Why was everyone surprised at...

[Fantastische Hure]

Gohan one-shotting the Cell Jr.s, if Gohan was already over 2x as high or close to that as Super-Saiyan couldn't he do that too?

Or were the Cell Jr.s holding-back and they were in-fact equal to Cell (vs Goku)?

Or did the one-shotting gap increase?

 

[SSJ2]

His power was either beyond their complete comprehension or they were just being retards.

 

[withheldforprivacy]

Gohan one-shotting the Cell Jr.s, if Gohan was already over 2x as high or close to that as Super-Saiyan couldn't he do that too?

Or were the Cell Jr.s holding-back and they were in-fact equal to Cell (vs Goku)?

Or did the one-shotting gap increase?

What do you mean one shotting?
Knocking someone unconscious in a single, well placed blow =/= Disintegrating someone's body with an effortless slap

 

[Diamond Ryan]

Like withheld said, it was probably the fact that Gohan was obliterating them all with punches and kicks. That, or they were shocked at how ruthless he was acting.

 

[sei'taer]

That's one of the few points in the entire series someone has been hit so hard their bodies have literally disintegrated. The fact that mild mannered gohan did it just adds to the shock.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Vegeta literally says something like "we had so much trouble with them, yet he..."

 

[Papasmurf]

That's anime-only

 

[Fantastische Hure]

I swear I thought it was in the manga, too but I guess not.

Still Vegeta says "unbelievable", but I guess that can be explained by the other explanations here.

 

[Papasmurf]

Yeah all Vegeta says in the manga is that he just can't believe this is happening.

 

[Let's Go Fearless!]

Its just that hard for them to believed that Gohan possess so much power that's all.

 

[sei'taer]

Piccolo is the one that seems surprised that it's gohan doing it.