Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1701 Cell Assimilates Piccolo
The battle between Cell, Piccolo, and Piccolo has reached a fever pitch.

The sky was torn apart by the raging energy waves, and the earth groaned under the weight of the energy impact.

Piccolo, wielding his newfound power, briefly gained the upper hand, his green fists raining down on Cell's hard shell with dull thuds.

Piccolo, meanwhile, provided support from the sidelines, searching for gaps in Cell's defenses to unleash deadly ki blasts.

However, a cunning and cruel smile gradually appeared on Cell's face.

He appeared to be retreating steadily, his steps faltering, but in reality, he was secretly adjusting his posture and calculating the distance and angle.

His goal from the beginning was not to defeat Piccolo head-on, but rather Piccolo, who seemed to be a support player.

Just as Piccolo delivered a powerful punch that sent Cell staggering back several steps, preparing to press his advantage, Cell suddenly made an unexpected move.

He suddenly retreated, quickly bringing his hands to his cheeks, his fingertips gathering an unusual light.

"Idiot! Using a ki blast at this distance is suicide!"

Bick roared, his arrogance growing stronger, ready to withstand the attack and launch a counterattack.

But the name of the technique Cell uttered made Piccolo's pupils shrink: "Solar Punch!"

It wasn't a destructive shockwave, but rather the instantaneous and extreme transformation of massive amounts of air into pure, flawless light energy!

Om-!
It was as if a miniature sun was born in Cell's hand, and then it exploded with a roar.

An indescribable, blazing white light engulfed everything, turning the field of vision into an endless white expanse.

"Ugh—!"

Bick was the first to be affected.

His Namekian-specific superhuman senses became his greatest weakness at this moment.

A tearing pain shot through his eyes, causing him to go blind instantly. Even his keen hearing became chaotic under the impact of the high-frequency light radiation, and his mind was filled with a buzzing sound.

He let out a painful scream, instinctively covering his head with his arms, and his movements completely stopped.

"Bic!"

Piccolo's cry of alarm was also filled with pain.

He faced the "Sun Fist" at such close range that his eyes also temporarily lost their vision, falling into a brief state of confusion and stiffness.

This perfectly timed blinding effect was the opportunity that Cell had painstakingly created!

Before the light had completely faded, Cell's figure moved like a ghost.

He precisely bypassed Piccolo, who was temporarily unable to fight, and aimed directly at Piccolo, who was still struggling to regain his sight.

"Successful!"

Cell grinned maliciously, and the terrifying tail behind him shot out like lightning like a scorpion, its tip flashing with a cold light, precisely piercing Piccolo's abdomen!
"what--!!!"

Piccolo's body stiffened abruptly, and the excruciating pain caused him to let out a piercing scream.

The sound pierced through Bick's tinnitus, making him anxious, but he couldn't immediately break free from the effects of the light burst.

The suction port at the tip of the tail opened greedily, and a terrifying suction force came from it.

Piccolo felt his own vitality, and even the energy contained in every cell, being forcibly drained away like a flood breaking through a dam.

His skin lost its luster at a visible rate, and his robust body began to shrink and shrivel.

Cell's absorption was extremely efficient and brutal. Not only was the essence of life broken down and devoured, but even the muscles, bones, and skin that made up the body were completely destroyed, leaving nothing behind. In just two or three seconds, Piccolo's burly body completely disappeared, leaving only the black demon cloak that symbolized his identity, which floated down lightly and was casually stepped on by Cell.

Piccolo!!!

Piccolo finally managed to recover from the visual and auditory confusion, and what came into view was the final scene of Piccolo being completely absorbed, leaving only his clothes.

He was instantly overwhelmed by boundless rage and heart-wrenching grief.

Although both Piccolo and Piccolo originated from Piccolo Daimaō, Piccolo was initially just an "insurance" that the old king separated to prolong his life. However, after going through life and death together and supporting each other, Piccolo has long regarded Piccolo as an indispensable brother.

They are the only remaining bloodline of the demon race, and each other's only kin in the world.

Losing Piccolo means Piccolo will truly be all alone, and the hope of the demon race's revival will become even more remote.

However, before Piccolo's roar could even finish, he noticed an astonishing change occurring in Cell.

Cell, having absorbed Piccolo, did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, he stood frozen in place, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly.

His already powerful aura was surging wildly at an unprecedented speed, as if there were no limits.

"What...what's going on?!"

Cell himself found it hard to believe. He looked down at his hands, feeling the new power surging and roaring within him.

"This power... what kind of power is this?!"

He originally expected that absorbing Piccolo and Piccolo would at most make up for the energy gap between him and Goku and Gohan, or slightly exceed it.

But reality far exceeded his expectations!

He felt that his power level had increased more than tenfold in that instant!
This is a qualitative leap; the purity and total amount of energy have reached a completely new level.

"Could it be..."

Cell, being a perfect creation that combines the talents of many masters, instantly realized the key.

"It's Namekian cells! The cells in my body, from Piccolo from the future, have created a strange resonance with Piccolo from this era... This isn't simple absorption, it's more like... assimilation?!"

The Namekians' assimilation ability can perfectly combine the power of individuals, producing an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Cell involuntarily triggered an assimilation-like effect by accident. Although it was not as perfect and harmonious as voluntary assimilation, the resulting power boost was real and earth-shattering. The initial shock was replaced by overwhelming joy.

Cell laughed wildly, "Hahahaha! Excellent! This is truly an unexpected gain! Goku! Gohan! Now let's see what you can use to fight me!"

At this moment, Cell's confidence was extremely inflated, and he felt that victory was already in his grasp.

"Cell!!! Give Piccolo back!!!"

Piccolo's eyes turned bloodshot, and he completely went berserk.

Completely disregarding the potentially huge power gap between the two sides, he pushed his aura to its limit, unleashing unprecedented speed and power, like a green comet rushing towards Cell, his fist aimed straight for his head!
This strike contained all his anger and grief, enough to pose a serious threat to Cell in an instant.

However, Cell merely glanced at the furious, all-out attack with disdain and casually raised one hand.

"Snapped!"

With a soft thud, Piccolo's fist, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, was firmly grasped by Cell with one hand, unable to advance even an inch further.

The violent energy surge vanished before Cell's palm.

(End of this chapter)