Android 17 Gets Serious

"Now you have nowhere left to run!" Piccolo locked his gaze firmly onto Android 17 ahead of him, his eyes brimming with confidence and victory. His aura was taut, and the battle was already within his grasp.

Android 17 had already been completely sealed in by a dense barrage of ki blasts. There was no blind spot in any direction, no gap whatsoever through which he could escape. He was utterly surrounded.

A cold smile curled across Piccolo's lips, washing away all the frustration of being mocked and suppressed by Android 17 earlier. He said in a low voice, "So the strongest guy in history is only this much. Die!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Piccolo stopped holding back and drove his ki to its limit.

With his mind focused, he controlled the countless ki blasts surrounding Android 17, sending them roaring down like a torrential storm. Every blast carried overwhelming force, determined to swallow up and annihilate his opponent on the spot.

Faced with this all-encompassing, inescapable assault, Android 17 had nowhere to retreat and nowhere to dodge. He could only watch as the sky full of immensely powerful ki blasts came hurtling toward him.

In an instant, countless ki blasts struck their target one after another, and the explosions shook the heavens and earth.

Dazzling flames shot into the sky as thick smoke billowed wildly. The fierce flash of the explosions was so blinding that it even eclipsed the blazing sun.

Even Tien Shinhan and the others, far away on Turtle Hermit Island, found it difficult to keep their eyes open beneath that piercing light.

Smoke and dust gradually spread across the battlefield. Piccolo stood silently in midair, his gaze locked on where Android 17 stood as he waited for the haze to settle.

But as the smoke slowly dispersed, the sight before him made his heart tremble, leaving his face filled with disbelief.

Android 17 was still standing unharmed in the same spot. A translucent, pale cyan energy shield covered his body like a glassy barrier. Ripples spread across its surface, remnants of the energy waves left behind by the countless exploding ki blasts.

"Th-That's... a barrier?" Piccolo's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking as shock and disbelief filled his face.

Android 17 casually dismissed his shield and looked down at the stunned Piccolo from above, a teasing smile rising on his lips. "Haha, what a shame. Sorry, but I couldn't give you what you wanted."

Piccolo took several deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the shock and confusion in his heart. He stared fixedly at Android 17 in the air and said through gritted teeth, "Hmph. Don't get smug too soon. The real fight starts now."

At that moment, Android 17 casually pointed his thumb behind him and called out to Piccolo, "Hey, hey, hey, fighting here won't do! How about we change locations? Otherwise, you'll wreck this little island beyond recognition. We have to protect nature, you know!"

Before his words had even faded, Android 17 flashed and vanished from where he stood.

Piccolo did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately leaped after him.

Android 16 and Android 18, who had watched the battle from the side the entire time, also took to the air without hesitation and pursued the direction in which the two had gone.

At the same time, in a desolate, abandoned city far away, Cell casually tossed the shriveled human husk in his hand onto the ground. Just as he was about to continue searching for more targets to absorb, the powerful ki from afar made him abruptly look up.

"This astonishing ki... it's Piccolo, the one who fused with Kami. And the one who can fight him on equal terms..."

Intense excitement and greed instantly ignited in his eyes, his expression growing ever more feverish. "It can only be Android 17—no one else... I found him! The timing is perfect!"

Cell no longer paid any attention to the scattered humans still left in the city. He leaped out through the window of the high-rise and sped at full speed toward where Piccolo and Android 17 were battling, intent on seizing the chance to complete his evolution into his Perfect Form.

Elsewhere, Android 17 and the others made their way to a larger uninhabited island.

The instant Piccolo landed, he immediately assumed a fighting stance. He watched the three androids before him warily, his ki poised to erupt.

"For someone who isn't an android, it's remarkable that you possess this kind of strength. You're no longer the Demon King Piccolo you once were." After a brief pause, Android 17 continued indifferently, "But I'm not interested in your past. I only want to find Goku."

"Your goal is to kill Goku. How could I possibly let you go looking for him?" Piccolo's entire body tensed, his attitude resolute as he refused to yield even a step.

"Then we'll keep fighting. I'll keep beating you until you tell me where he is." Goku's ki had long since vanished without a trace. They only knew his general direction and had no way to determine his exact location, so they could only force the answer out of Piccolo.

Android 17 had completely put aside his playful attitude, his fighting spirit surging to its peak. "This time, I won't hold back."

As he spoke, Android 17 slowly stepped forward and stopped a few paces away from Piccolo.

Piccolo could not make out his intentions, and his vigilance only grew stronger. Before he could steady his thoughts, Android 17 suddenly assumed a fierce fighting stance.

Piccolo quickly cast aside his distractions and entered a combat stance at once, brilliant white ki flames blazing around him.

Bang!

A dull explosion rang out as Android 17 moved like thunder and lightning, closing the distance in an instant. His fist shot straight toward Piccolo's jaw.

The attack was so swift and sudden that Piccolo had no time to evade. He took the blow solidly, his body immediately thrown off balance as he reeled backward.

Fortunately, he was battle-hardened and immensely experienced. Relying on his powerful physique and fighting instincts, he forcibly regained his footing.

But before he could counterattack, Android 17 had already anticipated his movement and drove another fist hard into his abdomen. The blow was brutally powerful, forcing Piccolo to double over as pain twisted across his face and his breath caught.

Android 17 gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath or fight back. He followed up with a sharp elbow strike that slammed viciously into Piccolo's back.

Pain swept through his entire body, and Piccolo could no longer hold himself up. He crashed heavily to the ground.

Android 17 raised his leg and unleashed a vicious sweeping kick, aiming directly at the fallen Piccolo.

At the critical moment, Piccolo suddenly pushed himself up and sprang to his feet in a clean kip-up, narrowly evading the lethal blow.

When his strike missed, Android 17 reacted immediately, spinning and kicking upward again in a seamless continuation of his assault.

Piccolo dipped his waist and bent backward nimbly, easily avoiding the kick. Taking advantage of the moment when Android 17 had not yet landed and his old momentum had just spent itself, Piccolo performed several swift backflips in succession, quickly opening a safe distance and temporarily breaking free from the exchange.

After leaving the range of attack, Piccolo gently rolled his neck, his joints cracking sharply.

He spat out a mouthful of congealed blood and curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile. "You're pretty fast... but your power is lacking."

"What did you say? Aren't you talking awfully big?" Android 17 was thoroughly enraged by the blunt assessment. The fighting spirit in his eyes surged as he shouted furiously, "You dare say that to me, Android 17, the strongest android in history?!"

Before his furious shout had ended, Android 17 became a dark afterimage and charged forward abruptly. The two clashed once more, fists blurring as force exploded around them, and a new round of fierce battle erupted in full.

Several hundred kilometers away, a tall dark-green figure streaked at high speed just above the surface of the sea.

The powerful shockwave bursting from his body forcibly split the smooth seawater along his path, creating two enormous, churning trails that stretched onward as he rapidly closed in on the battlefield.