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He practically worshiped the villains in the video—those rotten-to-the-core monsters like Saga and Cell. Every one of them fit perfectly into his personal image of an "evil hero."
No complicated reason. They were ruthless. Arrogant. And strong enough to crush everything in their path.
When the "Cell Games" reached the moment where Cell's opponent—the glaring golden-haired Saiyan, Son Goku—actually forfeited the match, Garou's lips curled into a dark, satisfied smile.
See? He knew it.
Cell wasn't someone a "blond punk" like that could even dream of challenging.
But the next scene froze that sneer solid.
Goku was sending his son out to fight.
His son.
A scrawny little kid who still smelled of milk.
Garou's face twisted.
What could a brat like that possibly do? Walk out there and get slaughtered? Against a being like Cell—an ultimate lifeform—there was only one outcome. Instant annihilation.
As for Goku's nonsense about "Gohan being stronger"? Garou didn't buy a single word.
In his eyes, a child that age having power greater than Cell was laughable. Goku's speech was nothing but desperate self-delusion.
"Go on, Cell," Garou muttered, grin widening into something cold and warped. "Let me see you grind that idiot kid into paste."
He was already anticipating the spectacle—Cell crushing Gohan like a fragile toy.
In the world of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Hideo Kuze watched Cell on the screen and sneered.
"Brute strength with no brains. A complete idiot."
To him, power and intelligence were meant to complement each other. Strategy and force should intertwine. A creature capable of destroying worlds acting like a dull-witted thug? Disgusting.
If he had that kind of power, toppling and ruling the world would be easier than breathing.
"Gohan? A half-grown kid?" he scoffed. "Is everyone in that world just muscle with atrophied brains?"
In the dark underbelly of Valoran, inside a workshop thick with oil and gunpowder, a masked man watched the video intently.
His hands never stopped moving.
Metal petals clicked and locked into place—deadly mechanical lotus bombs assembling effortlessly beneath his fingers. The crisp snap of gears meshed strangely well with the soft piano drifting from an old radio in the corner.
His eyes gleamed behind the grotesque mask, immersed in serene ecstasy.
"Interesting… Cell. Gohan. Goku." His voice was low, thoughtful. "But Cell… you're far from perfection."
He rose gracefully, swaying to the music in a slow, unsettling dance.
Behind him hung a dried, bloodstained human head.
One of his masterpieces.
Back in the video, Goku crouched at the edge of a cliff and gave Gohan's shoulder a firm pat.
"Go on, Gohan. I believe in you."
"I want you to bring peace back to this world. Didn't you always want to be a scholar?"
Their eyes met.
At first, Gohan's gaze flickered with shock—and doubt. Doubt in himself. In the power he'd tried so hard to suppress.
But the instant their eyes locked, something surged inside him. A wave of conviction. Of energy.
His expression hardened.
A confident, battle-ready smile spread across his face as he nodded firmly.
"Okay. I'll try."
Goku smiled, satisfied, and withdrew his hand.
Gohan turned, ripped off the heavy weighted outfit Piccolo had given him, and let it fall.
Under the anxious stares of their friends, golden energy erupted around him. He leapt from the towering cliff, blazing like a falling star.
Cell hovered midair, watching the boy descend. His lips curled in disdain.
Only Goku was worthy of him.
This kid?
Not even close.
"Pathetic insect."
In Cell's mind, Gohan's death was already sealed.
On the cliff, Goku turned to Krillin.
"Hey, Krillin. You got any senzu beans? Mind giving me one?"
Krillin blinked in surprise—but seeing Goku's torn-up body, he handed one over without hesitation.
"Thanks!"
Goku grabbed it.
And then—
"Cell!"
He shouted up at the sky and hurled the senzu bean straight at his enemy.
"GOKU?!"
Piccolo and the others stared at him like they'd been struck by lightning.
Were you secretly working for Cell?!
Cell himself hesitated for a split second—but his instincts were razor sharp. He caught the object midair.
A plain little bean lay in his palm.
"What's this?" he asked coolly.
"It's a senzu bean. Eat it."
Goku ignored the murderous glares from his friends. His voice carried unwavering faith in his son.
Krillin snapped.
"Goku! You absolute idiot!!"
Cell had already been exhausted from fighting. Even if Gohan wasn't stronger, they still had a chance.
And what did Goku do?
He gave their enemy a full heal.
"What are you thinking?!" Krillin roared.
Goku blinked, genuinely confused.
"It's fine! Cell's worn out. If Gohan beats him like that, it wouldn't be fair."
Fair.
That word shattered what little sanity they had left.
Yamcha exploded. "Fair?! The world's on the line and you're worried about fairness?!"
Even Cell chuckled.
"Son Goku… you hopeless fool. At this point, you're still clinging to pride?"
"If the boy dies because of your interference, I bear no responsibility."
"But since it's your generous offer… I'll accept."
He popped the senzu bean into his mouth, chewing it down with a smirk.
One second later—
His body jolted.
Power surged through him like a roaring river. His aura exploded outward, shaking heaven and earth.
The oppressive force was even stronger than before.
Watching from the projection, Krillin and the others felt that despair all over again.
They turned slowly to stare at the Goku sitting on their couch, holding Gohan and watching quietly.
Chi-Chi had fainted the moment Gohan agreed to fight.
"Son Goku! This has gone too far!" Even Master Roshi was livid.
Krillin clenched his fists. If he weren't so sure he'd lose, he might've punched him.
Bulma didn't hesitate. She smacked Goku upside the head and yanked his ear.
"Goku! What is wrong with you?! Are you trying to kill your own son?!
I get that you're battle-crazy, but could you at least think for once?!
If Gohan dies and you can't beat a fully restored Cell, the Earth is finished!"
Goku sat there, bewildered, enduring the storm.
He understood the choice. He agreed with it wholeheartedly.
To him, that was what a true martial arts match should be—fair and square.
But…
Why were they all so furious?
If it was a duel, shouldn't it be completely fair?
Bulma ranted until she was out of breath, only to find Goku still wearing that innocent, "I did nothing wrong" expression. She almost laughed in disbelief.
This wasn't some savior complex.
It was pure devotion to martial arts. Childlike. Absolute.
He simply wanted fairness.
But the others couldn't accept that—because this "fairness" might cost Gohan his life.
His own son.
What kind of father does that?
No matter how the countless worlds judged him, the video marched on.
Cell, fully restored, radiated suffocating power. It sent chills through both the characters on-screen and the viewers across dimensions.
Even in high-powered worlds like Naruto or One Piece, people felt uneasy.
In lower-powered worlds like Detective Conan or Doraemon, it was outright terror.
Detective Conan World
Professor Agasa trembled like a candle in the wind, nearly passing out.
Conan gritted his teeth. Haibara shook beside him. For a moment, she was back in front of Gin and the Organization.
But comparing them to Cell?
Suddenly, Gin didn't seem that terrifying anymore.
"This… this makes no sense," Conan muttered. "It's just a projection. Why does it feel like that monster is standing right in front of us?"
His worldview was cracking.
Marvel Universe – Asgard
In Asgard, Loki stared at Cell with barely restrained excitement.
Even he was shaken by that aura.
In Asgard, he was no powerhouse. His edge lay in cunning and strategy.
But the hunger for strength burned inside him.
The same bitter hunger he felt whenever he looked at his brother—Thor—with his divine lightning and brute force.
Loki knew it better than anyone.
The throne of Asgard had never truly been meant for him.
And the reason was painfully simple.
Weak.
He was weak.
Too weak to even rival that hammer-swinging brute he called brother.
Among Asgard's warriors, most could overpower the so-called God of Mischief without breaking a sweat…
"....."