CHAPTER 11

Following the direction Cell pointed toward, everyone turned their gaze each pair of eyes locked firmly onto Linze's figure.

"Are you ready to die, you miserable bastard?"

Cell's voice was cold, dripping with arrogance.

"You humiliated me and even humiliated Vegeta. I'll make you pay double for that insult."

The corner of Cell's mouth curled into a confident smirk as he addressed Linze.

In his mind, no Saiyan no matter how strong could rival his perfection now.

"Goku… do you really think Linze can take on Cell?"

Piccolo asked in a hushed tone, eyes still focused on Linze.

"I don't know," Goku replied after a moment of thought. "But Cell's on a whole different level now."

"Even Gohan couldn't match him… So, I think Linze might be outclassed too."

Goku paused briefly, then his brows lifted in curiosity.

"Wait a sec… you mentioned earlier that Linze was covered in red hair, didn't you? But now he looks like a regular Saiyan."

At present, Linze looked nearly identical to an ordinary Saiyan lean frame, dark hair, and the distinct Saiyan tail trailing behind him.

Trunks nodded, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, I noticed that too… I was confused for a moment. But thinking about it now, maybe that red-haired state was actually a transformation."

"It could be one of his unique forms."

After all, Saiyans had long been known for their ability to transform under intense emotion or pressure. And beyond Super Saiyan, the next level was still mostly uncharted territory for them.

Maybe Linze had found something even beyond Super Saiyan. That earlier form covered in red fur might have been just that.

"Yeah, that does make sense."

Goku nodded thoughtfully.

"If Linze really does have a form that surpasses Super Saiyan… then he might just be able to beat Cell."

Goku clenched his fists slightly.

He himself was close just a step away. If he could break past the Super Saiyan wall, he believed he'd be able to win too.

He had originally placed that hope in Gohan, because during their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he'd sensed the raw, immense potential within his son. Gohan just needed to release the rage buried in his heart.

But that was proving harder than expected. Gohan was calm, gentle… not someone who could easily call upon anger to ascend.

"Do you really think absorbing energy from Vegeta makes you a match for me?"

Linze's voice rang out calmly, but with a sharp edge, as he looked directly at Cell.

There was no fear in his eyes only amusement.

The truth was, Linze's base power was astronomical. Conservatively, his current normal-level power had likely reached 50 billion in combat value far surpassing most known warriors.

In comparison, Cell's Perfect Form, even after absorbing Android 18, had only reached around 20 billion.

Even if Cell had grown stronger by absorbing and regenerating after his clashes with Goku and Vegeta, it was unlikely he had gone beyond 25 billion.

Given the vast gap in strength, Linze knew that Cell wasn't truly a threat.

"Don't kid yourself. I can feel it, you're just trying to bluff!"

Cell's voice was venomous, though laced with a slight tremor of unease.

He hadn't expected such bold confidence from Linze, and despite his bravado, a flicker of doubt began to crawl into the back of his mind.

"My current strength is far beyond anything you can comprehend."

Cell remained supremely confident, his smirk sharp as ever.

"It's laughable how little you understand… But sure, why don't you come and find out the hard way?"

Linze calmly gestured toward Cell, beckoning him forward without even a shift in expression.

"Are you… really that sure?"

Android 18, standing quietly nearby, looked at Linze with a hint of concern in her eyes. Her voice was soft, but it carried her unease.

"Do you really think you can match him? Cell seems overwhelmingly powerful…"

"What's this? So little faith in me?"

Linze turned his head to her, smiling with an unwavering calm.

"You just stay there and watch... I'll show you exactly how I'm going to put Cell in his place."

His tone wasn't cocky, just certain.

"…Alright then. Just be careful, okay?"

Seeing Linze's expression full of composure, 18 could only nod. Deep down, she was still worried, but Linze's confidence was hard to ignore. She stepped back several meters, moving to a clear area and keeping her distance.

"Tch. Still acting smug even with death in front of you. Fine then—don't blame me for going all out!"

Cell's smile slowly faded, turning into a cold and hideous snarl. Linze's unshaken demeanor was grating, and he would erase it with force.

Fwoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Cell vanished from sight.

"Whoa… that's fast!"

Even Son Goku's eyes widened. He could barely track Cell's movement—only catching the faint blur of an afterimage.

"If Cell had come at me with that speed from the start of our fight, I might not have had the chance to surrender before being knocked out!"

Naturally, the others were even more stunned.

From their vantage point, Cell was completely invisible. His speed had reached a level beyond most of their ability to perceive.

Could Linze possibly handle that kind of speed?

That question gripped everyone's mind at once.

"Get down here! Arrogant fool!"

Cell's voice tore through the air and a split second later, he reappeared directly in front of Linze, his golden aura flaring violently around him. He lunged forward and launched a devastating punch, pouring full power into it.

He was sure of it this would connect.

It had to.

Smack!

But the next moment left Cell in utter disbelief.

Linze hadn't moved.

Instead, he had calmly raised one hand—and caught Cell's punch cleanly, with his palm.

"…What!?"

Cell's expression twisted, his confidence faltering in real time.

The punch he had believed unstoppable—matched, neutralized, and halted by Linze with no visible effort.

Son Goku's eyes narrowed.

"Unreal… He stopped Cell's full-force punch that easily?"

His voice was quiet but heavy with astonishment.

Gulp…

Piccolo swallowed hard, his eyes still fixed on Linze's unmoving figure.

"And he didn't even transform…"

"He hasn't gone Super Saiyan. He hasn't even accessed that red-haired form from before."

Trunks, Krillin, and the others stared in disbelief, their mouths slightly open.

"Mr. Linze… is that strong?"

The shock was undeniable.

Linze had made no transformation, raised no aura, and yet… he had completely neutralized Cell's strike.

Now it was obvious.

The gap between them wasn't small, it was vast.

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