Setsuna felt a chill run down his spine, 'Another figure like Uchiha Itachi?'
'An illiterate possessing the power of destruction was indeed terrifying.'
Yet, in these worlds, this was a very common phenomenon.
For example, [Grand Zeno] in the Dragon Ball universe… not even illiterate, but a true brat, completely lacking any sense of good or evil, ready to destroy several universes on a whim.
'Science education has a long way to go,' Setsuna sighed inwardly, then turned serious. "May I ask, White Demon-dono, what is the root of your power?"
Although the White Demon was not highly educated, its strength was undeniable. Setsuna naturally sought its guidance with humility.
The White Demon's answer was simple and direct: "Eat."
Setsuna was taken aback.
"Simply 'eat'," The White Demon repeated calmly. "Eat plants, eat mountains, eat rivers, eat stars, eat galaxies... eventually, eat the universe itself."
"As long as you consume enough, you will naturally become powerful."
Setsuna was rather speechless. The answer was indeed blunt.
But then, he nodded.
This was indeed the purest and most direct path to power.
Just as he had done in previous worlds, 'devouring' the will of Gaia naturally increased his strength.
Of course, this also required a sufficiently strong mind, one that wouldn't lose control of the power.
The greatest counterexample in this regard was naturally Otsutsuki Kaguya. Unable to control her immense power, she actively 'excreted' a portion of it, which gave birth to her two sons.
Even so, her mind could still be disturbed by Naruto's [Reverse Harem Technique], showing that her mental fortitude was far from matching her power.
Setsuna took a deep breath and issued a challenge: "I wonder if I might have the honor of sparring with you, White Demon-dono?"
"A spar? Very well." White Demon readily agreed. "Ever since the White Universe collapsed and I became a Food Spirit, I haven't encountered an opponent worthy of 'tasting' in a long time."
Their battle thus commenced. Each restrained their own combat fluctuations to prevent the aftershocks from destroying the Gourmet Space.
To an outside observer, their fight might have seemed unremarkable, lacking dazzling visual effects.
But within the Gourmet Cell space, as perceived by the two 'onlookers', the Red Demon and Blue Demon, it was terrifying to the extreme.
With every movement, every exchange between the two figures, immense energies collided and annihilated, yet not a single wisp escaped.
"Those two are real monsters!" The Red Demon remarked, quite emotional. He considered himself a powerful Gourmet Demon, but at that moment, he felt like a small boat in a raging storm, constantly on the verge of capsizing.
"What truly amazes me is that human!" Blue Demon's tone was filled with disbelief.
After all, they had long known of White Demon's power.
That was an ultimate being that had once destroyed a universe. Even without its physical body now, it was a terrifying entity far surpassing ordinary gods.
Yet that human could actually exchange blows back and forth with White Demon.
"Heh, I'm starting to look forward to how things develop outside," Blue Demon suddenly chuckled. "Perhaps the upheaval of cooking Earth will attract the entities behind the Blue Nitro."
"You mean the Gourmet God? Does such a being truly exist?" Red Demon was quite surprised. The Gourmet God he spoke of was naturally not the Acacia who was revered on Earth.
Blue Demon laughed. "The Blue Nitro are 'Gourmet Nobles', but nobles are merely the executors of a god's will."
...
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
When Setsuna roused everyone from their respective immersive training and gathered them on a plain within the Gourmet World, stabilized by a special energy field, each person's aura had undergone earth-shattering changes.
The Four Heavenly Kings had eyes sharp as blades, their Gourmet Cell energy condensed as if solid. Their every move seemed capable of resonating with the energy of heaven and earth.
Top-tier powerhouses like Midora and Ichiryu had auras that were introverted and deep, like volcanoes on the verge of eruption.
Setsuna looked up at the sky. "It's starting."
He gently moved his palm in the air, as if manipulating a ball.
Under his divine, almost god-like interference, the Moon moved between the Sun and Earth, the three aligning in a straight line.
The sky darkened at a visible rate, and the world plunged into darkness.
As the solar eclipse progressed, the earth began to tremble slightly. Tadpoles continuously emerged from the ground.
"What are these? Tadpoles?" The crowd was somewhat surprised, 'Could this be the King of All Ingredients, GOD?'
As time passed, countless tadpoles, like ants returning to their nest, frantically converged in the center of the plain.
When sunlight finally bathed the earth once more, a colossal frog appeared before everyone.
The mere presence of it, the aura it emitted, caused an insane craving in everyone's appetite.
It was a gustatory temptation surpassing the sum of all known ingredients.
No further explanation was needed. Based solely on this enticing aura, everyone knew that this was the legendary King of All Ingredients, GOD.
"So this is... GOD..." Toriko and the others were dazzled, drool unconsciously dripping from their mouths.
"Go," Setsuna said to the Four Heavenly Kings. "Just like when we joined forces against the [Four Beasts] back then. Only a closely matched battle can fully unleash GOD's flavor, bringing it to its perfect state."
The Four Heavenly Kings exchanged glances, their eyes blazing with intense fighting spirit and appetite.
They transformed into four streaks of light, charging without hesitation towards the mountain-like GOD.
Almost simultaneously with GOD's full manifestation and the Four Heavenly Kings engaging it in battle, space was forcibly torn open at the other end of the sky.
Several powerful bird-like beings appeared, along with a man whose body was covered in tumor-like growths.
Although the man's face was so obscured by tumors that he looked utterly repulsive, Ichiryu and the other two recognized him at a single glance.
"Acacia-sensei. You really aren't dead!" Ichiryu said in a deep voice.
Jiro frowned. "What is that on his body...?"
Setsuna explained, "Those are signs of his Appetite Demon, NEO, awakening."
Midora, however, cared little about this. He asked in a cold voice, "Acacia, answer me. Did you kill Froese?"
"Froese? Oh, you mean that disobedient woman." Acacia's tone was airy, as if discussing a trivial old object.
"She indeed possessed the strongest [Food Luck]. She was an important part of my plan."
"Unfortunately, she was too stubborn. She always tried to bind me with those ridiculous notions of 'love' and 'the joy of cooking', hindering my path to higher gourmet realms."
He spread his hands, looking helpless. "So, I had to let her be replaced by another soul, one more obedient, one more capable of understanding my great ideals."
"As for her original consciousness? Who knows, perhaps it dissipated. It's no big deal. For a greater goal, small sacrifices are worth it."
"You beast! I'll kill you!" Midora flew into a complete rage. An unprecedented, terrifying aura of 'hunger' erupted from him, and his form transformed into a devouring black hole, lunging straight at Acacia.