Ten Spirit Tree Fruits. Ten lottery chances.
Just like that, they were gone.
Frieza's expression looked terrible.
He felt as if his rationality had been trampled again and again by some vicious routine.
The result was that he kept getting stuck right before the finish line.
What now?
Obediently wait for the next round, win new fruits, and exchange them for more lottery chances?
But next up was the first elimination round of the Losers Bracket.
Frieza's fists clenched until they cracked.
He still had to wait?
Wait for this bunch of trash to finish fighting?
How was he supposed to endure that?
He swept his gaze over the Losers Bracket roster and snorted disdainfully.
"A bunch of small fry!"
What was there to watch in the battles between losers?
It was simply a waste of his precious time!
But.
More importantly, in the Winners Bracket, several opponents he might face next were existences he could not defeat no matter how firm his confidence was.
Ultra Ego Broly, Hearts, Fu, Levos…
If his luck was bad and he drew any of those contestants, how was he supposed to get the victory reward?
Frieza's face quickly darkened.
No.
He could not place all his hope on an uncertain victory.
He had to think of another way.
He had to find another method to obtain lottery chances!
Frieza's gaze unconsciously drifted toward Levos again.
That fellow definitely knew more methods!
After all, the height panel had been created by him and that malicious dragon, Odebia!
Should he ask directly?
The thought had just arisen when Frieza immediately strangled it.
No.
Absolutely not.
Wouldn't that put him right back in a position where others could manipulate him?
After all, the other party was a devil who could even come up with a threat like making him five centimeters shorter.
What if he created another new routine that Frieza could not resist?
Wouldn't he only sink deeper and deeper?
Frieza fell into conflict, his heart waging war against itself.
His tail slapped the ground irritably.
Beside him, however, the atmosphere was perfectly harmonious.
"Come, come, everyone gets a share."
Levos smiled as he took out a pile of Spirit Tree Fruits and distributed them to his companions.
These were all obtained from Frieza's lottery exchanges.
Odebia had no use for them, so they naturally ended up in Levos's pocket.
"Wow! So many!"
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Although each of them had already received one earlier, with the Losers Bracket about to begin, they could not help feeling a little nervous.
If they lost one more match, they would be completely eliminated.
Krillin received another fruit. Feeling the energy contained inside it, he could not help clicking his tongue.
"If this thing existed on Earth in the past, just one fruit could completely transform an ordinary person…"
Vegeta Jr. also looked extremely envious. Although she had already eaten all five fruits she had won in one go, after losing in the Winners Bracket, she could not help worrying about whether she could win this round.
"If this genius could eat a hundred of them in a row, I'd definitely surpass those experts!"
Everyone happily munched on the fruits while discussing the previous round of battles.
Seeing the Earth group eating the Spirit Tree Fruits obtained from his hands only made Frieza even more depressed.
"Frieza looks like he's in a really bad mood."
Bardock noticed Frieza in the distance.
His restless and irritable appearance was impossible to ignore.
He had clearly been laughing proudly with his "ohohoho" just moments ago, yet now he had fallen into this state.
Bardock was extremely curious about Frieza's unpredictable emotional changes.
What exactly had happened to his old enemy?
One moment he was happy, the next excited, then suddenly depressed. He was practically like a madman who had lost his mind.
Levos kept a straight face.
"Maybe… after winning the match, he remembered that the later rounds would only get harder and started worrying."
Bardock deeply agreed. A tournament gathering this many experts would cause even someone with a thousand years of experience like him to feel some emotional fluctuations.
Who wouldn't want to keep winning all the way to the end?
Just then.
Rumble!
The entire planet shook violently.
Eight new arenas were opened up, spread across different directions.
Above each arena, a barrier formed.
The original arenas were also rapidly being repaired.
Amid everyone's lively discussion of the previous round, the one-hour rest period for the contestants passed quietly.
Full Metal Cell Max's voice rang across the entire venue.
"The first round of the Losers Bracket consists of twenty-four matches. All matches will proceed simultaneously."
"Drawing begins!"
As his voice fell, the portraits of the forty-eight contestants in the Losers Bracket began flashing randomly on the screen.
Then, the matchups appeared.
Dore vs Sidra, God of Destruction of Universe 9
Cell Jr. vs Iwan, God of Destruction of Universe 1
Neiz vs Giin, God of Destruction of Universe 12
Broly, Emperor Vegeta Timeline vs Paragus
Master Roshi vs Tien Shinhan
Yajirobe vs Son Goten
Kamin vs Piccolo
Chi-Chi vs Trunks
Cell Jr. vs Liquiir, God of Destruction of Universe 8
Chiaotzu vs Cooler
Son Goku vs Time Patrol Pan
Son Gohan vs Videl
Yamcha vs Nainaba
Time Patrol Vegito vs Krillin
Cell Jr. vs Belmod, God of Destruction of Universe 11
Oren vs Caulifla
Cell Jr. vs Quitela, God of Destruction of Universe 4
Lagss vs Kakarot
Vegeta Jr. vs Crown Prince
Time Patrol Gohanks vs Salza
Bulma vs Raditzia
Cell Jr. vs Mad Beast
Champa, God of Destruction of Universe 6 vs Cell Jr.
Arak, God of Destruction of Universe 5 vs Buu
This time, no time was given for anyone to gather information on their opponents.
The moment the matchups were confirmed, all contestants in this round were transported into their respective arenas.
In one of the arenas…
The two opponents were Broly from Emperor Vegeta's timeline and Paragus.
The instant Paragus saw his opponent clearly, his heart nearly stopped.
It was Broly.
Although his aura and demeanor were completely different from that cruel and violent son of his…
Although there were subtle differences in appearance…
That face, that body, was absolutely Broly.
A fear born from instinct made his legs go weak.
But immediately after, a flicker of hope ignited in his eyes.
This Broly's gaze was clear, and his demeanor was calm.
That meant… his personality was very different from this timeline's Broly. He had reason. He could be spoken to properly!
A rational and powerful Broly!
Wasn't this a more perfect son, a more perfect tool?
Driven by blazing ambition, Paragus squeezed out a loving fatherly smile.
"Broly, my most outstanding son."
His voice carried concern, creating a faint sense of warmth.
The Broly opposite him did not respond. He only looked at Paragus with complicated eyes.
"Have you forgotten me?"
"I am your father, Paragus!"
Broly's voice was low and deep, carrying little emotion.
"My father died a long time ago."
Paragus's smile stiffened slightly.
So the version of himself in that timeline was already dead?
Broly was silent and did not seem willing to say much.
He merely assumed a fighting stance.
"Wait!"
Paragus hurriedly waved his hands.
"My son, no matter what happened, I am still your father! No one understands you better than I do!"
He began using the skill he was best at, patiently guiding the Broly before him.
"Think about it. Who raised you from childhood? Who protected you whenever you lost control?"
"Even if we come from different timelines, we are still father and son connected by blood!"
A ripple flashed through Broly's eyes.
He remembered his own father.
That Paragus who had also restrained him with a control collar and used him.
"You…"
Broly looked at the Paragus before him and asked in a low voice.
"Would you… hurt my friends?"
Friends?
Paragus froze.
How could a monster like Broly possibly have friends?
But he immediately reacted. This was an excellent opportunity.
"Of course not!"
He answered righteously.
"I would only be proud of you, my son! In this timeline, you are finally no longer alone. You still have me, and in the future, you will make even more friends!"
Broly fell silent.
He remembered his friends.
Bah from Planet Vampa…
And Cheelai, and Lemo…
Aside from Bah, who was a monster that could not communicate through language, the others were kind.
Although they were weak, they were the first ones who did not treat him like a monster, but as a friend.
"They… are all dead."
A sorrow that even Broly himself did not seem to notice slipped into his voice.
Inside the Saiyan spaceship…
Emperor Vegeta sat on his throne, coldly watching the battle.
A mocking smile curved his lips.
Friends?
Of course they were dead.
Because he was the one who gave the order to have them killed.
How could a perfect tool have something as unnecessary as friends?
He then thought of this Broly's father.
Just like the Paragus from his own timeline, he had been foolish. Aside from the control collar, he had also foolishly tried to bind Broly with family affection.
So back then, Emperor Vegeta had arranged an accident.
He used the Dragon Balls to make a wish.
He made Broly obtain a brand-new power.
A power that, once he entered battle, would use his remaining rationality as the price to grant him strength several times more violent than his Legendary Super Saiyan rampage.
In his rage and with his meager rationality completely lost, Broly eventually…
Killed his own father with his own hands.
From that day onward…
Broly's friends and family were all gone.
He also bore the sin of patricide.
Aside from Emperor Vegeta, his only friend, he had nowhere to go and no one to rely on.
Emperor Vegeta was very satisfied with his masterpiece.
This was the most perfect form of control, far more effective than the foolish methods Paragus had achieved with a collar.
In the arena…
When Paragus heard Broly's words, his heart was filled with ecstasy.
The opportunity had come!
He put on an expression of immense grief.
"What? Who did it? Tell your father who killed them, and I will personally avenge you!"
"Come, my son. Return to my side!"
"If father and son join hands, no one will be our match!"
He opened his arms and approached, trying to move Broly and make him embrace him.
In his heart, he had already begun imagining how glorious his future would be if he possessed two Brolys.
Broly looked at him.
He looked at that face, almost identical to the father in his memories.
He looked at that sincere expression.
He hesitated.
A trace of longing rose in his heart.
If…
If his father back then had treated him like this…
But…
Broly's expression dimmed as he looked down at his hands.
His father had been killed by him with his own hands after he fell into madness…
He had carried the crime of killing his father for so many years. He did not want to experience that a second time.
At the same time…
Another figure appeared in his mind.
It was Emperor Vegeta.
"Broly, I know you did not mean to kill your biological father."
"Do not be sad. You still have me. From now on, I will be your family."
"On the surface, you obey me. But you are my best friend. In private, you can come talk to me whenever you wish."
Emperor Vegeta's understanding and kindness toward him had already been deeply engraved into the depths of his soul.
How could he possibly betray him?
Not even for Paragus!
The confusion in Broly's eyes gradually faded.
It became firmer.
"My power belongs only to His Majesty Vegeta."
"Fight me, Father. His Majesty told me long ago what kind of person you originally were."
"You… only want to use me."
Paragus's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.
He had actually failed.
The method he had used countless times, the method that had always soothed Broly, had actually lost to a Vegeta from another timeline!
Paragus, who had read countless people and occupied high positions for years, could already tell from their exchange…
This Broly, although far calmer and more rational than his own son from this timeline, was actually very simple in nature and extremely easy to manipulate!
"Damn it! Vegeta got to him first!"
Paragus cursed inwardly, but he was unwilling to give up and still wanted to keep trying to persuade him.
"Broly, look closely at me. I am your biological father!"
"Do you know? In my timeline, Vegeta's father was jealous of your potential and sent people to assassinate us father and son!"
"At that time, you were only a baby who had been born for a few days. Do you think the son of such a bastard would truly treat you well?"
"Besides, as an emperor, how could that Vegeta be kind enough to spare you?"
"He must also be a bastard who wants to use you!"
"Shut up!"
Broly suddenly raised his head, his gaze incomparably sharp.
"His Majesty Vegeta is my only friend!"
"I will not allow you to speak of him that way!"
Boom!
Before his words had even fallen, Broly's figure had already vanished from where he stood.
Paragus's pupils contracted sharply. He only had time to cross his arms in front of his chest.
Bang!
A terrifying force passed through his arms and smashed heavily into his chest.
Paragus's body flew backward like a cannonball, carving a deep trench through the arena floor.
"Cough…"
A mouthful of blood surged up his throat, only to be forcibly swallowed back down.
So strong!
This Broly had not even transformed. With only his base form's power, he was already far beyond Paragus!
"His Majesty Vegeta said that people like you only use pretty words to hide your weakness."
Broly's voice held not a shred of emotion as he walked closer step by step.
"Damn Vegeta!"
Paragus cursed inwardly, but his face showed a pained expression.
"My son, don't be deceived by him! Think carefully. In your timeline, how did King Vegeta persecute us father and son?"