Hi guys! Happy birthday to 17Reshiram! Have an awesome birthday! Happy 21! :)
Chapter 58
"This footprint..."Toriko said
"Toriko-kun?"Aiko said she looked at the ground glancing at the footprint. 'Is that an animals footprint? It doesn't look like it...'
"Toriko-San! Ai-chan! I finally found it! The Ozone herb!"Komatsu exclaimed running towards them.
"What? Seriously?!"Toriko exclaimed
"That's awesome!"Aiko said happily.
"This way!"Komatsu said
The two ran and followed Komatsu up at a hill they saw a large green plant.
"The King of vegetables, the ozone herb!"Toriko said his eyes sparkling at seeing the giant vegetable.
"That's odd...the leaves were open before."Komatsu said
'It was opened?'Aiko thought looking at the plant.
"So it's a vegetable with layered leaves."Toriko said "Like a cabbage of lettuce." Toriko jumped full of excitement and held onto the giant plant, he smelled it and he was surprised by the smell he thought he'd inhaled a pesticide or something.
"Um, are you okay?"Komatsu asked
"Toriko-Kun, are you feeling alright?"Aiko asked
"Yeah I'm fine!"Toriko said he looked at the plant. "This intense smell, in all this sunlight. It may absorb things to make it too intense for other living creatures."
'So the leaves outside protects the ozone herb in the middle.'Aiko thought
"Okay, I'm gonna start getting these leaves open!"Toriko said
"Please do!"Komatsu said
"Be careful!"Aiko said
Komatsu and Aiko saw that Toriko was struggling to open the leaves of the Ozone herb. Somehow it reminded Aiko of the BBcorn when she went with Toriko.
'That's weird...why is that ingredient hard to open?'Aiko thought
"Don't pull that Leaf!"Komatsu yelled out. But it was too late Toriko pulled one of the leaf and a large gust of wind blew away, Toriko immediately jumped back to the ground and saw the giant herb shriveled away into a seed. Leaving the small group puzzled.
"A seed?"Aiko whispered
"Toriko-San! Please catch me!"Komatsu exclaimed as he jumped Toriko easily caught him.
"Look out! I'm coming your way!"Aiko exclaimed she jumped she noticed Toriko running towards her and caught her holding her bridal style. "Thanks Toriko-Kun."
"Yeah..."Toriko said 'She feels lighter then the last time I held her. ' he thought he felt Aiko move out of his arms. He felt slightly disappointed that he couldn't hold her a bit longer.
"It looks like it return to its seed form."Komatsu said Looking at the seed.
"Yeah."Toriko said
"Maybe the Ozone herb a special preparation ingredient?"Aiko said
"I was thinking the same Ai-chan."Komatsu said "I think it's the same as the puffer whale. The kind of delicate ingredient that's shy towards guest or chefs."
"So you have to be more gentle towards that ingredient, you can't be so rough Toriko-Kun."Aiko said
"You're almost right about it Ai-chan. If you get it wrong it goes back to a seed, you have to pull the right Leaf."Komatsu said
"Guess we can't expect it to be too easy to eat."Toriko said
"Let's search they should be more of them."Komatsu said "It's okay I have a feeling that we'll definitely eat one."
"You have a feeling?"Toriko said
"Is that the ingredient's voice, too?"Aiko asked
The trio walked ahead trying to find more of the Ozone herb. Aiko smiled looking around her eyes glanced at the clear blue sky.
'The sky is so pretty...The vegetables look so good.' Aiko thought 'I wonder if Mom ever went to this place...I wonder did she get excited about seeing the vegetables?'
Aiko was in deep thought unknown to her that Toriko glanced at her.
'She looks like she has a lot in her in her mind...i wonder if it's about the ingredient?'Toriko thought
'Oh yeah! I might need to look for ingredients for my full course menu...I think Maybe in my next trip I'll try to look for an item for my meat dish.' Aiko thought
After a while the trio stumbled upon a variety of Ozone herbs. The first attempt at the ozone herb failed, so they went to the second one but failed again. Almost every attempt at opening the leaf failed. At the fifth attempt Komatsu looked at The leaf that Toriko and Aiko had in hand. Komatsu suggested that they all should pull the leaf at the same time, so they did and were surprised that the plant didn't turn into a seed. And once they reached to pull another leaf it shriveled up into a seed. One after another seeds started piling up. Until they manage to open one of the plants getting right to the center.
"Only a few leaves left."Komatsu said
"That's good, this ozone herb is pretty tricky."Aiko said
"The Ozone herb. For me to just barely sniff out the differences in the leaves."Toriko said "It's capture level can't be less than 60. Komatsu, Aiko..."
"Yes?"Komatsu said
"Yeah?"Aiko said
"You two being here was truly helpful."Toriko said "Thanks."
"To-Toriko-San..."Komatsu said
"Toriko-Kun..."Aiko said she smiled softly at him.
"When we successfully pick the Ozone herb, there's something I want to ask you..."Toriko said to Komatsu. Toriko's eyes slightly glanced at Aiko, debating whether or not he'll have the heart to tell her how he feels about her but he just decided not to tell her at the moment so far he felt disappointed that he couldn't tell her.
"Huh? Ask me?"Komatsu said
"Yes."Toriko said smiling.
"You have something to ask Komatsu?"Aiko said "You know you can just say it now."
"Hold your horses."Toriko said "Right after we've capture this. Let's get my old man's request out of the way first. "
"Fine."Aiko said
The small group grab hold of the last remaining leaves and pulled in synch. Which revealed the herb shinning. The trio watched the leaf glowing beautifully, they debated on who should try it first. They decided they Toriko would try it first but the moment that he bit into it a large gust of wind blew in front of his face. It quickly shriveled up and Toriko was unable to eat it.
"Wait, you don't think..."Komatsu said realizing something.
"We have to eat it at the same time,too?" They said simultaneously
After that they immediately and hurriedly opened a new Ozone herb, heading straight the the middle.
'This is one tough ingredient...I guess it just teaches about teamwork I guess...'Aiko thought
"Let's eat it!"Toriko said
"Okay!"Komatsu and Aiko said
"We give thanks to all of the ingredients in the world...itadakimasu." They said
The trio immediately took a bite of the herb, they saw the leaf glowing brightly.
"We ate it!" Komatsu said "I'm so...so glad..."
Aiko hugged the two men tightly.
"We did it! I'm so happy!"Aiko said "That was so good!"
"Even though it's not firm it has a tough texture." Toriko said "it's soft,but when j bite into it, my teeth bounce back. It's got a nice elastic feeling!"
"Ah~ I really like it! The fibers are packed so tightly."Aiko said "I can hear so many kinds of sounds when I chew."
"It's so fun to chew!"Toriko said happily chewing. "Apple,grapefruit,kiwi. A lush of sweetness and sourness like that of a fruit is running around in my mouth."
"Oh~ there's the thick richness of sweet potato!"Aiko said
"And pumpkin! It's well surpassed the realm of vegetables!"Toriko said "Ultra-tasty!"
The moment Toriko swallowed he felt his body different. A second later his shirt was ripped showing off his muscled body.
"This feeling. I wasn't wrong. This ingredient is what my gourmet cells wanted more than anything." Toriko said "It was an ingredient that raised the level of my Gourmet cells."
Aiko swallowed her body glowed a bit almost the same shine from the leaf. The two men looked at the female in awe.
'This feeling reminds me...when I first captured an ingredient with my mom...this post raised the level of my gourmet cells too.' Aiko thought
"Old man, you knew this from the beginning, didn't you?"Toriko muttered 'That the Ozone herb was compatible with my cells. Somehow that her. Was compatible with Aiko's cells too... And that if we didn't work together, I wouldn't be able to capture or eat it.'
"I get it, I get it, old man."Toriko whispered looking at the sky and smiling.
"Hey, Komatsu.."Toriko said as he sat down.
"Yes?"Komatsu said
"Would you...would you mind forming a combo with me?"Toriko asked
Komatsu was stunned at Toriko's questions, he couldn't believe that he asked him that. Aiko somehow wasn't surprised since she knows that Komatsu is a good chef with a good heart too.
"Well, I mean, if you feel like it."Toriko said "Team up with me and we will create the ultimate full course."
"M-Me, and Toriko-San..."Komatsu said
"Yeah, how about it?"Toriko said
"I've always wanted to form a combo with you."Komatsu said
"Really? I actually never thought of it for a second."Toriko said
"Low blow Toriko-Kun..."Aiko muttered looking at her two friends.
"But now I'm thinking it. Komatsu, Aiko , you two have something I don't. A passion for cooking that doesn't lose to anyone." Toriko said "And a Talent for being liked by food. So what's your answer?"
"Yes! It would be a pleasure!"Komatsu said he started to cry tears of joy. "I'm forming a combo with Toriko-San...this day is like a dream I never thought would come true."
"Komatsu, come on!"Aiko said smiling at him. "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Right Toriko-Kun?"
'Aiko...'Toriko thought he lightly smiled at the female.
"Guys look!"Aiko said getting close to the leaf. "The Ozone herb looks like a heart if you look at it at this angle."
"Ah you're right! It does look like one."Komatsu said
"It looks cute like that."Aiko said Toriko looked at Aiko.
"A-Aiko..."Toriko said ' A heart...I think maybe it means something...' He thought
"Yeah?"Aiko said
'Toriko-San? Is he going to confess?'Komatsu thought
But before any of them could talk they heard a sound and slowly turn to see what looked like a Gt robot.
'Damn it all! Every frickin time! Is the universe against me?!'Toriko thought
'What is that doing here? This didn't look good at all.'Aiko thought
There you have it guys! Also if you guys have any ideas for Aiko's meat dish for her full course menu feel free to leave a review cause I'm currently looking for any ideas for that or for any ingredients for her full course menu, pm me if you have any ideas I'm opened for suggestions. Have an awesome day!
