Three uneventful days passed in peace. During this time, Goku had been diligently training inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber within the World Ring.
"Goku, come quickly! Look at the TV…" Bulma suddenly barged into the Time Chamber, looking flustered. She grabbed Goku's arm and pulled him outside. "I think the androids you're looking for have shown up!"
"Really?" Goku hurried out with Bulma.
The girls were already gathered in the luxurious lounge, watching TV intently. Since Goku had returned to the World Ring to train, they had all come in to accompany him. Thanks to Bulma's modifications, they could now receive live broadcasts from the Dragon Ball world even inside the World Ring.
"We have new information coming in. According to reports from the investigation team on the ground... many abandoned clothes have been identified as belonging to the victims... reporters are now arriving at the scene…"
"Fifteen thousand residents have vanished without a trace. However, new clues have emerged in the Town area. Numerous sets of clothing have been found, as if the people wearing them had melted away. Nearby, there are marks of a firefight... Ah! Wait—was that gunfire just now? Suddenly it's gone silent again… shhh—" The screen abruptly turned to static.
"What happened?! Switch to another channel, quick!" Saya shouted anxiously.
The screen flickered and a new image appeared, though the camera was tilted and unstable.
"Ah! Help—!" Click Static— And then it cut out again.
"Heh… this scene feels familiar. So you've finally shown up, Cell." Goku's eyes were locked on the screen, a faint smile curving at the corner of his lips.
---
Earth – The Lookout.
To everyone's surprise, Piccolo was standing with Kami.
"I'm asking you seriously, old man—why did you call me here? Judging from your face, it looks like you've seen something... unpleasant. Don't keep it to yourself. Spit it out already!" Piccolo stood behind him, looking annoyed.
Kami stayed silent for a long time before finally turning around with a sigh. "Alright… I called you here to discuss our fusion."
"What? Did I hear that right? You want to fuse with me? Hah! That's rich. You're the one who split me off from your body in the first place!" Piccolo burst into laughter, like he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"After we fuse, you'll become a complete Namekian. Your strength will increase exponentially. Don't you want that power? Perhaps, with it, you could even surpass Goku."
Piccolo's expression darkened. The proposal clearly tempted him. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "What exactly did you see that scared you enough to offer fusion?"
"There's no need to explain. Once we merge, you'll see it for yourself…" Kami's expression was solemn.
Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "So you really did see something terrifying. Now I'm even more curious."
Kami continued, "Earth is on the brink of annihilation. I'm afraid Goku alone won't be enough this time. What the planet needs now isn't a god… but a warrior with real strength."
Piccolo snorted, "So you want me to protect Earth? Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not asking you to protect the Earth. I'm giving you the strength to protect yourself. Because if you don't fight alongside Goku, you'll be killed just like the others."
Piccolo fell silent for a while before speaking again. "Looks like this enemy is really something… You're even willing to sacrifice yourself to give me more power. Alright then. If you're sincere about it, I'll accept. But I'm keeping my appearance. You know what that means, right?"
Kami nodded. "Of course. You're young and already far stronger than me. You'll be the dominant one. I'm simply offering you strength—and my knowledge." He paused, then extended his hand. "Place your hand on my chest."
"…Alright." Piccolo reached out and placed his hand on Kami's chest.
"kami…" Mr. Popo whispered.
"Thank you for everything, Mr. Popo," Kami said. 'Hmm… it seems Piccolo's heart isn't as dark as it once was. Has Goku changed him? After this fusion, it may be impossible to ever separate again…'
"Ahhh—!" With a mighty shout, Kami's body radiated a blinding light. In the next instant, their forms merged into one.
The newly formed Piccolo could feel the immense power coursing through his veins. He let out a hearty laugh. "So this is the power of our fusion? Incredible!"
Watching his back, Mr. Popo muttered, "Farewell, Kami. I hope you didn't just throw your life away."
Piccolo turned around. "I'm neither Kami, nor Piccolo anymore… just a Namekian who's even forgotten his name. I'm leaving." With that, he flew off toward the lower world.
Thud! Piccolo landed in the middle of a street and immediately rushed to the scene.
Shhh— A faint scraping noise sounded behind him.
"A monster…?" Piccolo turned around—and was taken aback. "It's you?! Why can't I sense your energy?"
As Goku had guessed, the creature before him was none other than Cell. Due to the involvement of Dr. Roco in his creation, Cell had developed the ability to completely mask his ki, making it impossible for Piccolo to gauge his strength.
In Cell's hand was a young man, who, upon seeing Piccolo, cried out, "Please! Help me!"
Piccolo frowned. "Let him go. He's still a life, after all." After fusing with Kami, his demeanor had grown noticeably kinder.
Cell tossed the young man aside nonchalantly. Then, with a sudden thrust, his tail stabbed into the man's back. A sickening gurgle echoed as Cell's tail contracted and pulsed—draining the man's life essence. Within moments, the victim's body shriveled and melted into nothing, leaving only his clothes behind.
"You'll be next, Demon King Piccolo," Cell said coldly, staring straight at him.
Piccolo recoiled. "You… you know my name? Who are you?!"
"There's no need for you to know. After all, you'll be my food soon enough."
"Oh? Not willing to talk? Fine. I'll just beat it out of you!" Piccolo, proud as ever, returned Cell's glare with icy resolve.
"You think you can defeat me with your current strength? Don't be ridiculous, Demon King Piccolo."
Suddenly, Cell vanished in a blur—and reappeared behind Piccolo in an instant. With one punch, he sent Piccolo crashing to the ground, unable to get back up.
"No… it can't be… I fused with Kami… and I still can't take even one hit from him? Impossible!" Piccolo's voice trembled with disbelief. His newfound confidence had been utterly shattered.
"That's what happens when you charge in without knowing your opponent's power. Completely brainless," Cell mocked.
In truth, Piccolo wasn't being brainless. It was his sudden power boost from the fusion, combined with his inability to sense Cell's strength, that led to his overconfidence—and his mistake.
Arms crossed, Cell looked down on him in disdain. Then, his tail darted toward Piccolo, ready to strike.
Just as it was about to hit—
Whoosh!
A figure flashed between them and grabbed Cell's tail mid-air.
An exasperated voice followed: "Seriously, Piccolo? Could you be any more brain-dead? Just because you fused with Kami doesn't make you hot shit. With a battle power of only a few thousand, even fused, you're barely a blip!"
"Goku!"
Seeing that the one who had saved him was Goku, Piccolo showed no sign of gratitude. Instead, his face twisted in anger. To be rescued by his rival—what could be more humiliating?
But Goku didn't have time to care about Piccolo's feelings. Grabbing Cell's tail with both hands, he spun him through the air twice before hurling him away with all his might.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Cell crashed through several buildings before finally skidding to a stop.
"Goku?! I didn't expect him to find me so soon. I'm not ready to face him yet… I have to retreat!"
With that thought, Cell unleashed a powerful ki blast, leveling the area in a huge explosion. Using the resulting smoke as cover, he quickly vanished from sight.
"Damn it, he got away!" As the dust cleared and Cell's presence disappeared, Goku clicked his tongue in frustration.
He glanced down at the motionless electronic tracker in his hand and frowned. "This thing's completely useless against him. And I can't sense his ki at all either… This just got a lot trickier." Turning to Piccolo, he added, "You should head back to the Lookout. You're not cut out for this fight—not yet. But if you really want to get stronger, you should already know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber up there. Go train there for a while—then maybe you'll be able to contribute."
"Hmph. Goku, next time we meet, I will defeat you!" Piccolo snorted coldly, then took off into the sky. Upon returning to the Lookout, he went straight into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It seemed he had taken Goku's advice after all. The gap between their power levels was still too wide—he needed the Time Chamber to start closing that distance.
Meanwhile, Goku flew high above the city, scouring the landscape for any sign of Cell. But if someone really wanted to hide in a large metropolis, finding them was like searching for a needle in a haystack. The only sure way would be to level the entire city—which, though Goku wasn't exactly a saint these days, was still something he wasn't willing to do without reason.
"Damn it… That bastard's really good at hiding."
_____
T/N:
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