Saku Hayashi and Tsurara booked a private compartment aboard the train heading toward Cave Beach.
They certainly did not lack money.
A private compartment offered peace and quiet without anyone disturbing them.
“Burp!
I just encountered one of Little Ichi’s brats, but surprisingly, he didn’t recognize me.” Master Jiro returned carrying a bottle of alcohol and smiling cheerfully.
“You’ve never met them before, Master Jiro.
You’ve also been practically retired for years, and newspapers rarely publish anything about you anymore,” Saku Hayashi replied.
Among Acacia’s disciples, Ichiryū was the only one ordinary people could recognize at a glance.
He frequently appeared in news reports.
Jiro almost never showed himself in public, while Midora spent most of his time eating inside the Gourmet Corp.’s headquarters.
Even if either of them stood within a crowd, ordinary people would find it difficult to recognize them.
Their retirement was understandable.
There was practically no food on Earth that Jiro could not obtain.
If he desired a new challenge, he could simply advance into the Gourmet Universe.
“Saku, do you think this old man needs fame?” Jiro asked with a smile.
Were the Four Heavenly Kings famous?
In his eyes, they were merely a few youngsters.
By the time the entire world acknowledged someone as a legendary figure, their name would naturally already be known in every household.
“You don’t need it.
If Toriko and the others want to earn a title on the level of ‘Knocking Master,’ they’ll probably have to wait until the capture of GOD,” Saku Hayashi replied with a smile.
The older generation’s reputations had been forged through genuine achievements.
“Little Tsurara, are you still familiar with the steps required to prepare a Puffer Whale?” Jiro asked.
“I prepared them ten years ago and can already avoid poisoning them under normal circumstances,” Tsurara answered.
“With my current abilities, I believe I can prepare a Puffer Whale while it’s still swimming, remove its poison sac, and prevent it from noticing anything.” Ten years had passed.
If neither her knife skills nor her other abilities had improved during that time, she would truly have been an idiot.
“It seems both of you have developed an excellent command of Food Honor,” Jiro said approvingly.
Tsurara had learned Food Honor from Setsuno, while Saku Hayashi had studied it under Jiro.
Neither of them had attended Chowlin Temple.
After all, Chowlin Temple was not the only place where Food Honor could be learned.
The older generation had all mastered it.
Compared with the systematic instruction offered by Chowlin Temple, their teaching focused more heavily on practical application and demanded greater comprehension from the student.
“Little Ichi was far too hands-off when raising Toriko and the others.” Jiro shook his head but did not comment further on Ichiryū’s family affairs.
Saku Hayashi smiled and nodded.
Ichiryū had practically raised them free-range in his courtyard before sending them off in different directions to grow stronger through exploration.
They had never received a particularly systematic training plan.
“Old Man Ichiryū has always been extremely busy.
Even when he taught me, he had to squeeze time out of his schedule.” Jiro fell silent.
He understood better than most how busy his senior brother was.
Unlike Jiro and Setsuno, Ichiryū had rarely experienced genuine rest.
In Jiro’s eyes, Ichiryū was both a great and pure-hearted man.
After personally witnessing the horrors of famine, everything Ichiryū did was intended to reduce the number of people suffering from hunger.
Whether rich or poor, he wanted everyone to sit comfortably at the same table and enjoy a meal together.
The IGO founded by Ichiryū had indeed become a leading force in this world.
Compared with the frequent wars of several centuries ago, the world had improved tremendously.
Most people no longer needed to endure starvation.
…
When the train reached its destination, Saku Hayashi and the others leisurely disembarked.
Toriko and his companions had left the train earlier to find Coco, the strategist of the Four Heavenly Kings.
“Tom, don’t be afraid.
Believe in yourself.” Standing before the cave entrance, Tom stared into the abyss-like darkness and swallowed nervously.
His heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Each powerful thump visibly pushed against his chest.
If his rib cage had not restrained it, his heart might have leaped directly out of his body.
The cave truly was dark.
Visibility was so poor that one could not see a hand placed directly before one’s face.
Its atmosphere was gloomy and terrifying.
Anyone suffering from claustrophobia might faint simply from standing at the entrance.
Tom forced an uneasy smile and slowly nodded.
The headlamp on his forehead was his only source of reassurance.
If he had known this would happen, he would have remained home and slept—or returned directly to the space inside Saku Hayashi.
“Tsk, tsk.
There certainly are plenty of people who aren’t afraid to die.” Saku Hayashi looked around.
People were hiding behind almost every available piece of cover.
None intended to enter the cave.
They planned to wait outside and steal the rewards from those who returned.
Saku Hayashi could not understand where they found such courage.
Would anyone capable of successfully bringing out a Puffer Whale be an ordinary person?
If they encountered someone merciful, they might escape with their lives.
However, if they targeted a ruthless person who preferred action over words, this cave entrance would become their burial ground.
Puffer Whales were undeniably valuable enough to make some people forget the danger to their lives.
“There are plenty of people like them,” Jiro said, having witnessed such scenes countless times.
“Not every Gourmet Hunter can awaken Gourmet Cells.
Without a proper teacher, the limits of their potential are essentially fixed.” These desperate people were gambling with their lives.
They hoped to steal even a single Puffer Whale, which would provide enough money for them to live extravagantly for a long time.
“Chef Tsurara, hello!
My name is Tina.
We met once before.” A chestnut-haired woman wearing exploration gear ran toward them.
She aimed the camera in her hands at Tsurara, looking as excited as though she had won the lottery.
“I remember you, Miss Tina,” Tsurara replied with a faint smile.
“Are you planning to enter the cave?” She remembered this presenter.
Tina did not merely conduct interviews as a reporter.
She also possessed an adventurous spirit.
Tina could hardly contain her happiness at being remembered by a world-class chef.
Chefs possessed extraordinarily high status in this world—far higher than that of someone in her profession.
“I want to record the entire process of capturing a Puffer Whale,” Tina admitted, scratching her head.
“But if I enter alone, I doubt I’ll reach the destination alive.” She might have been braver than most people, but she still understood her own strength.
More importantly, she did not know the route through the cave.
There was a high probability that she would become hopelessly lost and die inside.
She had come here hoping to encounter someone reliable whom she could follow.
“It truly is dangerous.
You don’t possess much strength, so you wouldn’t make it very far on your own,” Tsurara agreed.
Saku Hayashi’s attention shifted toward a rough-looking man dressed in animal hides.
This was the first time he had personally seen Zonge.
The man’s Food Luck was absurdly powerful.
Although he resembled a wild primitive, he could survive the Monkey King’s embrace and act as a battlefield reporter during the final stages of the story.
In the end, the Food Luck surrounding him even played a crucial role.
Komatsu’s Food Luck had received praise from countless people, including Joa.
However, Zonge was the truly understated existence who concealed his abilities without drawing attention.
The true limits of his Food Luck remained unknown.
“There’s something strange about that man,” Jiro muttered, following Saku Hayashi’s gaze.
Jiro was not proficient in Food Luck and could not see it directly.
However, as one of the world’s strongest beings, he could sense that Zonge was not as ordinary as he appeared.
“Master, would you believe me if I said we’ll have many opportunities to meet that man again?” Saku Hayashi asked with a smile.
“I would.
This old man has the same feeling.” Jiro nodded slightly.
Powerful individuals often trusted their instincts.
Sometimes, seeing something with one’s own eyes did not necessarily make it true.
“What’s wrong?” Tsurara asked.
By the time she looked over, Zonge and his subordinates had already entered the cave.
“It’s nothing.
We merely noticed someone interesting.” “Miss Tsurara, we should head inside as well.” Tina did not accompany them.
She had heard that Toriko would also be coming and intended to follow his group instead.
She did not know Jiro’s identity.
Otherwise, she would undoubtedly have changed her decision.
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