The Gourmet Central Wholesale Market was lively as ever, with a total area of 3000 hectares (around 640 times the size of a baseball stadium, like Gourmet Dome. This huge marketplace has on average 900 000 tons of food bought and sold per day, which is the equivalent of 1 trillion yen's worth of ingredients.

"(y/n)-chan! Look, it's a Tsuchinoko Turtle!" Komatsu waved at you to get your attention.

"Amazing!" you cooed, leaning over the table to take a good look at the ingredient.

"Komatsu-kun, (y/n)-chan, we have to hurry or our target will have been sold" sighed a man behind you, wearing a dark suit and looking professional.

"Not our fault if we get distracted by so many ingredients. The market is literally a dream that comes true for chefs" you smiled.

"That's what we should expect from the Gourmet Central Wholesale Market" added Komatsu.

"What the hell?! Say that one more time!"

Both you and your friend blinked once, and then turned to face the direction where the yell came from. There you saw a vendor and a pretty woman wearing a pink suit and pencil skirt making a lot of commotion about the food he was serving.

It was Tina, a television reporter and the host of Gourmet News. It wasn't really a surprise to find her around this area, since it was such a popular event to attend to. You decided to approach the scene with Komatsu, carefully keeping your distance in case it heathen up.

"Fine! I will say it one more time!" huffed Tina. "This Pistachiuo's mouth is open! That's proof that the fish isn't fresh! If I broadcast this ingredient, the viewers won't be impressed one bit!"

"T-Tina!...We're still on the air" whispered the cameraman urgently, and the woman's lips pulled into a thin line.

She cleared her throat and advanced toward the camera, pulling up her mic and dusting her skirt. Tina returned to her charismatic persona for the viewers, gesturing behind her as she said:

"Reporting from the lively marketplace, offering you a large serving of news. This is Tina signing off!" she beamed. Though, the minute the transmission ended, she huffed with a hand on her hip. "Now then, where were we?"

"H-Her character suddenly did a 180" sweated Komatsu, and you hummed in agreement.

"The news is all about the density of information. Its weight is its lifeblood!" continued Tina angrily, the vendor sweatdropping. "The news of a Pistachiuo that lost its freshness doesn't carry any weight! There isn't a single viewer that would be satisfied with that! As a Gourmet Newscaster for 'Gourmet TV', this is below my standards of broadcast!"

"When this fish's mouth opens it means it's good for eating!" the bald man argued. "Geez, this is why amateurs annoy me"

"I'm sorry, but in terms of when it's best to eat it, the mouth shouldn't be open when it's still in the market" you said, earning a scowl from the vendor.

"The fish indeed loses the flavor that it has developed at that point, so they say that it's best to open the mouth immediately before cooking it..." added Komatsu.

"Got a problem with my shop, shrimp and moll?!"

"Moll?!" you repeated in outrage.

"Shrimp?!" said Komatsu in disbelief.

"Your shop's ingredients aren't bad at all! You're the one I have a problem with, you rude baboon!" Tina took your defense, pointing accusingly at the vendor who flinched.

"What'd you say, bitch?!"

"Repeat that!"

"Komatsu! (y/n)!" a familiar voice yelled through the crowd of people.

"Toriko-san!" you yelled in unison with Komatsu.

The Gourmet Hunter waved at you both with a huge smile. He had on his shoulder a Shakurenodon, some kind of large green dragon. Probably to sell it somewhere in the market, since it can sell at a fair price.

Once he got closer, Toriko put down his latest catch and approached you and Komatsu. Tina gaped at the sight, her eyes sparkling.

"What a bowlful of delicious news! You're Toriko, aren't you? I'm Tina" the woman bounced her way to the blue haired hunter.

"Huh?" he raised a brow, looking up to see a weird yellow bird right beside her.

"This is my Carrier Balloon Pigeon, Kruppoh. Meeting Toriko is a large serving...no, an extra-large serving of luck! I'm a Gourmet Newscaster for 'Gourmet TV'. We introduce ingredients from all over the world. Please, Toriko, let me interview you for our program!"

"Impromptu data collecting annoys me"

Tina jumped back in surprise when three men wearing black suits appeared right in front of her. They held their arms to shield Toriko from her view, and one of her employees gasped in recognition.

"IGO?!"

"Indeed. I am the IGO's Foodstuff Development Department Chief, Johannes" the man introduced himself.

"Let's call it quits, Tina"

"Huh?! Why?!"

"We're up against the International Gourmet Organization, here. The interview isn't happening"

Tina didn't listen to her associate, too stubborn in getting an interview with Toriko. Two men in black had to lead her away, and Komatsu watched them retreating from his view with slight pity for the reporter.

"You didn't need to go that far..." your friend said to Johannes.

"If the media got wind of this, it could be troublesome. Toriko-san, I'm glad I found you. I have a job that I'd like to offer you"

"Doesn't the IGO have tons of private Bishokuya?" the hunter questioned. "You don't need me..."

"The Rainbow Fruit has fully ripened"

"What?!"

"The R-Rainbow Fruit?! The legendary fruit whose complex bouquet of flavors changes depending upon the temperature and humidity?!" breathed in amazement Komatsu, and Johannes tried to hush him down.

"Keep it down! What if someone hears?"

"Well it's really something to shout about! They say that just one drop of the Rainbow Fruit's juice is so concentrated with flavor that it is enough to turn all of the water in a 25 meter pool into a rich, mellow juice"

"I heard that you could trade just one of them for 500 million yen, but..." you trailed. "Isn't it extincted?"

"It's true that there aren't any left that are growing naturally, but..." started Johannes.

"I see. It's selective breeding, the IGO's specialty" said Toriko, catching on where the man going with it.

"There is one problem. Troll Kongs make their nest in the tree where the Rainbow Fruit grows, so no one can even get close to it"

"Troll Kongs. The strongest of all gorillas" you mused.

"A few days ago we sent in three Gourmet Tanks costing 2 billion yen each, but they were destroyed. They were all flipped over. 40 ton tanks, tossed aside like they were nothing but toys. A Capture Level 9"

"Their capture difficulty is 9?! That 300 year old Galala Gator we just went after was only Capture Level 8!" cried out Komatsu.

"I sure would like to try that Rainbow Fruit. It has been a long time since I've shown my face in that garden, and I have sorely missed it" grinned Toriko.

You found yourself inside a white limousine, sitting right in the middle between Toriko and Komatsu. Since it was quite large in length, you didn't feel like you were too squeezed. On your way to the 8th Biotope, your gaze wandered to the landscape who was deserted and sad-looking. There was no trees and no signs of life, leaving a soiled and dirty earth.

In the distance, a huge dome appeared, stretching miles away. The limousine followed a path made of cement to the entrance of the Biotope, where guards were waiting for you there. The dome was an artificial environment made for flora and fauna, and many different animals live freely there in an environment close to their natural habitat.

The car finally came to a stop, and the three of you along with Johannes exited the limousine to greet the soldiers who saluted:

"Gochisousama desu, Toriko-sama!" they said in unison.

"Don't use that greeting. I haven't given you anything to eat" Toriko chuckled.

Upon reaching the doors, thumping sounds resonated through the walls of the Biotope, reaching your ears and making you jump out of your skin by how loud it was.

"Wh-What was that?! Thunder?!" cried out Komatsu.

"It's drumming. An act of intimidation that's characteristic of gorillas" explained Toriko.

"We received word from the watchtower a short time ago that there was a Troll Kong just inside the gate" said one of the guards.

"A Troll Kong's drumming can be heard all the way through massive concrete walls? Impressive" you said.

"A warning from the king of the garden, telling me not enter" continued Toriko, sending you a look. "But I don't care, open the gate"

"I'm sorry, according to regulations, while a wild beast is within 5 kilometers of the gate, we cannot open it"

"Man, you guys are always a pain. So basically, it's okay as long as they're not within 5 km, right? It's not a problem if they're already gone when it's opened, right?"

You weren't really sure what to expect from the Gourmet Hunter when he suddenly walked to the wall, and placed a hand on it. The others watched him, wondering what Toriko would do next. Cracking his knuckles, muscles of his arms inflating next:

"If they're gonna try to intimidate us from their side, we'll bring some intimidation of our own!" the bulky man smirked.

Of course he wouldn't back down. As if it would stop the Gourmet Hunter from entering just because some Troll Kong drummed on its chest. Red flames engulfed Toriko, his arms bulging and veins appearing all over the skin.

"3-Hit Nail Punch!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall.

Each time he counted down the hits, the wall suffered a large hole that grew in sizes. The attack re vibrated through it, and you wouldn't be surprised if it reached the other side.

An opening formed after the end of Toriko's technique, showing the 'garden' of the 8th Biotope.

"What was that?!" shouted Komatsu.

"The Kugi Punch!" the hunter answered. "It's an attack that drives several punches in at once. The number of simultaneous punches is just like a nail being hammered in, the destruction piercing through to the other side"

"Unbelievable" you gasped.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Toriko said in a cocky manner, entering the dome through the hole.

You followed after Toriko and Komatsu, careful to stay close behind them so you wouldn't get lost. Or worst, ending up in a pinch with Troll Kongs or any kind of beast that lived there. Dark clouds had gathered around here, and by the sight of them, it was about to rain soon. With a chance of lightnings too.

"Do you think a storm is coming?" you wondered, looking over your shoulder to see if you were being followed.

"The Rainbow Tree is tall, so it'd be pretty bad news if lightning struck. We gotta hurry" said Toriko.

Suddenly, the blue haired male lost his footing and fell in a pitfall. Komatsu ran forward to see if he was alright, but froze when a shadow hovered him. A large gorilla with four arms popped out of nowhere, holding in each palm a boulder twice your size.

You dashed in your friend's direction, grabbing his backpack and pulled the young man backward so he could dodge the rocks thrown at you both. You two fell on your side, staring up in slight fear at the sight of the Troll Kong landing right beside you.

TROLL KONG (MAMMAL) - CAPTURE LEVEL 9

You gulped, face paling when the Troll Kong extended one of its arms in your way, aiming to grab you. You curled into a ball, closing your eyes tightly as you waited for your demise.

However, a loud shriek from the beast earned your attention and you lifted your head to see it tumble on the ground. Its long tongue dragged over Toriko's body who squawked in mild disgust at the action.

"Sorry, I just paralyzed it with a Knocking Gun" he said sheepishly, patting the Troll Kong's head. "He won't be able to move for a while"

"You mean the paralyzing technique used for capturing prey which stimulates nerve tissue with a needle?" you said, watching as the Troll Kong fell asleep, heaving in and out slowly.

"Toriko-san, is it really a good idea to just use Knocking on him, and not finish him off?" Komatsu raised a brow.

"There's really no point to taking its life. My only goal is getting the Rainbow Fruit"

"Ah? Well, I guess that's true, but..."

"Okay, let's go, Komatsu and (y/n)!" Toriko quickly cut off, taking the route once again. "Man, I got its smell from its lick all over me..."

As the path led you to a more secluded area in this landscape of rocks and dust, the aroma of the Rainbow Fruit filled your nose. And with the way both Komatsu and Toriko were drooling, you included too, your group was getting close the tree.

It is said that the Rainbow Fruit make animals lose all their reason and become entranced by the odor alone. Since Troll Kongs are carnivorous, they do not eat the Rainbow Fruit. They instead eat the animals that get drawn in by its scent, which is the whole reason why they make their nest near the Rainbow Tree.

"Now that you used Knocking on the Troll Kong back there, we can relax and go pick the fruit. Right?" smiled Komatsu, and Toriko turned to him with a deadpan.

"What are you talking about? That guy was just a bottom-ranking reconnaissance scout for the pack"

"Pack?" you repeated.

"Look, you can see them"

You hesitantly gazed down from the cliff you were all standing on, and your eyes bulged out of your sockets at the sight of a legion of Troll Kongs waiting for you there. The Rainbow Tree was right behind them, tall and filled with the fruits that shone in different colors. Komatsu's arms shut in the air, screaming loudly in terror.

"Aw man. How'm I gonna deal with all these?" sighed Toriko, not really preoccupied by the situation.

"It's over. We all are going to die. Did you make your will? I did" you mumbled, tears cascading down your cheeks.

"Yes, me too" your friend nodded with the same expression. "It was great knowing you. Hey, can you see the River Styx? Let's go together"

"Good idea. I have the tendency to get lost..."

"Oi, you two! Grab onto my back!" yelled Toriko.

You both screamed in surprise when the Gourmet Hunter threw you over his shoulders, with Komatsu dangling on his left while you were on the right. How it was possible for him to fit the two of you was a mystery, but you could care less with the Troll Kongs now charging at you.

"Put every ounce of your body and soul into holding on! Believe that you'll die if you loosen your grip for one hundredth of a second!!" warned Toriko.

"C-Can we actually get out of here alive?!" stuttered Komatsu.

"Dunno. You can pray!"

"How reasurrin-YAHHHHHHH"

Your sentence ended up as a scream when Toriko suddenly dashed forward, dodging the attacks of a few Troll Kongs. He used his Knocking Gun on those who were coming too close. You struggled to keep a hold on Toriko, with him moving and zigzagging a lot between the beasts.

"Toriko-san! Are you sure it's really the time to just be Knocking them?!" asked Komatsu.

"My only goal is to get the Rainbow Fruit" stated Toriko, avoiding a punch. "Besides, the Troll Kong's meat is sinewy and it isn't really edible. Unless I plan to eat it, I don't take the lives of my prey. If I don't eat it, I don't kill it. If I kill it, I eat it! That's my rule"

"Toriko-san..." you breathed in shock.

At that moment, it started to rain. You blinked through the droplets of water falling in your eyes and hair, which dropped unto your face and blinded you partially. The Troll Kongs were on the move again, charging at Toriko who used his limbs to bypass and Knock them.

There seem to be no end to it, with the Troll Kongs being part of a perfectly structured hierarchical society. The only way would be beating the boss, but you had to find it first. Toriko was about to use his Knocking Gun again, when a Troll Kong snatched his arm and lifted him above ground, the weapon falling into a puddle.

You cried out in pain when the gorilla decided to grab you from the Gourmet Hunter's shoulder, its strength alone exceeding 1 ton and almost crushing you on spot.

"Let me go, you big brute!" you huffed, kicking and punching the beast's hand.

The Troll Kong seemed to mock your attempts of escaping, pushing its huge finger against your face and shaking you around as if you were a rattle. Having enough, you squeezed your arm out and pulled down the zipper of your explorer suit. Both Toriko's and Komatsu's eyes widened when you took out a hammer.

Where did you exactly pull that out? Did you have it in your cleavage this entire time? Recognizing the tool immediately, your friend shuddered slightly.

"She decided to use it!" cried out Komatsu.

"Use what?!" asked Toriko in disbelief.

"Now I'm having enough!" you snapped angrily, swinging the hammer with both hands behind you.

The Gourmet Hunter became dumbfounded when the hammer suddenly grew bigger than the Troll Kong's very head in just a second. Even more when he compared your size to this when you were way more delicate and smaller. At least, that's what he first thought when he met you.

"Let. Us. Go!" you spat each word, slamming down the hammer on the Troll Kong's head.

The beast roared in pain, its grip loosening around Toriko's arm and your waist. You squeaked as you fell on your butt in a puddle, the water drenching your clothes. The hunter landed swiftly back on his feet, gazing at the animal and you, back and forth in stupor and amazement.

The Troll Kong was literally seeing stars dancing around, before it went unconscious, head colliding with the mud in a huge thump.

"That was her famous 'Mortier et Pilon' technique!" said Komatsu. "(y/n)-chan is very good at grinding and crushing ingredients, to the point she even applied it to this hammer"

"DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY IT BECAME SUDDENLY GIANT?" cried out Toriko, staring at you in slight fear. You, on the other hand, gave a sheepish smile.

"Sorry...I got a little bit carried away..." you chuckled nervously.

"SHE'S BACK TO HER CUTE PERSONA?!"

"C-cute? I don't know what you are t-talking about..." you blushed brightly with a stammer in your voice, looking away.

Another enemy charged at you, but this time you couldn't defend yourself. You could only use the hammer in emergencies, not to fight off beasts like some kind of warrior. Toriko stood protectively in front of you, and blinked in surprise when the Troll Kong recoiled with a frightened growl.

"He felt my intimidation?!" said Toriko, and came to the realization when he thought about it. "The rain...It certainly washed away the scent of the underling that was on my body. All right, this is good!"

The Gourmet Hunter released his flames, making the Troll Kongs took a step back. They were slightly intimidated by Toriko's power and strength. Then, something white caught your eye, and you looked up at the platform where there was a Troll Kong slightly different from the pack.

It was gazing at the sky, and suddenly disappeared quickly for no reason. The next second after, there was a lightning strike. The hunter protected himself with his arms, since it hit pretty close to where he was standing.

"That was pretty close...If the lightning strikes the Rainbow Tree, it's over! We've gotta hurry and find the boss! Which one of them was scared most by the lightning just now?" urged Toriko.

"Huh? Why?" wondered Komatsu.

à"That one's the boss!"

"Uh, but, the boss, wouldn't he be the one who is least likely to be afraid...?"

"It's the opposite. The most important thing for the leader to have, even more so than strength, is the ability to handle a crisis. The one who senses danger first is the one with the ability to lead"

"In that case, there actually was one who hid right before the lightning struck...That white one that's behind the rest"

"Him, huh? Got ya" smirked Toriko. "The one that has white hair as proof of its seniority? The Silverback. We found it! Pretty slick of you to have noticed that"

"No, it's just that while I've been on your back, my fear has somehow disappeared...I've sort of been able to calmly watch our surroundings. It's kind of strange, though"

SILVERBACK (MAMMAL) - CAPTURE LEVEL 10

"Now then. It looks like the smell of the underling has completely washed off of me" Toriko trailed as he marched over the white beast.

The two of them faced each other in silence, the Silverback hunching its face closer to the hunter's. You thought that the Troll Kong would eventually fight back, but it merely closed its eyes and bowed its head to Toriko, admitting its defeat. A peaceful and quiet conclusion, to your surprise.

The rain came to a stop, and the light finally shone through the clouds, illuminating beautifully the Rainbow Tree.

"Incredible..." you said in awe, approaching the tree slowly.

"It's so pretty!" added Komatsu, before he let out a noise of confusion. "TINA-SAN?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Indeed, the reporter somewhat followed you in the Biotope, and was now standing a few feet away from the Rainbow Fruit with her pet and personal camera in hand. She flinched at Komatsu's shout, gesturing wildly:

"I just got pulled in by it!" Tina stammered.

Taking one of the fruits in the tree, Toriko turned to the Troll Kongs who were gazing at him expectantly. He smiled at their nervousness, reassuring them by stating he would only take one, to not endanger their livelihood. Tina turned on her camera, about to report live what was happening when IGO staff quickly stopped her.

"Like I said, impromptu data collecting annoys me" sighed Johannes.

"YOU WON'T ALLOW EVEN ONE LITTLE PINCH?!" the reporter snarled.

"Get her out of here"

You all sweatdropped as Tina was taken away by two IGO guards, the woman struggling and attempting to kick their asses. Even the Troll Kongs couldn't help but gaze exasperatedly at the unfolding scene. You let out a sigh, and turned to Komatsu with a smile:

"So? What are we waiting for? Let's cook this Rainbow Fruit!"

"Aye!" your friend returned your smile with a nod.

The cooks were working much more than usual, with having Toriko as a guest. That man has already eaten almost the half of the kitchen, still waiting patiently for the Rainbow Fruit to be served.

Komatsu was both careful and meticulous with the ingredient, not wanting to soil the flavor in any way. You, on the other hand, paid more attention in the details on how you will serve the food. You and Komatsu agreed to deliver it as a jelly.

Your friend didn't stop drooling all the time he was making it, and you had to toss a towel in his face so his saliva didn't fall on the Rainbow Fruit Jelly. Now done with the long hours of preparation, you were ready to serve the dish on a silver plate.

Komatsu pushed the tray to Toriko's table, who stood abruptly with saliva dripping from his mouth as he smelled the delicious odor in the air.

"What a sweet, mellow scent!" he cried out when you lifted the lid to reveal the Rainbow Fruit shining in colors. "The fruit juice is even evaporating and forming a rainbow!"

"Bon appétit, Toriko-san!" you smiled. "We hope it will be to your liking!"

"We've kept the fruit's temperature at 5 degrees" Komatsu drooled, gulping. "And as time passes the temperature will rise and the flavor will change as well"

"Okay, here we go" heaved briskly Toriko, taking a spoon. "I give thanks to all the ingredients in this world. Itadakimasu!"

"He looked like he's on the verge of crying..." you sweatdropped, an unsure smile on your face.

"It's soft! It feels just like pudding!" the hunter exclaimed when he took a spoonful of Rainbow Fruit Jelly. "But it's heavy. It's honestly as heavy as gold"

The moment he took a bite, Toriko nearly dropped his spoon. He stood there with his eyes wide open, no words coming out of his mouth. You were worried that you had somehow killed him with this dish when he started to cry, his body jerking.

"Toriko-san?..." Komatsu called his name hesitantly.

"The dessert...has been decided!" Toriko shouted, whipping his tears. "The dessert on my Lifetime Full Course Menu will be the Rainbow Fruit! Komatsu, (y/n)! Gather all the staff! We've all got to try the Rainbow Fruit together, right? It tastes better if everyone gets some!"

"I'm happy for you, Toriko-san!" you clasped your hands together, laughing as he started to cry again.