"Empty titles, nothing more. Now—might I trouble you for a drink?" Master Jiro asked.
"Of course! Help yourself," Toriko replied hastily.
Master Jiro's reputation was far from hollow. In the human world, his name carried weight equal to his son Ichiryuu (IGO President) and the Bishokukai leader. His frail, seemingly moribund appearance belied a legend whose influence matched titans—proof enough of his latent power.
Toriko wasn't one to judge by appearances.
"My gratitude. I'll repay this kindness," Master Jiro smiled.
In truth, he sought pretexts to mentor them—a request from Ichiryuu himself. The Four Heavenly Kings' staggering potential warranted nurturing, and Komatsu's prodigious Food Luck marked him as extraordinary. To Master Jiro, such talents deserved guidance.
With Zed having unmasked him, Master Jiro stayed rather than departing as originally planned. He inquired after Ichiryuu and Zed's mentor, Zuo—old comrades—while Komatsu nervously secured his autograph.
"Hm? Departing already?" Master Jiro eyed Toriko and Komatsu rising prematurely; the train hadn't yet reached the town nearest Cavern Lagoon.
"We've someone to recruit. His aid will be crucial," Toriko explained.
Master Jiro instantly knew who: Coco, the Four Heavenly Kings' poison specialist, was indispensable for surviving Cavern Lagoon's toxic miasma.
"We'll part ways here, then. Until next time!" Zed grinned. The Puffer Whale's spawning window was ample, but Toriko's crew had cut it close in the original timeline.
"You've grasped the basics of Food Honor (Shokugi)—streamlined movements, fewer redundancies," Master Jiro observed, studying Zed. His progress was startling, given the absence of Shokurin Temple's telltale "gratitude aura." Graduates of that sanctum radiated it profoundly, and Zed's Food Honor remained nascent—a seedling requiring relentless refinement to shed residual inefficiencies.
"It's only been a short while," Zed acknowledged.
Zed nodded, mildly exasperated. Before veterans like Master Jiro, his fledgling Food Honor (Shokugi) lay bare—every flaw visible to their discerning eyes.
"Mastering Food Honor is commendable, but without knowing your school, I can only offer foundational advice," Master Jiro admitted. Each discipline demanded unique methods; refinement fell to Zed alone.
His suggestions were blunt: hone skills through relentless combat.
"Consider Mount Melk. The Melk Stars there thrive under crushing gravity—ideal for tempering Food Honor. But restrain your Gourmet Cell growth beforehand. Overpowered cells blunt the training's edge."
Zed knew the place—Snake Cave, adjacent to Mount Melk, where intense gravity forged mastery. He'd stockpile ingredients to binge later, avoiding premature Gourmet Cell spikes.
Yet first, he'd target the First Biotope's Regal Plateau. Only there and the Old First Biotope housed Regal Mammoths bearing Gem Meat. The latter's lethality ruled it out; the plateau sufficed.
Ice Hell? Unnecessary. The Century Soup's final batch tempted, but Parasite Emperor and Hellboros paled beside true threats: Alfaro, the Bishokukai's envoy, lurked there. Against him, Zed stood no chance—not yet. Let Komatsu replicate the soup later; a safer gamble.
His itinerary crystallized: Regal Plateau → Snake Cave → harvest Melk Stars.
As they disembarked at the Cavern Lagoon's nearest town, Zed spotted Tina—the tenacious reporter. Though lacking Zonge's absurd Food Luck, her survival instincts rivaled any Gourmet Hunter's.