Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

Chapter 24: One-Shotting the Devil Serpent

[Ghost of the Uchiha]: "Black Zetsu has been sealed."

[Miss Pink Elf♪]: "Congratulations, Mr. Madara, on successfully eliminating your enemy."

[Star Forger]: "Madara, don't celebrate too early. While it's unlikely Kaguya Ōtsutsuki will be released, there are still potential crises lurking in the ninja world."

[Ghost of the Uchiha]: "Don't tell me there's another hidden scheme left behind by someone else."

Madara was getting fed up. Was the ninja world really this murky?

[Star Forger]: "Yes, there are. There are many other beings like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."

[Star Forger]: "Kaguya isn't native to your world. She's an alien. In the future, other members of the Ōtsutsuki clan will come looking for her."

[Ghost of the Uchiha]: "Hiss..."

Madara felt his scalp tingle. Although there weren't many records of the Sage of Six Paths' mother, her power was certainly no less than her son's. And now he was being told there were more Ōtsutsuki out there. The ninja world was truly a calamitous place.

[Star Forger]: "I'm a bit busy on my end right now. I'll upload the relevant memory files for you to review later."

BOOM!

A massive explosion echoed through the cave. The rock walls around Kenji began to tremble, and countless Butterfly-Bats fled in a panic toward the exit.

"That loud noise... must be that thing Toriko gave Komatsu on the train," Kenji muttered, heading toward the sound.

...

Komatsu lay peacefully on the ground, a used party popper clutched in his hand. His pupils were dilated and unfocused, and blood trickled from his ears. The massive sound had stopped his heart.

Hsssss.

The Devil Serpent looked up at Tina, drooling as it slithered toward her. It seemed to have decided to eat her first before moving on to Komatsu. Perhaps this was a benefit of having strong Gourmet Luck.

The sound of the party popper had startled it for a moment, but it wasn't enough to scare it away.

"I'm so unlucky..."

Tina knelt on a cliff ledge above, filled with despair. Although she was far away, she hadn't been wearing earplugs either. The sound of the popper had scrambled her brain, and she was temporarily unable to control her body.

I'm definitely going to be eaten by the Devil Serpent. There are still so many amazing things I haven't filmed yet. I don't want to die!

BOOM!

A loud crash came from above.

Just then, the rock ceiling above them shattered. Broken stones rained down, and Kenji flew out from the newly formed hole.

"Kenji!"

Seeing Kenji's reassuring figure, Tina burst into tears of joy. She wasn't going to be eaten after all.

"Oh, you're here too," Kenji said with a smile.

Pa-pa-pa—

"Knocking!"

Flying in the air, Kenji used his Knocking technique on the Devil Serpent. The massive snake twitched a few times before going limp, collapsing to the ground.

Devil Serpent meat tasted quite good. It would be a waste to just blow it to pieces.

"Amazing!" Tina gasped. Such a powerful creature had been defeated in an instant.

"Heh, no need for me to step in."

A small giant, who looked like he had skipped leg day for his entire life, came walking over, carrying a bucket full of Puffer Whales. He was drunk and swayed with every step, looking like he could fall over at any moment.

"Who is that?" Tina's eyes widened. He was huge. His upper body was incredibly muscular, but his lower body looked like it had never seen a day of training.

"Master, you've already captured the Puffer Whales?" Kenji asked, speechless. As expected of someone who came here every time, he probably knew the route by heart.

"Master?!"

Tina looked between the two of them, shocked that Kenji's master was this giant old man. Wait, no... are those Puffer Whales? By the looks of it, there must be dozens of them! She had just noticed the bucket Jiro was carrying. It was full of Knocked Puffer Whales, none of them poisoned, and all incredibly fresh.

"His heart has stopped?" Jiro looked down and assessed Komatsu's situation.

"The little fella has good Gourmet Luck," Jiro said, sobering up a bit as he looked at Komatsu meaningfully. Perhaps his arrival was guided by that very luck.

"It's been a while since I've had to restart a heart."

Zip!

Jiro opened his vest, revealing two sides lined with a variety of Knocking tools. He had everything he could possibly need.

"Hiccup... Compared to animals with their incomprehensible internal structures, humans are so simple and easy to understand," Jiro said, placing a Knocking Gun on Komatsu's chest.

Like a defibrillator, Komatsu's chest heaved. His stopped heart was reactivated, and blood began to circulate through his body once more.

"The heartbeat is restored. Now for the eardrums."

Hearing the heartbeat, Jiro took out a tool that looked like an ear pick and inserted it into Komatsu's ear, repairing the eardrums that had been ruptured by the loud noise.

"This membrane is made from a special polysaccharide found in the shell of the deep-sea Doctor Lobster. Its biocompatibility is unparalleled. This should do it. He'll be able to hear normally from now on, and swimming won't be a problem."

"This is your second life, little fella. Cherish it."

"Amazing, Master," Kenji said, impressed.

"Hiccup... Kenji, I'm off. Drop by Setsuno's place when you have time. She's eager to meet you," Jiro said, waving as he left with his bucket. He wasn't worried about the other creature lurking in the sea. He knew Kenji could handle it, so he didn't bother mentioning it.

"I will," Kenji nodded. Master Setsuno was a Living National Gourmet Treasure, her cooking skills taught to her by the legendary Froese. He was very much looking forward to tasting her food.

"Kenji, who is your master?" Tina asked, still in shock. To be able to revive someone whose heart had stopped without going to a hospital... it was a god-like skill.

"Jiro," Kenji replied, seeing no reason to hide it.

"No way... T-t-that legendary Gourmet Hunter, Knocking Master Jiro?!!!" Tina's jaw nearly hit the floor. The Four Heavenly Kings were famous now, but they were nothing compared to a living legend. Jiro was a legend among legends.

No wonder Kenji is so strong. He's the disciple of that legendary figure! This is a huge scoop! But unfortunately, she couldn't report it. A figure of his stature was essentially retired and would certainly not appreciate being on television.

"Ugh... Mr. Kenji... Miss Tina..." Komatsu groaned, his eyes fluttering open.

"How are you feeling now?" Kenji asked.

Komatsu was dazed for a moment, then he remembered. He had used the party popper Toriko had made, and then... nothing.

"I... I'm fine." Komatsu checked his body. He seemed to be okay. What happened?

"Your heart stopped and your eardrums were ruptured. My master was passing by and saved you," Kenji explained.

The memory came flooding back to Komatsu, and a look of fear crossed his face. He had just taken a stroll through death's door.