"So that's why it sounded familiar. It's that kid. Anyone who can make Century Soup is no ordinary chef. He entered the Cooking Festival too, right? Why haven't I seen him?"
Brunch frowned slightly as he scanned the top rankings on the giant screen. He knew every name near the top. That only made it stranger. If Komatsu had entered the competition, where was he?
"See the one in last place?" Kael said. "That's Komatsu. He's got solid perseverance, real skill, and insanely strong Food Luck. But he hasn't acquired Gourmet Cells. In a physical event like this, last place is about all he can manage."
Komatsu still hadn't awakened Gourmet Cells. Physically, he was only a little stronger than a normal person. For something like a triathlon, that was practically a death sentence.
"Last place? No Gourmet Cells, and he still managed to cook Century Soup? That kid's interesting." Brunch grinned. "Kael, Nono, I'll head over first. I'm competing too."
After greeting the two of them, Brunch launched himself forward, transforming into a literal bolt of lightning, diving straight back into the competition.
"You made quite a few friends in the Gourmet World this time, didn't you?" Nono said with a soft smile. "He really respects you."
As someone who managed the Setsuno Group, Nono could easily read people. Brunch's attitude just now had been genuinely respectful. And that was saying something. He'd grown up in the Bewitching Food World, and his personality had always been notoriously troublesome. That wild streak had even earned him a huge following among younger chefs.
For someone like him to show that level of respect, Kael must have done more than just make a good impression.
"I helped them out quite a bit," Kael replied casually. "It's only natural they'd be grateful. And Brunch may have a rough personality, but once he acknowledges you, he reins it in. He's not that hard to get along with."
That was completely different from Zebra. No matter how close you were to Zebra, he'd still roast you without mercy.
While the two talked, Brunch—still crackling with electricity—had already blitzed through the swimming round. He emerged from the water alongside Komatsu, who was still in last place. By the time they reached the shore, most of the ingredients laid out on the beach had already been claimed.
The beach ingredients were meant for the next stage. First come, first served. Naturally, the earlier contestants had taken the higher-quality items.
What remained wasn't spoiled or unusable—just ordinary. Nothing rare or exceptional.
It was at that moment that Brunch truly grasped what made Komatsu special.
Komatsu's Food Luck was overwhelming. On top of that, he had a pure heart. The ingredients themselves seemed to respond to him, almost clamoring to be chosen.
Brunch wasn't the type to admire someone just because they were strong or talented. He judged people by what they did.
He respected Kael because Kael had brought massive benefits to the Bewitching Food World.
As for Komatsu, it wasn't just that he could hear the voices of ingredients. It was what he did after hearing them.
He tried to take all of them.
That alone said everything.
Having grown up in the Bewitching Food World, Brunch understood better than most how precious food truly was. He couldn't stand people who wasted ingredients without a second thought.
Komatsu, on the other hand, treasured them to an almost extreme degree.
That was why Brunch acknowledged him—not because of Food Luck, but because of that untainted sincerity.
In the end, just like in the original story, Brunch carried Komatsu all the way to the finish line. Along the way, he also dealt with a few chefs he found particularly irritating.
And there were plenty of strange ones.
Some had bizarre appearances. Some relied on odd techniques. Others dressed in ways that practically screamed for attention.
"What a shameless outfit…"
Nono turned her face away, clearly uncomfortable.
She had a gentle and somewhat conservative personality, so Kopuriko's revealing attire was too much for her to handle.
Kael, on the other hand, could only shrug. People were different. As long as it wasn't hurting anyone, there was nothing to say.
Another person who left Kael speechless was Tsurara Mama.
She insisted on wearing a kimono at all times—even during the competition. The swimming round had been inconvenient, sure, but her physical ability made up for it.
The cycling stage, however, was something else entirely.
Because of her clothes, she couldn't properly mount the bicycle at all.
Kael had been curious how she'd handle it.
He hadn't expected her solution to be so simple.
She sliced the bicycle clean in half.
Then she rode the back half like a unicycle.
Even Kael had to admit—that was impressive.
Everyone else showed off their own tricks as well. Maybe their cooking skills weren't extraordinary, but each of them had some unique trump card. And in this triathlon-style event, they put them all on display.
Of course, there were also plenty of overhyped contestants.
Some couldn't even pass the second stage. The second round involved dangerous beasts. If Komatsu hadn't been lucky, he would've been eliminated there too.
But with Brunch at his side, no beast stood a chance.
Nono had also come to respect Komatsu.
Back when they were dealing with the Medicinal Mochi incident, she'd been assisting on the sidelines. At the time, she hadn't thought much of him.
Setsuno's attitude toward Komatsu had puzzled her. Kael was one thing—his talent was downright terrifying. Nono had long since accepted that.
But Komatsu?
She hadn't understood.
That changed when she saw him listen to the voices of ingredients.
Still, one thing about him remained incomprehensible.
During the Medicinal Mochi crisis, when every second mattered, Komatsu had actually spent several minutes figuring out how to make the dish taste even better.
It was almost absurd.
Sure, the IGO had given them ten extra minutes of buffer time, but finishing early would've minimized risks.
Then again, this was the world of Toriko.
Everything moved at absurd speeds. Otherwise, even if a powerful chef could produce that many Medicinal Mochis, distributing them to hundreds of millions of people would've been impossible.
Just handing them out would've taken an eternity.
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*The Bonus Chapter*