La Loi d'Ueki

In the early 2000s, Pika Édition brought Tsubasa Fukuchi's La Loi d'Ueki to French readers, a shonen battle manga where a middle-school student, Kōsuke Ueki, is granted the power to turn trash into trees. This seemingly silly ability places him in a celestial tournament of 100 candidates, each wielding a unique "talent," with the winner earning the vacant position of god. Running for 16 issues from 2004 to 2007, the series is remembered for its inventive power system and its blend of high-stakes combat with a surprisingly moral core, a standout in the era's crowded tournament genre.