"We're down to this little already? And we left only three days ago...We still got nearly a month left" you sweated as you gazed inside the fridge.

Both Toriko and Zebra were eating too much, but the latter was the worst when it came to finishing food. You had calmed yourself down after lashing out at the two Kings for being destructive. Realizing at that time what you did, you were too embarrassed and scared to face either of them, mostly Zebra.

Yet, he looked like a bit more tamed than the first time you met him. He would still address you as 'little rabbit', but you could see he was doing his best to not scare you off with his habits.

"Are our food supplies going to hold out?" mumbled Komatsu.

"You took the meat I had my eye on!" shouted Zebra from the other room.

"How the hell could I know that?!" replied angrily Toriko.

Both you and Komatsu froze on the spot as another table went flying across the living room to the mini kitchen. Your friend sweated a bit while you rubbed your temples, releasing an exasperated sigh.

"Forget the food supplies, the Lift House itself might not hold out" whined Komatsu.

You returned inside the destroyed living room, walking to the lone and used couch in the center of the chaos that was the fight between Zebra and Toriko. You sat down on it, pulling out an article about Sand Garden as Komatsu sat next to you.

"From what I can read, we should reach Sand Garden pretty soon. Our food supplies are going to just barely hold out" you said.

"Same for the Lift House" added Komatsu, deadpanning as a picture frame fell from the wall. 

"...I'll pretend I didn't see that"

"To be honest, Sand Garden looks like a pretty interesting place" you mused, earning both the attention of Toriko and Komatsu. "From this sightseeing guidebook, it says that there are a lot of different kind of deserts. Like one made of natural rice, Rice Desert. Or the one made of sweet muscovado, Muscovado Desert"

"Yeah. But they aren't all Gourmet Deserts like them. There are Resource Deserts like Coal Desert and Rare Earth Desert" said Toriko, taking a look inside the book. "And there are Jewel Deserts like Gold Dust Desert and Diamond Desert. They sometimes call Sand Garden the Sand Paradise"

"And we're almost there. I'm kinda getting excited" smiled Komatsu.

The sandstorm that was going on outside cleared out to reveal a small town of Sand Garden. It was beyond miraculous that your group made it here safely and in time, as the moment you exited the Lift House it fell into pieces. Unlike back there, it was much hotter with a little over 60 degrees during the day.

As you walked around, you saw a local man standing a few feet away. He was staring straight at Zebra, who became even more scared when said man went in his direction.

"Oi, what're you lookin' at? I'll beat the shit outta you, dammit" the Heavenly King warned.

"Pl-Please spare my life!" the poor man pleaded, bringing his hands into a prayer.

"I'll let you live, but in exchange you've gotta gimme something to eat. Show me to a good sand cooking place!"

"Oi, oi..." Toriko sighed as he watched from the distance with you and Komatsu.

"Toriko-san. Is this whole thing with Zebra-san really going to be okay?" your friend wondered.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, um..."

"Worried, are you?" the Gourmet Hunter grinned at his partner. "Well, I guess he is a well-established criminal after all. I can understand why you wouldn't be able to trust him"

"It's not exactly trust, um..." trailed Matsu, looking down at his feet. "I think the crime Zebra-san committed really is an extremely serious offense. To be honest, I don't think releasing him was the right thing to do. I haven't seen anything to suggest he feels remorseful about it. So, I honestly don't think it's a good idea to travel with him"

"It's over" you thought sadly. "There's no way he wouldn't think that Komatsu has gotten cocky now"

"Well, I think so, too" Toriko told. "But for Gourmet Pyramid, we're really going to need his power. This is a give-and-take relationship. Also, it's not like Zebra's existence has necessarily been nothing but a bad influence on this world"

What Toriko just said made you rethink of your opinion on the feral Heavenly King. It's true that he brought 26 different species to extinction, and his character was a bit rude and brutish. Yet, you didn't really know the man fully like the Gourmet Hunter did. Maybe there was some good in him?

"Hurry up and get me some tasty sand cooking to eat, dammit!" snarled the voice of Zebra in the background.

"Y-Yes, sir!" yelled the terrified man.

...Yes. Somewhere really far, far in him.

Toriko and Komatsu went ahead to buy some equipment for your journey in the desert, leaving you all alone with Dino. Zebra was gone somewhere, probably tasting the sand cooking he demanded so much since you arrived in Sand Garden. Your wyvern strutted around the place in search of some exotic foods, and you had to remind him constantly to invade the shops or the restaurants brusquely.

No customers wanted to be disturbed in their meal by the sudden appearance of a Thunderous Wyvern's head in their plates after all. You sighed, feeling a bit lonely. How you wanted to have another friend with you right now...a partner of your own. Your thoughts immediately went into thinking about Coco-san, and you quickly became a blushing mess.

You brought a hand over your cheek, releasing an unladylike sound from your lips. You seriously needed a therapy or some sort.

"Yo, (y/n)! Thinking about Coco?"

"EH?!" you cried out in surprise, whipping your head to stare at the grinning and devious faces of both Toriko and Komatsu. You grew embarrassed, puffing your cheeks angrily as you stared away from them. "Shut up! I don't!"

"Now, now. I'm teasing you" the Gourmet Hunter pat your head, before handing to you a white cloak. "You should wear that, we're going north to reach a town and we have to pass a desert"

With the cloak on, it became much more easier to move through the heath of this place. You felt a bit cooler than before, even though you were still sweating buckets just by standing on the same spot for more than one second. Komatsu was panting heavily next to you, taking the warm temperature much more hard than you.

"You okay back there?" Toriko inquired over his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah...Um, what about Zebra-san?" Komastu asked, when he realized that the Heavenly King was nowhere to be found.

"Even if we leave him behind, he's sure to come. Oh, there. Is that the place?"

The village was small, considering what you could find back at the town earlier at Sand Garden. Majority of the houses here were cabins made of wood, with a few of them looking like they went through a storm. The three of you passed the gates, walking and taking a look at your surroundings.

"Toriko-san, look" Komatsu pointed at a building where a sign told that you could rent camels.

"Rental Camels, huh?" hummed the Gourmet Hunter, before knocking on the shop's door. It opened to reveal a frail, old woman behind. "We're here to borrow some camels"

"Well, these are the first customers I've had in quite a while" the woman smiled. "Welcome, thank you for coming. Which desert are you traveling to? There's scant few deserts I can recommend to you at the moment"

"Is that so?" Toriko raised a brow inquisitively.

"Yes"

"What a lonely town..." Komatsu contemplated for a moment, earning a solemn look from the old woman.

"Terrible, isn't it? This is what happened to the town as a result of many years of war between countries"

"There's been conflict?" you frowned sadly, and the woman nodded grimly.

"Exactly. Because of that, tourism grounded to a halt. The number of people who have used Lift Houses has dropped off considerably"

"So...Those broken houses we saw before...It's because they hadn't been used for years?...How terrible..."

"But it's all right now" she assured with a shake of her head. "The conflict is over. Thanks to him..."

"OI, TORIKO!" snarled the voice of Zebra behind you. "DON'T GO LEAVING ME BEHIND, DAMMIT!"

"Well you wandered off somewhere on your own, didn't you?!" the blue haired man accused.

"He's not wearing any cloak to protect himself from the sun...Is he going to be fine?..." you sweated, seeing that Zebra was wearing just his casual clothes that consisted of army pants and an orange t-shirt.

"Did...Did you say Zebra?" breathed in shock the old woman.

"Ah, it's okay, you don't need to be scared" Komatsu tried to calm her down. "...As long as you don't get cocky"

"That man is Zebra-sama?!"

"Zebra...Zebra-sama?" you blinked.

The feral Heavenly King was soon swarmed by the villagers who went to thank him, addressing the man as their savior. Even Zebra looked taken aback, gazing at each of them puzzled and a bit irritated of the sudden attention.

"What's going on?" wondered Komatsu.

"Zebra saved this town" answered simply Toriko. "Well, effectively"

"And what does it mean?" you asked.

"It was to prepare for Zebra. When the warring countries heard about Zebra's release, they ended the war in order to form counter-measures against him. And all of the troops withdrew from the country. In order to protect themselves from Zebra"

"Many lives were taken because of the conflict. Every day was truly hell" the old woman sighed as she fell on her knees. Tears started to fall on her wrinkled cheeks. "But I'm so glad it's really over. It's all thanks to Zebra-sama. Zebra-sama is our savior!"

"I think I understand a bit better what you meant back then, Toriko-san" you mused, smiling a little. "He can't be that much-"

"OI! GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE ANNOYING! Want me to beat the shit outta you?" spat Zebra, causing you to sweatdrop.

"...I won't finish my sentence"

Suddenly, Zebra's ears perked up at something. The Heavenly King pushed the crowd of people to face the desert, his eyes narrowed at whatever was coming toward the village. That's when a beast in the shape of a giant scorpion burst through a dune of sand, landing a few feet away from the small town.

The villagers released screams of terror, running out of the way as the scorpion approached dangerously.

"It-It's a biological weapon!" cried the old woman, frightened.

"They used living things as weapons?!" sweated Komatsu, gazing at the beast.

"That thing has attacked this village many times. Even my son and grandson were..." she trailed, not risking to finish her sentence. "As long as it's still alive, the future of this town is..."

"A remnant of war, huh?" frowned Toriko. "That's a Eight-Tailed Scorpion. With the poison in its eight tails, it can kill any living being, throwing the ecosystem into disarray. That thing's a designated isolated species"

EIGHT-TAILED SCORPION (CRUSTACEAN) CAPTURE LEVEL - 23

"Huh...? This song..." you murmured absently, earning a look from both Toriko and Komatsu. "Where did I hear it before?"

"Song?" echoed your friend, beyond confused.

Dino growled at the scorpion, releasing a roar of intimidation. This seems to make the beast pull back a little. You caught sight of a little girl that has unfortunately tripped, and was now laying in the fighting range of the Eight-Tailed Scorpion. The beast leaped, aiming to attack her as she screamed in terror.

Zebra opened his mouth while he motioned something with his fingers, stretching his arms as he yelled:

"Voice Cutter!"

With the power of his voice, he cut down the Eight-Tailed Scorpions in pieces, leaving the various bloody parts to fall on the sand. The Heavenly King scoffed under his breath while Toriko smirked, leaving you and Komatsu to stare at the scene shocked.

"Lower life forms shouldn't get cocky" Zebra snarled, and the little girl thanked him tearfully for saving her.

The villagers cheered loudly for this victory while the old woman dried a tear that was threatening to fall. Not this town won't have to fear for any more future attack of this beast.

"By the way...The 26 species that Zebra wiped out were all dangerous creatures that threw ecosystems out of balance. So they kinda needed to be wiped out" told Toriko with a sheepish grin.

"Zebra-sama! Thank you!"

"You bastards...You'd better make sure you adapt to me" the Heavenly King warned at the villagers, causing you to let out a giggle. You couldn't help it.

Once the commotion calmed down and the villagers returned to their homes, content for the rest of the day, Toriko went to see the old woman to get two camels for the journey. Leaving you and Komatsu alone with the other Heavenly King.

"Oi, kid and little rabbit. I heard you both" Zebra drawled darkly, leaning his face close to yours. "Don't wanna pal around with me, eh?!"

"I-I'M SORRY! I was wrong!" panicked Komatsu, waving his hands wildly.

"Y-Yeah...We didn't really understand you until now, Zebra-san..." your face paled considerably.

"Uh...I......" trailed your friend, sweating a bit more under the intense stare the feral King was given you both.

"...WE SAID SOMETHING COCKY!!" you and Komatsu wailed at the same time, closing your eyes tightly.

Veins appeared all over Zebra's face, the muscles of his neck tightening. You fidgeted with the cloth of your cloak, staring down at your feet as you waited for the Heavenly King to lash out on the two of you. You would earn it, since you practically did the same to Zebra back at the Lifting House by pinching his ear.

"So you're saying you both flat-out got cocky in front of me?" demanded Zebra as your heartbeat grew faster along with Komatsu's. "It's been so long since I've met such straight-shooters!...I guess that's what I should expect from Toriko's partner and friend. You two got some guts, dammit"

"S-Sorry..." you sweated, trembling slightly.

"Listen up, kids. The cockiest thing someone in this world can do is to tell lies" told Zebra as he flicked Komatsu's forehead. "Those bastards that'll badmouth somebody behind their back, but when they're face to face with the person, they'll kiss up to them. Those egotistical assholes who think as long at that person doesn't find out, everything's okay. There's nobody that pisses me off more than that sorta cocky piece of shit! I wanna crush them between my fingers until there ain't one of 'em left"

"Well..I swear I didn't tell any..." Komatsu replied, earning a laugh from the Heavenly King.

"That's what I'm sayin'! When you saw my face, you got cocky, right? It's been forever since I've seen such honest guys. Too freakin' honest!"

"You're not really leaving us a choice..." you thought.

"Enough for me to wanna tell you to give a shit and lie a little, chumps"

"WHY?!" cried out Komatsu and you in unison.

"Well, I'll overlook your vehement shamelessness, but I've got a condition" stated Zebra, earning your attention at the last part. "I accepted Toriko's request, but...I don't think we've decided on the reward"

"...Huh?"

Toriko came back with two Reservoir Camels. Those giant beasts can store a large amount of water inside their humps, and drink water from these animals at any time with the help of faucets adorned at each side. The one you were riding with Zebra contained wine, since he was 'an adult'. That man drank and enjoyed an elegant trip, to your dismay.

The Heavenly King kept munching over the Eight-Tailed Scorpion's meat during the whole ride since it made a good alcohol snack. You were seated behind him, and despite how tall he was, you could have a good look around and in front of you. Dino was running around happily, clearly entertained by what the desert could offer.

"Oi. That beast who keeps yapping is annoying me" barked Zebra, and you let out an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry, Zebra-san. He will eventually tire himself out..." you assured.

"Thunderous Wyvern...I wonder if it tastes good..." the man in front of you wondered out loud, and you let out an outraged gasp.

Leaning forward, you gripped once more the right ear of the Heavenly King, tugging and pinching it. Zebra bent over, releasing a groan of pain just by the strength alone you used in this small, delicate hand of yours.

"Dino is no food! He's a member of my family!" you nagged at the Heavenly King, earning panicked looks from both Toriko and Komatsu whose Reservoir Camel was walking beside yours. "If you ever threaten in eating him up again, I won't hesitate to pummel you with my hammer!"

"Because now she has a hammer too?!" Zebra shouted angrily at the Gourmet Hunter who lifted his hands in surrender. "That cocky, little rabbit!"

"P-Please you two...." pleaded Komatsu, sweating at the sight.

The temperature of Sand Garden during the day could reach over 60 degrees, but the place you were heading for was the mirage in a sandstorm. A place where tons of wild beasts convene, Desert Labyrinth. It was also considered as a graveyard for Bishokuyas, since many entered it without returning. You weren't obligated in returning the camels you rented since the old lady was pretty sure that you wouldn't come back alive.

You drank water frequently, even before your throat felt sore. The humidity in the desert was extremely low, so you consumed a lot of moisture. There wasn't much to do here, so it left you a bit of time to think to yourself. Not even the attack of the Desert Sharks could disturb you from your peace as Zebra demonstrated another talent of his. He was able to release ultrasonic waves that you couldn't here, performing a sound that his opponents hated.

On the next day, through a sandstorm, you finally arrived at the Desert Labyrinth.

"We're here" grinned Toriko. "That's the red desert maze, Desert Labyrinth!"

They weren't joking when it came to the color. It was beyond evident that you were entering another territory and desert with the red colored dunes. The iron in the sand, oxidized by the sun, appears red. But it was also mixed with the blood of wild beasts. The moment you trespassed into Desert Labyrinth, the heat became much more worst.

It was difficult for you to breath, and you were about to reach for another flask of water when Dino suddenly growled. You weren't sure if the two Heavenly Kings became aware of it, but Komatsu fell from his Reservoir Camel. You unintentionally followed after him as you descended the camel, falling through a a quicksand. You released a scream that came out muffled, and you quickly closed your mouth to avoid inhaling sand in your lungs.

You found yourself sinking into the ground, passing through tunnels that were hid under the red desert. Ahead of you saw the form of Komatsu struggling to keep himself from falling, but the two of you were currently sliding on a hellish toboggan filled with wild beasts who were trying to have a bite of you two.

A bright light shone at the end of this ride, and that's when you completely lost conscientiousness.