The Marzipan Pirates returned to the ship, taking turns with baths and showers after that mission. "We're really going back to New Galaxia?" Yuzu asked.
"I mean, the two of us already went there recently." Haylee replied. "But it is quite tasking, I'll admit."
"It's almost been a year since I've gone there. Well, a year and a universe's lifetime, I guess. And it's not like I had a good experience the first time, so it would be pretty nice."
"Um, what is New Galaxia?" Kohaku asked.
"It's a vast dimension unlike anything in our own!" Augustus answered grandiosely. "A realm where waterfalls are bigger than planets, where planets are as flat as paper, and paper… has as much as a planet, I guess! It's a place of countless wonders that only the luckiest could get to see!"
"That sounds so cool!" Kipo exclaimed. "I wanna see this place!"
"Will Suika see a melon the size of a planet?!"
"Thou shalt see more wonders than that!" Tama exclaimed.
"WHAT?! You've been to New Galaxia, Tama?!"
"She hast! O-Tama saw butterflies flying in a colorful cloud, and worlds in the shape of shoes and combs! But August'n wouldst not let me see any of them!" She puffed her cheeks in anger.
"We were on a mission, Tama!" August reminded. "If we get sidetracked by everything in New Galaxia, we'd never get anywhere!"
"It sounds like you're talking about a fantasy." Kohaku chuckled. "But considering the things I've seen on this adventure… I can't help but feel excited. I have to see this place!"
"Um…about that." The captain tilted his head down. "I'm wondering if it would be better to part ways here."
"WHAAAAAT?!" He shirked at his friends' combined screams.
"I'll only be taking my official crewmen. Yuzu, Haylee, the brats… but I can't guarantee we'll be coming back before the festival. You guys deserve to see it."
"How could you talk up a cool-sounding place and decide to kick me off?!" Tressa asked angrily.
"O-Tama canst come, too… right?" Tama pled.
"Don't you wanna see the festival?"
"I dost, but… I wisheth to go with August'n."
"Captain, they make a good point." Haylee replied. "The main reason we're going there… is because that's where the Gourmet Boss is, right? Not just to find a Main dish for Gourmerry. We don't know how dangerous this guy is. Having a lot of friends with us is the safest option."
"It's because it could be dangerous that I don't want to bring everyone. Not, yet."
"I say we accept his offer and go to the festival!" Wolf declared. "I mean, c'mon, Kipo, we still need to ask GKND to help with our problem."
"Then why are we going to a festival?" Benson asked.
"B-Because, we…" Wolf blushed as she tried to think of a response.
"Because the festival has a certain musicbender who could help you." Yuzu smiled.
"Wait, what did you mean by 'Not, yet'?" Tressa asked.
"Gourmet Corp. might attack the festival." Augustus answered. "Sure, the KND are already there, but you guys can be ready, too. It should be about late in the 4th day, but my plan is to come back by the 6th night. If you don't see me by then… you'll know something is up. Meet up and get off the island. Try to contact us."
"Hmm…" Kohaku bowed her head. "I would've liked to come, but… by now, Senku could be waiting for us at the festival."
"Suika can't decide which sounds funner!" The melon head cried. "Lots of food or a magical world!"
"August'n, O-Tama is part of thine crew!" Tama cried and folded her hands. "Please let her join thee again! O-Tama wisheth to find yonder ultimate dish, and be thither when thou crushest the villain!"
Augustus sighed. "Please, Tama… go enjoy the festival. You are my crewmate, but I want you to have fun and make friends. It only comes around every four years."
"O-Tama plans to live a long time!!"
"Even so… you should appreciate the rare things when they come." August smiled. "We have infinite time to explore New Galaxia later… so, I want you to enjoy the festival now."
"But wherefore canst thou cometh, tooooooo?!" The child began to cry and tug on his vest.
"Because I'm a grown-up with responsibilities. Doesn't mean I'll keep my kid from having fun."
"Sniffle…sniffle…" Tama's big purple eyes were like puddles.
Tressa rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yeah, well… you better make that promise for all of us. You owe us all a trip to New Galaxia after this."
"Why, you planning to come back~?"
"I dunno, don't you like me onboard?"
"Er, sure I do. It's just you don't really have to…"
"Well, there's still something I wanna talk to you about, anyway."
"Yeah?"
"But if you wanna find out what, you have to come back alive." Tressa winked.
"Uh…"
"Hm hm!" Kohaku snickered. "You know, Augustus, you always talk a pretty big game, even though you're nothing like Senku. So, if you're worth putting up with, then you'd better come back and take us on that trip. Suika, too." She jabbed a finger at him. "You really hurt her feelings."
"It's true…" Suika wept.
"Far be it from me to upset a gorilla like you. It's a promise, Kohaku." And he shook her hand with a wry smirk.
". . . ." As her cold expression would indicate, he knew exactly what he did. In the next second, Augustus was gasping for breath in the lock of Kohaku's arm. Unable to tug it off, he had to elbow her, earning laughs from their friends.
"Hello, everyone." Jerome entered the ship. "Rawberry and Macarona will be arriving shortly. If you're preparing to sail to New Galaxia, you should… Augustus, are you all right?"
The captain was gasping on the floor at Kohaku's feet. "Yeah, got ya. Just get them out of here…"
The divided group was set to board a fixed GKND ship. Just as they were preparing to leave, a bat-like ship was arriving in the hangar. Rawberry Preserves stepped out and crossed to the Ace Hunter, alongside Macarona, a brown-haired angel with a green knife-pleated skirt with red Cross prints, and red argyle stockings.
"Howdy, girls." Augustus greeted. "You been enjoying the festival?"
"Rawberry was enjoying it too much." Macarona shuddered.
"You should broaden your appetite, Maccy." Rawberry teased. "So, how's my little Gourmerry?"
"Gourme!" cheered the spirit.
"We've nearly completed her Full Course." Yuzu said. "We hope to find a Main dish in New Galaxia. But…" She explained the matter regarding…
"The Gourmet Boss, huh? If he's really that big a foodie, it's no sur-fries he's there. All the top hunters go to New Galaxia, even without guides. Some even call it the Gourmet World."
"Yeah." Macarona followed. "Even in-between Cooking Festivals, hunters are always exploring our dimension. King Kcalb sometimes gets annoyed with it, heh. But how would we even find the Boss?"
"We'll just search for Gourmerry's Main dish first." Augustus said. "An amazing food is bound to attract the top gourmets, right?"
"You're going to have to be more specific than that." Rawberry inferred. "Our world has endless amazing foods!"
New Galaxia
The shadowed man lay on the comforting bed. He was so at ease… so peaceful… that he lost track of the time. He wasn't sure how long he lay.
"…" With footsteps to break the silence, he sat up and viewed down the stairs. "You've found me… Licorice."
"I have Zebra to thank for that." Lord Licorice replied. "No matter how far you fly, you cannot escape his ears."
"I've found what I needed in this world." The Boss stood and lifted the bed on one arm. "Since you're here, you can take it for me. I'll be grabbing a few more bites before I return."
The man who was a foot taller than Licorice dropped the bed at his Number 2's side. Licorice molded lots of melted candy to form a giant hand and lift the bed. "Sir, I wanted to tell you something." Licorice traipsed after the Boss. "The agents have been having problems with a band of pirates, led by Augustus von Fizzuras. That little rat has been hunting for the festival and stealing all our-"
"There are many strong hunters out there. I didn't expect you to seize all of them. Why should I be worried over one pirate?"
"Because he's no different from those irksome Kids Next Door! If not for him, the World Government would've won! Andrew would still be alive!"
"Licorice…" The Boss turned to the scrawnier, armored man. "I promised I would destroy the Kids Next Door. It has always been my desire to. Especially for my subordinates. All I ask for now is patience."
"But that's not the only problem. Augustus has a spirit with him. Iron Mask says it's a Firstborn. A Firstborn made of food! Do you realize what a threat that poses?"
"A Firstborn…?" The Boss viewed up at the sky with a smile. "Yes… that does pose quite a treat."
"I said 'threat,' not 'treat'!"
"It's always been my dream to dine on gods… and that day will come soon. For now, I have to return. Until next time, Licorice." The Boss tied his seven-pronged fork to his hand and hurled it with terrific speed. It pulled the Boss up with it as he flipped to stand on the fork like a surfboard. It whooshed across the galaxy, piercing cleanly through the stars.
Gate of Time
The Ace Hunter sailed to the Great Clock in the center of the universe (give or take 50 feet). Within its core stood the Time Gate, the vast, swirling portal that led to the realm of wonders. As they flew into the gate, they took a moment to pay their respects to the gravestones by the gate.
For the next few minutes, their ship was enveloped by the dizzying vortex. Then, they exploded out of the vortex, surrounded by a swarm of large, black bugs. Their behinds were bloated with white, flashing, swirly lights inside them, and they had clueless-looking expressions. "Oh, it's a firefly swarm from Planet Indo!" Rawberry beamed. "Let's grab a quick bite!"
"Not now, Rawberry!" Macarona yelled.
"I've never eaten bug before." Augustus said with a stroke of his chin. "Probably because I'm not a frog. So, what kind of ingredients would you say are good game to hunters? Where should we start our journey?"
"Let's talk about that after we're away from these bugs!" Haylee stated.
The pilot steered the ship far from the fireflies and toward a river of milky, white and blue stars. She landed on that river and allowed its current to carry them for a while. "So, what about the Space Kraken at the Galactic Sea?" Rawberry suggested.
"Ah yeah, I remember that thing." Augustus smiled. "Wouldn't mind it for my own Meat dish...eh, but not sure for Gourmerry though. Plus, we already encountered a giant squid..."
"Wanna visit the Land of Wrath and Angels?" Macarona asked with a smile.
"Angels? Is that like your homeland?" Haylee asked.
"No, I'm from Gray Garden. But it is our ancestral homeland. The entire planet is monochrome-colored, with shining castles, courts, and all kinds of medieval architecture. The castles have ancient buffets filled with extremely old food. Old, but still fresh. That's because of a force of Time Chi that stops things from aging."
"Hear that, Captain?" Stewie asked. "You can just live on that planet until Tama is old enough to marry you."
"Now I am glad she didn't come." Augustus remarked.
"But if we go there," Rawberry replied, "we'll have to deal with the Wingless Serpents that inhabit the castles. Believe me, those things are monsters."
"Then it sounds just like the kind of place the Boss would be."
"Okay, but like where?" Haylee questioned. "That's still a whole world, I think. How big are the planets in this universe? Like, can you really dedicate a whole planet to one topographical feature?"
"This is why we're better off finding an ingredient rather than the actual Boss." Yuzu inferred. "But now that I think about it, aren't the Gourmet Elite 4 supposed to be hunting here as well? Besides Zebra, I guess."
"I half-expect to see him here." August figured.
"But do you think they would be attacked by Gourmet Corp. agents as well? The same way Iizuka and Mera were supposedly attacked? And if that's true, shouldn't the New Galaxian KND or somebody know about that?"
"We can't keep track of every little thing that happens in our dimension!" Rawberry said. "Even on our own planets, we're not all-knowing like some…hey, that might be a possibility."
"What's a possibility?"
"You remember the Universe Frog, don't you?"
"Ah, yeah." Yuzu scratched her head in confusion. "I don't completely understand it, but I think I remember."
"Planet Froast wasn't the only world that produced such a thing. They exist all over the place on Planet Fray."
"The frick?" inquired Augustus.
"The Land of Rays and Frogs, as a more memorable name." Macarona noted.
"Okay, but are you saying there's more of those things? Those gigantic frogs that can make universes?!"
"I think the frogs on this world are a weaker variety. But, I guess if you repeated the same process, you'd get the same result…" Macarona smiled awkwardly at the potential danger. "Not that the gods would just go along with it…"
"It's because they're a weaker variety that they couldn't just make a full new universe." Rawberry corrected. "All they possess are smaller, weaker universes. Weak, but still good to eat~"
"I see… Maybe that would make a good Main dish."
"You think so, Captain?" Haylee asked.
"I mean, didn't the Newborn only show up because of the New Big Bang? Even though Gourmerry was born at a later date, but all the same. Perhaps the taste of a Universe Frog would remind us of the sweet taste of having that mission accomplished. Maybe it would remind Gourmerry of being born all over again."
"Gour…merry?" The spirit was unsure what they were talking about.
"Then let's give it a try!" Yuzu agreed with enthusiasm. "Our first potential Main dish will be a Universe Frog!"
"Gourmeeeeee!" But she was nonetheless excited! (Play "Aurora Area" from Kirby's Return to Dreamland!)
The crew decided to collect some of the Milky Stars from the river they were sailing on. Afterwards, they sailed the wondrous expanse of the Incipisphere, baring sight to a planet shaped like a doughnut, a mass of lava set on a floating ice cream cone, and a distant part of space that resembled pixels.
Within half an hour, they were approaching a planet that was almost completely blue with ocean, with millions of tiny dots of light decorating the surface. As they entered this world's atmosphere, those lights became distinguishable as rays piercing from the surface. There were few islands scattered about the sea, and most of them were lush green hills of grass. Some of those hills looked like small volcanoes.
"According to legend," Macarona began, "there are a countless number of tiny, parallel dimensions that are created every minute. They're so small that they get quickly snuffed out by the bigger universes. These frogs are born whenever such a world is created. Even among smaller worlds, some are bigger than others, and that's why those rays are different sizes."
"So, those rays are the frogs." Haylee had already assumed.
"Do we just have to swim underwater and collect one?" Yuzu asked.
"If you just swim underneath," Rawberry answered, "one of the frogs will snatch you on their tongue and eat you up, swallowing you into another dimension."
"Gulp!"
"Fortunately, I think we are in luck to collect some. Look! The fireflies are catching up!" She pointed to the distant sky, indicating a swarm of lights buzzing down.
"Those flies from before?" Augustus asked.
"They migrate from Indo to this world, attracted by the lights. When they do, the frogs emerge from the sea to catch them. That will be our chance to catch the frogs in turn. But if we fly this ship too close, the flies will be scared away. We'll have to do a bit of walking and swimming."
"B-B-But we'll just get eaten if we go in the water!" Macarona panicked.
"It should be safe if we're just on the surface or a few feet down. I think."
"That's not reassuring!"
"Let's just hop to it!" Augustus cheered. "Get it, 'cause frogs! Haylee, we'll call you and the tykes once we're done! Gourmerry, get ready to eat like the French!"
"Gourmerry!"
Menu 8: Lesser Universe Frog
Recipe: Capture the best-looking frog from the sea!
Rawberry and Macarona used their wings to carry August and Yuzu down to the first island. They trekked down the hill and jumped across a group of smaller platform-hills. From that point, they had to swim to the next islands, but rays of light shone up along that portion of sea. "I recommend not swimming over those." Rawberry said. The group nodded and began to swim, navigating around the lights. Some of them would randomly appear, prompting the hunters to stop and maneuver around them. Once past the lights, they could climb onto a hilltop platform.
Some fireflies were fluttering their direction, and were about to fly over some rays leading toward a higher platform. "Hey, we can catch some frogs now!" Yuzu beamed.
"You're just gonna catch the first frogs you see?" Rawberry asked.
"She's got a point." August replied. "We should try to find the largest frog we can. One big enough to serve to all our friends. For now, they'll make good platforms."
When fireflies flew over the lights, the frogs jumped out. These Universe Frogs were yellow and light-green, with neon scales and planets seen within their stomachs. The frogs chomped the flies, but the Marzipans jumped up them while they were airborne. They landed atop a very steep hill, then had to jump to corresponding, smaller hills; their steepness would cause the explorers to slip into the sea should they miss. From the last hill, they could jump onto the side of a volcano-like hill. They climbed to the crater and viewed across the sea.
"Whoa, look at that huge light over there!" Yuzu pointed at the shimmering spire in the distance. "Would that frog be good to eat?"
"It's a good candidate." Rawberry nodded. "I see another cave down there, too. We can probably get there through here." With that, the team dove into the crater and splashed into a pond in a cavern. They climbed to the surface and crossed over to a flowing river. Lilipads were flowing across, and they were buoyant enough to carry the crew as they jumped them. There were Piranha Plants on the sides and ceiling, and would lash frog-like tongues if they were close by. They jumped and maneuvered around the lilipads, which would pour down a waterfall into an abyss. Before that could happen, they jumped to grab a vine wall hanging above the waterfall.
They climbed onto a safe foothold, overlooking a trench with waterfalls pouring from either end. Rays shone from those falls, and flies were entering from the cavern's exit. The frogs would jump out, eat them, and plummet into the chasm. The Marzipans leapt to bounce those frogs before their fall, a nerve-wrecking venture that fortunately landed them on the safe foothold. They trekked up a slope that led out of the mouth of the tunnel they had seen from the crater.
They were set to cross a passage between two larger hills, almost like a valley within the ocean. The explorers swam to reach the next series of hills, avoiding the rays that shimmered up without warning. They climbed atop a small platform, then jumped to a medium one. Augustus jumped to the next tall hill—a soundwave struck out of nowhere and destroyed the top of that hill. "AAAH!" Augustus leapt back in panic.
"We-he-hell! I came here following a familiar sound… and another familiar sound comes, too!" (Play "Mysterious Invaders" from Kid Icarus!)
The voice echoed from the large hill to the left. Despite its distance and its source appearing very small, they could make out the magenta hair and orange tank-top that belonged to, "ZEBRA!"
"But the timing couldn't be better! Now I can take that Firstborn for myself!" He bellowed another wave at their platform, but Yuzu whipped up her frying pans to bounce the sound away.
"Hurry!" Augustus grabbed Yuzu's hand to quickly jump to the broken hill, and from there jump to smaller ones. Rawberry and Macarona flew to engage the Elite Hunter, prompting Zebra to direct his waves at them. August and Yuzu had to bounce more frogs leaping out of the water. At one point, there were two rays, but only the left frog jumped out—it was blasted by Zebra's wave, but it was then that the right frog jumped out, and they had time to redirect and bounce it before continuing on. They landed atop a tall, steep hill, quickly sliding down before Zebra could blast them off.
From there, they swam in the sea, staying left to avoid the cluster of rays to their right. However, Zebra's soundwaves created sea waves that threatened to push them into the rays. They could hide behind hills that would block these waves, after which Zebra would have to focus attention again on Rawberry and Macarona. August and Yuzu kept swimming during these breaks, drawing closer to the giant ray.
They arrived at an island that was longer and looked like a snaky tent. They could climb up on the end, but had to carefully balance along the humped top. Zebra blasted ahead of them, Augustus halting himself and Yuzu as chunks of the hill's spine blew off. Once at the end, they slid down the hill and jumped more platforms across the sea. There was a circle of platforms around the area where the ray was shining from. The larger fireflies were swarming over the ray as a giant tongue was whipping out of the water to catch them. "Captain, how are we going to catch this frog with—AAAH!" Yuzu was interrupted as Zebra's wave blew them down.
"You came a long way for a couple of amateurs." Zebra said as he marched up to them. Rawberry and Macarona had been left weakened on the hill where he was previously stationed. "Tell me something… what are you doing for that little Firstborn? Will feeding her a Universe Frog awaken some sort of latent power?"
As Augustus tried to form an answer, the water within the ray began rising. The eyes of a huge frog emerged from the sea, its head slowly following as it focused on the flashing flies in the sky. "Grrr…tell me where the Boss is." Augustus demanded as he stretched back up on his legs. "I know he's somewhere in this dimension!"
"And what're you planning to do? Take him out to coffee? Listen, kid, this is your last warning: don't mess with the Boss. You're only gonna regret it."
"I fought with one of the Four Emperors, Queen Sherry herself! Whoever your Boss is, I'll kick his ass, and I'll kick yours, t-" He swung a kick at Zebra to make his point, only for Augustus to suffer a stronger kick and fly 20 yards across the platforms.
Zebra leapt over Yuzu to catch up to Augustus, pinning a boot on the captain. "Then maybe a trip to the hospital will teach you!" The inside of his throat began brimming as he mustered his Sound Chi for a powerful blast.
As Yuzu tried to rush to his aid, something else caught her attention: a figure rapidly swimming their direction. "…Huh?!" The figure's presence caught Zebra's attention as well.
"KNIFE!" The figure splashed out of the sea and lashed his arm at Zebra, the Fanalis leaping in evasion. Toriko's grin sparkled through the waves, the water making his orange spandex and blue hair look sleek and shiny. Zebra landed five platforms away as Toriko stood guard over Augustus. "That's kind of mean, don't ya think, Zebra?"
"No way!" Yuzu gasped. "It's… Toriko!"
"Toriko?!" Augustus exclaimed.
"Grrrrr…" Zebra growled at him with spiteful eyes. "Bug off, Toriko… can't you see this kid was in my way?"
"It ain't nice to treat a fellow hunter this way." Toriko spoke with a cool smile. "I don't know who this kid is, but it seems we share the same taste. If you wanna let off some steam, why don't you duke it out with me? Just like when we were kids."
"Heh! If that's the game you're playing, FINE!" Zebra bellowed his charged soundwave, the world rumbling as Toriko blocked it with crossed arms. Toriko dashed forth and lay a flurry of Forks against Zebra, the Fanalis struggling to defend even with a Sound Shield. Zebra punched Toriko's jaw, and Toriko socked his gut. The blue-haired man suffered a stomped foot, but returned a chop to Zebra's beefy neck.
Yuzu swam around the men to join Augustus. "You okay, Captain?" she asked as she helped the shock-ridden boy to stand.
"It's Toriko…It's really Toriko!" Augustus beamed like an excited fanboy. "I can't believe we met Toriko, here!" He watched the fight unfold between the two hulking men. Even at seven feet tall, Zebra outsized Toriko at eight feet, but their strength was nonetheless equal.
"Uhh…Captain?" Yuzu hadn't expected him to behave like this.
"Gourmerry?" The Firstborn wasn't sure what was so special about that man.
"Crooooaaaak…" The Universe Frog was fascinated by the humans before it.
"Captain!" Yuzu shouted him back to reality, the Combo dodging as the frog's tongue shot at them.
Toriko dodged behind Zebra and sent him flying toward one of the large hills with a mighty kick. "I'll keep him busy while you kids work!" Toriko said.
"U-Us?" August stuttered.
"You were hunting that thing, right? Don't let it go to waste!" With that, Toriko swam swiftly to confront Zebra once more.
Augustus shared a glance with Yuzu, both forming a smirk. Directing attention to the Universe Frog, the chef fired Soul Arrows at the frog's eyes, reddening the eyes until the beast was blinded. The frog stretched out its tongue and began spinning as it brushed over the platforms. The duo jumped whenever its tongue came, the frog growing dizzy with each rotation. It drifted toward the platforms on their right and fell on its side, sticking up one leg and partially showing the galaxy in its belly. Augustus and Yuzu hurried toward the fallen head. There were a lot of tadpole-like tails wriggling from the head.
"It… looks like it's coming apart." Yuzu said. "Is this thing actually…"
"Use Knocking on the tadpoles!" a voice yelled.
"Huh?" They turned toward the sea: there was a young, scrawny black-haired boy rowing a clam boat.
"Hurry! Use Knocking on the tadpoles before they come apart!"
"Knocking?"
"Oh! He means chi-blocking!" Augustus beamed, quickly jabbing gentle punches to each of the tadpole tails. The tails turned still and receded back into the frog's body, but the amphibian lifted itself up. The frog leapt in attempt to flatten them, but the duo rushed out of the way. Augustus stomped on the frog's left foot as it leapt with a cry of pain and splashed in its pool. It stretched its tongue to the air and tried to hammer it down on the humans, but they evasively jumped the platforms. It even tried to trick them by hammering diagonally to the platforms they had jumped to, dodging with a duck and back-jump.
Getting an idea, Augustus jumped into the sea and pressed against a platform, tricking the frog into shooting its tongue. As he predicted, the tongue became lodged into the platform. Augustus climbed up as they prepared to target the beast's eyes, but the platform was suddenly yanked from the ground and toward the frog's mouth. Augustus jumped off in time to land on its head, clinging to the frog as he pounded its eyes with Haki. The frog frantically tried to shake him off, then flipped into the air to slam onto the platforms, headfirst. Augustus got off before then, but when he saw tadpoles wriggling on the frog's belly, he climbed up to deal chi-blocks onto the tails.
The frog flipped up onto its belly, but with the amount of Knocking done to it, it didn't have the strength to prop itself up. The frog had to crawl along the perimeter of its pool, pursuing Augustus. He ran from the beast and jumped whenever its tongue was lashed. Yuzu, following from behind the frog, saw its legs hanging down in the water. She shot Soul Arrows at the ankles to link a rope, causing them to get tugged against a platform. Augustus hurried behind the frog, seeing the tadpoles on its leg wriggling, and he dealt the necessary chi-blocks. Afterwards, Augustus climbed on the amphibian to punch and weaken its eyes. He then climbed down to chi-block its arms, ultimately making the frog go still. (End song.)
Toriko's Knife technique unleashed enough force to slice the large hill into a diagonal half. Zebra dodged the attack and blew a soundwave, which Toriko bounced away with the palms of his hands. However, Zebra redirected the wave to come back and blast his rival, sending him flying back over to the frog's pool. Toriko crashed against the platforms, the force sending Yuzu flying. "WAAAAH!" She nearly flew into another ray, but a fishing line flew up, wrapped around her arms, and pulled her to safety.
"Whoa, that was close!" Yuzu was pulled onto the clam boat with the dark-haired boy, who wore khaki explorer's shirt and pants, with brown boots. "You okay, Miss?" he asked as he untied Yuzu's hands.
"Um, yeah." Yuzu lightly blushed. She and the boy were about the same, five-foot height. "Are you with Toriko?"
"Yeah! I'm Toriko's partner, Komatsu!"
"His partner?" Yuzu was curious, given their distinct differences in height and build. "But you look so young."
"But I'm 29, the same as Toriko."
"W-Wow!" Yuzu jumped in shock. "I'm almost 15! You're so young for your age!"
"Haha, thank you." Komatsu blushed, his wide nose puffing in embarrassment. "I guess I hit a snag in my growth somewhere. …Oh, Toriko!" He gasped, remembering the situation.
Toriko clambered up onto a stable platform, cracking his neck. His sharp gaze fell back to Augustus, standing by the defeated Universe Frog. With a smile, he turned toward Zebra, still on the distant hill. "I think that's enough playin' around, Zebra! Why don't you get on back to your buddies?"
Zebra's hearing could pick up the voice from this distance. "Damn you, Toriko! Those kids were mine!"
"Yeah, I think I'll hang out with them! Don't you got more important things to worry about? Unless you'd rather end up in prison again."
Zebra grit his exposed jaw. "You're gonna regret this, kid…" Zebra turned to march off the opposite side of the hill and swim over the sea.
"Darn it, Rawberry, you should've quit going for his neck!" Macarona scolded as the tattered girls flew to rejoin their friends. "You're not a vampire!"
"I kind of am, it just has to work in reverse."
"Man, that Zebra doesn't change." Toriko said, whirling his arms. "Beatin' up defenseless kids… well, maybe not defenseless." He returned toward the Universe Frog. "That's some fine Knockin'. …Wait, it's starting to get up." He noticed the frog shaking. The hunter calmly strolled up and dealt a swift jab to its galaxy belly, making it stiff again. "There we are."
"You're… really Toriko." Augustus breathed, starting to sound more dorky. "This is so amazing… what're you doing here?"
"I had a hankering for a Universe Frog. Got some intel from some locals." He patted the frog's belly. "They call this baby 'Gameverse Beta 4.' The legends say that it existed even before this dimension. Didn't expect a rookie to beat me to it." His grin twinkled.
"Haha…well, we were just in the area." August scratched his hair. "So… did you want it, I guess?"
Is Captain actually being humble?! Yuzu internally exclaimed.
"What're you talkin' about? It's yours!"
"W-W-W-Well, we can share it, if you want."
"Ha ha ha! In that case, sign me up!"
"Captain, we have to save some for our other friends!" Yuzu reminded. "We can't just let Toriko pig out on it!"
"Toriko is rather of a glutton." Komatsu said awkwardly.
"Hah, relax! I'll eat my fair share. But listen, if Zebra's nearby, there might be a few more unsavory types around. Wanna join us back to our base? We can eat in comfort and luxury."
"Y-You have a secret base? Oh, boy! Can we ride in your ship??"
"Captain, please…" Yuzu sighed.
"I don't see why not! Hey, Normies, help get this froggy wrapped up and loaded!"
The blank, wide-faced men riding the normal boat gave a normal salute. "Oæp."
Yuzu pulled Augustus down to her level and whispered in his ear. "Look, I don't mind traveling with Toriko, but let's keep Gourmerry's details on the down-low. We don't know how an Elite Hunter would feel about… you know, what she is. Like, what if he would try to eat her?! Gross!"
"Alright, I hear ya. But at the very least, our odds of challenging the Boss would be way higher if we had him for a friend."
"I guess so…"
The Medium Shell
Toriko's ship resembled a massive clam the size of the Ace Hunter, the latter of which followed it through the Incipisphere. Haylee kept the transmissions active so her group could partake in the discussion onboard the Shell.
"So, that's what's going on…" Toriko rested in the captain's seat as he processed this story. "The Boss of Gourmet Corp. is somewhere in this universe…"
"You wouldn't happen to have an idea who that is, do you?" Yuzu asked.
"I've dealt with Gourmet Corp. a few times, but I couldn't really say. However…" Toriko narrowed his gaze. "There's a story dating a couple centuries back, about the legendary hunter, Acacia. Acacia had a pupil who turned rogue. He had a monstrous craving and wanted all the food in the universe. His name… was Midora."
Yuzu gasped. "Madara… Uchiha?!"
"Huh?" Toriko cocked a brow. "I don't know who that is, but I said 'Midora.' Midora was a dangerous man, and he might still be in Galaxia's criminal files. They say he once wiped out a whole world's worth of ingredients."
"But Acacia was around 200 years ago, right?" Augustus asked. "Wouldn't that mean Midora is over 100 years old?"
"Yeah, but long lifespans aren't unusual with good diets."
"Or supernatural activity." Yuzu mentioned.
"Anyway, Midora is my best guess on Gourmet Corp.'s boss. But if he is, I have no idea where he is in this place."
"Did Midora have any type of bending or ability?" August asked.
"He was a gravitybender. A damn good one, so they say."
"We should've brought Kat along!" Yuzu shuddered.
"Relax, kids." Toriko smiled. "The Boss won't stand a chance when I bring my colleagues. But I wanna know more about you guys. You said you were involved in the Gourmet Hunt too, right? What ingredients did you find?"
"Ah, I wrote them right here!" Augustus showed him Gourmerry's Full Course.
"A Splatato Slamwich? Never heard of that. Precursor Pair is a good pick. Mmm, Aurora Bream! Don't know what Kipo is, that sounds tasty. Ah, creative use of Salad Bar Cove's produce. Ooo, gotta try me them Cosmonuts! And we got Emerald Green Spring, nice and simple. Also, you spelled 'Hors d'oeuvre-'"
"Yeahyeahyeah, bad speller."
"But, who's Gourmerry?"
"Gourmerry?" She peeped out of Yuzu's backpack.
"Oh, this little thing is Gourmerry." Yuzu answered. "She's… a strange creature we found on Sweetopia. There were no other creatures like her, and we were afraid of the locals eating her, so we adopted her. Turns out, she has quite the appetite. We decided to make this Gourmet Hunt a trip to find her Full Course!"
"Hah ha! That's pretty sweet!" Toriko beamed. "Well, you're in luck, Gourmerry! Cooking Fest is shaping to be pretty ripe this year. You'll have quite your fill!"
"Can we take a look at your Full Course?" Augustus asked.
"Sure thing!" Toriko withdrew and opened his menu book.
Hors d'oeuvre: BB Corn (Eldin Volcano, Hyrule)
Soup: Century Soup (Ice Hell, Glacia)
Fish: Ougai (Land of Swamp and Gold, New Galaxia)
Meat: End Mammoth (New Galaxia)
Main:
Salad:
Dessert: Rainbow Fruit Pudding (8th Biotope, Coruscant)
Drink: Billion Bird Egg (Alpine Skyline, Mobius)
"Whoa, cool! I have my own, but, it's not as good…" Augustus held up his list of four items. "I've only been a Gourmet Hunter for three years, so…"
"Hey, food is food, no matter how rare or fancy it is." Toriko said assuringly. "Besides, some of these aren't half bad. You must be pretty strong to withstand the Everbubble Fizz's taste."
"Wanna look at mine?" Komatsu asked, showing Yuzu his Full Course.
Hors d'oeuvre: Five-Tailed Eagle with Melk Stardust (Hyrule)
Soup: Solar Turtle Soup with Medical Mochi
Fish: Shining Gourami (Death Falls, Aquaria)
Meat: Galala Gator with Meteor Garlic (Mobius)
Main:
Salad: Ozone Herb (Nimbus Land, Mushroom World)
Dessert: Bubble Fruit Pudding (Shokurin Temple, Flora)
Drink:
"Gourmerry, Merry~!" the Firstborn cheered, her little mouth watering.
"Looks like Gourmerry's getting hungry!" Yuzu perked up. "I think I am, too!"
"You've done a lot of hunting in New Galaxia." Macarona noticed. "You even caught an Ougai… and I don't think I've heard of an End Mammoth."
"I don't even see any native guides on this ship." Rawberry said.
"Yeah, I've gotten pretty used to this place." Toriko replied. "Komatsu and I first came here three years ago, and now we just make regular visits to and fro."
"Heh, I think we all first came here three years ago." Augustus said to himself.
"What's that?"
"Er, don't you remember when… n-never mind."
…
"Man, seeing Augustus act like that is pretty cringey." Haylee commented from her ship.
"Blue man really big and ripe." Nel said. "But Nel still stay by Aughsucks."
"You know who Toriko reminds me of? Space Dandy. I swear they have the same voice. I oughta pay him a visit, actually."
"Might I inquire as to where we're actually going?" Stewie asked.
…
"Wait!" Macarona gasped. "We're going to Skaia!"
"Skaia?" Rawberry looked.
They were approaching a planet that resembled the sky itself, bright blue with fluffy clouds. There was no apparent core, solid ground, or ocean, just countless scattered and floating clouds in an expanse of blue space. The darker space slowly disappeared as the blue enveloped them. The Medium Shell guided the Hunter across the realm of clouds, arriving at an even greater gathering of white fluff. As they soared over a cloud mountain, the shape and size of a colossal Cloud Tree rose in their vision.
"It's the Cloud Tree!" Rawberry recognized it. "You mean…"
"You see," Toriko began, "we hunters have eight different Biotopes established across Galaxia, designed to maintain endangered species and analyze new species. But this one, Biotope 0, is our special headquarters in New Galaxia."
Embedded near the base of the "leaves" of the Cloud Tree was a palace. Its central building was dome-shaped with a violet roof, three silver panels, and blue round, pearl-like windows all around its rim. "Make yourselves at home, kids!"