Chapter 3 — The Fist That Silenced Heaven
I. The World Watches
The morning of the Cell Games arrived beneath a sky so clear it felt rehearsed.
Hercule stood before the mirror in his mansion.
Black curls. Perfect mustache. Crimson gi pressed to flawless lines.
Five days ago, this body's heart had stopped from terror.
Now it beat with calm, measured power.
Hank's consciousness rested comfortably within the legend known as Mr. Satan — though the name Hercule felt more fitting now. Not the fraud. Not the mascot.
The Champion.
Behind him, Videl adjusted her gloves.
"You don't look scared," she said carefully.
"I'm not," Hercule replied.
And that was the first time in her life she believed him without hesitation.
II. Arrival at the Arena
The camera crew trembled as they approached the ruined plateau where Cell waited.
In canon, this was a circus.
Now?
It felt like a coronation.
Cell stood in the distance, arms folded, emerald bio-armor gleaming under the sun. He sensed the approaching ki signature instantly — and paused.
That wasn't the weak human from before.
This felt…
Contained.
Controlled.
Endless.
Cell smirked.
"How amusing."
Hercule stepped forward first.
The Z-Fighters watched from afar:
Goku
Gohan
Piccolo
Vegeta
Each of them narrowed their eyes.
"This… isn't the same guy," Piccolo muttered.
Goku grinned.
"He's holding back something huge."
III. A Question That Changes History
Hercule stepped into the ring.
Camera lights flickered.
He pointed at Cell.
"One question before we begin."
Cell arched a brow ridge.
"Speak, human."
"Are kills allowed in this tournament?"
A stunned silence.
Then laughter.
Cell's tail swayed in amusement. "Of course. I designed this event to test Earth's worth. If you die… you prove nothing."
Hercule nodded once.
"Good."
No theatrics.
No speeches.
Just a single forward step.
IV. Megaton Judgment
Hercule drew his fist back.
His signature move.
The Megaton Punch.
But this time…
It truly carried a megaton.
Infinite strength does not require strain.
Perfect control means no wasted motion.
His knuckles connected with Cell's torso.
For a nanosecond, the world froze.
Then—
White light.
No explosion.
No shockwave.
Just surgical annihilation.
Cell's upper body vanished.
Atomized.
Erased at a molecular level.
The lower half of the bio-android toppled, smoking.
The Z-Fighters' scouters—if they had worn them—would have shattered.
Vegeta's jaw dropped.
"That… that's impossible."
Goku blinked once.
Then twice.
"Whoa."
V. Regeneration vs. Obliteration
Cell's lower body twitched.
Regeneration activated.
Cells began reconstructing tissue—
Hercule stepped forward calmly.
"Not this time."
He flicked a single finger at the remaining mass.
The pressure wave disintegrated every surviving particle.
No nucleus.
No comeback.
No self-destruction.
Cell ceased to exist.
The Dragon Ball Z timeline shattered permanently in that instant.
VI. Shockwaves Across the Cast
Gohan stared in disbelief.
"Dad… he… he beat him."
Goku scratched his head.
"He didn't even power up."
Piccolo folded his arms tighter.
"That wasn't brute force. That was precision beyond comprehension."
Vegeta trembled—not from fear.
From excitement.
"There exists… a human… stronger than a Super Saiyan."
Hercule turned toward the cameras.
No bragging.
No screaming.
Just calm authority.
"The threat is over. Earth is safe."
For the first time, the title World Champion actually meant something cosmic.
VII. Private Aftermath
Back home that night, Videl stood in stunned silence.
"You could have died," she whispered.
"I wasn't going to."
"How?"
Hercule knelt in front of her.
"Because I've been holding back my real training for years. I wanted you to grow up without pressure."
It wasn't entirely a lie.
"I'm going to teach you," he continued.
"Not for tournaments. Not for fame."
"For protection."
Videl's eyes shone.
"Really?"
"Yes."
The Strength School began that night.
VIII. The Legend Grows
Within weeks:
Hercule rejected every endorsement deal.
He declined movie contracts.
He turned down cereal brands and toy lines.
The public was confused.
But they respected him more.
Instead, he opened a dojo:
Strength School — Protect What You Love
Philosophy:
Strength without ego.
Discipline without cruelty.
Power controlled absolutely.
His infinite strength never slipped.
Perfect control meant even sparring children required no adjustment.
He could operate at precisely 0.0000001% output without error.
IX. The Woman by the Road
One afternoon, driving with Videl outside Satan City, Hercule sensed something unusual.
A faint ki signature.
Human.
Unstable.
He pulled the car over.
There, unconscious near the roadside—
A woman with long blue hair.
She stirred.
Blinking.
Confused.
"Where am I?"
She had no memory.
Hercule recognized her instantly from the old world's memories.
Launch.
But he couldn't show that he knew.
"You're safe," he said gently. "You were unconscious. You can stay with us."
Videl offered her a hand.
The three returned home together.
X. Building Something Real
Launch adjusted quickly.
Cooking. Cleaning. Laughing.
She fit into their lives effortlessly.
Unlike in the old timeline, she did not vanish into irrelevance.
Months passed.
One quiet evening on the balcony—
Hercule spoke honestly.
"I like you."
Launch blushed.
"I like you too."
No chaos.
No gunfire.
Just something stable.
For a man reborn through fear and death, it felt earned.
XI. The Visitor From Beyond
One year later.
A knock at the gate.
Goku stood there.
Alive.
Apparently Other World privileges had been negotiated early.
"I wanted to fight you," Goku said cheerfully.
They stepped outside.
First match:
Two hits.
Goku down.
He laughed through the dirt.
"Okay okay! Lemme try the yellow hair!"
Super Saiyan.
Better speed. Greater force.
Still—
Two hits.
Down again.
Goku's grin widened.
"This is awesome."
From then on, every three months, he returned.
Sometimes with Gohan.
Friendship bloomed between Videl and Gohan far earlier than in canon.
XII. The Dragonball Gambit
Hercule visited Bulma at Capsule Corp.
He borrowed the Dragon Radar.
Collected the balls.
Summoned Shenron.
Wish One:
"All my descendants shall have limitless potential."
Shenron hesitated.
Granted.
As the balls lifted—
Hercule leapt.
Caught all seven midair.
The dragon blinked in confusion before dispersing.
XIII. The Second Wish
One year later.
Summoned again.
Shenron only offered one wish.
Hercule requested:
A personalized hyper-advanced training chamber.
Books on every martial art.
Complete ki manipulation archives.
Gravity control from 2x to 10,000x Earth.
Granted.
And again—
He caught the Dragon Balls.
The gods began paying attention.
XIV. Foreshadowing the Future
In the heavens, whispers stirred.
Beerus had not yet awakened.
But when he did?
The Destroyer would sense a mortal anomaly.
A human whose power rivaled divine beings.
And this time—
The story of Dragon Ball Super would unfold very differently.
Closing Image
Night.
Hercule stands in his gravity chamber at 10,000x Earth gravity.
Unmoved.
Reading ancient martial arts scrolls.
Perfectly calm.
Upstairs:
Launch sleeps peacefully.
Videl dreams of becoming strong enough to stand beside her father.
The Champion looks upward through reinforced ceilings.
He does not seek conquest.
He seeks protection.
And somewhere in the cosmos—
Destiny shifts.