Even though my different stories contain a large array of crossovers, they each follow the theme or style of one of those crossovers. This story will heavily be following Toriko's style, because we're going on a great gourmet adventure! So, let's start with a traditional crossover dump! (Don't worry, most of these characters won't be involved much in the plot. XD)
Cranber Ruins; one day ago
The ruins reeked of rotting breath, pools of acid lurking below them. Augustus von Fizzuras swung the tooth-shaped stalactites with his Licorope, his boots sternly landing on the opposite platform. His explorer's hat protected his dark-blonde head from the ooze drooping from the ceiling. He wore his signature sunglasses, belted blue jeans, and brown explorer's vest that matched his sturdy boots.
Swinging after him was Rawberry Preserves, a white-skinned girl with a poofy black dress and pink hair split into wide bat wings. "Man, your ancestor's temple really stinks." Augustus commented.
"Cranber was the heaviest glutton in New Galaxia." Rawberry replied. "They say this temple reeks of her very scent."
"No wonder Goombella didn't wanna come in here. Hope she's having fun in those other ruins."
The center of the temple possessed a large statue of a troll with a grinning, drooling mouth, and what appeared to be spiked hair protruding around her body. There was a display case of stone cakes under bubble coverings, like you'd see at the store. The cakes were stacked with layers of rectangular slabs. "These are Cranber's Prophetic Pies. They foretell many major events relating to food. I've only ever eaten one… and let's just say that Tents and Mirth could do nothing to stop me~"
"Look." Augustus pointed. "That cake has an egg shape engraved. You think that's the one we're looking for?"
"It's pasta-ble." Rawberry cracked a food pun. "It could tell us something about Gourmerry. First, we need to take the pie to be prepared."
"Why are they called pies when they look like cakes?"
"Because Prophetic Pie sounds sweeter than Propheticake~"
"I… guess? Well, let's take all of them just in case. Now we just need someone to help prepare it."
Current time; Cooking Island (Play "Luncheon Town" from Mario Odyssey!)
At this time every four years, this island on Planet Aquaria was among the most populated in the universe: Cooking Island. Millions and millions of aliens of all species rode here to taste everything the worlds had to offer. It was 200 years ago that Acacia, the greatest Gourmet Hunter in history, founded this island and announced these words: "I wish to feed the whole universe!!"
The greatest chefs in the known universe were invited here to serve food to countless customers. Everything was paid for by the Galaxian Government and Intergalactic Travel costs were very cheap due to the surplus of people wishing to travel here.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's the 50th Cooking Festivaaaaal!" Big Bird announced to the cosmos. The ratings for Intergalactic News always skyrocketed during this wonderful time. "So many BIG STEWS are brewing on this island! So many talented chefs are here! From Planet Earth, he's the finest chef in France, don't let his size fool you, it's REMY the RAT!" A blue-furred rat was shown on camera, waving happily. Beside him was Linguini, a skinny, fluffy-haired man, looking sheepish and awkward. (They're from Ratatouille.)
"From Oceana, he's the finest fry cook under the sea, it's JIM!" Jim was a chubby blue Fishman, smiling boastfully while flipping patties on a shiny grill(from Spongebob). "From Mushroom, the Toad Chef sisters, Tayce T. and Zess T.!" They were two elderly Toads with yellow spots on their shrooms. "Next, the legendary Traveling Chef, known for his recent feat in cooking the Linlin Sacred Cake, Tonio Trussardi!" He was a muscular Italian chef with a sparkling smile (JoJo).
There was Jōichirō Yukihira (from Food Wars), a chef with a cool, stoic expression, shiny but messy brown hair, and a strong build. In one area, he was cooking Japanese Cuisine, while in another, he was preparing French. Konomi Mera, a teenage girl with a school uniform, but pink apron and brown bandanna, was preparing Italian cuisine. Her partner was Gourmet Hunter, Kuroudo Iizuka, with dark-blue hair, a red neckerchief, and a wood-handled hunting rifle on his back. (Both are from Medaka Box.)
A short, round, tan-skinned boy named Teruteru (from Danganronpa) was serving sausages to his classmates. A slender, big-chested, tan-skinned girl named Akane was engulfing most of them. A four-armed, purple-skinned alien named Elzar (from Futurama) was preparing his Neptunian Slug Fricassee, Fish 'n' Chimps, Jarjar Tartare for the Gungans, and his Unnamable Horror from Beyond with Mango Chutney.
"From professional chefs with years of experience to young, high school prodigies, we've invited chefs from everywhere! So, eat! Eat to your heart's content!" Big Bird continued cheerily. "But don't sicken yourselves because the best has yet to come! I speak, of course, of the Gourmet Hunters! Allow me to introduce the champion Gourmet Hunter, you know him, you love him, no beast is a match for his muscles, it's TORIKOOOOOO!"
Steam emitted on a stage as someone rose from beneath it. He was a muscular man with blue hair and an orange spandex jumpsuit, flexing his arms as his muscles made all sorts of shapes. Millions of fangirls and boys began squealing. "So, Toriko, have you any words of encouragement for the competition? Do you think they can make a meal to satiate your unending appetite?!"
"I don't know, but let me tell you this!" Toriko took the mike. "If a plate of food is put in front of me, I won't leave any left even if it kills me!"
"What a champion!! So, would you like to announce the first phase of the festival?"
"You bet!" Toriko faced the masses with a confident smile. "The Cooking Fest will begin with the traditional Gourmet Hunt. I and many brave hunters will scour the universe for many rare and exotic ingredients! They will be brought here and cooked by chefs of our choosing! Of course, those lucky chefs are free to join them on the hunt. Sorry, fellas, but I'm already in a combo. Get up here, Komatsu!"
A scrawny young chef in a traditional white outfit and short black hair scrambled up onstage. One wouldn't guess that he and Toriko were the same age, 29, despite Komatsu being much shorter and almost teenage-like. "So, Komatsu, are you all set for the hunt?"
"I sure am, Toriko! I've cooked enough dishes to last the week! So, where are we going to go?"
"Why, we're going to New Galaxia, of course! A whole new dimension of ingredients ripe for the taking! This year's meals are going to be better than ever! We're gonna feed ALL the starving children!"
"That's right, folks!" Big Bird took the mike back. "As always, the first people to taste the exotic meals at the festival's climax will be the poor and low-income people! We've gathered many from the worlds and many more are waiting at designated soup kitchens!"
"They will not be the FIRST to taste." Spoke a gloomy, British voice. They turned attention to a frail, thin man with a droopy face and black cloak. "That duty falls to us critics."
"What a Big Gruesome visage! It's the Grim Eater, Anton Ego! Famous for putting 150 restaurants out of business with his scathing reviews!"
"Indeed." Ego took the mike, facing directly at the camera to impose fear over all watching. "And no matter how fantastically rare your ingredients are, they will be worthless if they are not welcomed by my tongue."
"Well said, Ego, well said~" sang the voice of a purple, cat-like man with long ears. He had no hair and a thin, bony build, wearing black, blue, and gold Egyptian-like clothing, with white and orange diamond designs. (He's from Dragon Ball.)
"It's Beerus from Secco's Osiris Country!" Big Bird exclaimed. "Also known as the God of Destruction, some say entire countries were destroyed over his displeasure with bad recipes!"
"Um, but those never actually happened, right?" Komatsu asked.
"Relax, it's just a shtick." Toriko smacked his back with a spritely grin. "He's not really a god!"
"Then what about the destruction part?!"
Beerus took the mike from Ego. "God or not, I possess a very divine tongue, and I will not hesitate to destroy any stall that makes me even a fraction of a bit sick."
"Were your tongue so 'divine,' you needn't fear being sickened at all."
Ego retorted. "Your tastes are as aimless as those brutish hunters."
Beerus scowled at the scrawny human. "Well, at least my tastebuds are still in my prime, old man. Big talk when the best you can stomach is that peasant dish."
"Do not dare mock the ratatouille in my presence!" Ego hissed in his face, his lips emphasizing each word. "Or I'll send you the way of Monsieur Boyardee!"
"Personally, I like food that tells a good narrative." said an Indian-American man, using his phone to take pictures of food at a table. "Now, this one is cute and colorful, good for kids, kinda 'meh' if you're an adult. This one tastes like you're watching a soap opera, good at first, but the longer it stays in your mouth, you'd kinda wish it hurries up and goes down."
"Great, it's THIS guy again." Beerus growled.
"Ladies and gents, it's Tom Haverford!" Big Bird introduced (from Parks and Recreation). "Famous for posting food on the Internet with a mini review before actually trying it! He's failed several restaurants solely due to their condiments!"
"That's because this lazy wretch refuses to apply condiments and dipping himself!" Ego stated. "He insists the waiters do so for him."
"Ain't that the waiters' job?" Tom asked. "I ain't their maid!"
"Look, just don't destroy anything before our guests have a chance to taste!" Toriko pled. "It's their job to decide just as much as it is yours!"
"Don't you and those steroid-filled muscles have somewhere else to be?" Ego asked.
"He's right, Komatsu! Our ship is waiting for us! We have new ingredients to hunt!" Toriko lifted his partner and raced through town.
"C-Careful, Toriko-san!"
Beyond the chefs and Gourmet Hunters, the festival naturally attracted a great many famous people. The Mario Bros. were present, with Mario carrying his daughter on his shoulders and Luigi carrying his niece. They were being served soup from a giant pot by Volbonans. "Did you know Mount Volbono has its own Cooking Fest?" Luigi asked. "Of course, that one's annual, and it doesn't attract nearly as many visitors."
"Whoa, the gold turnip is amazing!" Louise cheered. "It feels like a sun's about to erupt in my mouth!"
"GIMME SOME!" Hearing her signature word, Sheila Frantic charged past the Marios, slamming her Sunny Fist against the large bowl. A gush of soup flew out as Sheila caught it in her mouth. "!!!" Sheila flared up from the intense heat and, "YOWCH-OUCH-OUCH AAAAAAHHH!" she began running around and breathing fire.
"You know suns are made of fire, right?" Mason asked. "Not just light."
"I don't think she can hear you, Bro." Haruka replied as Sheila was burning other people.
"I know."
Aisa of Sector W7 was going for a walk on the beach with her boyfriend, Miguel of Sector M, their feet bare as Miguel felt an odd sensation. "This doesn't feel like normal sand…"
"That's because it's rice!" Aisa beamed.
"R-Rice?"
"Yep! This is natural, edible rice!" Aisa scooped some in her hand and chucked it in her mouth. "Delicious!"
"Um…wouldn't it be really dirty from people walking all over it?"
"That's why I took a bath before coming, did you?"
"Yes, but everyone else…" Miguel couldn't finish his sentence before Aisa swallowed another handful. "Sigh…" He couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's wild, carefree nature.
Mocha was carrying her boyfriend, Kaleo Anderson across the streets. With so many people around, it was difficult for the giant to navigate, having to watch every step, especially for the tiny aliens. "Hey! Look over there!" Mocha beamed, spotting a bulky giant with a green beard, a Viking chef hat and spoons along his belt. He was accompanied by a female giant with green, ponytailed hair, tannish skin, and a giant fork-spear. (Both are from One Piece.)
The two giants had plates of cooked lobster and lemons befitting their sizes, as well as a tall hamburger that seemed like a short building. They saw the younger Amazon headed their way with a fascinated smile. "Hello, little one!" the male giant greeted Mocha. "Would you like to try our Sea Animal Churrasco? Made with skewered King Lobster meat cooked directly in a volcano's magma and flavored with volcanic herbs and rare salt crystals."
"That sounds amazing!" Mocha cheered.
"We also have Thousand People Paella." the female giant said, revealing a dish with fried bread and seafood. "It's Dad's best!"
"W-Wait a second!" Kaleo panicked. "Why do you call it that?! Did you cook a thousand people to make it?!"
"NO, NO, we would never!" the Amazon panicked. "It just means it can feed a thousand people! Huh?" She only just seemed to acknowledge the tiny boy. "Oh, I didn't see you there!"
"Haha, this is Kaleo." Mocha laughed. "I'm Mocha, Honorary Amazon!"
"Nice to meet you, Mocha! I'm Lily Enstomach, known for my enormous stomach!"
"And I'm Panz Fry." the male giant introduced. "Heh heh, yes, my daughter is quite the glutton."
"At least I know how to keep in shape." Lily remarked.
"Can I have that burger right there?" Kaleo asked.
"Oh, this is my Mini Mountain Burger." Panz replied. "The patties were cooked with magma as well, but only the biggest and strongest of giants have the stomach to swallow it. A tiny man like you could barely stomach one crumb."
"Well, Leo? You think you can do it?" Mocha asked, setting him on the ground.
"I'm a BIG BOY NOW!" Kaleo immediately blew up to a tremendous size, even larger than the adult giants, pushing Mocha and any surrounding people away. Panz and Lily gaped as Kaleo grabbed the burger as easily as any other and munched half of it in his mouth. "Mmmmm! Tastyyyy!"
"W-What the… You were actually a giant, too?!" Lily exclaimed.
"Hahahaha!" Mocha climbed up on Kaleo's seated leg, looking much smaller than the larger boy. "Leo ate a fruit that allows him to get huge!"
Kaleo effortlessly ate the rest of the burger. "Yah, but when I eat big food like this, I can't shrink back down all the way. BUUUURP! You got any soda?"
The New Years Buffet featured a bunch of cooked food with firecrackers sprinkling them. "Oooo, now this is my type!" Kodama beamed, the pyrotechnician grabbing a skewer with a firecracker at the end and eating the meat pieces off.
"Nyeah, you eat fireworks the same way April eats paint." Chimney remarked.
"Mmmm…this taste is familiar though." Kodama analyzed it. "It tastes like…"
"I just knew I would attract you, Kodama!"
Kodama gasped and about-faced. A taller girl with pale skin, orange eyes, and black- and-white-striped hair was smiling with pride and happiness. She wore a white, lined crop top, black-and-white skirt, and seemed to have mechanical hands and feet. Her belt was loaded with firework shells, she had red horns on her head, and a particular gem lodged below her neck that looked like a necklace.
"Oh my GOSH! Crossette!" Kodama squeezed her acquaintance in a hug, Crossette returning the gesture as sparks sprinkled out from her horns.
"Who the heck is this?" Chimney asked.
"She's a Xenoblade from the Miran KND." Kodama explained. "We met during Meet Your Heroes Day. She's a pro pyrotechnician just like me!"
"But aside from fireworks, I LOVE cooking!" Crossette cheered (she's from Xenoblade). "I've gotten much better than last time, so I decided to set up my own stand at the festival! I had a feeling I would see you here; there's no way Yuzu could resist a Cooking Festival, right?"
"Well, she's actually-"
"Toriko! Toriko, we need you! The Boogey Pirates are coming! They're going to raid the festival!"
A dark ship was seen off the coast, flying Lord Mandy's colors. However, as Aisa narrowed her eyes, examining the short figure on the keel, she could make out Koko's form, posing ecstatically. "I've seen her before… That's Yuzu's student! Hey, it's okay!" Aisa tried to yell at the citizens. "I think they're just here for the-"
"Hold your fire, everyone!" Toriko bellowed. "At Cooking Fest, we don't discriminate even against criminals! As long as their bellies are empty, their appetites roaring, we shall welcome them with open tables! Don't raise your arms unless they raise theirs first!"
"Still, this is quite a change of pace." Big Bird said. "Usually, the Cooking Fest has to fear raids from the Big Mom Pirates, so seeing the Boogeys here is quite unexpected."
"Big Moms or Boogeys, it doesn't matter either way. Cooking Fest has always been protected by the strong and reliable hunters. Why, myself and my three peers can rival the strength of a single Yonko! So, if they attack, you'll have nothing to fear! Tell them why, Komatsu!"
Komatsu pulled out an accordion. "Nooooo ooooone's…" He began to sing:
"STRONG like Toriko, can flex like Toriko! No one's bod as incredibly thick as Toriko!" Toriko lifted two food stands to display his strength, followed by a huge flex. Two huge guys slammed their fists into the hunter, but he didn't flinch at all. "No one HUNTS like Toriko, can chop ROCKS like Toriko!" Toriko raced up to a boulder and chopped it with his hand. "No one can steal hearts quite like Toriko!" He swiped a heart cupcake from a table and tossed it to a female chef named Colette, who glared in disbelief.
"As a specimen, I am EXTRAORDINARY~" Toriko bellowed with a manly voice.
"'Cause no one can beat Torikoooo!"
Disregarding the hunter's show-boding, the other operatives met at the coast as Koko rowed to the beach on a small boat. "Hi, Koko-chan!" Kodama greeted.
"Kodama-san!" Koko beamed. "Mandy-sama let Koko come to the festival! Now she can cook for everyone! Where's Yuzu-san?"
"Well, Yuzu's not here, actually."
"HUH?!" Koko's mouth burst wide. "Why?" (End song.)
GKND H.Q.
"When I was a lad, I ate four dozen eggs, every morning to help me get large!" Toriko juggled that many eggs as they dropped down his throat. "And now that I'm grown, I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a barge!" He climbed onto Kaleo's head and ripped his spandex with a flex of his muscles.
Yuzu Kurosaki was listening to the festival on a small TV in the kitchen, swaying a frying pan as the stir fry surfed up and down. "It's less about cooking and more about Toriko's muscles. Hehe, I wonder if he would make a good addition to this." The stir fry seemed to have tiny, veggie, surfer dudes, surfing the ingredients like waves as Yuzu sloshed them up and down.
Yuzu's short, yellowish-brown hair was tied in twin pigtails. She wore a pink apron over her green sweater, with a yellow shirt underneath that. She had on a skirt with thick pink and white stripes and tall yellow socks going into pink Converse shoes. It was quite casual attire to be wearing in a kitchen, but she was typically dressed as such in the event of a mission or outing with her friends. Not that she expected much here.
"That should be enough!" Yuzu said at last.
After a while, the teenage chef brought the steaming bowl out to Masaru Daimon, the only one occupying a table in the cafeteria. "Here you are! Beached Surfer Fry with Delfinian peppers. Don't worry, they're not sentient creatures!"
Masaru looked over the exhausted veggie surfers. "I'm still gonna pretend that they are!" Masaru grabbed his chopsticks and dug into the bowl, his mouth wide and eager. "Amazing!"
"So, did you enjoy your game?"
"Your friends are really aggressive. I thought Kotoko would put up more of a fight, but she totally let that tiny girl push her around!"
"That's just what happens when you play my teammates." said Karin Kurosaki, entering the mess hall. "So Yuzu, how come you ain't at Cooking Fest?"
"Because we need to keep Gourmerry fed, of course."
"Come on, just let the base staff feed her. We got plenty of ingredients to last her for a week."
"Heck, why not bring her to the festival?" Masaru asked. "She'll have plenty to eat and then some!"
"That's not a good idea." Yuzu said. "There's still a lot we don't know about her. In the presence of too much food, she might go on a rampage. But I'm afraid she'll do the same if she doesn't get quality food. That's why I can't just leave."
"Well, someone's tooting their own horn~" Masaru snickered.
Karin smacked his head. "But he makes a good point. You could blow those other chefs out of the water if you came."
"Nonsense! I know I'm amazing, but I couldn't compete with THOSE chefs! They're, like… Yonko level!"
"You literally trained the head chef of a Yonko crew. She's probably there now."
"I know she is, but…oh!" A timer dinged. "The Cinnamon Desert's ready!"
…
The Cinnamon Desert was vast and easy to lose one's way, due to its shifting, swirling ground and cinnamon grains fluttering about the air. If one could trace the rotating black lines, they would either find the center or the edge of the desert. It's unknown what creatures, if any, wander lost in this desert, but they would meet the same fate nonetheless. A gaping mouth could be seen amidst the cinnamon-blocked sky, looming toward the desert and engulfing every last grain of cinnamon.
The giant cinnamon roll was the size of a pizza, yet Gourmerry compressed it all into her little mouth. "And there it goes…" Yuzu sighed in dismay. "Gourmerry, do you at least appreciate this food? Are you getting the full flavor when you wolf it down like that?"
"Gourmerry…" The creature said cluelessly.
Gourmerry's upper body was shadowy with pink eyes. She wore a salad crown with tomatoes, a three-layer cake dress with vanilla icing over light-brown dough, and little banana legs underneath. Her long hair resembled clean, golden spaghetti. The infant-size spirit was born not long ago, but she had been contained in this little playroom for most of that time. Knowing that she possessed Linlin blood and could break out into an immense craving, there was no telling how much destruction she could cause if left unfed.
Yuzu had spent most of her time on H.Q. for the sake of feeding the spirit, but it appeared to be an endless task. There was almost nothing that could fulfill this creature's appetite. What if the universe ran out of ingredients before she was full? Yuzu grew more worried every day, and she was dismayed in having to miss Cooking Fest because of it.
"Hey, Yuzu." Jinta Hanakari walked in. "That Augustus guy and one of those trolls are looking for you. They need help making something, I think."
"Huh? Okay…" Curious, Yuzu returned to the cafeteria.
Augustus had finished his lollipop and tossed the stick into a trashcan. "August'n, is it truthfully possible to eat yonder stone?" asked O-Tama, standing on a table seat and looking over the Prophetic Pie. Her purple hair in a bun, the Japanese Historian was wearing a green robe with orange puff designs, patches, and orange sandals.
"Well, Nel could probably eat it, but I doubt that'll give her the right taste."
"There she is!" Rawberry beamed when Yuzu and her team walked in. "You're just the chef I wanted to see! Please tell me you have more of those bats~"
"Is that all you want?"
"No it's not!" August shouted. "Show her the pie, Rawberry."
"Ah, right. Here, Yuzu, cook this." Rawberry grabbed and dropped the stone cake in Yuzu's hands, the chef tilting forward on one foot before regaining balance.
"Uh, I think I need some proper instruction here, hehe."
"This is Prophetic Pie, something my ancestor made. It's made of stone now, but it'll become edible once we prepare it." Rawberry withdrew a light-brown squeeze bottle. "But this is the hard part. You have to squeeze this ink icing into the egg shape. It's supposed to seep down into the cake in the shape of text. Then you have to cook it at 1,500 degrees Celsius for exactly one minute."
"That's gonna be too hot to eat!" Jinta exclaimed.
"Well, we can't really eat solid stone." Yuzu shrugged. "Okay, let's do this." She carried the cake into the kitchen, the group following. After setting it on the table, she borrowed the squeezer from Rawberry.
"Hold on!" the troll cautioned. "It's actually trickier than it sounds. You can't squeeze too much ink into one area or too little. You have to be real precise when you squeeze it into the crevices and maintain a consistent squeeze."
"You mean in that whole intricate shape?" Augustus asked, noting the unique designs within the egg. "What happens if we screw up?!"
"We're screwed~" Rawberry's tongue hung out.
"SERIOUSLY?!"
"Just be quiet for a second." Yuzu stated, the squeezer clasped in both hands as she held it over the cake. …Her fingers carefully compressed as the ink flowed out of the container. The second it began flowing, Yuzu began moving it precisely over the egg design. She followed a route within the inner designs wherein she wouldn't tread back over previous areas, nor would she have to stop squeezing. Augustus studied her intently, unwrapping the next lollipop. By the time she loosened her grip, each part of the egg was evenly distributed with ink.
Once Yuzu was done, she placed the cake into the oven. They could feel the immense heat as she turned it up to 1,500 Celsius. Yuzu mentally counted for 60 seconds… but once at 50 seconds, she quickly donned her oven mitts, opened the oven, pulled the cake out, and set it on top. "I accounted for the time it would take to actually get the cake out. Never forget the after-heat."
The top of the cake was vanilla covered with layers of chocolate underneath. Yuzu grabbed a paper fan and gently waved to cool the cake down. Once it was cool enough, she cut the first slice out. "When reading a book, you have to start from the beginning of the text and work your way to the end, right?"
"Y…Yes!" Rawberry beamed. "Once you eat it, the knowledge inside it will appear in your brain. If you don't eat it in the right order, the information comes in scattered fragments and it's harder to understand. But how did you know that?"
"Well, I just felt that I had to eat this corner first. I assumed that was the reason."
"Wow… that's pretty impressive." Augustus said.
"But if it works like that," Karin replied, "then we couldn't really share the cake."
"That stinks." Jinta followed. "I mean, ain't that too much for one person?"
"Actually, the text is distributed evenly amongst these twelve segments." Yuzu swiftly divided the cake with her knife. "Start from this top-left corner, then the bottom-left, top-right, bottom, then repeat the process on the next layer."
"You knew that, too?!" Rawberry exclaimed. "Did I know that?! Honestly, the last one I ate, I just munched it like crazy."
"In that case, let's hurry up and eat!" Jinta cheered. "We can save some for Ururu and Kodama, too."
Augustus gave a slice to Tama, the group eating the cake in the instructed fashion (though Tama was still not used to using a fork). As they savored each bite, the taste spreading on their tongues, knowledge spread into their minds.
When the Gourmet Demon awakens, a feast will be thrown to celebrate its arrival. The feast shall go for seven days, and upon its conclusion, nothing shall be left behind. Who can satisfy the beast's everlasting lust?
"Man, that is some weird-ass cake." Jinta commented.
"So, I'm guessing you got that, too?" Karin asked.
"Wherefore doth talk of demons appear in Tama's head?" Tama asked.
"This Gourmet Demon…" Augustus spoke. "It must be talking about Gourmerry."
"That's awfully rude of Cranber to call my sweet Gourmerry a demon!" Rawberry huffed.
"But this seven day feast… the Cooking Fest is supposed to go for seven days!" Yuzu realized. "Is it saying that Gourmerry's going to eat everything on the last day?"
"Then we'd better keep her in that cell." Karin suggested.
"But if this is a prophecy, there's no telling she'll stay in there even if we try." August replied. "Or maybe she will. The future is never set in stone, after all. Either way… is keeping her locked away really the best future?"
"Normally, I'd say yes, but Gourmerry honestly hasn't done anything, right?" Jinta asked. "Yuzu has to slave away up here, but we don't even know if she gets crazy cravings."
"All the Newborn we met so far have been hostile in some way." Karin inferred. "So, of course we're assuming the same of Gourmerry, especially since she's a Linlin."
"Here's what I'm saying." August began, putting his lolli back in. "The Linlins suffer those kinds of cravings, right? The Big Mom Pirates got them all the time, but the Commanders kicked those cravings. Every major member of the crew was a Gourmet Hunter, and they all had one of these." The captain withdrew a list of eight items.
Hors d'oeuvre: Galactic Corn (Florae Galaxy)
Soup
Fish: Great Marlin (Earth's ocean)
Meat
Main
Salad
Dessert: Sea-salt Ice Cream Cake (North Pole, Aquaria)
Drink: Everbubble Fizz (Fizzle-Fizzle Ruins, Earth)
"A Full Course Menu?" Yuzu observed. "Yeah, Gourmet Hunters have stuff like that."
"Yeah, but the Linlins who could create and eat their own Full Course would no longer suffer cravings. I'll bet the same applies to Gourmerry."
"You mean we just have to make recipes with these eight types and serve them to her? But I've already cooked tons of these different meals."
"Maybe serve her one of each in a row?" Karin guessed. "Is that the secret?"
"I suppose that's one way." August figured, pulling out the barren lolli stick. "You don't really have to hunt for the exotic ingredients, so long as you had the right ingredients right here."
"Hmmm…" Yuzu pondered this for a moment. It was true that even simple recipes could still be valuable and delicious. The problem is Gourmerry wasn't picky at all between the different foods. She acted like they were all the same to her. Would feeding her a specific order of types really change anything?
"It's time to bid our great hunters a safe voyage! Let's prey for a wonderful feast to come! See what I did there? I hope you have captions on, because that was a clever pun if I do say so myself~"
The group faced the mini TV.
Aquaria
The Gourmet Hunters and their chosen companions were boarding spaceships to begin the great hunt. Konomi was going with Kuroudo and Panz Fry was going with his daughter, Lily. Chef Kawasaki was going with a round, yellow creature called Pac-Man.
"What I don't get is why they're hunting now." Chimney said, eating some fried, firework dough. "Shouldn't they have hunted before the party?"
"The time constraint makes the hunt more exciting, Chimney!" Aisa beamed.
"But they still coulda did it before! Why do we have to wait seven days for the best parts?!"
"This only happens every four years, so having the festival last a week seems like a fair course." April inputted, the artist eating some Prisma Pudding.
One of the hunters was Menchi, a 21-year woman with turquoise hair in five knots, a black bra with a mesh shirt over it, and blue ripped shorts with tall high-heeled shoes. Behind her was Buhara, a rotund giant with a hanging belly under his yellow shirt, green pants, and bare feet.
"Excuse me, Lady Menchi!" The woman looked as Teruteru approached her with a lush brown turkey. "I was wondering if you'd love to try my turkey. It's nice and juicy so even a thin little thang like you can swallow it~"
"Mmm, I love turkey!" Buhara said.
"No thanks." Menchi denied. "I'm more in the mood for sushi."
"Well, I may not look it, but I'm an excellent fisher. I got the finest rod this side of West Azabu. That big guy's a hunter, too, ain't he, not really a chef? Then you gonna need someone to grill them fish up~"
"Nah nah, you're doing it all wrong, buddy." Vweeb poked out of Menchi's top knot.
"GYAH?!" Menchi yelped in fright as the Kateenian dropped down and grabbed the front tuft of Teruteru's hair, hanging by his eyes.
"Look, it's cool to brag about your dishes and all, but don't forget the lady is more important. Her strong diet has given her a gorgeous physique, and one can feel the energy neatly coursing in those trim legs. The knots in her hair give her a wild impression, meaning she's not afraid to express herself, as evidenced by her choice in clothing. Her little bellybutton is a great highlight of her cute personality, though~"
"You can tell that much?!" the short chef asked in awe. "You have to teach me your ways!"
"BOTH OF YOU GET AWAY!" Menchi whipped her foot and kicked the boys away like bouncy balls.
"Well, there's another one for Vweeb's secret club." Arianna sighed. "I'll wait until he has enough members before I squish them."
"You go, girl." Melody remarked, high-fiving the alien.
GKND
Seeing the hunters board their ships, a realization began to form within Yuzu. "…You know something, I don't think I've ever hunted for my own ingredients. I've always had them brought to me. Why do you think those hunters go to so much trouble to find such rare materials all to enjoy a good meal?"
"Because adults are stupid?" Karin asked.
"There's more to it than that! Hard work, curiosity, desire, there are all kinds of things that go into a meal besides the recipe itself! These hunters are driven by a desire to work hard and seek all the greatest tastes in the universe! The excitement of the hunt leads to a grumbling belly and a rewarding meal!"
"Now you're speaking the words of a true hunter~" Augustus smirked.
"Haven't you only been a hunter for, like, a week?" Jinta asked.
"I've been hunting since I was a squirt! Before, it was only candy, but I still got the experience."
"Even so, I think I understand what Gourmerry really needs. Come on, let's go to her." Yuzu marched assuredly out of the cafeteria. The group passed by Bender on the way out, the robot looking their way curiously.
They returned to the holding chamber, finding the Firstborn suckling on a letter block. "Gourmer?" She perked up when they entered.
"Gourmerry… we're taking you on a Gourmet Hunt!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Karin expressed. "I don't know if taking her out of here is a good idea."
"But I think it's the only way. We need to prepare her a meal that she can really look forward to, one we can build up with the excitement of an adventure! An adventure that will leave her so satisfied that she'll long for nothing else!"
"Alright, then let's call Sheila up." Karin joked.
"A tempting thought, but we already have the right explorer for the job." Yuzu faced up at the man in question. "Augustus… I want to join the Great Gourmet Hunt, and I want you as my partner."
Augustus smiled charmingly. "There's always room for another lady-friend in my cavalcade~"
"Ew, don't get the wrong idea! You're too old for me!"
"Relax, I'm just teasin'. But it's a deal!" Augustus clutched Yuzu's hand and shook.
"A mission with Augustus?" Karin questioned. "Alright, Jinta, let's get Ururu and Kodama."
"You guys don't have to come." Yuzu said.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed the friends.
"I mean, it's not like this is a real KND mission! You guys should stick around in case a real mission comes up. But this is something I have to do as a chef."
"So, what? A month ago, we were pretending to be pirates, why can't we suddenly become Gourmet Hunters just the same?"
"Well, think of it this way: when we find the perfect Full Course for Gourmerry, I wanna share it with you guys, too. So, think of this as a surprise meal!"
"Fine, Yuzu." Karin cracked a smirk. "We'll let you have the glory. But if you get in over your head, I want you to call us."
"It's a promise, Nee-chan!"
"And since Gourmerry is coming with us… that's your job, Tama!" Augustus pulled out a baby strap and used it to attach Gourmerry to Tama's back. "As Junior Babysitter, you're responsible for caring for the little sweetie!"
"O-Tama wilt not let thee down, August'n!" the child saluted. "Gourmerry-chan, if thou behavest, thou shalt be awarded dango treats!" She popped a piece of dango off her cheek and passed it back to Gourmerry.
The spirit bit and chewed the dango. "…Gourmerry!" She perked up brightly.
"Huh?! Her body is made of dango?" Yuzu asked.
"Yeah, Tama accidentally ate a Devil Fruit." Augustus reminded.
"Oh. …Where did you say she was from?"
"O-Tama hails from Historia!" she responded.
"Ahem, maybe you should keep that to yourself, Tama…" August replied awkwardly.
"Hold on," Karin began, "isn't taking Historians off their planet illegal? …And feeding her a Devil Fruit on top of that?"
"Let's agree to disagree. So, Yuzu, you ready to go? We'd better hurry if we wanna find eight rare ingredients in seven days."
"Yeah. Let's ship off immediately!"
"You got it! Luckily, I already have an expert helmswoman onboard. I'm sure she won't mind missing the festival a little."
…
Haylee Gilligan finished refueling the Ace Hunter ship just as she saw her captain return. "Yuzu? And… is that Gourmerry?!"
"Haylee?" Yuzu asked. "What are you doing with Augustus?"
"He wanted me to go with him to New Galag. And my explorer senses tell me we're about to go on a quest."
"You don't feel up to it?" August asked.
"No, of course I do!" Haylee beamed. "It's just Sheila's going to kill me for adventuring with a different captain. …Again."
"If that's the worst we gotta worry about, then it's smooth sailing."
Unknown hideout
A cowardly pink dog was whimpering as he pulled the cooked dodo out of the oven. He seemed to withdraw a fan from his body as he blew it over the dodo to cool it down. The dog jumped when the ground quaked. "What's takin' so long, ya stupid dog?!" Shivering in fright, he turned and faced up at a giant robot with skinny arms and legs, but bulky hands, boots, body, and a head with a long, pointed chin. "If you don't hurry up with my meal, I'll mince YOU up, ehk kek kek!"
"AWAA!" The dog hurriedly tried to cool the dodo faster.
"Eustace! EUSTACE!" A brown-haired woman dressed like a queen with a crown and white dress stormed into the room. "You stole my DODO!"
"Victoria, this dang dodo's been sittin' in your freezer for six stinkin' years!"
"I only just got my appetite for it! How DARE you steal my bird!" Victoria whipped out two butcher knives and leapt to strike Eustace, the mech combatting her with long claws.
"Hek kek kek! This Mechon technology is the bee's knees, I tell ya!"
"Victoria, calm yourself." A short-sized chef walked into the room. He had a large hat and thin mustache, speaking in a French accent. "Zere are plenty of dodos out zere. Well, perhaps not. Heh heh heh…"
"What are you idiots still doing here?" A man with black attire, a red vest with dark Pokéballs, and a yellow mask that matched his boots marched in. "The others have already gone. The boss'll be pissed if we don't meet our quota."
"Always so impatient, Iron Mask." The chef sighed.
"Here, eat some of this Miltank meat, Skinner." Iron Mask dropped a hunk of pink meat for the little chef. "Maybe you'll grow a little."
Skinner ate off a piece of the deceased Pokémon. "Mmm! Very milky!"
GKND
Bender stepped into the empty kitchen. The TV was still playing the Cooking Festival. "Seems GKND is without a reliable chef. 'Guess it's up to me: Bender!"