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As Vegeta and the others flew toward The Lookout, they were abruptly intercepted by none other than Cell.
Vegeta narrowed his eyes. This wasn't the same Cell he remembered. His skin was now a deep violet, but more than the color had changed, his power was different, sharper. More refined.
Even more alarming, he was using Instant Transmission.
Krillin, flying close behind, blurted out, "You've gotta be kidding me! Cell can use Instant Transmission now too?!"
With a smirk, Cell responded, "Surprised? Let's just say... I picked up a few tricks while sparring with Goku, in Hell."
His tone darkened with that last word, his grin twisting into a sneer.
Though Cell called it training, the reality was far from mutual. It had been beatdown after beatdown. Goku had relentlessly hammered him with Instant
Transmission-enhanced Kamehameha Waves, over and over again. And because Cell possessed Goku's cells, he eventually adapted. He learned Instant Transmission the hard way, through pain.
Now, for the first time, he had a chance to show off the fruits of that hellish experience, back on Earth.
"Training?" Vegeta snorted. "Don't make me laugh. Sounds like Kakarot wiped the floor with you."
The jab struck a nerve.
"Bastard!" Cell spat.
Vegeta just smirked, clearly enjoying how rattled Cell was. But this wasn't the time for banter. There were bigger priorities.
"Keep moving. I'll handle this clown," Vegeta ordered, turning slightly to address the rest of the Z Fighters.
The others nodded, until Cell cut them off cold.
"No one's going anywhere!" With that declaration, Cell's Ki flared violently. A massive, crackling aura erupted around him, bathing the sky in a blinding purple light. The sheer pressure of his energy made it hard for Krillin and the others to even keep their eyes open.
Without hesitation, Vegeta ascended, straight to Super Saiyan 2.
Then, he vanished.
A sonic boom cracked through the air as he launched himself at Cell. But Cell had changed more than expected. He was far stronger than before. Vegeta's fists slammed into him again and again, yet Cell didn't flinch.
It was just like seven years ago. That same crushing feeling of helplessness began to creep in.
"Is that supposed to hurt, Vegeta?" Cell taunted. "Because it feels like you're just giving me a massage."
But then, something shifted. Vegeta's aura roared, and his golden hair extended down to his waist. In an instant, he transformed into Super Saiyan 3.
BOOM!
A single punch, straight to Cell's face, sent him hurtling through the sky, crashing across the landscape for hundreds of meters.
The Z Fighters watched in shock.
Krillin's jaw dropped. "Super Saiyan 3?! No way… I thought only Goku reached that form!"
Tien snapped him back to reality. "Now's not the time to gawk. Let's move, hurry!"
Without another word, they bolted toward the Lookout. But just as they gained altitude, Cell reappeared in front of them in a flash.
"Going somewhere?" he said, towering above Krillin like a living nightmare.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A golden flash exploded behind Cell, and Vegeta's voice rang out: "Your fight is with me, Cell."
Cell turned, intrigued. "Fine by me. I'll kill you first. The rest can wait."
Tension ignited the air between them like static before a thunderstorm. A single glance, charged with fury and pride, and the skies themselves rippled with raw energy. In a blink, they clashed, too fast to follow, their figures lost in streaks of light.
Behind them, Krillin and the others didn't hesitate. They shot toward the Lookout at full speed.
The battle had begun, but this was only the beginning.
...
Before they could land, a strained, choking cry caught their attention.
The group quickly spotted Videl, pinned beneath a massive fallen tree. Her leg was bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken. Thankfully, her martial arts training had toughened her body. A normal human would've been crushed.
Without a word, Tien raised his hand and hurled the tree aside with a burst of ki.
Videl gasped through clenched teeth but forced herself to speak, urgency overtaking the pain. "You're here looking for Mr. Popo, right?! He's been taken, into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, by three really strange-looking guys!"
Yamcha stepped closer, voice calm. "Easy. Don't strain yourself. Can you describe them?"
Seeing how bad Videl's condition was, Krillin shot off toward Korin Tower, wasting no time. Videl described the attackers: tall, imposing, with armor like Frieza's forces... one of them enormous, one slender and cold-eyed, the other carrying a regal air.
Krillin returned just as she finished, and his eyes went wide. "Wait... are you saying Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold went into the Time Chamber?!"
The shock hit like a thunderclap. He nearly dropped the Senzu Beans as he fumbled through his pouch.
The Z Fighters, even those who had died before, had heard from King Kai about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, a place where a year could pass inside for every day outside. It had been instrumental in the Cell Games era.
But now? The thought of those three tyrants training inside… with Mr. Popo taken hostage? That was a nightmare no one had prepared for.
Krillin knelt beside Videl, gently placing a bean in her hand. "Here. Eat this, you'll heal right away."
Just as she bit down, two flashes of light appeared ahead.
Everyone froze. Standing there were Goku and Piccolo.
"Goku?!" the group shouted in unison, their voices a mix of hope and disbelief.
Krillin rushed forward. "How did you two get here? Don't tell me, you beat Janemba already?!"
But Goku's expression wasn't one of triumph. His usual carefree grin was absent.
"I'm sorry, Krillin," He said softly.
"Piccolo and I failed. We couldn't defeat Janemba… I took a beating, but King Kai had Dende patch me up."
His voice grew heavy. "And if we had beaten Janemba, we should've gone back to the Other World, not wandered here."
Krillin's eyes widened. He suddenly understood what Goku was implying.
Tien stepped forward, brow furrowed. "Then… that means…"
Piccolo answered, voice low and grave: "Janemba is on Earth."
The air seemed to vanish from the Lookout. Everyone froze, stunned. Their worst fears had taken form.
"You've gotta be joking!" Krillin turned to Goku in disbelief. "Tell me you're kidding!"
But the look in Goku's eyes said it all, and then, as if the bad news couldn't get worse,
"Uh… Goku, there's something else," Krillin added reluctantly. "Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold… they're in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
Goku's face darkened further.
Without hesitation, his aura surged and his hair extended into the long golden mane of Super Saiyan 3. His power crackled in the air as he vanished, heading straight for the chamber.
But just as he appeared near its entrance, a ripple of Ki flared nearby as another figure emerged from thin air.
"Goku!" Came a voice dripping with smugness.
It was Cell. Having sensed Goku's energy, he'd used Instant Transmission to intercept him.
And not far behind him,
"You bastard! You escaped again!" Vegeta roared, charging straight at Cell in a blur of gold and fury.
But the moment he caught sight of Goku, Vegeta halted mid-strike. His eyes widened. He rubbed them, as if to confirm it wasn't an illusion. But there was no mistaking that energy, unmistakably, undeniably Kakarot.
"Kakarot..." Vegeta muttered. "You really have reached Super Saiyan 3."
Goku turned and grinned, though his eyes held a flicker of worry. "Vegeta! Long time no see! I didn't expect you to master Super Saiyan 3 too! That's amazing!"
Goku blinked beside Vegeta, throwing an arm around his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
(To Be Continued…)