Chapter Summaries

Piccolo battled Android 17 across Volcano Island, the sea, and a nearby island, gradually gaining the upper hand as Android 18 watched. Cell arrived just as Piccolo realized the androids were in danger and weighed how to stop Cell while already worn down from fighting Android 17.

• Android 17 attacked Piccolo on Volcano Island, but Piccolo defended calmly and repeatedly overwhelmed him with stronger, more precise blows.
• The battle’s destruction caused Volcano Island to erupt, while Cell flew toward the fight with his concealed aura unleashed and intent on reaching his perfect form.
• Piccolo sent Android 17 into the sea, where they fought underwater before an energy clash blasted them back to the surface.
• Piccolo and Android 17 resumed fighting over a nearby island as Android 18 watched and mocked her brother without joining the battle.
• Cell appeared atop a boulder, and Piccolo recognized him and worried that Cell would absorb Android 17 and Android 18 while Piccolo was already fatigued.

Cell attacked Android 17 and revealed that absorbing Android 17 and Android 18 would complete his evolution, while Piccolo fought to stop him. As Piccolo continued battling Cell, Krillin noticed Android 18 but pushed aside his confusing attraction and refocused on protecting Earth and Chichi.

• Cell boasted that the humans he had absorbed had become part of his ascension, then tried to absorb Android 17.
• Piccolo kicked Cell away from Android 17 and explained that Cell needed to absorb both androids to reach his complete form.
• Android 17 challenged Cell but was quickly beaten back, and Piccolo fought Cell with energy attacks as the other fighters watched from a nearby cliff.
• Krillin noticed Android 18 and felt drawn to her, but remembered Chichi and resolved to focus on the battle.

Cell defeated Piccolo and absorbed Android 17, transforming into Semi-Perfect Form and setting his sights on Android 18. Trunks arrived to protect Piccolo, and the chapter ended with him confronting Cell.

• Piccolo fought Cell, but Cell overpowered him and left him badly injured until Krillin gave him a Senzu Bean.
• Cell defeated Android 17 and absorbed him, becoming Semi-Perfect Form.
• Cell announced that he would absorb Android 18 next, while Piccolo tried to stop him and Trunks raced toward the battlefield.
• Cell severely wounded Piccolo again and prepared to kill him, but Trunks arrived as a Super Saiyan and kicked Cell into the rocks.
• Trunks faced Cell and vowed to defeat him, while Cell taunted him about the difference between the changed world and the future's fate.

Cell tried to keep Trunks from killing him by claiming he knew the predetermined futures of Trunks, Vegeta, and Bulma and could help change them. Trunks, shaken by Cell’s threats and promises, agreed to hear him out despite Piccolo’s warnings.

• Cell claimed that killing him would leave Trunks without answers about the future, including Bulma’s fate.
• Cell said Dr. Gero’s computer had calculated the future and insisted that Vegeta’s and Bulma’s fates were already determined.
• Trunks stopped Piccolo from attacking Cell and demanded that Cell explain what he wanted.
• Cell argued that Trunks could not change history and used Vegeta’s death and Bulma’s fate to deepen Trunks’s doubts.
• Piccolo warned Trunks that Cell was stalling and manipulating him, but Trunks agreed to give Cell a chance to continue.

Cell manipulated Trunks with claims about fate and Dr. Gero’s plans, then used Solar Flare to seize and absorb Android 18. Cell attained his Perfect Form, leaving Trunks and the other warriors overwhelmed by his power.

• Cell tried to persuade Trunks that his efforts to change the future were futile and that they should cooperate.
• Trunks rejected Cell’s offer, but Cell turned his attention to Android 18 and prepared to absorb her.
• Cell used Solar Flare to blind Trunks and Android 18, then used Instant Transmission to capture Android 18 with his tail.
• Cell absorbed Android 18 and transformed into his Perfect Form as Trunks failed to stop him.
• Piccolo, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Krillin, and Raditz reacted to Cell’s overwhelming power and feared they could not defeat him.

Trunks fought Perfect Cell with increasing power and a range of attacks, but Cell repeatedly overwhelmed him and revealed even greater strength. The chapter ended with Trunks battered and kneeling while Cell declared that he was no match for him.

• Trunks charged Cell and exchanged blows with him, but Cell initially dodged and countered with ease.
• Trunks intensified his assault, briefly forcing Cell back before Cell caught his fist and struck him down.
• Trunks attacked with a light sword, energy blasts, and a barrier, but Cell countered with Death Beams, his tail, and Ultimate Impact.
• Trunks broke through Cell’s energy wave and landed a barrage of punches, but Cell blinded him with Solar Flare and slammed him into the ground.
• Trunks and Cell unleashed opposing energy waves, and after the clash Cell’s aura surged to an even greater level.
• Cell overpowered Trunks in another beam struggle, blasted him into the ground, and called his resistance pathetic.

Cell defeated Trunks in their clash, then announced the Cell Games would take place in ten days so he could crush the fighters’ hopes. Trunks and the others returned to the Lookout and resolved to train and search for Cell’s weaknesses while Cell waited calmly.

• Trunks told Cell that Son Goku and Gohan were training and would be stronger than him, then renewed his attack.
• Cell overwhelmed Trunks in an energy clash and declared that he would hold the Cell Games in ten days.
• Piccolo, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and the others recognized the tournament as their chance to prepare for Cell.
• Trunks and the others flew to the Lookout, where Piccolo suspected Cell was deliberately waiting and manipulating them.
• The fighters agreed to intensify their training and search for Cell’s weaknesses while Cell remained silent on Earth.

Cell built an arena for his World Martial Arts Tournament and announced it to the world, threatening to kill humanity if no one defeated him. He left a city in ruins with a destructive blast, while Trunks and the others headed to Kame House and Piccolo stayed behind to watch Cell.

• Cell cleared a wasteland, built a stone arena, and branded it with his name.
• Trunks, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Krillin, and Raditz agreed to regroup at Kame House, while Piccolo stayed at the Lookout to monitor Cell.
• Cell took over the planet's broadcasting systems and announced a tournament in ten days at Point Five, 28 KS northwest of Central City.
• Cell warned that he would kill humanity if everyone lost, then fired a Ki Wave that devastated the city around the television station.

After Cell threatened Earth and triggered worldwide panic, Goku emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Gohan and declared that Gohan would face Cell. The others doubted Gohan’s ability, but Piccolo sensed hidden power in him, and Gohan left wearing a new outfit Piccolo had made.

• Cell’s threat spread fear across Earth, causing people to flee and loot while King Furry ordered Earth’s resources focused on defeating him.
• Goku and Gohan emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and Piccolo told them about Cell’s tournament.
• Goku said Gohan would handle Cell, though Gohan admitted he could not yet become a Super Saiyan, leaving Trunks and the others doubtful.
• Goku and Gohan ate a feast prepared by Popo, while Piccolo sensed deep power hidden in Gohan’s aura.
• Gohan asked Piccolo for an outfit like his, and Piccolo made him a purple battle outfit with a white cape and dark red sash.

Cell challenged Goku at the arena, but Goku said Gohan would be the one to defeat him. Cell then sent meteors crashing into Earth to provoke Gohan, and, as the tournament approached, killed reporters who questioned him on live television.

• Cell unleashed his energy at the arena, but Goku remained unfazed and told him that Gohan would face him.
• Goku took Gohan home, while Bulma explained her plans to use Dr. Gero's research to strengthen her body and help the fighters.
• Cell broke a meteor into pieces and hurled them at Earth, causing widespread destruction and deaths.
• Gohan demanded that Goku let him stop Cell, but Goku told him to wait until the right time.
• Two and a half days later, Cell killed a reporter and several colleagues who had questioned him, and the attack was broadcast live.

Trunks and Piccolo trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber while Cell annihilated the Royal Defense Force. Goku helped Dende become Earth's new Kami and restore Shenron, then gathered the Dragon Balls as Hercule announced he would challenge Cell.

• Trunks emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber stronger and with better control, while Piccolo stayed inside to continue training.
• Cell survived the Royal Defense Force's attack and killed the soldiers and destroyed their forces with his aura.
• Goku brought Dende to Kami's Lookout, where Dende used Popo's Shenron model to revive Shenron and restore the Dragon Balls.
• Goku told Bulma that Shenron was back, then gathered all seven Dragon Balls using the Dragon Radar and his senses.
• Hercule announced on television that he would enter Cell's tournament, and Chichi defended his courage despite the others doubting he could survive.

As the Cell Games approached, Goku encouraged Gohan while Hercule arrived and loudly boasted to the world that he could defeat Cell. Goku’s group joined Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Raditz, and Krillin on the way to the arena, where the match was about to begin.

• At Kami's Lookout, Goku reassured Gohan that his hidden potential could let him defeat Cell, while Piccolo urged him to unleash his full power.
• Hercule arrived at the arena, proclaimed himself invincible, and persuaded the reporters to come closer and film him provoking Cell.
• Hercule and the reporter mocked Cell on the live broadcast, while Cell watched them silently without reacting.
• Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and Trunks met Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Raditz, and Krillin in the air as the group headed toward the arena.
• Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Raditz, and Krillin said they would support Goku's group from the sidelines rather than fight Cell.

Goku and his group arrived at the arena to face Cell, but Hercule insisted on taking the spotlight and sent his disciples to fight first. Cell effortlessly defeated Caroni and Paloonia, then knocked Hercule out of the arena, leaving the live audience stunned.

• Goku, Gohan, Trunks, and Piccolo arrived at the arena, where Hercule mocked them and Cell urged Goku to begin the fight.
• Hercule let Caroni challenge Cell, and Cell blasted him off the arena with a burst of energy.
• Paloonia charged Cell with his Whirlwind Rush Fist, but Cell's invisible energy barrier stopped him and flung him off the arena.
• Hercule demonstrated his tile-breaking trick and attacked Cell with punches and kicks, none of which affected him.
• Cell casually waved his hand and sent Hercule flying out of the arena into a shallow crater.

After Goku stopped Hercule from continuing his hopeless challenge, Trunks fought Cell and proved far stronger than before. Their battle grew increasingly fierce, and Trunks kept pace with Cell as Piccolo wondered whether he could endure until the end.

• Hercule tried to insist he had not lost, but Goku's imposing gaze made him back down.
• Goku encouraged Trunks, who stepped into the arena and began fighting Cell at high speed.
• Trunks adapted to Cell's attacks, steadily increased his power, and forced Cell out of the arena before Cell stabilized himself in the air.
• Cell stopped holding back and attacked Trunks with greater force, but Trunks dodged and countered as their blows cracked the arena floor.
• Trunks landed a strike that made Cell stagger, then avoided Cell's powerful energy wave and charged back into the fight.
• Piccolo watched Trunks keep pace with Cell and wondered whether Trunks could hold on until the end.

Trunks and Cell fought at full power, with Trunks overcoming Cell’s Four Witches Technique and redirecting his Kamehameha into space to protect Earth. Cell destroyed the arena and declared that the battle would end only when one of them surrendered or died, leaving Trunks facing him amid the wreckage.

• Trunks and Cell unleashed their full strength and exchanged devastating attacks across the arena.
• Cell used the Four Witches Technique to create four equally powerful selves, but Trunks exploited differences in their speed and eliminated the duplicates.
• Cell fired a powerful Kamehameha, and Trunks guided it beyond Earth’s atmosphere before returning to the arena.
• Trunks counterattacked Cell with blows to the jaw and abdomen, making Cell’s aura unsteady.
• Cell abolished the ring-out rule and destroyed the arena with a Ki Wave, declaring that the fight would end in surrender or death.
• Trunks vowed to stop Cell from destroying Earth as Hercule and the others watched from a distance.

Son Goku sent Gohan to fight Cell, trusting that his son could win despite his calm, apparently weak Ki. Gohan endured Cell’s attacks and kept growing stronger, leaving Cell wary as their battle continued.

• Son Goku stopped Trunks from fighting and sent Gohan to face Cell, while Trunks, Krillin, and the reporters doubted Gohan could win.
• Gohan refused to become a Super Saiyan and dodged Cell’s opening attacks, landing a counterblow that surprised him.
• Cell grabbed Gohan and battered him, then kicked him into a crater, but Gohan stood up with his Ki stronger than before.
• Gohan evaded Cell’s Ki Waves and kicked him from behind, convincing Cell and the onlookers that he was a serious opponent.
• Cell unleashed four energy waves that struck Gohan and hurled him through rocky mountains, but Gohan rose again without his Ki weakening.

Gohan battled Cell, whose attacks pushed him to his limits before Cell released seven Little Cells to overwhelm him. Gohan’s power surged, allowing him to defeat all seven, leaving him alone against Cell.

• Gohan and Cell exchanged a prolonged series of attacks as Gohan’s aura and fighting ability continued to grow.
• Cell released seven Little Cells, each carrying most of his power, and they surrounded and battered Gohan.
• Gohan’s anger and the call of the Great Ape awakened greater power within him, and he began defeating the Little Cells one by one.
• Gohan defeated all seven Little Cells, and Cell acknowledged his strength as the two were left facing each other.

Gohan’s savage, instinct-driven power awakened as he fought Cell and steadily gained the advantage, while Goku trusted that he could control it. Cell grew increasingly uneasy but insisted he had not yet reached his limit, and Gohan challenged him to use his full strength.

• After defeating the last Little Cell, Gohan’s aura surged and his Great Ape-like instincts awakened, prompting Goku to urge him to release his power while Piccolo questioned whether he could control it.
• Gohan blitzed Cell and fought him with increasingly forceful, reckless attacks, countering his energy blasts and resisting his attempts to suppress him.
• As Cell sped up his assault, Gohan instinctively dodged every strike with minimal movement and hurled Cell’s energy waves into the sky.
• Tien Shinhan, Krillin, Piccolo, and Trunks worried that Cell had not revealed his full strength, while Goku encouraged Gohan to keep fighting.
• Cell declared that he was the strongest warrior in the universe and promised to show Gohan true terror; Gohan calmly challenged him to give everything he had.

Gohan overwhelmed Cell in their battle, enduring his full-power attacks and striking him repeatedly without transforming. Cell’s attacks could no longer hurt Gohan, and he began to fear the approaching fighter.

• North Kai watched Cell’s aura engulf the Solar System and worried that Gohan might not withstand his power.
• Gohan charged Cell and landed a series of blows that battered him, sending him through rocks and into a fissure.
• Cell rose wounded and demanded to know how Gohan could suppress him without transforming.
• Cell struck and kicked Gohan repeatedly, but Gohan remained unmoved and unaffected.
• Trunks and Piccolo realized Gohan’s strength was still rising as Cell began to tremble with fear.
• Gohan silently advanced toward Cell as his light grew brighter.

Gohan overwhelmed Cell, countering his attacks and battering him until Cell vomited up Android 18 and lost his Perfect Form. Cell remained enraged, but Gohan knew he could no longer challenge him.

• Cell hurled two Ki blades at Gohan, who caught and crushed them with his bare hands.
• Cell attacked with Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon, Frieza's Death Beam, and a full-power Kamehameha, but Gohan deflected or overwhelmed each attack.
• Gohan's Kamehameha tore through Cell, destroying his left arm and both legs before Piccolo warned that Cell could regenerate.
• Cell regenerated and charged Gohan in a rage, but Gohan dodged his attacks and kicked him hard in the stomach.
• Cell vomited Android 18 out of his body and lost his Perfect Form, while Gohan remained confident that the battle was decided.