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Cell was furious.
Cell
Goku's bizarre surrender, the abrupt end to a battle that had burned so fiercely just moments ago, left a hollow void in his chest. The rage inside him had nowhere to go. It clawed at him from within like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart.
"Cut the crap, Cell!" Goku roared. "Just because I'm surrendering doesn't mean there's no one on Earth who can blast you into dust!"
The shout hit like a thunderclap out of a clear sky. Everyone was stunned by his declaration of defeat, only to be shaken even harder by the sheer arrogance in his voice.
Just moments ago, he'd been fighting like a man setting his life on fire. Now he stood there smiling, relaxed, eyes sharp as blades as they locked onto Cell.
"Trust me. Once the next fighter steps in, your little 'Cell Games' are over. I'll say it right here—if even that guy loses, then yeah, this planet's done for. No one can stop you."
"But right now? He'll wipe the floor with you. That's why I can walk away from this mess without a second thought and admit I've lost."
Every word hit Cell like a hammer to the chest.
The so-called perfect being frowned, doubt flickering across his face. He stared at Goku, searching that confident grin for even the tiniest hint of panic.
"You're saying… someone stronger than you exists? Strong enough to crush even me, the ultimate perfect lifeform?"
He lifted his chin, disdain written all over his face.
Impossible.
His cells carried the combat memories of the strongest warriors in the universe. Those memories told him clearly: Goku was the upper limit of this planet's power.
And now this monkey was claiming Earth hid someone even more terrifying?
Ridiculous. Absurd.
Cell had expected his challenge to shake Goku's confidence. Instead—
"You got it," Goku shot back instantly. "That's exactly what I mean."
Cell froze.
Then the scorn in his eyes turned into raw fury. He threw his head back and burst into manic laughter, mocking fate itself.
"HAHAHAHA! In this vast universe, someone stronger than me? They don't exist!"
The laughter cut off abruptly.
"You're wrong," Goku said, voice low and steady. "Not only does that person exist—he's got the power to erase you completely."
Cell's face darkened. Muscles tensed like stone. He glared down at Goku like a venomous snake.
"Fine. Then tell me. Who is this 'savior' that made you give up?"
Goku only chuckled.
Then he turned slowly, his gaze traveling across the battlefield before settling on a scorched rock in the distance—where Krillin, Piccolo, and the others stood watching, drenched in sweat.
Krillin and Piccolo could barely process what they were hearing. Someone stronger than Cell? That shattered everything they thought they knew.
And it wasn't just them. Across countless worlds, beings watching this life-or-death battle through their screens held their breath. Cell's power already stood among the highest tiers of the multiverse. Who could possibly surpass that?
The scene shifted.
Outside the video, Goku stood with a faint smile. Beside him, a four-year-old Gohan rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up from his blanket, looking around in confusion.
"Dad!"
He leapt toward his father—only to find his usual spot in Goku's arms currently occupied by Chi-Chi. The little boy drooped instantly, pure grievance on his face.
GohanChi-Chi
Goku looked at his son like he was the greatest treasure in the world.
"Gohan, come here."
He scooped him up high into the air, eyes full of awe.
"I can't believe it… Future you is actually stronger than me."
"Huh?"
Everyone felt like the ground had tilted under their feet.
Back in the video, Goku finally shattered the suspense.
"Your turn now… Son Gohan!!!"
The name exploded across the battlefield.
"What?! Gohan?!" Chi-Chi gasped in front of the screen.
Then the camera shifted—to a future Gohan descending in Super Saiyan form. Tears burst from Chi-Chi's eyes like a broken dam.
Super Saiyan
"My baby! Goku, how could you let him fight that monster?!"
She collapsed, sobbing.
Goku scratched his head awkwardly. He lived for battle. Knowing his son had surpassed him filled him with wild excitement. Fighting a true powerhouse—that was glory.
But he'd overlooked one thing.
To a mother, this wasn't glory. It was terror.
Still, he asked himself honestly—if Gohan was Earth's only hope, he would make the same decision again. Death didn't scare him much anyway. The Other World was practically his second home.
Bulma and Ox-King rushed to comfort Chi-Chi, unable to comprehend Goku's cold-blooded choice.
BulmaOx-King
Goku looked down at little Gohan, who was fiddling with the Four-Star Dragon Ball on his hat. In the video, Gohan looked nearly twelve.
"I can't wait to see what you become," Goku murmured.
Back in the battlefield footage, the biggest reaction didn't come from Krillin.
It came from Piccolo.
Piccolo
"Have you lost your mind, Goku?!" he roared. "Gohan can't fight Cell! Yeah, he's gotten stronger—but that thing is a monster even you couldn't handle!"
Goku just smiled calmly.
"Don't forget. Gohan's always had explosive potential. Remember when he was barely talking and already standing against Frieza-level threats? When I was his age, I wasn't even close."
Frieza
Krillin hesitated. "Even if Gohan can go Super Saiyan… he still shouldn't be able to…"
His voice trailed off as he looked at the quiet boy nearby.
Goku laughed brightly. "When we trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, I felt it. That sleeping power inside him—it's waking up."
Hyperbolic Time Chamber
He stepped toward Gohan and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"So? After watching me fight Cell, you think it's too much?"
Gohan avoided his eyes.
"Not really… but that's because neither you nor Cell were going all out, right?"
Goku's smile deepened.
"Whether Cell was, I don't know. But me? I used everything I had."
Gohan's expression froze.
"And you're thinking… if you stepped in, it wouldn't be that hard. Right?"
Gohan lowered his head.
That small motion hit Krillin and Piccolo like lightning. They understood exactly what it meant.
Piccolo stepped forward, voice tight. "Is that true… Gohan?"
Gohan looked up and nodded firmly. "Yeah."
Silence.
Across the battlefield, Vegeta's face twisted with shock and unwilling disbelief.
Vegeta
On the other side of the multiverse—
In an abandoned house in the world ofOne Punch Man, Garou sat on a couch, having just snapped a homeowner's neck. He stared at the floating screen, unimpressed.
Garou
"That brat? Fighting a monster like Cell?"
No way.
Yet when he watched Cell's apocalyptic power—and remembered the battle between Saitama and Boros—something twisted in his chest.
SaitamaBoros
He'd seen that bald hero before, trailing behind the S-Class hero Genos. He never understood how someone who looked so average could stand beside a top-tier fighter.
Genos
But the footage revealed the truth.
Saitama's power could shatter worlds.
Fear gripped Garou.
Then exhilaration followed.
He had found it.
A summit to chase.
If he could knock that monster named Saitama off his throne, then he would stand alone at the top. The unbeatable one of this dimension.
So he replayed the battle clips over and over, studying every move like sacred scripture, absorbing every shred of combat insight to push himself closer to absolute strength.
"....."