Trunks felt the massive, familiar, yet twisted pressure in the air. His expression turned grim. "Master Turles, is that Cell? How did he become this powerful?"
"That's Cell, alright," Turles replied. "But not the one from your timeline. Judging by that sudden spike in power, the Cell from your world had some pretty bad luck. He probably ran straight into this one the moment he arrived and got himself absorbed."
The Cell from Trunks' timeline: "Are you kidding me? Does anyone know what it feels like to run into a monster the second you step out the door? I barely made it into this era before I became a snack. This is beyond ridiculous!"
"The Cell from the other timeline?" Trunks blinked.
"Yeah. He's the one who set up the Cell Games. Your father and Kakarot are training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber right now, but I'm honestly not sure if they can handle him this time..."
Turles sighed internally. This Cell was definitely overtuned. You're supposed to be Cell, man. Your battle power is catching up to Fat Buu. Are you playing with mods or something?
As the days trickled by, the time for the Cell Games finally arrived.
The group flew toward the designated arena. When Turles spotted a certain flamboyant figure, his lips twitched. Of course. This guy actually showed up.
Mr. Satan was currently on the ring Cell had built, stacking tiles with practiced bravado. Under Cell's "are-you-an-idiot" gaze, Satan let out a roar and chopped downward.
While the feat was impressive to ordinary humans, Cell didn't give it a second thought. His eyes were locked onto one man in the crowd: Son Goku.
"You've finally arrived, Son Goku!"
At this moment, Cell had eyes for no one else. The rest were mere background noise.
Suddenly, Satan shouted, "Cell! Your opponent is the great Mr. Satan!"
He lunged forward and threw a punch straight at Cell's face. With a casual flick of his wrist, Cell swatted him away. Mr. Satan went sailing through the air like a discarded toy.
One had to admit, surviving a hit from Cell—even a casual one—made Satan something of a legend, even if it was only because Cell couldn't be bothered to kill him.
"Son Goku, come! I've waited far too long!" Cell called out. "Or do you want someone else to go first?"
Goku didn't hesitate. He leaped onto the ring, a small smile on his face. "In that case, I'll take the first turn. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Vegeta let out a dissatisfied grunt. "Hmph. Fine. I'll let you go first, Kakarot. Let's see what kind of power you've hidden away!"
"Starting with you? I was hoping to save the best for last," Cell said, dropping into a fighting stance.
Goku mirrored him. "You're overestimating me, but I've been looking forward to this fight for a long time, Cell."
"Is that so? Then come!"
Cell let out a sharp cry. Goku blurred forward, and the two began a series of high-speed probing exchanges.
In the crowd, Krillin noticed something and stared in disbelief at the woman standing near Turles. "Turles! Why would you bring Bulma here?!"
He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. "Wait... no Ki? And the hair color is different... what the...?"
Future Bulma looked at the familiar faces around her, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "Everyone... it's been a long time."
Trunks scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh, Mr. Krillin, that's my mother. She's from the same timeline as me."
"Oh, I see!"
The group finally understood. They had wondered why Turles would bring a defenseless Bulma to such a dangerous place. However, they couldn't help but feel that this "Future Bulma" felt far from simple...
Up in the air, Cell spoke over the sound of clashing fists. "Alright. The warm-up ends here!"
"Right!"
The two landed, their battle intent flaring.
"Now the real fight begins," Krillin whispered, his face turning solemn.
Goku's gaze sharpened. This time, he didn't hold back. He began to draw out his full power.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Goku's roar shook the earth. The sheer pressure of his energy made even Cell blink in surprise.
"Super Saiyan?"
"Hah!"
A golden aura erupted from Cell as well. "Bring it!"
Goku moved with zero-frame startup, burying a fist into Cell's gut. Cell countered instantly, and the resulting shockwave caused the air to ripple violently.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Goku unleashed a flurry of punches. Cell blocked them with practiced ease, parrying punches, elbows, and knees without missing a beat.
BOOM!
Their fists collided, and both fighters used the impact to leap back and gain distance. Cell looked at Goku and chuckled. "Son Goku, I can feel it. You're still hiding a massive amount of energy. Come on! Show me what you're really capable of!"
Goku let out a helpless laugh. "Can't hide anything from you, can I? Well, if that's the case..."
"HA—!!!"
With a thunderous roar, golden light exploded outward once more. The power surge was immense.
Crackle! Spark!
The golden aura tightened, becoming a jagged, jet-like spray. Arcs of blue lightning began to dance around his body. Goku had transcended. He was now a Super Saiyan 2!
"I knew you could do it! Come on, Goku!"
Cell's aura flared, transforming him into Super Perfect Cell. Arcs of electricity crackled around him as he beckoned Goku with a finger.
"Hah!"
The battle instantly entered a fever pitch.
Vegeta watched from the sidelines, his knuckles white. "Dammit, Kakarot! You've actually reached this level!"
"Hmph. Son Goku," Cell taunted as they clashed. "If this is all you've got, you won't be stopping me from destroying this planet!"
Goku's eyes narrowed. He pushed his power even further.
Swish!
Goku used Instant Transmission, catching Cell off guard and slamming him into the ground.
Cell's reactions were lightning-fast. Even as he tumbled, he corrected his trajectory, landing firmly on his feet and throwing a blind punch behind him.
THUD!
"Interesting. You really haven't wasted my expectations."
"Hmm?"
Cell blinked in surprise. As his hand made contact with Goku, the image began to fade. It was an afterimage!
Goku had used the Afterimage Technique to appear directly behind Cell, delivering a brutal kick that sent the monster spiraling into the sky. Goku flickered away again with Instant Transmission, appearing in Cell's flight path and slamming both fists down on him.
Swish!
Cell reacted instantly, his silhouette beginning to blur and dissipate.
"What? This is—?!"
Goku's pupils shrank. It was the Afterimage Technique! Cell had copied it after seeing it just once!
BOOM!
Goku was hammered into the ground, his feet carving deep grooves into the stone.
"Hah... puff... hah..."
Goku stabilized his body, breathing heavily as he looked up at Cell. He hadn't expected the monster's talent to be this absurd. His ability to learn and adapt was terrifying.
"Son Goku, I have to praise you. You are truly strong," Cell said, floating down. "But this is where it ends!"