Zoran did not intend to stay in this world for very long. His sole purpose was to deliver Po Kong here; after all, this was a world perfectly suited for her. A universe that encompassed every imaginable delicacy was an absolute paradise for Po Kong, but for Zoran, there was little reason to linger. Just as the Dragon Raja world was to Shendu, the Gourmet World was to Po Kong. The potential for shaping this world far surpassed others, but its inherent dangers were equally vast.
Yet the Demons were not toddlers learning to speak. Even as the eldest among the eight brothers and sisters, Zoran did not view his younger siblings as fragile infants who needed to rely entirely on him. Possessing the ability to traverse countless dimensions, Zoran preferred to act merely as a guide.
Looking around, he noted that this location was known as the Baron Archipelago. This world was essentially a version of Earth magnified millions of times over; a single large island here could easily match the size of the entire Earth in his original world. Zoran wandered through the islands. Manipulating gravitational forces, he caused the seawater before him to rise into the air. Bound tightly by the gravity, a dark red crocodilian monster thrashed about in a desperate struggle.
It was a Galala Gator, an ingredient with a Capture Level of 5. "Capture Level" was a specialized term unique to this world, used to measure the danger and difficulty of securing an ingredient. Generally speaking, a Capture Level of 1 meant that it would require at least ten armed soldiers to handle. A Capture Level of 5, however, meant that it would require deploying at least one military tank.
Zoran fixed his gaze on the Galala Gator struggling in mid-air. Its body exceeded ten meters in length, covered in craggy, dark red skin, and its three pairs of massive legs twisted continuously. From its appearance, this particular Galala Gator seemed to have undergone a slight mutation. Zoran made a brief assessment of its strength and estimated its Capture Level to be around 10.
In his memory, this Galala Gator appeared during the early stages of the original storyline. This was a positive development, as it meant the planet-devouring monsters of the later stages had not yet emerged. At the very least, Po Kong would have ample time to grow and develop.
Ceasing his contemplations, Zoran extended his hand. The small cauldron expanded rapidly against the wind until it stood dozens of meters high, settling onto the ground with a resonant hum. The Galala Gator was incapable of mounting even a shred of resistance as it floated slowly toward the Tianyuan Cauldron. While its Capture Level made it a king within the Baron Archipelago, it remained far too weak before Zoran.
"Let you be the very first bite upon our descent," Zoran said with a smile, pressing his hand downward.
The cauldron lid swung open with a resounding crash, and the Galala Gator was forcibly driven into the vessel. Shendu's Flame Demon Chi flared up in response, surging beneath the base of the cauldron like a swimming dragon, causing the fire to billow upward. It was worth noting that the strand of Flame Demon Chi Zoran had requested from Shendu was significantly larger than the one he had bestowed upon Lu Mingfei.
Po Kong stared at the scorching Tianyuan Cauldron with eyes full of anticipation. This would be her first meal since arriving in this new world, and she looked forward to it immensely. Zoran chuckled softly, raising his hand to draw a vast quantity of seawater and pouring it into the cauldron.
Unlike the traditional culinary methods still practiced in the Human World of this reality, ingredients possessing a Capture Level could be considered natural treasures in their own right. The refinement process of the Tianyuan Cauldron represented a much higher order of culinary art, a form of deep processing. In short, Zoran was an exceptionally unconventional chef.
A faint, delicate aroma of cooking ingredients began to drift out from within the cauldron. Yet Zoran felt this was not quite enough. He let out a cold snort and extended his hand backward: "Since you're already here, you might as well jump into the pot together!"
A colossal gravitational pull descended instantly. Several Baron Tigers lurking in the shadows of the nearby forest suddenly felt themselves lifted into the air, drifting helplessly toward the scalding, massive cauldron against their will. The Baron Tiger, an ingredient with a Capture Level of 6, bore a striking resemblance to a saber-toothed tiger and shared this habitat within the Baron Archipelago. For a first meal, one naturally had to add a little variety.
The cauldron lid swiftly opened and closed as Zoran tossed the Baron Tigers into the Tianyuan Cauldron. The temperature inside was so searingly hot that not even the shrieks of the creatures could escape.
"Wait just a moment," Zoran softly instructed the diner beside him, like a chef brimming with absolute confidence.
However, at this very moment, his attention remained focused on the area behind them. Someone had arrived.
"Wow! What a massive cooking pot!"
A diminutive figure emerged from the dense forest, staring at the Tianyuan Cauldron before him in sheer shock.
"I can smell the aroma of a top-tier ingredient!" the blue-haired young man standing beside the short fellow remarked in surprise.
Their eyes continuously scanned the Tianyuan Cauldron before shifting to rest upon Zoran and Po Kong's true demon forms. In their line of sight, Zoran floated serenely before the Tianyuan Cauldron with an ethereal grace, while Po Kong's true form loomed as massive as a mountain, causing both of their eyes to widen in astonishment.
"What kind of being is that?" the blue-haired youth muttered, staring at Po Kong in bewilderment.
Zoran did not turn around; he already knew exactly who the two newcomers were. The blue-haired young man was the protagonist of this world, the Gourmet Hunter Toriko, while the short fellow beside him was Komatsu, a chef. The fact that these two had appeared in the Baron Archipelago at this time meant they had undoubtedly come for the very Galala Gator he had just processed inside his cauldron.
As the footsteps slowly approached, Zoran's expression remained perfectly casual, while Po Kong quietly waited for the food to finish cooking.
Toriko sniffed the aroma wafting from the Tianyuan Cauldron and spoke with absolute certainty: "It's that Galala Gator. It's being stewed!"
"Correct," Zoran replied, turning around to look at the pair with a half-smile.
"To be able to defeat the Galala Gator, you two are definitely out of the ordinary," Toriko said, his gaze locked onto Zoran. Yet his eyes quickly drifted back to Po Kong. Surprisingly, this mountain-like monster struck him as highly peculiar. It did not feel like any kind of special ingredient; rather, the sensation it gave him was remarkably similar to the Appetite Demon residing within his own body.
Toriko suddenly thought of a possibility. This mountain-like entity was very likely the manifested Appetite Demon of the individual standing before him clad in purple-red Daoist robes, brought out of the body through some unknown method.
"Would you like a taste?" Zoran suddenly inquired.
"Haha! An invitation from a stranger? When faced with an ingredient like the Galala Gator, I absolutely cannot refuse!" Toriko exclaimed with immense excitement.
"Hey! Mr. Toriko!" Komatsu frantically called out to him, but he was forcefully dragged along by Toriko to sit down directly in front of the Tianyuan Cauldron.
"Mr. Toriko, our target has been stewed by someone else!" Komatsu whispered frantically into his ear. They had come all this way specifically for the Galala Gator, a rare ingredient worth a hundred thousand yen per kilogram. Yet it had been tossed into a pot by a complete stranger just like that!
A moment later, the Tianyuan Cauldron gave a sudden tremor. A misty white vapor drifted outward, carrying a mouth-watering aroma that filled the air. Po Kong stood up excitedly, causing the very earth to shake and the mountains to tremble. Her very first bite in this new world was finally ready!