134 Pufferwhale Arc Final
Noctis cleared the way for the group. He killed the poisonous insects trying to block their advance. As soon as they came out of the tunnel, a beach appeared. The crystals hanging on the wall served as lights.
Toriko let Coco rest as he put him down. After settling down, Noctis took out the Devil Serpent's corpse and looked at Komatsu.
"The poison should be dissolved by the fire. Cook it as you will. Let me hunt those puffer whales." Noctis said and removed his top.
"I'm coming along." Somnus said as he removed his top as well.
"I'm going too!" Toriko said as he also removed his top.
"Let me go as well." Coco said but Hera shut him down.
"Young man, you must rest. You're in no condition to fight at the moment. Leave it to the three idiots." Hera said making Coco smile wryly.
Tina on the other hand drooled after seeing the trio's chiseled body. Helen glared at her but Irene didn't have any reaction at all. Hera seeing that laughed and started a fire and used a strong branch to make a grill. She then ordered her husband to slice up the meat. She then put some meat and started grilling the Serpent's meat.
"So? How are we going to do this?" Somnus asked. He didn't have any information about the pufferwhales.
"Coco said that once pufferwhales sensed danger, they would release toxic poison to drive predators away." Toriko said while popping his fist.
"Then let's catch them without alerting them." Noctis said making Toriko confused.
"Catch without alerting?" Toriko asked Noctis to clear his confusion. Noctis on the other hand winked at Somnus and he knew what to do.
"Wait-" Toriko was about to stop Noctis when he felt bloodlust on his back and he immediately tensed up and used fork behind him. Somnus dodged Toriko's attack fluidly. If it comes to monsters, Somnus might be weak, but in terms of killing a human, its all too eaay for him.
"You understand now?" Noctis said with a smile and jumped in the water. Somnus followed suit with his dagger on his waist.
Toriko felt the killing intent earlier and immediately reacted. He finally understood what Noctis is implying.
'Just erase your presence and catch them.' Toriko thought as he jumped in the water again.
Hera seeing what just happened turned to Coco and spoke.
"See? I told you, leave it to the three idiots." Hera said and Coco laughed this time.
Noctis, Toriko, and Somnus dove underwater and saw plenty of fishes and sea plants. Toriko swam around with no set direction while Somnus and Noctis were waiting. Although Noctis sucks at sensing at long range, if its within his attack range, he could sense it. Somnus on the other hand was using his own method of detection by feeling the water current.
Both of them opened their eyes at the same time and looked at Toriko's direction. The unknowing Toriko was surprised when he saw a big white puffer fish with the size of a whale in front of him.
He quickly resurfaced and dove back to stare at the big pufferwhale. Toriko and Somnus stared at the pufferwhale in awe as they didn't know how they're going to catch something that big. Suddenly Somnus' eyes focused on the pufferwhales, he noticed that the big pufferwhale was just clusters of thousands and more of the pufferwhales.
Noctis of course wasn't surprised or anything, he knows about the pufferwhales' cluster formation to scare off predators as well.
Somnus, Toriko, and Noctis resurfaced and dove down. It was time for them to catch some Phantasmal ingredient.
Noctis immediately erased his presence and blended with the surroundings. Somnus erased his presence with ease and swam towards the unsuspecting Pufferwhales. Toriko on the other hand watched them and suddenly can't find them anymore. He also can't feel their aura at all. He stared at the clusters of Pufferwhale, suddenly he saw one of the pufferwhale float up.
Noctis simply used his finger and used knocking on the pufferwhale causing it to float up. Seeing what Noctis did, Somnus copied his brother by striking the gills quickly and painlessly. His control over his dagger was masterful that his stab only used the tip of the dagger to strike the brain.
Toriko was amazed of what he's seeing and tried to use the same. He erased his presence and swam towards the pufferwhales. He got close of the pufferwhale and thought of using knocking on it. He bent his finger and sprung it as he stabbed his finger to strike the gills of the pufferwhale. Seeing the Pufferwhale not moving, he succeeded and carried it carefully at the shore. He asked for a clean cloth to place the pufferwhale and put it there. He then went back and dived underwater to catch more.
Soon, Somnus and Noctis returned and placed their catch at the placed cloth. Somnus and Noctis used their storage ring to put the caught Pufferwhales and put it in the cloth. Coco, Tina, and Komatsu watched what happened with curiosity.
"Want to know what happened? Do you believe in magic? Or magicians?" Regis said to the curious group.
"Yes, I believe in them." Coco said, he is a fortune teller and it could somehow get connected to magic or a sorcery.
"Aren't they just sleight of hands?" Komatsu said which made Regis shook his head.
"Then do magic and sorcery really exist?" Tina asked in curiosity.
"Yes. They do." This time Hera answered their questions.
"We're the living proof of it." Hera said as she opened a space pocket and flicked Komatsu's forehead.
Coco and Tina were amazed by it and finally believed Hera's words. They just watched Hera manipulate the space in front of them.
"The thing that my sons are using are storage ring. I compressed the space and merged it with the gem of their ring." Hera said and showed them her ring and brought out a piece of cloth.
"Unfortunately we don't have someone who knows time magic. If we compressed the space and time inside that small space..." Hera paused and let them finish what she's saying.
"Any ingredient put in it wouldn't rot at all. In fact it will always be fresh..." Coco, Komatsu, and Tina said at the same time.
"Indeed. It wouldn't matter if you bought that ingredient for a week already, it will always be fresh and at peak flavor." Hera said.
Coco, Komatsu, and Tina learned something new.
"Are there more of you?" Tina asked in curiosity.
"I don't know. Magicians and Sorcerers were being hunted because of our inexplicable power. They wanted to examine our bodies to find out how we could create these kinds of miracles." Hera said and Coco understood why Noctis knew what happened to him. Turns out they were being hunted as well. Hera said everything in confidence that's why Coco couldn't see if she was lying or not.
Hera decided to use it as their background to help Noctis out. They wouldn't let anyone know that they are from other world. But Noctis knows that they are not the only ones from other worlds. GT Robos were designed from Nitros who are natives of Gourmet world, or the other half of the earth. They created a lot of civilizations to satiate their desires and hunger.(Similar to the Dark Continent of Hunter x Hunter world)
The blue nitros or those birdmen nobility came from other worlds just to find an enemy, Neo, eater of worlds and stars.
Soon Toriko came out and resurfaced with a bunch of Pufferwhales in his embrace. He was surprised to see a small hill of Pufferwhales placed in the cloth. He put the ones he caught and shouted.
"Hey! Coco! You said you know how to remove the poison in this thing right?!" Toriko shouted and rushed towards them to eat the devil serpent's meat. Coco then stood up after eating some grilled meat.
"Who's going to remove the poison? Komatsu, can you do it?" Coco asked but only Komatsu showed interest in it.
"Me? But Noctis-san is a much better cook than me?!" Komatsu said.
"Do it. Use it to hone your skills." Noctis said and Komatsu felt grateful.
Coco then instructed Komatsu step by step to open up the pufferwhale.
"Every pufferwhale's poison sac is placed in different places..." Coco continued instructing Komatsu who kept on failing. But after he ruined 15 pufferwhales, he finally succeeded. The pufferwhale suddenly shined brightly and turned into gold colored.
"Wow." Tina said as she captured the phantasmal ingredient with her camera. She avoided the faces of everyone and focused on the ingredient itself.
"What're you waiting for? Cook it. We're going to prepare the remaining pufferwhales." Noctis said and they finally get to work.
Komatsu started to fillet the fish meat and placed a slab on the fire before grilling the fish meat. He kept on turning it over while concentrating not to burn the dish. When he felt that the meat was done, he removed it and place it on a plate.
"Grilled fish anyone?!" Komatsu said as he replaced the cooked fish meat and kept on turning it over. He then took a big chunk and made sashimi from it and drizzled it with light soy sauce.
Noctis removed the poison sack in his first try. Hera and Irene got it after three tries. Komatsu then used the Pufferwhales' skin to make sake from it.
They were having a pufferwhale fist. Suddenly, a birdman resurfaced while pulling a net filled with pufferwhales. Coco and Toriko went alert and entered their fighting stance due to the menacing feeling they got from the birdman.
'Starjun huh. Oh well. Like I care. I've already got a copy of it.' Noctis thought as he continued eating with his chopsticks.
The GT robo kept on walking, not minding the group of people near it. The GT robo suddenly stopped and turned around, causing Toriko and Coco to prepare to attack while Coco's skin turned purple.
"Relax. Sit down and eat." Regis said as he drank the sake. The GT robo finally turned around and continued to walk away.
Seeing that the menacing enemy is gone, Toriko and Coco heaved a sigh of relief. They were amazed of this group of people who could continue eating after facing such menacing aura.
The group continued eating, not minding of their surroundings as they enjoyed the Pufferwhale feast that they are having.
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I hate to be the bringer of bad news but it has to be said. I am now a fourth year college student, and we were tasked by one of our professor to make an individual theses. Because of my studies, I will put all of my novel on hold. Its my final year and I have to focus on my studies. I can't just play around like I did in my first three years in college. It was a good ride with y'all but all things must come to an end or in my case, to a pause. Thank you for staying with me and reading my book. Peace out y'all.
