Setsuna pondered for a moment, then asked, "Turles, do you still have any stock of the Fruit of Might you used to grow?"
"Yes, I do." Turles took an orange-colored fruit from the spaceship and respectfully presented it to Setsuna. "Master, this is the Fruit of Might I used to grow."
Setsuna took the fruit and placed it in his mouth. The fruit dissolved instantly upon entry, transforming into a warm current that flowed into his body. Then... that was it. Setsuna shook his head slightly. "The enhancement it provides me is negligible, even less than what I gain from a single natural breath."
But thinking it over, it made sense. After all, the Tree of Might was merely a fruit tree consumed regularly by the 'gods' of the Dragon Ball World.
Since even the Supreme Kai himself was so 'incompetent', how advanced could the things he ate daily be?
It was similar to the God Tree in the Naruto World. His interest in the God Tree's Chakra Fruit wasn't because the fruit provided a massive energy boost.
What he truly valued were the various special abilities accompanying the Otsutsuki physique… eternal youth, space creation, reversing life and death. These were authorities belonging only to gods, a realm difficult to reach no matter how great one's power became.
"However..." Setsuna gazed at the sapling, a new plan forming in his mind. "Although these fruits are useless to me, for people from other worlds, they are quite excellent 'tonics'."
In the worlds of Naruto and One Piece, a battle power of a few hundred was enough to be considered a top-tier expert.
A Fruit of Might that could increase battle power by hundreds or even thousands would be nothing short of a divine elixir for people in those worlds.
"Cooler." Setsuna communicated through their soul contract.
Almost instantly, Cooler's respectful voice echoed in his consciousness: "Master, please give your orders."
"Your forces should control many resource-poor, lifeless barren planets, correct?"
"Yes, Master. There are tens of thousands of such planets."
"Select a thousand planets that are relatively stable and not too extreme in environment," Setsuna commanded. "Plant a Tree of Might on each one."
Without asking what the Tree of Might was, Cooler directly replied, "Yes, Master."
Setsuna looked at Turles. "Someone will come to pick you up later. From now on, you will be responsible for planting and cultivating the Trees of Might."
Turles bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master."
...
Two years passed, fleeting as the blink of an eye on a cosmic scale. But for the civilizations in the Milky Way once overshadowed by the Cooler Force, these two years had brought earth-shattering changes.
The [Cooler Force], once a symbol of plunder and destruction, had vanished. In its place emerged a mysterious organization named the [Galactic Gourmet Force].
They still piloted those terrifying Frost Demon Clan warships, but their modus operandi had undergone a 180-degree transformation. No more burning, killing, and looting. Instead, they traveled the galaxies collecting delicacies.
From unique fermented bacterial colonies in a distant star system, to luminous jellyfish sashimi from the depths of an ocean planet, to rare spice crystals harvested from the upper atmosphere of a gas giant... the ships of the [Galactic Gourmet Force] shuttled between star systems, obtaining the most characteristic local foods and ingredients from various civilizations through fair exchange, sometimes even paying a clear premium.
Stranger still, they were genuinely establishing a [Universal Gourmet Alliance]. Thirty-seven civilizations had already signed the founding member agreement, regularly hosting cross-galactic gourmet festivals.
They had even begun compiling the Galactic Gourmet Encyclopedia.
All of this naturally reached the ears of the nominal ruler of the Milky Way… Galactic King.
Thus, on the gourmet planet Setsuna had specially created, a soldier of the Galactic Gourmet Force hurried over: "Commander, outside there is a gentleman who calls himself 'Galactic Patrolman Jaco' requesting an audience, bearing a decree from Galactic King."
"Galactic King?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow.
He recalled the original work's portrayal… a ruler with only thirty-eight patrolmen under his command, weak in strength, whose rule was unrecognized by most powerful factions.
The nominal Galactic King? Jaco had once mentioned that an average Galactic Patrolman was no match for an adult Saiyan. This suggested that the battle power of these patrolmen might not even exceed one thousand.
Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say Galactic King had no strong subordinates. Among the Galactic Patrolmen was a trainee Angel, but due to the necessity of hiding their identity, the power they could display was limited.
With a hint of curiosity, Setsuna nodded. "Bring him in."
Moments later, an alien wearing the standard Galactic Patrol uniform, with a head shaped like an upside-down eggplant and a serious expression, walked in.
"Galactic Patrolman, ID Number 9527, Jaco, reporting as ordered!" Jaco stood at attention, taking a gilded scroll from his robe. "By decree of Galactic King, I am here to invite Chiaki Setsuna to join the Galactic Patrol organization, granting the honorary title of [Galactic Guardian], with rights to..."
"Wait." Setsuna raised his hand to interrupt him, his expression somewhat amused. "You said... Galactic King wants to recruit me?"
"Exactly!" Jaco said earnestly. "Your deeds… defeating Cooler, reforming the Cooler Force, maintaining peace in the galaxy… have spread across the stars! His Majesty is deeply gratified and specially sent me to..."
"Stop." Setsuna interrupted again, this time laughing outright. "Galactic King? The one with only thirty-eight patrolmen, whose actual area of control might be smaller than one of Cooler's outposts... wants to recruit me as a subordinate? How dare he?"
Jaco's expression stiffened, clearly stung by Setsuna's blunt words. But he still tried to maintain his seriousness: "His Majesty is the universally recognized supreme ruler of the Milky Way. All civilizations should..."
"Universally recognized?" Setsuna's smile was knowing. "Does Frieza recognize him? Does Cooler recognize him? Do those space pirates recognize him?"
The barrage of questions left Jaco speechless. Take himself, for example. Nominally, he was responsible for three sectors, but he was just one person. There was no way he could effectively manage them.
"Go back." Setsuna waved his hand, having lost interest. "Tell Galactic King I'm not interested in being some Guardian. If he wants to cooperate, he can send someone to discuss the [Gourmet Alliance]. Otherwise, forget it."
Jaco stood there, looking somewhat at a loss. A few seconds later, he finally couldn't maintain his composure. The 'official envoy' facade crumbled completely, replaced by deep anxiety and fear.
"Wait! Please wait!" Jaco said urgently. "Actually... actually, His Majesty mainly sent me not to recruit you, but to ask for help!"
"Help?" Setsuna's interest returned.
"Yes." Jaco lowered his head. "There is a Great Demon King named Slug. After Frieza died, he started invading planets everywhere, calling himself the Emperor of the Universe. His Majesty strongly condemned his actions, but unexpectedly, Slug, even more brutal than Frieza, retaliated by putting a bounty on His Majesty's head. The reward is a resource-rich, habitable planet. Now the entire galaxy's underworld is in a frenzy. His Majesty has been in hiding for several weeks."
Jaco looked up sharply. "Setsuna-sama, please save His Majesty! The order of the galaxy must not be allowed to collapse!"