"Full-Power Super Saiyan... If I could reach this state, I could definitely eliminate Cell." Vegeta glanced deeply at Son Gohan, then clenched his fist and said in a low voice.
"Maybe."
Son Gohan didn't confirm or deny.
"What, you think even if I reach this stage, I can't deal with Cell?" Seeing Son Gohan's expression, Vegeta suddenly became a little annoyed. He thought Son Gohan didn't agree with what he said, or that he looked down on him, and so he bared his teeth at Son Gohan.
Hearing this, Son Gohan gently shook his head and then said, "I didn't say Uncle Vegeta can't deal with Cell if he reaches this stage, but Uncle Vegeta, you should also be clear how strong a Super Saiyan is depends on how strong the base battle power is. A Full-Power Super Saiyan isn't a Super Saiyan that surpasses a Super Saiyan. The increase in power is fixed. Full-Power simply allows you to nearly perfectly and effortlessly unleash the power of a Super Saiyan."
"If the base battle power is average, even transforming into a Super Saiyan is useless, isn't it?"
"Hmph." Vegeta crossed his arms without speaking.
He naturally understood what Son Gohan meant. Full-Power Super Saiyan isn't about increasing power by several times on top of the fifty-fold increase. It's purely about allowing a Saiyan to fully unleash their power in the Super Saiyan form without expending extra mental energy.
If one's basic strength isn't sufficient, then no matter how much they power up, they still won't be able to contend with the enemy. Son Gohan was subtly implying that Vegeta's base strength wasn't enough, and even if he transformed into a Full-Power Super Saiyan, it would still be difficult to fight Cell.
"So, Gohan, even if you reached Full-Power Super Saiyan now, you still wouldn't be able to deal with Cell?" Krillin asked with some concern. He'd been feeling confident after Son Gohan explained Super Saiyan, thinking Cell wasn't such a big deal, since the Third Stage could contend with him. Logically, the Fourth Stage should be even stronger.
However, according to Son Gohan, the increase in power from Full-Power Super Saiyan wasn't much different from a regular Super Saiyan. It might even be weaker in terms of power amplification compared to the Second and Third Stages. Of course, overall, Full-Power was definitely stronger, as it could utilize the Super Saiyan power almost perfectly.
One was like a leaky tire, while the other could almost perfectly exert their own strength. As long as the latter could withstand the former's attacks, and wait for the former to run out of energy, the latter could easily defeat the former.
Krillin thought Super Saiyan seemed sufficient to deal with Cell, but now it seemed that even Full-Power Super Saiyan might still struggle.
Facing Krillin's question, Son Gohan's gaze deepened as he looked at Trunks, who was gradually falling behind in the fight. He then said, "Even if I reached Full-Power Super Saiyan now, it would be very difficult to beat Cell. If both of my arms were still intact, I might have a chance of defeating Cell, but it would still be just a possibility... To completely eliminate Cell, with my current strength, it's almost impossible."
Speaking of which, Son Gohan looked at Ling An. He knew that if anyone could eliminate Cell, it would probably be Ling An, but even that was just a possibility. After seeing Perfect Cell, Ling An had told him that Perfect Cell had brought the Saiyan and Namekian genes to their limits. If they couldn't completely eliminate him, it might allow him to break through again.
Simply destroying Cell's body wouldn't have a huge impact on him. If they didn't completely destroy him, it could allow Cell to go even further. It had to be said, this was a really tricky enemy.
"This... is there a difference between defeating Cell and eliminating Cell? Or rather, why can't we eliminate Cell?" Krillin scratched his head, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Cell has fused with the genes of many races, including Namekians and Saiyans. If we can't completely eliminate him, he could revive and gain even greater power. To eliminate him in one blow, we'd need power that completely surpasses his and destroy him in one shot... So, defeating Cell isn't too difficult, but eliminating him... with our current strength, I can only say it's not that easy." Son Gohan shook his head and said calmly.
"..."
Son Gohan's words left Krillin and Vegeta completely silent. They hadn't realized Cell was such a troublesome monster, especially Vegeta. He'd originally thought he could eliminate Cell once he obtained power greater than Cell's. But now it seemed that even if he was stronger, if the difference wasn't substantial enough, he could only defeat Cell, not eliminate him.
And the reality was, they weren't even close to being stronger than Cell, let alone comparable. The power Trunks displayed seemed to be superior to Cell, but a fight isn't just about comparing energy. Comprehensive quality is what determines the outcome of a battle.
"Cell... he's really... a monster."
Krillin murmured, dazed. Then he glanced at Vegeta, who had given Cell the opportunity to become what he was now. After the latter glared at him, Krillin forced a laugh and turned away.
Everyone was silent, only watching Trunks and Cell in their battle. As time passed, their fight became increasingly intense. But at the same time, even Krillin noticed that Trunks couldn't keep up with Cell's speed. Every attack was easily dodged by Cell.
"Hmph, after training with me for so long, you're still using such a childish fighting style."
Vegeta snorted coldly, clearly displeased.
Ling An and Son Gohan glanced at him, then turned their attention back to the fight between Cell and Trunks.
"Damn it, why can't I ever touch him!"
During the battle, Trunks gritted his teeth, attacking Cell with a frenzy. He'd originally thought that with his current power, he could eliminate Cell. He'd even been worried about hurting Vegeta's pride, feeling quite smug at first.
But reality showed its cruelty. Things didn't go as he'd imagined; in fact, they were the opposite. He didn't easily solve Cell as he'd envisioned. Instead, as the battle continued, the burden on his body grew heavier, making him feel increasingly powerless and despairing.
"It doesn't make sense... What's going on? Why can't I hit him at all..." Trunks, suspended in the air, looked down at Cell on the ground. He was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, his sharp eyes fixed on Cell, filled with confusion and doubt, his face etched with resentment.
"Hmph, Trunks, you are truly naive. Don't you understand by now?" Cell stood on the ground, looked up at Trunks in the sky, and said lightly, "You said you wanted to show your true power... If this transformation can make your power even stronger..."
The words were still echoing in Trunks' ears when, in the next moment, Cell's body suddenly began to swell under his horrified gaze. Simultaneously, Cell's energy skyrocketed, reaching a terrifying level in an instant.
At this moment, he looked at Trunks with a cruel smile. "See, Trunks? This transformation is nothing. Even I can do it easily."
From a distance, Krillin's eyes widened in shock as he watched Cell transform. His entire body trembled violently. He reached out a hand, saying in disbelief, "Gohan, you were right. This transformation is truly terrifying. Cell's energy surpassed an even more terrifying level in that instant. Trunks' transformation is completely unable to compete with Cell!"
"Hmph."
Vegeta, standing to the side, crossed his arms and turned his head in disdain. However, a hint of worry flickered in his eyes if one looked closely.
"Go...Gohan, since you've already reached Full-Power Super Saiyan, you should be able to fight Cell, right? Even if you can't eliminate him, at least... at least you have to save Trunks," Krillin said anxiously to Son Gohan.
He had noticed earlier that Trunks' speed couldn't keep up with Cell. At this moment, he could see even more clearly that Trunks was completely unable to match Cell. After all, Cell could even possess such an incorrect yet powerful form; Trunks' advantage was completely gone.
If this continued, Trunks might follow in Vegeta's footsteps, or even worse. After all, Vegeta had him and Trunks to help, but Trunks was now facing the terrifying enemy, Cell, alone.
"Don't worry, Uncle Krillin. I'll step in if I have to." Son Gohan smiled inwardly as he looked at Vegeta, whose ears perked up but whose face remained expressionless. He clenched his fists and looked at Cell not far away, a trace of fighting spirit on his face. "And I also want to see just how powerful Perfect Cell is. In the future, I was able to kill Cell once. Even if I can't eliminate him this time, maybe I can beat him."
"You killed Cell in the future, Gohan?" Krillin asked in surprise.
"Yeah, but that was the base form of Cell, who was weaker than the Androids. It was because of that battle that I realized Cell could revive and regenerate." Son Gohan nodded slightly.
"I see. Then I'll leave it to you, Gohan!"
Under Trunks' horrified gaze, Cell's body slowly returned to its original appearance from its swollen state. Looking at his opponent, Cell snorted coldly, "You fool. Transforming just to increase your power is meaningless."
"…"
Hearing this, Trunks was silent for a long time. He gritted his teeth, his face full of unwillingness. "I see. I should have thought of that. With Dad's intelligence, he should have been able to think of it and transform into this form as well, but he didn't… because he understands that it's meaningless to transform like this."
"Cell is right, I really am an idiot."
Trunks, who hadn't undergone systematic training, fully displayed his shallow battle awareness at this moment. He sighed softly, then released his Super Saiyan state and slowly flew in front of Cell.
"I can't win anymore. I'm going to die..." Trunks lowered his head and murmured.
"That's good." Cell's lips curled into a smile as he looked at Trunks and slowly reached out his hand towards him. "Trunks, you and Vegeta have truly disappointed me. I thought you could give me a good fight..."
"Before you die, I'll ask you one last question. Although you and Vegeta were defeated by me, I'm curious how your power has improved so rapidly in such a short time... How did you do it?"
"..." Facing Cell's question, Trunks remained silent.
"Don't want to answer, huh... In that case, then..."
Cell continued to speak, and at the same time, slowly reached out his hand, but before he could finish, both he and Trunks looked in one direction. There, a powerful ki suddenly rushed over. In an instant, the owner of the ki had already arrived in front of them, and that person, carrying a powerful aura, grabbed Cell's hand.
"Huh?!" Cell suddenly looked towards the person who had arrived. When he saw the newcomer's face, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "Son Goku?! No... you're not Son Goku, you're Son Goku's son, Son Gohan?!"
The person who had attacked was none other than Son Gohan!
After all, he hadn't read the original story. He didn't know that Cell hadn't attacked Trunks in the end, and Ling An hadn't had time to remind him. When he saw Cell reaching out to kill Trunks, Son Gohan immediately attacked without hesitation!
"Son Gohan?!"
Hearing Cell's words, Trunks looked at Son Gohan. When he saw the person etched in his mind, he was completely stunned.
"Go... Gohan-gege, how is this possible?!"
Trunks shook his head violently. He looked at Son Gohan again, but seeing that incredibly familiar figure, he opened his mouth wide, unable to speak at all. His eyes were instantly blurred with tears. He never thought he would be able to see this resolute figure again after so many years. He didn't even have time to think about why Son Gohan was here, just stared blankly at Son Gohan, not moving at all.
Outside the Lookout
Piccolo, who had been worried about Trunks, suddenly widened his eyes, and exclaimed in disbelief, "Gohan?! How is this possible?!"
"Gohan? Piccolo, what exactly did you see? Didn't you say Trunks was going to be killed by Cell? Why are you suddenly shouting about Gohan? Aren't Gohan and Son Goku still training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Bulma, who was beside him, asked anxiously.
....
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