At that moment, everyone forgot their past grudges against the little Cells.
No one had expected that the same little Cells, who years ago nearly killed Vegeta and Gohan, would now choose to fuse together to protect them.
Before everyone's eyes, the five little Cells merged into one.
On the surface, it didn't seem like much had changed. But Piccolo, who shared Namekian blood, immediately sensed it; the difference was undeniable.
The five playful spirits had become one, now unified and calm. The new Cell gave Piccolo an "OK" hand sign, full of confidence. And Piccolo felt it: this fused little Cell radiated terrifying power.
"Hehe! It's time for me, Super Little Cell, to make my debut!" With a smirk, Super Little Cell launched himself toward the sky. As he flew, a golden aura burst from his body. The wave of energy swept away the pink magical lasers blanketing the city like stormclouds.
A small figure now hovered in front of Super Buu. Buu narrowed his eyes. He quickly dug into Cell's memories to identify this unexpected challenger.
Moments later, he chuckled and wore a relaxed grin.
"Oh? Not bad, little guy," he said. "Your power isn't half bad. Hmm… I'm impressed. You really are my son."
A wide, eerie grin stretched across Super Buu's face as his head suddenly morphed into Cell's.
"Hehe… So, my boy, are you going to raise a hand against your own father?"
His voice dripped with mockery as he stared down at Super Little Cell. But Super Little Cell looked completely unfazed. After all, when they were nearly beaten to death by Gohan, Cell hadn't lifted a finger to help them.
Now, seeing Cell's face again, on this monster, ignited something inside him.
Without a word, Super Little Cell darted forward.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Loud smacks echoed through the sky as his palm struck Buu's face repeatedly. Buu reeled, stunned and shaking his head, completely caught off guard.
"YOU LITTLE--!" Buu roared, furious.
But before he could finish, a vicious side kick slammed into his jaw.
Super Little Cell shouted back, "You're the bastard! How dare you show me the face I hate most!"
[What the hell is this guy?! He's using Dad's face, and I can sense Gohan's aura too! Could it be… just like how Dad absorbed Androids 17 and 18, this monster absorbed everyone?!]
Super Buu was livid. Being slapped around by a kid, this was humiliation on a whole new level. But in the next instant, he took advantage of Super Little Cell's brief distraction.
In a flash, he appeared behind him.
"You've got some skills, kid. Perfect… just what I need to test my real power."
Suddenly, a thick tail burst out from Buu's back, whipping through the air like a serpent. Before Super Little Cell could react, it wrapped tightly around him, squeezing hard.
He struggled, his eyes wide. This guy, he was insanely fast! He hadn't even seen him move!
"Damn it!!" Super Little Cell cursed, teeth clenched.
His body was already bruised and battered from the crushing grip. If this continued, he'd be choked out for sure. Just then, a strange energy surged through him. The black spots on his body began to glow, and turned red. His power skyrocketed, something was about to erupt!
Super Buu felt it too.
His tail started to burn and a sharp heat surged along his spine.
He sniffed the air, something smelled cooked.
Then he looked down.
His eyes widened.
A red aura flared to life, engulfing everything.
The sky turned blood-red.
A wave of searing red light exploded outward, engulfing the heavens in a violent storm of energy. The air howled, and the entire sky seemed to be set ablaze. Everyone below instinctively shut their eyes, the light was blinding.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM---!!
A deafening roar shook the battlefield as a massive explosion detonated between Super Buu and Super Little Cell.
"Everyone, cover your ears!!" Piccolo shouted.
But his warning was lost, the sound waves swallowed his voice before it reached anyone. All the others saw was Piccolo's mouth moving. Thankfully, the Z Fighters, seasoned veterans of chaos, braced themselves just in time.
But others weren't so lucky.
Bulma… and the Pilaf gang? They were just ordinary people.
Luckily, Bulla reacted just in time. She threw the Pilaf trio to the ground and shielded their ears with her energy.
The explosion raged for a full minute. When it finally faded, the clouds above had been blown away, replaced by a thick, rolling smoke.
It looked as if everything had been reduced to nothing. Piccolo stared up at the sky, his emotions in turmoil. He hadn't expected Super Little Cell to take on Super Buu like that.
But then, a familiar, playful voice echoed through the air.
"Wuhu!! Good thing I've got some Namekian DNA in me! After the fusion, my recovery powers got a serious upgrade!"
That voice was like water in a desert, refreshing, life-giving. It lifted the weight off everyone's hearts. Piccolo's tense expression finally softened into a faint smile.
"Just like them…" he murmured.
"Haha! I'm definitely asking the boss for more toys after this!" Super Little Cell grinned as he floated in midair, giving a confident thumbs-up.
Then, he turned to fly back toward the others.
"Hehe! All done!" He called down proudly.
But just as he was about to descend, Piccolo's eyes went wide with alarm.
"Behind you, look out!!" he shouted.
Super Little Cell turned, but it was too late. From the swirling white void, a massive pink hand burst forth.
A crushing voice, deep and furious, thundered in his ears.
"You little brat… you've really pissed me off today!"
The pink hand slammed down on his head like a meteor. Super Little Cell couldn't move, completely locked in place. That massive hand held him firm, and within seconds, Super Buu emerged once again.
He didn't speak. He just walked up to Super Little Cell...
Slap! Slap! Slap!
One after another, hard slaps landed across the young fighter's face.
"Bastard…"
"Dare…"
"AAAAH!!!"
Super Little Cell wanted to fight back, but the monster in front of him wasn't giving him a single chance. His face quickly swelled, bruises blooming like storm clouds.
"Waaaah!!" he cried out.
Super Buu's cruelty knew no limits. Even Trunks had never treated him like this. Super Buu kept slapping him mercilessly, each strike filled with rage.
"I was going to absorb you," He snarled, "but now, NOW, I've changed my mind! I'm going to beat you to death!!"
The sound of slaps echoed across the sky, mingled with Super Little Cell's pained whimpers. On the ground, Piccolo clenched his fists, teeth grinding. He pressed his fingers to his forehead and began charging the Special Beam Cannon.
He knew it wouldn't do much, probably not even scratch Buu.
But he had to act.
He couldn't just stand there and do nothing while Super Little Cell fought so hard.
"Bastard!! MAJIN BUU!!!" Piccolo roared.
Just then, Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh---!
A powerful figure appeared high in the sky with a blazing energy strike that descended like a divine judgment, slamming directly into Super Buu.
A voice cold as steel followed.
"You've got three seconds to let him go."
(End of Chapter)
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