Disclaimer: I do not own Toriko. Toriko belongs to a mangaka of ambiguous sexuality and Shounen Jump.

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Toriko

Primary Colors

By Cyberweasel89

Meal 1: Never Smile at a Crocodile

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"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Hey, quiet down! Are you okay?" the big, muscled guy with blue hair asked her.

"Toriko-san, she's completely naked! Close your eyes, and I'll get something for her to wear from my backpack." the much smaller person exclaimed in alarm.

Blair pouted. Ugh. What the hell was going on? Where was she? Why was this guy's hair blue, like Tobi's? He didn't look like the type to dye his hair. And why was he so muscled? Was he a bodybuilder? He was tall, too... Blair was a munchkin herself, but she was quite high off the ground in this guy's arms.

"Put me the fuck down, big guy. I can stand on my own."

Shrugging, Big Guy did so, though Blair found she could barely stand, stumbling only for Big Guy to catch her.

"Don't touch me, ya fucking bastard. I'm naked!"

He did so without a word. Ugh, it felt like she weighed a thousand pounds. Her bones in particular felt like she could hardly move them, like they were resisting her brain's commands. They hurt, too. Could bones even hurt? Christ!

"Here you go! Turn around, Toriko-san, so she can change."

"You turn around, too!"

"What? But-"

"I said turn around, Little Guy!"

"Komatsu."

"Turn around, Little Komatsu Guy!"

Sighing, he did so. Ugh, he was so reluctant. Probably wanted to see her naked, the pervert. She got dressed in a beige button shirt with two breast pockets and matching pants, as well as some boots, just like what Komatsu was wearing. Seemed he'd packed a spare outfit for whatever reason.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Gourmet Hunters? Gourmet Age? The fuck you talkin' 'bout, Big Guy?"

"Toriko."

"Big Toriko Guy, then." That sounded Japanese...

"And I'm Komatsu!" Another Japanese name...

"Ugh. Blair. But you're sure this is Earth?"

"Only Earth we know." Toriko shrugged. "In fact, I'm a Gourmet Hunter on a job right now. Komatsu is my client, looking for an ingredient for her boss. She's the head chef at the Hotel Gourmet."

She? Blair hadn't noticed earlier, herself. Despite the wide, flat nose, the short black hair underneath a pith-like helmet, and the compact figure... Komatsu was, in fact, a girl. She could tell by his, er... her facial structure. Her eyes in particular. Made her feel bad about forcing her to turn around while she got dressed. And come to think of it, from her anime knowledge, most any name with a 'ko' in the front or back was a girl's name in Japan, just like any name ending in 'maru,' as commonly found in Naruto, was a boy's name. Though... didn't that mean Big Guy had a girl's name as well? Not like she was gonna mention that to a guy that huge. She valued her life more than her curiosity. He could probably snap her in two like a praying mantis. Bad metaphor considering he was male and she was female, but entomology wasn't her major. It was culinary arts.

"You're a chef, Komatsu?"

"Yes, though I'm not very good..."

"I was studying to be a chef at a college in New York!"

"Really? I bet you could teach me a lot, Blair-san!"

"I was thinking the same thing about you, Komatsu!"

Toriko crossed his arms, a confused expression on his face. "New York? I've been all over, but I've never heard of that place. Is it a city or a country? And is it affiliated with the IGO?"

Blair's jaw dropped. "How could you have never heard of New York City?"

"I've never heard of it either, Blair-san." Komatsu sighed.

"It's a city in a state of the same name."

They both sported confused expressions.

"In the US." Still confused. "You know, the country of the United States of America?" Still confused. "In the continent North America?"

"Must be somewhere in the Gourmet World. Not a place I've heard of, so that might explain it." Toriko mused. Komatsu nodded her agreement.

"Gourmet World?"

"You don't know? This is only the Human World. The Gourmet World comprises the rest of the planet."

Blair's jaw dropped. Wait... Toriko... that sounded familiar... Wasn't that...

No... No. No way. No fucking way. Was she... was she actually... in an anime world? Fuck. Fuckin' fuck. Fuckin' fuckin' fuck! If she was gonna get sent to an anime world, why couldn't it have been one she knew aaaaaaallll about, like Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, or Fairy Tail? Hell, she'd even settle for Attack on Titan despite the post-apocalyptic, grim and bleak nature of that world. Or maybe Homestuck without an apocalypse, or even the World of Remnant from RWBY, or the Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: Legend of Korra world! Why Toriko of all worlds? That anime was so low on her 'to watch' list, especially when she'd heard about all the incoherent changes and pointless censorship done to the anime production by Japan itself. Guess that meant... Assuming she was spending a long time here, she'd have next to no actual knowledge of this world. For now, she was playing dumb.

"Oh, sorry, I... guess I hit my head at some point. I've never heard of New York, either. To be honest, I don't remember anything much about where I am, or the world I live in." Blair explained, putting on her best 'dumb girl' voice and tone.

"Oh, that's horrible! I'm so sorry, Blair-san! Don't worry, Toriko-san and I will explain as much as we can."

"Yeah, but mostly after the job. They'll be plenty of time on the way back." Toriko insisted.

"Where are we, anyway?" Blair asked. It looked like a swamp of some kind...

"Baron Archipelago. Island chain swamp. We're hunting the Galalagator."

"Ga-what-what-gator?"

"Basically an enormous, dangerous, but extremely tasty crocodile." Komatsu explained. "Not even an IGO tank can take it down. It's Capture Level 5!"

Blair was intelligent enough. She could infer that the IGO was some military organization of some sort, and it seemed animals were given rankings to show how dangerous they were. To capture, presumably. By... Gourmet Hunters. Wow, this world was weird. From what she'd heard from Anime Club at her college, everyone in this world was a freakin' foodie. She had a lot to learn, but it'd be different this time. She wasn't watching or reading it. She was experiencing it. It could be a dream, but it was awfully vivid to be one. And considering Blair, like her two roommates, was a lucid dreamer, her attempts to control the dreamscape weren't working right now. So yeah, definitely not a dream. Christ!

"Wait! Stay still, Komatsu, Blair."

Blair was about to complain to Toriko that she really could barely move as it was, but when she turned to follow the big guy's gaze, there was a fucking saber tooth tiger standing there, snarling!

-Baron Tiger. Mammal. Capture level three.-

The fuck? What was that voice? It sounded... Male. Kind of hoarse and scratchy, like the stuff of nightmares. Is that... what this big saber tooth tiger thing was? A Baron Tiger? Blair looked to Toriko, who was making a face that could also be considered the stuff of nightmares. She jumped at the sight of it.

"You wanna see who's bite is stronger, little cat?" he growled at the thing, which promptly scurried off with its tail between its legs.

Komatsu was readying her rifle when she chanced a glance over at the chef. "Alright, aim...!" but stopped when she saw the Baron Tiger wasn't there. "What happened?" she asked.

"Toriko scared the thing off! It was kinda badass!" Blair exclaimed, causing Komatsu's eyes to widen. Shit, why did this chick have to have prettier eyes than her? Completely black, like the dark pools she loved eyes to look like.

"Did you really, Toriko-sa-"

"Something is wrong, after all..." the big guy mused, not looking at either of them. "Baron Tigers are beasts that live deep in the marshland. The Friday Monkeys that were at the rock bed were the same... They're known for their cowardice. They even hide in caves all their life, so why would they go to the very entrance of the archipelago?" he turned to eye Komatsu and Blair with a sideways glance. "It's plausible only if they were driven out of their habitat... by an overwhelmingly strong predator!"

Komatsu's eyes widened. And if Blair actually had to go at the time, she might've shit or pissed her pants. Fuck, Toriko must've took place in a dangerous world. If only she'd taken martial arts or something!

Komatsu swallowed hard. "Um... Toriko-san?"

"Yeah?" Toriko asked, turning more to face the chef.

"The predator is... probably the Galalagator..."

Toriko returned to giving his sideways glance, a deadly serious expression on his face. "Tell me more..."

"A Director of the IGO... Asked us to find the Galalagator. He explained that this Galalagator might be over three hundred years old... Which means-"

"It's over Capture Level Five, right?" Komatsu nodded. "Whoa... That's a pretty interesting piece of info." Toriko mused.

"It's not interesting at all!" Komatsu exclaimed in a shrill shriek.

Toriko turned to face Komatsu, a small smile on his face. "How does it taste? A Galalagator that's lived over three hundred years... The taste of the ripe meats should be excellent."

"I wanna devour it..."

Both Toriko and Komatsu turned to where the sound of that voice came from. Blair was staring up at the sky, a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth. "I wanna eat it all up... The three hundred year old gator..." Blair mused as if in a daydream.

Toriko chuckled, while Komatsu leaned in to whisper to him. "Looks like she loves food just as much as yo, Toriko-san..."

-Somewhere out in the world...- Shit! The voice again! -There exist foods so delicious, you can't even blink your eyes... The smell of it... will make you unable to breathe... You'll notice... that you can't stop yourself from salivating... And when you eat it... your whole body will cry as if you were born again.-

The fuck? Where was that voice coming from?

Toriko grabbed his bag and got up to continue, while Komatsu helped Blair up and gave her a shoulder to walk, though kept her other hand on her rifle.

"Toriko-san! Blair-san must still be woozy from her fall! Carry her, please!" Komatsu yelled.

"Ugh... Fine..." Blair was about to protest, but soon a huge arm scooped the ginger up and placed her on a strong shoulder. She pouted, but couldn't cross her arms, since they were having trouble responding to her brain's signals. Well, not really... Her muscles were flexing from her thoughts, but it was like another part of her arms was protesting. Damn, she hurt...

-And so the luxurious journey of Toriko, Komatsu, and you, Blair... In search of the best food ingredients had begun... First of all to slay the Galalagator...-

Seriously, where the fuckin' fuck was that damn voice coming from? It was really creeping her out, especially considering how it sounded.

"By the way, Komatsu..." Toriko began. "From here on out there won't be anything you can kill with a shotgun." he explained rather nonchalantly.

"Are you serious?!" the tiny chef exclaimed, her jaw dropping.

-What will happen beyond? With the unstoppable craving for food, the great adventure rolls on!-

Who the fuck is saying all this?

-Wouldn't you like to know? Kekekekeke!-

Blair swallowed hard at the ominous nature of that statement. Did it just... respond to her?

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Blair spent the next half an hour listening to Toriko explain things about this world, such as his dream of developing a Full Course Menu, a series of eight dishes that comprise a complete dinner, and is a testament to the Gourmet Hunter, or even Chef's, skill. Toriko stressed to Blair that even Chefs, not just Gourmet Hunters, could have their own Full Course Menu. According to Toriko, if Blair was serious about being a chef, she should consider making one of her own. Blair had only just began to ponder this idea when the far-off voice of Komatsu spoke from behind the two.

"Hey... Hey, Toriko-san, Blair-san! Can you wait a sec? Can we walk more carefully? Nyaaa!"

Nya? Like a Japanese cat? Though it sounded more like a cry of fright or distress... Toriko turned around to see Komatsu faced with some kind of frog-like thing.

-Serpent Frog. Amphibian. Capture Level one.-

That freaky voice again. It wasn't just hearing the voice in her head that made it creepy. It was how it sounded. A voice you might find from some kind of hobbled-over leper, or something. Toriko ran up and plucked the thing from the bush, revealing that, true to its name, it was a serpent with a frog-like head.

"Disappointing... Don't get all worked up over a mere Serpent Frog." Toriko scolded, though not seriously.

"S-Sorry... This is my first time seeing a live Serpent Frog, though I've taken care of them in the kitchen..." Komatsu explained.

"People actually eat this thing?" Blair asked in disbelief from Toriko's shoulder, still feeling too heavy and in too much pain to engage in heavy bodily movement.

"You bet, Blair! The liver of the serpent frog is considered a real delicacy!"

She'd consider eating a crocodile to be weird... But hearing Toriko describe it as the top gator meat in the world and the flavor of this super-old one in particular just made her drool, so she wasn't one to criticize about eating lizards.

"Gyaa! Something is sticking to my hand! What the heck is this, Toriko-san!" Komatsu exclaimed. It seemed some kind of huge-ass leech was sticking to her hand. Her dainty, yet dexterous hand, perfecting for chopping up vegetables. Dammit, despite the wide nose and compact figure, it was the little things that made Blair think this girl was prettier than her.

-Baron Leech. Insect. Capture Level less than one.-

Less than one? Was that an actual Capture Level for animals in this world? No answer from the voice, so it seemed he was being coy about that. Creepy prick.

"It's a leech. It's just sucking your blood, so just leave it be." Toriko casually explained.

"I can't! It's disgusting!" Komatsu exclaimed, reaching for it. Wow, what a prissy little girl.

"Hey, if you try to take it off, your wound will just get bigger. Just wait."

Toriko walked over to one of the nearest trees and picked some leaves from it, then returned to Komatsu, who had frozen mid-grab upon hearing the Gourmet Hunter's words.

"What is that?" she asked.

"The leaves of Mangroves... Remember those at the entrance? Let me see your hands." Toriko explained.

Toriko held his handful of leaves just over where the leech was attached to Komatsu's own hand and began squeezing them very hard. Eventually a tiny droplet of water dripped from Toriko's grip, landing on the leech and causing it to tremble and detach from the Chef's hand, falling to the ground.

"Oh, it got off! Why, though?" Komatsu wondered.

"Leeches hate it when you put salt on them." Toriko explained.

"Eh... S-Salt, huh?" Komatsu replied.

"Salt? But you put water on it! Not just water, but a drop of leaf water! What the fuck, Toriko?"

Komatsu cringed at Blair's language, but she was used to that from her roommate Freya. Toriko just smiled.

"Mangroves store sea water in their leaves by sucking up the water underneath the Baron Archipelago through their roots. That's why their leaves are so salty that even insects don't eat them." the Gourmet Hunter explained.

"So that's why the leech seemed so surprised..." Komatsu mused.

"But depending on the species some leaves are edible so study those." Toriko continued.

Komatsu produced a notepad and pencil from her pocket, scribbling on it. "Let's take some notes."

Toriko continued onward, but paused. "Chef Komatsu!"

Blair's jaw dropped open. She had followed Toriko's gaze upward to see a huge horde of beasts flying in the sky above the trees. But... none of them were birds at all! Some seemed saurian, some amphibian, and a great deal seemed insectoid!

"So many beast birds!" Komatsu said, trembling at the sight of them, many of which were bigger than all three of them put together.

"The Baron Archipelago is know for the gargantuan beast birds. We can't get near here with helicopters since those birds control the sky."

"So that's why we came by boat..." Komatsu mused.

"Bird beasts? But none of those even have fathers!" Blair complained.

Toriko just laughed. "It's just an expression, Blair. That's all. Anyway, it's almost dusk. Let's stop here for today."

"We aren't going into the marsh area?" Komatsu asked.

"Galalagators are nocturnal. It's better to hunt it when it's sluggish around noon. We'll go into the marsh tomorrow." the Gourmet Hunter explained.

Oh, good. Ugh, Blair couldn't wait to change and sleep. Maybe then she'd be able to move around more easily. Plus, even though Komatsu was only an inch taller than Blair, the chest of this shirt was rather tight on her, as was the rear. She couldn't wait to get out of these clothes.

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Unfortunately, Toriko had not packed a tent, nor even sleeping bags, nor had Komatsu. So she couldn't exactly disrobe with Mister Tall, Muscled, and Blue-Haired here. Toriko did, however, build a campfire, and cooked the Serpent Frog for dinner. The ginger was slightly hesitant to eat it, but after just one bite, found it was pretty good. Better than most things she'd eaten in the real world, actually, despite having been cooked over a campfire.

"Hmmm... This is tasty! Serpent Frog isn't bad at all!" Toriko and Blair found themselves both saying at the same time, causing them both to look at each other, Toriko laughing, Blair blushing.

"You two must really love food." Komatsu mused, rubbing at the back of her hand.

"Of course! I'm known as the Glutton of the Heavenly Kings, Komatsu!"

"Hey, I'm known as Blair the Glutton back in the real-er, back home! I can put away more than my body can seemingly hold!"

"Didn't you have amnesia, Blair?" Komatsu questioned.

Blair swallowed her mouthful of amphibian, raising her arm up to rub the back of her head, which was much easier to do now that she had eaten. "I remember a few scattered glimpses here and there, and I guess I'm remembering more as I walk around with you two." she lied.

"I've got wine, too. Want some?" Toriko asked Blair and Komatsu, dismissing the current conversation.

"Fuck yeah! Hit me, sky-head!" Blair exclaimed. She also had quite a high tolerance for alcohol, as was well-known from the many drinking contests she'd had with guys at bars. Made more friends in those contests than she'd ever met in anime clubs. Toriko promptly rummaged in his bag for his wine, but Komatsu uneasily gazed at the back of her dainty hand.

"Ah, hmmm... Putting that aside, Toriko-san, the bleeding hasn't stopped since then, from where that leech bit me..."

"Leeches give out a substance called hirudin when they suck blood. It's a chemical that prevents blood from clotting. it'll stop sometime soon." Toriko explained. Blair was pretty sure she'd learned something like that in a biology class in high school at some point.

"When is that going to happen?" Komatsu asked nervously. "And why are those... things..."

Komatsu was gazing at the animals that were surrounding their campsite. Blair admitted, many of them she'd never seen or heard of back in the real world, and some of them, particularly the ones with large fangs, claws, or talons, were making her a bit uneasy.

"They're probably hungry, so they're aiming for our leftovers." Toriko explained as he took a bite from his Serpent Frog. "There's a food shortage on this island full of provisions. Galalagators are omnivores and heavy eaters. If the IGO's data is correct, then we can assume the state of this island is unmistakably caused by the three hundred year old Galalagator. It's not just in Baron Bog, either. The possibility of it ravaging everything on the islands isn't that low, either." Toriko paused to take a swig from his bottle of wine, then tossed it to Blair so she could drink some, herself. "It means that two hundred thousand species of animals are facing a crisis."

Komatsu sported a look of horror. "No... Wait a sec. Galalagators are also adapted to ocean water..." She jumped up in alarm. "If there's no more food on these islands then it might go to the ocean!"

"Shush. Be quiet." Toriko urged with a finger to his mouth, while Blair switched her gaze from the Chef to the Gourmet Hunter as she chugged the bottle. Damn, this shit was good. High alcohol content, too!

"Is something wrong?" Komatsu asked.

The animals surrounding their campsite raised their heads in alert, then abruptly scattered off in every landward direction. Immediately following was some bubbling in the nearby water, an eel soon emerging from it.

"Whoa!" Komatsu screamed, while Blair dropped the now-empty wine bottle as she froze.

"Hmm? What is this again?" Toriko wondered, oddly calm.

"It's a Swamp Snake, Toriko-san!" The chef exclaimed. "Capture Level five! It's said even a Galalagator can't beat it if it's in the swamp! It's quite formidable!"

"You said Swamp Snake? No way." Toriko responded, but then his eyes narrowed. "Huh?"

The Swamp Snake seemed to freeze for a second, sway back and forth, then fall dead on the shore. And it was then Blair noticed that a massive chunk was missing from its side... An oddly bite mark shaped chunk.

"Eh? It's dead?" Komatsu asked.

"How? What is this wound?" Toriko wondered, walking closer. "In one bite... It died just from that. Rather than the power of the jaw, the size of the bite is even more astonishing!" Toriko stepped closer, seeming to notice something else with an "Oh."

Blair jumped when she heard a impact-like boom from the shore. She pointed, breathing inward sharply to scream at what she saw, but her breath only caught in her throat. Her sharp intake of air, however, caused Komatsu to turn to look at her, then follow her gaze and freeze in horror.

"The reason that Swamp Snakes are level five is of course its strength, but... The difficulty of locating it counts for the most part..." Toriko continued to muse, not removing his gaze from the Swamp Snake.

"T... Tori... Ko... San..." Komatsu stammered.

"It's the smell of blood..." Toriko continued. "The moment we entered the islands..." He turned to look at Komatsu. "We've been set as targets, isn't that so... Galalagator." Blair realized he wasn't turning to look at Komatsu, but the giant crocodile that had just emerged from the water of the swamp.

-Galalagator. Age three hundred. Reptile. Estimated Capture Difficulty... Level eight.-

It was huge! It was like a regular alligator or crocodile, but it had red skin of rough scales, yellow spines and claws, eight legs, green eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, and sharp, white teeth that protruded out of its mouth!

"Get back, Komatsu, Blair." Toriko advised the Chef, cracking his knuckles.

Komatsu seemed frozen in fear, but eventually turned around to face Toriko, a horrified expression on her face. After another moment's pause, she ran off to hide behind a tree near their campsite, while Blair just watched Toriko in awe.

"I'm excited. How long as it been... since I've seen prey that dares to fight me." Toriko mused, staring the alligator down. No... it wasn't an alligator anymore. It was a dinosaur!

The Galalagator charged Toriko, who sidestepped out of the way to avoid its gnashing jaws. As the giant alligator went rushing by, Toriko landed a series of three punches against its upper jaw, neck, and side, only to have a gator tail slam into him. Blair's breath caught in her throat as the Gourmet Hunter went flying from the blow, but he managed to grip onto the tail in midair, lifting up the eight-legged lizard and sending it flying onto its side.

The ginger looked to Komatsu to see her staring bug-eyed in shock at the sight, and even Blair herself had to admit, she was surprised, herself. Despite how muscled the blue-haired glutton was, even she didn't think he had the strength to lift such a massive lizard.

"Hmm?" Toriko mused, gazing down at a quartet of leeches feeding from his arm. He turned to where the two girls sat and stood.

"Hey, Komatsu!"

"Y-Yes! I... I see two dinosaurs!"

"Ah?" Blair had to agree with Toriko. What the fuck was the Chef talking about? "Did your bleeding stop? Look at where the leech bit!" Toriko continued.

"Huh... blood? Ah... no. There's still a little..." Komatsu looked at the back of her right hand, eyes bugging out and jaw dropping in alarm. "Hey, wait, there's another one stuck!" Sure enough, there was another huge-ass leech stuck to her hand.

"I just recalled that this is a Baron Leech! The parasitic leech! They live on larger organisms and are parasitic! If you got your blood sucked by this then then you won't stop bleeding for half a day! The large lizards known as Komodo dragons are known for having sixty species of bacteria in their mouths' saliva. So even if it doesn't give a fatal injury to its prey, the lizard will wait until the prey is weakened by the bacteria, then finish it off. The Galalagator is keeping an enormous amount of Baron Leeches in its mouth! It spread those leeches and uses its sense of smell to find prey that has had their blood sucked!"

Blair looked over and sure enough, quite a huge number of leeches were in the Galalagator's open mouth, the gator itself righting itself back onto its feet from Toriko's throw.

"Ehh! That means I'm already the gator's target?!" Komatsu exclaimed.

"So the Swamp Snake was found that way too..." Toriko mused. "Which means... I guess it wouldn't be good if the battle took too long." Toriko continued, reaching for a leech and effortlessly plucking it off and tossing it aside. "Komatsu! Is it okay if I don't capture it alive?"

"Huh? What? Capture it... alive?" Komatsu asked, perplexed.

"Is beating the heck out of it all right?" Toriko clarified, a truly evil grin on his face.

"S... Sure... Take your time..." Komatsu replied meekly, her face paling.

-That day for the first time...-

That voice again...

-Toriko entered battle mode.-

But this time... Blair was sure she could see some sort of red ogre-like thing appearing above Toriko.

-In that instant...-

No, wait... not an ogre... an oni!

-All the living things on the island left their homes...-

And it was scaring the shit out of her!

-And fled...-

Damn voice!

-The thing that stopped the Galalagator from doing so... was not the pride as the king of the islands... But the ignorance of not knowing life-threatening danger in three hundred years...-

"Hey you, Galalagator..." Toriko asked, a very fang-filed smile appearing on his face that gave Blair the willies. "To those hard scales, to those sturdy teeth... to those sharp claws, to the probably three ton strength of your jaws... and to the age and size fit for the king of the Baron Archipelago... I will pay my respects... And show you the..."

For a split second... Blair was sure she could see the giant Galalagator sitting on an even bigger plate, with a massive red oni looming over it with a giant fork and knife in its hands.

"The weapons... of humans!"

Blair looked over at Komatsu... To see a distinct wet stain appearing on her pants. Had the Chef just seen what the ginger herself had just seen?

Toriko raised his hands up, smacking his hands together like getting dust or dirt off them, but instead making the sound of two metal tools scraping against each other. Metal tools almost like...

As the Galalagator charged the Gourmet Hunter, he brought his hands together as if in prayer.

"I give my thanks..."

The Galalagator's feet left the ground as it lunged.

"To all the food in this world..." Toriko's eyes opened from his seeming prayer. "I shall have the treat..."

He brought his arms down, putting his left hand in the shape of a claw, and Blair was convinced she saw the image of a fork.

"Fork!" the blue-haired glutton screamed, bringing his clawed hand to the Galalagator's neck, his fingers stabbing right through its hard scales and even lifting it up off the ground! Blair's jaw dropped. Toriko raised his right hand next, holding it in a karate chop position, and Blair was sure she saw a dining knife's visage appear!

"Knife!" he screamed, bringing it down on the dinosaur's neck... and to Blair's utter shock and awe... he cut its head clean off with his bare hand.

Toriko spread his arms wide, sending the head and body flying in opposite directions. The Gourmet Hunter quickly brought his hands together, again smacking his hands back and forth to produce the sound of a fork and knife clacking together, then brought his hands into a praying position. As both halves of the giant alligator landed behind Toriko, he closed his eyes and spoke.

"Thanks for the meal..." he said quietly.

Blair, her mouth still hanging wide open, turned to see Komatsu on the ground, having fallen to her ass, her own mouth wide open and tears even in her eyes.

Some kind of god-like apparition... It definitely looked like an oni. Or, if her browsing of Wikipedia articles on Japanese mythical creatures were worth anything, possibly a hanya of some sort. It appeared briefly, but now Toriko's face was entirely different.

"Komatsu! Blair!"

Toriko turned to face them, a big smile on his face with a hint of drool at what was about to come. "Mission accomplished! Come, let's eat!"

It had become a dazzling smile, like gold. Blair felt her heart speed up. Was it relief that she was safe and the largest predator on this entire island chain was dead? Or was it because she had caught a glimpse of the true form of possibly the manliest man she had ever seen in her life, and fictional anime super powers made non-fictional before her very eyes? His fingers punctured that giant alligator's scales like a fucking Rokushiki Shigan from One Piece, done with more than one finger! Christ!

-Gourmet Hunters... They are hunters who prey upon unknown ingredients in search of undiscovered tastes. Now, there are about three hundred thousand kinds of food ingredients known in the Human World, but people say two percent of those were all discovered by... Toriko. Known as the gluttonous Gourmet Hunter, he is widely known for his immense appetite, but also... his charisma. He is known as the charisma of the Gourmet Era.-

Who the fuck are you, Blair wondered.

-I'm what's left. Or maybe... I'm all there ever really was.-

I meant your name, Blair replied in her head.

-My name is of no importance. But let's just say... We'll be meeting very soon... Blair O'Hanrahan. Kekekekekeke!-

God you're creepy, Blair grumbled to the voice.

-Oh, I am indeed quite creepy, Blair. Especially when you figure out what I look like. Kekekekekeke!-

Judging from your voice, you look creepy as fucking hell, Blair answered mentally.

-We'll meet, Blair. In time. For now, just know... I've got my eye on you... Even though I don't have any eyes. Kekekekekeke!-

Ugh! You're more of a creeper than Edward Cullen, Blair growled to the voice.

-Why, thank you, Blair! I consider that quite the compliment. As you might say in your world, I'm doing it right. In that case, that 'it' is being a creeper. Kekekekekeke!-

Fuck you, you fucking creep-job, Blair sighed.

-Challenge accepted! Just give me a call, pretty girl. Kekekekekeke!-

Blair didn't dignify the voice with a mental response. Instead she just felt a chill run up her back.

"Why are you crying over there, Komatsu?" she heard Toriko ask. Sure enough, the Chef, who's helmet had fallen off to reveal a head of black hair tied into a long, low-set braided pigtail on the back of her head, had tears streaming down her face. It... was actually rather beautiful to watch. Damn, why did this girl have to be so fucking pretty? Well... Looks like Blair was about to taste the unknown and most spectacular taste of all time.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ahhh... Is it really okay?" Komatsu asked.

"What is?" Toriko asked in return.

"I mean... to eat the request meat right here..." the Chef explained.

"It's alight." Toriko stressed. "No matter what, we won't be able to carry all this back. See, it's done!"

They had several huge chunks of the giant Galalagator's meat skewered on a wooden branch and hanging over their campfire. Toriko, using his fucking bare hand, cut a slab from one, holding it up to gaze upon it.

"Look... The frost-like fat is shining..."

"It's like a meat made of jewels." Blair mused, gazing upon the slice in the Gourmet Hunter's hand, drooling even more than he was.

Toriko promptly placed the entire slab of gator meat in his mouth, chewing on it a bit before swallowing. The Gourmet Hunter's eyes widened, clenching his fists in the air and shouting to the sky.

"Mmmmmm, so gooood!"

"Eh... Is it that good?" Komatsu asked.

"Let me see!" Blair exclaimed, grabbing a chunk for herself and taking a big bite of it.

Blair had heard that regular alligator tasted like chicken, but this...

The ginger chewed, tears in her eyes. "It's like high-quality sirloin steak! The fat is sweet, and the savory flow of flavor releases from it with each bite I take!" She swallowed, feeling the warm, tender, savory meat flowing down her throat with even more juices. "I've never tasted anything like this back home... It's better than anything I could ever imagine!" Blair sobbed. Was this what all food in this world was like? If so, she didn't think she could go back to the real world, even if she wanted! Nothing she ate there ever again would be this good, leaving her forever unsatisfied with any meal she ever ate!

Komatsu was next, trying a much smaller piece than Toriko and Blair tried, but even her eyes widened. "Sooo tasty!" she exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Blair replied, not even looking at the Chef due to the constant tears streaming down her face.

"Let's roast some more!" Komatsu insisted.

"Yeah, let's do this fast!" Toriko replied excitedly.

"Anyway, Toriko-san..." Komatsu began as she gathered more to roast.

"Hmm?" the Gourmet Hunter responded through a mouthful of Galalagator.

"I... I've got a request for you."

"Not doing it."

"Not... doing it? I haven't said anything yet."

"What is it?"

"If you are going for something like this again... Can I go with you?"

"Luck only exists for a short time. Seize the opportunity when it presents itself to you, and you're lucky."

"Yes... but after that I'm unlucky, right?... Right?"

"Nope. Let it pass you by, and your luck has run out."

"Can I come, too?" Blair asked after swallowing another mouthful of beyond-delicious gator meat. "I don't know anything else in this worl-, I mean, because of my amnesia, and you two are my only friends right now."

Wait, did she seriously say they were her only friends? Christ, that was so corny! Why did that come out of her mouth? Was it this damn gator meat?

"Of course! You can even stay at my house, Blair!" Toriko assured the ginger, making her cringe. She took another bite of Galalagator, and all negative feelings washed away.

Hmm... If food in this foodie-populated world was this good... And she wanted to further her passion from the real world of becoming a world class chef... and chefs were that important here... and a Full Course Menu was a testament to a chef in this world's skill... Then maybe... Just maybe... Blair would...

XXXXXXXXXX

It was morning when Blair opened her eyes. She found herself laying on her back, a bulging belly keeping her pinned to the dirt ground of the island swamp. She lifted her arm, finding it even easier to move than it was back in the real world, and her hunger was truly satisfied for the first time in her life. All the pain in her joints she'd had since arriving in the Toriko world was gone, too. This... This was true bliss.

"Eh? What is this?! I... I can't believe you two ate the entire Galalagator!" she heard Komatsu scream.

Blair turned to see that, indeed, nothing was left of the giant alligator except its bones, which were completely picked clean. Well... So much for the three hundred year old Galalagator being on her Full Course Menu.

"Idiot..." she heard Toriko say, looking over to see him with an even bigger belly than her. "There's still more. Look!" He held up a small object.

"That's just a leech from its mouth!" Komatsu exclaimed, falling to her hands and knees and her eyes bulging.

"Isn't this enough?" the Gourmet Hunter asked.

"No, it isn't! Ugh, what should I say to the manager, and the IGO Director! Not good, am I gonna get fired?"

"Tell IGO that... It tasted really fantastic!" Toriko said with a big smile.

"What good is it to tell them that?" Komatsu responded.

-The world is filled with a lot more tasty foods.-

"But it needs one more step to become one of the dishes on my Full Course Menu."

"And you still say it's not good enough!" Komatsu exclaimed, leaning on her side on the ground between Toriko and Blair.

-Toriko's Full Course Menu will be completed someday!-

Shut up, you creep-ass, Blair growled to the voice in her head.

-Not a chance, my little jar of ginger. Kekekekeke!-

Ugh. Fuckin' christ.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes

It's true. Both Komatsu and Toriko have girls' names. That's why I didn't change Komatsu's name, despite the popular "Kimiko" for his other gender-swaps. Toriko itself can mean "prisoner," "bird child," or even a cross between "bird" and "cat (neko)", but it's always a girl's name. The Japanese language lacks gender-specific names (and pronouns) in general, but "ko" and "maru" suffixes and prefixes are a notable exception. And if you ask me, Naruto has waaaay too many characters with names ending in "maru," which you'll notice are all male. The Gourmet Knights themselves are all male and all with names ending in "maru." That's why, when I made a female Gourmet Knight OC for an RP, I gave her the name "Komaru." Slightly oxymoronic, but it's the closest I can get to a "maru" suffixed name being for a girl. The only exception to to a "ko" ending name being for a girl is if the name ends in "hiko," then it's a boys' name. That's why Haruhi in the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya genderswaps is sometimes given the name "Haruhiko" instead.