Ferocious Battle

The two streaked past each other in the air like meteors, every collision erupting with a deafening boom.

Android 17 flashed and vanished in an instant. The next moment, he appeared behind Piccolo like a phantom and, without hesitation, drove his elbow viciously into Piccolo's back.

Piccolo let out a muffled grunt, forcing himself to turn despite the searing pain, then kicked Android 17 in the cheek with lightning speed.

The blow carried tremendous force, knocking Android 17 off balance and sending his body sideways through the air.

Just as Piccolo was about to press his advantage, Android 17 twisted aside and easily evaded his attack.

Then Android 17 threw a fierce punch, striking Piccolo squarely in the face. Piccolo's vision blurred, and his body flew backward uncontrollably before crashing heavily to the ground.

Piccolo sprang up from the ground in a kip-up. At the same time, he threw back his head and charged straight at Android 17 like a cannonball.

The sudden counterattack caught Android 17 off guard, freezing him in place for a moment. Piccolo's headbutt slammed into him without fail, sending Android 17 flying backward.

Android 17 flipped in midair and landed, shedding some of the impact, but he still could not stop himself from sliding backward.

He had no choice but to brace himself against the ground with both hands. Amid a piercing scrape, his hands gouged two deep trenches into the hard earth, sending dust billowing everywhere.

Android 17 slowly rose from the swirling dust, his gaze blazing and razor-sharp as he stared fixedly at Piccolo, who stood not far ahead.

A breathtaking, life-or-death battle erupted once more. At this moment, the entire island was shrouded in thick smoke and dust, as though the end of the world had arrived—deep scars left behind by their fierce clash.

As Android 17 and Piccolo crossed paths, devastation followed in their wake: mountains crumbled and the ground caved in. The powerful shockwaves from every collision surged in all directions like raging tides.

Under such violent energy impacts, the entire island teetered on the verge of collapse, seeming ready to break apart at any moment.

Countless savage cracks spread rapidly across the ground, blanketing the island like a dense spiderweb.

At that moment, Android 17 and Piccolo exerted their full strength at once, each extending a hand and gripping the other tightly.

Two incomparably terrifying forces met in their palms and expanded wildly outward from that point.

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding earth was crushed into powder as if kneaded by an invisible hand, scattering everywhere. A bottomless giant crater appeared before everyone's eyes.

At the same time, the long-dormant, lifeless volcano was violently awakened by this earth-shaking force.

In an instant, scorching crimson lava shot into the sky like a fountain, carrying chunks of rock of all sizes as it poured down from above.

The already battered island could endure no longer and began collapsing piece by piece into the sea.

Android 18 floated quietly above the ocean, her arms folded over her chest as she watched the battlefield with an indifferent gaze.

Countless pieces of scorching volcanic rock and shattered stone fell into the turbulent sea, splashing up waves.

At this moment, a fierce battle was unfolding on the remaining fragment of the island.

Two figures weaved through the air, dazzling flashes bursting from their clashing fists and palms. Deafening rumbles rose one after another, as if they were about to destroy the entire island.

Android 18 could not help frowning as she muttered, "How many islands do they have to destroy before they're satisfied?"

Meanwhile, the atmosphere on Turtle Hermit Island was equally tense. Everyone stared at the enormous column of black smoke rising into the sky in the distance, their worry and anxiety reaching their peak.

Krillin focused intently on sensing the powerful fluctuations of Piccolo's energy, his face filled with astonishment. "S-So strong... Piccolo is still fighting with everything he has."

Tien Shinhan clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth. "Damn it! All we can do now is stand here helplessly. We can't intervene in this battle at all..."

But just then, Krillin, who had been focused on probing the battlefield, suddenly seemed to sense something unusual. He whipped his head toward another direction, terror appearing on his face. "Something like this is happening?"

Yamcha immediately asked, "What is it?"

Krillin stared fixedly in that direction, looking somewhat dazed. "He... he chose a time like this to come closer."

Tien Shinhan, who had taken part in the search for Cell, immediately guessed what was happening, though he still did not dare to be certain. "Is... is it Cell?"

Yamcha said in disbelief, "How can this be happening?"

In the direction everyone was watching, Cell was rapidly drawing closer. Excitement could barely be hidden on his strange face. "My days of hiding are finally over! The day I have been waiting for—the day I become Perfect Form—has finally arrived!"

Meanwhile, in distant West City, Bulma, having obtained Doctor Gero's blueprints, was nearly finished building the android shutdown device.

On the battlefield, the fierce fighting continued as Piccolo and Android 17's duel grew ever more intense.

Piccolo plummeted from high in the sky like a meteor, throwing a heavy punch at Android 17, who was rushing toward him at high speed.

Facing such a fierce assault, Android 17 showed no fear. He nimbly crossed his arms before his chest and forcibly blocked Piccolo's powerful strike.

But at that moment, Piccolo suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing a dazzling mouth blast that shot straight at Android 17 with world-destroying force.

Although Android 17 raised an arm in time to block it, the energy wave contained in the mouth blast was far too fierce. Golden light completely obscured his vision.

Seizing that fleeting opening, Piccolo flashed to Android 17's side and drove another vicious punch into his abdomen.

The heavily injured Android 17 was immediately wracked with pain, his body bending involuntarily like a shrimp.

Piccolo gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath. He brought his palms together, then struck again with thunderous force, hitting Android 17 and blasting him out of the air before he plunged heavily into the sea.

Android 17 used the seawater to cushion his descent to the seabed and waited calmly. Sure enough, before long, Piccolo's figure plunged into the sea from the sky above, heading toward Android 17.

As Piccolo drew closer, Android 17 continuously gathered and unleashed the power within his body, endless energy surging forth wildly.

In an instant, the once-calm sea seemed to boil. Countless bubbles rose with a gurgle, as though something earth-shattering was about to happen.

With a deafening roar, a vast, transparent bubble-like energy burst forth and howled toward Piccolo with overwhelming force. Piccolo also released energy waves from both hands, blasting them toward that force.

The two powers collided, and the sea, once smooth as a mirror, erupted as though a nuclear bomb had been dropped into it, raising monstrous waves.

The seawater surged high into the air, forming a massive sphere of water dozens of meters tall, like a savage beast opening its bloody maw to swallow everything whole.

And from within that enormous sphere of water, two figures shot out like lightning.

They crossed and circled in the air, sometimes trading punches and palm strikes with booming impacts, sometimes flashing aside to evade the other's fierce attacks. The two figures fought faster and faster, flying farther and farther away.

Seeing this, Android 18 helplessly followed after them once again, with Android 16 close behind.

Dozens of kilometers behind them, a dark green afterimage skimmed rapidly across the sea. Cell's compound eyes could already vaguely make out the several flashes of light colliding ahead.