Note: I just want to first and foremost apologize for taking literally half a year to update a new chapter. Life had just thrown me some really crazy curve balls and I was so unmotivated to do anything. I won't go into full detail, but my family and I had to deal with a lot of difficult things, school was becoming overwhelming, and I honestly just couldn't produce. I won't take THAT long anymore, and I will definitely try to pick up the pace on updating more frequently since I'm in a much better headspace. So thank you all for sitting tight, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! -Rex
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As everyone was planning for their journey ahead, Éclair was planning for hers. She was pacing around zoning in and out of the conversations being had. She wanted to show her usefulness, and although she didn't need to prove it to anyone, she still felt like it was her duty.
She paced back and forth questioning herself. She'd rather personally go than anyone else, but it didn't relinquish any terror or fear weighing her down.
"You listening to this Éclair?" Toriko pointed at the globe before them.
Her freckled hand shooed the man away, "Yeah, yeah. The Bermuda Triangle. The mold. The path."
"It's the Black Triangle Clair." Vanilla sighed at her sister's nonchalant attitude. She was about to go on a treacherous journey, and the least she could do was pay attention to the plans.
"I said tha~" Her words were cut short as her body flew backwards into that of her partner.
Catching the girl, he'd set her back on her feet as the group went to look at the disturbance.
"Mother Tornadoes!" Kuribou yelled. "They were left behind from a Mother Snake passing through. Rumor has it these tornadoes were left from a fight between it and another one of the kings. These haven't lost their touch since ancient times. This is why we can't go by air."
Toriko shouted, "Lower the altitude Turtloon!"
As they lowered their eyes set on the rapid currents beneath them. There was no way they could travel by sea, so their best bet was to land on one of the moving land masses. They were the Conveyor Belt Islands, and the name was more than appropriate.
"Is this some kind of joke!?" Éclair's eyes pleaded with the universe. "Whelp, this is it.."
"Look, the conveyor stopped!" Toriko pointed at the stagnant island below.
The Turtloon closed in and lowered itself closer to the platform. Just as they were landing, the water itself was getting ready to kill the group. The 1600 capture level liquid was getting ready to crash down and swallow the group whole.
Before it could end the lives of everyone onboard, it began to get shocked and soon after burned. It saved the lives of the Turtloon and everyone in it. Toriko's eyes looked over and saw the source of the power. Brunch and Starjun.
The long black haired man gave a nod to Toriko, "I'll explain why I'm here later, right now, there are more coming."
They saw the faces of more creatures coming out of the water, and it was not looking good for the team.
"Over hereeeeee! You guuuuuuys!" A voice from on of the islands called out, and they were in no position to turn down the helping hand.
"Is that.. is that the Gold Chef Jiji?" Éclair's eyes widened.
Her intuition was right. It was the Gold Chef Jiji, and that was even more invitation in itself.
The hairy chef continued, "I came here to meet ya. Now hurry on down here!"
They did as told and was graciously led into his camping monster for safety. There was an entire table of food laid out, and they were ready to chow down.
Éclair walked over to the table and admired the food set out, "This has to be the Golden Chef, right?" She questioned herself.
"This soup." Starjun spoke from his seat at the table. "It has Puzzle Plankton in it doesn't it. You need considerable cooking skill to complete their puzzle in a way that would bring out such a level of taste. I would find it hard to believe if he isn't the Golden Chef."
The blond woman turned her attention to the man. Last she saw him it was not on good terms. She always had rage inside of her when she saw him, but this time was different. There was no anger; in fact, she felt nothing.
She'd calmly walk over to the man and her blue eyes met with his. "Soon I will be sent off to seek out Another in The World of Food Spirits where my only company will be my thoughts. I'll need to be completely focused if I ever hope to accomplish my goal. This may be the last chance I ever get to do this, and if I don't do it now I'll be full of regret when I depart. That being said..."
The woman reared back her hand and came down at full force until her palm connected with the man's face. He could have stopped her from attacking him, but he knew that this was something she needed to get off her chest. Everyone turned their heads and looked as the red hand print began to form on his face.
"Clair?" Vanilla looked at her sister in a questionable manner. Why did she slap him?
"That's for everything." She gave a polite bow and walked away from the man.
She'd not let the awkwardness of her actions set in. Instead she took a seat at the table and picked up a bowl of food. Before she could take a single bite she looked at the group still staring at her, "Don't look at me like I'm some kind of heathen! Ask him why I did it!"
Her head turned as she heard the faint laughter of Chef Jiji in the corner. "Hey, I know this is random, but was it you who wrote that notebook?"
"You mean the one from the Gourmet Pyramid? I recorded my most important recipes in that book. Wrote it in code too. Only a chef with extraordinary talent could decipher it. It was stolen once a hundred years ago, but I can't believe you were the one to take it from there. You've already moved beyond the old recipes in there; even the Blue Nitro are waiting for further good taste of the full course from you. Good job my boy. Hohohoho!"
The blond woman smiled coy-like "Wow, glad I'm thought of so highly. But~ I'm a gir-"
"The Blue Nitro are waiting?" Sunny cut off her words.
"Yes." Jiji nodded
"So then you know where the rest of Acacia's full course is, right?" Coco questioned the man.
Toriko stopped stuffing his face for a brief moment. "There is only one month until the Gourmet Eclipse. We want to collect the rest of the items on the full course at the same time. We need to know where they are."
Jiji widened his eyes, "Well alright, let's see. I'll decide who is sent where."
A sweat broke from Éclair's forehead as she tried to avoid mentioning Jiji's strange mustache-like eyebrows and bulging eyes.
"The capture difficulty varies from item to item. I'll select those who have the qualities most suited to each one. There's never been a high chance of being able to capture them before, you see." The Golden Chef walked over and analyzed those standing before him.
Éclair whispered to her partner, "Toriko, this guy is terrifying. I tried to hold my tongue, I did, but what the hell is he looking at?"
"He's probably inspecting their gourmet cells." He ruffled the girl's hair, "Kinda like Morjii from Bar Heavy Lodge used to do with Bishokuya, but on a different level."
The girl untangled her hair and frowned at the man, "Yeah, not sure I'm gonna miss that while I'm gone."
"I've got it!" Jiji yelled out. "We should have the majority of you stay here in Area 6! The Whale King Moon lives here in the Black Triangle; noted as Black Hole Whale. It is sung as the greatest of the eight kings, so that should let you know how powerful it is. Next is Area 5; Food Region Forest. There is where you'll find the meat dish News. Capturing it will be Zebra and Brunch! Area 4; Gourmet Garden. Acacia's dessert Earth will be captured by Sunny and Livebearer. Area 3; Developmental Fever Bridge. Acacia's drink Atom will be captured by Coco and Tylan!"
Vanilla looked to her husband with tears in her eyes, "I knew this day would come. Please~ just don't-"
"I'll be back." The man gave the green haired girl a tight hug to reassure her of his return.
"Last is Area 2." Jiji continued, "Continent Of Beginnings. The main dish God will be captured by Toriko and Starjun. Those are the members I'd like on each team. If everyone is able to capture their item on the full course, we will seek Area 1. There we will obtain Acacia's Hors d'oeuvre Center!"
The plan was officially set, and everyone was en-route. Although the itinerary couldn't be more planned out than this, the nerves weren't setting in just yet; well, not for everyone anyway.
Éclair shoveled food into her mouth as everyone prepped for departure. She was a stress eater alright. She watched as everyone was saying their goodbyes, and she wasn't quite ready.
"Yo! Éclair!" The bluenette opened his wingspan for a hug.
The blond embraced her partner and pulled away enough for her to look into the man's eyes. "Nope, still doesn't."
"What? The man frowned.
"Doesn't get easier." Tears began to well in her eyes. "Sometimes I feel like it would be easier if I didn't love you. But if I'm being honest with myself, I know that it would be so much harder without you." She'd lean in closer to the man. "I'm not gonna kiss you. It'll be motivation for me to stay strong."
Before the man could pull away, the woman pursed her lips, "So listen. Before you go I just wanna ask you something. Do you wanna, um. I was just wondering if you would like to, uhhh. We spend a lot of time together, ya know? I mean, you're a pretty cool guy and I like hanging out with you. So, mmm, how do I put this?"
Toriko rolled his eyes, "Éclair, do you wanna marry me or what?"
"Wait what?!" The woman's blue eyes amplified like never before. Her heart raced, and her body began to go a bit limp.
"Sooooo, is that a no?" The man narrowed his eyes.
"No! I mean yes! No! Yes! No! No! I mean, not no! The answer is yes! Yes to the first question! No to the second!" She backed away and began to fan herself. "Wait! So, so we're getting married?! That's what this means right?! Right?! You and I will be wed and united as one in the eyes of the world?!"
The blue haired man shrugged, "After this is all over, yeah. After I bring back God. Don't bother planning it yet. You need to focus."
Little did he know she'd been planning her wedding practically from birth, so there was nothing to plan. "I'm getting married!" The woman shouted out so everyone could hear. Hell, probably everyone back in Human World could hear that cry.
The crowd surrounded her with applause, but they couldn't relish in this moment for too long. They were all under the gun here, and they had to get going as soon as possible.
"Alright, does everyone have Riddle Chapters? Depending on your location you may be able to get a signal and send communications. Let's try to make it frequent! Now then, let's depart! To all of you I wish you the best of Food Luck!" Jiji ended his last words and the teams were off.
Jiji stood beside Éclair, "There are a total of 4 doors to the Back World. First there's the 3 continents that make up the Black Triangle, East Six, South Six, and West six. There is a Food Spirit Door on each of them. But the environment's are too terrible. They're surrounded by things like tornadoes over 10-kilometers wide and wild beasts over level 2000 swarming them. It's not that we can't go, but there's no reason to expose ourselves to that danger. At the civilization of Area 6 is home to the 4th and safest Food Spirit Door. It's the biggest and most prosperous civilization in Gourmet World. The underwater Gourmet Capital Blue Grill. It's a giant city deep in the sea and has tons of masterful chefs. It's no less busy than Human World at the peak of the Golden Age."
"Whoa. There is an entire Gourmet City deep under the ocean. Like Atlantis or something? Sounds like a place I wanna visit!" The blond gave a thumbs up.
"Alright then everyone! Fasten your aprons! We're about to enter the Black Triangle!"
They advanced forward and the sea was pitch black as the name suggested. There was no visibility anywhere.
"It's like black coffee!" The blond looked out.
"No, nee-chan. It's more like soy sauce." Vanilla scooted her sister to the side.
Chef Damla Sky shook his head, "Actually it's really like squid ink."
"Okay, who cares what kind of black it is!" Éclair crossed her arms. She'd whisper under her breath, "Even though it's mostly like black coffee, but anyway."
"Those are some interesting metaphors. Can't say they're too off." Jiji chimed in. "Black Triangle is known for soup stock sea. Depending on the section you can eat it like soup or use it as sauce. Long ago there were a great many chefs who completed their entire full course just in this sea."
"That sounds incredible!" Éclair clasped her hands, "I wish I could cook it all!"
"That's not all. The coral, shells, and rocks that dwell in this sea can be used to make special cookware. Long ago 7 items known as Golden Cookware were used to cook the ingredients of the world. Those seven tools are the only items that can be used to handle Spirit Food. The Back World is a place of rare and sparse tastes. It is because of that the souls are hungry for life. Front tastes cannot be taken to the back, but there is one taste that can be delivered just as it is to the back. Another."
The blond girl put a hand to her forehead, "So Another is like a link to the two words? Interesting." In just a flash her attention turned and she scurried to the window. "Holy crap! What is that?!"
The other chef's rallied around, not being very cognizant of Jiji's explanation. It was hard to remain fully attentive when listening to that stuff for too long. Éclair was not a woman of an extremely long attention span after all.
Nono gasped, "It's a flowerbed under the sea."
It was so beautiful and colorful. Such a place did not seem like a danger zone at all.
Éclair glanced over her shoulder at Jiji, "It got a lot brighter all of a sudden huh? A second ago it looked like black coffee." And yes, she meant black coffee~ again.
"Star Dust River." Jiji's eyes revealed again. "It's a sign its passed through here. Young one. Quite a some time ago."
Granny Chiyo stepped closer to the window and reveled in all of the beauty that was the stardust. "Pretty isn't it? To think that a young fish could leave such graceful light and taste. Like a heavenly river or something." Her voice lowered an octave "I wonder if my son is looking at it as well somewhere."
Her attention turned to the blond chef, and she was all ears. "The reason I joined the backup group's venture into the Gourmet World is because they were talking about the Back World." Her head lowered a bit, "I can't help but think about him; my son. Ever since he was born he'd been hooked up to tubes. 12 years, and finally the day he was released I took him straight to my restaurant to have a meal. But his condition worsened, and he was never able to know the delight of a meal, or the meaning of the word delicious. I just hope to accomplish Ichiryuu's goal, and cook for my son even if just once."
It was strange how a few years ago Éclair refused to shed even a single tear, but now as she grew she didn't mind becoming a blubbering mess. That story hit home, and it made her appreciate all the times she spent eating with those still around and those who've passed on.
"Nothing will stand in my way." The voice of the blond woman stood firm, "No matter what happens, I will bring back Another with me! I'd face 1000 enemies to accomplish this goal, and nothing will sto-"
"What?" Match winced at the blond as her motivational speech ended abruptly.
She'd clear her throat, "Well, there's kind of a giant piece of coral outside that could clearly rip us to shreds. I think it's best that we get out of here. LIKE NOW!"
"Coral King." Jiji glanced. "Yes, it was attracted by the taste left behind by the young Another fish."
Éclair backed away from the window, "Well I'm sure there's a reason he was crowned King, so let's not find out! Please! I just got engaged today! I'd like to live to see my own wedding!"
"So much for fighting 1000 enemies." Vanilla teased.
"You're right Éclair." Jiji hustled her back to the window. "There is a reason for that crown. Along with the members of the Eight Kings, Whale King Moon has 7 Kings you should never approach. They are called the 7 Beasts. Mighty creatures they are, with capture levels over 4000. The ecosystem of this area is maintained due to the power balance of Whale King and the beasts."
"It's not after us though." Nono pointed. "Look."
"Wow." The blond woman rested her hand under her chin, "So there really is a civilization beneath this water?"
"Yes." A voice spoke behind Éclair.
The woman was rattled by the entity's appearance. "Don't look now, but there's a shadow thing behind me." Her voice shook, "If I don't look it's not there, right?"
"Oh hoho, so you can see him too?" Jiji happily spoke, "He is Don Slime; a Food Spirit. Hoho, he was going on about how he really really wanted to come get everyone, an-"
Before Jiji could continue, Don Slime hastily covered his mouth. He put finger to his own mouth as to non-verbally say be quiet.
The Golden Chef's voice lowered, "Well, look at that. You can see the roof of the civilization now. It's right beneath us."
"Were his it?" Éclair whispered. "All I see is this rigged sea floor."
"That's not a rigged sea floor. That's the largest shell fish in the world, Giant Shell. It has an area of 10 million square kilometers, and inside it is area 6's giant civilization, Blue Grill."
The eyes of everyone onboard began to widen as they got sucked in. Even that piece of Coral King was no match for the gravity of this thing. Never in their lives have they seen something so large! Éclair grabbed her sister for stabilization as they entered the continent. She wanted to look away, but at the same time she didn't want to miss anything.
All in an instant the Turtloon surfaced. That was a weird feeling. Surfacing underwater.
"What?!" Éclair hollered.
Jiji slapped a hand to the blond woman's back, "Welcome to the deep-sea gourmet capital, Blue Grill!"