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Chapter 30 - "The Planted Spirit Tree."

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"Hey, trash over there, stop playing dead. You actually have the nerve to try and take the position of a Celestial God, to conquer the world?" Broly sneered at Garlic Jr, who had been lying still not far away.

Broly knew full well that before this guy got trapped by the Celestial God using his signature move, the Hell Vortex, Garlic Jr had already used a wish on Shenron to become immortal. That's how he was able to survive the seal in Hell and come back.

Garlic Jr, realizing he'd been seen through, got to his feet and looked at Broly.

"Who… who are you? As far as I know, there's no one on Earth as strong as you. Why would someone like you help the Celestial Gods? If you don't stop me, then when I—"

"Sorry, not interested," Broly interrupted, not letting him finish.

"I'll give you two more days. If you're still pathetic by the time the Demon Star arrives, the last guy who got torn apart will be your fate. Got it? Now, get lost."

Garlic Jr's fists clenched so hard his nails pierced his palms, but he didn't even notice. His face twisted with rage, his teeth biting down so hard they drew blood, but he couldn't show it. He knew this man was far beyond him; if Broly decided to kill him right then and there, he wouldn't stand a chance.

He had to endure… wait for the Demon Star. Then, he vowed, he would make them wish they were dead.

After a long silence, Garlic Jr finally turned and left the Celestial Hall.

"Wait! I said get lost, not leave! If you can't follow instructions, I can help with that!" Broly raised an eyebrow, surprised at how patient this guy could be.

Broly had deliberately been taunting him, hoping to push Garlic Jr's limits so that when the Demon Star arrived, he'd reach a higher level of power. But seeing his restraint, Broly realized he'd need another excuse to make an impression.

"Damn it! This is too much! If I have to, I'll die fighting you!" Garlic Jr finally snapped, unleashing a massive explosion attack with all his desperate might.

Still, he underestimated Broly. Broly's power had reached 450,000; he was now far beyond Garlic Jr's abilities.

With just a snap of his fingers, Broly shattered the desperate attack.

"Since you won't leave, let me help you with that!" Broly said, slapping out with a single palm. The resulting shockwave hit Garlic Jr before he could dodge, sending him flying out of the Celestial Hall and far away.

Broly didn't even glance back at the Celestial God. In a blink, he teleported back to Bulma's mansion in West City.

Elsewhere, Turles and his group had entered Earth's atmosphere and were beginning to land.

Not far from where Goku and Piccolo were training, the group gathered around a massive crater. At the center lay a small seed.

Suddenly, a sprout shot up from the seed. In seconds, the tree began growing rapidly, its roots burrowing deep into the Earth, drawing in the planet's energy.

"Ha! Earth is perfect for cultivating Spirit Tree fruits. I have to thank Kakarot for keeping this planet intact for me!"

As the Spirit Tree absorbed more of Earth's energy, the area around its roots began to wither. From space, the affected region slowly changed from green and blue to a dull brown. The process was obvious even to the naked eye—and it wasn't stopping.

"Broly… Broly, can you hear me?"

Two days after Broly returned to West City, the North Kai's voice echoed in his mind.

"Hm… North Kai? Are you trying to tell me the Saiyan carrying the Spirit Tree seed has arrived on Earth?"

Broly already had an idea why the Kai was contacting him. But he wasn't ready to act yet. Garlic Jr and Turles hadn't reached their full strength, and Broly preferred to wait until they did—so he could face two strong opponents at once and gather hundreds of Spirit Tree fruits in the process.

"Don't you know? Why don't you stop them? The Spirit Tree has already been planted on Earth. Once it drains the planet's energy, Earth will be a wasteland!"

The North Kai could see through Broly's calm demeanor that he already knew this, but he still shouted in frustration.

"Garlic Jr has always been delusional, trying to conquer Earth and turn it into a demon world. Turles has destroyed countless planets by planting Spirit Trees, which is why all four of us Kai put him on the blacklist. If you can take them both out in one go, that'd be ideal…"

Even the North Kai couldn't fully gauge Broly's current power. All he knew was that Broly was terrifyingly strong, especially if he used Kaioken. His potential was staggering, so the Kai wasn't worried about whether Broly could handle the invaders.

"Calm down. Once the Spirit Tree seed takes root, it can't be stopped. But after I deal with Turles, the one holding the seed, this problem will be over. Worst case, I'll just wish on Shenron to restore Earth."

Seeing Broly still relaxed, unconcerned even as Earth was at risk, the North Kai sighed, giving up.

"The Demon Star is coming, and the Spirit Tree fruits will soon mature. If you don't act soon, their power will skyrocket again, and it'll be much harder to deal with. I've said my piece—do what you think is best."

And then the North Kai fell silent. Broly ignored the advice. He wouldn't strike preemptively. His pride demanded a fair fight—defeating opponents at their peak, or taking them out while they were not yet at full power, was never his style.

"....."

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