NOTE: So, I see that there are some people who didn't like that Fairy Tail basically excused Krillin's actions and gave all of the shit to Vegeta. Let me explain my reasons:
1. Fairy Tail would always make the choice Krillin did if they were in the same situation he was in. These characters would NEVER prioritize killing someone they care about to save the world. Because for them, the world isn't worth living in if they all aren't in it together. Krillin made the choice to not kill 18, because he(Canon Krillin as well) felt that the Androids didn't deserve to die, whether or not 18 felt the same way about him. His choice was stupid and I agree that it was as dumb as dog shit. However, in that moment he fully believed that Vegeta and Trunks were gonna kill Cell. At this time they had no Dragon Balls and had no guarantee that they would be able to find New Namek, Krillin made his choice in the heat of the moment.
2. Vegeta is absolutely dumb as all hell in this arc. The man has been nothing more than an overconfident egotistical jerk the entire time and the beat down he gets from Cell is absolutely deserved. The cast(And I who writes their dialogue) have no reason to give Vegeta a pass, because he hasn't proven that he deserves it. Only and ONLY when Trunks is killed by Cell does Vegeta finally show that he can in fact see past himself and care for others. But, we aren't at that point yet, so the FT cast obviously don't see it.
Krillin's actions are at least justifiable, while Vegeta's aren't. The choices they made were dumb at the end of the day and Cell gives them both an ass kicking for making it. If you disagree with what I've said then there's nothing I can do about it, all we can do is move on and just enjoy the show.
Enjoy and Review
Chapter 73: My Body is a Temple O'Trunks
(cut to inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with multiple ki blasts being seen flying about and Goku as a Super Saiyan managing to dodge one)
GOKU: Boy, I'm glad you're a Super Saiyan now; I've needed a good training partner! (dodges some more blasts and backs into a wall)
"So, you're admitting that anyone beforehand wasn't good enough?" Gajeel asked.
GOKU: I don't know Trunks very well, and Vegeta's always so busy...and angry. (leaps out of the way to dodge another incoming blast) And I'm not gonna lie... Sometimes, I think he doesn't like me.
"Noooo...What honestly gave you that impression? Was it the constant screaming, his sarcastic attitude, the insults, or the glare that never leaves his face? Honestly, who knows?" Minerva rolled her eyes.
GOKU: (destroys three incoming blasts with a single blast of his own) I mean, who wouldn't like me?
"Frieza is currently screaming in hell," Freed said in response.
GOHAN: (lands on Goku's shoulders) Maybe you're just too good!
GOKU: Nah, I'm just Goku.
"And Goku is awesome!" Natsu grinned.
GOKU: (reverts back to his normal state) And speaking of Goku, it's lunch ti- (a clock falls off the wall and lands on the ground, making him and Gohan, now in his normal state, look at the damage they have done to the Time Chamber)
GOHAN: Well, guess we don't know what time it is anymore, huh? (starts laughing but stops when he hears Goku muttering)
GOKU: (quietly) Don't break Popo's stuff. Don't break Popo's stuff. Don't break Popo's stuff.
Everyone felt a dark chill, a familiar sinister laugh can be heard faintly in the background.
GOHAN: ...Dad?
GOKU: (much louder) Don't break Popo's stuff. Don't break Popo's stuff.
GOHAN: ...What are you muttering?
GOKU: SIXTH RULE OF POPO'S TRAINING!
"Welp...hopefully they can fix that clock in time," Levy chuckled nervously.
[OPENING SEQUENCE]
(cut to Trunks screaming as he powers up)
PERFECT CELL: Good lord, the lungs on that boy.
"Yeah, it seems to be a trait they all share with Natsu," Gray agreed.
Instead of taking it as an insult, the Dragon Slayer just puffed out his chest. "HELL YEAH I'M LOU-"
"SHUT UP!" Erza smacked him into the ground.
KRILLIN: You okay, Trunks? You, uh, doin' good on air, there? (gets zapped by a spark of electricity from Trunks' aura) AGH!
"No counter for that one?" Freed asked.
(cut to The Lookout)
PICCOLO: And there's the twist!
BULMA: Not to be a broken record, but...
PICCOLO: Right! So, uh, no worries, your, uh... Huh, I was gonna say husband, but... Well, I was gonna say boyfriend, but-
TIEN/Laxus: Your baby daddy is still breathing.
PICCOLO: Yeah, barely.
BULMA: Well, that's a relief.
"Really? Is it really?" Carla didn't understand why Bulma would be relieved.
PICCOLO: On the other hand, Trunks is about to fight Cell.
BULMA: What?! But he's just a baby! (silence) Oh, right...the future one. But he's just a baby!
"How would you confuse them? The infant is in your hands," Kagura pointed out.
"It just shows how much she loves her son!" Millianna smiled.
"Yeah...a little too much," Minerva mumbled.
(cut back on the battlefield)
KRILLIN: Okay, you done?
TRUNKS: Yeah, yeah! I-I'm so sorry about that!
KRILLIN: Hey, man, it's fine.
TRUNKS: My power was rising, I-I couldn't control it!
"That could be an issue if you can't keep your power under control. Don't want to cause anymore damage to the planet as is," Jellal said.
KRILLIN: No, it's good! Go kill him!
TRUNKS: Definitely didn't do that because you spared the Android or anything.
"That makes more sense, Krillin did screw up alongside Vegeta," Rogue said.
"Juvia still has no issue with it! Love is always the right answer!" Juvia argued back.
"Juvia, while we all sympathize with Krillin's choice to not kill 18. It was the wrong choice at the end of the day, since Cell still absorbed her," Erza explained, frowning. Erza hated to say that, since Fairy Tail has always followed their hearts in the choices they make. Thinking back to the Tower of Heaven and how Natsu refused to let her sacrifice herself, Krillin's actions weren't that unbelievable.
"If choosing love is wrong, then every choice Juvia's ever made was wrong! Krillin followed his heart whether or not 18 felt the same way! The androids deserved to live their own lives!" Juvia protested.
KRILLIN: Well, obviously! ...Right?
PERFECT CELL: You know, if I had a watch, I'd be looking at my wrist really condescendingly right now!
"No, Natsu. You don't have a watch," Lucy said after seeing him looking at his wrist.
"Oh, right," He laughed.
TRUNKS: Krillin, take this. (tosses Krillin a Senzu Bean) Give it to my father.
KRILLIN: You sure you won't need it?
TRUNKS: No. This battle was over before it began. (starts descending to the ground)
"So, cool!" The kids replied.
KRILLIN: Bad! Ass!
PERFECT CELL: Also accurate! (looks at Trunks as he lands on the ground and dissipates his aura)
ANDROID 16: Trunks, Senzu beans heal physical damage. Only therapy will aid emotional trauma.
"There is NO amount of therapy that will heal that trainwreck," Gajeel replied.
PERFECT CELL: Oh, please. There's not a shrink qualified enough to deal with that hot mess! (Vegeta is heard mumbling facedown on the ground) And, speaking of shrink…
"More short jokes," Levy growled.
KRILLIN: Here it comes...
PERFECT CELL: (starts walking up to Trunks, who also does the same) Krillin, go kiss the prince's boo-boos. The big boys need to talk.
"Trunks is pretty big," Lucy noticed.
"Oh my~" Cana wiggled her eyebrows.
"NOT LIKE THAT!" Lucy screamed.
KRILLIN: (picks up Vegeta) Fine, whatever. Leave you to it. Say goodbye, Vegeta!
VEGETA: (gurgling, barely audible) I hate all of you.
"The feeling is very much mutual," Minerva replied.
(shift over to Trunks and Perfect Cell now standing a considerable distance away from each other)
TRUNKS: I'm going to make you pay in blood for what you did to him!
PERFECT CELL: Oh, don't lie, boy scout. That must have been catharsis by proxy.
"I'd be shocked if it wasn't. Trunks just has a very strong sense of Justice," Gildarts said.
PERFECT CELL: (chuckles as it shows Krillin carrying Vegeta out of the battlefield) He's gonna be waking up for the next five years in a cold sweat remembering today. (starts laughing)
TRUNKS: I'm not a psychopath like-
PERFECT CELL: Kind of like you!
"How's Trunks a psychopath? If anything he's a hero fighting for peace," Romeo countered.
TRUNKS: Like me?
PERFECT CELL: Does Gohan know, by the way?
TRUNKS: Does he know what?
PERFECT CELL: ...That you let him die.
A dark atmosphere overtook the guild, every last one of the mages glaring daggers at Cell. The scene of Trunks finding Gohan's dead body replaying within their minds.
"How dare...Trunks had no control over what happened that day!" Erza growled.
"Kill it!" Mira spat.
(waves crash in the background)
TRUNKS: ...I'm going to power up now.
PERFECT CELL: (winks at Trunks) I'd be disappointed if you didn't.
"I'm just disappointed that you aren't dead yet," Laxus said.
(Trunks starts to power up, which is so intense that it can be felt from up on The Lookout)
TIEN: That's Trunks?
PICCOLO: Yeah, pretty astonishing, isn't it?
TIEN: It's infuriating!
"I agree, if Trunks had all this power in the first place then he could've just killed Cell from the start," Jellal pointed out.
"He also had every opportunity to kill 18, but he never did. He just kept fighting Cell and Vegeta, hoping that 18 would get away," Gildarts added.
"I think it's because Vegeta would've prevented any chance he had from killing 18. Seeing that his father was so willing to work with Cell," Levy tried to explain.
"If he was stronger then it shouldn't have mattered. He easily overpowered his father's attack beforehand, the only thing that was stopping Trunks were his own feelings towards Vegeta. He just wanted his father's recognition," Sting frowned. If you have the power to change something, then change it and nobody will have to be hurt.
PICCOLO: Why? Because the gap keeps widening?
TIEN: Because he could have A: killed Android 18, B: killed Cell, or C: killed Vegeta!
PICCOLO: Why Vegeta?
TIEN: Because I deserve SOMETHING today!
We ALL deserve something today," Lily said.
(cut back on the battlefield with Trunks still powering up with his muscles bulking up)
PERFECT CELL: That's right, keep it coming, boy! I want a real fight this time!
"It sounds a lot like Goku," Yukino noticed.
"Considering it has Goku's DNA, it makes sense," Rogue answered her.
TRUNKS: Don't you worry! I'll show you just how much stronger I am than my father!
PERFECT CELL: Your father-? Oh, no, I'm sorry, I wasn't being specific. I'm referring to the last time we met. Of course, you wouldn't remember, because you weren't there. (laughs) I mean, you were, but…
Levy flipped through her notes and looked back at Imperfect Cell's page. "That's right! I completely forgot about that!"
"About what?" Lucy asked.
"It'll explain," Levy told her.
TRUNKS: Get to the point!
PERFECT CELL: All right, kiddo, tell me. What do you know about time travel?
TRUNKS: Less than I should.
"Which is why you shouldn't mess with things you don't understand," Jellal scolded.
PERFECT CELL: Well, how do you suppose I got here?
TRUNKS: Well, my time machine, obviously.
PERFECT CELL: (nods) Yeah-huh. And how do you think I got said time machine?
Suddenly Levy's outburst earlier made sense in everyone's heads. Cell knew Trunks, because he stole Trunks' time machine.
"Trunks also said he had a weird sense of deja vu when they first saw Cell back when it fought Piccolo. But, our Trunks never met Cell before," Levy explained.
"And your point is?" Gray asked.
"Multiverse theory's a bitch."
TRUNKS: ...I don't wanna answer that.
PERFECT CELL: Here's the thing: multiverse theory's a bitch. Fact is, you-or at least, another you-traveled to the past, saved the world, came back to your future, and finally defeated the Androids! Congratulations, son! You won!
"Yay! Trunks won!" Millianna cheered. She stopped when she saw that nobody else was cheering with her.
TRUNKS: But, wait. Then when did you-?
(flashback to Perfect Cell's timeline with Trunks in that timeline preparing to go back to the past in his time machine)
PERFECT CELL: So you decided to celebrate! Head back to the past, get your hair ruffled, and finally get that thumbs-up from daddy dearest! But you made one. Fatal. Mistake... You took away what. Was. Mine. (shows him in his Imperfect form emerging from the shadows and proceeds to kill Trunks and then steal his time machine).
"Holy shit…"
"Can you even imagine the pain that Bulma has to be going through. Just moments earlier her son was perfectly fine, just saved the world, and was going to tell everyone. Only for her to eventually go outside and find her son's dead body lying on the ground," Yukino held her hands close to her chest.
"And she'll never know. She'll never know what took her son away from her," Lucy felt her heart break for that Bulma. She's pretty much lost everyone she's ever known and will spend the rest of her life alone.
Natsu didn't think he could ever hold so much hate for another being as much as he does Cell. There was nothing redeemable about the bug creature, not a single thing at all.
PERFECT CELL: Unfortunately, I couldn't fit in your time machine, so I had to revert to my larval state, made the trip to a year before you showed up, burrowed underground for four years, and, well...the rest is history!
TRUNKS: Then... You're here…
PERFECT CELL: Because of you!
"To learn that you're responsible for not only the death of a different you, but also the reason for so many deaths is painful. Trunks just wanted to be a hero, to make his mother and Gohan proud, not this," Lucy wanted to console the young Time Traveler.
PERFECT CELL: But please, don't beat yourself up. (chuckles) You're just a child playing hero...complete with spandex.
TRUNKS: And you are just another mistake that I have to correct.
"That's right! Don't let Cell get into your head, Trunks!" Natsu yelled.
"You can still be a hero! Save the world!" Lucy yelled alongside him.
(Trunks powers up once more, bulking up his muscles again, and then rushes forward, landing a punch on Perfect Cell. However, Perfect Cell manages to rebound himself on a wall and appears behind Trunks to kick him away. Trunks stops himself in midair and proceeds to dash up behind Perfect Cell and kicks him in the back. Trunks then flies down in front of the direction Perfect Cell is flying and punches him away. Trunks and Perfect Cell then proceed to engage blows with each other before they both fall back.)
PERFECT CELL: I'm impressed! Behind all that angst and ridiculous hair, there's a real fighter!
TRUNKS: And behind all that insufferable smarm is a dead man!
PERFECT CELL: Trunks...you couldn't fathom the amount of dead men behind me.
The Dragon Slayers all stiffened, remembering the horrible feeling of all the souls that Cell had taken.
(Perfect Cell and Trunks power up and lock arms with each other, with their hands electrifying with power in the center.)
ANDROID 16: Go, unreasonably buff bird!
"Everyone is just a bird to you, huh?" Bickslow questioned.
(Perfect Cell headbutts Trunks in the face and then kicks him downward. Fortunately, Trunks stops himself in midair and returns the favor by headbutting Perfect Cell, pummels him around for a bit and then fires a ki blast that sends Perfect Cell to the ground and hits a cliffside. As Perfect Cell gets up, Trunks hovers above him while proudly crossing his arms.)
TRUNKS: Now, that might not have done a lot of damage, but damn did it feel good!
"Watching Cell get its ass kicked is something I've been needing for a minute," Wakaba agreed.
PERFECT CELL: Oh ho ho! Am I sensing an iota of pride? Guess the apple doesn't fall far if you shake the tree hard enough!
"Must be one sturdy tree," Cana shrugged.
TRUNKS: That snark isn't going to save you while I'm taking you apart. If you haven't noticed, I've literally got you against the wall!
PERFECT CELL: And don't think I don't appreciate the effort. By a wide margin, you're packing more of a wallop than daddy ever did! However... you will never, ever defeat me with that form.
GOHAN/Wendy: (voice over) But why? It's so strong!
"Huh?" The female Dragon Slayer gasped.
(cut to inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber)
GOKU: (in his bulked-up Super Saiyan form) Oh, yeah. In raw power, it can't be beat. But the amount of concentrated energy causes an extreme expansion in mass. The body can't compensate!
"Wha-?"
"I get it!" Natsu smirked.
"HOW!?"
"Goku and I are just that much in sync!" Natsu giggled to himself.
GOKU: And while you'll see a fifty percent power increase, you'll see a seventy-five percent decrease in speed and mobility! You'd never hit your opponent! (powers down to his normal state)
"Tch! It's only because Trunks is doing it wrong. If you know how to balance your power, then it doesn't matter how big you are," Laxus countered.
"I agree! My MANLY muscles don't get in my way at all! Trunks just went in the wrong direction with it!" Elfman agreed.
GOHAN: D-Did you..? What just...?
GOKU: Whoop! Sorry, was thinkin' about fightin'!
"And suddenly unlocks another part of his brain," Freed sweat dropped.
GOHAN: I'm not sure what just happened.
GOKU: Silly Gohan! In a lame-man's terms...
(cut back on the battlefield)
PERFECT CELL: You. Can't. Hit me.
TRUNKS/Yukino: Then what do you call the last five minutes?!
PERFECT CELL: ...Pity.
TRUNKS: RRGH!
ANDROID 16: Trunks, do not worry. He is just playing you. (Trunks charges to attack Perfect Cell, who laughs and easily dodges all his attacks) Correction: he's been playing you. (Trunks tries to punch Perfect Cell once more, but he merely dodges it and lands on the ground)
"Cell was never taking the fight seriously from the start. All it wanted was to test its new body and humiliate Trunks," Jellal glared at the bug man.
TRUNKS: RRGH! Why?! How?!
PERFECT CELL: Because you're green!
"Like, Piccolo green?" Wendy asked.
TRUNKS: ...Wait, you mean-?
PERFECT CELL: No, not like me, you idiot. As in, you're a novice, an amateur. You're surrounded by fighters who have seen more action in a week than you've seen in your entire life! Hell, at your age, Goku had defeated an entire army, several demons, and sent a rabbit to the moon!
"Is...is that last one made up?" Levy asked.
TRUNKS: Did... Did you make that last one up?
PERFECT CELL: And the worst part of it is, that form isn't even new. Watch. (bulks up just like Trunks did and imitates him in a whiny voice) Look at me, I'm Trunks! Please love me, Daaad! (changes back to normal) See? Anyone can do it.
TRUNKS: ...That's a terrible impression.
ANDROID 16/Gajeel: (off-screen) But not inaccurate!
TRUNKS: Why are you still here?!
"Where else would he go?" Happy asked.
PERFECT CELL: For God's sake, I bet even your father can do it-he's just not stupid enough to try! And as we've seen today, that threshold is vast.
"The entirety of space doesn't compare to the size of Vegeta's ego," Gajeel added.
PERFECT CELL: Now, how 'bout you come on down, stop using that useless form, (scowls) and quit wasting everyone's time. (Trunks powers down to his normal state and slowly descends down to the ground) Jeez, I can't tell which is more shattered. Your father's body or your spirit.
"He failed...He couldn't be a hero," Lucy mumbled. She felt a masculine hand on her shoulder, looking to her side she saw Natsu giving her a determined look.
"Trunks has always been a hero. Him giving everyone a chance to live and fight is pretty heroic if you ask me," He smiled.
"Yeah...Trunks has always been a hero," Lucy smiled.
TRUNKS: Just get it over with and kill me already.
PERFECT CELL: Whoa, and spirit it is! Seriously, bucko, way to bring down the mood.
"Is this nothing but a game to you!?" Makarov roared.
TRUNKS: Is this all just a game to you?!
PERFECT CELL: A game? Hardly. If this were a game, I'd be having fun...or killing Goku. Now that sounds like a good time!
ANDROID 16: That still doesn't make us friends!
PERFECT CELL: I'M TRYING, 16!
"THEN SPIT OUT HIS FAMILY!" Wendy yelled.
TRUNKS: Fine, go ahead! Fight Goku. But when he wins, and when you die, nobody is going to remember you!
PERFECT CELL: ...Huh. All right, change of plans! Turn that frown upside down, boy scout. You're not dying today!
TRUNKS: What in the- Why?!
"If Cell has even a monochrome of Vegeta's DNA in it, then you just hit the ego spot," Freed answered.
PERFECT CELL: Careful, junior, don't want that gift horse to bite you! You've just given me an idea, is all. What would I accomplish killing you here? No... The whole world needs to see what it's created.
"That...that wasn't ominous at all," Yukino shivered.
TRUNKS: Oh, what the hell are you planning now?!
PERFECT CELL: My revolution. Go take care of your daddy. And make sure to check the news! (flies off)
ANDROID 16: (off-screen) What channel?
16's question sparked some laughter from the mages.
[ENDING SEQUENCE]
[STINGER]
(cut to Krillin and an unconscious Vegeta on an island with Krillin preparing to give Vegeta a Senzu bean)
KRILLIN: Well, time to see how well Senzu Beans do with a broken spine. (places a Senzu Bean inside Vegeta's mouth, who swallows it and wakes up)
VEGETA: Where am I? What happened? Uh…
"You doomed the planet and got exactly what you deserved," Gildarts answered.
KRILLIN: You may have blacked out a little bit.
VEGETA: But I'm still alive! He must have realized his mistake and run away! (laughs nervously)
"Dude, there's only so much you can deny," Gray frowned.
KRILLIN: Dude, come on. It's just me.
VEGETA: I... I don't get it. I trained so hard... I reached a new level... And yet…
"You were stronger than Cell. In that one year you managed to reach a new level of strength that would make Frieza piss his pants, but when glory was in your grasp you let it go. You let it go for the sake of your own illusions of being the strongest, something that you've never been since the start. Sometimes to achieve victory you have to be willing to look past yourself, and see the bigger picture," Makarov explained.
KRILLIN: Trust me, man, I get you. I mean, my neck's still stiff from earlier! (Vegeta sniffs and starts laughing) I mean, if I had a dime for every time I had my ass kicked, I might not be in crippling debt! (he and Vegeta share a laugh).
"I think this is the first time the two of them have ever been in close proximity and Vegeta hasn't threatened Krillin's life," Lucy smiled.
KRILLIN: But-But if I had gotten a beatdown like that, man, I would have hung up my gloves, my blue spandex, my ridiculously pointy hair! (starts laughing again, but Vegeta is seen no longer amused) You're not laughing anymore…
"And you ruined it," Lucy deadpans.
KRILLIN: (screams in pain as he gets punched in the face by Vegeta) (Krillin Owned Count: 36) Could I get a dime for that?
"You could get another punch to the face," Gajeel suggested.
Chapter End