"I can't believe Toriko-san had to rebuild his house" said Komatsu as you walked down the path that led you to the new home of the Gourmet Hunter.

"It was made of sweets. Of course it was a matter of time before that glutton ate everything" Sunny huffed behind you.

"Ooh, I'm so excited to see Toriko~" Rin cooed, her cheeks red.

"Did you call me 'handsome'?" Chief Mansam inquired.

"I DIDN'T"

To commemorate the building of his new house, Toriko invited a few people over to see the result. Of course, Rin would move heaven and earth, or anything like that just to pass some time with her crush. Sunny was a bit curious and wanted to judge the 'beauty' of it while Chief Mansam and Tom took it as an opportunity to drink more alcohol.

Toriko's place finally appeared at the horizon, and you were taken aback by the sight of his new home. You couldn't call that a house, it was bigger than a mansion! A castle made of candy. Rin called his name enthusiastically when she saw the hunter standing outside with another man, running in his direction.

"Guys!" he waved at your group, smiling brightly. He blinked when he looked up to see Kiss arriving too. "Coco!"

"Yo, Toriko!" the Gentleman saluted, jumping off from his pet. "It took a while, but it's gorgeous"

"Isn't it?!"

"What an amazing mansion!" breathed Komatsu.

"You've got some booze around, right, Toriko? I brought my own, though" Mansam walked up to the Gourmet Hunter.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I must say, it's pretty beautiful..." Sunny admitted, taking a general look of the house.

"Toriko! Thanks for inviting me!" Rin blushed, throwing herself at the oblivious man. "I'm totally glad! This is your new house, right? I'm gonna live in it someday, too"

"Eh? What'd you say that?" Toriko sweatdropped as the young woman detached herself from him.

"For breakfast we'll eat sweets together, watch TV together, and eat sweets together for lunch, have afternoon naps together, have sweets for dinner together...Together!" Rin shouted, falling and rolling on the grass. "We'll be together all day in our sweet, sweet love nest! Kyaaaaaa~"

"What's with her?" all the guys thought in unison, watching the girl digs deeper into her fantasies.

"Anyway. This is the Gourmet Architect, Smile" Toriko introduced the stranger next to him. "He designed my house for me"

"Nice to meet you" he bowed.

"Heh? Smile-san, could it be the young genius architect who designed the face of Gourmet Town, the Gourmet Towers?!" your friend cried out.

"That same Smile? He doesn't look like he smiles that much, though" you pointed out, earning a thick mark from the architect.

"And he even helped with the design of Gourmet Freeways and Gourmet Trains! You're incredible!"

"I've heard rumors, too" Smile admitted, looking incredulous. "You're Chef Komatsu, who completed that legendary Century soup with that other chef standing next to you, (y/n), isn't it?"

"Naw..." Komatsu dismissed with a blush.

"You're grinning too much, Komatsu" sweated Toriko. "You haven't had any soup yet, have ya?"

"That's enough with the greetings!" Chief Mansam barked out a laugh, looking already drunk. "How'bout we go celebrate the completion of Toriko's new house?"

"Already half drunk, ain'cha?"

"Did you call me 'handsome'?!"

"I AIN'T DONE THAT!"

All jokes aside, you entered the candy house with the others. You were flabbergasted by how gorgeous it looked inside and out. Everything was made of sweets: the living room, the kitchen, the stairs...Almost everything! There was even a sofa made of marshmallow. Lotisukonbu curtains, and halls with Sweet Coral decorating the walls and cookies from a Cookie Alpaca were also found inside.

"It's so good~" you savored the cookies, and blinking when another kind was offered in front of you.

"Those with the white milk inside are the best. You should have some" Coco smiled, and you blushed as you took them from his hand.

"Thank you, Coco-san" you said as you brought the cookie in your mouth, eyes bulging out when you tasted the incredible flavor. "SO GOOD TOO!"

Coco chuckled at the face you were making as you grabbed your cheeks, who flushed brightly when you realized that you said that out loud. Suddenly, the wall in front of you collapsed to reveal Toriko behind. Only a few minutes inside, and already he ate through half of it.

"Toriko-san...Don't you think you should slow down a bit?" you sweatdropped.

"Huh? What do you mean?" the Gourmet Hunter munched down on the sweets.

"N-Nothing..."

It was already too late for him to stop now. Once Toriko started to eat something, he had to finish it. You wondered if Smile won't go a bit ballistic to see the mouth made go down in such a short matter of time. Your eyes wandered to each guest that finished a certain part of the house before starting to eat another.

Well, at least he will enjoy some of the Century Soup Toriko promised to him as a payment. At that pace, the house was long gone, and the others rested with their bellies full.

Smile stood in front of them with his arms folded, an exasperated look on his face:

"It took so much work to build..."

"Well, it was no doubt incredible!" grinned Toriko.

"Yes. Both the look and the taste were perfect" Sunny added. "It was beautiful"

"Just what I'd expect from a genius architect" Coco hummed.

They continued to throw compliments in his way, with Rin asking to make a room for her someday and Chief Mansam wondering if he could have a pool of alcohol. With the praise and the smiling faces, the architect couldn't help but give one of his own. A real smile.

"It was tough, but I'm glad I put in all the hard work"

"You're smiling, Smile" Toriko pointed out. "It's my first time seeing that in a long time"

"After all those hectic days, I'd forgotten how to smile...Everyone, let me say thanks, as well. For reminding me how to smile"

"It's because you did such a wonderful job, Smile-san" told Komatsu. "You brought a smile on everyone's face"

"Yun!" the Wall Penguin agreed.

"So uh, could you make it one more time?" the Gourmet Hunter inquired sheepishly.

"NO WAY!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

The sudden appearance of Tina made everyone's head turn in her direction. She seems confused as to why you were all gathered here in the middle of nowhere. Komatsu went to greet her with Yun:

"Tina-san!"

"What're you here for?" Rin demanded, already on the defense to see another woman in close quarter to Toriko.

"Oh. I'm here to cover Toriko's new house" the reporter answered, filming her surroundings with the camera. "But, where is it? I don't see it anywhere"

"We already ate it all!" chuckled Toriko.

"EH?! You're kidding me! My scoop...I wanted to eat some, too..." she sulked, falling on her knees.

"You really have bad timing, Tina-san..." you sweated with a nervous grin.

"Anyway...Smile-san! Please, you've got to make the stage for the Gourmet King Deciding Battle" the reporter reminded the man in front of her.

"Oh, right. I've gotta hurry" the architect sweated.

"What is that, Tina?" you wondered.

"There'll be a lots of amazing ingredients brought together there" she said as she named a list of what you could find there. "Fried Oysterawbetteris and Black-Haired Wine Cattle...All kind of things"

"Really?! Could I stop by for a visit?" Toriko wondered.

"You're going to eat more?!"

Many seats were taken even if the amphitheater was yet to be done. Smile was bringing the finishing touch to the stage while you were waiting with the others, comfortably seated in a back row. To avoid the crowd, Coco stayed behind.

People were already whispering at the sight of Toriko and Sunny, you didn't want to imagine what would happen if they realized three of the Heavenly Kings were gathered at the same place today. Tina finally appeared at the stage, smiling brightly at the audience:

"Thank you all for waiting" her voice sounded off from the mic. "The special event, the Gourmet King Deciding Battle, is finally about to begin! I'm your MC, Tina, the newscaster from Gourmet TV, bringing this to you live in countries all over the world"

"First up, we have a word from the representative of this tournament's sponsor, Restaurant Bohno, Fond de Bohno-san. Go ahead" she told as a young boy made his way to the center of the stage.

"Heh? He sure is young to be running this event" mused Sunny.

"Isn't it a chain restaurant that's spreading to countries all over the world?" you questioned.

"Yes. And its manager, Bohno-san, is wealthy enough to be ranked within the top 10 of the Gourmet Richest People List" said Komatsu.

"So this tournament is a pastime for rich people?" Sunny arched an elegant brow.

"There's only one point of contention. For the member of my family, Chris, whose appetite has remarkably dwindled lately, bring me an amazingly delicious ingredient as soon as you can. The victor shall be recognized by Restaurant Bohno, given the title of number one Gourmet King, and be presented with a prize of one billion yen!" stated the young man.

The reactions were immediate among the crowd as some officers removed a sheet to present the gold of a billion yen. For offering such an extravagant prize, that boy must really care for this Chris person.

"And here is Chris-san, who will be judging ingredients today with Bohno-san. Raise the curtain!" Tina continued with a smile, motioning with her hand behind her.

Did as told, the curtain raised to reveal a colored beast behind. Everyone was taken aback by the size of it, and because it was also their first time to witness the sight of a Seven-Colored Nessie.

SEVEN-COLORED NESSIE (PTEROSAUR) - CAPTURE LEVEL 34

A legendary dinosaur said to live in ancient times, but who would have thought that the member of Bohno's family was a wild beast? Even Tina didn't hear about this as she shuffled wildly through her text.

Red of the earth, green of the trees, blue of the sea and the light of the stars. Those seven colors were proof of the supreme king of land and air. However, from the expressions the Heavenly Kings were making, you knew there was something wrong.

"It seems that Chris-san, who would always share meals with Bohno-san, has recently stopped eating completely" said Tina.

"The ultimate ingredient that could let Chris and I eat together again...must be somewhere. The person that captures that ingredient first will be the winner of this tournament!" the boy told as he caressed the Nessie's head.

It didn't take long that some people were standing up and were already making their way to the stage to offer their own ingredients, but each of them were refused by the beast in disdain. From such a legendary beast, you didn't think it would go for simple ingredients, but probably more refined ones. At least the food refused will be enjoyed by the members of the audience, so it wouldn't get wasted.

"There ain't anything that big guy wants to eat" said Toriko. "Extreme fasting and prolonged limiting of meals to ones lacking saccharines creates strong-smelling compounds called ketone bodies inside the boy. I can smell that odor from Chris"

"So he needs sweet food..." you mumbled, to which the Gourmet Hunter nodded.

"Lot of it. It's going to need some sugar really soon or else..."

"A lack of sugar causes muscle atrophy" Sunny told. "And it will also ruin the skin quite a bit"

"If nothing is done, he will gradually debilitate" Coco added as he made his way to stop next to Komatsu. "We need to get him to eat the ultimate sweet ingredient soon"

"What is the ultimate sweet ingredient?" Komatsu inquired.

"....The Milkwhale/The Honey Dragon/The Grand Berry!" the Heavenly Kings answered in unison after a short pause.

"You all picked different things" your friend sweatdropped.

"It's obviously the Grand Berry!" Toriko argued. "It absorbs all the nutrients from the earth that it wants, and has the sweet tastes of every kind of berry packed into it"

"No, it's definitely the Milkwhale!" Sunny headbutted the blue haired male. "To be exact, it's the milk secreted from the beast. The idea of its smoothness, like a pure white silk, is pretty damn beautiful!"

"But when it comes to nutritional value and the ultimate sweetness, the answer is always honey, isn't it?" told Coco. "And among all the honies, the Honey Dragon is-"

"The Grand Berry is the sweetest!" Toriko barked, facing Sunny.

"No! Milk's got sugariness and lactose in it!" the other Heavenly King retorted.

"I think Toriko's right" Rin commented as she scooped a bit of her parfait to her mouth.

"What?!"

"There they go, again" sighed Komatsu, watching both Toriko and Sunny bicker around.

"His electromagnetic waves are in disorder. I don't blame him. A pet is a part of the family" said the Gentlemen as he gazed at the young boy standing at the stage. "From how it looks, it has yet to capture the legendary fruit associated with the Seven-Colored Nessie"

"Legendary fruit?" Toriko picked up this part of the conversation, turning to face Coco.

"There is a legend that after growing to a certain size, a healthy Seven-Colored Nessie is said to guide one to the location of a legendary fruit"

"Seriously? What does it taste like?"

"...'The sign of love will rise into the red sky and lead to the legendary fruit.' " Coco recited. "When ripe, the beauty and taste of that fruit is said to be exceptional"

"Man, I wanna eat that" sighed Toriko with a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth.

"Beautiful..." Sunny nodded. "Truly a fruit worthy for me to eat"

"Eh? I said I wanted to eat it first!"

"This's one is mine! It's exceptionally beautiful!"

"Why don't you eat it together..." you trailed, and froze at the looks they both gave you.

"NO WAY!!" they yelled in unison.

"If we share it, the balance of deliciousness might lose its beauty!"

"We don't know how it looks or how big it is, so there's no way I can promise to eat it with someone else!"

"They started it again..." sighed Komatsu, exasperated when the two went back into bickering among each other.

"Then how about it? Whoever makes Chris feel better will be the one who gets led to the fruit" you suggested, stopping the fight among the Heavenly Kings. "That'll make it clear"

"A contest (y/n), huh? I'm in!" Toriko grinned.

"I'll search for an ingredient that will cheer up Chris as well" said Coco, earning a surprised look from the other.

"You mean...a battle between Heavenly Kings for ingredients?!" Rin rectified as she stood up with her parfait.

At that exact moment, you saw Chris lifting its head and gazing right through at the young woman. More precisely, you thought it was in fact glaring at the parfait she was holding close to her chest. But why?

You blinked when you were suddenly lifted under the arm of someone, and you gazed up to see Coco smiling down at you.

"You don't mind if you come with me, (y/n)-chan?" he inquired, the tone somewhat leaving no room for arguments, strangely.

"H-Huh, sure?" you stammered, inhaling sharply when he did a sudden turn and walked out of the event.

"Come on, Komatsu! Or else I'm leaving you here!" Toriko yelled as he followed after Coco and Sunny.

"A-Aye! Toriko-san!"

The Heavenly Kings used their own means of transport to search the ingredients, with Toriko and Komatsu using the help of Tom to head for a solitary and uncivilized island, Megamori Island, while Sunny and Rin used the first's private jet to reach the Milkwhale.

You were currently sitting behind Coco on top of Kiss, soaring through the sky in search of the Honey Dragon.

"So..Where exactly are we going?" you asked.

"The Honey Dragon is an ingredient that appeared in myths and murals of the ancient past. And for the Seven-Colored Nessie that lived during that same age, it should be the food it is most adapted too" Coco answered. "We should be there soon. According to my fortune telling, it should appear in this area"

Kiss gained some altitude and passed through a sea of thick clouds. Behind them, the sun shone brightly and its warmth caressed your face. At the horizon, a shape's shadow started to stand up among the clouds. The Honey Dragon's nest finally appeared at the distance, resembling a giant honeycomb suspended in the sky from stem at the surface.

"I can see it!" you told Coco.

"It's said to be so addicting, that even for dragons whose fangs are their life, it can forget itself and eat so much that it could get cavities. It has high nutritional value, as well. With this, hopefully Chris will feel better"

"From the looks of it, there's several years worth here..." your voice mused.

Suddenly, dark figures came out from one of the honeycombs, swarming toward Kiss. Those insects were known as Honey Dragons, who are highly defensive of their hives. Sensing you were coming, they decided to attack.

HONEY DRAGON (INSECT) CAPTURE LEVEL - 28

"It seems they won't share that honey with us too easily..."

"As expected. Those poison needles...If we end up stung by that, the poison will spread instantaneously and our bodies will break down" Coco hummed, his eyes wandering to the end of their tails.

"What?!"

The Heavenly King didn't hesitate for one second, and brought you in front of him. He used his own body to shield yours, his stature easily doing so. The Honey Dragons shot their poisonous needles at you, and Kiss did his best to avoid them. Their formation always changed, striking quickly and effortlessly.

"These movements, it's like they're programmed into them at a genetic level" Coco commented, gazing at their impeccable coordination in awe.

Shooting poison from his fingertips, the Honey Dragons dodged the bullets and accelerated to counter the Emperor Crow. They continued to fire at the three of you their laser needles, some of them nearly grazing your skin a couple of times. They were performing organized attacks, and it reminded you of something that you once read.

Your eyes searched for a Honey Dragon that stood out from the pack, and you finally caught sight of your target. It was zigzagging in a figure-eight dance, communicating to the others the directions they needed to take.

"Coco-san...Up there!" you pointed at the Honey Dragon in question. "In order to communicate to others where flowers are located, bees use those kinds of shaped dances. I'm sure if must be the same in the case of attacks for Honey Dragons!"

"I see. The Honey Dragon leader must be directing the others through this dance. In that case...Kiss!"

Coco's arm tightened around your waist as Kiss dived down to the sea below, with the insects following close after you. The crow feigned to plunge before charging at the Honey Dragon leader. The beast followed the insect's dance, disturbing the figure-eight. On cue, the formation of the swarm got disordered as well, with the Honey Dragons clashing and colliding with each other.

The Heavenly King then shot a cannon ball of poison at the leader, paralyzing it in the air. With a cry, it slowly fell toward the sea.

"That was incredible, Coco-san! But are you sure it'll be fine?" you wondered.

"I diluted the poison, so it should be able to fly again soon. Just enough time for us to be helping ourselves to a small share of honey" he smiled.

After gathering the honey that filled up a whole jar, both you and Coco returned to the stage with the help of Kiss. When you finally made it here, you noted that Sunny and Rin had already caught their ingredient, the Milkwhale. While Nessie showed a bit of interest in it, the beast didn't even gather one mouthful. It turned its head away, shaking it negatively.

Coco took his turn, and showed the Honey Dragon's golden substance to Chris. The animal sniffed the ingredient a few times, but the result ended up the same as the previous one. Toriko and Komatsu, being your last hope, brought forward the Grand Berries they collected. Chris stuck its tongue out, leaning closer to the ingredient.

You all held your breaths, waiting. Unfortunately, Chris pushed away the Grand Berries, earning shocked gasps from the crowd.

"Even the ingredient of the last Heavenly King, Toriko, has been refused!" told Tina in disbelief.

"W-What kind of Heavenly Kings are you?!" Bohno shouted angrily at the three men, before he turned to his pet with a solemn look. "Chris, is there really nothing here you want to eat?"

The Seven-Colored Nessie looked concerned, eyeing each ingredient before they fell on Rin. It suddenly roared, directing its head at the young woman who cried out in surprise. Toriko quickly stood protectively in front of her, narrowing his eyes at the beast while Bohno yelled the name of his pet in concern. Chris shook its head, whining and grunting at the Gourmet Hunter.

"Hm? It looks like he wasn't trying to attack Rin at all" said Toriko.

"He seems trying to call our attention to something" added Coco.

"Chris is asking something" told Komatsu. "Now that I think of it, he's seemed really interested with everyone's ingredients and Rin-san for a while..."

Then, it finally all clicked in your head with just that statement from your friend. You would have kissed him here and there. You clapped your hands together and your expression brightened:

"Everyone! Please, entrust me with these ingredients!" you asked the Heavenly Kings who raised a brow at you.

"Huh? Do you perhaps have an idea, (y/n)?" grinned Toriko, recognizing the glint in your eyes.

"When it comes to sweets, I'm simply unbeatable! I know the perfect dish for Chris-san!" you assured. "So please! Could you lend me those ingredients?"

The three men stared at each other in silence, before they nodded their heads. The Seven-Colored Nessie gazed at you in wonder as you approached, and placed delicately a hand on its snout.

"Just wait a little bit, Bohno-san" you told him. "I'll make a dish that'll satisfy Chris, and lead us to the legendary fruit!"

"Oi, Usagi. I won't forgive you if you fail" Sunny warned lightly as you pouted at the nickname.

"And I'm placing my hopes in you, (y/n)-chan" Coco nodded at you, making you blush brightly.

"Leave it to me! Komatsu-kun, I will need your help with the preparation!" you turned to face your friend.

"Aye!"

You quickly worked on the dish after the three ingredients were brought at the back of the stage. They didn't come together just by pure coincidence. You could actually hear a strong melody that mixed them perfectly. Komatsu followed your lead, even adding an extra touch that would complete the dish. Once done, you brought the silver plate at the center of the stage where Chris and Bohno were waiting.

"From Grand Berries, Milkwhale's milk, and Honey Dragon's honey, I made a parfait" you explained.

"It looks totally delicious!" Rin drooled from the sideline.

"Ooh! Chef (y/n)'s dish is complete!" Tina exclaimed in excitation. "But...Why a parfait?"

"When Chris saw Rin-san's parfait, something seemed odd about him. And since it was craving sweets, I thought I would make the ultimate dish that would satisfy his needs..."

"A parfait?" Bohno echoed, and blinked when Komatsu handed out to him a big spoon.

"Please feed him with your hands" he smiled.

The young man scooped a bit of the parfait, and showed the tantalizing dish to the beast. Chris approached his head, and took an experimental lick. Without hesitation, the Seven-Colored Nessie ate the whole thing down, a pleased expression on his face. At that, Bohno's own brightened, relieved to see his family pet finally eating.

"We did it! Chris-san ate the parfait!" said Tina, the crowd cheering loudly at her words.

"Now I remember...The first thing I ever ate with you was a parfait" said the young man.

"He's gettin' quite a sheen" said Sunny, noticing how the skin of the beast lighten up.

"Most likely, it's from the high quality of the three major nutriments; the fat, protein, and carbohydrates he's taking in at once" told Coco.

"Now that you mention it, the word 'parfait' means 'perfect'. With Usagi's cooking, the ingredients and nutrients that Seven-Colored Nessies like from land, sea, and air have been brought together in magnificent harmony"

"Just as it's name states, it's a perfect dessert"

"Everyone, you have my true thanks" Bohno bowed at you.

"It might be Chris decided on the final ingredient it would eat with you, Bohno" said Toriko, and the young man blinked in confusion at his words.

At that right moment, the Seven-Colored Nessie was engulfed by a bright light as it roared loudly. Wings sprout on Chris's back, with a horn appearing at the top of his head. And was it you, or did it look bigger than before?

"It seems the time to leave the nest has come" smiled Coco. "When Seven-Colored Nessies become adults, they're said to grow seven-colored wings. I thought it was odd that it was so big without having any"

"It must have gotten enough nutrients to grow wings" Rin mused.

"Leaving the nest...I'm going to part with Chris?" whispered Bohno sadly, before he shook his head and ran up to the beast. "I won't accept that! We're going to be together forever!"

"With his own power, Chris is resolved to try to live in the natural world. That's what'll make Chris happiest" continued Toriko. "No matter what the creature, it will someday begin a journey on its own"

"But..." the young man trailed.

"Even if you're apart, family is family, right?"

Bohno gazed at Chris who nudged his head with his, growling as to confirm Toriko's words. Tears gathered at the young man's eyes, before he nodded, hugging closely the Seven-Colored Nessie.

"I understand" Bohno smiled. "I'll do my best on my own, too"

He parted ways while Chris's wings stretched wide, and took his flight in the sky. A red light shone on top of the Nessie's back, and a giant fruit came out of it. Sunny used his Hair Net to catch it before it fell on the audience, leading and dropping it on the stage.

"This is a..." you trailed in awe.

"A Grow Apple!" Toriko finished.

"It is said that when Seven-Colored Nessies reach adulthood, a Grow Apple is born as proof of its growth. So this is the legendary fruit?" wondered Coco.

"Alright, in commemoration of Chris's journey, let's chow down on the Grow Apple!"

"Right. Let's all eat it together!" you smiled.

The Grow Apple had a gentle texture that felt so good in the mouth. A combination of an apple full of sweet nectar, a pear, and a fully-ripe mango. You grinned as you saw Kiss, Terry, and Rin eating a bit of your parfait.

"How do you like it?"

"It's totally delicious!" Rin nodded.

"Of course, the cream in that parfait is made from the milk of the Milkwhale. And the Seven-Colored Nessie ate it, so I win the match!" Sunny smiled smugly.

"Oi! Anybody can see that the main ingredient of that parfait is the Grand Berries!" Toriko argued, headbutting the other Heavenly King. "I'm the winner!"

"I think Toriko won, too!" the young woman agreed with the Gourmet Hunter, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You even went to get the milk with me! Quit agreeing with Toriko!"

"To be honest, I mostly used Coco-san's Honey Dragon's honey, so..." you mumbled, but didn't get to finish as the two started to bicker again.

"Here they go. Again..." sighed Komatsu.