Cell's Arrival

Android 17 and Piccolo moved their battle to another, even more expansive giant island, where a new round of fierce clashes began.

At Kami's Lookout, Goku watched the intense battle below with focused attention, occasionally glancing toward the building behind him as he silently prayed for Vegeta to finish his training and emerge soon.

With a savage roar, Android 17's offensive suddenly became even fiercer and more relentless, like a raging storm.

His figure flashed, and he closed in on Piccolo like a phantom, driving a charged punch viciously into his opponent's jaw.

Caught off guard, Piccolo was sent flying backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily into a towering mountain in the distance. The hard rock face shattered on impact, sending countless chunks of stone flying and kicking up thick clouds of dust.

Android 17 did not stop there. Taking advantage of Piccolo being embedded in the mountain, he instantly unleashed a powerful surge of energy, leveling the entire mountain in an instant. Smoke and dust billowed, rocks flew everywhere, and blazing flames shot into the sky—a terrifying sight.

As the dust slowly dispersed, Piccolo was half-crouched amid the ruins, his arms crossed before his chest. He had somehow endured that devastating attack head-on without suffering the slightest injury.

Then, he slowly lowered his arms. The moment he raised his eyes, his figure vanished, and he lunged straight at Android 17.

Facing the sudden, fierce assault, Android 17 immediately threw a punch to meet it, but he struck only an afterimage created by Piccolo. Piccolo's real body had already closed in behind him. Android 17's fist slammed hard into the rocky ground, while Piccolo returned his earlier move in full.

Piccolo stared fixedly at the flames burning ahead when the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled. His pupils contracted—there was no time to dodge. Android 17 burst out of the earth behind him.

A devastating roundhouse kick came sweeping toward him. Fortunately, Piccolo reacted quickly, barely evading it by twisting aside while grabbing Android 17's ankle firmly. The two instantly locked into a stalemate, neither yielding an inch, before tangling together once more in the next moment.

Using the advantage of his longer arms, Piccolo seized Android 17 by the head and sprinted backward with the momentum, about to hurl him away. But Android 17 used the force against him, spun smoothly, and threw Piccolo hard to the ground with a clean over-the-shoulder throw.

With a dull, thunderous crash, the earth split open. Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly, and a huge section of ground caved in.

Piccolo, lying on the ground, refused to be outdone. He grabbed Android 17 by the collar and violently slammed him into the ground nearby. The already ravaged earth completely broke apart, shattering into countless clumps of dirt.

Android 17 grabbed Piccolo's arm in return, spun rapidly several times with his own strength, then exerted himself sharply and hurled Piccolo far away.

He then landed steadily, focused his power, and felt his aura rise layer by layer. Once his energy reached its peak, he transformed into a flash of lightning and appeared before Piccolo, driving a thunderous heavy punch straight into Piccolo's abdomen.

Piccolo grunted under the heavy blow, but after the brief burst of pain, he immediately recovered and threw a full-powered punch in return. The two exchanged blow after blow, their fists blurring through the air, their movements swift as a gale. Every collision carried enough force to destroy the world, each determined to crush the other completely.

Their battlefield then shifted into the sky.

Android 17 kicked Piccolo high into the air. Once Piccolo steadied himself, he gathered an energy blast between his palms and fired it straight at Android 17.

The instant the energies collided, the explosion's flames swallowed Android 17's figure. When the fire and smoke cleared, Android 17 fell from the sky, flipping in midair just above the ground to bleed off the force before landing smoothly.

Piccolo also descended from the sky, gasping heavily as he stared at Android 17 in the distance. His body was already covered in crisscrossing wounds. Android 17 was no better off, his clothes disheveled and his body marked with injuries large and small, a streak of bright red blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"Even if we're evenly matched, the difference in stamina will show the longer we fight." Android 17 raised a hand to wipe away the blood from his mouth. His breathing remained steady, and the anger and unwillingness on his face suddenly gave way to smugness. "And my energy will never run out."

Piccolo did not respond. He merely kept adjusting his breathing, the intervals between each breath growing longer.

After their prolonged battle, Piccolo's stamina had fallen drastically, while Android 17, with his infinite energy, remained in peak condition. If they continued fighting, the outcome was obvious.

As Piccolo recovered his breathing while considering his options, he suddenly sensed something strange. He sharply turned his head, his pupils narrowing. At some point, an unfamiliar figure had appeared atop a mountain peak, silently looking down at the battlefield below.

Following Piccolo's gaze, Android 17 looked up and saw a strange green humanoid creature standing on the mountaintop.

"C-Cell!" Cold sweat covered Piccolo's face as he stared tensely at him, inwardly crying out in alarm. Damn it. I was so focused on Android 17 that I completely overlooked his presence!

"Who exactly is this strange guy?" Android 17 stared at Cell in confusion—another existence completely absent from Doctor Gero's files.

Hearing Android 17's question, Piccolo was stunned. What? They don't know about Cell at all?

As for Cell, he could no longer hide his excitement. The day worth commemorating has finally arrived. The moment I fuse with Androids 17 and 18 and evolve into my Perfect Form has finally come.

His gaze swept back and forth between Android 17 and Android 18. When it landed on Android 16, his pupils narrowed slightly. Who is this guy? Judging by the Red Ribbon Army insignia on him, he must also be an android created by Doctor Gero.

Cell straightened up and looked down at everyone below with absolute confidence. "Whoever he is, he's only an outdated model. He isn't worth my concern."

He leaped down to the ground, his entire body poised to strike. Under Piccolo's grave gaze, Cell began to release his aura. When Piccolo sensed that Cell's energy had already reached his own level and was still rising wildly, shock filled his face—just how many humans had he absorbed to possess such terrifying power?

Cell's aura grew increasingly powerful. The golden energy currents that should have symbolized vitality transformed into grotesque phantom skulls, formed from the resentment and unwillingness of countless humans at the moment of their deaths.

Android 17's face filled with disbelief at the sight.

Cell's aura had now reached its peak. With a roar that shook heaven and earth, the ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded, sending dust and shattered rocks surging toward Piccolo and the others.

Android 18's loose hair was whipped upright by the energy shockwave, turning golden like that of a Super Saiyan. Even Android 16, who had always remained calm and indifferent, showed a trace of gravity in his eyes—this power was already infinitely close to his own.