Piccolo – Sacred Grounds of the Lookout
The skies above the Lookout turned dark, not from clouds—but from energy. Piccolo opened his eyes slowly as his meditation was interrupted by a low rumble that only warriors of his caliber could feel.
He stood up immediately.
"...What is this ki?"
It wasn't chaotic or uncontrolled like the Ginyu force. Nor was it inherently evil like Frieza. It was clean—precise—and yet utterly malevolent.
His fists clenched.
"Cell…"
He looked out toward the western horizon, his cape fluttering in the breeze.
"That bastard's done it. He's completed his transformation."
Krillin – Capsule Corp Training Grounds
Krillin had been finishing his cooldown stretches after a long session with Master Roshi and Chiaotzu. Bulma was inside tinkering with Android 16's repairs, and 18 was still missing.
Then it hit him.
Like a sharp slap to the soul.
His knees buckled, and his breath caught.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
His thoughts scrambled. No buildup, no warning—just a detonation of presence.
He looked toward the sky.
"I-It's Cell. He did it. He found her… he got her."
His gaze turned hard. "I should've stayed closer. Damn it."
Tien – Frozen Mountain Ranges
Tien Shinhan's meditation was a still sculpture in the frost. The moment the tremor of ki reached him, his third eye flared open.
He gasped—frozen breath breaking the silence.
"That… that's not just an increase. That's a quantum leap."
He stood up slowly, eyes wide.
He knew then and there—whatever peace they had was shattered.
Chiaotzu – Mifan Palace
Chiaotzu was sipping tea while reviewing trade reports. When the quake of energy rippled across his mind like thunder cracking the world open, the porcelain teacup shattered in his hand.
"Tien…" he whispered, already sending a telepathic message.
"He's evolved."
Yamcha – Baseball Stadium, West City
The crowd was roaring. Yamcha was on the mound, ready to throw the final pitch of a championship game.
Then… the lights in the stadium flickered.
Yamcha froze mid-pitch, mouth slightly open.
BOOM
A wave of pressure, invisible to all around him, rippled through his senses.
"Cell…"
His glove dropped to the ground.
The catcher turned around. "Yamcha?!"
Yamcha was already gone—vanished in a blur of speed and ki, leaving nothing but dust.
Master Roshi – Kame House
Roshi had been calmly sipping coconut milk in a hammock, sunglasses low on his nose.
The moment he felt Cell's power, he sat up straighter than he had in years.
"Well... damn."
He slowly got to his feet, setting the drink aside.
"Guess nap time's over."
Raditz – Rocky Plains
Raditz was tearing through boulders with explosive strikes. Training in seclusion had pushed his endurance and willpower further than ever before.
The moment he felt Cell's ascension, the sky around him cracked with energy.
His breath hitched.
"What… no way…!"
He grabbed his scouter instinctively, even though it hadn't worked in years.
"This pressure… is beyond Frieza. Beyond even Kakarot's Super Saiyan."
He grit his teeth.
"So this is the monster I need to surpass."
Nappa – Gravity Chamber, Capsule Corp
Inside a chamber pushing 200x Earth's gravity, Nappa collapsed to one knee.
"Hrrng—!"
The gravity didn't bring him down.
Cell's energy did.
Sweat formed on his brow, and his gut clenched.
"What… what the hell was that?!"
He stood up, roaring, forcing himself to move.
"I didn't come this far to be left behind!"
Vegeta a day after leaving HBTC with Trunks
Vegeta was deep in his stance, watching Trunks meditate before their next spar.
He stopped cold.
Something gripped his heart.
He snapped his head toward the entrance of the HBTC.
"Hmm…"
He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding in excitement.
"That bug… he's done it."
He glanced at Trunks and muttered, "The Perfect test for my power!"
Trunks felt it seconds later.
A chill ran through his spine.
He looked up at his father, and for once… the proud prince looked rattled.
"Cell?" he asked.
Vegeta nodded.
"Damn it"
Gohan
Gohan was sparring lightly with Chichi, his Super Saiyan aura faint.
Then he stopped mid-dash.
He dropped to the floor, panting.
His face turned pale.
"Mom…"
Chichi felt it too.
"What was that…?"
Gohan's eyes narrowed.
"Cell. He's… terrifying."
Goku – Above the Skies, East Quadrant
Goku had been alone in the skies, meditating. Floating above the clouds, with only the wind as company.
He smiled as the energy wave reached him.
He opened his eyes.
"So… you've finally done it."
He rose higher, golden aura gently flickering around him.
"It's almost time."
The skies over West City turned red.
Not from the setting sun.
But from fire. From ruin.
Buildings crumbled like toys. Monuments to civilization fell beneath a single monstrous force.
Hovering above the chaos, arms crossed and a grin etched across his perfect, expressionless face, was Cell. No longer semi-perfect. No longer chasing androids in shadows. Now he stood before the world as a god.
As their executioner.
One final explosion leveled a city block before he lifted a single finger and silenced the chaos.
"Attention, citizens of Earth," Cell's voice echoed.
It didn't come from radios.
It wasn't broadcast through satellites.
It simply was — his voice resonating in every living being's mind. From the smallest child to the most hardened war general, everyone heard it. Some dropped to their knees in fear.
"My name is Cell," he continued calmly. "I am the culmination of your nightmares and the perfection of your science."
As he spoke, global feeds across every nation flickered to life, hijacked by his will alone. Images of the destroyed cityscapes, his towering form, and the bloodied ruins painted every screen.
"Some of you may recall the works of Dr. Gero and the Red Ribbon Army. A pathetic excuse for conquest. I, however, am his greatest creation. And I have surpassed even his twisted vision."
News anchors trembled. Presidents, kings, and dictators stared in silent dread.
"Today, I give you a gift. One final chance. One final game."
He raised his hand.
A brilliant burst of golden-green energy erupted from his palm. It streaked through the sky like a comet and disappeared.
Moments later, halfway across the globe, a mountain shattered. Then the earth warped and trembled as a massive dome-like structure erupted from the crater. Smooth tiles, shaped perfectly into an arena unlike anything mankind had seen.
"Behold, the arena for the greatest event your pathetic world will ever witness," Cell said proudly.
He floated slowly through the sky, his arms still behind his back.
"In ten days, the strongest warriors of Earth may challenge me in combat. This event shall be called… the Cell Games."
People gasped.
"Do not mistake this for an act of mercy. It is boredom. It is a test. It is judgment. I will stand in that ring and wait for your champions."
He paused, then his eyes narrowed.
"If none arrive, or if I find myself unsatisfied... I will destroy this world."
Gasps turned to screams.
"Your governments, your armies, your weapons—none of it matters. I have already erased three cities to demonstrate. Would you like me to continue?"
In a single motion, Cell vanished from the skies above West City.
Thousands of miles away, a desert city erupted in flames. Then another.
People cried out. Pilots scrambled to the sky. Satellites locked onto the coordinates.
And yet he was gone.
"I am not here to negotiate. I am not here to be worshipped. I am here to test perfection."
A massive crater remained where once there was life.
Then he reappeared on the newly formed arena.
"The rules are simple," Cell explained. "Any fighter may enter the ring. You may fight me one-on-one or as a team. I will not interfere in your choices."
He raised a single finger, and with it, conjured a glowing time crystal floating above the arena.
"Ten Earth days from now, at sunrise, the games begin. Come prepared."
He turned slowly, showing his back to the camera as if the world wasn't even worth his gaze.
"Or don't come at all. I will be waiting either way."
With a faint hum, every broadcast shut off.
The Earth returned to silence.