Countdown

Behind Capsule Corporation.

Golden and blue light collided in the air, the explosions rolling like muffled thunder.

Gohan caught Goku's punch with one hand and frowned slightly. "Dad, you got distracted."

"Ahahaha, did I?" Goku laughed as he withdrew his fist, his eyes full of pride. "Gohan, you've gotten stronger."

"Obviously. A year and a half of the three-year training period has already passed." Gohan shook out his wrist. "If you still don't use your full strength, I'm ending this."

"Then come on!"

Goku erupted in an instant, his aura soaring to its limit. In his Super Saiyan state, his golden aura was scorching and dazzling.

But Gohan merely sighed softly.

The next second—

He vanished from where he stood.

"You're fast!"

Before Goku could react, a heavy punch had already slammed into his abdomen. His body bent over like a shrimp, his eyes bulging like a goldfish's.

"Cough!"

"Three moves." Gohan stood behind him and calmly counted. "I beat you in three moves again."

Goku clutched his stomach as he got back up, yet he grinned like an idiot. "Gohan... you've really become strong."

"Dad." Gohan looked helplessly at his foolishly smiling face. "Could you at least act normal? You can still smile after getting beaten up by your own son like that?"

"But I'm happy." Goku wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Gohan, you're even stronger than I imagined. Stronger than Piccolo, stronger than Krillin, stronger than Tien Shinhan... even stronger than me."

"What's there to be happy about?"

"As parents, of course we're happy to see our children surpass us."

Gohan froze for a moment.

Looking at Goku's sincere face, he felt an indescribable emotion well up inside him.

Was this what a battle maniac was like? Pure as a child.

He didn't care at all about being surpassed by his son. All he cared about was the fight itself.

"...Fine." Gohan turned his head away. "Then keep being happy. I'm going to rest."

"Hey, wait!" Goku grabbed him. "Let's have another round!"

"No." Gohan pried his hand away. "You're not strong enough to even serve as a warm-up."

Goku: "..."

Why was this kid's mouth so vicious? Who did he take after?

Chi-Chi wasn't this sharp-tongued, was she?

Piccolo descended from the clouds and landed in front of them.

"Gohan."

"Uncle Piccolo?" Gohan looked at his serious expression. "What's wrong?"

Piccolo said nothing, merely handing him a tablet.

Gohan took it and glanced at the screen.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

"This is..."

"Satellite imagery from last night." Piccolo's voice was grave. "Dr. Gero's underground laboratory suddenly showed a massive surge in energy signals. At least five times stronger than it was three months ago."

Gohan stared fixedly at the waveform graph.

It was early.

At least half a year earlier than in the original story.

"There's one more thing." Piccolo lowered his voice. "I contacted Dende on Namek. He said he sensed... another presence. Very faint, but it definitely exists."

Gohan's hand trembled slightly.

Cell.

That guy was already on his way.

"Gohan?" Goku noticed something was wrong. "What happened?"

Gohan took a deep breath and handed the tablet to Goku.

"Dad, see for yourself."

Goku took the tablet and frowned after one look.

"The androids... activated early?"

"Looks like it." Gohan turned and walked away. "Bulma needs me."

"Wait!" Goku caught up to him. "I'm going too!"

Piccolo followed behind, his expression grave.

The three figures vanished in the direction of Capsule Corporation.

Capsule Corporation conference room.

Bulma, Vegeta, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha... everyone who had taken part in the training was here.

Gohan stood before the projection screen, pointing at the data displayed on it.

"Simply put, Dr. Gero activated the androids ahead of schedule."

"Ahead of schedule?" Krillin frowned. "Wasn't there still a year and a half?"

"Plans can't keep up with changes." Gohan gave a cold laugh. "We got stronger too quickly and provoked him. He must already know that Uncle Vegeta broke through to Super Saiyan."

Vegeta snorted. "So what? They're just lousy robots."

"Uncle Vegeta." Gohan looked at him. "Your current battle power is 180 million. If the androids' strength is as reliable as the scouters everyone has..."

"What are you trying to say?"

"The original..." Gohan paused, then changed his wording. "According to the intelligence I obtained, Android 17 and Android 18 have battle powers somewhere between 200 and 300 million."

The conference room fell deathly silent.

"Two hundred million..." Krillin swallowed. "Stronger than Vegeta?"

"Stronger than Uncle Vegeta is right now," Gohan emphasized. "And don't forget, there are also Android 16 and Cell. Android 16's battle power is no lower than Android 17's, while Cell..."

He paused.

"Cell is even more troublesome."

"Who is Cell?" Tien Shinhan asked.

"A byproduct of the androids..." Gohan rubbed his temples. "In any case, the situation has changed. The timetable has been completely thrown into disarray. We have to speed things up."

"Speed things up?" Bulma poked her head out from behind her computer. "You mean the Reverse Frequency Device?"

"Yes." Gohan walked over. "How's that thing coming along?"

Bulma sighed. "The prototype is finished, but it hasn't been tested yet."

"What does the test require?"

"A sustained energy output of over 150 million." Bulma shook her head. "There isn't an energy source that large anywhere in Capsule Corporation."

Gohan pondered for a moment.

"One hundred and fifty million..."

His gaze fell on Vegeta.

"Uncle Vegeta."

"What are you looking at?" Vegeta glared at him. "You want me to be a battery?"

"Your current battle power is 180 million. If you can maintain a stable output..."

"Are you crazy?" Bulma cut him off. "Vegeta just broke through to Super Saiyan, and you want him to output at full power? What if something goes wrong—"

"It won't." Gohan interrupted her. "Uncle Vegeta wants to become stronger more than anyone. This is his chance."

"..."

Vegeta fell silent for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"Interesting." He rose to his feet. "When do we start?"

"Now," Gohan said. "The sooner, the better."

"Wait." Goku raised his hand. "I have a question."

"What is it?"

"The Reverse Frequency Device... can it completely destroy the androids?"

Gohan shook his head. "It can only weaken them. Once their permanent energy source is cut off, their battle power will drop to the level of ordinary humans. But..."

He paused.

"What about Cell? Can Cell be weakened too?"

The conference room fell silent again.

Gohan knew the answer.

Cell was different. He was a perfect life-form who could only reach his complete form after absorbing Android 17 and Android 18. Weakening the androids could only stop him from evolving; it could not eliminate him completely.

Before he completed his evolution...

They had to kill him.

Bulma's laboratory.

Vegeta stood before the Reverse Frequency Device, golden light flickering around him.

"Keep the output steady. Don't interrupt." Bulma stared at the screen. "I'll shut down the receiving end in one minute."

"It won't take a minute." Vegeta snorted. "Thirty seconds is enough."

"Then thirty seconds. Begin!"

Golden energy surged from Vegeta's body, forming a beam that poured into the device. The machine hummed as its indicator lights flashed wildly.

"Energy conversion rate, 98%..." Bulma watched the data, her eyes growing brighter and brighter. "Incredible! This efficiency... Vegeta, you're amazing!"

Vegeta said nothing, maintaining the energy output. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his gaze remained sharp.

I am the prince of the Saiyans.

What does this little expenditure amount to?

Twenty seconds later.

"That's enough! Shut it down!" Bulma slammed the button.

Vegeta withdrew his energy. His breathing was slightly unsteady, but his overall condition remained stable.

"How did it go?" Gohan asked.

"It worked!" Bulma excitedly pumped her fist. "The device is operating normally, and its energy conversion efficiency is extremely high! As long as we further optimize the receiving end's power distribution, we'll be able to build a combat-ready version of the emitter!"

"How long will it take?"

"Three months." Bulma thought for a moment. "No, two months. Give me two months."

Gohan let out a breath of relief.

Two months...

The androids probably haven't fully activated yet.

There's still time.

That night. On the mountain behind Capsule Corporation.

Gohan stood alone at the edge of a cliff, gazing up at the stars.

In three months, the Reverse Frequency Device would be complete.

But that would only weaken the androids.

The real threat, Cell, still lay ahead.

Super Saiyan 2...

He clenched his fist, sensing the restless power stirring within him.

Bulma had said that breaking through to Super Saiyan 2 required extreme rage as a trigger.

Just like in the original story, when Android 16 was killed by Cell—the kind of fury powerful enough to destroy everything.

But I can't recreate that emotion.

It's not something I can summon just because I want to.

He closed his eyes and tried to replay the scenes that "should make him angry" in his mind.

Piccolo being killed?

Krillin being crushed into pulp?

My dad, my mom, everyone falling before my eyes?

...Fake.

It's all fake.

I know none of this will happen.

I know it's just imagination.

So I can't get angry.

Gohan opened his eyes and laughed at himself.

Real rage could not be simulated.

It would only...

...come looking for him on its own, when he wanted it least.

He looked into the distance, where countless stars shimmered.

And in the depths of space, a spaceship was speeding through the void. Inside its incubation chamber, Cell's aura had grown stronger still compared to three days ago.

At the same time. Dr. Gero's underground laboratory.

Under the dim lights, Dr. Gero stood before the incubation chambers.

The three androids—Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18—lay quietly inside their pods.

"Activation sequence... final adjustments."

He pressed several buttons.

The incubation chamber's indicator light slowly shifted from red to yellow.

"By this time tomorrow..."

A cruel smile curled Dr. Gero's lips.

"You will open your eyes."

"World... are you ready to be destroyed?"