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Trunks heard this and felt somewhat puzzled.

However, before he could voice his question, Cell had already departed from the small island.

Cell's intentions were simple; he had no particular interest in killing or conquering the world.

He desired to battle the strong and wanted to plunge the humans of Earth into a state of panic.

This likely had a great deal to do with the cells of Son Goku and Vegeta flowing within his body.

Trunks watched the receding figure of Cell, his heart a complex mix of emotions, unsure of what to think.

It was only after a long while that he remembered his father was still lying on the ground.

He hurried over, fortunate to still have a Senzu Bean on his person.

After Vegeta consumed the Senzu Bean, his consciousness began to stir, and he returned to a healthy state.

Looking around to find no one but Trunks, he asked in a low voice, "Where is Cell?"

He did not believe his son was capable of finishing off Cell.

The only possibility was that Cell had chosen not to kill them and had left of his own accord.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't defeat Cell; he has already left!"

Trunks lowered his head, speaking with self-reproach.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze fixed on the distance as he said indifferently, "I knew it. With your meager tricks, how could you possibly defeat Cell!"

Hearing his father say this, Trunks buried his head even lower, feeling deeply ashamed!

He had thought he had surpassed his father, but it turned out he had been too presumptuous.

"Where did he go?" Vegeta glanced at him and asked coldly.

Trunks shook his head; he did not know where Cell had gone.

At the same time, he relayed the news that Cell intended to hold a World Martial Arts Tournament.

Cell was preparing to challenge all the strong fighters on Earth!

"Damn it!" Upon hearing Trunks' account, Vegeta felt no relief at having survived; instead, a deep sense of humiliation welled up within him.

After a long silence, Vegeta lowered his arms from his chest and said in a deep voice, "I am going to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber once more. If you just let me go in one more time, I will be able to defeat Cell!"

Seeing his father so full of fighting spirit, hope ignited in Trunks' heart.

He decided that he would continue to train alongside his father to face Cell together.

West City.

Li Lin gazed at the sky, watching the vanishing energy signatures, and said with a faint smile, "It seems the battle over there has concluded."

Android 18 stared at him, asking curiously, "Who won? Trunks' energy kept rising just now, even surpassing Cell's at one point. It should be him who won, right?"

Li Lin smiled and shook his head.

If he didn't know the plot, he might have thought the same based on the energy readings alone.

"I suspect Cell won. Trunks had a lot of momentum, but Cell is not that easy to deal with."

"I am more inclined to believe that Cell didn't kill them, but simply left on his own."

Li Lin explained to her calmly.

Android 18 frowned deeply; ever since Cell appeared, she had felt a lingering sense of unease.

As long as this monster remained unvanquished, she could never truly be at peace.

"Then what exactly is this guy trying to do?" Android 18 voiced her question.

Li Lin chose not to reveal any information, shrugging his shoulders as he said, "Who knows? That guy has fused the cells of so many people; his way of thinking might not be the same as a normal person's."

Hearing this explanation, Android 18 shook her head helplessly.

Regardless, she was now by Li Lin's side, and she believed that this man would always protect her.

The sky grew darker, and the pedestrians on the street became fewer and fewer.

Since the two had nowhere to go, they simply found a luxury hotel to stay in.

When Li Lin suggested they share a room, he was met with a refusal.

The reason was that she wasn't ready yet and needed some time to adjust.

Li Lin had no choice but to give up, feeling helpless.

Come to think of it, from getting to know each other to establishing a relationship, only half a day had passed; the progress was indeed quite rapid.

She certainly needed some time to process it all.

However, this was a trial for Li Lin; having a beauty right beside him yet being unable to touch her made him feel incredibly restless.

"Sigh! It seems I'll only have my own hand for company tonight," Li Lin sighed.

The Lookout.

Son Goku and Son Gohan were still training intensely inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Outside, Piccolo wore a look of deep concern; he was well aware of Cell's plan to host the World Martial Arts Tournament.

He had made up his mind: once Goku emerged, he would enter the chamber to train himself.

Regardless of how much he could improve, he was determined to be of help when the time came.

The next morning.

Cell scouted out a desolate wilderness.

With a slight wave of his hands and a series of explosions, a rugged, chaotic stretch of land was leveled flat.

He then gathered several massive boulders, carved them into shape, and placed them onto the leveled ground.

In less than a minute, a massive arena had been constructed.

"Hmm, this will do!" Cell nodded in satisfaction and chuckled coldly, "Next, it's time to spread the word!"

Inside the World TV Station.

People were bustling about, preparing the morning news and subsequent programming as they did every day.

Just then, a deafening crash erupted.

"BOOM!"

The green-skinned Cell smashed directly through the outer wall of the building.

At the same time, people all across the globe were watching their television sets.

Inside Kame House on Kame Island.

Master Roshi was leering at a "fitness program" playing on the screen.

Suddenly, the broadcast flickered with static, and Cell's figure appeared.

Standing before the camera, Cell spoke candidly, "Greetings, humans of Earth. Let me introduce myself: I am Cell!"

"I am the same Cell who killed many people in various cities; I needed human essence to evolve back then, but I have no need for it now!"

The rest of his message detailed his plan to hold a martial arts tournament.

He provided the time and location to those watching the live broadcast, inviting them to come and challenge him.

"Oh, right!" Cell shifted his tone, continuing, "This tournament will follow the same rules as your World Martial Arts Tournament, with one exception: killing your opponent is permitted!"

"I welcome everyone to participate enthusiastically. There is no entry fee for this tournament, though, of course, there is no compensation if you are killed!"

"Also, one final point: there is no reward for defeating me, but if all of humanity fails to overcome me, I will wipe out the human race!"

As he spoke, he turned and fired a ki blast, punching a hole through the wall behind him.

The blast struck the city behind the TV station, and explosions immediately rang out; a massive city was engulfed in flames, reduced to a pile of ruins.

"Heh heh!" Cell laughed cruelly. After finishing his display, he flew off through the hole he had created.

Meanwhile, the entire world fell into a state of panic.

All manner of aircraft and vehicles sped away, desperate to leave their homes and find a safe place to hide.

Traffic was completely paralyzed as everyone scrambled to flee, clutching their bags and belongings.

Li Lin watched the reports of the chaos unfolding across the globe on his television, shook his head helplessly, and turned it off. "Is this what people call the ostrich mentality?"