The Fighters Relax... The Girl, the Lie, and Gohan's Decision

A rough river flows quickly below a cliffside. A young girl climbs into a tree beside the river and crawls out onto a branch. Her target is apparently a piece of fruit that hangs on the end of the branch. She stops for a moment, stares at it, and then keeps going. She lays down on the branch and reaches out, but the fruit is just barely out of her reach. She swipes at it, but can't get it. She crawls out a little farther, manages to hit it, but can't grab it. She crawls out further and is able to grab it, but the branch snaps and she plunges into the river with a scream.

She screams and struggles to stay afloat. Suddenly, Super Saiya-jin Son Gohan flies in from above. He flies straight into the river, plucks the girl out, and sets her down on the grass beside the river. "That's dangerous." The girl looks down at his hand under her arm, holding her chest. She screams and pushes him away. "What are you doing?! How rude of you!" Gohan, "Rude?" She sticks her tongue out at him and runs off. Gohan watches her, confused.

A large white dome sits in the middle of a clearing in the forest. Gohan stops and stares down at it as he flies by overhead. "What's that?" He turns and flies off. "Forget it. I'll go shopping." He flies in toward the nearby town, Chazke Village. Chazke village is very small, and very reminiscent of "old West" towns. Gohan lands in the middle of what appears to be the only street in the entire village and looks around. He sees no one. "Have all the people run away? I've gone to five shops..." He starts walking, looking for any sign of human life. "...but I couldn't buy anything. I can't just take the things home. Who can help me?" He comes across a van in front of a shop. He walks into the shop and sees some men inside. "Good, people are here."

An old man stands behind the counter with his arms crossed, attempting to ignore the other two men in the room. Tall, slim man, "I'm asking you to bring me some food and wine!" Old man, "There's nothing I can give you. Get out." Short, fat man, "What? How dare you mistreat Babon-san." The tall man pushes him out of the way. "Old-timer, if you do as we tell you, we'll let you stay in the Shelter Dome." Old man, "That kind of thing is useless. How can I make myself clear?" Gohan interrupts. "Well..."

The fat man runs over to him. "What are you doing?" Gohan, "I want to buy some spices." Tall man, "We don't have anything for sale here. Go away." Gohan, "Huh?" He pushes the fat man out of the way when he opens his arms out. "You don't have anything?" Fat man, "All of the stuffs here have been sold to Babon-san." The old man turns to Gohan. "That's not true." Fat man, "What?" Old man, "Young man, what kind of seasoning do you want?" Gohan digs into his pocket to search for his list. Finally, he pulls it out. "Well..." The tall man stomps down and yells at the shopkeeper. "SIR! Don't act so rashly! Everyone here is helping to build the Shelter Dome." Old man, "Helping? You force them to." Fat man, "Looks like it's useless to try to talk to him." He turns and starts throwing things off the shelves, starting with large glass jugs of different liquids. Gohan gasps. The man runs out from behind the counter. "Stop it!" The old man picks up a pitchfork and prepares to knock down a whole shelf full of stuff when a cry rings out. "It's Cell! It's Cell! Cell is coming!" The man screams and drops the pitchfork. Tall man, "What?! It can't be..." Gohan, "Cell?" The tall man runs out. "Everybody, hurry into the Shelter Dome!" The fat man follows him out, stopping at the door to say one last thing before he goes. "Mister, you will be eaten by Cell!" Gohan stares at the door. "Cell is here?" The voice continues. "It's Cell, Cell is here!"

The door opens and a little girl backs into the shop, watching anyone who might be outside. "Cell is here, run!" The door swings shut and she turns around. She turns out to be the same girl Gohan had rescued from the river. "You're the girl who was here..." She screams when she sees him. Man, "Lyme, it's you again?" She laughs nervously. "I asked you not to lie!" Gohan, "Lie?"

Gohan stares out at the white dome. "Is that the so-called Shelter Dome to hide from Cell?" The old man chops wood behind him. "That's right. Hundreds of people have come here from the city." Gohan turns to him. "But why would they feel it's safe here?" The man chops another block. "They believe in the saying that Cell has been here before and won't come back again." Gohan gasps. "That means..." Old man, "Yes. Cell showed up here not long ago."
Cell's tail flies out and stabs another man in the back. He screams. Cell finishes his meal and looks around. "There's no more good energy here." The old man and Lyme hide together under the sidewalk floorboards. He hugs her as she begins to cry.
"This kid's parents were killed at that time." Gohan looks down at her. "Really?" Tears well up in her eyes, but she struggles to hold them back. Old man, "Those who have seen that monster know it'd be the same no matter where you go. They can only rely on that," he says, looking at the Shelter Dome. Lyme, "They're so stupid." Man, "There's only eight days left. No one in this world can beat that monster, so I want to live happily until the end of the world." He stretches his back. Lyme, "Grandfather, you're tired. Let me help you." Man, "You can't do it." Gohan, "Let me do it." The old man is silent for a moment, then smiles. "Thank you."

Gohan picks up three logs and tosses them into the air with a shout. Lyme, "Brother!" He turns toward her, and each block falls and hits him on the head. He holds his hand and yelps. "You're so dumb. You can't cut the wood without an axe." She holds the axe out. He looks up and smiles. "Right..." He sets a block of wood down and chops cleanly through it. It stands completely still for a moment, then after a few seconds, it splits in half and falls to either side. His "audience" is surprised by his skill. He chops another. Another. Another. The old man watches him silently.

Goku yawns. "Goku, can you really be so relaxed?" Goku looks up at Kuririn sleepily. "What?" Kuririn, "There are only eight days left. You're going to prepare, aren't you? The way you yawn makes me nervous." Goku, "Really?" He yawns again. Kuririn angrily sits down on the sofa. "Sorry, you're really not nervous..."

People move around the Shelter Dome carrying all sorts of things. A man with a whip yells at them. "Don't be so slow!" He cracks the whip. "You only have one hour left to bring all the food in there. Understand?" Inside, the two men from the shop earlier stand side by side in front of a desk, hiding behind their hats. A fist slams down on the desk. "Damn it! There's not a slightest trace of Cell! What was that?! I feel so stupid that we're always fooled by others." Tall man, "I'm sorry, Babon-san." Fat man, "We were fooled by them, they said Cell was coming." Babon points at them. "I don't ever want to see you again!" He waves them away. "Get out of my sight!" He turns and rubs his hands together. "How will Cell ever come here? Even if he does, we can be relaxed in the Shelter Dome." Babon suddenly starts giggling and hugs a safe in the corner of his office. "If we can survive, power and money will be most important..." He kisses the safe. "...and I have both!" He jumps on top of the safe, kicking his feet around excitedly. He laughs.

A man stands in the doorway. "How are you?" Babon suddenly stops laughing and sits up on top of his safe. "Oh, it's Tao Pai Pai-san." He jumps off. "What has brought you here?" Tao Pai Pai stands in the office. "Thank you for hiring me to be a professional killer, but it's so boring that I can't bear it anymore. Is there anyone you want to kill?" He holds out his metal hand with his five fingers spread. "I only charge fifty million for one person." Babon walks up to him. "Tao Pai Pai-san, the best killer in the world, is only used when it's a must." Tao Pai Pai, "Right, it's a pity. Then there's no promotion price at this time. Money is spent so quickly here..." He points at the safe. Babon yelps nervously and wipes his face, waving at Tao Pai Pai. "It's alright, there's still plenty!" Tao Pai Pai, "Hmm. Really?" He smiles.

Trunks, Tenshinhan, and Vegeta stand outside the Room of Spirit and Time, waiting for Piccolo. Vegeta, "Piccolo, if you're one second late past 24 hours, I'll break the door down and drive you out." Inside, Piccolo stands in the middle of the room. He breathes heavily and pictures Cell in front of him. "What, Piccolo? You want to beat me with that kind of strength?" Cell laughs. Piccolo, "Damn it!" He hunches over and raises his ki. He screams, and his body flashes blue. Another Piccolo springs forth. They spar together, and an aura begins to form around them. They both jump away suddenly and stare at each other, panting. They both put their arms out and throw the exact same type of ki blast at the same time. Their blasts clash midway, and they fight each other like that for a brief few seconds before the blasts explode, throwing both Piccolos back. The copy glows blue and returns to the original Piccolo. Piccolo climbs to his feet. "Damn... Still can't make it."

The old man fills Gohan's bag with the spices he needs. He nods and looks toward the door. "Hey, young man! Aside from spices, what else do you want to buy?" He walks out and finds all the wood cut and stacked, but no Gohan or Lyme. "Where have they gone?"

Gohan and Lyme sit in the forest together, eating fruit. "Brother, you're so kind." Gohan, "Hm? Really?" She nods. "Just with your look, I know you won't fight with people." He laughs and rubs his head. "But I like tough guys, just like my grandfather." Gohan, "Your grandfather?" Lyme, "In fact, my grandfather is a martial arts master. He used to take part in the Tenkaichi Budokai." She winks as she says it. Gohan, "I see." She nods with a smile. "In fact, Grandfather wanted to destroy that creep, Babon." A loud sound from off in the distance causes Lyme to gasp. Gohan, "What?" Lyme, "The Shelter Dome is completed." She stands up. "Check it out!" Gohan nods.

Balloons float into the sky, people cheer, a large airplane sits out front. Babon stands on a stage to address the people. "Thanks to your efforts, the Shelter Dome is finally completed." Cheers and applause of "Great!" Babon continues. "I'm very glad that the dome can be used to save so many people." Gohan and Lyme watch from the bushes. Lyme, "He makes it sound so grand. Alright!" Gohan looks over at her. She stands up and cups her hands around her mouth. "It's Cell! Cell is coming!" Gohan gasps. "Lyme-chan!" Of course, everyone believes her. "Cell has come?" and "Run!" People head for the Shelter Dome. "Let me go in!" "Me first!" "Cell is here!" "Run for your lives!" Babon frantically runs into the crowd and over them, into the door of the Shelter Dome. "Close the gate!" Gate operator, "But there are still people outside." Babon, "Idiot! I don't care for that!" The man turns and hits the button on a wall panel. The large metal doors swings shut, trapping the people outside. "What's wrong with you! Why did you close the gate?!"

Lyme looks back at Gohan. "His character is shown." Voice, "So it's you." Gohan and Lyme turn around, only to face straight down the barrels of some guns. They gasp. The tall man and the fat man from earlier are their apparent captors. "It's also you who fooled us earlier." The people back at the Shelter Dome pound on the door. "Babon! You act differently from what you said! Right, we've paid too!" Babon's voice comes over the loudspeaker. "But you're out of luck." He laughs. People resume their pounding. "What a creep!" "Come out!" Tall man, "Babon-san, don't worry! It's just the mischief of some kids." Babon, "What?!" The doors all swing open once again. Babon walks out, absolutely furious. "Kids' mischief?!" Tall man, "Babon-san, that's the girl." He leans over her. "What a naughty kid." Gohan pushes past the fat man and in between Babon and Lyme. "Babon-san, I'd like to talk to you. It's her fault to lie, but you're wrong, too." Babon, "What are you doing? Why are you here?" Gohan, "This kind of construction can't stand Cell at all. Besides..." Babon, "He's full of nonsense! Make him shut up!" Some of Babon's lackies nod. An old man in the crowd speaks out. "Stop it, he's just a kid! Don't hurt him." Babon points at the man. "Shut up! If you want to stay in my Shelter Dome, you'd better listen to me!" The man lowers his head and ceases speaking.

The men crowd around Gohan and Lyme, laughing. "Stop." They look up to find the old man from the store. Lyme, "Grandfather!" The man walks forward. "I won't let you hurt these kids." All of the lackies in unison, "What?" Babon, "You don't have to be afraid of that old man. Teach him a lesson!" They all nod. Gohan and Lyme run back to the old man. Gohan, "Sir, let me help you." Old man, "No. I can handle them on my own."

The fat man runs forward. "Damn it!" The old man catches his fist and knees him hard in the gut. He falls to the ground, dazed. Tall man, "Damn you! I must teach you a lesson!" The others all charge him at once. He beats them away as they come. One hit per person is enough to stop them. One man is able to get behind him, but his face soon meets the bad side of an elbow. One of the men on the ground points a gun at him. The old man leaps forward and kicks the gun away. Lyme cheers him on. Babon, "Damn it!" He spins around. "Hey, Tao Pai Pai!" Tao Pai Pai walks out of the Shelter Dome. "What's up?" Babon rubs his hands together. "I need your help now. That's the one." He points at the old man. "Please get rid of him." The old man prepares to fight Tao Pai Pai. Tao Pai Pai, "Alright, right away." They leap forward and exchange hits, then Tao Pai Pai produces a knife. The old man dodges each of his slashes and flips away. They stare at each other. Tao Pai Pai, "Oh, he's quite good, too." Gohan runs forward, "Grandfather!" The old man holds his arm out. "Young man, you'll be in trouble if you take part. Leave it to me." Gohan responds (left unsubbed), and the man looks back to Tao Pai Pai. Tao Pai Pai charges and slashes with his knife, but the old man dodges it. Tao Pai Pai manages to get a few good hits in, though, and the old man is beaten back. He falls to the ground. Gohan gasps, Lyme screams. Babon, "Sensei, kill him in one hit!" The old man struggles to sit up. Tao Pai Pai laughs. One of his metallic hands falls off, revealing a gun barrel for an arm. "It might be a waste to use it on you. Enjoy my Super Dodon Gun." He aims at the old man with a grin. Lyme watches fearfully, helplessly. Gohan becomes more and more angry by the second. The old man is angry, frightened, and knows he can't do anything. "Die! Super Dodon Gun!" A ki blast erupts from the barrel. It hits with an explosion that sends up dust and smoke around the area. Lyme screams. "Grandfather!!" Tao Pai Pai and Babon laugh. The smoke clears. The old man is just fine. Son Gohan stands between him and Tao Pai Pai. They both gasp. Tao Pai Pai, "What?" Babon, "That's impossible!" Gohan stares at Tao Pai Pai angrily. "Let me be your opponent." His aura flares up around him. Lyme, "Brother!" Tao Pai Pai, "How arrogant. Alright, let me kill you first." He raises his gun barrel again. "But he looks familiar... Young man, what is your name?" Gohan, "It's Son Gohan." Tao Pai Pai, "What?! Are you related to Son Goku?" Gohan, "Son Goku is my father." Tao Pai Pai, "What?!"
Son Goku beats on Tao Pai Pai. Tao Pai Pai finally gets a free moment and pulls the pen on a grenade. "You're trapped!" He throws the grenade and leaps into the air. Goku kicks it back at him, and it explodes. Tao Pai Pai's eyes bulge when he sees that. He screams, and the blast overtakes him.
Babon, "What's wrong, Sensei? Just kill him!" Tao Pai Pai screws his hand back on. "I quit. I quit my bodyguard job." He kicks a tree at the base and it falls over. He grabs it and heaves it into the air, then jumps on to ride it away. "Bye!" Babon, "Tao Pai Pai Sensei!"

The entire town crowds angrily around Babon. He runs to Gohan and begs at his feet for help. "Son-san, just name your price, I'll pay you! Please take care of them!" He points at the people. "Me?" Babon, "That's right! Don't run, Son-san!" Gohan smiles. Babon looks up at him, apparently surprised, but relieved, that Gohan is going to help him. Gohan sticks his arm out. Lyme gasps as a ki blast escapes Gohan's outstretched hand; however, this ki blast wasn't aimed at the people, but rather, at the Shelter Dome. The shelter explodes, much to the amazement of the people. Babon is blue in the face. "What are you doing...?" Gohan, "Don't you understand? That is only my strength, and can create such damage. How can you resist Cell?" Lyme and the old man nod their agreement. Gohan turns to the crowd. "Don't worry, anyone. At the tournament, there will definitely be someone who can beat Cell. Don't worry. Please go back to your ordinary life." Everyone smiles, relieved. "Maybe nothing will happen." "It'll be alright."

"Gohan!" Gohan looks up to see Son Goku descending from the sky. "Father..." Goku lands beside him. "You've been gone shopping for so long that your mother is angry." Gohan smiles and rubs his head. "I've forgotten." The old man hands the bag to Lyme. She walks up to him. "Brother." He turns and she hands him the back. "Thank you." Lyme giggles. The old man walks up to Goku. "You're his father?" Goku, "That's right." Old man, "The martial arts of you two is extraordinary." Goku laughs. He whispers to the man, "You know that, sir?" The man nods. Gohan, "Sir, thank you very much." Old man, "Come to play whenever you have time." Gohan, "Okay." Goku, "Go home, Gohan." Gohan, "Okay." They turn to leave. Old man, "You must beat Cell." They stop and look at him. "You'll take part in the Tenkaichi Budokai?" Goku nods. They jump into the sky. Lyme, "Brother, bye bye!" Goku and Gohan fly off together, while Cell waits at his stage for the tournament to begin.