OPTC Chapter 238 Shark Chili: I'll Pay Extra
"Hurry… hurry and prepare!" A middle-aged woman rushed breathlessly into a sushi shop, startling the customers inside.
"What are you panicking for? You're disturbing the guests while they eat," her husband, busy in the kitchen, scolded her.
The woman caught her breath and quickly explained, "I mean prepare more ingredients! A group of super big eaters just arrived in town, right here on this street. Whenever they see food, they never let it go to waste. How much they eat depends entirely on how much the chef can make! Our shop is the only sushi restaurant here. Whether we make a fortune today depends entirely on your cooking speed, dear!"
"Is that so?" The man was shocked, then puffed out his chest with confidence. "Leave it to me! I swear on my pride as a chef, I'll make sure they eat their fill!"
"I'll help too!"
The couple rushed around the kitchen, urgently preparing ingredients.
The diners overheard everything and started gossiping about these so-called legendary eaters. Some even packed up their meals to go outside and watch the spectacle.
After all, living in the Food Capital, they had seen plenty of gluttons. Emptying out one or two shops wasn't anything new. But wiping out an entire street of restaurants? That was almost unbelievable.
…
At that moment, the big eaters were sitting in a dessert shop. Cakes, donuts, puddings—every kind of sweet imaginable—covered the table and were vanishing just as quickly.
The main powerhouse, naturally, was Artoria. She wasn't simply devouring food but genuinely savoring each bite, her face glowing with joy.
Tom, on the other hand, was purely eating for the sake of eating. He stuffed everything chaotically into his mouth, swallowing in chunks. Sometimes, the outline of whole foods could be seen sliding down his throat, leaving people worried about whether his stomach could handle it. His appetite was strange—sometimes just a bottle of milk filled him up, and other times an entire feast wasn't enough. It seemed his stomach expanded based on how much food was in front of him.
Rui Meng Meng also refused to lose. As her super gene slowly awakened, her body demanded more and more energy. Ordinary food no longer provided enough, so she had to make up with sheer quantity. Tears in her eyes, she ate relentlessly. No matter how much she consumed, she only grew stronger, never fatter.
Zhang Da Ye, having absorbed parts of his companions' constitutions and adding his own training, also had a rapidly expanding appetite. But unlike Tom, when he ate too much, his bloated stomach made him visibly uncomfortable.
The most surprising was Brook. He tossed aside any gentlemanly composure, grabbing food with both hands, praising every dish as delicious. He had no tongue, no stomach, yet somehow managed to eat endlessly. No one knew where all the food went.
Meanwhile, Ye Yan and Perona were mere mortals. After hopping between so many shops, even just sampling a bite each left them stuffed. Now they could only sit and watch helplessly as the others feasted.
Even Perona, despite glaring longingly at her favorite sweets, could only pout and order takeout for later.
"Not to ruin the mood, but I have to remind you all—eating this many sweets isn't good for your teeth. Remember to rinse your mouths and brush properly afterwards."
Shark Chili, ever self-disciplined, cared more about dental health than indulgence. "Especially you, Brook. Without lips to protect them, your teeth are exposed to the elements every day. If you don't take care of them, you'll be in real trouble!"
"Ah, that's cruel, Shark Chili-san!" Brook froze mid-bite, covering his cheeks with both hands. "Even I… hearing that hurts my feelings!"
Though he often joked about lacking organs, Brook was actually sensitive. If enemies mocked him, he'd fly into a rage. But if companions casually mentioned it, all he could do was sulk in wounded silence.
"Ah, sorry." Shark Chili politely apologized and handed over a tube. "Here, take this high-calcium toothpaste as a peace offering."
…
Soon, they stepped into a sushi restaurant.
A middle-aged chef stood proudly at the entrance, arms akimbo. "So it's you lot? I swear on my dignity as a chef—this battle, I will not lose!"
Zhang Da Ye blinked. "Uncle, we just came to eat. What's this about a battle?"
"Forgive him! What he means is he'll make sure you're satisfied today," his wife quickly interjected, tugging him back before he scared off their customers.
But in her heart, she had doubts. Were these really the gluttons everyone was talking about? A group of seven thin-looking people and one round little creature—probably a cat? Could they really eat that much?
An hour later, the chef collapsed in the kitchen, gasping for air. "I… I've lost… It seems this is the limit of my abilities as a man…"
His wife hugged him. "No, dear, you won! In just one hour, you earned what we usually make in a whole month! You did it, love, cheer up!"
…
The culprits who had driven him to exhaustion had already moved on to a bar for drinks. Most of them were stuffed, but Artoria didn't want the rest just sitting idle while she kept eating.
"Seems we've caused quite a stir… We won't get into trouble for this, will we?" she asked nervously. She hadn't expected the chef to collapse from cooking too hard. If his pulse hadn't felt normal, she might have personally carried him to a hospital.
Zhang Da Ye waved it off. "Relax. We were only eating. That uncle went way overboard—he's no Tom. Of course he couldn't keep up with such crazy workload."
If he had just worked at a normal pace, an hour of cooking wouldn't have broken him. But the chef had treated it like a duel, his hands moving so fast they nearly blurred, spinning around the kitchen like a top. In the end, no matter how fast he worked, his speed couldn't match their appetites.
Meanwhile, Tom lay on his back on the floor, round as a ball. Hearing his name, he weakly raised his head. He looked like a flipped-over turtle, groaning in discomfort. "Owoooh~"
"Don't move if you can't." Zhang Da Ye chuckled and sighed at once. "Why eat so fast? Couldn't you pace yourself and digest properly?"
Tom's short arms couldn't even reach his belly anymore. He rubbed his sides instead, smiling blissfully. Pain and happiness blended together—nothing beat the joy of being full.
Perona, sipping her juice, found round Tom unbearably cute. She wanted to hug him but stopped herself, afraid of hurting his overstuffed belly.
Shark Chili, however, hadn't forgotten their true goal. Sitting at the bar, he asked the owner, "Boss, have you seen a merchant caravan come here to celebrate within the past few months?"
The bartender replied, "Plenty of merchant caravans pass through here. Which one are you looking for?"
Shark Chili slid a thick bill under his glass. "Three to four months ago. See how many you can remember."
The bartender's eyes flicked to the money, and his demeanor instantly brightened. "Don't worry. If it was any sizable caravan, I'll know. Even smaller merchants—I can dig up their traces… if the price is right."
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