Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

The Surprise Apple, also known as the Human-Faced Apple due to its clearly defined facial features, could make a variety of human-like expressions. In its calm state, the Surprise Apple had simple dot-eyes. The more frightened it became, the more exaggerated its expression would grow, and at the same time, the more delicious and expensive its taste would become. The capture method was simple: use any means necessary to terrify it.

"Kenji, how are you planning to scare it?" Atashino asked curiously. According to records, only three people had ever achieved a scare level of 90 or higher: Ichiryu, Jiro, and Midora. Generally, reaching a scare level of 20 or 30 was considered a very good result. One also had to be careful not to overdo it; if the Surprise Apple fainted, the capture was a failure.

"With this, of course..."

Like a magician, Kenji produced a cup of purple liquid. Purple smoke wafted from the rim, slowly forming a violet skull. It looked positively toxic.

—The Hour of Judgment.

To think the first time I'd use you would be in a place like this.

The Surprise Apple's expression slowly began to turn to one of terror. Gasp! What is this human trying to do? It could sense that the purple liquid was terrifying. Contact with it would be very, very bad.

"It's a very delicious soup, you know. If you don't believe me, watch." Kenji plucked a leaf from a tree and dipped it into the cup.

Hiss...

In just an instant, the vibrant green leaf began to turn yellow, then disintegrated into nothingness.

Atashino's brow jumped. Is that some kind of unknown poison? Good heavens.

Kenji was also surprised. He hadn't expected the effect to be so potent. No wonder even the gods couldn't withstand it; it seemed to have a corrosive damage effect. Tricking someone into drinking this probably wouldn't be as easy as with Himeko's coffee.

"Tell me," Kenji said with a wicked grin, "what do you think would happen if I put you in here?"

"!"

The Surprise Apple began to sweat. Its facial features contorted in fear. This human is a devil! As the purple mist touched it, the apple felt an aura of decay. Stay away from me!

"That's a scare level of 60," Atashino said, checking a comparison chart. She couldn't help but be amazed. "That's incredible. To get a result like that on the first try..." It was said that this level of fear could only be produced by threatening it with missiles.

Kenji put away The Hour of Judgment. The result was within his expectations. He couldn't actually let the apple taste it, or it would turn directly to ash.

"Atashino, want to give it a try?" Kenji asked, already thinking about what to do for the next scare.

Atashino thought for a moment, found an apple with a blank expression, and took out a black, Western-style kitchen knife.

"Don't be afraid," she said gently. "I won't hurt you."

"I have a Revival Knife. Using Dark Techniques, I can make it so that every time I slice off your flesh, the cut will instantly regenerate. How many times can you withstand it? I'm so looking forward to finding out," Atashino said, her voice still soft and sweet.

The Revival Knife was an extremely special blade, forged from the materials of a creature with self-regeneration abilities and a mineral that retained this property. Not many chefs had mastered the Dark Techniques, as the IGO had restricted the use of Revival Knives.

"!"

The Surprise Apple could understand her. Its eyes filled with terror. How can such cold words come from such a warm mouth? This is death by a thousand cuts!

"Level 36." Atashino nodded, quite satisfied with this scare level.

"I didn't expect you to be so good at scaring things, Atashino," Kenji said with a thumbs-up. What a wonderfully black-bellied method.

It was said that to get a Surprise Apple's scare level to 100, you would probably need the Earth to explode. At the end of the manga, the planet was indeed about to explode. If someone had picked an apple then, its scare level probably would have reached 100. To reach level 90 and above, you needed something on the scale of a massive meteorite impact.

He, however, could imitate an exploding planet.

Kenji held out his large hand. Starlight ignited as stardust gathered in his palm, slowly coalescing into a small, glowing, heat-radiating star.

The Surprise Apple: It's the power of the sun!

The terrifying heat radiated outwards. The apple's expression began to change. Don't come over here! I'll die! This human can create a sun with his bare hands! Too scary!

"Level 70." Atashino wiped sweat from her brow. The temperature was indeed too high. If Kenji hadn't been intentionally controlling it, the entire island would have been engulfed in a sea of flames.

"Surprise Apple, witness the power of a shattered star!" Kenji's hand clenched violently. The star, containing terrifying energy, instantly exploded into endless motes of light.

The violent impact, like a solar storm, nearly made the Surprise Apple faint. Its facial features twisted dramatically, its eyeballs bulging out in a grotesque and eerie way. It thought it saw its great-grandma waving at it.

"That... has to be Level 99, right?" Atashino was in disbelief. The current highest record was Level 95, held by President Ichiryu. No one knew what a Level 100 apple actually looked like; they could only speculate based on the Level 95 expression.

"A Level 99 Surprise Apple! Isn't that too amazing?!"

"Sugoi! That apple has to be worth at least a billion, right?"

"Heh, a billion is just the estimated price. A Level 99 Surprise Apple is something you can't even find."

...

A crowd of people gathered around, but no one had any thoughts of trying to snatch it. Anyone who could scare an apple to Level 99 was a powerhouse they could not afford to provoke. But to be able to witness it was an honor in itself.

Kenji picked his prize. Its twisted face didn't give him much of an appetite. Just now, while simulating the detonation of the miniature star, he had also used his Intimidation on the apple. The stacked effects had resulted in a Level 99 Surprise Apple. The Intimidation—the pressure of a Dragon King—must have been the key. If he hadn't controlled it, the apple would have fainted instantly.

"Atashino, I'll leave the cooking to you. Please make it look nice." Kenji didn't plan to sell it. It wasn't like he was short on money, and he wanted to taste what a Level 99 Surprise Apple was like.

"Leave it to me." Atashino nodded. Biting into it directly would be difficult; the expression on the human face was just too exaggerated and distorted.

The two left the island, leaving half of the apple behind to give to Jiro and the others. They had eaten apples in the 90s range, but surely never one at Level 99.

Back at home, Atashino went straight to the kitchen to prepare it.

"Alright, the Surprise Apple. Please, have a taste."

She peeled and sliced it, the best way to enjoy its original flavor. The flesh of the Surprise Apple looked no different from that of a regular apple. If you didn't know what it was, you would really mistake it for a normal apple.

"Time to eat!"

Kenji picked up a slice and placed it in his mouth, starting to chew slowly. The texture was crisp, with absolutely no sourness—just a pure, heart-refreshing sweetness.

"It lives up to its name. A truly surprising deliciousness," Kenji marveled. There probably wasn't an apple more delicious than this, provided the scare level was high enough.

"Yes, it's really delicious," Atashino nodded. The apple flavor was rich, but not so sharp as to set one's teeth on edge.

"We'll give the rest to Master Jiro and the others."

Besides this Level 99 one, Kenji had also captured some at the 60-70 level. He would let Ellie and the others try them later, though they would have to cook them themselves.

~~~

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