At this moment, Cell was already in tatters, with one arm severed and wounds all over his body, his blue blood flowing freely.
But even with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, Cell still appeared behind 17 with a sinister smile, looking triumphantly at the crowd as if to say, "You lose."
The sudden movement startled everyone, and 18 shouted, "17, watch out! It's Cell!" She then rushed forward to save 17.
John Doe also teleported instantly to rescue 17, as did the others. Those who were close rushed towards 17, while those who were farther away fired energy blasts to stop him.
However, each person's attack required a reaction time, and under Cell's calculated plan, the giant mouth on his tail directly enveloped 17, absorbing him into his body.
John Doe had already teleported to Cell's vicinity and, seeing that 17 had been absorbed by Cell's tail, had no choice but to launch a Spirit Bomb attack on Cell's tail, attempting to sever it.
But how could Cell allow John Doe to cut off his tail? He couldn't afford to give up absorbing 17; otherwise, he would likely die here.
So, Cell struggled to turn his body, eventually severing his arm to buy himself time to absorb 17.
With this slight delay, Cell directly absorbed 17 into his body, and his entire body emitted a dazzling light.
After the light faded, Cell's appearance underwent a significant transformation. The giant insect-like monster had now become more human-like.
The severed arm that John Doe had cut off grew back, and his energy increased exponentially, reaching the limit of a Super Saiyan and matching John Doe's current strength.
John Doe was now somewhat shocked. He couldn't fathom why Cell's strength was so formidable and why the plot had changed so drastically.
Yet, despite their advantage, how could this ugly fellow turn the tables on them?
Cell didn't care what John Doe and the others were thinking. He only knew that he had turned the tables on them, and in such a desperate situation, he felt that even the heavens were aiding him, encouraging him to evolve into a perfect being.
Cell didn't waste time adapting to his new body. He immediately turned to the stunned 18, who was standing nearby, and charged at her.
John Doe would never allow Cell to absorb 18, not only because he liked her but also because if Cell absorbed 18 and evolved into a perfect being, he would undoubtedly become Super Saiyan 2 Lightning Cell, and who on Earth could match his power?
With a single teleportation, John Doe appeared in front of Cell and delivered a powerful elbow strike to the back of his head.
Indeed, Cell had rarely fought with John Doe, and this could be considered their first official encounter.
Even though John Doe had just used teleportation to sever one of his arms, Cell never expected John Doe to appear out of thin air in his line of attack, directly attacking him.
The powerful elbow strike sent Cell crashing to the ground.
After momentarily blocking Cell, John Doe immediately rushed to 18's side, grabbed her arm, and teleported again, appearing in the Temple of the Gods.
The scenery before 18's eyes flickered, and when she looked closely, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar environment.
John Doe placed his hands on 18's shoulders and said, "18, this is the Temple of the Gods, a safer place. Cell doesn't know about this place, and now that 17 has been absorbed by Cell, we need to ensure your safety to prevent Cell from evolving into a perfect being."
Hearing John Doe's words, 18 was deeply touched, but this wasn't what she wanted. She was determined to avenge 17.
As 18 struggled to speak, John Doe continued, "Stay here for now. I need to go and save the others. We can talk later."
After saying this, John Doe teleported back to the battlefield, where Cell was currently fending off a combined attack from Vegeta, Future Trunks, 16, and Gohan.
It should be noted that Gohan's strength at this time was also at the peak of Super Saiyan, but due to the absence of anger, his strength was slightly inferior to that of John Doe and Goku.
However, with the help of Vegeta and Future Trunks, Gohan managed to fight Cell to a standstill.
John Doe waved his hand, gathering a golden energy blade, and attacked Cell, intending to kill him on the spot.
Unaware of the power of John Doe's golden energy blade, Cell attempted to block it with his arm, only to have another arm severed by John Doe.
Everyone was overjoyed and rushed forward to finish off Cell.
But Cell leaped backward to dodge their attacks, then gathered his energy and, with a snap, a new arm sprouted from the stump of his severed arm.
Future Trunks exclaimed in disbelief, but the others, especially Piccolo, understood the reason. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your body contains the genes of our planet, Namek."
Cell was delighted and said, "That's right. Each of you who are here has your cells within my body. I am the greatest fusion of this world."
Vegeta, upon realizing that his genetic cells were fused into such an ugly being, became furious. He immediately unleashed his royal battle style, firing countless energy blasts from his hands towards Cell.
Cell tried to dodge, but these energy blasts, under Vegeta's control, homed in on Cell like tracking missiles.
Cell, finding no escape, had no choice but to rely on his body to withstand the onslaught.
"Boom, boom, boom..." Countless energy blasts struck Cell's body, causing continuous explosions.
After firing several hundred energy blasts, Vegeta paused, slightly out of breath from exhaustion.
Everyone looked up at Cell in the sky, and as the smoke cleared, they saw a blue force field protecting Cell.
Although Cell's energy had decreased, he had not suffered any harm.
"Force field!" John Doe said in a low voice.
Cell laughed even more triumphantly and said, "That's right, a force field. This was 17's ultimate move, but now it's mine."
"I admit that I'm not your match at the moment, but rest assured, once I absorb 18, it will be your end. Ha ha..."
After saying this, Cell attempted to flee, but John Doe wouldn't let him escape. With a swift teleportation, he appeared in front of Cell and delivered a side kick, sending Cell crashing to the ground.