After searching for a long time without finding any trace of Cell, Goku was growing increasingly frustrated—he was genuinely tempted to destroy the entire city in a fit of rage.
Meanwhile, not far from the city, a van came to a slow stop on a winding mountain road. Android 17 and Android 18 stepped out, standing side by side on the roadside and gazing down at the smoking city below.
17 crossed his arms and said casually, "That surge of energy earlier... it definitely shook the atmosphere, right?"
18 put her hands on her hips and gave a faint "Mm" in agreement. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the smoke rising from the city and the lone figure drifting through the sky, scanning the area.
"That's… Goku," she muttered. "Could he be fighting someone again?"
"Is there even anyone left on Earth who dares to fight him?" 17 mused, sounding detached. "Could it be one of those bio-androids Dr. Roco was rumored to have created?"
His tone was calm—as if this entire situation didn't concern them at all.
18 frowned. "I've heard they're stronger than us… but could they really be stronger than Goku?" The thought of Goku's overwhelming power filled her with a sense of helplessness.
Suddenly, a cold and sinister voice sounded behind them.
"If I absorb the two of you and reach my perfect form, I will be stronger than Goku."
"Who's there?!" 17 and 18 spun around, alarmed—but they saw nothing.
"Looking the wrong way?" the voice teased. In a flash, a hand grabbed 17 from behind. It was none other than Cell—whom Goku had been hunting down. "What luck! I never thought I'd run into both of you here!"
"Who are you? Judging from your words, it sounds like you've been looking for us. Are you one of the bio-androids created by Dr. Roco and Dr. Gero?" Though he was restrained, 17 remained calm. His confidence in his own power kept him composed.
18, too, stood motionless. In her eyes, there was no way someone like this could defeat 17. She assumed he was just messing around—as he often did.
"Heh heh… Correct. My name is Cell, a bio-android jointly developed by Dr. Gero and Dr. Roco," Cell sneered. "I'd love to chat longer, but Goku could show up any minute. So, let's get this over with. It's time for you to become part of me!"
Without another word, Cell's tail extended toward 17's head. The sharp tip opened like a gaping maw and swallowed his head whole.
17 tried to resist, but Cell pressed his left hand against his back. A powerful suction force surged out, draining 17's strength at an alarming rate. His entire body went limp—resistance became impossible.
"Damn it… I let my guard down!" 17 thought, panic setting in—but it was already too late. His body was being swallowed, bit by bit.
"Hey, 17! Quit messing around! If you don't fight back, you're really gonna get eaten!"
18 still stood there casually, hands on her hips, watching with a disinterested expression. In her mind, this was just another one of 17's games. He was a prankster, after all.
But when she saw only his legs remaining, her expression finally changed.
"17?!"
She rushed forward and grabbed his ankles, trying to pull him free. But in doing so, she had walked straight into a trap.
Cell's tail suddenly expanded again and swallowed 18's arms and head in one gulp. With no way to fight back, she too was devoured piece by piece. The tail bulged grotesquely as their bodies were drawn into Cell's form.
"Ohohoho! Yes… I can feel the power!"
With a triumphant roar, Cell's body began to transform. His muscles grew larger and more defined. His once insect-like form became more humanoid. A powerful aura radiated from him.
At last, Cell had achieved his Perfect Form.
---
Whoosh!
In an instant, Goku appeared before Cell. He stared at the now-perfected bio-android in shock.
"You've reached your perfect form already?"
"Hm?" Cell raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You already know about my perfect form? Well, it doesn't matter now. I've absorbed both 17 and 18. I've surpassed you, Goku!"
As he finished speaking, Cell exploded with energy. The ground beneath him cracked violently, forming a massive crater. His aura carried traces of familiar energies—Frieza's, Piccolo's… even Goku's own ki, and others he didn't recognize.
"Damn… Don't tell me that bastard Roco's been spying on me this whole time? How did I not sense it?" Goku's expression turned grim.
"Indeed," Cell said calmly. "Dr. Roco was a wanted fugitive. During his time on the run, he stumbled upon you—and began monitoring you in secret, collecting your data and genetic material."
"He hid inside a specialized spacecraft that masked all energy signatures and visual detection. It was completely invisible. That's why you never noticed."
"Tch… If that's true, Cell is just the start. The real problem might be this 'Nox' guy he mentioned. If he really combines my DNA with Frieza and Broly's… that's a whole new level of threat…" Goku's brow furrowed deeply. A sense of dread crept into his heart.
"Goku, it's not wise to zone out in front of your enemy."
Cell vanished in an instant and reappeared behind Goku, wrapping him in a tight hold. His tail opened wide, aiming to absorb Goku as well!
"Hmph! You think you can absorb me too? Wrong target, buddy!"
Goku gave a cold snort, instantly transforming into Super Saiyan 2. His energy exploded outward, blowing Cell away. In a flash, Goku appeared behind him, grabbed his tail, and summoned a Ki Disc in his left hand.
With one swift swing, he sliced off Cell's tail at the base.
"Argh!" Cell screamed in pain, flipping mid-air and landing some distance away. He turned to glance at his now smooth backside, his face filled with fury.
"Let's see you absorb anyone now," Goku said with a smirk, launching a ki blast that disintegrated the severed tail completely.
"You think that's enough? Don't forget—I've got Piccolo's cells!"
With a roar, Cell's severed tail regenerated instantly. Goku frowned.
"He didn't even absorb Piccolo's main body… and he can still regenerate? Is this another modification from Dr. Roco?"
"In that case… the real fight begins now!"
Cell powered up fully and leaped forward, his energy crushing the road beneath him as he launched a fist straight at Goku's face.
"Perfect! Let's see what you've got!" Goku grinned, meeting the blow head-on.
BOOM!
Mountains shattered around them as their fists collided, sending shockwaves through the landscape. Cell attacked like a berserk machine—precise, relentless, deadly.
That was no accident—Dr. Roco had designed him as a living weapon of destruction.
But Goku wasn't about to back down. You fight hard? I fight harder! After all he can't die, remember?
The battle became a blur—flashes of movement, bursts of power, fists and feet colliding at impossible speeds. The sounds of their clashing echoed like thunder, splitting the earth and tearing through the sky.
Goku no longer cared about protecting the city. All he wanted was a fight—one worthy of him!
"Haha! Not bad! You've grown strong enough to match my Super Saiyan 2! I'm impressed!"
Goku laughed heartily and hurled another devastating punch.
BAM!
Their fists collided again, followed by a storm of attacks—blows like thunderclaps, lightning streaking the sky.
Suddenly, Cell's eyes glinted coldly. While exchanging punches, he opened his mouth and unleashed a deadly energy beam aimed straight at Goku's head.
If it hit, it would've blown his skull clean off.
But in the blink of an eye, Goku vanished—Instant Transmission.
He reappeared behind Cell and launched a powerful kick, sending Cell crashing into the earth and carving a massive crater.
Goku had avoided using Instant Transmission earlier—afraid Cell might learn it by observing. But at that distance, he had no choice.
"Huh? What was that move? Incredible…" Cell muttered, standing up from the rubble. His head tilted slightly as he replayed the moment in his mind.
Goku saw his reaction and cursed inwardly. If he figures that out, and learns how to use Instant Transmission… tracking him down will be a nightmare.
Without giving Cell a moment to think, Goku dashed forward and threw another punch.
Cell dodged. Goku's punch smashed into the ground, creating a deep crater. Then he launched another flurry of attacks.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fists and kicks collided with earth-shattering force, mountains collapsing, clouds dispersing. The city nearby had long since been reduced to rubble.
At this point, Goku had only one goal—to gauge the full extent of Cell's power, so he could estimate the strength of their unseen enemy… Nox.
---
BOOM!
Once again, Goku's and Cell's fists collided. But this time, something was different. Goku's punch carried a dominant, overwhelming force—wild, unrelenting, and laced with utter contempt.
In that moment, Goku's power skyrocketed.
His golden, lightning-wreathed fist crashed into Cell's, and what had once been an even fight was broken in an instant. Cell was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, smashing into the ground with a deafening crash and creating a bottomless crater.
Cell slowly rose from the hole, his right arm hanging limp and bloody—it was clearly broken.
Wiping the blood from his lips, he stared at Goku in disbelief. "You… Why did your power suddenly increase? Don't tell me… you weren't even using your full strength this whole time?"
"The game's over. I've had enough fun."
Goku walked slowly toward Cell, his energy rising with each step. The ground trembled, rocks levitated and quaked. By the time he stood before Cell, his aura had reached the peak of Super Saiyan 2—blazing gold and streaked with crackling lightning.
_____
T/N:
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