The First Biotope

Biotope 1...

The island spans 500,000 square kilometers, and with 5000 meter tall mountains enclosing it in its entirety.

It is the largest and most productive of all the IGO's Biotopes. The beasts on Regal Island have an average Capture Level of 27, making the area dangerous even to most Bishokuya.

It also houses the IGO Research Lab, where nearly 30% of the world's ingredients are produced. The 1st Biotope is presided over by Mansam, the IGO's third-highest-ranked official, after the President and the Vice-President.

Hence, why the first Biotope was the closest to imitate the natural world. To the point of having Black Carpets and a conveniently-nearby Cocomayo Tree!

Then came Rockdrums, Level 29 species that was quite the effort.

For Toriko and Sani at least.

"A-ah, if only they ate well, this Rockdrum is just a yawn." Naruko sighed. To her, this creature was boring.

Then there's Rin who sprayed a felled Rockdrum not with Sleeping Fragrance but Battle Fragrance instead...yep, it became problematic to the point they got separated as they got negligent, with Naruko gunning for Komatsu because he's the most defenseless of them all.

Ending up in Mushroom Woods.

But for Chefs, its paradise land.

'How on Earth did I end up here?' Sani wondered as his Chef companions were like they're in Toyland Mushroom Picking.

'Look at this Naruko-san, this is a big Cream Mushroom! I've never seen one in real life ever!' Komatsu cried enthusiastically, carrying two Cream Mushrooms at least as long as an adult hand and as thick as a pipe, not counting the cap. Its a light yellow in appearance.

'I've never eaten one either. Its apparently extinct outside, yet here they exist.' said Naruko thoughtfully. 'Now would be a good time to eat some.' Naruko agreed enthusiastically. 'You got a pretty big one there!' she said, admiring the big mushroom he got. Komatsu's eyes bulged at the Soy Sauce Grasshopper she has. Its a foot-long thing!

'Speak for yourself!' he squeaked. 'That size is Capture Level 2 since it's too much for me!'

'Ah, really?'

'Really really! I'm not strong you know!' Komatsu stated sheepishly. 'Let's cook but I want to experiment! I wonder how they taste both raw and cooked...'

'...and seasoned or not.' Naruko's eyes glinted. 'We got youngsters to adults here.' she said, pointing backwards with her thumb, showing Condiment Bugs wandering about.

'Right~?'

'Well, let's eat while we can because there's no telling how long we'll be here.' said Naruko as they took out their equipment to prepare cooking. 'Sani and I can fight but if we're hungry we're useless~'

That was one thing any Bishokuya worth their salt should know.

They need to eat to function well. Going hungry, is OUT OF THE QUESTION. And possibly after reaching their limits, be horrifyingly fatal on them.

'Well, nobody can do anything or think clearly when hungry!' Komatsu chuckled, not really getting where she's getting at, considering there are things he doesn't know yet.

'I suppose...but really, we should take the disgustingly adult's higher quality soy sauce.' Sani suggested. He spent energy on the Rockdrums, he should eat again soon. Not to mention he was told about the Bishokukai that recently attacked the Coliseum...its was chaos and death of a valuable Battle Wolf. They'll spend a lot of energy fighting beasts to reach Regal Plateau alone, let alone getting an effort to get to the Regal Mammoth.

'Yes, but let's take our time.' Naruko smiled. 'Let's enjoy various grades of taste. Its veeeery important to us.'

'If you say so...' Sani blinked as he sat down with Naruko since he's attracted to beauty, particularly her hair that looked like a sheet of gold. Its so vibrant in color, lustrous and shiny and Sani thinks if he touched it, it would be like silk.

They lightly roasted the mushrooms with baby grasshopper sacs, progressing to adult ones...and they enjoyed the taste...

'Yummy!' the two chefs squealed, swooning over the taste.

'This would go great with beer!' Naruko sighed as they continued cooking. 'Too bad we don't got any~'

'Your stock, Mansam-san bought it all.' said Komatsu gloomily. That, and the things he didn't buy from her, were drinks for 'lightweights', finding it boring and 'not enough kick'. All of which, will not go well with their food.

'Can't be helped, I bring home liquors from afar and he buys them.' Naruko huffed. 'That's in exchange for letting me have some goods to taste created by IGO I can't find no matter where I go...' and that explains why she's here!

'You know you're the last person I'd expect to have alcohol.' Sani mused thoughtfully.

'Unlikely huh? But hey, I heal from liquor like Mansam does.' said Naruko, causing him to gawk. 'Any alcohol will do as long as its no cocktail.'

To heal her wounds in a snap, even broken bones and crushed organs(save for brain and heart), she needs high quality liquor she always gets liquors with the best quality as its what her cells likes.

This is one ability Tsunade and any medic would go bonkers over. That's after Tsunade whines at the unfairness of it all.

After cooking a lot and eating some of it, they stored it in Komatsu's numerous Gourmet Cases.

Swamp of Antiquity...

'Hey Sani, what lives here?' Naruko asked him. 'I sense a lot of death here. Way too many for a Food Reserve.' she told him with a frown as her keen senses reacted to the 'stench' of death.

'Death?' Sani frowned.

'Yeah. A lot died here.' Naruko said, 'Its too much even for a predator-prey relationship.' she took out binoculars to look around...and gasped. 'Nasty...creatures killed in a brutal way...holes in bodies, torn limbs...no creature can do these types of damages!' she gasped out. 'This is just slaughter! I'd understand killing for food but this...'

'What?!' Sani took the binoculars from her. 'Where?!'

'12 o'clock! If that alone is many, can't imagine what's underwater and elsewhere.' Sani looked around and swore, seeing a lot of creature corpses.

'Bishokukai probably did this. Good for nothin' lot...' Sani scowled.

'Them again?!' Komatsu choked out.

'That's the second time I heard of that word.' Naruko mused. 'I heard it once while we dined on Mansam's Full Course but nothing else is said because they're too busy getting drunk.'

'Bishokukai...they're nasty poachers who'll capture and monopolize all ingredients, killing and destroying in their wake what's in their way.' Sani grunted. 'They're also high-tech, using GT Robos nowadays...where'd they get all those resources?' Sani gave her back her binoculars. 'I can't even smile...to do this beauty-less thing I can't even find words about it...this makes me sick, Bishokukai!' he was utterly disgusted.

'I suppose we ask if we arrest one.'

'Unlikely, they can simply abandon their GT Robo so we can't ask them.' Sani sighed.

'I wanted to find food here but...' Naruko sighed when some creatures DID come out...she went for the Crocodile Shark to knock it, showing ability to walk on water. 'Komatsu let's cook this one! This size is enough for us!'

'Too big! How on earth are we carrying THAT?!' Komatsu freaked out. 'It's 43 meters long and 27 tons heavy if the books are right!'

'Well, we chop it up first and debone it of course...'

'Yeah, I'd like to eat that too...its meat is so superb we can even eat it raw.' said Sani. 'As long as we dispose of the disgustin' organs that's got germs from this disgustin' swamp...' he shuddered. 'Sure we can't get sick, but not sure about 'Matsu here...'

After removing the skin, bones and organs and cutting it up into large 'steaks' before cooking it...

Naruko possessed seasoned ingredients herself, in her stores.

'W-wow...where on Earth did you get all that?' Komatsu marveled at her seasoning stock...sealed inside scrolls!

'I'm a Bishokuya too you know...its fun getting these for free than lose hair at how much they cost in the market~' Naruko giggled shamelessly. She has Seven-Flavor Wine, Swallowtail Bat Scales, King Vinegar, Delicineral Water, Seven-Flavor Herb, Butterspice Wings...and many more.

Komatsu was just glad he gets stuff from her for free when she's in season as she only sells every winter and delicacies in season but one thing she never sells, was the condiments he has to buy himself.

'But...scrolls? Not Gourmet Cases and Sacks?'

'Fufu...I told you when we met didn't I? That I'm not from here?' Naruko smiled mysteriously. 'Where I came from, people can do this. I suppose you can call it magic.'

'Heee...how much is storing capacity?' Sani asked her.

Both he and Komatsu have no idea what she meant by her words. But still...this scroll technique of hers is clearly way better than their current tech levels...if she can store a huge vat of King Vinegar in a tiny scroll and a tall pile of giant Croco-Shark steaks!

Not to mention, she had to bleed her thumb by nipping it with her teeth, smear her wounded finger's blood on the writings and made a few hand gestures for the things to come out and the blood on the scroll is gone...Sani and Komatsu supposed they can agree 'it's magic'.

'Humm...I can store a huge collection in it as long as I tie them up together really well...'

Upon storing the cooked Croco Shark Steaks in a scroll, they moved on forward.

They reached Regal Wall when they heard a loud howl.

'...wolf?' Naruko perked up, hearing the howl.

'That's pretty close.' Sani mused.

'That's Terry! That means Toriko-san is nearby!' Komatsu cried hopefully.

'The Battle Wolf Toriko took along? Though it had an unusual tone to it, that howling...'

'It means 'danger incoming'.' said Naruko, knowing canine howling all too well.

'Then let's hurry to help them out!' Komatsu insisted frantically. 'That could be a cry for help too! And they're not here yet!'

'No way.' said Sani flippantly.

'Eh, why?!'

'That'd be an insult to any hunter of our caliber.' said Naruko. 'As Bishokuya, we see ourselves as the apex predator. To be aided in a situation when we can deal with it on our own screams 'I'm so weak' and its a blow to our pride. So no helping until we meet them. If they survive and we meet up, showing they survived this place's nasties, its a proof of strength. Its the pride of true hunters unlike third-rates who had to amass an army with firearms and bombs just to capture a Level 5 beast.'

As a Bishokuya, its a mindset Naruko grew to accept and understand bitterly, she who was so used to Teamwork and care for Comrades. She found being a Bishokuya kind of lonely in a way. She too, wanted to help but that would mean indirectly insulting her fellow hunters too and be on their bad books. They're no ninjas, they're hunters. Predators.

The likes of Toriko and Sani, as well as herself are the cream of the crop unlike the second-third-rates who had to team up to even get an easy prey. They won't like it if they had to be helped. Its PRIDE.

The only person she can show her ninja code to, would be Komatsu and Rin who are non-fighters.

'That's right and Toriko's no third-rate as well as I.' said Sani. 'Biotope 1, Danger Level A...we came here with resolve to get the Jewel Meat or die tryin'.' he agreed. 'B'sides, in the past, men would conquer a Regal Mammoth solo to obtain the Jewel Meat which was back then, an Engagement Ring to the ladies they want to marry. Its a proof of strength and showing they're strong enough to be able to provide. Right now, we're on the same page...only, we ain't marryin' anybody.' they then looked up a tall rocky wall.

'Here we are, Regal Wall, the entrance to Regal Plateau.' said Sani, looking up and so did his companions. 'A sheer cliff 3000 meters in height!'

'3000 meters?! How are we going to get up there Sani-san?! I can't see the top at all!' Komatsu cried as he found himself pulled by an invisible force...Sani's feelers.

'We'll scale it but for me, its really no difference to walking on the ground.' said Sani who looked like he was flying when in reality, he was using his feelers to go up.

Naruko on the other hand, is literally walking vertically.

'This is gonna take a while...how about we pick up pace to get more food? And we need to eat again soon.' said Naruko.

'Humm...if we go 5 km/h, we'll get to the top in half hour.'

'We go that pace then.'

They sped up and soon encountered primate-like creatures with thick yellow veins.

'Ooh! Heavycliffs!' Naruko drooled. 'Its said to have a sweet meaty taste ten times more than pork with marshmallow-like tenderness! Let's get some!'

'Not too many alright?' Sani reminded her. 'This is a preserve!'

'K~!' before Naruko could kill, the Sky went dark.

'Eh?'

'W-WHAT THE HELL IS THAAAT?!' was Sani's panicked cry as he and Komatsu freaked out.

When they looked up, its something big falling on them!

'HOLY SHIT! Fall back!' they let themselves fall as there's nowhere to go.

'Is falling the only thing we have?!' Komatsu wailed.

'Nothin' ta do about it, we have nowhere to run!' Sani cried. 'Let's do a retreat...TO THE MAX!'

While they fled, they heard a loud and rather disbelieving call.

'Sani?! Komatsu! Naruko!'

'Oniichan!'

Yup, Toriko and Rin are here.

'Ohhh?! Toriko and Rin?!' Sani cried.

'They made it!' Naruko gasped out.

'TORIGO-SAAAAN!' Komatsu blubbered out in relief.

'SO YOU LIVED YOU GUYS? RATHER, CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHIN' ABOUT THIS?!'

Toriko's response to Sani's frantic request was to carve up the ground and took out quite a tall tower.

'IN HERE, QUICK!' he cried, throwing it away and Naruko jumped for Sani whose long feelers can drag them in that hole...

SAFE.

'H-Hair Net in a hairs'breadth.' he choked out as the impact was barely enough for Toriko to stand up straight. 'We pushed it all the way here somehow...'

'We nearly became the first human pancakes in history...' Naruko whimpered, swaying in fright.

'Toriko-san!' Komatsu cried happily.

'Ooh! You're OK Komatsu! And are those Sirloin Mushrooms?!'

'Eat later when we're out of danger!' Naruko yelled at him in a bighead as Sani jumped out of the hole. 'We're still in trouble!'

'I agree...not to mention...those Heavycliffs fell with us and they look angry!'

'T-that's right, I wanted to cook some...' Naruko swore. 'Four should be enough.' she took out her knife with a grin.

The angry-looking Heavycliffs bulked up too and lunged at them.

'Oh jeez, they're our opponents along with the Mammoth?! Toriko help us out here!'

'Don't worry Sani, I'm here too.' said a smooth gentle voice as the Heavycliffs collapsed...along with drops of purple liquid.

'...what is that? Grape jam?' Naruko blinked.

Sometimes, food and condiments is a good weapon...if used right. She heard of chefs with such a technique.

'That's no grape jam that's poison!' Toriko grinned. 'Coco!'

'Coco-san!' Komatsu lit up happily.

'Fufu, its nerve-paralytic poison, my style of Knocking.' said Coco to the unknown girl he's never met before.

Naruko wondered if Komatsu's acquaintances are all good-looking men.

Toriko was a very masculine macho man.

Sani was a Biseinen in an effeminate way.

This newcomer, Coco is also a biseinen in an androgynous way.

He dressed in a cream-colored turban with a cloak, and his clothes are a black skintight shirt, trousers and shoes with green wrapping accents in his neck, upper arms, forearms and lower legs with purple earrings and chain piercings.

'Sorry I'm late.'

One of his hands was purple and dripping poison, but slowly turning back to normal.

'...Komatsu sure knows strange guys...' Naruko blinked while proceeding to prepare the Heavycliff while avoiding the poison through cooking techniques.

She also learned Sani is wary of touching Coco due to poison and he was blunt about it.

Its almost like everyone's wariness of jinchuuriki.

"I almost forget that feeling in the seven years I'm here...can't say I missed it." she thought sourly. She worried about Gaara who's not a Jinchuuriki anymore at least and Killer Bee still has Gyuuki...at least she and Gaara are free but to be reminded of what's it like made her mood sour again while cooking.

She was about done preparing when Toriko yelled, 'Sani, Naruko, outta the way!' and she found herself rescued by big beefy injured arms and cue smoking charcoal Heavycliffs.

'Ahhh! I was gonna cook those!' she wailed in dismay as a giant pink GT Robo appeared.

'Forget that, we got a new problem!' Toriko cried as they faced it.

'I'm...so pissed right now...' Naruko fumed. 'Its a rare opportunity to get into an IGO Biotope and taste what's inside and this piece of junk spoiled my cooking?!'

'Hooo? Sorry 'bout that~' came the words of the operator mockingly. 'Seeing all these famous people around here...compared to the Jewel Meat, getting rid of you guys would be a big achievement now wouldn't it? Kekekeke...'

'Have the balls to say that if you yourself are here fighting us, dipshit!' Naruko expelled massive amounts of energy to create a giant ball...inside a giant shuriken hole.

'What the?!'

Its big. Ridiculously big.

Not only that, its hovering so high while connected to her to power up safely. And the cliffs around them are turning to fine sand, too!

'That's so atrocious!' Coco cried. 'Its electromagnetic waves are all over the place and extremely dangerous...if we're struck by its winds alone, we'll all die, destroyed down to the cellular level!' he cried in horror as he could see its horrible effects.

'No wonder she's making it far from us...' Toriko gulped as they watched it fully grow.

'CHOU-OU RASENSHURIKEN!' and she fired it at the GT Robo who couldn't dodge it, its upper half utterly destroyed and nothing left.

'W-wow...'

The sight terrified them.

'Good thing she's not a Bishokukai Member...' Coco gulped. 'Chou-ou Rasenshuriken...what a frightening technique.'

"Frightening doesn't even cut it!" Rin thought in freakout.

"She's this strong, Naruko? Looks like we really gotta up our game." Toriko thought. "As expected of the Top#16."

He knows full well that the Top 50 Chefs used to be Bishokuyas themselves before they discovered their cooking talents and settled down.

'Hah...that's a kinjutsu I'd never do on anyone unless its well-earned. I only use it on people I really want to get rid of if by Sani-language, they're so disgusting.' Naruko grumbled as she sank on her knees, sweating heavily, utterly exhausted. 'But to make it that size...damn. So...so tired...'

She took out their food stocks.

'Well, now would be a good time to eat.' said Komatsu, opening up his Gourmet Cases too. 'We gathered all this food Toriko-san!' he hoped that, like he saw back in the dining room, his wounds would heal while eating.

'Ohhh! That's very plenty!' Toriko cried in both delight and relief.

'We should hurry before my knocking wears off.' said Coco. 'Its difficult affecting the Mammoth due to its size it took really high time to kick in.' he advised worriedly. 'Not to mention the electromagnetic wave inside...the enemy is also inside. We should hurry before the Mammoth is killed.'

'There's that.' Sani twitched as they all started eating.

Upon eating their fill for recovery...they pondered how to get in.

'OK, the mouth or the ass?' Naruko piped up.

'Must you be so crude?! Both are disgusting!' Sani freaked out.

'We have no choice...the mouth is of the lesser evil because if we went by the nose, we'll die.' said Coco. 'Inside its nose are loads of teeth!'

'Yeah, mouth it is.' Komatsu agreed fearfully before they went in.

Just in time too, it woke up.

'Hurry! The throat!' they rushed in quickly in panic, not wanting to get chewed up.