Mutou Judai rarely remembered strangers.For example, with people like Shinomiya Kojiro, after meeting once without further contact, Mutou Judai would probably forget them before long.
He was the type who had particularly deep memories of acquaintances but wouldn't specifically remember strangers.
However...
"These three judges would be impossible to forget..."
Mutou Judai looked at the three judges who were ashen-faced, serious as soldiers about to march to battle, his expression somewhat subtle.
"It seems this is already the third time they've served as judges for my Shokugeki with others... I've only had four public Shokugeki with judges in total!"
Moreover...
Whether it was public Shokugeki with judges or private Shokugeki with Erina, Mutou Judai always used curses.
Although the taste of cursed dishes would vary based on the chef's skill and dedication, even the minimum level curse could produce terrifying flavors.
Mutou Judai would even mentally prepare for what to do if no judges were willing to come before his public Shokugeki.
Yet these three guys kept serving as his judges...
In that case—
Could they be the type who were bullied terribly in the Shokugeki Administration Bureau, pushed out to take the blame at times like this?
Thinking this, Hayama Akira walked out from behind him.
"Mutou Judai... right?"
Mutou Judai had long known Hayama Akira was behind him, so he wasn't surprised and directly turned around to look at him.
"Yes... is there something?"
"Hmph... While preparing for this Shokugeki, I got your records... You currently have only three recorded Shokugeki, and you seemed to have another one this morning... so four total."
"In these four Shokugeki, in the three recorded ones, you made instant ramen, right? And the judges were the same three people..."
At this point, Hayama Akira's eyes turned cold.
"And I heard that when the Shokugeki Administration Bureau announced your Shokugeki today, these three guys actively came forward requesting to be judges—so you bribed the judges, right?"
After seeing Mutou Judai's Shokugeki records, Hayama Akira felt they looked suspicious!
He specifically went to ask a judge he knew at the Shokugeki Administration Bureau, and after learning he would face Mutou Judai in Shokugeki, the person wouldn't even make eye contact with him, only giving him a very troubled and subtle warning, then reluctantly mentioning these three judges...
When talking about these three judges, the person brushed him off, only saying that today all the administration's judges were busy, and only these three were free...
Hmph, who could such nonsense fool!
The Shokugeki Administration Bureau couldn't find judges?
—What a joke!
There were so many judges in the Shokugeki Administration Bureau! And maybe less than a hundred Shokugeki per month, with some using famous culinary figures as judges—their manpower was abundant to a certain degree!
So Hayama Akira understood.
—Mutou Judai must have bribed the judges!
Listening to Hayama Akira's words, Mutou Judai's expression went from initial indifference to current subtlety—in Hayama Akira's view, this was evidence of embarrassment from being exposed!
Without waiting for Mutou Judai's response, he simply walked past him toward the venue through the contestant passage.
"But your tricks end here."
"I'm far beyond your reach—my weapon isn't something your dirty tricks can limit... I advise you to be serious. If you serve instant ramen again, your result will be so ugly people will want to pity you!"
Leaving these words, Hayama Akira completely left the contestant passage and went on stage.
Mutou Judai watched his retreating figure and scratched his head.
"This guy... really dramatic!"
Whatever.
Mutou Judai glanced at his phone—it was already past 9 PM.
Seeing the time, he stretched and yawned.
"Quick battle. After solving this inn's crisis, I'll ask them about Toyo Electric..."
Thinking of Toyo Electric, Mutou Judai sighed slightly, making a loose fist to feel his strength.
"I now have fifty percent of Jack Hanma's level... And because the Hanma Blood in my body has been strengthened, the training equivalent to thirty hours per day for ordinary people and those drugs that Jack Hanma himself couldn't digest are constantly being digested under my Hanma Blood comparable to Yujiro's..."
Every day, Mutou Judai could feel himself getting stronger!
But this alone wasn't quite enough.
If it were sniper rifles or firearms that could cause fatal damage, he actually wasn't afraid—because the moment such weapons aimed at him or even before, he could sense it, and he would never let such bullets hit him.
Such weapons were useless against him.
But if it were tranquilizer guns that wouldn't threaten his life, that wouldn't work.
He wasn't like Miyamoto Musashi from Baki.
If he had Miyamoto Musashi's level of strength, he would have directly attacked Toyo Electric and truly solved some problems at their source.
But his current situation was that his strength wasn't quite enough. If he forced this matter, using curses for assassination would be easy, but for a large corporation like Toyo Electric, assassination alone wouldn't be enough to make them abandon their plans.
Large corporations lacking leaders... such jokes shouldn't be told.
So... sigh, too much hostility causes internal heat, let's play it safe for now~
—Wait until I finish merging the template!
No.
—Wait until I unlock the demon back, and hopefully the Conqueror's Haki can strengthen some more to the level of normal Conqueror's Haki holders in the One Piece world...
"—Then I'll definitely let Toyo Electric... no, let this country and even this world understand the terror legend of 'Hanma Yujiro' that the Baki world once experienced."
Of course.
"If I could draw a Fighter Kakarot template along the way, that would be even better~"
...
While Mutou Judai and Hayama Akira both entered to prepare for the upcoming theme-free, freestyle Shokugeki, at the judges' table, the three unfortunates were approached before the match began.
The person who approached them was...
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Nakiri Azami."
The man with neatly combed-back hair and a smile that was hard to tell if it was cold or gentle got straight to the point after his self-introduction.
"I'll be direct..."
As he said this, the bodyguard-like person in a black suit beside him opened a briefcase containing a considerable amount of money!
Seeing this action, one of the judges frowned.
"If you're planning to have us give false evaluations, then take your money back!"
He said this, and the other two judges felt the same way.
Nakiri Azami maintained his previous expression and slowly shook his head.
"No, Shokugeki must be fair. I'm not asking you to give false evaluations, but to give up your judging positions—I'll be the judge for this Shokugeki..."
As Nakiri Azami said this, he saw the three judges directly rush toward him!
Seeing this scene, his bodyguard protected him, while Nakiri Azami looked somewhat puzzled at these three people.
They looked at each other, and after a moment of silence, Nakiri Azami frowned.
"I know you three are professional judges and definitely don't want to accept such things, so... should I add more money?"
Nakiri Azami said this, but one of the judges shook his head.
He seemed to be restraining something, his expression somewhat strange.
"—Can I see your judging credentials?"
Nakiri Azami blinked, then took out three sets of judging credentials for himself and the two judges beside him.
After seeing the credentials, the middle-aged judge burst out laughing!
"Hahaha, we agree!"
Then the judge beside him directly took the money case.
These three guys, as if afraid Nakiri Azami would change his mind, turned around with incredibly happy smiles and ran quickly toward the exit.
Although it felt like the deal was done... for some reason, Nakiri Azami felt this scene was like he had been robbed and the criminals were fleeing...
As they ran, Nakiri Azami vaguely heard:
"Hahaha, who knew a fool would come—run quick, if he changes his mind it'll be bad! If worst comes to worst, we'll throw the money away... no, even if we have to pay him back some, it doesn't matter—I definitely don't want to judge this Shokugeki!"
Huh!?
Nakiri Azami had just returned here, only hearing that senior Saiba had lost and that the world's number one chef had been selected today, and that person was very familiar with his daughter Erina, so after getting off the plane and receiving the news, he hurriedly rushed over... he didn't even have time to greet the Shokugeki Administration Bureau, directly approaching the three judges just as the Shokugeki was about to begin.
Since it was the world's number one chef's Shokugeki, he had prepared solutions for when the three judges absolutely refused his request.
But...
"The current situation seems... different from what I imagined."
...