*****
Infinity Castle Restaurant,
Inside a private room at the Infinity Castle Restaurant, Lev could be found enjoying a meal with his companions. Alpha, Shion, Tomoe, Ghislaine, and Shizuku were all present, along with Ichiryu, Jiji, and the Five 10-Shell Chefs. Everyone was savoring the dishes prepared using his newly advanced Cooking skill, which he had first tested on the rare fish ingredient he had recently acquired.
"Lev, just as you claimed, your skills have truly reached an entirely new level. I am grateful to have the opportunity to taste your cooking." Asarudy spoke emotionally as he gazed at the plate before him. A tear slowly trickled down from beneath his mask, revealing just how deeply Lev's cooking had moved him.
The other four 10-Shell Chefs felt much the same way. After tasting Lev's dishes, they had no choice but to acknowledge that his culinary skills had reached a level they could no longer hope to match. Even Condor Window, who usually had something to say, remained silent, doing nothing but continue eating while tears streamed from his eyes.
Meanwhile, Ichiryu remained quiet as well. Unlike the others, however, he wasn't shedding tears. Instead, his muscles were visibly bulging and glowing with excitement, a clear indication of the overwhelming joy surging through his body. Every cell in his body seemed to be celebrating the extraordinary ingredients he had just consumed.
An hour later, the atmosphere in the private room had finally settled down. With everyone already full, they leaned back in their seats, occasionally exchanging a few words as they relaxed and enjoyed the lingering satisfaction of the meal.
Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed Lev's cooking, and several of them had already expressed their desire to continue eating. Even Jiji, the Gold Chef and one of the Three Flavor Sages, had gone so far as to express his desire to follow Lev and learn from him. Unfortunately for Jiji, Lev had bluntly turned down his request.
"Lev, what are your plans from here?" Ichiryu suddenly asked. Even now, his muscles continued to glow with excitement, showing that the effects of the meal had yet to subside.
"After tonight, I plan to find the Whale King, Moon, and fight him. Once that's done, we'll leave this continent and head to the next one," Lev replied. He had made this decision a long time ago, and nothing had changed his mind.
"What?!"
The Five 10-Shell Chefs and even Jiji were taken aback. They stared at Lev, seemingly hoping to find some indication that he was merely joking.
"Hahahaha! Is that so? Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!" Ichiryu burst into laughter upon hearing Lev's declaration.
Although he had known about Lev's plans for quite some time, hearing the man reaffirm his intentions with the same unwavering determination was still reassuring. At the very least, Lev had not wavered from the path he had chosen.
"Ichiryu, this is no laughing matter!" Jiji immediately interjected, turning toward him with a troubled expression. "Simply searching for the Whale King, Moon, in these dangerous deep-sea waters is already a perilous undertaking. To actually challenge him to a fight would be nothing short of suicide!"
"Hahaha! You might not know this, but Lev has already traveled through Areas 8 and 7. During those journeys, he even fought against the Horse King and the Monkey King. Just look at him now. Doesn't he seem perfectly fine and in one piece? Hahahaha!" Ichiryu replied, laughing as he glanced at their stunned faces.
"W-What?!"
Jiji and the others exclaimed in disbelief, their eyes widening as they turned toward Lev. Fighting against any of the Eight Kings was no ordinary feat, and the fact that Lev had already faced two of them was almost incomprehensible. However, they knew Ichiryu well enough to trust that he wouldn't make such a claim without good reason. Thus, they could only accept his words as the truth.
"That's right. And I'm not stopping with Moon, either. I intend to travel to the other continents and challenge the remaining members of the Eight Kings," Lev added casually, as though he were discussing nothing more than his next sightseeing destination.
"You're insane!" Condor Window exclaimed, no longer able to contain his astonishment.
It was one thing for Lev to possess cooking skills that surpassed even theirs, but learning that he was also powerful enough to challenge the Eight Kings was an entirely different matter. The man sitting before them was not merely an extraordinary chef; he was also a monster capable of standing against some of the most powerful beings in the Gourmet World.
"Heh. Anyway, I won't be staying here much longer. I'll leave some of my clones behind to keep the restaurant running, so feel free to drop by whenever you want something to eat," Lev said, glancing at Condor Window and the others.
With that settled, the conversation continued. As Lev and his companions prepared for their upcoming departure, Ichiryu and the others began sharing what they knew about the Whale King, Moon.
Since Lev had already made up his mind to challenge one of the Eight Kings residing on this continent, gathering as much information as possible was the most sensible thing to do before setting out.
**********
—Two Months Later—
Deep Sea,
After two months of preparation, Lev was finally ready to challenge another member of the Eight Kings residing on this continent. Deep beneath the ocean's surface, he could be found standing inside a force field, gazing at an enormous creature before him.
At first glance, the creature resembled a gigantic sperm whale, possessing two pairs of elongated pectoral fins and a long, serpentine tail. Its most striking feature, however, was the rocky surface covering its head and upper body, which resembled a vast field of craters.
Indeed, the enormous sea creature before Lev was none other than Moon, the Whale King of Area 6 and arguably the strongest member of the Eight Kings.
Lev had already located Moon two months ago. However, rather than immediately launching an attack, he had chosen to observe the colossal beast for a while. Afterward, he instructed Indra and Ishana to attach themselves to Moon's shadow and monitor his movements. This way, Lev could instantly locate and approach him whenever he was ready to begin their confrontation.
"Why would you cover yourself with something like that? You're much more beautiful without it," Lev muttered as he examined the Whale King.
He knew that the meteorite-like exterior covering Moon's body was nothing more than a shell concealing his true appearance. Beneath that rocky armor was his original form—a magnificent, pure-white rorqual with four eyes.
"Well, allow me to help you get rid of it."
Having said that, Lev finally made his move. He raised his hand and performed a swift, chopping motion. Almost immediately, an enormous pair of energy chopsticks materialized before him.
This was one of the techniques he had learned after observing Ichiryu train Alpha and the others. By watching their training sessions, Lev had gained valuable insights into the application of Appetite Energy and had managed to learn several techniques himself.
He was genuinely glad to have met Ichiryu. After all, there was much he could learn from the legendary Gourmet Hunter. However, if there was another person he particularly wanted to meet, it would be Ichiryu's younger brother, Jiro, famously known as the Knocking Master of the Gourmet Age.
Of course, there would eventually be an opportunity for them to meet. There was no need for him to rush things.
Before long, the enormous energy chopsticks clamped down on Moon's massive body, firmly restraining the Whale King.
Lev then attempted to lift him.
However, despite his efforts, Moon barely budged.
"Hmm?"
Lev raised an eyebrow at the result. He had expected some resistance, but he hadn't anticipated that lifting the Whale King would be this difficult.
Realizing that he would need to exert considerably more strength, Lev stopped holding back and immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan 2.
Even so, the result was far from satisfactory.
"Repulsion!"
Recognizing that even his transformed state wasn't enough to lift Moon with ease, Lev immediately activated one of his skills.
He could move the Whale King, albeit only slightly, but that was clearly insufficient. The powerful ocean currents might have been contributing to the difficulty, but there was little point in dwelling on such obstacles now.
He had come here to accomplish something, and he intended to see it through.
The moment Lev activated his skill, the surrounding space trembled violently. An immense force began building around Moon, causing the colossal creature to feel the sudden change in his surroundings.
Sensing something amiss, the Whale King struggled against the enormous chopsticks restraining his body. He attempted to break free, but by then, it was already too late.
The repulsive force continued to build momentum, steadily pushing his enormous body upward. No matter how much he struggled, he could do nothing to stop himself from being dragged toward the surface.
Realizing that he could no longer resist the mysterious force, Whale King Moon let out a soft cry as his massive body continued to rise against his will.
Before long, the darkness of the deep sea gave way to the open sky.
Moon found himself floating high above the ocean's surface.
Yet, rather than displaying anger at being forcibly removed from his domain, the Whale King's four eyes widened in surprise.
It had been a long, long time since he had last seen the surface of the ocean, let alone gazed upon the sky above it.
Before long, Lev emerged from the sea and soared into the sky, watching as Whale King Moon descended toward the ocean below. This was the perfect opportunity to destroy the meteorite shell covering Moon's true body.
Without wasting another moment, Lev summoned Infinity.
"Infinity, grow longer and bigger!"
At his command, Infinity began to expand, rapidly increasing in length and size until it was comparable to the enormous Whale King himself.
"Show me your true self, Moon!" Lev shouted.
With that, he swung Infinity sideways, infusing the weapon with both Armament Haki and Supreme King Haki. The combined forces of these two powerful forms of Haki enveloped the weapon as it swept toward the Whale King.
However, Lev wasn't finished yet.
"Inertia + Zero Frictional Force!"
He activated and combined the two techniques with his attack, further amplifying its destructive power. Even Lev himself wasn't entirely certain how devastating the resulting strike would be. A part of him wondered whether Moon could withstand it.
Still, he trusted in the extraordinary durability of the Eight Kings. The possibility of accidentally killing Moon had crossed his mind, but he believed that a creature of such a caliber wouldn't be so easily killed.
Crack!
In an instant, Infinity struck Moon's enormous body.
The meteorite shell covering the Whale King's true form shattered almost immediately. However, that was only the beginning. Infinity's momentum had yet to dissipate, and the weapon continued forward, slamming directly into Moon's exposed body.
Moon was initially stunned when his protective shell shattered. Before he could fully comprehend what had happened, however, a wave of pain surged through his body as Infinity struck him with tremendous force.
The impact sent the colossal Whale King hurtling toward one of the islands in the surrounding region. His enormous body crashed into the island, producing a deafening explosion that shook the surrounding area.
BOOM!
Lev didn't waste any time waiting for Moon to recover.
He immediately raised his hand and activated Strong Force Manipulation. Above him, an enormous sphere of nuclear energy began to form, growing larger and brighter with every passing moment.
The light it emitted was so intense that it illuminated the surrounding area, shining even more brilliantly than the sun itself.
"You'd better survive this, Moon. Big Bang!"
With those words, Lev hurled the massive sphere of nuclear energy toward the Whale King's direction.
This was the first time he had ever used this particular attack. Unlike his previous battles in Areas 7 and 8, however, the surrounding environment here was different. With the vast ocean stretching across the region and only a handful of islands scattered throughout the area, Lev wasn't particularly concerned about the potential damage to the landscape.
After all, he had already witnessed firsthand how much destruction his attacks could cause. As long as he avoided devastating a densely populated area, he was willing to unleash his full power.
Meanwhile, Moon had already recovered from the previous attack. He submerged himself in the ocean, but rather than attempting to flee, he turned his attention toward the incoming sphere of nuclear energy.
Then, he opened his enormous mouth.
Its gaping maw resembled a black hole, an abyss capable of swallowing almost anything that entered its reach.
Without hesitation, Moon attempted to devour the incoming attack.
Before long, Lev's Big Bang was swallowed whole.
To his surprise, the Whale King consumed the enormous sphere of nuclear energy without any apparent difficulty, as though the devastating attack had been nothing more than an ordinary meal.
Moon then fixed his gaze on Lev.
At that very moment, an enormous Emperor Ring manifested in the sky, its appearance serving as a clear indication of the Whale King's growing seriousness.
He had initially regarded the strange human as little more than an intruder. However, after experiencing the destructive power of Lev's attacks firsthand, Moon had come to understand that his opponent was no ordinary individual.
One wrong move could potentially cost him his life.
"You're really tough. Unfortunately, I don't want to take this any further," Lev remarked as he looked at the Whale King.
He had originally intended to test his strength against Moon, but their brief exchange had already given him a reasonable understanding of the creature's capabilities. Continuing the battle would only risk turning their encounter into a fight to the death.
Besides, his mission had already been marked as complete after their exchange. There was no longer any reason to escalate the situation.
Instead, Lev decided to try something different.
"I brought something for you. I hope you'll like it."
With that, he reached into his inventory and retrieved a massive plate of food, its size comparable to that of a small mountain.
Yet, the plate itself wasn't the most remarkable part.
It was what lay upon it.
"I prepared this dish especially for you, so you'd better savor every bite!" Lev declared before tossing the enormous plate toward Moon.
The dish was filled with an assortment of rare and delicious ingredients. Combined with Lev's extraordinary cooking skills, every ingredient had been prepared to bring out its finest qualities, creating a meal capable of satisfying even a creature as extraordinary as one of the Eight Kings.
Moon remained wary of Lev's intentions. Even so, the moment the plate approached, a rich and irresistible aroma reached his senses.
Curiosity eventually overcame his suspicion.
Opening his enormous mouth, Moon consumed the food Lev had offered.
Almost immediately, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. The extraordinary flavor of the meal seemed to have caught him completely off guard, and his eyes glimmered with delight as he savored the taste.
"Delicious, right?" Lev asked with a smile.
Seeing Moon's reaction, Lev was satisfied. At least his efforts hadn't gone to waste.
"As an apology for disturbing your peaceful life, I'll come back and feed you twice a year. How does that sound?"
Moon remained silent for a moment.
Then, he let out a soft cry before gradually submerging himself beneath the ocean's surface.
Lev watched him disappear beneath the waves, a faint smile spreading across his face. Although he couldn't understand Moon's language, he had a feeling that the Whale King had accepted his proposal.
More importantly, Moon didn't seem particularly interested in continuing their fight.
That was good enough for Lev.
With the matter settled, he turned his gaze toward the sky.
The brilliant rays of the sun bathed his body in warmth, bringing with them a sense of familiarity that he hadn't realized he missed so much.
It had been more than a year since he had last spent any significant time beneath the open sky. After spending so long exploring the Gourmet World, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to bask in the sunlight without the darkness of the deep sea surrounding him.
For a moment, Lev simply stood there, enjoying the peaceful scenery.
Then, he let out a quiet sigh.
"It's time to leave."
His primary objective on this continent had been accomplished. He had found and challenged another member of the Eight Kings, and he had even managed to establish an arrangement with Moon.
There was no reason to linger any longer.
With that, Lev prepared to depart for his next destination, ready to embark on another adventure across the remaining continents of the Gourmet World.