A Match of Equals

Cell slowly turned toward Son Goku. "You came at just the right time. I'm going to beat this guy flat right in front of you. Let you see for yourself that the Saiyan bloodline you're so proud of is actually worthless!"

Son Goku merely looked at Cell, his gaze as calm as a windless lake. "If you want to fight, then I'll fight you."

"Oh?" Cell raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

He cocked his head and glanced at Chen Hao before turning back to Son Goku. "Aren't you going to fight him first? You're both Saiyans. Don't you want to decide who's stronger? The call of blood, the instinct to fight—those aren't so easily suppressed, are they?"

"That's a different matter." Son Goku rolled his wrists, his bones cracking.

He stretched his fingers, then clenched them again, as though feeling out the fighting aura in the air.

His voice was calm yet resolute. "Right now, you're the enemy."

The instant he finished speaking, Son Goku's aura surged explosively.

Golden energy flared skyward, engulfing his entire body.

A gale swept through the area, sending shattered stones flying and whipping dust into the sky like a tornado.

The ground began to crack. Centered on Son Goku, fissures spread outward in dense webs.

The oppressive force was like an iron hammer crashing down—trees in the distance rustled beneath the pressure of his aura, their trunks bending low.

Gohan raised an arm to shield his eyes, struggling to keep his footing.

Piccolo's cape snapped wildly in the gale.

The smile on Cell's face froze for an instant, and his gaze turned wary.

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes as golden light flashed through his pupils—

Full-Power Super Saiyan?

No, it was the limit of Super Saiyan.

He could clearly sense that Son Goku had pushed the power of Super Saiyan to its absolute peak.

His aura was taut as a fully drawn bowstring, steady yet dangerous, practically standing at the threshold of Super Saiyan 2.

Every movement, every breath, carried enough energy to destroy mountains.

"Interesting," Chen Hao murmured, his voice nearly scattered by the wind.

He slowly stepped back, leaving deep footprints in the ground.

He stopped with his arms folded, his meaning perfectly clear—he would not interfere in this battle.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Son Goku and Cell. The sparks between them made a smile rise uncontrollably on his lips.

This fight was definitely worth watching.

Seeing this, Cell's lips curled into a cold smile, as sinister as a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "Son Goku, do you really think you can beat me?" His voice was low, dripping with naked contempt. He clearly did not take the opponent before him seriously at all.

"Let's find out." Son Goku's voice was calm, but battle intent blazed in his eyes.

The moment his words fell, Son Goku suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a faint afterimage, like smoke or a dream.

In the next second, he appeared before Cell, crushing the ground beneath his feet. Cracks shot outward, and fragments of stone blasted away like bullets.

His fist shot straight for Cell's face, so fast that the air let out a piercing shriek.

The force of the punch tore through the air, producing visible white shockwaves.

In the distance, Trunks's pupils contracted sharply. Cold sweat streamed down his face as his clenched fists turned white.

Piccolo wore an equally grave expression. He took a deep breath, his green face filled with shock.

Too fast!

They could not see Son Goku's movements at all—only afterimages and explosive shockwaves, as if time itself had been dragged to a halt.

Yet Cell easily twisted aside, moving with the grace of a dancer, even carrying a hint of mockery.

His body bent at an almost impossible angle. The instant he avoided the fist, he swung a backhand punch at Son Goku's abdomen.

That punch was just as fast as lightning, its force whistling through the air with overwhelming momentum.

Surprise flashed through Son Goku's eyes, but he reacted swiftly, retreating three steps in rapid succession. The ground cracked beneath each step.

He barely avoided it, but Cell's fist wind grazed his clothes, instantly tearing a gash across them.

"That's it?" Cell laughed arrogantly, rolling his neck until it cracked as he stared down at Goku. "Son Goku, you're not as strong as the legends say! Have you gotten lazy over the past few years?"

Son Goku did not answer. He took a deep breath, and the battle intent in his eyes burned even hotter.

He charged again, even faster this time. His entire body became a streak of golden lightning, leaving a distinct burning trail across the ground.

What followed was a fierce close-quarters battle.

Fists fell like rain, and kicking shadows crashed down with the weight of mountains. The sounds of fists and feet colliding resounded through the sky, each clash accompanied by rippling shockwaves.

Even the air was torn apart, exploding with thunderous booms. The ground shattered into countless chunks, and stones flew in every direction.

The two fighters shot from the ground into the sky, then back down again, constantly shifting their attacks. Every move concealed killing intent.

Cell's fist grazed Goku's face, drawing a line of blood—then Goku's spinning kick slammed into Cell's arm with a heavy thud.

The airflow turned violent, uprooting distant trees and hurling them into the sky.

Trunks and Piccolo could not intervene at all. They could only stand far away, staring fixedly at the earth-shaking battle, neither daring to breathe.

"So fast..." Trunks gritted his teeth, his voice trembling, his fists nearly digging into his flesh. "I can't follow their movements at all. All I can see are afterimages and the blast waves from the explosions."

Piccolo's expression was incomparably grave. His large green eyes were fixed on Cell's back, his voice hoarse and low. "How exactly did that red-haired Saiyan slap Vegeta away before? The strength he showed when fighting Cell just now wasn't even one-tenth of Goku's. If that's true, then how terrifying is his real strength?"

At that moment, Goku and Cell collided once more, fist and palm crashing together in midair with a deafening boom.

A violent shockwave spread outward, tearing a deep trench across the ground.

The two separated by dozens of meters and landed on the ground, the earth beneath their feet instantly cracking into spiderweb patterns.

Cell rolled his neck, producing a series of cracks. The mocking smile on his face grew more pronounced. "Can you go any faster? Otherwise, this is getting way too boring. I haven't even broken a sweat!" As he spoke, he deliberately yawned, his provocation impossible to miss.

Son Goku panted lightly as beads of sweat rapidly slid down his face.

He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade, the fighting spirit within it blazing like fire.

He understood that he had to go all out now.

Cell was too strong—so strong that even Goku felt a trace of pressure.

Yet that pressure only stirred the fighting blood in his body into a boil.