Chapter 113
After a short rest, Toriko got to his feet and prepared to leave.
Komatsu was still deeply anxious about the assignment, but he had no choice except to follow.
Haruto had intended to leave with them from the beginning.
When he asked to accompany them, Toriko agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"We’re heading the same way anyway. Come along."
The three traveled together through the dense forests of Baron Archipelago until they reached the mangrove tunnel.
They boarded the kayak Toriko and Komatsu had brought with them and began paddling toward the outer edge of the archipelago.
Dense mangrove roots and branches intertwined along both sides of the waterway, forming a dark, winding natural tunnel.
Shadows constantly moved beneath the surface. Sleek backs and sharp dorsal fins occasionally appeared in the murky water.
They belonged to the Baron Sharks that inhabited the area.
There were plenty of them, but after sensing the presence radiating from Toriko and Haruto, none dared attack the kayak.
Haruto thought back over his time on Baron Archipelago. Aside from tasting the Garara Gator, he had not collected many additional ingredients.
Seeing so many Baron Sharks immediately caught his interest.
He asked Toriko about their flavor and learned that they were considered fairly tasty.
That was enough for Haruto.
He leaped straight into the cold seawater.
The instant he hit the surface, the startled school of Baron Sharks rapidly closed in around him, their sharp teeth flashing beneath the water.
They never had a chance to bite him.
After several brief splashes, a few of the largest Baron Sharks floated lifelessly nearby.
The rest immediately fled.
Haruto did not bother chasing them. He surfaced, touched each of the sharks he had killed, and stored them inside Gourmet Restaurant.
Komatsu stared in disbelief.
"The Baron Sharks... disappeared! They just vanished!"
Toriko raised an eyebrow but said nothing, though unmistakable curiosity showed in his eyes.
He had never seen an ability like that before.
Haruto climbed back into the kayak and wiped the seawater from his face. Seeing both of them watching him, he offered a simple explanation.
"It’s a special ability of mine. I can store large quantities of ingredients and take them out whenever I need them."
"An ability like that exists?" Toriko asked in surprise.
"I’ve met plenty of Gourmet Hunters with unusual powers, but this is the first time I’ve seen one designed specifically for storing ingredients."
Although they were still curious, neither Toriko nor Komatsu pressed him for more information.
The kayak continued onward.
Before long, a small speedboat appeared on the open water ahead.
Tom stood waiting beside the railing.
When he saw Toriko and Komatsu approaching, a relaxed smile spread across his face, and he raised a hand in greeting.
"Toriko, Komatsu! You’re back."
His gaze then shifted toward Haruto, the unfamiliar person sitting beside them.
"I’m Tom. I came to pick them up. And you are?"
Only Toriko and Komatsu had gone ashore earlier, so the sudden appearance of a stranger naturally raised questions.
Haruto gave him a polite nod.
"Nice to meet you, Tom. I’m Suzuki Haruto, a chef who also works as a Gourmet Hunter."
"A chef and a Gourmet Hunter..."
Tom’s curiosity deepened, but he did not pry. Instead, he smiled and turned his attention back to Toriko.
"Judging by that satisfied look on your face, the Garara Gator must have tasted pretty good."
The fact that Toriko had returned without the creature did not surprise him in the slightest.
Knowing Toriko, he had probably eaten it on the island.
"Pretty good doesn’t even begin to cover it," Toriko said enthusiastically.
"The meat was tender and rich like the finest marbled beef, but it also had the fresh sweetness of deep-sea crab..."
After praising it at length, Toriko shook his head with a trace of regret.
"Unfortunately, it still wasn’t quite good enough to become the meat dish on my Full-Course Menu."
As they spoke, Haruto, Toriko, and Komatsu climbed aboard the speedboat.
Tom took the controls and started the engine.
With a deep, powerful roar, the boat cut through the waves and sped toward the distant shore.
Although Haruto, Toriko, and Komatsu had eaten an entire Garara Gator on the island, Toriko’s appetite was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
His Gourmet Cells were also constantly burning through tremendous amounts of energy.
Before they even reached land, he became hungry again.
Toriko went into the cabin, brought out a large pile of stored food, and began devouring it in huge bites.
He also handed some to Haruto.
Haruto possessed Gourmet Cells too, so Toriko assumed he would need to replenish his energy as well.
Haruto accepted the food without hesitation.
Then he retrieved several packages of jerky from Gourmet Restaurant.
"Try this."
Haruto handed one of them to Toriko.
"It’s Red Dragon jerky. It took quite a while to prepare."
Haruto had made it as emergency rations for himself.
It tasted excellent, but more importantly, it contained an enormous amount of energy and could quickly restore what his body had consumed.
"Red Dragon jerky?"
Toriko paused, clearly unfamiliar with the ingredient.
He gave it a light sniff.
A deep, mellow fragrance with a faint smoky note immediately entered his nose.
At once, the Gourmet Cells inside him began stirring uncontrollably. An overwhelming, instinctive hunger surged through his mind.
Toriko accepted the jerky and tore off a huge bite.
The meat was dense and satisfyingly chewy without being dry.
As he worked through it, layer after layer of savory flavor burst across his tongue, carrying a deep, powerful richness unlike anything he had ever tasted.
A fiery warmth seemed to flow down his throat and spread through his entire body.
"I’ve never tasted anything like this! It’s incredible!"
Toriko’s eyes shone with delight.
Even more shocking was what happened inside his body.
After he swallowed the Red Dragon jerky, his Gourmet Cells seemed to ignite.
His blood surged, his presence quietly intensified, and his strength appeared to climb by a noticeable amount.
Toriko finished the bite and looked at Haruto seriously.
"Thank you, Haruto. You shared something incredibly valuable with me."
Haruto smiled, his expression relaxed.
"You shared the Garara Gator with me back on the island. Consider this my return gift."
Toriko’s reaction did not surprise him.
The Red Dragon had been one of the strongest monsters in the Delicious in Dungeon world.
If it had not possessed such a fatal weak point, even Haruto would have needed considerable effort to capture it.
More importantly, it was a rare ingredient from an entirely different world.
Its biology and energy composition were completely unlike those of creatures in the Toriko world.
To Toriko’s Gourmet Cells, it was an entirely new culinary experience.
Such a powerful reaction was only natural.
Haruto had previously considered offering Jewel Meat as his return gift.
In the end, he had chosen the Red Dragon jerky instead.
Jewel Meat was undoubtedly extraordinary, but Toriko would eventually have the opportunity to taste it on his own.
Red Dragon jerky, however, could only be obtained from Haruto.
Within the Toriko world, it was arguably far rarer than Jewel Meat.
...
After several hours of sailing, the outline of a city appeared on the horizon.
The speedboat soon entered a harbor filled with towering cranes and mountains of shipping containers.
The salty sea breeze carried the mixed scents of fresh fish, smoke, and food from the bustling waterfront.
Haruto, Toriko, Komatsu, and Tom disembarked one after another.
Despite having eaten plenty of stored food and Red Dragon jerky on the journey, Toriko was already planning another feast.
He turned toward Haruto and Komatsu with an eager grin.
"Haruto, how about we eat our way through the city until we’re twelve-tenths full? We can try all the local specialties!"
Komatsu looked at him helplessly.
Their mission to bring back the Garara Gator had ended in complete failure, and he needed to report to his superiors as soon as possible. He could only decline the invitation.
Haruto refused as well.
When it came to appetite, he was nowhere near Toriko’s level. He would not feel hungry again for at least several hours.
Trying the city’s local cuisine would have to wait.
Besides, he had learned plenty of useful information from Toriko and Tom during the trip. There were many things he needed to take care of next.
After a brief farewell, the four went their separate ways.