Chapter 13: The Disciples of Acacia
The next day, sensing that the Galala Gator’s presence was gone, the beasts that had been forced to the outer edges of the archipelago began to cautiously return to their forr territories.
"I’m sorry to trouble you, Mr. Toriko."
Komatsu’s small fra was no match for the half-ton slab of at, so he had no choice but to ask Toriko for help. Kenji didn’t offer to assist. He felt it was unnecessary; better to let Toriko and Komatsu strengthen their ’best bro’ bond.
Who would have thought, Kenji mused, that Toriko would end up marrying Sunny’s sister, Rin, in the end? Although Rin’s feelings for Toriko were obvious to anyone with eyes, she had surprisingly little screen ti in the grand sche of things.
"What a sha... that I can’t eat it," Toriko said with a look of pure regret. His incredibly sensitive sense of sll allowed him to pick up the special, tantalizing aroma wafting from the Galala Gator at.
"Da! You can’t eat it," Komatsu said with a sigh.
When they reached the shore, Tom was already waiting for them in his small boat. After their feast last night, Toriko had contacted him to arrange for a pickup this morning.
"Toriko! I’m surprised you captured the Galala Gator so quickly. Is there any extra?" Tom asked hopefully.
"Sorry, Mr. Tom. Aside from the portion for the Gourt Hotel, the rest has been eaten," Komatsu explained, shaking his head.
Tom wore an expression that said, I knew it. Toriko’s appetite was legendary.
"Alright then..." he sighed. "Next ti you get a good ingredient, don’t forget my share!"
Gourt City, the Capital of Cuisine.
This bustling tropolis, ho to ten-star hotels, saw a daily foot traffic of over 25 million people. It was a sea of people, a torrent of humanity so dense you had to rub shoulders just to walk normally.
Next to a luxurious, castle-like building stood a low, single-story bungalow. It looked old and worn, a stark contrast to the grand structure beside it. But anyone in the know understood that this unassuming little shack was infinitely more prestigious than the castle. As the saying goes, a mountain’s fa isn’t in its height, but in the immortal who resides there.
A simple sign above the door read [Setsuno’s Diner]. The na of the Living National Gourt Treasure, Setsuno, was enough to make this diner extraordinary. If you wanted to eat here, even if you made a reservation right now, you’d be waiting at least ten years unless you had serious connections. Setsuno only opened her diner whenever the mood struck her.
Warm light spilled from the windows, carrying with it an intoxicating aroma. A crowd of people had gathered outside, their faces filled with blissful satisfaction from just slling the air.
The interior was simple and rustic, creating a warm and inviting dining atmosphere.
"Jiro, what did you call here for this ti?"
The few people currently sitting in Setsuno’s Diner were individuals who could make the world tremble with a single word.
The one who spoke was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. He had bronze skin and was wearing a simple plaid shirt made of what looked like cheap fabric. He had short yellow hair and a peculiar mustache, with ends so long they drooped past his chin and twitched on their own.
This was the President of the IGO, Ichiryu, the first disciple of Acacia and one of the most powerful beings on Earth.
At the dawn of the Gourt Age, Ichiryu founded the IGO to regulate the distribution of ingredients among nations. In the beginning, the IGO was under the jurisdiction of the United Nations. But within a decade, Ichiryu had led the IGO to independence, its influence and comprehensive power making it the de facto ruler of the era. He was responsible for establishing the Eight Gourt Principles, the Gourt Police, the isolation of the Gourt World, the "Capture Level" system, the Gourt Research Institute, and the Gourt ID system, among other beneficial asures.
Even without using the power of his Gourt Demon, Ichiryu was a top-tier global powerhouse. He stood at the pinnacle of the world, yet his diet was simple, often more modest than that of an average person.
Right now, he was heartily eating a al prepared by Setsuno. Sitting beside him was a short old man, his junior disciple, the Knocking Master Jiro. Both were disciples of Acacia, each a legendary figure with monstrous strength.
"That’s right, Little Jiro. You seem awfully happy," Setsuno comnted. Having been Jiro’s partner for so long, she could read him like a book, and her curiosity was piqued.
"My disciple, Kenji, has graduated. And he’s learned almost all of my skills," Jiro said with a wide, toothy grin.
His words struck Ichiryu and Setsuno like a bolt of lightning. Jiro’s strength was undeniably at the highest tier. If his sealed power were fully unleashed, there were few on Earth who could defeat him. In the field of Knocking, Jiro stood at the absolute apex of the pyramid. For soone to master nearly all his techniques, even if they hadn’t reached Jiro’s current level of power, they had to be a genius of staggering proportions.
Ichiryu suddenly understood. Jiro had called him here just to show off. The thought made him chuckle. He felt no jealousy. While his relationship with their other brother, Midora, was currently hostile, the bond between the rest of them remained strong.
Ichiryu hadn’t taught the Four Heavenly Kings many of his own advanced techniques. He didn’t want them to beco clones of himself; that would be a disservice to their potential. Furthermore, so of his skills, like Minority World, were simply too difficult for them to learn at their current level. Jiro’s Knocking and his other powerful moves were equally difficult to master. He was now intensely curious about this disciple of Jiro’s. What kind of genius was he?
"Congratulations, Little Jiro," Setsuno said, genuinely happy for him. Their "grandson," Teppei, had started learning from Jiro but then ran off to beco a Gourt Reviver, which had infuriated both of them. To this day, she still gave Teppei the cold shoulder whenever she saw him. The thought that soone was now carrying on Jiro’s legacy filled her with joy.
"Jiro, when did you get a disciple? How co I never heard a thing about it?" Ichiryu asked curiously.
"Ichi, never mind you. Even I, his partner, never heard a word from Little Jiro," Setsuno laughed. Little Jiro’s disciple... She was quite curious about this Kenji. To receive such high praise from Jiro, he must be soone special. I wonder when I’ll get to et him. How exciting.
"About three years ago," Jiro explained. "For the past three years, I’ve spent most of my ti teaching Kenji. That’s why I didn’t tell you."
Setsuno understood now. That was why Jiro’s visits had beco less frequent over the last few years. He was busy training his student.
"It seems you’re very pleased with this young man, Kenji," Ichiryu said.
"Kenji will definitely surpass ," Jiro stated with a proud, confident nod. "It won’t be long before you all hear his na."
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