"The Calm Before the Storm" (大対決戦前の休息 Dai-Kessen Mae no Kyūsoku, lit. "Relaxation Before the Great Decisive Battle") is the one hundred ninety seventh chapter of Dragon Ball Z and the three hundred ninety-first overall chapter of the Dragon Ball manga.
Cover
The cover shows Gohan and Goku as Super Saiyan Full Power, next to each other, with Goku encouraging Gohan. This chapter's cover illustration appears as a picture shown during the ending credits of Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound.
Summary
Piccolo asks why Goku would not go back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and Goku says he would not get anywhere in there since it is too harsh on the body; getting plenty of rest will be better. Vegeta thinks the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was too rough for even the great "Kakarot". Goku says all that pointless work on the body is just painful, not training. But he has no problem if they want to go in there, there is still room for them to work in there. Vegeta does not like how Kakarot is talking like his strength is greater than Vegeta's. Goku says it is much greater, and Vegeta freaks out. Goku wishes them all good luck, and says they will meet again at the Cell Games. He flies off, and Gohan follows. On their way down toward the bottom of Earth, Goku says they will make a quick stop, and they drop in on Korin Tower.
They say hello to Korin and Yajirobe. Yajirobe says he is not entering that tournament no matter what, and Goku says that is not why he came. Karin says terrible things are happening to the Earth, and Goku says Cell is even more incredible now that he has reached his perfect form. Karin thinks Goku looks really calm even so, and asks if he discovered something wonderful in the Room of Spirit and Time. Goku kind of laughs it off, and Gohan wonders if he really did discover something as he was with him the whole time. Goku asks Karin if he knows how strong Cell is, and Karin says not really, but he could estimate it. Goku asks him to try and compare Cell's power to his own, he will raise his ki.
Tien Shinhan wonders if Goku and Gohan were really Super Saiyans, since they seemed so natural. Piccolo says they definitely were, but they seem to be training by staying at an ordinary everyday level. Future Trunks thinks it must be so they could do an even more incredible transformation when it is time to battle, but Vegeta says no. Vegeta explains that they have deduced that that state is best, because if they get accustomed to it, then they can up their battle power with little strain to the body. Then all of a sudden, at Karin's place, Goku starts to power up. He nearly blows Karin and Yajirobe away, and Karin yells at him to stop. The others at The Lookout feel Goku's ki, and can not believe it.
Goku tells Karin this is half his power, and Karin thinks it is crazy to be that strong. Gohan thinks "So this is how amazing father has gotten..." Now Goku asks him to compare him to Cell. Karin gets silent, and then says this is just a guess, but Cell is a bit greater. Goku realizes his own estimation was correct, and thanks Karin. He touches Gohan on the shoulder and the two teleport away. Yajirobe thinks Goku is not human anymore, while Karin wonders why Goku is so calm. Elsewhere, Vegeta is frustrated at Kakarot for always being one step ahead of him, and yells at Piccolo to hurry up and go in the room.
Goku and Gohan arrive at Kame House, and Goku says they will get Chi-Chi and go home. There, they will have three days of rest, three days of training, and then another three days of rest. Gohan wonders if all this is really good and Goku says to just go get his mom. Chi-Chi screams when she sees Gohan's hair color, thinking he is turned into a delinquent. There are nine days until the Cell Games.
Template:The Cell Game