Dragon Ball: I Became Cell in a Doomed Future

"Fight to your heart's content! The last one standing will earn the honor of serving under me!"

The moment Babidi's voice echoed through the sealed arena, chaos threatened to erupt. Yet in the next heartbeat, the fighters grouped into five distinct factions.

The first, composed of Babidi's mind-controlled warriors.

The second, remnants of the Red Ribbon Army.

The third, led by Mr. Satan, included civilians and unaffiliated Earthlings.

The fourth, Goku's team by far the smallest.

Trunks, Piccolo, Gohan, Gamma 1, Gamma 2, Goku, and Future Trunks. Just seven fighters.

And then, in a completely different corner of the room stood Bulma and Levos, aligned... with Frieza.

Piccolo had subtly clued the others in on Bulma's situation, so for now, everyone pretended not to recognize either her or Levos.

Suddenly, the mind-controlled fighters lunged forward in a frenzied assault.

But before they could even close the distance.

ZAP ZAP ZAP!

Dozens of crimson beams tore through them like paper, vaporizing the entire squad in a thunderous explosion.

BOOM!

Babidi's corrupted army was wiped out instantly.

Even Mr. Satan was slack-jawed, a glob of snot dribbling down his face unnoticed.

Frieza, still crackling with energy, casually blew the smoke from his fingertips with a twisted smirk.

But then... his gaze hardened.

"Son Goku..." Frieza sneered. "So you're still alive. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this reunion."

Goku and Future Trunks stepped forward.

"I'm actually dead, technically," Goku said, tapping the glowing halo above his head. "I've only got twenty-four hours on Earth."

He quickly shifted to a serious tone.

"Frieza. I know you hate me, but right now, we need to work together to stop Babidi."

Frieza laughed mockingly.

"You? The self-righteous fool, asking me, the Emperor of Evil, to team up? Hilarious."

"You can scoff all you want, but the truth is neither of us can beat Babidi alone. He's already taken control of your father, and he's trying to enslave Cell Max as we speak!"

"...And if I refuse?" Frieza asked, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Then you'll never rule the universe. Not with Babidi pulling the strings."

Frieza's smirk faltered slightly. "Hmph. You? Teaming up with me? Do you even have the strength to back that up?"

"Wanna test it?"

Their gazes locked, sparks flying.

Levos, watching nervously from the side, broke into a cold sweat.

No, no, no. Not now!

A fight between these two could tear everything apart before their real enemy even entered the stage.

Before he could intervene.

"Why haven't you started fighting yet?! Do it already! My time isn't cheap!"

Babidi's shrill voice cut in again, impatient and gleeful.

But everyone remained still, still shaken by how easily Frieza had disintegrated an entire battalion of mind-controlled fighters.

"Annoying insect," Frieza muttered.

He thrust his hand forward. A blast of energy roared down, shaking the ship violently.

BOOM!

The floor split open, revealing the truth they were inside a massive spacecraft.

Levos's eyes lit up.

So they were this close to Babidi already...

Perfect. The ideal opportunity to strike.

Just then.

Frieza moved.

He lunged at Goku, and the two clashed in a dazzling blur.

BAM!

Frieza's punch slammed into Goku's chest.

But Goku gritted his teeth and struck back with a knee to Frieza's gut, forcing the Emperor to stumble back in shock.

Frieza snarled and attacked again.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

Their blows rang out like cannon fire, rattling the entire chamber. Frieza's attacks were swift and brutal, each carrying bone-crushing force. But Goku was no slouch he blocked, countered, and returned fire with practiced skill and calm intensity.

Levos watched, tense at first, but gradually relaxed.

They're just testing each other. Neither has gone all-out yet.

CLANG!

A final heavy clash sent both fighters skidding backward.

"Hmph. I'll admit, you've gotten stronger," Frieza said darkly. "But I haven't even begun to show my full power."

Goku grinned. "Me neither."

They both straightened up. The tension eased.

"Fine! If you're not going to fight seriously, I'll just destroy Earth myself. Surely, that'll motivate you!"

Babidi's voice returned hysterical, shrill, threatening.

Frieza and Goku glanced at each other.

Frieza clicked his tongue.

"Destroy Earth? Hmph. I couldn't care less, but I do despise being threatened."

Goku nodded firmly.

"Then let's call it a temporary alliance."

SHOOM!

Frieza vanished and in the blink of an eye, appeared before Goku.

WHAM!

One punch sent Goku flying.

"Ohohoho... Goku, that's just interest on what you owe me," Frieza chuckled.

"Once I'm done with that pesky magician, I'll come back for you."

With that, he bolted downward into the ship.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Flames burst below as Frieza tore through the ship's inner hull.

Though most of the Z-Fighters still hated Frieza's guts, they understood what he meant. That punch was his way of accepting the alliance.

They exchanged quick glances, then flew after him.

Levos watched them disappear and exhaled in relief.

"Goku and the Emperor... who would've thought they'd actually work together?"

This unexpected turn was a huge win for Levos.

If Frieza managed to take down Babidi, Levos could finally move ahead with his own plan: use the Dragon Balls to swap bodies with Cell Max.

Then, his only remaining enemies would be Frieza and his father.

Earth's salvation was finally within reach.

Levos reached out with his mind to contact King Kai, preparing to signal Dende to summon Shenron.

CRACK!

A crushing pressure slammed down from above, heavy as a mountain.

Every person in the room froze.

"If you're not going to fight each other..."

"Then see if you can survive a fight with me!"

A terrifying figure descended, cloaked in violet-gold energy.

It was King Cold transformed and under Babidi's control.

The black "M" sigil burned bright on his forehead.

He landed slowly, smirking with cold cruelty.

Arrogant. Ruthless. Overwhelming.

This pressure... it was suffocating.

Even Bulma, clutching Levos tightly, was trembling uncontrollably.

And the others charging toward the ship's lower levels felt a gnawing chill rise in their hearts.

Babidi had unleashed his next monster.

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