Chapter 116
Once Haruto decided to hunt the Puffer Whale, he immediately began making preparations.
First, he paid a high price for a detailed regional map and soon pinpointed the location of the underground cavern where the Puffer Whales were expected to appear.
It was quite far from his current city and could not be reached quickly.
After asking around, he also confirmed the exact date of their arrival—eleven days from now.
Traveling by train meant he would need to leave at least one day in advance.
However, Haruto knew that the underground cavern was enormous. Its countless twisting passages formed a natural subterranean labyrinth.
Worse still, all kinds of dangerous beasts inhabited its depths.
Even with his current strength, Haruto could not guarantee that he would handle every threat with ease.
The Puffer Whales would also remain inside the cavern for only a short period. The opportunity could disappear in an instant.
If he arrived late or became lost within the maze-like tunnels, he might completely miss this once-in-a-decade chance.
To make absolutely certain that did not happen, Haruto decided to leave an extra day early and reach the shallows inside the cavern before the Puffer Whales arrived.
Even if he reached the area ahead of time, capturing one would still be difficult.
Puffer Whales were extraordinarily timid.
If one became frightened or accidentally died during capture, poison would instantly spread throughout its body and make it inedible.
Conventional traps and hunting methods were therefore useless.
To capture a living, unpoisoned Puffer Whale, two things were essential.
First, the hunter had to conceal every trace of their presence and approach without alarming it.
Second, once close enough, they needed to perform Knocking and anesthetize it instantly.
Haruto had already mastered Zetsu, so completely suppressing his aura and presence would not be a problem.
Knocking, however, was his greatest weakness.
He had previously purchased a portable Knocking Gun, but aside from practicing with it a few times immediately after buying it, he had barely touched it since.
Neither his accuracy nor his technical skill was anywhere near the level needed to capture a Puffer Whale.
Fortunately, he still had time to learn.
...
Over the following days, Haruto repeatedly practiced using the Knocking Gun.
He drilled everything from aiming and timing to power control and precision, repeating each motion until his arms ached while his concentration remained unwavering.
After intensive practice, he quickly grasped the fundamentals of anesthetic Knocking, and the weapon became increasingly natural in his hands.
By the ninth day, Haruto was confident that his skill would be sufficient for capturing a Puffer Whale.
He wasted no more time.
After packing all his supplies, he headed straight to the city’s train station and purchased a ticket for the region containing the underground cavern.
The train roared away from the platform and traveled through fields, towns, and stretches of wilderness.
Halfway through the journey, Haruto suddenly saw Toriko and Komatsu boarding the same train.
"Toriko, Komatsu! It’s been a while!"
Both of them stopped at the familiar voice and turned around.
The moment they recognized Haruto, smiles appeared on their faces, and they immediately walked over.
"You’re going after the Puffer Whale too, aren’t you?" Toriko asked confidently.
Nearly every passenger on the train was a Gourmet Hunter heading for the Puffer Whales, so Haruto’s goal was not difficult to guess.
Haruto smiled and nodded.
"Of course. It’s the legendary dream fish of the deep sea—the Puffer Whale."
"I’m not going to miss an opportunity like this."
"And I assume the two of you are after the same thing."
The three exchanged knowing smiles.
"Since fate brought us together on the same train, we have to celebrate!"
Toriko promptly bought every bottle of alcohol available aboard the train.
He immediately twisted open one of them, raised it to his lips, and took a huge drink.
The strong liquor burned down his throat, leaving him with a deeply satisfied expression.
Neither Haruto nor Komatsu intended to drink.
Toriko did not mind.
Their conversation naturally turned toward the Puffer Whale.
After another mouthful of alcohol, Toriko looked seriously at Haruto.
"Capturing one won’t be easy. I’ve heard the underground cavern where they appear has a survival rate of only one percent."
Haruto answered with a confident smile.
"I already know. I’ve prepared for both the cavern’s terrain and the dangerous creatures living inside it."
"I’ve also eaten a great deal since we last met, so my strength has improved considerably. I should be able to handle the dangers down there without too much trouble."
He had made extensive preparations for this hunt.
Seeing Haruto’s confidence, Toriko grinned.
"In that case, I hope you capture one successfully."
He lifted the bottle and took another large drink, the rich liquor flowing down his throat.
"I’m certain you’ll capture one too, Toriko," Haruto said earnestly.
"Toriko-san will definitely succeed!" Komatsu agreed, nodding enthusiastically. "I can’t wait to see a Puffer Whale with my own eyes."
Toriko lowered his bottle and looked at him.
"Komatsu, I’m guessing you’re more interested in the person who can prepare the Puffer Whale than in the fish itself."
Komatsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"You saw right through me, Toriko-san..."
"The reason I asked to come with you this time was because I wanted to see the incredible technique of the chef capable of preparing a Puffer Whale."
His expression grew serious.
"Removing its poison sac intact is unbelievably difficult. It’s so dangerous that the IGO classifies the Puffer Whale as a Special Preparation Ingredient."
In Komatsu’s mind, anyone capable of preparing it had to be a world-renowned master chef.
Toriko smiled mysteriously.
"That’s right. Fewer than ten chefs in the entire world can prepare one."
"But the person we’re going to meet isn’t a chef."
Komatsu froze and stared at him in confusion.
"Not a chef?!"
How could someone who was not a chef prepare a Puffer Whale?
Haruto calmly ate his hamburger beside them, already knowing exactly whom Toriko meant.
Coco, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Just as Komatsu was about to ask who the mysterious person was, a loud voice interrupted them.
"Hey, brat! I searched every carriage and couldn’t find a single bottle of booze. So you’re the bastard who bought all of it!"
"Are you deliberately looking down on me?"
"Listen well! I am the world-famous Gourmet Hunter, Lord Zonge!"
A rough-looking man dressed in animal skins glared furiously at Toriko.
With his wild hair and primitive clothing, he looked like a caveman who had somehow wandered onto the train.
He had searched through several carriages without finding a single bottle, because Toriko had already bought everything.
Haruto examined Zonge with great interest.
Within the Toriko world, Zonge was an extremely mysterious figure.
On the surface, he did not appear particularly powerful and had never displayed any impressive combat abilities.
Haruto even probed him with En, but sensed nothing dangerous.
In reality, however, it was difficult to say how strong he truly was.
The Gourmet World was far harsher than the Human World.
An ordinary person could not survive there at all, much less cross several continents without assistance.
Yet Zonge had somehow accomplished exactly that.
He had even survived the catastrophic battle over GOD without suffering a scratch, despite the world-shattering destruction raging all around him.
While Haruto pondered Zonge’s true strength, the two followers standing behind him noticed that Toriko did not seem impressed.
They immediately jumped forward and arrogantly unfolded a sheet of paper.
"Take a good look!"
"Try not to faint from shock! This is Boss Zonge’s Full-Course Menu of Life!"
They spread the paper wide and began reading aloud.
"His hors d’oeuvre is Golden Caviar! His soup is Snake Frog Liver Soup! His fish dish is Striped Salmon!"
"And Boss Zonge’s main course is none other than the legendary Garara Gator!"
The two henchmen puffed out their chests with pride, as though they were announcing an unimaginable achievement.
Zonge raised his chin and stared confidently at Toriko.
"Well? Scared now? I personally captured a Garara Gator not long ago!"
Haruto glanced over the rest of the menu.
The meat dish was Crab Meat, the salad was Almond Cabbage, the dessert was White Apple, and the drink was Power Water.
Every item was a low-level ingredient with a single-digit Capture Level.
There did not seem to be anything particularly remarkable about it.