Chapter 7: Sparring with Toriko
While Kenji soared through the air, Toriko was stuck paddling a small raft across the river. The ability to fly was exceedingly rare in this world, a skill mastered by only a select few.
"The last person I saw fly without a mount was President Ichiryu," Toriko said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Ichiryu, the man who had taught him and the other Kings, was unbelievably strong. He wondered how wide the gap between them was now. The four of them had challenged Ichiryu several times, but each time they were defeated with ease. For Ichiryu, fighting the Four Heavenly Kings was like playing with children.
"President Ichiryu of the IGO... a true titan," Kenji mused aloud. "I look forward to the day I get to meet him."
"Toriko, plenty of skilled fighters know how to run on water. Have you never learned?" Kenji asked.
The principle was simple: just before one foot was about to sink, you had to step with the other, repeating the process to move freely across the water's surface, similar to how a basilisk lizard runs. Jiro had taught him the technique; it wasn't some secret art, just something anyone with a solid foundation of strength could learn with a bit of practice.
"Sounds like a hassle," Toriko said, shaking his head. "Seems like a waste of time." To him, that time was better spent discovering and capturing new Gourmet Beasts.
He has no idea, Kenji thought. The skill was practically a god-tier technique. Once mastered, it allowed for incredible speed and agility on water, letting you change direction on a dime. Ichiryu knew the skill, but since Toriko and the others never asked, he never thought to teach them.
"Enough talk. Let's do this, Kenji," Toriko said, shifting into a fighting stance.
He let out a battle cry, and the phantom image of the Red Demon materialized behind him. An overwhelming wave of Intimidation washed over the area, the kind a predator exudes when it spots its prey. It was an pressure born from his Gourmet Cells, capable of paralyzing any creature weaker than himself.
The appearance of the Red Demon's phantom meant Toriko was getting serious. He knew he couldn't afford to be careless against an opponent like Kenji.
Kenji, however, stood there with a relaxed confidence. He was curious to see what the current Toriko was capable of, so he decided to let him make the first move.
"—Fork!"
Toriko lunged forward, his right hand tensed like a steel fork as he jabbed it toward Kenji. It was one of his signature moves, possessing astonishing piercing power.
"Your speed is a bit slow, Toriko."
Kenji shook his head, seeing the numerous openings in Toriko's form. It was clear Toriko hadn't fought many skilled human opponents. His techniques were highly effective against large, slow-moving beasts, but not against a nimble fighter.
"Bang!"
Kenji flicked a kick against Toriko's shin. Charging at full speed, Toriko's body instantly lost its balance. He crashed face-first into the ground, and the sheer piercing force of his own "Fork" caused his entire right arm to plunge deep into the earth.
"Chopsticks."
Kenji materialized a pair of chopsticks shimmering with starlight from his own Gourmet Cell energy. With a deft movement, he plucked Toriko out of the ground as if he were picking up a piece of food.
"Chopsticks?!" Toriko exclaimed, surprised. He had never seen this technique before. Ichiryu hadn't displayed it in years, not since his battle with Midora long ago.
"Is it so strange?" Kenji shrugged. "It's just a creation of condensed energy, same as your Fork and Knife." He could create a Fork and Knife too, but he found chopsticks to be far more convenient.
"I guess so," Toriko conceded. "You're incredibly agile, Kenji."
Kenji nodded. "I trained with Jiro." Although his master never used his full strength, sparring with him had given Kenji combat experience far beyond that of most people.
"Let's settle this in one move. You're no match for me right now, Toriko," Kenji stated plainly. The Four Heavenly Kings had largely been left to grow on their own. Ichiryu rarely taught them his own specific techniques, letting them learn through their own experiences. Kenji, on the other hand, had learned most of Jiro's skills. Aside from his lower raw power, he was practically a miniature Knocking Master.
"Fine by me," Toriko replied, not a hint of anger in his voice. He knew Kenji was right. He clenched his right fist, the muscles in his arm swelling as a staggering amount of energy gathered at his knuckles.
"Oh?" Kenji's interest was piqued. "Nail Punch, is it?"
It was another of Toriko's go-to techniques, a punch that delivered multiple impacts simultaneously, like a nail being hammered repeatedly, sending devastating force deep into the target.
"—3-Hit Nail Punch!"
Having gathered his power, Toriko unleashed the terrifying punch. The very air seemed to tremble under its force.
Boom!
Kenji slowly reached out his right hand and caught Toriko's 3-Hit Nail Punch. The triple impact, for all its thunderous noise, landed with a whimper. Kenji's body, fortified by the power of the Star Forger, easily neutralized the force. His raw physical strength was one of his greatest assets.
"What?!"
Toriko was dumbfounded. While the 3-Hit Nail Punch wasn't his absolute strongest move, for Kenji to catch it so casually without even taking a step back... it was completely demoralizing.
"Not bad power," Kenji commented. "My turn, Toriko."
A grin spread across his face.
"Time for you to fly."
Kenji's fist, the size of a small melon, connected with Toriko's face. Toriko cried out in pain as a stream of blood shot from his nose. He was launched into the air, tracing a graceful parabola across the sky.
Splash—
Toriko landed far away, crashing into a fizzy lake of soda, which bubbled furiously at the impact.
The match was decided. Toriko had lost.
…
Sputter—
"Cough, cough!"
Toriko surfaced, still dazed from the hit that had sent him flying.
"You really need to eat more high-level ingredients, Toriko," Kenji called out to him. "At your current level, you're still too weak."
With his current strength, Toriko wouldn't survive a single day in the Gourmet World. While the Human World was relatively safe, it couldn't offer the same potential for growth.
"So there's always someone stronger out there," Toriko said as he swam back to shore. His attitude was positive, showing no signs of being discouraged by the defeat. "I admit I lost."
"Kenji, with your kind of strength, have you been to the Gourmet World?" Toriko asked curiously. His dream was to venture there, to taste its legendary ingredients, especially his own life's goal, GOD.
"I haven't," Kenji said. "Even with my strength, I'm still not quite ready for it." His power was respectable, but he had no experience with the extreme environments there. Venturing into the Gourmet World unprepared would be asking for trouble. He could probably handle the outer regions, but he had no intention of setting foot in the territories of the Eight Kings anytime soon.
"I've got to go. I still need to gather ingredients for my house's interior," Kenji said. With that, he took to the skies and flew away.
Toriko was left standing by the lake, deep in thought. Just how terrifying is the Gourmet World? Even Kenji, who was so much stronger than him, felt he wasn't ready to survive there.