"Eh! So how did the manager solve the problem in the end?"
Monzo asked curiously.
"Things got so out of hand at the time that it directly angered Kei, and he just shut down the store."
"Eh! So the boss admitted defeat?"
Monzo looked surprised. In his impression, Kei wasn't the type of person who would compromise. Why would he close the store?
"At the time, many people thought he had admitted defeat until a week later, when those thugs knelt in front of the shop and apologized as they crawled down the entire street. That's when everyone realized..."
"What exactly happened?"
Sasaki, Monzo, and Bichotan held their breaths, staring at Tom, eagerly waiting for the continuation of his story.
"Ahem, my tea's gone. Let me go make a cup..."
"I'll do it!"
Monzo quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Tom. "Please, continue your story!"
"Ahem."
Tom took a sip of tea to clear his throat before continuing, "It turns out Kei didn't shut down the store because he gave up. Instead, he focused entirely on dealing with those thugs."
"He spent an entire day and a lot of energy gathering information about every single one of those thugs."
"Then he didn't do anything else. Every day, he would just find a time to beat them up. Not too hard, just enough to hurt. He'd beat them during the day, and then again at night."
"He even said, 'Either they obediently surrender and admit their mistakes, or I'll beat them to death.'"
"Of course, the thugs didn't give in. They gathered a bunch of people to take Kei down, but all of them ended up hospitalized."
"And it didn't end there. Kei kept showing up every day to beat them, until they couldn't even think about resisting anymore."
"They tried to hide everywhere! But no matter where they hid, Kei would always pop out of some unexpected place and give them a beating."
"For an entire week, those thugs didn't sleep properly even once. Many of them had mental breakdowns, and whenever they saw Kei, they'd scream that a ghost was coming!"
"In the end, they were completely defeated. Under Kei's arrangements, the thugs went from house to house apologizing and paying compensation before vanishing altogether."
"Only then did his reputation spread, and he officially established himself on this street. His business grew bigger and bigger until he became the big boss he is today."
When Tom finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh. Back then, he wanted to help, but Kei refused. Tom even thought Kei wouldn't be able to handle those guys on his own. But the result proved him wrong.
"That's so cool! The boss is amazing!"
Monzo showed an excited expression. He truly thought Kei was awesome! That line, 'If you don't surrender, I'll beat you to death,' was simply too badass!
"It's true, that threat really had a lot of impact."
Sasaki commented.
"Hm? A threat? That wasn't a threat. It was just stating a fact."
"Kei had truly made up his mind that if they didn't surrender, he would beat them to death and then throw their bodies into the sea to feed the fish."
"He even asked me where to dump the bodies and how to dispose of them most safely and with the least traces."
When Tom finished saying this, the atmosphere fell silent. Sasaki's smile stiffened, Monzo thought it was incredibly cool, and Bichotan, who was preparing snacks, wasn't around to hear it.
After unloading the cargo, Tom left, and Sasaki also bid farewell, leaving Bichotan alone in the shop once again.
"Is the boss's work going smoothly?"
Bichotan wondered.
...
Inside the cave by the beach.
"Shh!"
Kei released his draconic aura, scaring away the giant insects approaching him. "Tina, it's fine now. Those bugs are gone."
"That was terrifying!"
Tina turned on her headlamp and looked around carefully. After confirming there were no bugs, she breathed a sigh of relief and climbed down from Kei's back.
"If it were other beasts, I wouldn't be so scared. But those huge bugs... I really can't handle them!"
"It's okay, it's understandable. By the way, check the map. Where are we now? How far are we from the Puffer Whale's location?"
"Got it."
Tina pulled out a carefully prepared cave map from her backpack. This cave was like a maze with paths spreading out in all directions.
If someone didn't have a map or didn't know the way, it was easy to get lost inside. Of course, except for those with a natural sense of direction.
"We should be around here. If we keep moving forward and pass through two or three more caves, we should reach the Puffer Whale's spawning grounds."
Tina judged after a brief comparison.
"You've got a pretty good sense of direction. Despite walking around in the dark caves for so long, you still know where we are."
Kei seemed a little surprised. He had been wandering around for a long time and was a bit lost, yet Tina could accurately determine their position.
"Hehe, I'm not bragging, but ever since I was a kid, I've never gotten lost no matter where I went. Especially in amusement parks where I could easily find my way out."
"It seems I have some talent in this aspect."
Tina seemed a bit proud of herself, feeling she had finally been helpful.
"Alright, alright, I know you're amazing."
Kei and Tina continued forward, quickly passing through two or three caves. Suddenly, Kei sensed something.
"Hold on, something's coming. Hide for now."
Kei gestured for Tina to wait on the side. "It should be the Devil Serpent."
"Eh!"
Tina immediately obediently hid to the side, pulling out her camera to prepare for filming.
"Turn off your headlamp. Be careful not to attract the Devil Serpent's attention."
Kei reminded her.
"Yes!"
Tina hurriedly turned off her headlamp.
Moments later, a gigantic creature appeared before Kei's eyes. Its purple skin, snake-like body, and numerous claws made it a horrifying sight.
"Capture Level: 21. The Devil Serpent. It's said to be an ancient mythical creature that survived from the primordial era until now."
"It possesses a massive body spanning dozens of meters, overwhelming strength, deadly toxins, and versatile regenerative abilities thanks to its universal cells."
"It's a terrifying existence said to rival the legendary Battle Wolf, also known as the Beast of Hell!"
Tina started feeling anxious. The reputation of the Devil Serpent was just too frightening.
"The meat of the Devil Serpent is said to be indescribably delicious. Just in time, I'm hungry!"
Kei's hand gathered a dark-red sword formed from ripples, flames, steel, and wind, while black and white wings appeared behind him.
A flash of light tore through the darkness of the cave. In an instant, the battle was over.
No, that was not all the text. I reached the maximum amount of words I can translate in one go. Let me continue translating the rest of the text right away. Here we go:
"Tina, you can turn on your headlamp now."
Kei was feeling quite happy since he could finally eat delicious meat. However, he was also a bit disappointed because he still didn't know how strong he actually was.
A level 21 Devil Serpent was only a mere instant kill to him.
Tina heard Kei's words and turned on her headlamp. As she looked at the Devil Serpent, which had already been cut into pieces, she exclaimed in surprise.
"Instant kill! A level 21 Devil Serpent, the Beast of Hell, killed in an instant! Boss, just how strong are you!?"
"Oh right, the video, the video, I should have captured it this time!"
Tina hurriedly opened the video to check the footage she had just recorded. But after reviewing it, she showed a disappointed expression.
"Once again, I failed to record the boss's battle. Ugh, that was a huge blunder!"
The part of the recording where Kei fought was completely washed out by the intense light. Nothing could be seen at all.
"Forget about that. Come and taste the Devil Serpent's meat!"
Kei had already started eating. The meat was incredibly delicious, combining the best qualities of various kinds of meat. Eating it felt like indulging in a feast of all the finest meats.
Every bite offered a different flavor of deliciousness!
Meanwhile, at the Akaneko Ramen Shop, the black cat Shabu, who was in charge of making pan-fried dumplings and other dishes, was rolling around on the floor. His entire body felt itchy.
"Alright, alright, I'll brush your fur right away."
Sasaki struggled to finish grooming Monzo's fur and then walked over to help Shabu.
"Ah, so comfortable, right there, just a bit harder."
Shabu let out a relaxed expression as the brush touched his body, feeling thoroughly soothed.
"Boss, Sasaki-san, we need to hire a human groomer as soon as possible. Not grooming our fur is really uncomfortable!"
Shabu complained.
Cats could help each other groom, but it was way more troublesome compared to when humans did it.
During work, they hardly had any time to groom themselves, so they had to wait until after closing the shop at night to start grooming. This meant enduring the discomfort for an entire day!
"It's not just uncomfortable. Cat hair also easily falls into the ramen. No matter how careful we are, some will still end up in the food."
Kohana stretched lazily as she spoke.
"I know all of that, but finding the right person is really difficult. I've been to the job market several times."
"But those people either don't want to work at a shop run by cats or they refuse because of the long-term commitment."
"And some who were willing to come just didn't seem reliable. Ugh, finding the right person is really challenging."
Sasaki sighed, feeling itchy himself.
"Monzo, can you help me groom my fur?"
"Sure."
Monzo nodded and picked up the brush to help Sasaki. However, his technique was quite clumsy, and he occasionally ended up pulling out some fur, making Sasaki yelp in pain.
Back in the cave by the beach, Kei and Tina had finally reached the Puffer Whale's spawning ground.
Coincidentally, they encountered Toriko and Coco.
"Ah, it's been a while, Toriko."
"Boss, it's been a long time! Are you here to catch Puffer Whales too?"
"Yes."
Kei casually chatted with Toriko as he looked at the several Puffer Whales laid out on the ground.
"Not bad, catching this many. You'll be making a fortune this time."
"Hahaha, I don't care much about money, but catching this many means I can have a proper feast."
"Boss, do you want to eat with us? Oh, and I'll give you a few of them afterward."
Toriko offered generously.
"No need, I'd rather catch them myself. But when it's time to eat, make sure to call me. I definitely want to have a taste."
Kei declined Toriko's offer, sticking to his usual habit of refusing gifts.
"Of course! Once Komatsu finishes preparing the Puffer Whales, we'll all have a feast!"
Toriko replied cheerfully.
"Toriko and Coco, two of the Four Heavenly Kings. What an incredible surprise. I'd love to interview you guys..."
Tina had just pointed her camera at Coco when her view was immediately blocked by Kei's hand.
"Tina, I know you're excited, but these two really don't want to be interviewed, so please don't film them, okay?"
"Alright, I understand."
Seeing Kei's serious expression, Tina felt a bit disappointed but obediently put her camera away.
(End of Chapter)
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