The holographic image played out in stunning clarity, showing the exact moment five Blue Nitro—elite beings who had terrorized the Gourmet World for hundreds of millions of years—made the single greatest mistake of their existence.
They appeared directly above the hot pot.
Specifically, directly above Saitama and Garou's arguing chopsticks.
The timing could not have been worse.
Saitama, annoyed that his chopsticks had been blocked, glanced up at the sudden shadow. "Huh? Monsters?"
Garou, equally irritated at losing the last piece of meat, didn't even look. "YOUR SIDE."
The five Blue Nitro, veterans of countless battles with Eight Kings, descended with perfect combat formation. The Scarred Nitro led the charge, his massive form crackling with gourmet energy. The Decadent Nitro cackled, its table knife gleaming. Three others flanked, covering all angles of attack.
They were professionals.
They were ancient.
They were dead before they hit the ground.
Saitama's chopsticks, still reaching for the meat, intercepted the Scarred Nitro's fist with casual indifference. There was no impact. No sound. The Scarred Nitro simply... stopped. His eyes went wide. Then his arm dissolved—not exploded, not shattered, but dissolved into particles of light that scattered on the hot pot's steam.
Garou, finally noticing the intrusion, snarled. "Get out of the way, I want that meat!" His free hand—the one not holding chopsticks—swatted at the Decadent Nitro like one would swat an annoying fly.
The Decadent Nitro's cackle cut off mid-laugh as it ceased to exist from the waist up.
Komatsu, who had been stirring the broth, looked up at the commotion. "Oh! Mr. Saitama, Mr. Garou, we have guests! Should I prepare more bowls?"
"No," Saitama said, finally securing the last piece of meat. "They're not staying."
The remaining three Nitro hesitated for exactly 0.3 seconds—long enough for their ancient instincts to scream RUN, and not nearly long enough to actually do so.
Garou, now committed to the interruption, stood up in irritation. "You know what? Fine. Let's do this." His form shifted, the "King" mode Joa had witnessed before, and he moved.
The three Nitro didn't even have time to process what happened. One moment they were there; the next, they were confetti.
Saitama chewed his meat contentedly. "Garou, you're making a mess. Komatsu worked hard on this broth."
Garou looked at the scattered remains, then at the hot pot, then back at the remains. "...Tch. Sorry, Komatsu."
Komatsu, ever polite, waved it off. "Oh no, it's fine! I can strain the broth! It'll be even richer now!"
In the Inner World, Joa watched this unfold with an expression that cycled through confidence, confusion, horror, and finally, existential dread.
The "Starving Wolf" she had targeted wasn't just strong.
He was casual.
And the bald one...
The bald one hadn't even tried.
Joa's grip on Cinderella tightened. Then, with the instincts of a survivor who had lived millions of years, she did the only sensible thing.
She ran.
The holographic image faded.
King turned to Kaka with an expression of profound amusement. "See? Told you. Interesting."
Kaka's jaw was on the forest floor. "They... they just... five Blue Nitro... in seconds... without even trying..."
"Yep." King stood, stretching. "Now, the interesting part is what happens next. Joa's running, Pair's about to find out its backup plan is gone, and Toriko and his friends are still trying to survive an enraged monkey god." He grinned. "This is the best show I've seen in ages."
Below, Pair had finally reached the scene of the massacre. Its face, visible even through the mask, was a mask of pure horror.
"This... this is impossible..." it whispered again.
From the shadows, King's voice carried gently on the wind: "Is it, though?"
Pair spun, but saw nothing. Only the scattered remains of its kin, the bubbling hot pot, and in the distance, the unmistakable sound of approaching thunder—the Monkey King's rage, drawing ever closer.
And somewhere, far away, Joa ran.
The game had changed. Again.
Pair's blood ran cold—colder than any temperature the Gourmet World could produce. The hand on its shoulder was deceptively gentle, but the presence behind it was anything but.
It slowly turned.
King stood there, wearing that same lazy, amused expression that had haunted Pair's peripheral vision for days without it ever realizing the danger. Behind him, the real Kaka hovered nervously, her long-lashed eyes wide with a mixture of fear and righteous satisfaction.
"You..." Pair's voice came out strangled. "You're the one. The one who's been watching. The one who—"
"Took out Air, yes." King nodded pleasantly. "Also the one who's been enjoying your little teaching session with Toriko and his friends. You're actually a pretty good instructor, you know? Terrible person, obviously, but good teacher."
Pair's mind raced. It could fight. It was a Blue Nitro, one of the most powerful beings in existence. It had survived millions of years, battled Eight Kings, orchestrated the cooking of an entire planet. It could—
"Don't," King said, as if reading its thoughts. "Air thought he could fight. Air was wrong. Your friends over there"—he gestured vaguely toward Pot Mountain's base, where the remains still lay—"thought they could fight. They were also wrong. You're smart. Don't join the club."
Pair's shoulders sagged. The fight drained out of it.
"What do you want?"
King's smile widened. "Now that's the right question. What do I want?" He tilted his head, considering. "Information, mostly. About Acacia. About NEO. About the Gourmet Eclipse and what really happens when it arrives. And about..." He paused, his eyes glinting. "About Joa's plans now that her 'Starving Wolf' turned out to be the wrong wolf."
Pair stared at him. "You know about Joa? About the Blue Nitro's true purpose?"
"Know about it?" King laughed. "I've been watching this whole ridiculous cooking show since before you woke up from your last dry sleep. I know more about your plans than you do." He leaned in slightly. "But there are details. Nuances. Flavors, if you will. And I want to taste them."
Kaka, watching this exchange, felt her worldview crumbling yet again. This lord didn't just defeat Blue Nitro—he negotiated with them. On his terms. From a position of such absolute dominance that even an ancient, prideful being like Pair couldn't find the will to resist.
Pair was silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, it reached up and removed its mask.
The face beneath was... surprising. Not monstrous, not ancient. Simply tired. Worn. The face of a being who had lived too long and seen too much.
"You want the truth?" Pair's voice was different without the mask—older, sadder. "The truth is, we don't fully know anymore. The plan was set in motion so long ago that the original purpose has become... obscured. Acacia. NEO. The Gourmet Eclipse. They're all connected, but the connection..." It shook its head. "Even Joa doesn't understand it completely. She follows instincts older than her current form."
King nodded thoughtfully. "And the [PAIR]? Toriko and his friends are still up there, trying to survive an enraged monkey god. What happens when they succeed? Or fail?"
Pair's eyes flickered with something—regret, perhaps, or resignation. "If they succeed, they'll have the fruit of resurrection at the exact moment when the world needs resurrection most. If they fail..." It shrugged. "The Monkey King will mourn for a thousand years, and the [PAIR] will wait for the next dance. It's patient. It has time."
A distant roar echoed from the mountain peak—Bambina's rage, still ongoing, still terrible.
King glanced up, then back at Pair. "Well. Looks like we have some time before the main course is ready. Why don't you tell me everything? From the beginning." He settled against a rock, comfortable as always. "I'm a good listener. And I promise—" His eyes hardened, just for a moment. "—it'll go better for you than it did for Air."
Pair swallowed.
And began to talk.
On the mountain peak, the dance continued—desperate, beautiful, and utterly magnificent.
In the sky, Joa fled, her perfect plans in ruins.
And on Pot Mountain's base, a Blue Nitro confessed its species' darkest secrets to a being who treated it all like an interesting story.
The Gourmet Eclipse approached.
And the menu was far from complete.