In the days that followed, Larry found himself completely immersed in two things: Menchi's company and food. Before he knew it, the final day of the competition had arrived.
Back at the competition venue, the atmosphere was tense. The three judges sat at their usual spot on the stage, and behind them, a massive screen displayed the final rankings.
Only the top ten teams were listed, meaning anyone ranked lower than that wouldn't receive a prize. Almost all the contestants gathered in front of the screen, waiting in silence as the results were revealed.
Everyone followed the same unspoken rule, they started looking from the bottom up, hoping to see their names on the list. Larry and Menchi, of course, didn't bother showing up. They already knew their score and couldn't be bothered with the formalities.
***
10th Place: Team 53 (Monica & Khufu) – 98 points
9th Place: Team 80 (Yasuo & Brook) – 101 points
The numbers climbed higher, and so did the tension in the air.
And then,
2nd Place: Team 96 (Jon & Snow) – 124 points
Finally, the screen flashed with the 1st place ranking.
1st Place: Team 66 (Larry & Menchi) – 150 points
***
The venue froze for a second. Then, the entire room exploded with noise. A wave of shock, disbelief, and confusion swept through the crowd.
"Wait, what?!"
"150 points?!"
"That's… a perfect score!"
"Is this some kind of joke?!"
The contestants erupted into chaos, shouting over each other in disbelief. A full score had never been achieved before. Not once in the history of the competition. Some were skeptical, some were in denial, but deep down, they all knew what it meant.
Amid the commotion, a lone pair of eyes remained fixated on the screen. "As expected of them…" Gel's beautiful gaze lingered on Larry and Menchi's names, her thoughts drifting.
Meanwhile, not far away, Lika let out a breath, shaking her head in awe. "Even though I was expecting it… it's still unbelievable." She had guessed that they might score around 140 points, but a perfect 150? That was beyond anyone's imagination.
As a Gourmet Hunter, she understood exactly what this meant. The first perfect score in history, a record that might never be broken. Because achieving this wasn't just about being a good chef.
It required absolute mastery in two things, firsat Hunting the rarest ingredients. And finally Cooking those ingredients to perfection. And that was something only a handful of people in the world could do.
The 67th team, led by Lika and Gel, placed fourth in the competition. Their ranking was largely thanks to Lika's space telepathy ability, which played a crucial role in preserving their ingredients. Without that advantage, they might not have ranked as high.
As the results were announced, the contestants in the audience buzzed with dissatisfaction, many openly questioning the fairness of the first-place score. Linne, however, didn't bother explaining. Instead, she pressed a button, and the large screen behind her lit up, playing a video of the top-ranked contestant, Menchi, during the cooking process.
The venue had surveillance cameras set up to record each contestant's cooking from start to finish, ensuring transparency. The moment the video started rolling, everyone watching held their breath, ready to analyze every step. If there was anything suspicious, they would demand an official review. After all, how could someone possibly achieve a perfect score?
But as the footage played, their skepticism quickly shifted to shock. The turning point came when Gengar, Menchi's assistant, spat out a massive quantity of rare, high-quality ingredients. "Space telepathy ability?" someone in the audience gasped, putting into words what was on everyone's mind.
That was only the beginning. One after another, top-tier ingredients like white caviar, dreamy tuna, and diamond meat appeared on the screen. The room fell silent. No one could take their eyes off the video, watching Menchi's cooking unfold as if entranced.
Now, they understood. A dish crafted entirely from the highest-grade ingredients, it was impossible not to win first place with that. As for the perfect score? It no longer seemed unreasonable.
The once-outraged contestants deflated, their indignant energy vanishing like a rooster after losing a fight. But despite their bruised egos, they couldn't deny their curiosity. How often did someone get the chance to watch a master chef handle such premium ingredients? So, swallowing their pride, they accepted the results.
The video ended abruptly as the judges announced the perfect score. With the undeniable proof laid out before them, no one had anything left to say. Instead of protests, admiration filled the room. Larry and Menchi's names spread like wildfire among the ranks of food hunters, becoming legendary as the first team in history to achieve a full score in the prestigious food contest.
This was the highest honor. Even after the contest ended, its impact rippled across the food-hunting community.
A few days later, Larry and Menchi received a package from Linne. Inside, they found a delicacy specially crafted by her, a personal celebration of their victory. While she had overseen the contest as a referee, this gift was given as an elder offering her congratulations.
The dish was made from the finest ingredients, surpassing even what Menchi had prepared during the competition. When Larry tasted it, he could feel his strength surging once more.
***
Months passed.
After their training in the Sky Arena, Gon and Killua decided to return to Whale Island, Gon's hometown, to visit his family. There, they discovered a Greedy Island memory card left behind by Ging, along with a recorded message.
With their interest piqued, they set their sights on playing Greedy Island. Their next destination? Yorknew City, where the game console was scheduled to be auctioned.
In a dimly lit corner, Machi leaned against the wall, the faint glow from her phone's screen illuminating her face. Her sharp, blue eyes scanned the words on the display:
"All members must gather in Yorknew City before noon on August 30."
"It's been a while since we all gathered…" she murmured, her fingers tightening slightly around her phone.
Despite the simple summons, an unease crept into her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. And then, there was the mention of Larry, a one-star bounty hunter, also heading to Yorknew City.
Pressing her lips into a thin line, Machi pushed off the wall and started walking. Maybe she was overthinking things. Hopefully.
"Hehehe…" Hisoka's lips curled into a wicked grin as he placed the final poker card atop his pyramid, completing the delicate structure.
Beside it, his phone screen glowed with the same message that Machi had received, an order to gather. "The spiders are making their move again~" Hisoka whispered, his voice laced with excitement.
The thought of Kuroro, the man he had been waiting for, sent a shiver down his spine. His whole body trembled in anticipation, his breath hitching as his expression twisted into something both enchanting and terrifying.
Pink and black aura swirled around him, thick with bloodlust. "Hehe… Kuroro." Licking his lips, Hisoka felt his excitement reaching its peak.
The disappointments of his previous encounters with Omokage had only heightened his desire for a real fight. The hunger for battle gnawed at him, he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to fight Kuroro.
Just as the anticipation threatened to overwhelm him, he thought of a certain blond boy, the one he'd made a deal with. Slowly, Hisoka calmed himself. 'It wasn't time yet.'
They still needed to take care of a few obstacles, some troublesome spider legs that would get in the way of his battle with Kuroro. He had to be patient. For now, he could only hope that Kurapika would succeed in his mission.
A strange, twisted smile flickered across Hisoka's lips as his thoughts danced with the possibilities.