "No… no…"
Snap.
Yellow-green light erupted around her as she transformed into a Legendary Super Saiyan.
"Kale—calm down!" Merus stepped in quickly. "Gohan's not in danger."
Kale trembled harder.
He just got smashed through a mountain, and you're telling me he's fine?
I don't believe you!
"Kale," Merus urged, "feel his ki. Just check."
Flash.
Ken vanished from where he stood.
Merus blinked.
Where did you go?
Flash.
Ken reappeared beside Vegeta.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "Ken?"
"Vegeta, I've got a job for you," Ken said.
"Say it," Vegeta replied.
"You see Kale over there?" Ken asked.
Vegeta looked toward her and nodded. "You want me to fight her now?"
"Not yet," Ken said. "If Kale tries to interfere in Gohan and Cell's fight, you stop her. Got it?"
Vegeta stared.
"You're saying she'd interfere to help Gohan?" he asked.
"That's exactly what I mean," Ken said.
Vegeta snorted. "Fine. I'll do it. I'm going to fight her sooner or later anyway."
Ken gave Vegeta's shoulder a light pat, then disappeared again.
Flash.
He returned to Merus's side.
With Merus's urging, Kale finally forced herself to calm down. The yellow-green aura faded, and she dropped back to base form.
She'd sensed it—Gohan's ki hadn't weakened. The knot in her chest loosened.
If he's not in immediate danger… then I won't jump in, she told herself.
Merus glanced at Ken. "What did you say to Vegeta?"
Ken didn't bother hiding it. He told Merus exactly what he'd told Vegeta.
"That's not a bad setup," Merus said, nodding. "This tournament was meant to train them anyway. If those two clash, it fits the purpose."
Ken turned slightly, making sure Zeno-sama heard. "What do you think, Zeno-sama?"
Zeno-sama nodded, pleased. "That's a reasonable arrangement."
Down below, Cell stared at the collapsed mountain with a smug grin.
"Heh. I might've hit a little too hard," he said with a cold laugh. "Trying to fight me? He's still a kid."
"Gohan… he'll be okay, right?" Gine asked again, voice tight.
"He's fine," Bardock said. "His ki hasn't dropped."
"Good…" Gine exhaled, easing up a little.
Nearby, the cameraman and commentator looked sick.
"What… what is happening?" the commentator muttered, face pale. "A child challenged Cell, and now he's lost his… precious… precious life…"
He clearly thought Gohan was dead.
Piccolo didn't. He was too furious.
He rounded on Goku, face dark. "Goku… this is on you! You never should've put Gohan in there! You could've beaten Cell yourself!"
Goku stayed quiet.
"Give him back!" Piccolo shouted, voice cracking with anger.
"Relax," Goku said, calm. "Gohan's ki hasn't dropped at all."
Piccolo froze. Then he forced himself to sense it.
The moment he did, his shoulders loosened.
I thought he killed him, Piccolo thought, heart still pounding.
Gohan shouldn't go down that easily… and he can regenerate, too.
Cell chuckled. "Goku, quit messing around. Eat a Senzu Bean and fight me again, or send out the next challenger."
As he spoke, he lifted his gaze toward Kale on the distant hill, eyes openly taunting.
"That monster is calling me out!" Kale snapped, fists clenching as her yellow-green aura flared again.
Merus stared at her.
You really can't sit still for two seconds.
Fine. Ken already prepared Vegeta to stop you anyway.
If it happens, it'll be the perfect first round between the two future Gods of Destruction.
Merus's thoughts started spinning.
How do I push Kale far enough to awaken Legendary Super Saiyan Two?
Is Cell too weak to push her properly? If I step in and "disappear," it'll look staged…
He was still overthinking when Cell called out again. "Hey, Kale! How about you and I have a go?"
"Hmph. Fine!" Kale snapped.
She launched in a yellow-green streak straight toward Cell.
"Damn it!" Vegeta growled.
Golden light exploded around him as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
He moved faster than Kale, flashing above her.
Bang!
Vegeta kicked downward, smashing Kale out of the sky.
Kale dropped like a stone and slammed into the rubble where Gohan had crashed.
The moment stunned everyone watching.
It was obvious what Kale had been trying to do—she was going to help Gohan.
Instead, Vegeta had booted her away like she was in his way.
"Dad… why?" Trunks blurted, completely lost.
Why are you helping Cell?
"What is Vegeta doing?" Krillin muttered, tense.
"Did Vegeta turn bad again?" Yamcha guessed, uneasily.
"I saw Ken lean in and say something to Vegeta earlier," Piccolo said, thinking it through. "Ken probably didn't want Kale interfering."
Krillin and Yamcha fell silent.
If Ken planned it, there's nothing for us to argue.
Cell's face darkened. "Vegeta. Don't interfere."
Then he narrowed his eyes. "Or are you challenging me?"
Vegeta didn't even acknowledge him.
"Kale?" Gohan climbed out of the rubble and pulled her up immediately.
"Gohan!" Kale's face brightened, then she looked up at Vegeta, furious. "Hey! What was that, mister?!"
Vegeta snorted. "This is Gohan versus Cell. Nobody else interferes. If you insist, don't blame me when I get rough."
Kale clenched her fists, glaring.
"Kale, it's okay," Gohan said, holding her hand. "Don't step in. I'll handle Cell."
Kale froze.
"…Huh? Why are you blushing?" Gohan asked, genuinely confused.
"It's… nothing," Kale mumbled, cheeks red. She quietly pulled her hand back.
Gohan didn't dwell on it. He turned and walked toward Cell again.
Cell watched him with a faint frown.
Tough kid. He can take a beating.
"Cell," Gohan said, voice steady, "let's continue."
"Hmph," Cell replied. "Didn't think you had that kind of nerve."
Gohan's gaze lowered, serious. "I don't like fighting. I don't want to kill anyone… even someone as evil as you. I'm not like my dad."
"I get that you don't like fighting," Cell said with a smirk. "What I don't get is why you think you can avoid killing me. In a hundred years, you still won't be able to kill me. Right?"
Gohan kept his eyes down. "I've had power like this for a long time. When I get angry—really angry—I lose control, and something snaps. My strength explodes past what I can normally reach."
He drew a breath. "I think Dad put me here because he wants me to break through."
"Oh?" Cell said, suddenly interested. "And?"
"Because Ken once said…" Gohan's voice steadied. "He said I'll become a future God of Destruction."
Cell laughed. "A God of Destruction too? Like Vegeta wants to be? So that's what this is now—everyone racing to become a Supreme Kai or a God of Destruction?"
"Yes," Gohan said simply. "There's a universe waiting for me."
"A universe?" Cell blinked. "You're saying there are other universes besides this one?"
"That's right," Gohan said.
Cell shrugged. "Sure. I'll pretend I believe you."
Then he smiled wider, almost eager. "But you know what? I want to see you get angry. I want to see how strong you'll be when you're fit to be a God of Destruction."
Gohan stared at him, stunned.
He didn't expect Cell to say that.
Crack!
Cell answered by punching Gohan in the face.
Then an elbow drove into Gohan and nearly knocked him off his feet.
A side kick followed, blasting Gohan backward.
Gohan flipped once in the air and landed cleanly.
Cell laughed, charging again. "Come on! Get angry, Gohan! Show me! I want to see the real thing!"
He threw a straight punch.
Gohan hopped aside and kicked Cell in the head.
Smack!
Cell landed hard on his backside and slowly got up, rubbing his jaw.
Gohan simply watched him, refusing to press the advantage.
Cell wiped blood from his lip, eyes bright with anticipation.
"I don't care how," Cell said, voice low. "I'm going to make you angry."
He extended a finger, aiming at Gohan from a distance.
Gohan felt a chill crawl up his spine.
A thin golden beam shot from Cell's fingertip toward Gohan's chest.
Gohan jerked back, barely avoiding it.
More followed—thin, stabbing streams of light, fired again and again.
Gohan weaved desperately, dodging on instinct.
"I'm coming!" Kale shouted, her yellow-green aura flaring as she rushed toward them.
A cold voice cut her off.
"No," Vegeta said, appearing right in front of her to block her path. "This is their duel. If you want to interfere, you go through me first."
"Move," Kale said, eyes hard.
Vegeta didn't budge.
"I said move!" Kale yelled.
She grabbed Vegeta by the head and slammed him down toward the ground.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed.
Broly used to do that to me, he thought. Now a girl wants to try it?
He drove a punch into Kale's forearm.
She yelped and lost her grip.
Vegeta seized the back of her head and drove a knee up hard.
The strike hit her square in the stomach.
Kale gagged, coughing up bitter liquid, her face going pale.
Vegeta kicked her down and smirked. "Legendary Super Saiyan? Not as big a deal as people make it sound."
Gohan's face changed when he saw Kale go down. "Kale!"
"Worry about yourself first," Cell said, smiling.
He flashed in, wrapped both arms around Gohan, and squeezed.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Bones groaned under pressure.
Gohan screamed, voice ragged with pain.
"Does it hurt?" Cell whispered, cruelly amused. "Good. Now get angry. If you don't, you die. Come on—show me. Your bones are about to snap and you still won't rage?"
Kale's eyes widened from the ground.
She saw Gohan's face—heard the sound—and something inside her tore open.
Boom!
Yellow-green light blasted straight into the sky.
Kale's power spiked violently, pouring out in waves.
Vegeta's face shifted as the pressure hit him.
So that's her real strength…
That's Broly-level intensity.
Damn it.
But I'm not losing to some kid from Universe 6.
Vegeta's lips curled into a grin. "Finally. Now it's interesting."
He drew in a breath, excitement rising.
I'll show you what the Saiyan Prince can do.
I won't lose. I can't lose.
Power surged through him.
His body shook, then expanded rapidly—
In a heartbeat, Vegeta transformed into a massive golden Great Ape.
Shock swept the battlefield. People stared upward without thinking.
The sky was covered in thick clouds, grey and heavy.
There was no moon.
"Vegeta transformed?!" Krillin blurted, craning his neck.
"Today isn't a full moon," Yamcha said, scratching his head. "So how—?"
"Wait… you can transform without a moon?" Tien said, stunned.
Piccolo looked up and couldn't find words.
"Vegeta… that's incredible," Goku said, genuinely impressed.
Gine stared, shaken.
He turned into a giant monkey…
Is that King Kong?
"That's our Saiyan transformation," Bardock explained. "When there's a full moon, Saiyans can become a Great Ape."
"A full moon?" Gine said, still staring at the sky. "But it isn't the fifteenth… there's no full moon."
"Vegeta really is a genius," Bardock said quietly. "He can do it without the moon now."
"Whoa! Big!" Zeno-sama clapped excitedly.
Ken sighed, deeply unimpressed.
Jiren watched the transformation and didn't look impressed at all.
You got bigger. You got stronger. Your level barely crawled up to 5.
I could still send you flying with a glance.
Broly and Ai looked on without comment, faces unreadable.
Merus stayed quiet, sweat sliding down his face.
Vegeta can do that now?
Kale's in trouble.
Even if her aura is fierce, Vegeta's raw output in that form is higher.
Cell stared up at the sky too, eyes wide.
No moon.
So Vegeta doesn't need a full moon anymore?
Cell's composure cracked.
If that's true, it's terrifying.
I have to absorb Kale's cells—now.
If I don't, Vegeta will kill me.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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