Dragon Ball: I Became Cell in a Doomed Future

"Yes! It's them!" Levos confirmed firmly. "Please, I'm counting on you to pass my new request to Fortuneteller Baba!"

"No problem." The little ghost's voice came through the receiver.

After hanging up, Levos let out a long breath. This was all he could do for now.

Mr. Popo had been quietly listening the entire time.

Levos glanced at Mr. Popo and gave a bitter smile. "Mr. Popo, please don't mention what happened on New Namek to Bulma."

Not being able to revive the people she had hoped for would undoubtedly be a cruel blow to Bulma, who had just glimpsed a shred of hope.

"Every planet will one day meet its destiny. I fear Earth won't escape its own calamity." Mr. Popo's expression darkened.

"But I won't give up!" Levos turned and walked toward the plaza. "Mr. Popo, while we still have time, please teach me how to sense ki and how to fight properly."

He had always known that his biggest weakness was his lack of battle experience.

After his brief encounter with Frieza and his father, Levos saw that gap more clearly than ever.

Whether it was the timing of his attacks, his strategy, or his ability to react in combat, he had been completely outclassed in every aspect.

He hadn't even come close to unleashing his true potential.

And learning how to sense ki was just as important. Without a scouter, he needed to rely on ki to judge an enemy's strength and to lock onto them in battle.

"Very well." Mr. Popo followed him. "If that's your wish, I will teach you everything I know."

The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and silver moonlight bathed the plaza before the Lookout.

Two figures faced each other at the edge of the plaza.

"Come at me first," Mr. Popo said, hands clasped behind his back.

"But Mr. Popo, my speed and strength far surpass yours."

Even without a scouter, one could roughly estimate a fighter's strength based on the classic power scaling from the Super Saiyan transformations.

Androids, when they first appeared, could easily overpower Super Saiyan Grade 2.

Levos estimated his own strength to be just slightly below Full-Power Super Saiyan.

Even without proper combat technique, his sheer strength and speed alone would be enough to overwhelm Mr. Popo.

"That's fine," Mr. Popo smiled. "Just don't fly or use energy blasts."

"…Understood." Levos nodded.

Without hesitation, he dashed straight toward Mr. Popo and threw a powerful punch aimed at his face.

Mr. Popo's lips curled into a faint smile as he bent his knees and leaned back to evade.

Boom.

His punch missed and struck the tree behind Mr. Popo. The trunk exploded into splinters.

Levos came to an abrupt stop, the tiles beneath his feet cracking like a spiderweb.

"Such immense strength!" Mr. Popo was genuinely surprised but quickly regained his calm. He sighed lightly, "But no matter how strong you are, if you can't land a hit, it's meaningless."

Levos had only been testing the waters. He hadn't gone all out.

With his power level in the hundreds of millions, facing Mr. Popo, who was just over 1,000, he was genuinely worried he might accidentally kill him with a single punch.

Mr. Popo was someone Levos respected deeply.

Levos decided to suppress his strength a little so he could clearly experience the flaws in his own fighting skills.

Otherwise, if he just crushed everything with brute force, there would be no point in this training.

Levos pushed off the ground again, launching a fierce assault toward Mr. Popo.

His movement was lightning-fast, his fist driving straight toward Mr. Popo's chest.

But all he saw was a blur and then a dull thud struck his chest.

The next thing he knew, he was sent flying backward, slamming hard into the ground.

Boom.

The entire plaza trembled, tiles and rubble scattering everywhere.

Mr. Popo stood perfectly still.

Levos, however, hadn't even seen what had just happened.

"Your physical ability is extraordinary, but your technique is far too crude," Mr. Popo said calmly. "All I did was dodge your attack and give you a little nudge."

"Interesting." Levos got up, dusting himself off.

He was starting to understand. Combat required finesse, not brute force.

It felt good to unleash all your power, but in doing so, you lost the flexibility to adapt mid-attack.

He needed to learn restraint.

Levos pulled back his aura, crouching like a panther ready to strike.

"Mr. Popo, I'll get serious now."

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Levos vanished from sight.

He began to move at high speed around Mr. Popo, carefully looking for an opening.

Mr. Popo's expression remained calm and relaxed, as if Levos's movement hadn't caught his attention at all.

Swish.

This time, Levos attacked from behind, punching once again, but this time, he kept room to switch his technique mid-strike.

Mr. Popo had clearly anticipated his move. His figure instantly flickered to Levos's right side and swung his leg in a sweeping kick.

Levos shifted his punch, raising his elbow to block.

This strike could very well break Mr. Popo's leg.

Levos's heart skipped a beat, but there was no time to pull back.

Pa.

A crisp sound echoed as someone was sent flying.

Somehow, Mr. Popo's leg had curved around Levos's elbow and landed squarely on his nose.

After landing, Levos immediately resumed his attack, driving his knee toward Mr. Popo, all while closely watching his every move.

As expected, it was as if Mr. Popo had already calculated where he would attack, knowing every step Levos would take.

How was he doing this?

Mr. Popo's physical capabilities were clearly far inferior.

At the moment of contact, Levos suddenly felt a faint sting on his cheek and then his body was thrown to the ground.

Levos quickly bounced back and grabbed Mr. Popo's ankle.

Yet Mr. Popo showed not a trace of panic. Instead, he calmly punched Levos's inner wrist at a precise angle.

Poof.

Levos's grip involuntarily loosened.

Mr. Popo smoothly freed himself and gently shook out his arms.

"I told you, your attack patterns are too clumsy."

Levos wasn't discouraged. At least this time, he had managed to touch Mr. Popo's body.

Losing didn't matter. It only proved he still had plenty of room to grow.

Levos charged again.

The two became entangled once more.

And each time they clashed, Levos was the one sent flying.

He simply couldn't understand how Mr. Popo was doing it, despite his overwhelming physical disadvantage.

But he believed that this kind of sparring would rapidly sharpen his combat skills.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The entire Lookout shook.

Bulma, who had just exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, immediately sprinted out of the temple.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the toppled trees under the moonlight and the plaza riddled with craters and cracks.

She stood frozen for a long time, then finally shouted at the two figures still grappling.

"Levos, Mr. Popo! Stop fighting already!"

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Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.