Three days passed quickly, and Setsuna underwent the Gourmet Cell transplantation surgery arranged by the IGO (International Gourmet Organization).
The surgery process was very successful and seamless.
Setsuna felt as if the Gourmet Cells had achieved a perfect symbiosis with his body.
After ten days passed, and it was confirmed that there was no rejection, Jirou brought Setsuna to his room to begin the training.
Setsuna found this a bit odd. Shouldn't training happen outdoors in the wilderness? Why in the teacher's room? Surely he wasn't planning to show him some "good stuff," right?
Setsuna shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions, and listened intently as Jirou began to speak.
"The essence of Pressure Point Striking (Acupuncture) is to sense the pressure points, understand the energy pathways, or in other words, to listen to the voice of all things."
Setsuna's expression became strange. Listening to the voice of all things—isn't that an ability from One Piece?
Jirou continued, "The pressure points of every creature are different. How do you normally perform pressure point strikes?"
Setsuna replied seriously, "I judge them with my naked eye. There are subtle differences where Ki or vital energy flows through the pressure points."
Jirou then asked, "What if I blindfold you?"
Setsuna answered without hesitation, "Then I would sense the opponent's breathing and the surrounding air currents."
Jirou smiled and nodded: "Excellent. Striking a person is done this way, and striking the world is done this way too. As long as you can sense the breath of all things and let the ripples of the air become the world's energy pathways, then there is no difference between striking the pressure points of the planet and striking those of a creature."
Setsuna couldn't help but smile wryly after hearing this. He generally understood what Jirou meant. Using a concept he was more familiar with, it was the "butterfly effect."
The world is a complete system. When a change occurs at one node, the impact can potentially spread throughout the entire world.
But this was too difficult. At his current level, being able to sense air flow changes within a radius of a hundred meters was already good. Treating the entire world as a chessboard was a realm he could barely imagine.
Jirou continued: "The last time we sparred, you couldn't lay a finger on me because I was controlling the world's pathways. Your offense was tangible, but my counterattack was formless. Every step I took stirred the world's breath, affecting you without you realizing it. Of course, your attacks were useless against me. If you can't reach this realm, having ten or a hundred times more power and speed won't help."
Setsuna was deeply shaken. This was the first time he had so directly experienced the power of a high-level master's realm.
Setsuna quickly asked, "Jirou-sensei, how can I reach that level?"
Jirou smiled and said, "There are only two paths to becoming stronger. First is to train and enjoy delicious food to enhance your physical body. The second is to cultivate inner strength, which is Shokugi (Appreciation/Gourmet Etiquette). The essence of Shokugi is to be grateful to heaven and earth; gratitude for food is gratitude for life. Eating is not mere slaughter, but a way to naturally integrate yourself with all things. Therefore, the first lesson I will teach you is to watch me enjoy food with a peaceful mind, without being driven by desire, and keeping a heart full of gratitude."
Setsuna nodded. He didn't think this was a particularly difficult test. It was just about controlling desire, and he was confident in his willpower.
But when the trial began, Setsuna realized the immense agony involved.
The Gourmet Cells' craving for food was terrifying. His entire body was yearning, and his personal desire for food seemed to be amplified 100,000 times.
Setsuna initially had to resort to self-harm to restrain his desire, which subconsciously reminded him of Vice Admiral Onigumo from One Piece. Setsuna couldn't help but smile bitterly; great, he was going to be sitting at the same table as Vice Admiral Onigumo.
Fortunately, Setsuna quickly recalled the teachings of Master Shen (Tsuru-Sen'nin) during his time in the Dragon Ball world. Although Master Shen's power was not as great as Master Roshi's (Kame-Sen'nin), his cultivation realm was genuine.
Setsuna used the method of cultivating 'Ki' to maintain inner peace. The restless desire in his heart quickly subsided, and his powerful inner self finally overcame his body's instincts once again.
Jirou was very satisfied to see Setsuna maintain his original intention during his very first training session.
After an hour passed, Jirou finally said, "You can start eating now. The so-called Shokuzen (Gourmet Zen) is about maintaining a peaceful mind while eating. By listening to the sounds of the food in your mouth, feeling the texture of the ingredients, and tasting the changes in flavor, you eliminate distractions. You experience the life energy of the food with a heart grateful for all things, and you integrate the ingredients' soul into your body."
Setsuna nodded and solemnly enjoyed the delicious food in front of him. Wonderful flavors bloomed on his taste buds, but this time Setsuna felt so much more.
He felt the tranquility of nature in the food and the beauty of life. He seemed to taste the entire life of the ingredient in his mouth.
Jirou praised him: "Once you gradually grasp the essence of Shokugi and Shokuzen, you can attempt to practice Shokumetsu (Gourmet/Appetite Storage). Shokumetsu requires you to eat more food than your body needs, and then use Shokuzen to convert the excess food into Appetite Energy and store it within your body. You then release this power when you need it."
Setsuna rubbed his chin. Isn't this just an advanced form of fat storage?
It could be actively broken down when needed, acting as a free Senzu Bean but without the bulk of fat, preventing weight gain from dragging the body down.
...
This kind of training lasted for a month.
After another session of Shokuzen training ended, Jirou asked, "Do you have any confusion about your current training? After all, you came to learn Pressure Point Striking, yet I have been teaching you the essentials of Shokugi."
Setsuna shook his head slightly: "In my hometown, we have an old saying: 'In order to do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.' Only by building a solid foundation can the subsequent training be smooth and natural."
Jirou nodded with satisfaction: "Technique approaches the Tao (The Way), but if you learn the 'Tao' first, it becomes much easier to learn the 'Technique' afterward."
Setsuna nodded. For instance, the 'mediocre teacher' Silvers Rayleigh from One Piece likely taught Luffy the 'Tao,' which is why Luffy was able to quickly master things under the 'tutelage' of Kaido's staff later on.
Jirou continued, "Now, you can begin the next phase of training. This phase will take place in the Gourmet World."
Returning to the Gourmet World once more, Setsuna felt something different in his heart, as if he was looking at an exceptional market full of ingredients.
Jirou said, "The essence of Shokugi is gratitude to nature, to revere nature. But if you take that superficially and believe you must eat only vegetables or avoid harming other life, then you miss the point. Reverence for nature is not fear of nature. You must have the mettle to become the King of All Spirits; otherwise, you are not a hunter, but the hunted."
"What you need to do next is use the techniques I've taught you to constantly fight in the Gourmet World, using slaughter to enhance your ferocity until you can intimidate these ferocious beasts with your sheer aura alone. Also, you must not waste the beasts you hunt. You must cook and eat all of them yourself, using Shokumetsu to increase your body's storage of Appetite Energy."