"Mr. Satan," Jimmy Firecracker said, turning to point the mike at him, "now that he has surrendered, will you be stepping into the ring?"
Mr. Satan quickly clutched his gut, and said, "I can't right now, Jimmy. I'm afraid I developed a stomach cramp. The rematch will have to wait."
Cell said to Goku, "You realize what this means, don't you? If you give up then I am just going wreak havoc on the planet."
"No, there's still one person left for you to fight," claimed Goku. "Someone that's even stronger than both of us." Mr. Satan looked over in panic, thinking he might be talking about him, before Goku continued, "Get out here Gohan."
"What was that?" both Piccolo and Raditz bellowed. Back at Goku's house Chi-Chi picked up the television and began to wave it around, trying to yell at Goku through it. Launch had to back off a bit with the baby as Ox-King tried calming her down. Still, though, Launch hugged Ranch and shut her eyes as she wondered what Goku was up to, while also hoping for her nephew to pull through.
Goku jumped up to where the rest of the team was standing in shock, as he went up to Gohan, who looked up at him in disbelief.
"What the hell are you thinking, Goku?" Piccolo demanded. "Do you want to get your son killed?"
"Honestly, Kakarot, which hit to the head out there was it that gave you this foolish idea?" Raditz hollered at his brother, advancing on him.
"Would you guys relax," Goku said calmly. "I know what I'm doing."
"But, dad, I can't fight Cell, I'm not strong enough," Gohan claimed.
But Goku just smiled at Gohan. "Tell me," he said to his son, "when you were watching earlier, did you have trouble keep up?"
"No," he admitted. "But you and Cell weren't fighting at full power."
"I don't know about Cell but I sure was," Goku told him. "You only thought I was holding back because you were comparing it to your own power."
"Is that true?" asked Piccolo in astonishment.
"Yeah," he confirmed.
"Holy crap!" Ranch exclaimed, as the others on the cliff stood in shock. She remembered sparring with Gohan a few days back, and how she just barely managed to beat him. Neither of them went all out that time, but now it dawned on her just how much Gohan was holding back compared to her.
"So what do you say?" Goku asked Gohan.
Finally, seeing the kind of confidence that his father had in him, Gohan nodded. "Alright." Gohan threw off his shoulder pads and cape, and jumped down to the ground. The two stared each other down, as the camera was pointed at them and the world watched.
"Hey, Krillin," said Goku, "can I get a Senzu bean?"
"Oh. Yeah, sure," Krillin said, giving him one.
"Now he wants one," Ranch muttered in frustration.
Goku looked up at Cell. "Hey, Cell. Catch." Before anyone figured out what he was doing, Goku threw the bean up at Cell, causing everyone to freak out. "You're going to need that."
"I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" Ranch bellowed in anger, starting for her uncle only to be held back by Trunks. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, UNCLE GOKU! THAT'S GOING WAY TOO FRICKIN FAR!"
"Are you totally out of your mind?" Krillin shouted at Goku.
"Look, Cell's worn out," Goku explained. "It wouldn't be fair if he didn't face Gohan at his best."
"But that's Cell out there," Yamcha said, shocked at what Goku did.
"Fighting fair isn't exactly a priority when the fate of the world is at stake!" Trunks shouted at him while he continued to hold back Ranch. Meanwhile Cell laughed and ate the bean, restoring his strength.
Gohan then began to power up, unleashing an unprecedented amount of power that surprised everyone. Cell admitted that Goku wasn't bluffing about the boy being strong, but it still wasn't strong enough to defeat him. Cell landed on the ground and turned faced Gohan. He kicked Gohan, but it was blocked. Cell backed off but went right back in to unleash a barrage of punches, which Gohan dodged and jumped out of the way from.
They ended up in the air, where Gohan continued dodge all of Cell's attacks. But then Cell closed in and grabbed him by the shirt and head butted him, and then began to punch him in the face multiple times. The entire time all Goku and the rest did was look on. Cell then threw Gohan and blasted him through a series of large rocks that crumbled on top of him. Off in the countryside, as they watched the TV, Chi-Chi fainted and Launch had to quickly catch her before she fell, leaving little Ranch in Ox-King's hands.
As Jimmy Firecracker began commenting on the boy's demise, the rest of the team continued to watch anxiously.
"Damn it, Goku, Gohan's death is on you!" Piccolo shouted at him, while Raditz just stared in stunned silence.
Worried, Trunks gripped Ranch to keep her from going off the rails again, saying shakily, "Look, I know it looks bad…" But Ranch just kept her gaze on the rubble, noticing that Gohan's energy didn't disappear completely. Then slowly the rest began to realize the same thing.
"It's over," Cell announced, looking up at Goku. "So take a Senzu bean, Goku, and get back down here."
"How about you look behind you instead," Goku said with a smile on his face.
Just then the rocks exploded and Gohan walked out. Cell notes that he didn't give the boy enough credit and went to meet him again. One they were face to face, Gohan began talking—practically asking Cell to just put a stop to everything, saying that he'd rather not fight. But Cell only replies that if he doesn't fight then the Earth would be destroyed.
So Gohan began to tell Cell why Goku really gave up. It was because every time that Gohan got angry he would snap. Whenever he was placed in an impossible situation and someone that he cared about got hurt or was in danger, then Gohan's power would grow tremendously. But rather than being dissuaded by what he heard, Cell became intrigued. So he punched Gohan in the face.
Cell followed that up by elbowing Gohan and delivering a kick that sent him flying. Cell charged into him to punch him again, but Gohan dodged and kicked Cell in the face, sending him to the ground. Getting back up, Cell smiled and wiped blood off his face, determined to unlock the rage Gohan claimed to harbor.
He shot a series of beams at Gohan, who nimbly dodged them. But then Cell dashed at him, and got Gohan into a bear hug. He then proceeded to crush Gohan in his arms, causing him to scream out in pain. The more it went on, the more those watching could hardly standby, except for Goku, who anticipated Gohan to power up at any moment. But then Piccolo, Raditz, and Ranch had all reached their limit.
As Gohan's screams continued, Piccolo finally said, "That's it! I'm going down to help him."
Raditz said, "Let's go!"
"Right!" shouted Ranch.
"Hey, wait up!" Goku quickly said quickly. "Doesn't anyone realize how close Gohan is? Once he gets angry enough he'll get stronger and pummel Cell! Just watch."
Upon hearing that, Piccolo was momentarily stunned, but then said, "Is that seriously your plan? Goku, Gohan doesn't have the stomach for that sort of thing."
"Kakarot, your son is not like us!" Raditz yelled at him. "He doesn't revel in the thrill of battle like we do!"
Ranch furiously advanced on her uncle, shouting, "What the hell, Uncle Goku, don't you know your own son?"
Goku was put off by their hostility, and the confidence he had in his plan began to waver. But he replied to Ranch, "Look, Ranch, I know what I'm talking about. Trust me; you don't know Gohan like I do."
"I don't know Gohan?" Anger coursed through Ranch's veins, as she swiftly grabbed Goku's ghi with both hands, and pulled him in. "I don't know Gohan? Let me tell you something, you dumb bastard, I knew MY Gohan—and MY Gohan hated fighting! He hated that he had no other choice but to train me and Trunks for the next fight! But he did it because he knew that he had no other choice! All he wanted was peace! And one look at your son down there is more than enough to tell me that he's the same way!"
As Ranch threw him off, Goku stammered, "But…but…"
"Goku, right now all your son is thinking about is thinking is why his father isn't helping him!" Piccolo told him harshly.
As Piccolo took off his shoulder pads and cape, just as their words finally reached Goku, who now realized that he had made a grave mistake. "Krillin, give me a Senzu bean!"
Cell dropped Gohan. And before Krillin could Goku a bean, Cell sped over to them and snatched the bag out of his hands. Dangling the bag before Gohan, Cell said to him, "If hurting you won't bring your anger out, then maybe hurting your friends and family up there will."
"No, please! Don't do this," begged Gohan. "If it happens then I won't be able to control myself! I'll kill you!"
"I guess you leave me no choice," Cell said, looking up at those on the cliff.
Panicked, Gohan said, "Don't you—" But as he tried to fly at him, Cell kicked him back down. "Sit back and watch."
All of a sudden, 16 appeared behind Cell and latched onto him with a bear hug. All the fighters were stunned at the cyborg's sudden move.
"Is he trying to take on Cell on his own?" Krillin asked.
"Does it have a death wish?" said Trunks. "That's suicide."
Piccolo told everyone, "We have to help him!"
But before any of them could make their move, 16 shouted, "No! Stay back, I will kill him by self-destructing." Everyone stood shocked at his proclamation, and Cell looked horrified. "I have a powerful explosive in my body." As 16 began the detonation process, everybody braced themselves, while Jimmy, the cameraman, and Mr. Satan all freaked out in their hiding place.
Eventually, though, everyone slowly stopped bracing themselves for the explosion as nothing happened. 16 cried in confusion, "I can't activate the trigger!"
"16!" Krillin shouted with a pained expression. "Your bomb is gone! Bulma and her dad thought it was too dangerous and removed it!"
Cell then began to laugh. He then broke free from 16's grip and blasted him into even more pieces than when Trunks blew him apart, leaving only his head intact. "Another of Dr. Gero's failures," Cell said, kicking 16's head away, landing close by to Mr. Satan, Jimmy, and the cameraman.
"Anyone else?" Cell asked. "No?" He turned back to Gohan. "Well, looks like we still have to get you mad." He then began to count the number of warriors observing them. "Nine. That shouldn't be a problem." He then began to concentrate and grunt. The end of his retracted tail widened, and then something popped out.
"What's he doing now?" said Vegeta, as Cell produced another.
"Oh man, and here I thought he couldn't get more disgusting," Ranch said, revolted as more and more came out of his body.
Soon enough, nine blue mini Cells stood and laughed maniacally as they turned to face the fighters. "My children," Cell said to them. "Those people up there are your enemies. Cause them pain—kill them if you want. Go."
The Cell Juniors launched at them.
"Get ready!" cried Goku, taking a stance. "They're really strong!" As everyone prepared, Vegeta, Raditz, Trunks, and Ranch all powered up to Super Saiyan.
Each mini Cell reached its target. Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien were almost instantly overwhelmed. Piccolo, Vegeta, Raditz, Trunks, and Ranch all managed to hold their own for a little while. Goku, though, was still weakened from his earlier fight, and could barely stand against the Cell Junior going up against him. Gohan looked on in horror, knowing that many of them up there had already been brought back to life by the Dragon Balls once already! His anger began to slowly simmer upwards, which Cell took note of.
Krillin was beaten to the ground, where he continued being pummeled in front of Cell and Gohan. The mini Cell that Yamcha was fighting took hold of his arm and broke it. After much effort, Ranch managed to blow back the one she was fighting with a palm blast, and she used the distraction to kick away the ones Yamcha and Krillin fought. She was about to go over to her uncle, but Ranch's Cell Junior came back at her fiercely.
Gohan didn't know what to do. He wanted to use his anger to help everyone and beat Cell, but didn't know how to harness it.
Over by the rocks, Jimmy said, "This is very bad. We need to get out of here while we still can!"
"Wait." The three looked around to see where the voice came from. Their eyes then landed on the head of the enormous man from earlier. "Please, take me to the child over there." They all instantly freaked out at seeing the disembodied head speaking.
"Are you nuts?" Mr. Satan asked the head. "The kid's next to Cell!"
"Don't you want to help?" asked the head with a smile. "Aren't you the World Martial Arts Champion?"
"The champion of humans!" Jimmy retorted. "Those monsters out there aren't human."
An internal struggle waged inside of Mr. Satan for a few seconds, and then he said, "I'll do it."
"Mr. Satan?" said Jimmy, looking up at the man in admiration. "Are you sure?"
"Like he said, I'm the world champ," Mr. Satan said, picking up 16's head. "I'd be a laughing stock if I sit back and do nothing while a bunch of nobodies are out here fighting for us!"
"Thank you," said 16 as Mr. Satan went running.
The Cell Juniors continued beating on the warriors, while Gohan was still watching and getting angrier. Cell saw that he was almost over the edge, and could tell that he just needed one last push. "That's enough playing around!" Cell called out. "Kill them!" Gohan panicked even more when Cell gave the order, but all of a sudden 16's head landed by them. Peeking out from behind a rock, Mr. Satan looked on.
"Gohan," started 16. "Fighting for what is right is not a crime. There are those that simply will not listen. It is okay to release your feelings; you do not have to hold back. And if continue to be the good man doing nothing, those that want to cause harm will triumph. I do not fear that I will expire, but that the nature and animals that I love will perish."
Cell then strode forward, saying, "Thank you, but I prefer doing this my way."
"Again," 16 went on to Gohan, "don't hold back. Please, protect everything that I have come to love."
As Gohan stood speechless, Cell then stomped down on 16's head.
Just like that Gohan snapped. He saw the cyborg that had become peaceful get destroyed right in front of him, and his power exploded.