After delivering Saku Hayashi and the others to the Baron Archipelago, Captain Tom did not accompany them inland.
He was not a Gourmet Hunter, so there was no reason for him to venture deeper into such a dangerous place.
He also had work waiting for him back home, and his wife had already begun urging him to return.
He had only agreed to transport them because he had known Toriko for many years.
The cat Tom was just as frightened as Komatsu.
Although Tom was a gag character, his fighting ability fluctuated wildly depending on his state of mind.
Whenever he felt bold and confident, he could accomplish many unbelievable feats.
After nightfall, the Baron Archipelago became dark and sinister.
The roars of countless beasts echoed from every direction.
Someone particularly timid might faint from fear the moment they heard them.
“M-Mr.
Toriko, Mr.
Hayashi…
Are neither of you frightened at all?” Komatsu asked shakily, clutching the shotgun in his arms.
He regretted not writing a will before coming here.
If some beast ate him, no one would even know where he had died.
“Haha!
When you first encounter an environment like this, it really is frightening,” Saku Hayashi replied.
“But once you grow accustomed to it—especially after gaining a clear understanding of your own strength—there’s nothing left to fear.” At his current strength, Saku Hayashi could defeat every beast on the Baron Archipelago.
Why would he fear creatures weaker than himself?
When he had first started traveling with Tsurara, he had also been afraid at night.
Whenever they entered an eerie environment like this one, Tsurara would put an arm around his shoulders and encourage him.
However, courage could be trained.
Strength was one of the pillars supporting that courage.
“Saku Hayashi is right,” Toriko said.
“Every living creature experiences fear.
It’s an instinct, so there’s nothing shameful about it.
What matters is learning to overcome it.” “No.
Super Beasts feel neither pain nor fear,” Saku Hayashi suddenly said.
Ace: You’re absolutely right.
What was a Super Beast?
Neither Toriko nor Komatsu had ever heard of such a creature.
Something that could not feel pain or fear actually existed?
The world truly contained all kinds of strange beings.
…
During Saku Hayashi’s previous visit, he had beaten many of the local beasts as though they were mere speed bumps.
Those creatures had remembered his scent.
None were foolish enough to appear and ask for another beating.
“This should be the place,” Toriko said.
“The Galala Gator should be here.” The lake before them was as smooth as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the bright moon above.
Although the surface appeared peaceful, Toriko’s instincts warned him that danger lurked beneath it.
The tracks along the shore suggested that an enormous creature lived here—one standing at the very top of the archipelago’s food chain.
“Saku Hayashi, why has your cat suddenly started fishing?” Toriko noticed that Tom had somehow appeared beside the lake.
Holding a fishing rod in his paws, he looked every bit like a seasoned angler.
Was he planning to fish the Galala Gator out of the lake?
What kind of joke was that?
His fishing rod was nothing more than a tree branch with a line tied to it.
“Haha!
That’s right.
Tom is excellent at fishing,” Saku Hayashi said.
“If he actually catches the Galala Gator with that, I’ll eat less today,” Toriko replied speechlessly.
For a glutton like Toriko, those were extremely serious words.
He clearly had not realized the gravity of the situation.
Saku Hayashi merely smiled.
Just wait.
Tom stared at the lake.
Without his usual bait—Jerry—he had been forced to catch a random insect instead.
Fishing this way felt extremely unfamiliar.
Splash!
After approximately ten seconds, waves began surging across the previously calm lake.
The water bubbled like a boiling pot as an enormous shadow silently approached the surface.
Creak!
Creak!
Creak!
A tremendous force suddenly pulled on the fishing rod.
Caught unprepared, Tom was dragged forward.
His feet carved two clear furrows through the ground, but he barely managed to stop himself a second before falling into the lake.
“Wait a minute!
Isn’t that fishing rod made from a random branch he picked up beside the road?” Toriko shouted in disbelief, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
Aside from bending into an extreme arc, Tom’s fishing rod showed no signs of breaking.
It did not even produce the sound of wood straining under the weight.
Even a fishing rod made from reinforced steel would not possess such extraordinary flexibility.
“Tom, Galala Gators are delicious.
Keep going!” Saku Hayashi encouraged him without offering any assistance.
He believed Tom’s potential was limitless.
Tom’s eyes immediately lit up.
Curious about how this enormous creature would taste, his tiny body erupted with enough strength to astonish even Toriko.
He was genuinely pulling it out!
A massive red creature was gradually dragged from the lake.
The moment Tom saw the Galala Gator, however, he became frightened and instinctively darted behind Saku Hayashi, placing him between himself and the beast as a shield.
Saku Hayashi was slightly surprised, but nothing more.
The Galala Gator he had captured recently was much smaller than this one.
The creature before them was more than three hundred years old.
“What an enormous specimen.
Its Capture Level is certainly higher than that of an ordinary Galala Gator,” Toriko said, estimating its strength from its aura.
“Still, your cat is full of surprises.” Tom had forcibly dragged a beast weighing more than a dozen tons out of the lake.
It was not that Toriko could not accomplish the same feat.
The shocking part was the ridiculously crude tool Tom had used.
Toriko had personally watched him pick up a branch from the roadside and turn it into a fishing rod.
“Knocking!” Bang!
Saku Hayashi smiled without explaining.
In an instant, he appeared beside the Galala Gator and flicked it with one finger.
The enormous beast immediately froze, as though someone had pressed a pause button.
Toriko could also defeat it effortlessly, so it did not matter which of them acted.
“I heard you studied Knocking under Master Jiro,” Toriko said in admiration.
“Your technique has already returned to the purest simplicity.
That was magnificent.” Toriko could also use Knocking on the Galala Gator, but he could not do it as effortlessly as Saku Hayashi.
The attack might have appeared to be a simple finger flick, but it contained an extraordinary degree of precision.
Only a handful of Knocking Masters possessed such skill.
“Master Jiro taught me everything he could.
However, my current energy reserves are still insufficient to use some of his stronger Knocking techniques freely,” Saku Hayashi replied modestly.
This Galala Gator had not even reached Capture Level 10.
Anesthetizing it through Knocking was effortless for him.
“Amazing!
You immobilized the Galala Gator with a single strike—and with your bare hand!” Komatsu exclaimed after recovering from his shock.
“Mr.
Toriko, is the Master Jiro you mentioned the Knocking Master?” Toriko nodded, his expression growing solemn.
“That’s right.
Knocking Master Jiro is one of the three strongest people in the world.” The identities of those three were almost universally acknowledged: Ichiryū, Jiro, and Midora.
“Mr.
Hayashi is a student of the legendary Master Jiro…” Komatsu swallowed hard, visibly stunned by this revelation.
“No wonder you’re so incredible.” “Komatsu, the Toriko you hired was adopted by Old Man Ichiryū, so there’s no need to act so shocked,” Saku Hayashi said.
“Huh?” Komatsu’s mouth fell open as he stared at Toriko.
“Does that mean Mr.
Toriko will inherit the IGO someday?” “I probably won’t,” Toriko replied lazily.
“I’m a Gourmet Hunter, not an old retiree like the old man.” Toriko and the other Heavenly Kings were qualified to inherit the position of IGO president.
However, taking that position would deprive them of their freedom.
A Gourmet Hunter who stopped entering the wilderness to capture ingredients could no longer call himself a Gourmet Hunter.
The Human World, the Gourmet World, and even the Gourmet Universe…
Far too many undiscovered ingredients were still waiting for Toriko to capture them.
“I don’t think any of you want to become the IGO president,” Saku Hayashi said with a smile.
Zebra was a notorious problem child.
If Coco ever stopped working as a Gourmet Hunter, he would probably become a full-time fortune-teller.
Sunny might be willing to accept the position, but he was ultimately still a Gourmet Hunter.
“That sounds about right.” Toriko licked his lips.
“Enough talking.
Let’s eat the Galala Gator.” Their outdoor conditions were limited, so Komatsu could only cook the meat by grilling it.
Crackle!
As the stone slab grew hotter, glistening beads of fat emerged from the meat and crackled against the surface.
At the same time, an irresistible aroma spread through the air.
Splash!
Toriko immediately began drooling.
His saliva fell like a waterfall, rapidly forming a small puddle on the ground.
“…” Saku Hayashi stared at him speechlessly.
This glutton had not changed at all.
Komatsu hurriedly increased his cooking speed.
Toriko’s gaze had become so terrifying that Komatsu felt as though he might be eaten along with the meat.
Once the Maillard reaction reached its ideal point, three men and one cat began devouring the feast.
“It possesses the flavor of poultry, but the meat is tender and juicy,” Saku Hayashi said, chewing slowly.
“Its taste and texture can rival premium wagyu beef.” Unlike Toriko, Saku Hayashi ate without exaggeration.
A gluttonous brat would always remain a gluttonous brat.
Even among the Four Heavenly Kings, Toriko’s enormous appetite was universally acknowledged.
Only Zebra could compete with him.