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As Shun swallowed the Soap Bubble Fruit, the pulp slid down his esophagus into his stomach, and a gentle warmth kept spreading.
It wasn't only the supreme flavor he hadn't tasted in so long—his heart swelled, overflowing with gratitude.
That gratitude was answered. In that instant, the Soap Bubble Fruit willingly became part of Shun's body.
This feeling—this quiet, wordless emotion—could only be understood by the one living it.
Perceiving the thanks flowing through Shun's heart, Chin Chinchin pushed up his glasses and revealed a deeper stratum of the art:
"Gratitude isn't just for before eating or during a meal. You must keep offering thanks to every ingredient within you—following it all the way until it turns into life energy. Even after it's truly become a part of your body, keep on thanking it! That is what it means to bury yourself in food completely and utterly!"
"And after that," he continued, "ingredients that are fully absorbed through the heart of Shoku-metsu will, because they feel that sincerity, 'rejoice'—and release energy far beyond the ordinary, leaving your body brimming with nigh-inexhaustible vitality!"
Shun fully grasped those words, feeling the power within him surge—more abundant than before—and sensing a new, profound understanding of things, of life itself.
He knew it at last: he had stepped into the utmost hall of Shigi—Shoku-metsu.
Without hesitation, carrying a heart of pure thanks, he feasted on the Soap Bubble Fruit circling him in joyful orbits.
One fruit, two, ten!
With each dreamlike fruit, it was as if he could hear his cells chewing through all four limbs and a hundred bones.
This wasn't merely the apex of taste; it was a flood of life energy.
Then—at the very peak of fulfillment and gratitude—change struck.
Vmm!
Something like a shackle inside him burst wide open!
His muscles tensed of their own accord. Every cell woke like a starving beast and roared.
His balanced upper body swelled as if inflated, lines snapping into razor clarity with explosive force—chest, abdominals, and arms all bulging at once.
Rip!
His weathered training garb couldn't withstand the sudden growth. It tore apart into fluttering strips, revealing a lean, powerful torso gleaming with healthy sheen.
Beneath the skin, threads of gold light and the green of nature braided and flowed.
His Gourmet Cells had evolved.
In the world of gourmet captors, those who possess Gourmet Cells, upon eating ingredients suited to their cells, break the cellular barrier—and evolve.
Evolution lifts the cells to a higher plane, strengthening the whole.
At that moment, the system chimed in his mind.
"Ding! Host's Gourmet Cells detected in deep activation—entering evolution phase!"
"Evolution successful. Endurance, Strength, Speed, Energy Perception, and Energy Control greatly increased!"
"Comprehensive combat rating has leapt upward! Current capability: Can independently handle most hazardous areas of the Human World (including the deeper Tree Sea)!"
The timing of the prompts confirmed what his body was shouting.
A power he had never known filled him from head to toe. He felt that if he faced the Dark Crimson Sabertiger again, he could suppress it with sheer force, no drawn-out dance required.
Vast energy coursed through him without end. This was the sign of initial mastery of Shoku-metsu—energy efficiently stored and converted.
He slowly curled a fist; the air seemed to crumple between his fingers and whine.
Only now did he truly possess the strength to stand and roam in the dangerous yet dazzling Human World of gourmet captors.
Shun opened his status panel.
[Host Status]
Host: Shun
Culinary Rating: 5,250 (influenced by knife work, physique, fire control, knowledge breadth, etc.)
Energy Points: 1,950
Quests: None
Skills: Chinese Cuisine (Intermediate), Fire Control (Intermediate), Shigi (Top-tier), Ultra-Taste (Intermediate), Shoku-metsu
Special Items: Universal Spice Casket (Basic), Hundred-Flavor Harmonizing Dew ×1
…
His culinary rating had more than doubled—clear proof that the final trial and his Gourmet Cell evolution had boosted him in all dimensions.
It wasn't just technique; through Shigi and Shoku-metsu, his grasp of ingredients, his energy harmonization, and his precision with fire had all reached a new realm.
Now, even without special spices, he had the confidence to handle ingredients of far higher capture levels.
"Hohoho!"
Chin Chinchin watched the change and smiled, satisfied. "Excellent! In such a short time, you not only grasped Shoku-metsu, you also awakened the deeper potential of your Gourmet Cells! Shun—your future has no ceiling!"
…
Before long, the thrill of sudden power ebbed, and Shun's thoughts turned forward.
He didn't know whether Toriko had already met Komatsu yet, whether the story's feast had begun. It didn't matter. He had his own road.
"With this strength, I'm qualified to explore this world. It's time to head out."
Feeling the flood within, he glanced back toward the start of Bubble Avenue and murmured, "To become a true Gourmet Hunter."
He would roam this vast world as a gourmet hunter—seeking ingredients never discovered, or never shown in the story.
He would bring those unknown delicacies back to the other world, for his family and friends to taste.
And along the way, he would keep growing—feeling the joy and thrill of pursuing cuisine.
There was also a partner waiting at Totsuki—Erina. Her God Tongue is both gift and curse; it needs a special path to refine and master.
Shun had to go farther, see more, and find a way.
In this great gourmet world, there must be a perfect method to ease the burden of the God Tongue. He believed it without a doubt.
(End of Chapter)
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