Cell's Escape

"What!?"

After merging with Kami, Piccolo's combat power surged explosively.

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately departed the Lookout and arrived at the location where Cell existed, according to Kami's memories.

After a masterful performance, Piccolo successfully tricked Cell into revealing his origins.

However, to Piccolo, Cell's origins sounded terrifying—even hair-raising.

It scared Piccolo so much his face turned green.

Because the creature that emerged from the underground laboratory was not Cell, and according to what Cell had said, he shouldn't have emerged for another twenty-four years.

There were only two possibilities: either the Cell of this timeline had mutated, or there was another underground laboratory.

The known underground laboratory was essentially a ruin by now.

Aside from that little brat, there were no other living beings inside.

That brat shouldn't be Cell; Cell's energy was a composite of countless people's energies combined into one.

That brat's energy, however, was unique—an energy he had never seen before.

Furthermore, that brat's tail was not like Cell's; Cell's tail was shaped like a hypodermic needle.

That brat's tail looked like a fish tail.

Cell relied on his needle-like tail to absorb humans, drinking them up bit by bit as if they were water.

Of course, one could not rule out the possibility that the brat possessed this ability as well, just in a different form.

Piccolo had already decided: once he eliminated Cell, he would go and wipe out that brat along with the other androids.

Since he had already gotten the information he needed, Piccolo no longer felt the need to keep up the act.

It was time to put this monster down.

Piccolo simply pulled his arm, which had been sucked dry by Cell, right out.

"Argh!"

With a roar from Piccolo, a brand-new arm sprouted from the stump.

"Thanks for providing me with the reference."

"You... you were tricking me into talking?"

Cell's eyes widened in disbelief.

Piccolo's mocking gaze was laced with killing intent. "How could I possibly let a guy like you reach your perfect form?"

"To think you possess my cells, yet you didn't even know I could regenerate my arm—you fool!"

Just as Piccolo and Cell were about to clash again, Trunks and Krillin, having sensed Cell's strange energy, arrived on the scene.

Seeing the monster-like Cell, both Krillin and Trunks were somewhat taken aback.

Facing three enemies, Cell began to contemplate retreat.

After all, he couldn't even defeat Piccolo.

Although Krillin's combat power was not worth mentioning, Trunks could still cause him some trouble.

Cell leaped into the air, positioning himself so his silhouette overlapped with the sun, and placed his hands on either side of his face.

"Solar Flare!"

In an instant, a violent light erupted from Cell's body.

The entire world turned into a blinding white void.

Piccolo and the others were unable to open their eyes due to the piercing glare.

In that split second, Cell completely suppressed his energy and dove into the forest, using the trees as cover to escape.

"Damn it!"

Unable to see and unable to sense Cell's energy, Piccolo and the others could only let him get away.

They didn't even know which direction to pursue.

By the time their eyes recovered and they could open them, where could they possibly see Cell?

The three of them flew into the air and scanned their surroundings, but there was nothing but forest; Cell's figure was nowhere to be found.

They didn't know which direction to track him in, so, helpless, they had no choice but to give up.

Piccolo felt a twinge of regret for having said so much to Cell.

He should have just wiped him out completely in one go.

Now that he had escaped, finding him again would not be so easy.

After today, Cell will certainly act with more caution until he is confident he can deal with everyone.

A while later, Vegeta and Tien Shinhan arrived as well.

They had also sensed the ki of Piccolo and Cell.

Once everyone had gathered, Piccolo recounted the origins of Cell to the group.

"What? Wasn't that thing in the underground lab just a little brat? How did it turn into a monster?"

Everyone present had been to the underground lab, so they were all shocked.

"By the way, I just received a call from Bulma. She said the Androids went to her place and took the gravity chamber Vegeta uses for training."

Vegeta: !??

What was going on? He stepped out for a bit, and his house got robbed?

"Damn it!"

If his strength allowed it, Vegeta would want to beat those bastards who raided his home to death right now.

But the Androids were already so strong; to think they would still go out of their way to steal a gravity chamber for training—was everyone really this competitive now?

To Piccolo, this news was a mix of good and bad.

If the Androids became stronger, it wouldn't be so easy for Cell to absorb them.

However, if the Androids became too powerful, they would then face the dual threat of the Androids and Cell.

Fortunately, the Androids' whereabouts were unpredictable; Cell would likely have to spend some effort to track them down.

In the end, Trunks and Krillin decided to return to the underground lab to check it one more time, to see if anything had been overlooked.

But the underground lab had long since been reduced to ruins, and Trunks and Krillin found nothing.

In the original story, they had found the blueprints for Android 17 there, which allowed Bulma to successfully create a controller.

Now, those blueprints had long since turned to ash in the explosion.

Ultimately, after spending the better part of the day, Trunks and Krillin came up empty-handed and could only depart in disappointment.

On the way back, Trunks thought about Vegeta's words.

Surpass the Super Saiyan!

He decided he would train with Vegeta.

Thus, he and Krillin parted ways; he went to find Vegeta to train, while Krillin returned to Kame House to watch the news, so that as soon as there was any word on Cell, they could act immediately.

Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

"Refreshing, burp~~~"

Having eaten his fill, Mo Yuan leaned back against the chair, patting his distended belly with great satisfaction.

For Mo Yuan, who possessed Saiyan cells, a mere leg of lamb was certainly not enough; he had roasted and eaten ten large legs of lamb in total before he was full.

Lazuli, meanwhile, had long since been too stuffed to eat another bite and could only watch from the side as Mo Yuan feasted, feeling quite envious.

It couldn't be helped; although she was an Android, she was still human in essence and didn't have a bottomless pit of a stomach like a Saiyan.

A tear of frustration trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Lazuli touched her stomach; although it was only slightly rounded, it couldn't hold another thing.

It had to be said, Mo Yuan's cooking was truly excellent.

If she weren't genuinely unable to eat any more, Lazuli would have wanted to keep going.

She felt like she hadn't had enough at all!

Lazuli was still quite amazed by Mo Yuan's culinary skills.

After all, he was an Android born from nothing, not a human who had been modified.

Dr. Gero couldn't possibly have implanted memories related to cooking into him, could he?

Dr. Gero wasn't trying to create a nanny-type Android, so why would he do something so pointless?

Although she didn't know where Mo Yuan had acquired such good cooking skills, Lazuli didn't intend to pry.

She and Lapis shared the same sentiment.

Everyone had their own secrets, and there was no need to over-explore them.

As long as she knew this person wouldn't harm her, that was enough.