Sunny watched Toriko shove Black Grass into his mouth and sneered. To someone obsessed with aesthetics, Toriko's brutish habits were revolting.
"Seven Rock Drums are coming," Zed warned, eyes narrowing. The herd charged toward them, drawn by Tatsu's towering silhouette. Even with his aura suppressed, the Devil Serpent's physical presence was undeniable.
Only through mastery of Food Honor (Shokugi)—cloaking oneself as innocuous as a pebble—could evade such foes. But true invisibility? That required a Gourmet Demon's power, far beyond what human can reach.
"I'll handle this. Their shells are exquisite." Sunny's eyes gleamed.
Toriko cracked his knuckles. "Seven's too many for you alone." His right arm bulged, veins throbbing. "5-Ren Kugi Punch!"
Fists blurred, shattering a Rock Drum's armored limb. Sunny retaliated with elegance, deflecting strikes via his Hair Net's reflective feelers. Their styles clashed—refined grace versus raw brutality.
Zed sighed. "Chopsticks."
Five golden utensils materialized, lanced through the air, and struck pressure points on the Rock Drums' throats. The beasts froze mid-roar.
"Knocking… through that armor?!" Toriko gaped. Rock Drums boasted shells impervious to conventional needles. Yet Zed's Gourmet Energy-forged tools pierced effortlessly.
"Tatsu!"
The Demon Snake's tail whipped forward. A thunderous BOOM echoed as scales met shell. The five immobilized Rock Drums exploded into shards, their fragments embedding into the Black Grassland's soil. Bioluminescent spores from crushed Skeleton Moss floated around them, painting the carnage in eerie blue.
Sunny grimaced. Tatsu's Gourmet Cell dominance was undeniable—these Capture Level 27 beasts stood no chance.
"Wow… that's power!"
Komatsu and Rin stared, awestruck. Even Toriko and Sunny's combined efforts paled in comparison against Tatsu's devastating tail strike.
"But how will you haul hundreds of tons of marble?" Sunny gestured to the Rock Drum Shell. The iridescent shell fragments—prized for furniture and decor—glittered like shattered gemstones under the twin moons.
"New trick from my Gourmet Demon." Zed shrugged, deciding to unveil his spatial ability. "Cell Space—a pocket dimension within my Gourmet Cells."
With a wave, the marble vanished, stored in his Cell Space.
Toriko's eyes bulged. "You can… store ingredients?!" Envy dripped from his voice. As a Foodies forced to devour prey on-site, this ability was enviable.
Sunny's lips thinned. "Convenient. But isn't this cheating?"
"Blame my Gourmet Demon," Zed smirked. "They'll teach you anything to keep their hosts alive."
Gourmet Demons, parasitic entities within Gourmet Cells, often granted unique skills, like Sunny's Hair Monster manipulation or Toriko's Red Oni-forged knife and fork. Survival was symbiotic.
Komatsu poked a shell fragment. "Can anyone learn this?"
"Depends." Zed tapped his temple. "Like Toriko's Superhuman sense of smell or Sunny's Enhanced sense of touch. You're stuck with what your Gourmet Demon offers."
Toriko groaned, imagining a life where he could stash Jewel Meat for later. "I'd trade my Kugi Punch for this…"
Sunny snorted but secretly agreed. IGO's logistics teams often struggled to transport his "art acquisitions."
As the group pressed onward, Zed noted their jealousy and smiled while Tatsu's tail flicked smugly.