The girl was in the kitchen with an ingredient that could very much kill her. She placed the cherries back into the container at a cooler temperature. She watched as the dangerous fruit sunk into the liquid and she held her breath. The girl put her hands into the gloves and placed her knife to the cherries. Her hands weren't steady as she only had 10 minutes to attempt to prep the ingredient. The announcer spoke, "There is now only 30 seconds to eat the ingredient." The girl's hand slipped and she cut a small piece of the skin off. 'Damn, I have to focus. I don't have very much time.' She saw an arm reach over hers and grab the cherries. Her eyes looked up, "Toriko. Please, you don't have to do this." He put his hand on her head and lowered to her eye level, "Hey. It's gonna be alright. ~I give humble thanks." The man backed away and ate the Nitro Cherries, stem and all. "You idiot!" Those were the only words that she could think to say. She would have much rather preferred him to take the give up. She heard the cherries go off and the girl's eyes amplified, "No!" Blood came out of his mouth and nose. He threw up the blood and the girl gasped, "Please hang in there!"
He started to fall to the ground, and she caught the man before he did. She could barely hold his heavy body up, but she wouldn't dare let him go. The girl didn't care as the blood got all over her clothes and even into her hair. All she wanted was for him to be okay. "Stay with me, okay." The two could hear Livebearer's laughter, "What an idiot! He actually ate that big miss ingredient! It's like sticking a lit stick of dynamite into his body." Éclair felt the blue haired man lifting from her grasp. He scowled as he looked into the camera, "Livebearer. You keep talking about hit and miss ingredients. For me, there are none. Each one is a blessing from nature. For me, all the ingredients are hits." The girl still had her arms around the man, "Toriko, are you alright?" The man nodded, "I'll be okay. It's an occupational hazard." He smiled, "Let's get back out there. Our job isn't over yet."
They went back out, and Coco spoke, "Okay Livebearer. We'll switch the Hannya Panda for the Numblemon." It was weird. For sure she knew he'd trade Livebearer for a 10 point card this time. The Underground Boss began to get serious. "Idiot~ You really want me to use a give up don't you? Don't think I can take on the Hannya Panda?" The man began to laugh out loud again "Ha, well I don't need to. Fighting it would be a pain in the ass!" The first give up of the game was used, and the points were added to opposing team. It was Toriko's turn to eat the Numblemon, and there wasn't much she could do to it. The man ate it as is and the electricity surged through his body, Éclair looked at the man. "You okay Toriko?" "Éclair, as long as there is food on my plate, I will not leave it. Even if it kills me." The turn was back on Livebearer and he had to eat the Electric Bananas. It was the crazy narcotic ingredient that she knew Toriko probably couldn't handle. Livebearer laughed, "You damn idiots, Electric Banana's are my favorite! I eat these all the time!" He peeled back the banana and ate it whole. The girl looked at Toriko, "This guy's lost it." 180 points were added to his score and he laughed even louder, "There's no way to beat me now! A comeback is impossible!" Éclair frowned viciously, "Stop with the gloating. There are still ingredients left so pick your damn cards!" The man stopped laughing, "What did she say?" Coco looked at the man, "She said there are ingredients still left so hurry up and pick." "You are still going to continue? It's impossible. I don't need to play anymore. No matter what you do, you're screwed! Have all the ingredients! 21 and 27, oops, I'm out!"
The turn switched, and Coco looked at the two, "This is it! Please finish it all!" Rock Lizard, Rat Urchin, and Caesar Snake gave them an additional 70 points. There was only one last ingredient left, the Poison Potato. They were 60 points away, and there was only a 10 point card. The turn was Livebearer's and he looked at the cards. "So this is what you wanted from the beginning huh? You wanted me to eat this Poison Potato. Well I have news for you. The reason you all were screwed from the beginning is because there isn't a single ingredient I can't eat in this hotel. Don't worry. When your heads are emptied, you won't die or anything. Just imagining Toriko with an empty head is so cute. Enough for me to want to let him form a combo with me. ~You said it yourself Miss Reinbou. They weren't gambling with your memories, they were gambling with your life. What joy can you get out of it with a hollow brain?" Coco didn't bat an eye, "I knew that. You're very paper thin Livebearer. I knew that you could eat all of these ingredients from the beginning. Someone that cheats so calmly would never put ingredients in the game that he couldn't eat. The preparation is in your memories. That being said, the order in which you ate them today was not. So go ahead. Eat the final ingredient, but it'll be the last one you eat in your life."
The man actually broke a sweat, "What?" "Your eating combination will be enough to kill you. The Gold Shrimp, Summer Whiskey, and Electric Bananas are a sufficient amount to invoke a powerful chemical reaction." The one sweat turned into profuse sweating, "When did you come up with this?" "After you ate the Gold Shrimp. Like I said, you are very obvious Livebearer. I attacked your pride by switching the Summer Whiskey, and seeing as you only fought one high capture level ingredient, I knew it was a hassle for you. I knew you wouldn't want to fight the Hannya Panda." The man grit his teeth, "I don't accept this. The foods you had Toriko eat were a far greater risk than the combination you set up for me." Coco nodded, "It's true, but unbeknownst to Toriko, he had an eating combination as well. The Nitro Cherries were a stretch. We had his Gourmet Cells activated by healing the damaged cells caused by the Hannya Panda first though." Éclair nodded, "Coco trusted me to make the most delicious dishes as possible, and that's what I did. I thought back about ingredients that heal. It's like I told Toriko, the soup was meant for healing." Coco continued, "The flesh of the Dynamidragonfly helped neutralize the effects of the cherries. There was a reason behind all of the ingredients and the orders they were eaten. ~So go ahead Livebearer. It doesn't matter how you cook it. You will die."
The Underground Boss smiled, "I think I've got it. I'll take it now. Poison Potato please. ~Who the hell cares about the eating combination!? I am the king of the underworld! From the start you all played a losing game! I'll eat it! Bring it to me, the Po-i-son Potatooooo!" Coco narrowed his eyes, "By the way, when you drank the Summer Whiskey, you had a little snack right? The Cheese Napa Cabbage. Inside that is a large quantity of microbes that break down alcohol. Even biodegradable plastic can be broken down by the microbes, that's all." The man's eyes widened, "Huh?" "From the start your eating combination was bad." The man's sweat began to drip all over the table, "So you're saying you predicted I'd eat that too?" Coco nodded, "I didn't know she'd use that ingredient, but they way you looked at her told me everything I needed to know. You'd copy her thinking it was a good hint. So, are you going to eat it or not?" The man's words came out quietly and soft, "I ~pass." Upon speaking the words, his men began to freak out and question the outcome of this game. The turn switched to Coco, "I pass as well." Éclair smirked, "Don't die over a game Livebearer. Admit it, we are the better team."
The man stood up and pounded his hands onto the table forming large cracks. "No, I won't admit it. I haven't lost. There's no way." Match looked at the man, "If you take another give up, then you lose." The man yelled out, "To hell with the game! Guys!" His men lifted their masks and prepared for a fight. Match looked to his men "Guys!" "Right Match!" The blond man looked at Coco, "Using force is what we wanted from the start. In exchange, take care of that abomination." Toriko took a fighting stance as Livebearer came at him. The Underground Boss took out his knives and began to destroy the entire area. Coco looked over at the bluenette, "Toriko, I've got this. Go back up Match and the others." Éclair smiled as she cracked her knuckles, "Oh hell yeah! A fight is exactly what I've been needing right now. Come at me you bastards!" Match looked at the girl and shook his head, "Éclair, don't. Please, if you get involved and someone ends up hurting you~ Everyone in this casino will die." The girl looked into his very serious eyes and nodded, "Okay. Guess there's only one thing to do then."
The girl ran back into the kitchen and looked for the final ingredient, the Poison Potato." She looked around until she finally found it locked away in one of the cabinets. "Better fire up stove." The girl peeled the skin from potato and placed it in the boiling water. She added a few spices and mixed it around in the water. "Looks like my 10 minutes are up." The girl rolled the potato back out and looked at all the bruised and battered people on the ground. She looked at Match, "Seeing as what happened in here, it was a good call letting me not fight. ~Anyway Bon Appetit." Coco looked at the bluentte, "The last ingredients you ate were in preparation for eating the Poison Potato." The girl waved her hands, "Wait! I must warn you if you're going to eat it. There is still a lot of poison in it. I couldn't remove it all." "Like I said Éclair, there are no miss ingredients to me. I won't leave any food on the plate in front of me, and that counts double for your food. With that being said, I give thanks to all the ingredients in this world. Now let's eat." The man picked up the potato and put it in his mouth. The group watched as his face changed. Éclair looked at the man nervously as they all stood in silence. "~Yum!" The girl frowned, "Eww, he's all veiny and stuff." The man was literally glowing as his Gourmet Cells advanced even further.
"Éclair, it was thanks to your cooking that I was able to even eat this potato. Thank you." She shook her head, "No, no. It was all you and Coco. I just did my job you know." The blue haired man looked at Livebearer, "You said you wouldn't mind forming a combo with me, but I'd always decline that offer. I have the greatest chef in the world as my partner right here." The girl smiled, "Aww, well don't you know how to brighten a girls day." "Let's get that Meteor Garlic." She nodded, "Yeah! But hey, I have a question Livebearer. Uh, this is kind of on a weird note, but do you guys have showers in this casino? I've been looking like a bloody bride ever since Toriko ate those Nitro Cherries." She looked at the ends of her hair, "You guys go ahead and get the Meteor Garlic, I'm gonna clean up."
The girl was in a small all in one bathroom showering up. She looked at her face in the mirror, "Yikes, I can't believe this is what I've been looking like this whole time." She let the water hit her skin and sighed, "What did he mean? If I got hurt than everyone in the casino would die. Does that mean he would kill everyone for the sake of me?" Her face turned bright red, "There's no way." She grabbed her towel and walked out of bathroom. Her eyes amplified at the sight in front of her. "Match!?" The man turned from her, "Sorry, I was just going to tell you they found the Meteor Garlic." The girl could barely speak words as the only thing hiding herself away from him was a white towel. "Uh, okay thanks. ~By the way I have clothes on under this. Like I have a shirt and shorts and stuff. You just can't see it because of this towel. Um, you know, my whole point is that we don't have to feel awkward about this you know. I'm not naked or anything. I don't even get into showers naked." The man started forward without looking back, "You're a terrible liar Éclair. ~It's adorable." She blushed even more fiercely, "Holy crap. That just happened. ~I'm so embarrassed!" She made her way to a supply closet and put on one of the baggy chef uniforms, "I guess it's time to cook the garlic now."
The girl was escorted to the kitchen by Livebearer himself. She looked at the large Meteor Garlic. "Whoa! It's huge." "And it's a special preparation ingredient. Let's see if you have what it takes to cook it." She rolled her eyes, "I'll surprise you." She rolled up the large sleeves, "First things first, getting this skin off." She pulled on the tough outer layer but it was too tough. She picked up her knife and a small blow torch, "Oh yeah! I peeled it a little! I guess it's temperature sensitive." As the first layer came off, she placed her ear to the Meteor Garlic. "That's strange, I can hear a melody now. The weird part is that it's a bit muffled." She put her knife back onto the garlic, but it wouldn't budge. "That's weird, how in the world do I get into this thing? ~Hey Livebearer, you still have some Cheese Napa Cabbage right?" After heating them to different temperatures, she placed the pieces on the garlic and was able to cut in. "Just barely. Hmm, how do I get this? Uhh, I want to cry, and not in the good way." She hung her head low as the Meteor Garlic was becoming a huge problem. Out of nowhere, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She looked back and shrieked, "Please don't do this!" The man laughed as he held her wrist, "You cut right there." "Huh?" The man smiled genuinely, "I can't remember how long it's been since I've seen a chef with your dedication. ~This next part is tricky, but we can get it." She smiled as the man helped her, "Livebearer, thank you. I apologize for my words earlier. People speak out of anger sometimes, you know? I don't doubt your skills as a chef one bit. Now let's get this garlic cut before Toriko comes down here complaining of an empty stomach."
Both Éclair and Livebearer made it to the top of the building structure where the rest of the guys were. They rolled out the Meteor Garlic, "It's done. ~Do you mind Livebearer? My arms aren't quite as strong as yours." The man nodded and Toriko frowned, "What's he doing here?" Éclair smiled, "If it weren't for him, this Meteor Garlic wouldn't be sitting in front of us. ~Livebearer, can you do the honors." He lifted the top off and exposed the lovely Meteor Garlic. Toriko grinned, "Teppan-yaki!?" The blond girl nodded, "Yup, like I said, this is thanks to Livebearer." The Underground Boss looked at the ingredient, "Alright stand back. It's about to burst. A small droplet came down and fired up the garlic. They watched as the ingredient shot into the air and burst into beautiful fireworks. Her eyes were filled with the glorious sight of the quick fireworks show. The garlic landed back in the center of the table into 5 perfect slices. The blue haired man smiled, "So this is the real Meteor Garlic? Thank you, Livebearer." The girl nodded, "Yes, thank you. Why don't you grab a seat and eat with us?" "May I?" Toriko agreed, "Of course. Food tastes better when you eat with everyone." They put their hands together, "I give thanks for the vast bounty this world provides. Now let's eat." The girl reached across the table and inhaled the aroma. "Ahh, this is gonna be good."
She shoved the piece into her mouth, "I guess the best way to eat it is whole." As she swallowed the clove, she could feel the baggy clothes becoming tighter and tighter until they were literally ripping. The girl screamed, "What's going on!? I'm busting out of these clothes!" She looked at her muscular arms, "Eep! I must look ridiculous! The Meteor Garlic may be delicious, but this is not a girl's best friend!" She looked around the table and saw that the men were just as beefed up as she was. Toriko stared at the girl "Éclair! What happened!?" "Don't stare at me Toriko, it's rude! Please don't remember me looking like this. If Vanilla were here she'd laugh her voice box away." Coco looked over at Livebearer, "So, what do you think about becoming a legitimate chef again." Éclair nodded, "Yeah, you should. Your skills are great, no matter whose brain they came from." Toriko put the clove into his mouth, "Delicious! That's all I can say about this Livebearer." Éclair poked the man, "Eww, you're all veiny again." The Underground Boss shook off the compliments, "All I did was teach Éclair to cook it." He sighed, "Match, I'm going to hand over the casino to you. You can throw away all of the illegal ingredients as you please." The man smiled and Toriko sighed, "That was well worth it."
The blond girl pouted, "Dang, I bet the Poison Potato would have tasted great with the Meteor Garlic. I wish I could learn the technique to extract all of the poison though." Livebearer looked at the girl, "I know it. ~Well, I know a man that knows it rather. He can remove it perfectly. ~And Coco, I do believe he knows some information about Atom as well. He's the private chef to the king of Jidar Kingdom, Joa. He should be in the palace west from here. Shall we set out?"
They stood in front of the palace and Éclair's eyes glistened, "This is living in high style, that's for sure." Toriko nodded, "High style comes with high security, so we should probably be careful." The girl shrugged, "I'm ready for anything. Look at my disgustingly veiny arms! I can knock some security out!" The man ruffled her hair, "Just because you look stronger doesn't mean you are stronger." She removed his hand, "Hey, I'm strong." The group went through the doors and there was no one there. The entire palace was completely empty. The girl looked around, "Okay, so either this high security is invisible, or they aren't here." Coco frowned a bit, "I wonder why there isn't anyone here." The blond girl scratched her head, "That's what I want to know. Hey, if they don't want this place, I'll take it." Livebearer pointed, "He should be in there." The girl gulped her saliva as they walked up the stairs, "Someone who can perfectly extract all of the poison from a Poison Potato. This is exciting." The doors opened and the room was empty. There was nothing but spilled wine and an empty table. The girl sighed, "What a letdown."
She walked to the rail and rested her forearms. Coco looked around, "They left quite some time ago. I don't sense any electromagnetic waves." Match shook his head, "So the king just abandoned his country?" Toriko nodded, "It seems that way, but I wonder why." Éclair watched over the horizon as the sun was coming up "Maybe he wanted tastier food." Even though the visit was a bust, the woman couldn't help but smile. 'Thank you Gourmet Casino, and thank you Livebearer. I have been taught that even when the stakes are high, you never give up. You play the game out until it is completely over. Bad odds don't mean a thing. With the power of faith and execution, anything is possible. I have also learned that if I for a second stop appreciating ingredients, and only take them for face value, I will end up how Livebearer once was. ~Or how Ootake still is. Not only do the ingredients deserve praise, I want to give it to them as well and never stop thanking them for the precious gift of life. For that, I give humble thanks.' The girl looked back, "Hey Match, now that you're in charge of the casinos, I better be getting an invite." The man smiled, "You'll be first on the list."