To be honest, Kaizen didn't react right away.
But after a moment of observation, he figured it out.
Kaizen wasn't really sixteen, after all.
He still had memories from his previous life.
So things like this weren't new to him.
In the world he'd lived in before, the internet was overflowing with this kind of "learning material."
"No idea," Kaizen muttered, shaking his head.
Then, he started the car.
The engine roared to life.
Across the lot, the other vehicle suddenly went quiet.
Kaizen turned and headed for the exit.
Ponzu glanced back, curious.
"Captain, is the person in that car... okay?"
"What do you think they're doing, Ponzu?"
"No idea."
"Ponzu, do you know what a man and woman do after they get married?"
Her eyes blinked with confusion.
Then, in an instant, her whole face turned red—even her ears flushed.
It was like steam was about to shoot from the top of her head.
"How boring," she muttered, clearly flustered. "Doing something like that in a parking lot..."
She spoke softly, clearly hoping to end the topic quickly.
...
Kaizen parked at a breakfast shop.
The two of them got out of the car.
"Welcome! We're running a couple's special today—the second meal's half-price!" the waiter said enthusiastically as they stepped inside.
It was a pretty upscale breakfast place.
Kaizen had chosen it on purpose.
After fusing with Toriko and turning him into his second shadow, Kaizen's physical stats had improved drastically. Plus, the feedback from Toriko's appearance earlier gave him an even bigger boost.
Now, his body had fully reached A-rank.
More importantly, just as Kaizen predicted, he'd also gained Gourmet Cells.
By eating, he could improve his attributes.
How much they improved depended on the taste and nutrition of the food.
And today, he wanted to test that.
"Are you two a couple?" the waiter asked.
Kaizen didn't answer.
Didn't nod either.
Ponzu's face, already tinged red, turned a deeper shade the moment she heard the question.
She looked down instinctively.
The waiter gave them a knowing smile and gestured toward a table.
"Right this way."
They sat down.
Kaizen glanced over at Ponzu.
"Anything you want to eat?"
"Ah... I'm good with whatever."
"Then we'll have two of your signature dishes," Kaizen told the waiter.
"Right away!"
Kaizen leaned back in his chair, silently evaluating his current situation.
"Compared to how I was during the Hunter Exam... I've gotten a lot stronger."
"My former weaknesses are now strengths."
"From now on, my body won't be a weak point—it'll be a hidden trump card."
"I can pretend my main body is still average."
"Then, once the enemy lowers their guard and comes after me, I'll show my real strength."
"Catch them off guard—break their momentum."
"Put serious pressure on their mentality."
He mentally reviewed the status of his Nen beasts one by one.
Natsu – Overall rank: A
Abilities: Dragon Slayer Magic, Position Swap, Scales of Gravity
Uchiha Sasuke – Overall rank: A
Abilities: Fire Release, Lightning Release, Susanoo Rashomon, Libra Gravity Game
Chitong – Overall rank: B
Ability: Demon Sword Murasame – one-hit kill
Killer Queen – Overall rank: B
Abilities: First Bomb, Withering Heartstrike
Lantern Ghost – Overall rank: B
Abilities: Mist Veil, Shared Pain
Altan – Support beast (non-combat)
Ability: Computer network technology
Main body (Kaizen) – Overall rank: A
Abilities: Zoldyck-style Assassination Technique, Second Shadow, Observer's Will, Gourmet Cells
Kaizen's assassination style was a hybrid—Zoldyck assassination skills fused with Raiken's fighting techniques, plus the mastery he developed at Heavens Arena.
Second Shadow and Observer's Intent: both tactical support tools.
Gourmet Cells: acquired from Toriko.
And this A-rank wasn't just any A-rank.
It wasn't the entry-level strength of a newly awakened Nen user.
Kaizen had already been near the bottleneck between B and A before this.
Now, with the double boost—first from a beast's feedback, second from beast fusion—he'd surged upward.
"In addition, I still have Sumas."
"Because of my temperament and skills, I'm naturally suited for drawn-out battles. I can maintain multiple beasts at once without much strain."
"Three A-ranks. Three B-ranks."
"Perfect synergy, no major weaknesses."
"Plus Altan's technical support."
"If the entire Kute Gang of Thieves showed up right now... they wouldn't stand a chance."
"I've grown so strong without even realizing it."
Back then, when he first ran into the Kute Gang, he could only flee.
Even teaming up with others, he wasn't able to stand against just one of them.
But now?
Even if all four members came at him at once, Kaizen wouldn't lose.
"And I'm only sixteen and a half."
"Not even seventeen yet."
"There can't be many Nen users in the world progressing at this pace."
...
Breakfast arrived soon after.
Kaizen was lost in thought. So was Ponzu—but for very different reasons.
Kaizen was calmly evaluating his own combat strength and potential.
Ponzu, on the other hand, was thinking about the garage incident and what the waiter said when they walked in.
And then she remembered last night—how excited she'd been when she awakened her ability.
How she'd rushed into Kaizen's room and grabbed his hand without thinking.
"The captain invited me... was it really just because of my talent? And the Queen Bee?"
"Or is there something more...?"
Kaizen came back to himself first and picked up his chopsticks.
"Ponzu?"
"Ah?"
"Food's here."
"O-okay!"
She snapped out of her daze, quickly bowing her head to eat—anything to hide the flush creeping back up her neck.
Kaizen took a bite and slowly savored the taste, quietly observing the subtle enhancement the Gourmet Cells were beginning to trigger.
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