Notes: Soooo, I think this will end up being a three part story. With one or two unrelated chapters following that to wrap up everything else I would change about the tournament arc. My hope is to be done with this before the Broly movie, for... reasons.
Bulma's Suggestion Box
A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
USA2-2: Eschalot's Dragon, Part 2
Bulma came across a rather interesting sight the next morning: Eschalot, watching silently from a balcony as, on the lawn below, Trunks and Goten pummeled each other at high speed. Trunks was occasionally inserting taunts, but Goten remained silent, grim-faced, and determined.
"He's nothing like Sansai," Eschalot said at last, startling Bulma. She hadn't realized that Eschalot knew she was there, which was silly, when she stopped to think about it. One of them was a battle-hardened half-alien who likely constantly expected people to sneak up on her. The other was Bulma.
When there was no protest to Bulma's presence, she hesitantly joined Eschalot on the balcony. Eschalot kept her gaze trained on the boys.
Then Bulma thought about what Eschalot had actually said. "What is he like? Your brother?"
"He's an idiot," Eschalot replied at once. "Proud. Strong. Dangerous because he never stops to think long enough. But-" She stopped, as if unsure if she should continue. "But if he ever caught anyone other than him bullying me..." She stopped again, and shook her head. "Well, it never happened again, after that first time. I was humiliated. Any Saiya-jin would have been. I never asked for his help. And he actually expected me to thank him for stomping on my pride." Eschalot clenched her fist at the memory, then sighed. "I shouldn't have been so furious at him. It was how he showed his love. And he so rarely does that at all. Perhaps because of how I reacted that time."
Bulma found this description strange, because to her, Sansai sounded almost exactly like her little Trunks. She was not too proud to admit that Future Trunks had turned out as good as he had because he'd lived a life deprived of so many things. But her Trunks wanted for nothing, and it showed. No matter how much the two may have resembled each other physically, there was no mistaking the large difference in their individual attitudes.
So why, then, could Eschalot not see the similarities between Sansai and Trunks? And was it good or bad that she couldn't? Without meeting Sansai, Bulma could not be certain.
"Have you tried talking to Trunks?" Bulma asked, though she already knew the answer.
Eschalot shook her head. "There is no point."
"Sometimes," Bulma murmured, "the most rewarding things are the ones that make no sense, if you stop to think about them."
Eschalot snorted. "Such as?"
"I never would have married Vegeta, if I hadn't been able to move past my first impression of him."
That sobered Eschalot up quickly, but she chose not to respond.
"I'm sorry I went behind your back yesterday," Bulma continued. "But I wanted to protect my family and friends. I hope you can respect that."
Eschalot nodded slowly.
"I don't want to see you as a threat to us, Eschalot. But it's obvious that you're very different from my children, and I can't treat you the same as I do them. Nor do I think you want me to. So if I say or do something that you find offensive, all I'm asking for is a little patience." Bulma paused, wondering if this next part would be too much, then deciding it had to be said. "More than you would give your own mother."
"I can do that," Eschalot said softly.
Bulma couldn't hide her surprise. "Really?"
"I was six years old when I first realized that my mother had no power over me. She was trying to teach me that it was wrong to steal. When my father found out, he told me the exact opposite: that anything I was strong enough to take and defend was mine by right. He didn't even have to contradict her to her face. As king, his words were law... and I had never seen anyone obey my mother, not even my older brother. So I didn't have to, either." Eschalot finally turned to look at Bulma. "But you are proud and brave. Two things I have never seen my mother be. Two things I know she must have been, once, to earn my father's eye. And I do not wish to be the reason you lose those things, the way my father was for my mother."
"Maybe we should try to start over," Bulma suggested.
"No," Eschalot said firmly. "You frustrate me, but in entirely different ways than my mother does. Ways that, upon reflection, I admire. I would not have you change yourself for my sake." After a pause, she added, "It's not as if I will be here for very long."
"Oh. Right." Bulma was not really surprised, but still, hearing Eschalot admit that she was leaving soon... it bothered Bulma, somehow. This was still technically her daughter, after all. An idea which suddenly gave her another idea. "I have... some pictures of Trunks. The one who came from the future. If you want, we could...?"
Eschalot stared at her for a long moment.
Bulma began to think that this was another idea Eschalot would reject. She just didn't seem big on family, or at least, she wasn't big on Bulma's family, and-
"Very well."
Bulma blinked, unable to hide her shock. "You... really want to see him?"
Eschalot shrugged. "He can't possibly be as bad as Sansai."
Which, oddly enough, turned out to be true. After seeing the pictures, Eschalot stated that her brother was taller, and more bulky, than Future Trunks. But Bulma took "bulky" to mean that Sansai was covered in muscles, rather than fat. Indeed, Eschalot's description had her believing that Sansai might have been one of the largest Saiya-jin in that world. So it was not really surprising that Eschalot seemed to prefer Future Trunks over her own brother and Trunks. Maybe a little too much. When Bulma offered to make copies of any picture that Eschalot wanted to take home with her, Eschalot actually blushed and quickly refused. Bulma wasn't shocked, she had thought Future Trunks was pretty cute when she'd first met him, and by the time she learned the truth, she'd already given birth to her son Trunks, so she was able to adjust quickly. Although she'd still had some fun, teasing Future Trunks about how cute he thought his younger mother was (he had blushed just like Eschalot).
Bulma was amazed at how well they were getting along when her mother cornered them with a tray of tea and sweets. It was as if most of the previous day had never happened. Well, not the bad parts, at least. Eschalot actually proved willing to tell them more about her world. Though, being mindful of Bulma's mother and how she might react to certain things, most of the stories were about the trouble that Eschalot, Sansai, and Kakarot's daughters got into as kids. Bulma noticed that many stories featured Satsumi, Kakarot's oldest daughter, who she was tempted to call Eschalot's best friend. Nothing else quite explained the combination of the annoyance that flickered behind Eschalot's eyes each time the name came up, along with the fact that she had mysteriously failed to end the relationship for nearly two decades. And in any case, there had been far more dislike in Eschalot's tone when she spoke of Sansai, so there was that, too.
Somehow, it was just easy to attribute the few things Bulma might have liked about the Saiya-jin Empire to people of Kakarot's blood.
Vegeta collapsed heavily on his back, staring up at the calm, cloudy sky that composed the "ceiling" of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He had been training non-stop for hours, though he knew only a matter of minutes had passed outside of the room.
It was lucky that Popo apparently had time to replenish the room's supplies and clean up: there had been no trace of Eschalot and her comrades left behind. Vegeta wondered about these mysterious people that Eschalot had never described, but then, he had been far more focused on her and the world she came from.
Although, now that he thought about it, the very fact that they were using the Hyperbolic Time Chamber here implied that they couldn't use it in their own world. Even stranger, Eschalot hadn't seemed like she needed or wanted to use it. Strength was a concern for her, of course, but not once had she displayed an urgent need to get stronger in a hurry. It was possible she had already reached a desired level of power, and that had been why she'd left the room before her comrades, but Vegeta doubted it.
Then, too, there had been a very strange conversation when they parted ways the previous night. Vegeta had told her of his plans to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and then, before he could stop himself, invited her to join him. In truth, he knew he had only seen a little of what she could do, and he was curious, even eager to see more.
To his shock, Eschalot declined the offer. And the reason had left him equal parts confident and disappointed.
"You already have everything you need to obtain victory in the Tournament of Power, my king."
On the one hand, it felt good, his daughter's complete faith in his abilities. But on the other hand, a child who passed up the chance to reach greater heights alongside her father, and possibly to one day overshadow him... it was so strange to him. Even Gohan, who had lost so much of his edge, had always looked to his own father as a measuring stick.
But Eschalot wasn't weak, nor had she lost her edge. So why would she turn down this chance? It just didn't make sense to Vegeta. Despite all that she had told him of her world, so much didn't make sense to him, still.
Eschalot had told Bulma that their records on the time around Bra's birth were incomplete, which Vegeta didn't believe for a second. Even in the final month of her pregnancy, Bulma had continued working, albeit at a reduced and carefully adjusted schedule. Her records certainly weren't incomplete. But that was his Bulma, not Eschalot's mother. That woman was a stranger to him, and apparently nothing like his Bulma, not anymore. Perhaps her genius had not been appreciated, and she no longer bothered to display it. If so, then perhaps it had not been her who had designed Eschalot's time machine, as he had previously assumed. He knew that the technology of Frieza's Planet Trade Federation had been superior to Earth's, judging by the way that Krillin and Gohan had reacted to being inside one of their spaceships for the first time. His Bulma would have been fascinated and eager to learn and adapt, but Eschalot's mother? He could not say for sure.
Another oddity was the lack of Whis's mark on Eschalot's armor. It did not necessarily mean that she had never been trained by Whis. If anything, she had been overly trained by Cell. But Vegeta knew of no training superior to Whis's, so if she only wore the mark of one teacher, Whis was the most likely one. Yet there was also no mark that would seem to pay homage to any teacher at all. Again, not impossible, but as Vegeta had come to realize what a rare honor it was to train under an angel, he had been proud to wear that mark. So why didn't Eschalot feel the same? Why did she seem more loyal to Cell than Whis? It was impossible to say without knowing the exact relationship between the three of them. And Eschalot hadn't offered many details on it, other than saying she began her venture with Whis's permission.
There was much Vegeta still did not understand about Eschalot, and he regretted that he likely would never learn it all. His focus had to be on training for the Tournament of Power, and he was starting to suspect that Eschalot would leave the moment the Universe 7 team returned victorious, if not sooner. He might never see her again, he knew.
And maybe that was as it should be. Instead of focusing on Eschalot, who would return to her own time eventually, the daughter who wasn't going anywhere should be the one that held his attention. Maybe that would be an unintended consequence of Eschalot's trip. And if it was, more the better for Bra. He couldn't know if she had the same potential as Eschalot, wouldn't know until they began to explore it together.
Vegeta decided then and there, and in fact promised himself: he would not be a parent that Bra was ashamed of or resented. His daughter would not prefer someone else's father to him. That much, his other self seemed to have gotten right, though at the cost of Eschalot's relationship with Bulma. But it wouldn't be that way this time. He wouldn't allow it.
He couldn't have guessed, had no way of knowing, that his promise had already sealed Bra's fate. She could not be anything like Eschalot, not with two parents determined to see her happy. Not with a mother who was unafraid to correct her. Not with a father who would gradually find himself more and more devoted to her smiles, and come to prioritize her happiness over her strength.
None of them could know that in coming to this world, Eschalot had only further ensured that Bra could never become her.
The first meeting of the entire Team Universe 7 at Capsule Corp got off to a bad start: Beerus immediately overturned Goku's decision to make Gohan the team captain.
"You got us into this mess, Goku, so you are going to take responsibility! You're team captain! If we lose, it's on your thick head!"
Beerus looked furious enough where nobody dared to question him. Goku did at least plead that Gohan be co-captain with him, but Beerus shot that down, as well. Still, using his power as team captain, Goku insisted on appointing Gohan the Team Strategist. Beerus just grunted and looked away. Gohan did not dare argue. He didn't want his family being erased before he even got to the Tournament of Power. And part of him did agree that his father was partially responsible for all of this trouble.
Even so, between Goku and Gohan, they had managed to put together a decent team.
Majin Buu had so much fun at the Zen Exhibition Match that he was eager to repeat the experience. There was some concern on what would happen if he ate his opponents. Whis felt certain that as long as they were still alive inside him when the tournament ended, Buu would not be disqualified. On the other hand, if anyone Buu ate was still considered actively in the tournament, he would need to be reminded to spit them over the side of the platform before time ran out. Otherwise, there was a risk that Buu might accidentally win the tournament for another team, by storing them inside of him. It was something Whis would have to double-check before the tournament began. As always, Buu was accompanied by Mr. Satan, who kept up a constant stream of encouragement, as if Buu actually could be nervous about fighting. Mr. Satan had also brought a huge backpack, which was full of sweets to keep Buu occupied.
Vegeta had agreed to join the team, once Bra was born safely and settled in.
Piccolo hadn't really needed any convincing. The very fact that he got to oversee Gohan's training again seemed to be the only push he needed to agree.
Android 17's motivations in joining were somewhat self-serving, but he wasn't the only one. Already he was planning a family vacation when the tournament was over. Plans that he, surprisingly, offered to include his sister, brother-in-law, and niece in. Android 18 had accepted with a soft smile, but Krillin was nearly moved to tears and was still struggling with himself not to hug Android 17, as he knew it wouldn't be welcomed. They did not need additional motivation, but now the married couple had another reason to ensure they were successful in the tournament: Android 17 had never even hinted at wanting their families to spend time together, and they didn't want to miss this chance for little Marron to bond with her uncle, aunt, and cousins.
As usual, Tien was fairly reserved. There had been some question as to his involvement, at first: he preferred living in remote locations, and it was sometimes difficult to contact him without Goku's Instant Transmission. But Goku had managed to convince him, and Master Roshi, to participate. Roshi had chosen to do some last-minute, secret training, but it must have paid off, because he looked quite confident, or at least relaxed and not at all worried.
Gohan was fighting for the sake of his family, of course. Not just to protect his wife and child, but as a way of re-connecting with his father. He knew that Goku loved him, but it was also true that those who weren't constantly fighting tended to drift off of Goku's radar fairly easily. If not for Gohan's daughter Pan already shaping up to be a real spitfire despite still being in diapers, Gohan honestly wasn't sure how much he would have seen his father lately before this tournament business started. And he was determined to remind his father, not only that he existed, but that just because he didn't use his power every day, didn't mean that it had faded away.
Goku was aware that more than a few people were blaming him for the Tournament of Power. It didn't bother him too much, however. He was confident that his team would win, and then all that blame would fade, he hoped. Naturally, he wanted to protect his universe, but underneath that, he was exploding with excitement at the idea of fighting the strongest opponents he had ever faced. Also, he was hoping that Zeno would be so impressed that he ultimately reversed the decision to eliminate the losing universes. Goku could already tell: if the Pride Troopers were filled with tough fighters like Toppo and Jiren, there was no way he would be satisfied with only fighting them the one time. He couldn't let them get erased simply because they'd lost to him. It wouldn't be fair, and more importantly, it would be no fun at all.
Beerus, still grumpy, had returned to stress-eating, stuffing his face with a selection of sliced fruits. Whis stood nearby, apparently just relieved that Beerus was pigging out on something healthy. Next to him, the East Kaioshin was too nervous to do more than glance worriedly between the team members. But Elder Kaioshin seemed to have no trouble eating as much as Beerus, though he was much calmer about it. Having been effectively retired for some time, though he didn't want the universe to be erased, he also wouldn't have been overly upset if it was. This attitude had not gone over well with others, but he at least wasn't as blatant about his lack of concern as Whis was. And like Whis, he was not opposed to helping. Although, the chief way he could help would have taken far too long at this point: anyone who wanted their power raised by him now would have likely missed the tournament entirely.
For the most part, despite a questionable start, the mood in the conference room was somewhat concerned, but mostly positive.
And that was when the door slid open, and Bulma stepped in with the aura of a thundercloud.
Goku paled at once. They had gotten permission to use to conference room from her, but hadn't told her the reason for it. In truth, Bulma rarely asked why they needed anything from her, unless the item in question was so expensive or thought-provoking that she felt she deserved more details. And frankly, even if Bulma hadn't already been on high alert, Goku of all people asking to use a conference room was just downright suspicious.
"So," Bulma said softly, but in a clearly dangerous tone. "How's the meeting going?"
"Uh, just fine, Bulma!" Goku replied, smiling uneasily. "But we're kinda in the middle of something-"
"-like preparing for the Tournament of Power?" Bulma suggested mildly.
"Exactly! So if you could just-"
There were several groans around the room. Piccolo actually facepalmed.
Gohan sighed. "Tou-san, you weren't supposed to-"
"Supposed to WHAT, Gohan?!" Bulma demanded. "Tell me that we're all goners if you guys lose?! You're lucky I don't get on the phone with Videl right now!"
Gohan's eyes widened. "No, don't do that! I don't want to worry her! Please, Bulma!"
"Of course, I wouldn't do that," Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "But if I knew it was a definite possibility, I also wouldn't hide it from the people who might be in a position to prevent it!"
Goku blinked. "Wait, who are you talking about? Everyone who can prevent it is already here!"
"They're here in the building, thanks to me," Bulma corrected. "Not in the room. Not yet." She slapped a panel next to the door, causing it to slide open.
West Kaioshin and Pikkon calmly entered the room. Both made a point to avoid eye contact with East Kaioshin, who briefly looked shocked before he hurried to greet them. The greeting was not returned.
"I heard that all Kaioshin were supposed to be informed of the tournament," Bulma said. "Clearly, that didn't happen. If it had, West Kaioshin would have immediately informed anyone who needed to know that her attendant Pikkon was more than happy to join the team. Now, if everyone here actually believes that every person on the current team is more qualified than him, he can leave."
Master Roshi cleared his throat. "Would this be the same Pikkon that Goku fought in the afterlife?"
Pikkon nodded. "I am."
"He is also one of the last students that I trained," Whis offered, which brought all conversation in the room to a swift end.
A huge grin stretched across Goku's face. "You've been training with Whis? Wow! You must have gotten a whole lot stronger since we last fought, Pikkon!"
"I have improved," Pikkon said modestly.
"I don't need to hear anymore," Roshi said. "This old man was planning to have one last blaze of glory, but with the universe on the line, I'd rather not risk it when there's someone far more capable. Pikkon, I'd be honored to give you my spot on the team. I expect you to keep Goku on his toes, though. Much as he's grown, I still see plenty of that kid who came to me for training so long ago."
Pikkon looked impressed and bowed respectfully. "It is an honor to stand in for the man who trained Goku. I won't let you down."
"Good to have you aboard, Pikkon!" Goku said brightly, but flinched when Bulma glared at him. "Thanks for helping us out..."
Pikkon shook his head. "All thanks should go to Bulma-sama. When she first learned of the Tournament of Power, she thought of me." He paused and gave Goku a cold look. "Immediately."
"O-Oh. Well, uh..." Goku rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I mean, it has been a while, so I guess you weren't the first person that came to my mind..."
"I don't believe I came to your mind at all," Pikkon pointed out. "Bulma-sama was very clear. She was not contacting us on your behalf. Quite the opposite."
"W-Well, the important thing is that you're here now!" Goku said, grinning.
Pikkon did not grin back. "Indeed. But only because of Bulma-sama. You should be thankful that someone so thoughtful was also concerned for our universe's survival." He crossed the room and stood before Piccolo. The two shook hands, and then Pikkon moved to stand beside Piccolo, his gaze trained on the door.
"So. Still think I shouldn't have been involved in the recruiting?" Bulma demanded, poking Goku hard in the chest.
Goku held up his hands in apparent surrender. "Okay, okay! I was wrong to hide all of this from you, and I'm sorry, Bulma. But I didn't want to worry you. This is pretty major stuff."
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Goku, we have faced world-ending threats together before, and I haven't gone completely to pieces." When he stared at her, she growled, "Okay, I might have gone a little to pieces here and there, but I always bounce back! You needed my help on this, and it hurts that you didn't even try to consult me!"
"But you were busy having a baby. And this isn't just world-ending stuff. It's universe-ending stuff."
"All the more reason you would need my help! You shouldn't have hidden this from me, Goku! I thought I was your friend!" She paused and shook her head. "I thought I was your first friend, if not your best friend..."
Goku immediately wrapped his arms around Bulma, patting the back of her head gently. "You are my first friend, Bulma. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you weren't."
The hug had gone on for exactly five seconds when Vegeta snapped, "Go paw up your own woman, Kakarot!"
Laughing, Goku released Bulma. "Well, since I'm team captain, you're officially part of the team now, Bulma. You can be, uh... Assistant Recruiter!"
Bulma grinned. "In that case, I have one more roster change!"
Goku frowned slightly. "Oh. You do?"
"Yeah, I do. And no offense to Tien or Krillin, but I have to ask one of them to step down."
Tien's eyebrows narrowed in displeasure.
Krillin laughed. "Listen, Bulma. We've been friends for a long time, so I'm not going to take that personally. I'll admit that I'm not even close to being the strongest person on the team. But it's not all about strength. We need some serious teamwork, and I-"
Bulma smacked the panel by the door again. The door slid open, and Krillin's mouth stopped working as his potential replacement walked in.
"Hello, everyone!" Imperfect Cell almost purred as he walked in, his long tail waving behind him. "So good to see you all again!"
Several people flew into motion at once, but Cell was prepared for it all: his tail abruptly extended to ridiculous lengths, wrapping at high speed...
...around Bulma.
Everyone froze.
"Now," Cell said calmly. "Why don't we try that greeting again?"
"Cell," Vegeta growled, "if one hair on her head is out of place-"
"If it was, it would be the damaging wind from your thoughtless and pointless attacks," Cell interrupted.
"You're the one holding her hostage!" Vegeta protested.
"No, he isn't!" Bulma snapped. "He's protecting me! Or didn't any of you idiots stop to think of what might have happened to me if you'd attacked him when I was standing right next to him?!"
There was a lengthy silence, in which several guilty people were unable to meet her eyes, all of them at least partially Saiya-jin.
"Bulma," Gohan said at last, "it almost sounds like you trust Cell."
Bulma nodded as Cell's tail slowly unwrapped from her, returning to it's original length. "I trust the Cell that circumstances have given us. For the moment. I wouldn't have recruited him otherwise."
"YOU did this?!" Vegeta demanded.
"Why?!" Gohan shouted.
Bulma could see the hurt, the betrayal in their eyes, and she had prepared herself for it. "I would hope my reasons would be obvious, and shared, by you two." When they continued to stare at her, clearly waiting for an answer, she shook her head. "Because I have a little girl, and I'd like for the universe not to end, so that I can see her grow up. If that means putting aside my hatred of Cell, I will do it." She met Vegeta's eyes. "For Bra-chan." Then she turned to Gohan. "And for Pan-chan." She looked at Krillin and Android 18. "And for Marron-chan. Our girls are more important than any of our hurt feelings. Or do you think I forgot that Cell killed Trunks once, and tried to do it again? I didn't do this lightly. I did it because I want us all to survive. Nothing is more important than that. Absolutely nothing."
Gohan still wasn't convinced. "Even assuming we could trust him to behave himself, I defeated Cell a long time ago. He's not exactly up to-"
"Excuse me," Cell interrupted. "Who defeated me? I am more than a little weary of this false rumor. The way I remember it, it was anything but a solo effort. I've had many chances in Hell to review our battle, Gohan. And it is very clear to me now. You defeated me, but only with the help of Goku and Vegeta. So get off your high horse. You didn't do it alone then, and you can't do it alone now. You are in no position to judge my power, and you never were."
"You're forgetting, Cell. That was your Perfect form." Gohan stepped up to Cell fearlessly.
"I forgot nothing," Cell replied, stepping up as well. "I will take you apart here and now, Gohan, if I must prove my superiority over you once more. And I won't even use my Perfect form at all."
Gohan faltered then. Because he realized that Cell hadn't lost his Perfect form, as he'd first mistakenly assumed. But before he could comment on this, a visible, white aura surrounded Cell's body as his power began to rise. Gohan was prepared for this, however, and a similar aura surrounded him as well.
And then Cell chuckled darkly, as his aura tightened around his body, and both abruptly turned crimson.
Gohan was so shocked that there was no way for him to react in time as Cell's tail crashed into the side of his head, knocking him completely through the wall, leaving a gaping hole that exposed them to the night air. Cell breathed it in and smiled. "If you'll all excuse me, I have a lesson to finish teaching." He leaped through the hole and vanished from view.
The others crowded around the hole, watching the fight, but Vegeta was the only one to move in the opposite direction: he whirled around and all but flew at Bulma, grasping her arms tightly. "How did Cell obtain Super Saiya-jin God?!" he roared.
Bulma stared into his eyes unflinchingly. "Eschalot."
Vegeta's anger faded at once as he gaped at her, his shock overwhelming everything else. Bulma could see his mind gradually putting the pieces together, though. And when he looked over his shoulder at Pikkon, she knew that he knew.
"What's an Eschalot?" Goku asked, and he was clearly not the only one thinking this. Vegeta never had gotten around to sharing his original idea for their daughter's name. Perhaps he'd been too embarrassed about Bulma getting her preference in first.
Bulma grasped Vegeta's face and turned it back to her. "Whis sent her here, Vegeta. So no matter how angry you are, no matter what she's done, don't forget: she's our daughter, and her gods sent her to us for a reason."
Vegeta frowned at her, but eventually nodded slightly. He was more than a little startled when Bulma suddenly leaned forward and kissed him, apparently quite happy with his agreement. His face red, Vegeta pulled away from her, then turned to watch the fight between Gohan and Cell. And he immediately formed the same opinion that nearly everyone else watching did: the fight was not going at all like he'd thought it would.
Dr. Briefs looked up from the robot was tinkering with, gazing curiously at his newest (by the order he'd met them in, not by age) granddaughter. Either due to his age or natural temperament, he tended to accept almost anything rather easily. Including a relative from another world. And Eschalot looked enough like Bulma - or more precisely, how Bulma used to look - that it was even easier to accept her. So he had.
It was difficult to say if the feeling was entirely mutual, however.
Eschalot had been polite enough to him. Stiff, but polite. More than anything, she seemed to take her cues from his wife. That was easy enough to understand, as his wife was rather hard to say no to. Although it seemed very much as if Eschalot simply wasn't used to having such a close-knit family. And that she definitely wasn't used to having grandparents. She had no idea how she was supposed to treat them. She didn't even seem sure if her liking them was allowed. Although who she would have had to answer to was something that puzzled him.
Eschalot suddenly turned and caught his gaze. "Jii-chan," she said slowly, clearly still unfamiliar addressing him that way, "I have a question."
"Yes? What is it, Escha-chan?"
Eschalot frowned, then jerked her left shoulder a bit, clearly indicating the black cat perched comfortably there. "This... little one. He won't get off."
"Oh." Dr. Briefs shrugged. "He won't bite you."
"I'm more interested in removing him, actually."
"Mmm. I don't think he looks too interested in that, though."
Eschalot scowled. "Jii-chan. Please."
Dr. Briefs tried very hard not to smile. "Sorry, Escha-chan."
With a huff, Eschalot glared at the small cat, who stared back at her calmly. "What do you want from me?" she demanded of him.
"I don't know about your world, but here? They don't talk back to us," Dr. Briefs pointed out.
Eschalot spared him a withering look, then tried poking the cat. He merely raised a paw and batted at her intruding finger, thinking it a fun game. And if she tried to poke hard enough to dislodge him, then he dodged with surprising speed.
"Is it such a problem that he likes you?" Dr. Briefs finally asked.
Eschalot stared at him, as if this had never occurred to her. "But why...?"
"Does he need a reason? You never asked why I liked you."
"That is different. We are... family," Eschalot said slowly.
"And who says he isn't?"
Eschalot frowned and gave up for the moment, though she still shot the cat a dirty look every few seconds. He responded by calmly washing himself.
Trying much harder not to laugh, Dr. Briefs made a final adjustment to the robot he was working on, then screwed the back panel into place. "All done here, I think. Let's see how he turned out."
Eschalot looked up as the robot, which greatly resembled a green ball, began to slowly roll around the room, making soft beeps and flashing tiny lights every so often. "What is its purpose?"
"Oh, just something to entertain Bra for a while."
Eschalot frowned, immediately losing interest, which Dr. Briefs noted.
"I could make you something, too, if you want."
Eschalot seemed slightly alarmed and embarrased by the offer. "No, that isn't neces-"
"Try this." Dr. Briefs tossed what looked like a box full of wristbands at her.
"What are-?"
"Anti-gravity bands. I know, you're about to tell me that you can fly. But I bet you haven't gotten as strong as you are without someone trying to get in your way. Some people can be rather dedicated about it, let me tell you, and at some point, some mad scientist is going to slap you in a deathtrap that you can't fly out of, and then you'll be thinking, 'Should have listened to my jii-chan' as the walls close in."
Eschalot blinked. In that context, she gained a new appreciation for the gift... sort of. In his own way, he was trying to keep her safe. And since he couldn't do it with his own power, he offered his technology instead. It was a practical gift. She couldn't really imagine herself needing them, but she wouldn't discard them, either. Just in case.
With every blow, two things deepened in Gohan: his awe at Bulma's intelligence, and his fear of the monster she had summoned.
Cell had been exactly right. As much as Gohan was awarded the credit for defeating Cell, it had very much been a team effort in the end. And Gohan wasn't sure what was worse: that he had allowed the credit for that victory to go to his head, or that he hadn't built upon it and driven himself to keep getting stronger on his own. When the next great threat had come along, he had been severely unprepared, and it had once against resulted in losses too great to allow.
And the threat before him now was just as formidable as Majin Buu had been back then.
First, it became apparent right away that Cell, despite clearly holding back, was both stronger and faster than Gohan. This in itself was not a problem, at least not at first. But when Gohan increased his power, Cell did so by the exact same degree, which kept him well ahead of Gohan in all areas.
Next, and far more worrying, Cell was not trying to kill Gohan. Even defeating Gohan was not Cell's primary goal, because he could have done that quickly, and they both knew that almost immediately. Over time, as he had faced increasingly stronger opponents, Gohan had recognized something: through the clash of fists, a certain amount of instinctive knowledge could be passed between two fighters. This was true even of normal, full-blooded humans. It was also something that could not be taught effectively. It could only be learned through combat, and even then, it could take years to truly understand the glimpses in any dependable way.
But there was no mistaking what Gohan was sensing now: Cell wanted to humiliate and humble Gohan. Gohan's claim to fame being Cell's defeat was something that Cell could not, would not accept. And this fight was not going to end until that wrong was righted. But it would not be enough, for Gohan to admit defeat, or to lose in an undisputed way. This would only end when they both recognized, and in Gohan's case, admitted, who the stronger one was. Gohan could only admit that when he truly believed and knew it to be true. And he would only know it when he saw no possible way to defeat Cell alone.
And at the rate things were going, Gohan did not believe that realization was far off at all.
Cell's blows were too fast to avoid consistently, but heavy enough where Gohan could not absorb them for much longer. The crimson aura around Cell was only glowing brighter and larger as the fight went on, while Gohan's defenses were steadily weakening. It was only a matter of time before the fight reached the inevitable conclusion.
"I've been watching, you know," Cell said abruptly, not slowing his pace for an instant. "There isn't much else to do, where I've been, except envy the living. You've been living the good life, Gohan. Wife, daughter, career. Everything seems to be coming up Gohan, doesn't it?"
"And you want that?" Gohan asked doubtfully.
"Of course not. Such things have never interested me, and never will. But there are no words to describe how seeing you gain all of that increases my hatred for you, Gohan. And you don't even know why, do you?"
"I don't," Gohan admitted.
"Because in the process, you locked away all of that lovely power that made you worth anything to me. And as you've grown older, the little strength you do gain grows stale and dwindles. Maybe your father cares too much to say it to you, but I will: you are such a disappointment, Gohan. If you dared to have the audacity to take credit for my defeat, then at the very least you should have remained the most powerful fighter on this planet until I returned to dethrone you. But what is the reality? You haven't fought for real in years. I so looked forward to this day, and you cannot even meet my expectations. I've outgrown you. Do you have any idea what that's like, to know that the one person you've existed to defeat, is no longer even worth the effort you put in to rise above them?"
"You haven't beaten m-"
Cell's tail lashed out, the tip stabbing Gohan just below the knee. Gohan cringed, even as Cell's right fist plowed into his head, knocking Gohan to his knees. Another heavy blow landed on Gohan's back, driving him to the ground.
"I could have ended this at any time, Gohan," Cell noted. "I was willing to drag this out, to see if you had any surprises for me. But you have nothing. So I want to hear you say it. And if you make me tell you what I want to hear, you will regret it."
Gohan slowly lifted his head, very mindful of Cell's twitching tail, which seemed eager to continue the fight. "Y-You are stronger than I am, Cell. I never defeated you in the Cell Games. You were prepared for this day, but I wasn't. I've wasted your time. I'm sorry."
Cell's tail whipped forward, the stinger poised just inches from Gohan's face.
"That's all I needed to hear, Gohan. But don't get the wrong idea. As satisfying as that was, you and I are not done." Cell knelt down, staring into Gohan's eyes. "You haven't trained well enough, it's true. You are no longer my rival. But you were once, and you can be again."
"I-I don't undestand," Gohan murmured.
"Get stronger in the Tournament of Power," Cell said simply. "Much, much stronger. Because the next time we fight, I will strike to kill, and I won't stop until you are dead. So if you expect to go home to your wife and child, be worthy of my effort, and be strong enough to be worthy of them. Or maybe I should be asking your father to fight me for you?" With that final insult, Cell grabbed Gohan, tossed him over one shoulder, and flew back to the conference room.
"So... who is that guy again?" Goten muttered, frowning at the cards in his hand.
"Some relative of Dende's, obviously," Trunks replied, placing a card on the table. "We're supposed to keep an eye on him or something."
"Why? He's not doing anything."
The boys glanced over at Mame, who was doing what he'd been doing since they'd found him: sitting quietly in a corner of the lab with his eyes closed. If not for the constant rise and fall of his chest, they might have wondered if he was even still alive.
Trunks shrugged. "I dunno, my mom said it was important."
"This is boring. At least when they ask us to watch Marron, she does stuff."
Trunks could not argue with that. Marron was a girl and younger than them, which wasn't really fun, but she liked to watch them do pretty much anything, which made her sort of cool. Or at least not a brat, so he didn't mind her too much. Pan, he did mind, because she was even younger than Marron, and yet stronger than most adults. But, being a baby, she wasn't allowed to train with them, even though Trunks had a feeling she'd be awesome in a fight, as long as it didn't last too long or involve too many distracting noises. If she ever learned to throw her dirty diapers with any real accuracy, she'd be unstoppable.
Either girl would have been a welcome distraction now, though. Card games didn't really measure up when you could fly or blast through walls, no matter what grandparents claimed.
It was at this point that Mame decided to become terribly interesting.
Trunks was the first to notice the strange hissing noise, and when he started to ask if Goten heard it, too, Goten gasped loudly, and Trunks followed his gaze.
There was a strange, blue-tinted vapor rising from Mame's body. Mame kept on sleeping, though.
"Dende's people don't do stuff like that, do they?" Goten asked.
Trunks shook his head. "Goten, we only know one person who steam comes out of, and he isn't green. He isn't even really a person, and he doesn't come from Dende's planet. This is just weird."
"So, we should tell someone, right?"
"Please don't do that, boys," said a familiar voice.
Both boys froze, gaping as the vapor rapidly formed an equally familiar shape overhead that slowly drifted down to them.
"Trunks," Goten said slowly, his eyes wide, "I think your mom is a ghost."
Trunks frowned as his eyes took in the details of the vapor woman. "She might be a ghost," he muttered, his gaze locking on the large, jagged scar that covered the woman's left eye and much of her face, "but she's not my mom."
The woman glanced between them, and smiled hesitantly. "You're right, Trunks. I'm not your mother. And you aren't my Sansai. But that doesn't mean we aren't still family."
With the demonstration out of the way, no one questioned that Cell was strong enough to be on the team. His motives, however, were questioned extensively, while Whis calmly repaired the damaged wall with a tap of his staff. Cell expected this and was prepared for the questions.
Cell had no need to pursue the other androids anymore, as he proved by showing he still had access to his Perfect form. Curiously, Androids 17 and 18 had been among those who hadn't tried to attack Cell as soon as he appeared. When questioned, Android 17 pointedly stated that there only two possible reasons for Cell's confidence: Cell had to have retained his Perfect form, and must have grown far past the point where absorbing either Android would have done him any good. So neither 17 nor 18 felt threatened by him. They didn't like him, but any fear they had of him was in the past. Also, they were confident that if Cell did revert to his old ways, the targets of his revenge were more likely to be Saiya-jin, who had hindered his evolution, rather than androids, who had made his evolution possible.
Cell clearly still had considerable feelings toward Gohan, but Gohan himself was convinced that Cell would not try anything until the survival of their universe had been assured. And if Gohan of all people was willing to work with Cell, there really wasn't anyone else who could offer an effective protest. Least of all Krillin, who quickly agreed to resign from the team so that Cell could replace him. Krillin hadn't been happy about it, but there was no denying that despite never having trained under Master Roshi, Cell had a working knowledge of the Turtle Hermit Style that even some of its best students would have envied. And to tip the scales further in Cell's favor, he revealed a new ability that shocked even Bulma.
Gohan sheepishly asked Whis if he would be allowed to have a Senzu bean, since the tournament hadn't officially started yet, and Cell hadn't exactly gone easy on him. Before Whis could reply, Cell reached out and touched Gohan's shoulder, bathing his body in green light.
Whis allowed this, but he observed it with narrowed eyes. "That is Namekian healing."
This earned several stares.
"I'm aware," Cell said simply, smiling at him.
Goku scratched his head. "Hey, Piccolo, I didn't know you knew-"
"I don't," Piccolo said sharply. "He didn't get that from my cells. And there's no way he could have gotten it from Dende, either."
Cell's smile widened. "If you're interested, I don't mind telling you where I learned it."
"I'm less interested in how, and more in why," Gohan admitted. "Cell, there's no reason for you to know that technique. Your Namekian DNA allows you to regenerate. What reason could you possibly have to learn healing?"
"How fitting that the very reason, would ask me that question," Cell replied. "I can regenerate. You cannot. I learned it solely to help my teammates, of course. As it is a natural ability, it is permitted in the Tournament of Power." He glanced at Whis, who nodded. "Really, it's very short-sighted that none of you has found a way to address this rather obvious issue before now. You can't always rely on Senzu beans in the middle of a fight, can you?"
Goku looked as if he were about to say that, yes, they pretty much always had, but Vegeta shot him a scathing glare that made him think twice.
"If there are no further substitutions," Whis said, and he paused to glance at Bulma, who shook her head, "then we should prepare to depart."
"Oh, hey!" Goku said suddenly. "If we're allowed to recruit dead bad guys, then we shouldn't forget Fr-"
"I'm quite sure there is not enough time to collect whoever you're thinking of," Whis interrupted. "Although, why you did not suggest that person in the previous 40 hours we had to recruit, is beyond me. Perhaps it is lucky that someone else was so concerned with recruiting."
Goku laughed nervously. "Forget I said anything, then."
"Trust me, I am trying to."
The moment she sensed that Team Universe 7 was no longer at Capsule Corp, Eschalot made her move. Or tried to.
She had only gotten two steps outside of her new grandfather's "office" when she was ambushed.
"Hi! I'm Goten!"
Eschalot spun around, fists automatically raised, only to come face to face with Goten, who was hovering slightly in the air and beaming at her. She lowered her fists only slightly, but did not relax her stance otherwise. It was not so much that she feared at attack from him, but that she refused to drop her guard entirely around this boy. It would be too easy to do so, to forget that he was not who her instincts insisted he was.
He was not Satsumi. Even if he had her cheerful eyes. And even if he had been Satsumi, that brutish girl was even more likely to greet Eschalot with a friendly punch aimed at the face, just to keep them both sharp. From what Eschalot had seen, Trunks was the child more likely to do that, in this world.
"You don't talk much, huh?" Goten asked.
"You... what do you want?" Eschalot finally asked, frowning at him.
"I can't be nice?"
"I'd prefer if you weren't."
Goten blinked. "No one has ever said that to me."
"Go away now."
"I'm not sure I really understand girls yet, but I think Master Roshi would yell at me if I just gave up on a pretty girl so fast."
Eschalot's opinion of Goten lowered considerably upon hearing that, but she had not missed the compliment within the statement, or the genuine way in which Goten had said it. Like it was a fact.
"Your cheeks are red," Goten noted. "It looks nice on you."
"Wha... shut up!" Eschalot snapped.
Goten floated back a few feet. "That wasn't so nice."
"Do I have to blast you to get rid of you?!" Eschalot demanded.
Goten's face lit up. "You'll have to do a lot more than that, pretty lady."
Eschalot blanched as Goten began to power up. He was exactly like Satsumi, and he would probably be just as impossible to ditch. However, Satsumi knew what Eschalot was capable of, and Goten didn't. Maybe showing him that he was severely outclassed would be the fastest way to shake him off. She certainly couldn't have him following her for the rest of her time in this world.
It was Goten's turn to be surprised as Eschalot dropped to all fours, then arched her body up, putting all of her weight on her extended fingers and toes. She looked less like she was about to fight, and more like she was about to attempt to flee. "What are you doing?" he finally asked.
Eschalot just gave him a feral grin, her eyes flashing green in a way that Goten recognized and responded to in kind at once. The twin golden auras enveloped them both, but where Goten's expanded to fill the corridor, Eschalot's tightened and thinned, in a way Goten had never seen before. And then he noticed something very curious. There was one place where Eschalot's aura had not thinned, but actually thickened, as if she were planning to use it to attack. But Goten couldn't decide why that place would be her tail.
Either because he was too distracted by the tail, or because he had no idea what to expect, or because she was just that much faster than him, Goten was unable to follow Eschalot when she finally did move. One instant, her tail was waving lazily in the air behind her. In the next, Eschalot was behind him, and her tail was wrapped tightly around Goten's throat, cutting off his air. Goten thrashed about helplessly as he struggled to break her tail's grip.
"Saiya-jin don't have this transformation in your world," Eschalot noted. "And on this planet, you apparently get rid of your tails entirely. So allow me to educate you, Goten. We call this Super Saiya-jin Tail. We train our tails until they are as strong as any limb, and this form enhances that strength, and our speed, even further. My sensei liked to say it was a callback to our roots, a reminder that at heart, we are still animals. But you... you either had that instinct bred out of you, or supressed to the extent where it needs to be woken up, to be of any use to you." Eschalot paused, internally questioning what she was about to do, but coming to a decision all too quickly. "Let me open your eyes, Goten."
The first blow sent agony racing up Goten's spine and blood flying from his mouth. But then another came, and another, and another, and through the growing haze of pain, Goten understood, somehow, that Eschalot wasn't trying to injure or kill him. But he also understood that whatever she was doing would hurt like hell, and even if it did help him tap into some unknown power down the road, it would be a long time before he ever felt like thanking her for it.
"So... that went fast," Yamcha noted.
"Too fast," Master Roshi agreed. "You know, when Bulma said she had something to keep us busy, I was hoping there would be some pretty, young girls involved."
"There is a pretty, young girl involved! You insisted that I be one the whole time!" Puar whined.
Roshi giggled drunkenly as Puar's buxom chest bounced while she stomped her foot. "Don't be like that, Puar! Training with you really did help me out... but since it turns out I'm not going to the Tournament of Power at all, and I did do all that training, I think this old man deserves a treat!"
Puar groaned in dismay. "If it wasn't for Yamcha-sama, I'd never do this again!"
Oolong sighed and buried his nose in the girly magazine he'd been reading. He appreciated women as much as any other pig, but he simply had too much pride to ogle Puar. She was practically like a sister to him, so it would have just been... wrong. And not in the kinky way that he liked.
Around them lay the smoldering remains of tanks, jeeps, and helicopters. The poachers couldn't really be blamed for underestimating them. Yamcha likely would have done the same if he saw an old man, a retired baseball player, a cat, and a pig.
It wasn't exactly Team Universe 7... but Yamcha wasn't going to ignore the call, so long as he was needed somewhere. Goku and the others would save the universe, and when they got back, Android 17's island would be just as secure as it had been when he left it.
Yamcha's attention was drawn by rumbling in the distance. "Sounds like more poachers on the way. I'll give them one thing, they don't give up."
"And I guess it's my job to be bait again?" Oolong grumbled. "Maybe a dinosaur this time?"
"Turn into whatever creature you want. Don't worry, they won't get anywhere near you. We already know those tanks aren't Kamehameha-proof."
"Why don't you handle them alone this time, Yamcha?" Master Roshi suggested, leering at Puar.
Yamcha shook his head. "Fine, old man. But I've given Puar permission to defend her virtue, if you get handsy. So don't say I didn't warn you."
Gohan had known that keeping Team Universe 7 together, or at least, acting together, would be a huge challenge. They proved this by splitting up almost immediately after arriving on the tournament stage.
Whis went straight to a distant platform, where Zeno and his entourage were located.
Goku went on his own to greet the team from Universe 11.
Vegeta was soon approached by a trio of Saiya-jin from Team Universe 6. Gohan caught one of the female Saiya-jin shooting him a few curious glances, but she looked away quickly when he tried to meet her gaze.
Androids 17 and 18, for some reason, wanted to check out the team from Universe 3. They returned quickly, claiming loudly to be unimpressed, something that Universe 3 clearly was not too happy about.
The biggest surprise was Buu, who until then seemed focused primarily on eating. But he abruptly dropped the cake in his hands, and made a beeline for Team Universe 2, which put all of them on high alert. Apparently, word of Buu's performance at the Zeno Exhibition Match had spread to the other universes. Oddly enough, when Mr. Satan requested help in dragging Buu back to the group, it was Cell who volunteered first. Gohan could not even begin to guess what had drawn Buu's attention, unless Buu had mistaken one of the Universe 2 fighters for food. Even when Buu returned, he kept staring longingly at Universe 2's team, and unless Gohan was very much mistaken, Buu seemed to have eyes for the trio of females standing at the heart of the lineup.
By that point, Gohan was just glad that, as expected, Piccolo, Pikkon, and Tien gave him no cause to worry, and remained in a tight group with him.
Whis returned with somewhat good news: Buu was indeed allowed to eat opponents, but would be disqualified if any of them died while in his "care". However, no one that was eaten would be considered eliminated until they left the platform entirely. This would be tricky for Buu, since he was not in the habit of spitting out anything or anyone he ate, but after Mr. Satan made a point of repeating the ruling six times, Buu claimed he understood. Whis made a point of mentioning that the ruling applied to Cell as well, who only grinned and nodded.
Gohan gathered the team for one last meeting before the tournament began, hoping to once again stress the importance of working together. But he could tell his strategy wasn't really being taken seriously.
"Actually," Cell said, "if no one minds, I think I will shadow Goku, to start off. He always gets himself into the most interesting battles."
Goku smirked. "Fine with me. If you really think you can keep up, that is."
Cell just smiled. "I'll manage, somehow."
Gohan wasn't sure if he should be pleased that Goku and Cell weren't opposed to teamwork, or worried that Goku didn't seem concerned by Cell's interest in it. But surely even Cell could see that betraying the team before the tournament even began was good for none of them. And it was too late to make changes now. "Good luck, everyone," Gohan finally said.
And again, Cell grinned, as if he knew a great deal that they didn't. "We won't need it, Gohan. We have already won." He locked eyes with his old foe, and his grin widened. "Trust me."
End of Part 2.
Concluded in Eschalot's Dragon, Part 3
The tournament unfolds, surprises happen, someone wins, and others lose.
Endnotes:
In a slight departure from Saiya-jin naming being vegetable-based, Satsumi comes from Satsuma, a seedless citrus fruit. I was thinking of naming her after a sweet potato (satsuma imo), but came across this and liked it better. I think all Kakarot's daughters will be named after fruit. Sons (as in the family Son, not the boys) always dare to be different.
Master Roshi and Mafuba: I had a debate with someone who claimed that Master Roshi was vital to the team because of his use of Mafuba. I argued there are two flaws with that.
1) Mafuba was instrumental in defeating only one person. A person who was stronger than Roshi, one of the weakest members of the team. Had someone stronger (an angel-trained Pikkon, for example) filled that spot, they wouldn't have needed Mafuba at all. So it was only vital for Roshi, in that one battle, because he lacked the power to defeat the enemy directly. And that's the way Mafuba was always intended to be used: when you lack the amount or type of power necessary to just defeat someone directly. It's a last resort that need not be used if you're strong or ready enough.
2) Mafuba is a teachable move. Meaning Roshi could have taught it to anyone or arguably everyone on the team, without being on the team himself. In fact, the best thing he could have done was taught it to the entire team, which would guarantee at least ten uses, if it in fact was so vital. But it wasn't. Even worse, Frost countered the move and used it against Vegeta. And the enemy Roshi eliminated with Mafuba was no Vegeta. So if anything, Mafuba was way too risky to bring to the tournament.
So Pikkon replaces Roshi here. And Pikkon, being much stronger than Roshi, would not need Mafuba if he fought the exact same opponents that Roshi did. Which is my point. Mafuba wasn't vital, like Ultra Instinct and Blue were. Those were absolutely vital, and if Goku hadn't used them, Vegeta or Gohan would have needed to. I even debated having Roshi teach Mafuba to Pikkon, but realized there would be no point. Pikkon wouldn't need it, and even if it was needed, Goku knows it. Which you might have forgotten, what with him not using it at all during the tournament.
Cell replaces Krillin instead of Tien for one reason: Android 18's teamwork with Android 17 seems far more vital to the team than Android 18's teamwork with Krillin. But I will admit that Krillin lasting longer than Tien likely has less to do with power and more to do with brains. And if you need proof that Krillin is smarter, just ask Tien's hot wife. Go on, I'll wait.
I know some will take issue with Cell beating Gohan. Let me remind you of the circumstances. Cell's body automatically learns any technique deemed useful that is possible for him to learn. Thanks to Eschalot, he has three new Super Saiya-jin transformations, and had a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to master them. Frieza needed four months to gain a new form. The time Cell needs to gain a power is much, much shorter, and he was already much stronger than Frieza when each of them started training, so I'm assuming Cell could master a form in less than four months. As for Gohan... getting back in fighting shape is one thing, but getting back to your peak is another. Gohan got back in fighting shape. Whenever Gohan was truly at his peak, he was the strongest person on Earth. But that wasn't true at any point in Super. And that's the difference. Gohan may be stronger than he's ever been, but he's been surpassed by those who never stopped training, or at least have been training more than he has. Cell wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of family or a job. Apparently there's nothing worthwhile for bad guys to do in the afterlife except train and plot their revenge. And since Buu didn't stay dead, Cell should be the strongest one there.
DBZ, Super, GT, and Xenoverse: Someone asked me not to connect Super to GT for various reasons. There are several reasons why I choose to.
1) GT is flawed, and arguably non-canon... but it is a continuation, in that it takes place after DBZ. So while I can respect that no event that happens in GT may ever occur in the main timeline... I can also respect that a few of them might. No, I hope half the cast NEVER makes such horrible hair choices. But I can easily imagine Vegeta's daughter being spoiled rotten, and never fighting because Bulma had more say in how she grew up. Or Marron having no interest in learning to fight because neither of her parents pushed her to. And, what a shock, Super supports both ideas. So maybe GT didn't get it totally wrong.
2) The same person also asked me to consider elements of Xenoverse. Fine. But it hardly seems fair to me, to pretend GT doesn't exist and Xenoverse does. Why, because Xenoverse is better written, takes place alongside the DBZ timeline, and doesn't have as many glaring errors? Uh... okay, I admit those ARE very valid reasons. BUT, there is one aspect of Xenoverse that I cannot and will not ever support, due to sheer personal dislike of it. It's not even an error, I just really, really, really don't like it. So, I either have to ignore Xenoverse entirely due to one personal gripe, or pick and choose what I include from it. If I can do that for Xenoverse, I can certainly do it for GT.
3) GT aside, simply making Super canon causes two major issues for DBZ that have yet to be fixed (which, again, is part of the reason I'm doing this story at all). As fans, we know Super, its transformations, and characters, hadn't been invented in DBZ's final episodes. But now that they have been, that ending needs revision. Goku either needs to forget ALL the transformations he learned in Super, or lose access to them some other way (Super initiates the process by having him forget how to access Ultra Instinct. Maybe by the time Pan can fly around the world by herself, he'll have forgotten Blue and God, too). Him still having those at DBZ's end, and not using them, is a bad idea. Because then you need a solid reason why Goku would use Blue against Krillin in Super, and not transform at all against teen Goten in DBZ. How can you justify Goku's strongest transformation against a human who doesn't transform, and no transformation against someone who learned to do it earlier and easier than Goku himself did? Even stranger, Goten wanted to win, so the idea that he wouldn't transform first makes it even stranger. Granted, this is base Goku we're talking about, but that doesn't change the fact that him fighting in base after Namek is almost never considered him fighting seriously, given the higher forms he has access to, and it's not like Goten couldn't step it up if Goku did first.
Transformations are just half of the issue, though. The other half is Beerus and Whis, and how they would never be seen or mentioned again after Super. Even Goku would not forget someone stronger than him. And even if he did, what, the entire rest of the cast did, too? How likely is Bulma to forget instant, painless baby delivery? So unless in the upcoming movie, Broly punches the planet so hard that everyone hits their head and forgets anything related to Beerus and Whis, Super doesn't fit DBZ's end all that well currently.
4) The simplest reason why I don't ignore GT... is because I started this story with an idea of how Super can end and still fit comfortably within DBZ, and thus still lead into GT. And it still mostly works, even with Super's end in mind, as far as I'm concerned. So... still gonna do it. So if you can't get on board with a timeline based in Super's framework that has a few elements of Xenoverse, but still assumes that some of GT is going to happen eventually... this isn't the story for you. And if it's that important to you, I encourage you to write your own fanfic where everything happens exactly how you want it to. I did, and it feels great!
Okay, fine, I'll tell you exactly what I hate (yes, hate) about Xenoverse: they gave Mr. Satan a power-up. Yes, it is a tiny thing to be picky over, but I am incredibly picky about it. He has his uses, but they are all firmly outside the realm of serious combat. To do this is like making the farmer with the shotgun the new king of Earth. Honestly, the planet would probably implode with a non-canine king running things after generations of glorious dog rule. Just imagine the chaos!