Éclair sat next to Toriko on a couch at the IGO Headquarters. She wanted to impress the man, but she'd still not filter what she says. Toriko smiled as he put an arm around the girl, "Old man, allow me to introduce my new chef and partner, Éclair." She waved at the old man, "Hello Mr. President. I'm the head chef at the Hotel Gourmet. The pleasure is all mine." She looked at what the man was handling, "Ooh is that tea? That would seriously hit the spot right now." He smiled and handed her a cup, "I see shyness isn't in your DNA." She shook her head, "Nope. We're all people after all. You either like my abrasiveness or you don't." The blond man laughed, "I like you. So Éclair, this container, you programmed it to keep the Ozone Herb fresh." She nodded, "Yup, and truthfully, it wasn't the easiest thing I ever done." "You did a fine job. And the ingredients speak to you?" She took a mini bow from the couch, "Thank you. I wouldn't say speak necessarily though. It's like they play me a melody without any lyrics, and they use my voice to relay the message. It sounds very complicated and crazy, I know. But that Ozone Herb, that was the first time it ever spoke." He shook his head, "It doesn't sound crazy at all. It's actually very impressive. Toriko, you've got yourself a good one. Make sure you take care of her." The bluenette nodded, "Don't worry, I will."

Both Toriko and Éclair took a sip of the tea. "Eck, it's bitter old man." "It's tea from an Ozone Herb, bitter, but addictive." Toriko frowned, "You mean to tell me you already had an Ozone Herb here." The old man laughed, "Of course I did. Before you fly off the handle, just remember it was for your Gourmet World training. Your power has greatly improved, but in the condition you're in now, you would be but another casualty to the outer world." He handed the blue haired man a paper, "Here is your new mission. "Once you hunt every ingredient on that list, you will be ready to enter the Gourmet World. Both Sunny and Coco are hard at work in preparation as well." He smiled at the two, "So train hard because no matter what I'm heading into the Gourmet World very soon." He looked at the blond girl, "Keep your head screwed on tight Éclair, because I plan on seeing you in the Gourmet World as well." She pointed at herself, "Me? You plan to see me in the Gourmet World? I can't wait." Toriko raised an eyebrow, "You aren't scared or nervous?" She shook her head, "Of course not. It's the Gourmet World we're talking about. An endless amount of undiscovered ingredients. Besides, you're asking the same girl who wasn't afraid to free fall off the beanstalk."

She cringed as she looked at her bad hand, "Good thing I'm a lefty." Ichiryuu walked over to the girl, "Let me see your hand." She unwrapped it and the man shook his head, "I regret to inform you, but it looks like your hand~" "Is going to get amputated?" He nodded, "It is beyond repair at this point. It will only get amputated if you go in for it, if not it will just lay permanently paralyzed Lucky for you though, I have a glove from Life that'll come in handy." He walked to a small chest and pulled out a black metallic glove, "Take this Éclair, It'll latch onto the tendons and muscles that usually work the fingers. It works for paralyzed hands and even missing hands. It'll take some getting used to, but it works like a normal hand. If I were you, I'd still pay a visit to the healing country. With your body type and strength, I'm sure you could get a new hand in 5 years maximum." She put on the glove and it fit perfectly around her fingers and wrist. She bit down on her lip as small needles inserted her skin to give her mobility. She didn't want to move it, it still hurt like crazy and foreign objects entering her skin didn't help. She sighed, "Well Toriko, I said I'd walk through fire with you and I suppose that includes freezer burn."

Toriko pet her head, "I'm glad you'll be okay though. But I am so sorry that I put you in that situation. I won't ever let that happen again." She gave a semi smile, "Yeah, but at least I didn't die by some crazy beast." "~Oh, that reminds me old man. When we were up in Vegetable Sky, we saw something that looked like a GT Robot, only it was a living breathing creature. It had to have been other worldly." The old man's face turned immediately serious. The bluenette frowned, "Is that, bad?" "Toriko, you just make sure you train as hard as you can." Éclair stretched her arms, "Well, I better get back to my kitchen. I keep leaving them and I want to improve. The restaurant's calling."

The girl was on cloud 9 as she cooked in the kitchen of the Hotel Gourmet. Komatsu walked over to the girl, "Wow Éclair, you've been really happy since you announced your partnership." The girl smiled a toothy smile, "Well of course I have. I kind of always thought we were partners anyway, but now it's official." She set her knife down and wrapped it up, "We're even going to the Gourmet World someday." The boy's eyes intensified, "The Gourmet World. You know about the reality of that place don't you? How people used to think it was some kind of paradise?" She grabbed the boy's hand, "Come with me, let's sit in the dining area. They took a seat next to a window and Eclair smiled, "I know the Gourmet World is dangerous, but I don't care." She looked back up at Komatsu, "When we go in the future, I know Toriko will protect me. He won't allow me to fail and I won't allow him to fail. That's what partners are for you know?" He nodded, "I understand, but I just want you to be careful. It's not as glorious as people once thought. Not after the story of Hatch." She rolled her eyes, "I know his story. And I know that he was once a credible Bishokuya. He saved a lot of lives from reporting on the Gourmet World." She snickered, "But I guess I'm just one of those hard heads that doesn't know the meaning of danger." "Yes you are hard headed!"

Vanilla's Russian accent was always more distinctive than anyone in a room. The green haired girl pulled out a chair and took a seat, "Why is it that I always have to learn about your escapades through a 3rd party?" She looked over at the Sous Chef, "Hello again Komatsu." The boy smiled, "Hey Vanilla." Éclair sighed, "What are you complaining about now? What escapades?" "You paired up with the Bishokuya Toriko as a combo and you didn't give me so much as a phone call." The blond girl twirled her hair with her finger, "Oh that, sorry. Well, we're partners." Vanilla pounded her hand on the table, "Not good enough! When I see that blue haired beast again I'm going to let him have it. He didn't even ask me for your hand!" Éclair cringed, "He doesn't need to ask. We became partners, he didn't ask to marry me." She sighed, "Speaking of hands~" She waved around her right hand, "I gotta head to Life to get myself a new one of these. I've gotta get it amputated and regrown." The girl grabbed her sister's hand, "Clair, what do you mean?" She stood up, "Don't worry about me Nilly. It's just a hand. I knew what I was in for. I'm gonna get changed actually, I should head there now."

She headed back for the kitchen to pack up her knives and a glimpse of colorful hair caught her eye. "Sunny?" The man walked over to her, "Hello Éclair, you're just the person I was looking for. Congratulations on the partnership with Toriko." "Thanks, but tell me you didn't come all this way just to say that." He shook his head, "No. I just think you should know that Toriko is headed for the Gourmet World as we speak." She tightened her fist, "He went without telling me? Ever since we met he has informed me on every place he was venturing off to." The man started off again in the direction he came. "His life is in grave danger in the condition he's in now. The odds are not in his favor." She bit her bottom lip, "What the hell can I do about it? I'm not very strong, and I don't know if you noticed, but I'm currently getting used to a fake metal hand!" Sunny handed the girl of paper, "I would never do anything like this, but there is someone you can ask for help if you truly desire to rescue your partner. Call this number right way, don't wait." She ran in the opposite direction of the man, "Dammit Toriko!" She ran into a locker room and pulled her phone out of her locker. She unfolded the paper, "Jirou?"

The phone began to ring and it seemed like a millennium before the other line picked up. "Hello?" She exhaled forcefully, "Jirou, it's Éclair. You probably don't remember me, but I'm that scrawny girl from the cavern lagoon." "I remember you. What is it?" She took a seat on a bench behind her, "My partner Toriko has entered the Gourmet World. I'm really scared for him and I was told that you were someone who could help. Please sir, I'm begging you. I know I'm in no position to ask for any favors but I really love him. I'm scared for him and he's my best friend. Should anything happen, please call me." "I'm on my way." She paused for a long moment, "Thank you." She felt a hand touch her shoulder, "You love Toriko?" Éclair looked into the green eyes of her sister, "I do, but not in the way you think. I love him like a best friend and partner. He's like the brother we never had." The girl hugged her older sister, "Nee-chan, Toriko's a tough man, he'll make it. I think the best thing for you to do now is go to Life. Go to Life and get yourself a new hand. I know you're worried about him, but you have to take care of yourself too." The blond girl lay back with her head in her sister's lap. "I can't move away from this spot. I'm too worried. You can leave, but I'll be right here until I get a phone call." Vanilla stroked the girl's hair, "I would never leave you in such a delicate condition."

It had been hours of just sitting in the locker room. Not a word was spoken between the sisters. The door opened beside the girls, "Someone said I could find the head chef in here?" Éclair sat up and looked toward the door, "Toriko. Toriko, you're alive!" She ran to the man and jumped in his arms, "I'm so glad you're safe you idiot!" He smiled, "How about you whip me up a full course huh? I'm starved." She nodded, "Right away sir!" Vanilla stood up and looked at the man with anger filled eyes, "You deliberately left my sister. I respect you Bishokuya Toriko, but if you ever leave her again~" She pointed up at the man, "I will make you pay full price when you come to Exo Rice in Gourmet Town! No discount!" Éclair's face fell flat, "Wow sis, you really laid it on him." The green haired girl pat the man's arm, "Take care you two. I have to get back to my own place now. I think it's about time I open up shop again."

Toriko sat in a bar stool in front of the cooking Éclair. She hummed along as she made her food. Toriko grabbed her bad hand, "Éclair, I just want you to know that it wasn't my intention to hurt you. It's just, the guilt about your hand is eating me up. I knew about the danger in the Gourmet World, and should anything have happened to you, I don't think I could live with that guilt." She smiled, "It was my decision to tag a long, and it was my decision to take off my glove knowing there was a risk of losing my hand. Don't take on any guilt from the decisions I made." She waved around her hand, "Plus, this thing makes me feel like a super hero. I'm starting to get used to it now. Enough about feeling bad about things. I brought you up here to cook, and that's what I'm gonna do." She began to chop away rare ingredients. It was literally a full course. Rainbow Fruit wine, Century Soup, and array of meats and vegetables. The man smiled, "This is so good! Keep it coming Éclair." She took Vanilla Rice out of the rice cooker, "You know I had to throw in some exotic rice. It's just reached its peak so enjoy. I hope my food is at least as good as that fancy stuff in Gourmet Town." He shrugged, "I wouldn't know how their food tastes. I wanted to wait until we could try it together. And your food is great. Don't ever second guess that." She grinned, "Aww shucks, isn't that just too sweet." She chopped up more vegetables and threw them into the skillet.

"Oh yeah, there's something I've been wanting to cook." She lifted her hand and came down on the Don Acorn. Right before her very eyes, she saw something that she didn't think she would ever have to see. Her knife, it broke right off the handle and into two pieces. Her eyes amplified, "My knife." She picked up the knife from the floor and held it in her hands. "I never thought I'd see this day." She held back tears as she looked down at it. "I've been through so much with this knife. I can't believe it's broken. The reason I put up a fight against that GT Robot a while back in the mammoth~ It was because my parents bought it for me. They weren't in my life very much, so it was such a kind notion. I had the money to buy a better knife, but I never did. I felt as long as I had the knife, I had a piece of them. Soon it wasn't because of them anymore, it was because I loved using it. The knife had become accustomed to my hand, and I will always thank you for the delicious ingredients you have allowed me to make with you."

Toriko snapped his fingers, "That reminds me. The paper my old man gave me, the one full of training ingredients. A name caught my eye, Melk Stardust." "Cutler Melk? The one who makes the most beautiful kitchen knives in the world. I could have bought a knife with the money I had, but not a Melk knife. It's a chef's dream." The man nodded, "Yeah. I don't know if Cutler Melk has something to do with the Stardust or not, but there's a pretty good chance he does. But it's named after him, so he'll know where it is. Well have to through Melk Mountain to find the guy, get the Stardust, and get you a new knife. What do you say?" She smiled, "I say, what are we still waiting here for? We've got a meeting!"

The two stood at the bottom of a rocky stairway. Éclair grit her teeth, "Tell me this is some kind of a joke. We aren't actually going to climb these stairs right?" The man jumped onto one, "The only way to go is up, as they say." "Are you serious! These stairs are bigger than I am, oh, and plus it's a little bothersome that I can't see the top!" He continued up the stairs, "Oh come on, it's not that bad." She climbed up the first stair and huffed, "I thought I was gaining weight from hanging around with you, but really, I'm getting the workout of my life!" She grabbed he rock and her hand slipped, "Whoa! I guess I still gotta get used to this metal hand thing. I have an idea." She pulled out her machete and stuck it into the stairs to help pull herself up. "I guess this isn't so bad."

~Hours passed and it seemed liked they moved up without actually moving up. "Toriko! What if we're doing this for nothing? What if Cutler Melk doesn't make me a knife, and he doesn't know anything about the Stardust?" He shrugged, "Well then I guess you'll just have to buy a knife and we'll have to search for the Stardust somewhere else." She moaned like an annoyed child, "Seriously? I don't have the money for that. I got a piece of that price money from the Gourmet King Championship, but after Rin cut herself in and I agreed to a smaller portion, I barley have enough to buy a stainless ladle." "Well I don't know what you wanted to hear, but that's the truth. We can't make him forge you a knife." She snickered, "Oh I have convincing ways." She stood on the step for a moment, "This is tiring work." "You need to rest?" She shook her head, "I'm not resting until I see the top, let's keep going."

As they continued, Éclair heard a roar behind her and it was a group of furry beasts chasing after her. "Toriko, help me! I don't think I can outrun these bastards for much longer!" She climbed stair to stair even faster than before. She shortly stopped as another group of beasts were right in front of them. She quickly jumped on the man's back and he laughed, "When have we become in sync about you getting on my back?" She shook her head, "I don't know, but I'm scared and I don't wanna die before I see a new knife!" He jumped over the group and they both started running after them. She looked back, "We don't want any trouble, but if you wanna play hardball, I'll show you all what my machete is made of!" The group stopped chasing them and Éclair laughed, "I guess I've become more intimidating." Toriko shook his head, "It wasn't you. See that? We can finally see the top. I think they're scared of the person up there." The blond girl dropped off his back, "Generally I'd be a bit sad about my non intimidating nature, but we can see the top! We're almost there!" She ran up the steps until she saw a small house. "It looks like an igloo, but a rock igloo. Oh I can't wait to meet Cutler Melk, should I knock or ring the doorbell? Part of me just wants to walk right in, but that's rude. Does he even have a doorbell? I guess I'll knock, but I feel like that's too abrasive. Maybe I'll knock lightly. But what if he doesn't hear it? Well it is a small house. Then again he could be sleep." Before she reached the door, a Scale Kong stalked them up the steps and roared out a battle cry. It started to charge but suddenly stopped for an unknown cause. The green scales fell off of its body and it embarrassingly ran back down the mountain.

"It didn't get all the scales, hmm. I'd say it's at 30% perfection." The two turned around and Toriko smirked, "That sharp fighting spirit, that was you wasn't it? Are you an apprentice of Melk?" "Apprentice? I am Cutler Melk."