At the same time Piccolo and the others battled the Crusher Corps—
Lizette devoted all her energy to dealing with the Tree of Might.
Her entire body glowed faintly, sparkling white particles illuminating her as they were absorbed into her body.
Her hair and dress billowed as if caught in a gentle breeze—viewing just this scene, it was terribly fantastical.
What Lizette was doing was using the Spirit Bomb-esque technique she'd recently completed to extract energy from the Tree of Might.
She was absorbing the life force this divine tree had stolen from Earth, holding it within herself without releasing it.
Earth, parasitized by the Tree of Might, was now losing its life force and becoming desolate.
To restore it to its proper state, the stolen life force must be returned.
But the problem was: doing so while the Tree of Might still existed would just create a cycle of it being absorbed again. That would be meaningless.
So first, she needed to temporarily store all of Earth's life force within Lizette.
Then, with all the stolen life force sealed within Lizette, she'd destroy the Tree of Might and return the energy to Earth.
Only by doing this could she save this planet.
"...Ngh, ugh... ah... gah...!"
Lizette's beautiful face contorted as she clenched her teeth.
Sweat flowed from her forehead, her face flushed as if running a fever, her fingertips trembling.
The biggest problem with this method was the burden on Lizette herself.
The barbaric act of receiving and containing all of Earth's life force within a single individual's body.
The burden was tremendous—currently, Earth's energy was raging violently inside Lizette's body.
Unlike the genuine Spirit Bomb, this technique Lizette created was a flawed one that couldn't be maintained as an energy construct, only usable for Lizette's own enhancement.
Returning energy in the same manner as sharing energy with others was easy, but she couldn't leave it on the spot as a "Spirit Bomb" energy mass like Goku could.
As long as it didn't exceed Lizette's capacity, it became a powerful self-enhancement technique.
This would be a future matter, but like how Goku slew the combined Android 13 who surpassed him, she might even defeat superior opponents.
But exceeding her capacity meant simple self-destruction.
It would become nothing but a tsunami ravaging her body from within—her body shattering wouldn't be strange.
Self-destructing by obtaining energy beyond one's limits... an accident common in stories, and Lizette was currently falling into exactly that situation.
It hurt, it was agonizing, her entire body felt ready to tear apart at any moment—she felt like going mad.
Already at her limit. She wanted to destroy the Tree of Might right now and release this energy back to Earth.
But she'd only recovered about 90% of the life force stolen by the Tree of Might, and destroying it in this state would leave the remaining 10% unable to return to Earth.
Of course, Earth would still be saved and continue existing beyond tomorrow.
But the effects of that unreturned portion would definitely manifest somewhere.
Several forests would turn to desert, many animals and plants would die far earlier than they should.
Because Lizette understood this, she had no choice but desperately hold the energy within this agony.
But—but still, there was such a thing as an absolute limit.
Lizette alone couldn't possibly contain all of Earth's life force.
(I-I'm... at my limit...! Any more and I'll shatter... I have no choice... but to destroy the Tree of Might...!)
She'd already exceeded her limit.
Like scooping water into a bucket, then forcibly widening the bucket to cram more in and sealing the lid because she still wanted to add more.
That was essentially Lizette's current situation—but exceeding limits would break the container from within.
With her entire body already creaking, Lizette's body couldn't endure any more absorption.
She had no choice but to release it now.
Behind her, a giant figure suddenly appeared.
"...!"
Lizette, devoting her entire being to dealing with the Tree of Might, had no capacity to pay attention elsewhere.
So right now, she didn't know how Goku and the others' battle was going, didn't even have the capacity to notice an approach.
Enemy? Or one of Goku's group who'd successfully defeated the enemy?
Hoping for the latter, Lizette turned her gaze backward.
Indeed, there stood a Saiyan.
"Yo, you look pretty rough."
A gleaming head.
Since Saiyan hair ominously doesn't change from birth, that head with hair that would never grow back was refreshingly bald.
Thick eyebrows and eyes that pushed malice fully forward.
That bearded face seemed to boldly declare "I am a villain."
A thick neck, and a physique obviously honed through training.
Probably acquired locally to avoid suspicion from Earthlings—his clothing was black sweatpants and jacket, top and bottom.
He'd probably randomly chosen something easy to move in, but it strangely suited him.
A shaved gorilla—thus should be described this self-proclaimed elite Saiyan.
The man called Nappa stood leisurely behind Lizette.
Standing behind a 153cm tall girl still retaining youthfulness—a 2-meter-plus bald gorilla man—truly the very image of a suspicious person.
Immediately reporting him would be justified—an extremely criminal-looking scene was completed there.
"You...!"
The worst, Lizette thought.
She'd expected him to strike back eventually, but what timing to appear now.
And she hurled every curse possible at her past self.
See? Didn't I tell you? You knew you'd definitely regret this.
Though he'd acted completely obedient, that had been a bluff after all. A lie.
Well, of course. Common sense made it obvious. There's no way Nappa would say such things. Huh? Why am I feeling slightly relieved?
Anyway, a bad situation. Naturally, in battle she wouldn't lose.
But there was more than sufficient possibility that from the impact, the energy she'd painstakingly gathered would dissipate.
"Hehehe, looks like even I could win right now."
"Ngh...!"
Reflexively trying to eliminate Nappa, her hands wouldn't move.
The overaccumulated energy even hindered Lizette's movements, delivering intense pain with the slightest motion.
Placing his crude, massive hand on her delicate shoulder, Nappa spoke.
"Let me hold 'that' for you, Goddess. I wanna help you out! I got some confidence in toughness. I should be useful for something."
"—Huh?"
For a moment, Lizette doubted her ears.
Having braced for whatever filthy abuse would come—these words instead.
Actually, frankly that would've been better.
If Lizette wasn't mistaken, this could even be interpreted as offering cooperation.
To the confused her, Nappa continued speaking.
"What's wrong? Why that shocked look? Did you think I'd repay the kindness I received with betrayal?"
"..."
"So you did think that. Well, can't blame you. I am a villain, after all. I've killed countless planets and their inhabitants. I'm sick of hearing words like 'demon' or 'devil'—I've committed enough evil to deserve being called that. But you know, even someone like me intends to follow at least the bare minimum code."
Nappa twisted his stern bearded face into a grin.
"A life debt is repaid with life. I've broken all sorts of rules, regulations, and laws that change from planet to planet... but I can't break this one. I'm a villain, but doing that would make me lower than a villain. More than anything, right now I have 'faith' in you! For your sake, I'd come running from the far side of Planet Frieza."
"...You'll help me?"
"Why wouldn't I? You picked up the life Vegeta threw away. So my life belongs to you. Tell me to die and I'll die. Tell me to fight and I'll even take on Frieza."
This was a complete miscalculation for Lizette.
A pleasant miscalculation, surely, but confusion outweighed joy.
However, it remained an unexpected opportunity, and she had no reason not to rely on it.
Not that she didn't find Nappa suspicious, but she no longer had capacity to think about such things—even now, suppressing the raging energy took everything she had.
"Understood. I appreciate your cooperation. ...Are you ready?"
"Always on the battlefield. Saiyans always stand on the battlefield. Asking about readiness is tactless."
Nappa urged her to hurry up, and Lizette nodded.
Then she sent vast amounts of energy into him.
With the unexpected reinforcement's appearance, she could recover a bit more life force from the Tree of Might.
Now there was hope of restoring Earth completely.
All that remained was for Goku and the others to defeat the invaders.
(I still can't move from here. I'm counting on you, Goku... everyone.)
★
"Come on, Kakarot!"
Turles provoked Goku, and Goku took the bait.
Emanating red aura from his entire body, doubling his combat power and throwing punches at Turles—easily caught by his palm.
Turles gripped Goku's caught fist tightly and grinned.
"Power level 30,000... not bad. On old Planet Vegeta, you could claim to be the strongest with those numbers."
"Ngh!"
"But that won't reach me. Between me, who's continued eating the Tree of Might's fruit, and you—there's a difference in power as vast as heaven and earth."
Turles lightly kicked Goku's stomach upward, striking his head faster than he could be blown away.
Goku couldn't even properly defend against it, slammed into the ground at high speed.
Turles didn't even follow up with pursuit, waiting for Goku to stand.
"How about it, Kakarot? Feel like coming with me?"
"Wh-What...!?"
"Come with me and you'll get even stronger. Eat the Tree of Might's fruit, and your combat power will increase dramatically. Then you might even surpass me."
Turles told Goku in a voice gentle for him.
Not going all-out at once, fighting with restraint like this—probably because he wanted to recruit him.
But Goku naturally showed refusal.
"Don't mess with me! I ain't joining you guys!"
"We're the surviving Saiyans, a precious few comrades... Don't be so cold. Let's be friends."
Goku flew out again, launching a fierce assault on Turles.
But nothing hit.
Dodged, blocked, casually handled as if dealing with a child.
"Wandering the universe at leisure, destroying planets we like, eating good food, getting drunk on good booze. There's no better life than this, right?"
"I don't think that sounds fun at all!"
"Tch, so it's true your head got damaged. You're nothing like a Saiyan."
Easily catching both of Goku's thrown fists, immobilizing him, then delivering a kick.
Heavy impact. Goku's breathing stopped momentarily, and Turles immediately grabbed his hair—so similar to his own.
"Should I smash this broken head again to fix it? Saiyans should live like Saiyans, Kakarot."
"...I'm glad I hit my head when I was little... Otherwise, I might've become a terrible person like you."
"...Glad, you say?"
At Goku's words, Turles's expression changed.
What had been a relaxed smile became a face filled with rage ready to explode.
He gripped Goku's head tightly and spoke in a low voice.
"Forgetting your name, forgetting your birth planet... even forgetting the parents who sent you to this planet to escape—and you say you're glad, you bastard!"
"S-Sent to escape...? What are you talking about? Raditz said I was sent to invade this Earth!"
"That was just pretense. Without reporting it that way, you'd have been shot down by Frieza's subordinates. Listen well, Kakarot... The reason you were sent to this Earth was to keep you alive! Your father, who sensed Planet Vegeta's demise earliest, sent you as a 'child-refugee' to this remote planet to save his child!"
Once, Goku had been told by his older brother Raditz "you were sent for invasion."
But that truth was now overturned.
The reason Goku was sent wasn't as an invasion tool, but to protect him.
Not abandoned by his parents, but because he was loved.
That's why he was sent to this convenient planet with no perceived value in personnel or resources, no significant forces, yet with environmental conditions among the universe's finest.
"And after sending his child away, one man went alone to a hopeless battle and resisted fate! That was your father and my teacher—Bardock! The name of the only warrior I truly respected in this world! His blood flows through you—don't you dare say you've forgotten that!"
"!!"
In an instant, what flashed through Goku's mind were the faces of strangers—yet somehow nostalgic—a couple.
Himself as an infant being placed in a single-person pod.
Watching from outside, a man who looked much like him and a woman with a gentle smile.
'Kakarot, don't look at the moon on full moon nights.'
'I'll tell Raditz too. Live strong! We'll definitely come get you later!'
Two people he didn't know.
Yet Goku instantly understood who they were.
Surely these were his parents that Turles spoke of.
The true memory, different from the lies Raditz had told.
Pushing away Goku as his consciousness drifted to the past, Turles raged fiercely.
"Come at me, Kakarot. In Bardock's place, I'll pound that spineless head of yours straight. I'll teach you how Saiyans fight."
"...I'm Son Goku, raised on Earth."
"Is that so? Then blow me away and prove it."
Saiyan fighting spirit blazing brilliantly.
Though his opponent was completely superior, Goku noticed he felt strangely excited.
Perhaps because behind Turles looking straight at him, he saw the phantom of his father overlapping.
Forcibly raising Kaioken—which burdened his body—to ten times, Goku flew.
Turles receiving him head-on—their figures looked almost like siblings playing together.
***
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