Chapter 171: Froese and the Three Brothers
The can opener was ready. Kenji released the three of them—Ichiryu, Jiro, and Midora.
None of them were injured. They had only been sealed because of their lingering sentiments.
"Ahem. Toriko, why are you the only one here?" Ichiryu asked, feigning composure to maintain his dignity as an elder. Being sealed in a can... did he not have any face to lose?
"Coco and the others went to capture the other ingredients. Komatsu and his group went to cook the fish course," Toriko said, holding back a laugh.
Opening a can and out pops the old man... this is pretty funny.
"Yo, Ichiryu! Fancy seeing you here! Hisashiburi."
The dark figure of Don Slime appeared. It had smelled Ichiryu's scent and couldn't wait to come out of the Soul World.
"Don Slime, it was an accident..." Ichiryu said helplessly. He truly couldn't bring himself to deliver a killing blow to his master and the others. Otherwise, he would have killed Acacia and Midora hundreds of years ago. Although he had the strength, he was too soft-hearted.
"..."
"Hahahaha! I was wondering why I couldn't sense you anymore!" After hearing Ichiryu's explanation, Don Slime burst out laughing. Because Ichiryu had replenished so much of his energy, Don Slime hadn't been worried that anyone on Earth could hurt him. He'd never expected him to get sealed. He hadn't sensed Ichiryu being seriously injured, so he hadn't paid too much attention to the battle.
Ichiryu's old face flushed red. Being laughed at by his old partner like this... he was losing face.
Jiro and Midora were also a bit embarrassed. They had been sealed too. With their strength, any one of them could have killed Joie a thousand times over. But the moment the emotion card was played, Joie's sneak attack had succeeded. For them, Froese's face was the one that had left the deepest impression. The day they buried Froese, not one of them had held back their tears.
"Ichiryu... Jiro... Midora..."
A familiar voice sounded. Jiro and Ichiryu had yet to react, but Midora spun around in an instant, his sandbag-sized fist whistling through the air, ready to smash the bastard impersonating Froese into smithereens.
"Die—"
The fist, about to connect with Froese's face, stopped. It was only a few centimeters from the tip of her nose. Although he had withdrawn his power in time, the force of the punch still ruffled Froese's short black hair.
Midora was stunned. It wasn't Joie's aura. It was truly Froese's aura. How could this be?
Ichiryu and Jiro also looked at Froese in disbelief.
A living Lady Froese?
They couldn't be mistaken. This was absolutely not an imitation like Joie's.
Froese looked at the fist so close to her face and smiled. She wasn't angry at this offense. He was just a naughty child.
"Midora, do you want to hit my face to see if I'm real?"
"No, no, no!"
Midora quickly retracted his hand, becoming uncharacteristically reserved, like a child who had done something wrong. If the members of the Gourmet Corp. saw this, their jaws would drop to the floor. Their cold and domineering boss, Midora, could actually show such a demeanor.
"You've grown taller, and stronger too," Froese said with emotion, looking at Midora. She couldn't reach his head anymore and could only gently pat his sturdy arm.
"Froese..."
Tears instantly welled up in Midora's eyes. This powerhouse, one of the top three in the world, was now crying like a child. This familiar tone, this gentle expression... there was no mistaking it.
Back then, Froese had been gravely injured. To save a reckless and dying him, she had activated her God Cooking, but had left this world herself. He had been wracked with guilt for hundreds of years, unable to forgive himself.
When Kenji read the manga, he was a little confused. At that time, couldn't Healing Water have saved Midora?
"Lady Froese?!" Ichiryu and Jiro looked at their master's wife, their voices filled with emotion.
Ichiryu and Midora had been raised by Froese. Although Jiro had been raised by the Battle Wolf King Guinness, that time as her disciple was also an unforgettable, warm memory for him.
"You've all become so strong," Froese said with a gratified smile.
"Thank you. If there's anything you need me to do, just ask," Midora said. After hearing how Froese was resurrected, he solemnly thanked Kenji and made a promise.
The current Midora was not as gloomy as before. He seemed to have brightened up a lot.
"If I need something, I'll let you know," Kenji nodded. Although it was unlikely he would need to call in this promise, if he refused, Midora would find other ways to repay him.
"Midora, I heard your relationship with Ichiryu and the others has been very strained these past few years?" Froese asked with a grin.
"Uh..."
Midora was a little embarrassed. He couldn't refute it; it was the truth.
"Lady Froese, those are all small matters. We've reconciled now," Ichiryu said with a smile, speaking up for his younger brother.
"In that case, Ichiryu, why haven't you found a partner all these years?" Froese turned the spearhead on Ichiryu, just like a family elder anxious to marry someone off. The smile on Ichiryu's face vanished. He hadn't expected Froese to ask this question. It really gave him a headache.
The smile transferred to Jiro's face. He was enjoying the show. He, at least, already had descendants.
"Lady Froese, I've been too busy all these years," Ichiryu said, using a generic excuse.
Kenji nodded. Ichiryu was indeed very busy. There were countless matters for the IGO to handle.
Froese was just teasing the steady and reliable Ichiryu; she had no other intentions.
"Froese, now that you're back, I'll go and take care of that imposter, Joie," Midora said, his voice filled with killing intent. This time, even if Joie changed into Froese's form again, he wouldn't waver for a second. He was going to kill him.
"Sit," Froese said helplessly.
Midora was obedient and actually sat down honestly.
"I am aware of the matter concerning Joie. It would be a little awkward to have you all handle it. I will do it myself when the time comes," Froese said. The thought of her gender-bent body being used by someone else made her feel disgusted.
Midora and the others nodded. No matter what, it was still Froese's body.
"Ichiryu, I've killed NEO before. If you need me, just say the word," Don Slime said.
"I know." Ichiryu nodded. He hadn't used his full power in the battle with Master Acacia before either.
"In the NEO organization, there is a vehicle that can travel to space. They're probably waiting to capture the king of ingredients, GOD, before heading out," Kenji said.
Ichiryu and the others began to think.
"Space, huh? I've never been. After we've settled things on Earth, should we go for a walk in space?" Jiro asked with a smile.
"Alright! I'm looking forward to it," Ichiryu nodded. The IGO could function even without him. A trip to space to expand their horizons...
"Ichiryu, you can just follow me then. I'm very familiar with space," Don Slime said. Sigh, it hasn't been easy. Ichiryu is finally leaving the planet. It had thought it would have to spend the rest of its life on Earth.
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