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Deep in the universe, the aftermath of the explosion had long since dissipated.

In that deathly silent void, a tiny core of living tissue floated quietly.

Cells began to divide. Muscle fibers extended outward from the core, bones gradually took shape in the vacuum, and an outer shell once again covered the body.

Cell remained conscious throughout the entire process. As he felt his body regenerating, an unprecedented power surged through his newborn form.

The Saiyans' near-death power boost had been perfectly triggered.

His power level soared far beyond its previous limit, directly breaking through the second-stage bottleneck and evolving into Perfect Form!

His shell no longer bore those rough, ugly spots that were hard to look at. It had become smoother, and his once-hideous monster-like appearance was now at least somewhat pleasing to the eye.

His shoulder guards extended outward, the crown on his head became sharper, and his tail slowly swayed behind him, gleaming with danger.

He had not needed to absorb Android 18. The stimulus of self-destructing and nearly dying, combined with the resonance of every warrior's cells within him, had forcibly pushed him past the threshold of Perfect Form.

Cell opened his eyes and looked down at his regenerated body, a cold smile curling across his lips.

He clenched his fist and felt that terrifying power flowing through his palm. He was far stronger than before—on an entirely different level.

With a casual wave in the vacuum, he sent a blast of energy slicing through space, moving so fast it tore apart space itself.

"So that's how it is." His voice carried a thrill of delight. "This is the true Perfect Form."

He raised two fingers to his forehead.

Instant Transmission—he had only watched Son Goku use it a few times in battle, but now he could perform it with effortless ease.

Cell sensed Son Goku's energy on Earth—that familiar, powerful Earthly ki, located in a distant galaxy.

With a whoosh, his body vanished.

Earth, on the wasteland.

Son Goku and the others had just breathed a sigh of relief, not yet having the chance to exchange a few jokes.

Then, without any warning, a figure appeared out of thin air in midair.

A jade-green shell reflected the sunlight. His entire body was evenly covered in dark black circular spots, his carapace shining with the luster of an insect's exoskeleton, his perfect body floating in the air.

That ki was more than a single level stronger than before. Its oppressive force spread in every direction like a tangible tide.

"H-How is this possible?!" Krillin's face instantly went pale.

Future Trunks instinctively took a step back.

Vegeta's brow furrowed tightly. Piccolo narrowed his eyes slightly and assumed a proper fighting stance.

Watching their reactions, Cell smiled in satisfaction. He pointed at his temple, a trace of smugness in his tone. "As long as the life core in my brain isn't completely destroyed, I won't die."

"When the explosion happened, I compressed it to the absolute limit and hid it in the deepest part of my body. Then there's Frieza's ability to survive in a vacuum, along with Piccolo's regenerative cells—you understand now, don't you?"

"So that's what happened." Son Goku's voice was low, though he seemed eager to fight.

He looked at Cell, and there was instead an added hint of seriousness and respect in his eyes. "Cell, didn't you want to kill me? Then I'll be your opponent next."

Before Cell could speak, Son Goku had already reached into the pouch at his waist.

He took out a Senzu Bean and casually tossed it toward Cell. The green bean arced through the air. Cell caught it on instinct, then lowered his head to look at the emerald bean in his palm.

"You used up quite a bit of energy when you self-destructed. You're not at full strength." Son Goku dusted off his hands, his tone calm and carrying the bearing of a martial arts master. "I won't take advantage of you either. Eat it, and we'll have a fair fight."

Cell froze. He looked at the Senzu Bean in his hand, then at Son Goku.

This was not arrogant provocation. It was the pure, almost foolish openness of a martial artist.

Cell fell silent for several seconds. Then, without thinking further, he tossed the Senzu Bean into his mouth and swallowed it.

Green energy took effect within his body. All of his expended strength was restored, and his ki returned to its peak in an instant.

Feeling that abundant power within him, a flash of surprise passed through Cell's eyes.

"Son Goku, there are so many of you. You'll be taking turns fighting me."

Cell raised his head, the calculating look returning to his smile. "That isn't a fair battle. Give me another one."

Son Goku thought about it and felt that Cell had a point. He reached into his pouch again, took out another Senzu Bean, and tossed it over.

"Goku—!"

Everyone shouted. Piccolo's face turned green, the veins at his temples throbbing. "Goku! Do you know what you're doing? You idiot!"

Vegeta forced out two words through clenched teeth. "Kakarot—you moron! You're restoring the enemy's energy to full? Are you tired of living?"

Krillin was so anxious that he hopped in place, clutching his bald head with both hands. "Goku! Why are you doing something this stupid?!"

Future Trunks stood there with his mouth open, unsure what to say, his face full of disbelief.

Son Goku turned to look at them, still wearing that confident expression. "It's fine. I'll defeat him myself."

Then he stopped holding back.

Golden aura erupted skyward. Super Saiyan 2 at full power—his hair stood straight up in golden spikes, while blue lightning crackled wildly around his body.

The ground beneath his feet collapsed. Rubble was swept into the air by the shockwave and exploded into dust amid the lightning.

That ki was completely different from before. Now, he had unleashed his true strength—all of his fighting spirit.

Cell's eyes lit up, his fighting spirit blazing.

The two locked eyes.

They moved at the same instant.

Their figures vanished from where they stood, and wave after wave of sonic booms tore through the air. In midair, they had already exchanged dozens of blows.

Fists collided with fists, knees struck, elbows smashed. Every impact unleashed a deafening shockwave.

Krillin stared up at the sky, his mouth hanging wide enough to fit a fist inside. He could not see anything clearly—only golden and dark-golden flashes wildly intertwining in the air, afterimages filling the sky. He could not tell which was Son Goku and which was Cell.

Shockwave after shockwave crashed down on him. He raised an arm to shield his face, his feet driven backward again and again by the gale.

"So... so strong. I can't see anything at all."

Future Trunks was equally dumbfounded, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had thought he was already strong enough, but in a battle of this level, he did not even have room to interfere.

Vegeta stood atop a chunk of rubble with his arms folded, his expression complicated.

He gritted his teeth, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. In the end, he let out a cold snort through his nose. "That idiot Kakarot... He'd better kill Cell, or I'll never forgive him."

In the distance, at the other end of the wasteland.

Mr. Satan was making his way over with a large group of reporters and cameramen.

Wearing his champion's cape, he strode at the front of the group with his chest puffed out, that confident smile plastered across his face.

Countless humans had been drained to death recently. He had followed the clues all the way here, only to run into Android 16 standing beside the ruins.

"Hey! Big guy!" Mr. Satan shouted at the top of his lungs. "Were those monsters responsible for this? Tell me! I, the world champion Mr. Satan, am here to rid humanity of this menace!"

Android 16 lowered his head and looked at these tiny, noisy humans. After a moment of silence, he patiently explained everything—the androids, Cell, the Saiyans—briefly recounting the entire story from beginning to end.

After listening, Mr. Satan planted his hands on his hips and threw back his head with three booming laughs. He patted his chest, his cape snapping loudly in the wind, his voice brimming with confidence. "I see! Just some monster called Cell! Leave it to me, the world champion Mr. Satan, to subdue him!"

The reporters beside him immediately erupted into excitement.

The cameras all turned toward Mr. Satan, flashes crackling nonstop.

Holding up a microphone, the host excitedly addressed the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen! World Champion Mr. Satan is about to take action personally and eliminate the evil monster Cell for us! This is humanity's greatest moment of courage!"

"Where are they?" Mr. Satan swept out a hand. "Take me to them!"

Android 16 raised a hand and pointed toward the sky above the distant wasteland.

Mr. Satan narrowed his eyes and looked over, but he could not see anything.

Then, suddenly—a world-shaking boom exploded through the air. Two figures shot toward each other at high speed from opposite directions above the wasteland, their fists colliding.

The ground beneath them collapsed directly under the terrifying energy, forming a massive crater more than a hundred meters wide. The shockwave even split cracks through the distant mountains.

Then the two figures rose at the same time, shooting into the sky and engaging in a frenzied aerial battle.

Every punch and kick carried enough power to flatten a mountain peak, and sonic booms exploded continuously through the air.

Mr. Satan's legs began to tremble. Staring at the two invisible figures in the sky, cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

He swallowed, his eyes darting around. Suddenly, he clutched his stomach and bent over, the confidence on his face turning into agony.

"Ah—! My stomach hurts!"

He slowly crouched down, clutching his belly, his voice carrying an award-winning level of weakness.

"It must have been the beef I ate this morning... Once my stomach feels better, I'll go eliminate Cell right away."

"You keep filming. Film the scenery if you have to. I'll rest for a bit first..."

The reporters looked at one another.

The cameras were still rolling, faithfully capturing the heroic sight of the world champion crouching on the ground and clutching his stomach.

Android 16 silently watched it all, utterly speechless inside, saying nothing.