Kamehameha: Gohan SSJ2 (injured arm) vs Perfect Cell

[Piramid]

The situation is exactly the same as in Gohan's final Kamehameha against Super Perfect Cell. Except this time, Cell hasn't exploded, so he hasn't gotten a zenkai boost. What would happen if Goku doesn't encourage Gohan, and Gohan holds back out of fear of destroying the Earth?

Let’s keep in mind that when Gohan was holding back and using "less than half of his power," he was still able to hold SP Cell at bay.

[Cursed Lemon]

Depends entirely on how much of a zenkai boost you think SPC got.

I'm personally in the camp that it wasn't much. So.

[Hugo Boss]

There are a few points to clarify based on what happened on page.

In that final clash, Gohan was indeed holding back, but not at “less than half of his power” level from the beginning. The key factor that allowed him to stall and overpower Cell was the emotional support and encouragement from Goku, which allowed him to keep tapping more and more into his full SS2 power. Without that push, Gohan wouldn’t have endured and unleashed his true potential, and it’s unlikely he could have a chance of winning otherwise. The emotional and psychological factors played a huge role in the battle, and without Goku’s encouragement, it’s likely that Gohan wouldn’t have been able to fight Cell.

Now, if we look at your hypothetical scenario—where Cell hasn’t exploded and Gohan is at “less than half of his power”—things would likely have played out quite differently. If Gohan was fighting a non-zenkai boosted Cell but still holding back due to fear, as he was initially during their battle, Perfect Cell would have a considerable advantage. It wouldn’t even be a fight.

[Kaboom]

This is, yet again, something that belongs in the dedicated "Versus" thread.