The dynamic duo were out once again eating at the Bar Meria. Éclair smiled, "It has been a while since I've had a burger and fries. Such a regular meal, but it's so satisfying. I must say though, the atmosphere is not my taste. It's so dark in here." The man laughed, "Quit it, you're turning into Sunny." The girl's laugh was short lived as she swirled her fry around. "I've been wondering Toriko. You remember that conversation we had with Mansom and Ray? What if the appearance of God does start a war? I know I said I'd make sure it didn't happen alongside you, but what if we can't. I mean, what if it's inevitable? It's kind of ironic don't you think? The ingredient that stopped the war many years ago is going to start a new one." He put a hand on her shoulder, "Leave the worrying to me. Lately you have worried about everyone but yourself. So much in fact that you still haven't got a new hand for yourself." The girl smiled, "I'm a worrier, it's what I do. I really do need to get another hand still, you're right. I'm just scared though. It will take me 5 years, and that's a long time." She looked up at the man, "Let's both be calm and enjoy our food. If a war breaks out, I want to enjoy these little moments in life, like eating with my partner."
The girl looked back, "That lady Meria, she's a robot right?" Toriko nodded, "Yes, and for good reason. It's a dangerous area. Country Leaders and such come here with their bodyguards to discuss private matters. It's a good way to keep things in confidence." "That makes sense. Though I must admit, getting across the black lake alone is enough for me to never keep secrets again." She rubbed her chin, "Can I ask you a question? How come Zebra never seemed interested in God? I know we were done talking about it, but I was thinking about it. I mean, everyone seems so interested in it except him. I haven't heard him talk about it ever." The man smiled, "You should know why. He's gotta stay true to his release conditions." "Release conditions? I must have missed that conversation. I think I was trying to block out the existence of Zebra at that moment." The man nodded, "Yup, he must find 100 new ingredients and subdue 500 criminals. But, besides that, he has a full course menu to complete. That way he can become your combo partner. He's serious about that." The girl giggled, "It's funny, I still don't understand why he wanted to pair with me. He didn't really even know me at the time." "He knows a great chef when he sees one." She tried to hide a smile, "Aw, don't butter me up. Truth be told, I can't wait to see his menu. I'm sure it will be something great."
Toriko nodded, "Yeah, it will. As for me, I only have 4 training ingredients left before I'm ready for the Gourmet World. I plan to get them in my own time though. There are many great ingredients still here in the Human World that I want to find with you. ~That reminds me, there's you. The Desert Labyrinth. When I was there, it was painfully obvious that I wasn't very strong. There's that phenomenon about first rate chefs being abducted as well." The girl cringed, "What! I didn't hear about that! What a shame that is." Toriko agreed, "Yes, and the war is troubling and all, but how can I stop it if I can't even protect the girl right next to me. My best friend." Éclair hugged the man, "I trust you with my life Toriko, and I know my life means a lot to you, so I'm not worried about my safety when I'm with you. I may get scared in situations, but I know you have my back and we'll figure our way out of anything. Let's conquer the rest of the Human World together. I still plan to follow you to the end ~of ~the ~Earth." Her words slowed down as her ears were filled with a familiar voice. It was low, but very distinct.
The two stood up from their seats and Toriko walked over to a long haired man dressed in dark blue. "Who would have guessed we'd meet here? Were you in the middle of a meal?" "No, I'm actually in search of an ingredient. I don't know what, but I'll remember when I eat it." He stood up from his seat as well and faced the two. "As a chef and Bishokuya, you two have grown a lot. You're a good combo." Éclair stepped in between the showdown. It wasn't her smartest idea, and it would most likely get her killed, but she had to speak her mind. "You are the one who disrespected my knives. Never in my life have I felt such impudence from a man, or any person. If it is my mouth that gets me into trouble, so be it, but I can't come face with the man who caused me such affliction in his words and not say anything." The man's brown eyes looked at the enraged girl, "It's not a fight you want. It took your partner 0.5 seconds to ready himself for a fight. Toriko, I could have killed him 10 times already. And if he can't protect you, hmph." He looked at Toriko, "You're slow." A sweat broke from the man's face and it was now very clear to Éclair. This was one of those situations where she was at the mercy of the opponent. Her partner could not protect her no matter what. "Don't worry, it's not a fight that I want right now, it's food. When the time comes, there will be a war over God. Then, we will have a real fight." The man left the establishment and Éclair sighed, "I'm glad that nothing took place Toriko. Luck was really on our side." The bluenette nodded, "I never really believed in luck, but in this case, but that makes me think. We should pay a visit to the Gourmet Temple. That place is filled with luck."
They finally made it to the Gourmet Temple. The amount of tourists made it seem like an amusement park time 10. She smiled, "Toriko, this place is great!" "I'm surprised you've never been here before. All chefs should come here at least once I would think." The two walked in through the gargantuan arch way. Éclair pulled out her phone and snapped a shot of the beautiful red structure. She looked over at Toriko, "I wanna do something." She climbed on the man's back and sat with her legs around his neck like small children do with their parents. The girl smiled, "Now I can see everything! I always wanted to do this with my papa, but he was never there, so you know how that goes. I feel like a kid in an amusement park! It's so fun! Come on daddy~ uh Toriko! Take me to see the attractions!" The bluenette laughed "Okay then. This place is large so there is much to see. What else would be expected from the place the Bishokushin Acacia is worshiped? Over 9 billion people visit here for food luck. They say the amount of food luck you have can determine your success in life." The girl pointed, "Look Toriko, food!" The man rolled his eyes, "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you? ~But I'm always down for some good eating." He picked up a Baked Moai Potato and handed it to the girl. "Mmm! This is tasty. It's sweet, but the outside has a nice salty taste to it."
She looked around, "I know you said over 9 billion people visit here, but there are so many people and shops set up. It's like a festival." "There is a festival. There are 300 festivals a year." "Wow! That's 82% of the year. I hope someday I could attend all of the festivals this place has to offer. I still can't get over all of the shops. They are vast. I don't think my eyes can even see them all." Toriko nodded, "Yes, there are a lot of shops. Believe it or not, you have to be lucky to set up shop here. They choose owners by the lottery every month to see who is lucky enough to set up." "Cool! I wish I had that much luck. Not that I want to set up shop here, but maybe if I won the lottery, Vanilla could set up shop and get even more business." The man smiled, "You're a good sister Éclair." She sighed, "Yeah, but I wasn't always. I never used to see my sister as much as I do in recent days. I felt like such a bad person, but now I don't think our bond could get any stronger." She looked over and saw a lonely man at a stand waiting for customers. The girl whispered in Toriko's ear, "Let's go buy something from that guy. He was lucky enough to win the lottery. We should help him out a little bit." The man pat her leg, "You are a such a marshmallow." She pouted, "Hey, I'm not that soft."
The man walked over to the stand, "Hey old man, give us all you've got." The man's face turned surprised as he'd not expected so much business in one visit. "Sure, with pleasure." Toriko handed the girl a fruit from the Gourmet Fruit Tree. She took a bite out of the fruit, "It's really good! It tastes even better when I take a bite out of both the potato and the fruit. It's like salty and sweet. The Gourmet Age is really something special huh Toriko?" He nodded, "It sure is. We haven't even begun to see this place yet." They walked to a humongous waterfall, and Éclair jumped off Toriko's back. "What is this?" "It is the Holy Spring water. People wash their hands and mouths to cleanse themselves and prepare for Acacia's Full Course Pilgrimage." The girl finished her food and poured the water on her hands, "I am ready to see the Full Course of this Gourmet God." The man took a drink of the water, "It's not actually his full course, it's just called that." She smiled, "Well, whatever it is, I'm still ready for anything!" Her hair blew back just as she mentioned being prepared for anything. She could almost swear her feet moved back as well. The girl pointed, "What the hell is this thing in front of me!?" "It's a Taxsheep, don't look so surprised. This place spans 80,000 kilometers, it's the most efficient way to get around. I reserved one, so let's get on."
The man hopped on the sheep and gave the girl a helping hand, "They're very fast, but also safe, so don't worry." She buckled her seatbelt, "I wasn't worried. I'm actually EXCITED! Toriko, this Taxsheep runs so fast! I feel like I'm going to have wrinkles after this ride! It's pulling my skin back like putty!" She put her hands in the air, "Woo hoo! This is totally fun! I can't wait to give thanks to this great land!" The two made their way to different parts of the area, giving thanks and praying for good luck. The land was large, wide and scenic. Coming here was like one big treat. Though she grew up in a very scenic place, again, she lived a sheltered life. Things like this were huge for her. She never got to actually see the world, even after she moved out at the age of 15. Being around Toriko and living out these adventures was like a dream come true. She was doing well in life before, but it wasn't until the man stepped into her life that she figured out what it really meant to live in the Gourmet Age. What made it more special is that she was doing all of these things alongside her best friend. After her journey with capturing the Garara Gator, she felt as if she could die happy. But now, after months of adventures, she could die gleefully knowing she did so much with her life. Somehow still, she didn't feel as if the adventure was going to end anytime soon. In fact, it felt as if it was still just beginning.
"Here we are. The place where the Gourmet Tree's grow the biggest. We're close to the temple, that's why. It's said the Bishokushin Acacia's chef partner made his chopping board and other tools out of these lucky trees." The girl's head was tilted completely back as she looked at the trees, "They are really big. Everything in this place is big. Go big or go home I guess." She looked back at her partner and he was far away runny somewhere. "Come on Éclair! I can see the temple now!" She started to sprint until she met the man by a tall flight of downward stairs. The crowd seemed to be even bigger around this area. "Let's go in." The blond girl huffed as she made her way up the stairs, "You'd think after all the cardio I do with you that a flight of stairs wouldn't take my breath away. ~Nope, it still does." As they walked in they headed straight to the main attraction. It was a life size statue of the Bishokushin Acacia himself. The girl put her hands together and closed her eye. 'So you are the one they call the Gourmet God. Without you, the Gourmet Age would cease to exist, and if that were true, I wouldn't have been able to go on all the exciting adventures with my best friend. In fact, I do believe we would have never met. It's because of you that my life is the way it is. If I even had a piece of your food luck, I will do great things, I promise. It's funny, I planned to say all of these things out loud so everyone could hear my gratitude, but all I can say is~' "Thank you."
The pair left the shrine and walked out of the temple. The girl sighed, "That was heavy. ~I hope my food luck increased." "Let's test it out." They made their way to a competition that happens once a year. It was called the Food Man competition. A knife was lodged into a large cutting board. The toughest of the tough men were coming up and trying to take the knife from the wood. Éclair shrugged, "I don't know about this. It's called the Food Man competition. I don't want to be the only girl going up there just to embarrass myself." Toriko nudged the girl, "Go ahead and try it. You won't embarrass yourself." She exhaled loudly, "Fine, but if I get it out, just know it was pure luck." "That's the idea." The girl removed her shoes and walked onto the cutting board. The announcer began, "Now a small girl seems to be making her way onto the cutting board. ~Wait, that's not just any girl, it's Chef Éclair! We've seen a lot of people fail today, so let's see if she can remove the knife." The exciting crowd began to cheer her name, and she grew nervous. The freckle faced girl put her hands around the knife, "Better get this over with." She yanked the knife out of the board and flew back on her butt. "Weird, I thought it was gonna be tougher than that." The crowd cheered for the girl as she was now the Food Man of the year. She raised the knife, "Yeah! Who's the man? I'm the man!"
The announcer yelled, "Congratulations to Miss Reinbou. Now, we have another competition going on right now. Inside the temple there are hundreds of thousands of Bishoku Cedar Gourmet Trees. Out of all those fruit there is one lucky one with a golden seed in it!" Toriko took the seed out of his mouth, "I just ate this thing. I've got the golden seed?" The crowd went wild again, "It seems we have another Food Man! Bishokuya Toriko! That was quick!" Éclair ran and leaped of the stage into Toriko's arms. "Looks like it was just pure luck for us huh Toriko?" The man smiled, "It sure was!" The crowd began to gather around the two and cheer them on. The blond girl smiled, "Thank you guys for all the praise. There's actually a stand I think you should all go to. It's located under a Gourmet Tree." She hugged the man tighter, "You were right when you said it. We really do make a good team." He pet the back of her head, "Yes we do."