Toriko: Gourmet Chat Group

It had to be said, the atmosphere in the Yōshoku Realm was truly wonderful. Although some of the residents looked a bit unsettling, they were very kind-hearted.

Kenji and Atashino didn't rush to the Hill of Late Rain. They decided to gather more detailed intelligence in the Yōshoku Realm first, which would help their upcoming operation.

"Kenji, do you think the Blue Nitro will make a move when we're dealing with AIR?"

Besides organizations like the IGO, the Blue Nitro were also keeping a close eye on Acacia's Full Course Menu. Competing for it was one thing, but having them swoop in and reap the rewards after all the hard work would be utterly disgusting.

"Don't worry. The Blue Nitro would never expect someone to make a move on AIR this early."

After eating AIR, Kenji wouldn't have to worry about the Blue Nitro anymore. With his buffs active, he could just pin them to the ground and wipe the floor with them.

Atashino thought about it and agreed. Who would have thought that while none of the major organizations had moved, two individuals would strike ahead of schedule?

"What is your plan?" Tengu Brunch asked with a very serious expression. "The Horse King will not allow you to get close to AIR." He did not want the Horse King's attacks to spill over into the Yōshoku Realm.

"I will use Knocking on the Horse King, then ripen AIR and cook it," Kenji stated succinctly.

"You're going to use Knocking on the Horse King Heracles?!" Brunch exclaimed in disbelief. He felt like he was listening to a fairy tale. How could a being of the Horse King's level possibly be affected by Knocking? If there was anyone on the entire planet who could do it, it would have to be that man.

"It seems you don't believe me. I learned a trick or two of Knocking from my master, Jiro," Kenji said. He wasn't lying. Jiro has two hands, so he had learned both single-handed and double-handed Knocking techniques.

"Hiss..." Brunch drew in a sharp breath. He had thought Kenji was just an ordinary powerhouse, but he was the disciple of that man. Who was Jiro? The Daruma Hermit himself had said he was one of the top three strongest beings in the world.

Ahem, I spoke a little too loudly earlier.

"Alright! When do we start?" Brunch was now full of fighting spirit. The probability of success was now much, much higher.

Brunch, I have to say, I liked your unruly and arrogant look from before.

After the Daruma Hermit heard that Kenji was Jiro's disciple, he had told Brunch to go and help them.

With Brunch as their guide, Kenji and the others arrived in the Horse King's territory, Heracles' Hill. This was, for all intents and purposes, a face-to-face meeting with the Horse King.

"The air is so heavy... is this the power of an Eight King?" Atashino's face was grave. Just standing here made it difficult to breathe. She had never felt such an overwhelming sense of pressure. Her body felt like it couldn't move, as if she were carrying an incredibly heavy mountain on her back.

The Horse King Heracles, a Phantom Beast with a Capture Level of 6200, was over 20,000 meters tall. Even lying on the ground, its presence was terrifyingly immense. This was an Eight King, a creature that stood at the apex of the planet's food chain.

"This is insane!" Brunch was already drenched in sweat. This was also his first time getting this close to the Horse King. After all, unless you had a death wish, you didn't just wander into the Horse King's territory for fun. Faced with a being like the Horse King, most people wouldn't even have the courage to fight.

"The Horse King's height and weight aren't the lowest among the Eight Kings," Kenji said, sizing up the beast and confirming its stats. In terms of physical data like height, the Ape King Bambina was probably last. Still, they had to face this monster head-on; otherwise, getting to AIR would not be easy. After all, for the Horse King, AIR was its property.

"Its power is even more terrifying than that of the little blue lizard. AIR's Capture Level is tied to the Horse King's."

The power of the stars gathered around him, and Kenji's aura began to climb exponentially. Facing the Horse King, he couldn't be careless. Level 5000... that should be enough.

BOOM—

Sensing this aura, the Horse King instantly stood up. A terrifying aura swept out like a storm. Atashino and Brunch had to struggle to resist it, otherwise they would have been blown away in an instant.

Once standing, the Horse King's form seemed even more colossal. The two of them stared dumbfounded at its sky-blotting height. Was this something a normal creature could achieve? Compared to the Horse King, they were the size of ants.

The Horse King Heracles looked down at Kenji. This was the aura that had erupted in the Human World not long ago, but it was even stronger now, reaching a level that it had to take seriously. When it stood up, a rare atmospheric vortex formed above them. This was a phenomenon known as an Emperor Ring, a vortex created by the vibrations of the atmosphere centering on top-tier powerhouses when they meet.

"Hmm? That's Kenji's aura... and that horse?" Jiro looked up in the direction of the Eighth Area and muttered in surprise. Fighting an Eight King? Are they preparing to cook AIR?

"Setsu-chan, I'm going to intercept the little blue lizards for Kenji," Jiro said, then vanished on the spot. He wouldn't interfere in the fight between Kenji and the Horse King, but those snacks (the Blue Nitro) would definitely not stand by and watch while someone captured AIR.

Ichiryu also set out from Biotope 0 with the same thought as Jiro: to block the Blue Nitro. My junior nephew sure moves fast. He's already going to capture AIR. As his senior uncle, I still have a little bit of strength, so I'll go and help him out.

As expected, the Blue Nitro were on the move. How could they watch as someone else beat them to AIR?

Hmph!

The Horse King snorted lightly, and a blast of highly compressed air shot from its nostrils, countless times more powerful than the air cannon fired by a Spit-Dragon.

"Get back!" Kenji shouted, teleporting himself, Atashino, and Brunch away from that spot.

BOOM!

A single, casual blow left a bottomless, circular crater in the ground, dozens of meters in diameter. No smoke or dust rose up; the area simply looked as if it had been gouged out of existence. Utterly terrifying.

Kenji glanced at it. In the manga, when Toriko tried to fight this boss, he was one-shot by this very move, not even getting a chance to attack. By the time he realized what had happened, half his body was gone. As expected of an Eight King. This one attack could easily kill a beast with a Capture Level of two or three thousand.

"Horse King, I'm here to make a deal!" Kenji called out. "You need the fresh air from AIR to give birth, and we need to eat AIR! It's a win-win for everyone!" He was trying to be civil first.

The Horse King looked down at Kenji with contempt. You think you can cook AIR? What a fool's dream. Do you think you're the Gourmet God Froese? And you want to make a deal with me? Who do you think you are?

Kenji sighed. It seemed negotiations were impossible. Yare yare. Then it's time to persuade it with emotion... and move it with 'reason'.

"ZA WARUDO—"

Time stop activated. The world instantly froze. This was no ordinary time stop; it could even halt the King of Time. A being as strong as the Horse King could only stand at attention.

"Hah—"

"Million-Point Knocking!"

Thump, thump, thump—

Kenji split into several afterimages, unleashing a tempestuous Knocking massage on the Horse King's massive body. The Horse King's body was immense, far larger than most creatures. Of course, he was confident in his control and did not harm the fetus in its womb.

Phew—

Time resumed. Kenji let out a long breath. Performing the Million-Point Knocking on the Horse King had consumed a considerable amount of his energy. Thankfully, he was supported by Food Immersion and his starlight energy. His own energy reserves were certainly no match for a monster like Jiro, who had stored up centuries of power.

The Horse King's pupils trembled. I can't move? How is this possible? What in the world just happened?

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Guys We cross the 600 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter

Next goal 750 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.

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