Daiki didn't need to physically enter the Fishing Space to fish. All he had to do was control the fishing rod and bait using his mind. The process was surprisingly intuitive—no complicated rituals or procedures. Just cast the line with bait into the mysterious, color-shifting pond and wait.
For his first attempt, Daiki chose the Small Bait. He had no idea what to expect—maybe something trivial, maybe a pleasant surprise. All he could do was watch and wait.
Moments later, the rod twitched.
Without hesitation, Daiki pulled sharply. As the line reeled in, a glowing white orb emerged from the pond and floated gently before him. A second later, the orb shimmered and transformed into a sleek set of kitchen knives.
At the same time, detailed information about the item flowed directly into his mind.
"Seven-Star Knives? Isn't this Ryan's blade set from Cooking Master Boy? No way... a Small Bait pulled this in?"
Daiki was stunned. He had assumed the daily Small Bait would only yield low-grade tools or ingredients. He never imagined it could reel in something as legendary as the Seven-Star Knives.
The set Daiki had just fished up was a masterpiece.
And this wasn't just a collector's item. The Seven-Star Knives were revered for their extreme sharpness and versatility. He was thrilled. He hadn't expected much on his first try, and this was an incredible start.
Still, he couldn't use the Seven-Star Knives immediately. Mastering them would take time. Their balance, edge, and aura were unlike any conventional blade. He would need to adapt, train, and bond with them before they could become his true culinary partners.
But now wasn't the time to hesitate.
He still had two more baits left—Big Bait and Super Bait. Both were significantly rarer and more potent than the Small Bait he just used.
Riding the wave of luck, Daiki quickly cast the line again—this time with the Big Bait.
The response was instant and dramatic. The fishing rod jerked violently, almost as if something massive was fighting back. Daiki held his focus and pulled. A much larger orb of white light burst out of the water, hovering in front of him, crackling faintly with heat.
Then, the system transmitted the information into his mind.
"... Explosion Flame?!"
His eyes widened.
This wasn't a tool. It was an ability.
Unlike the flair-based cooking in Shokugeki no Soma, which, while flashy, never stepped into truly destructive abilities, the Explosion Flame possessed genuine power. Raw, dangerous, and real.
Now Daiki had this ability.
He could almost feel the heat pulsing in his core, like a dormant flame waiting to be awakened. With training, he wouldn't just improve his cooking—he'd transform it. His flame wouldn't just sear food; it would command it.
"This system... it's on another level," Daiki whispered, gripping the hilt of his newly acquired knives. "And I've still got the Super Bait left..."
Whatever came next, he was ready.
But such power came with an undeniable flaw: instability.
Explosion Flame wasn't just about controlling fire—it was about internal combustion. The user's body continuously emits high-temperature steam, capable of igniting nearby combustible materials. Even when dormant, the body temperature doesn't drop easily. Daiki learned through the system's information transfer that the ability becomes dormant while the wielder sleeps, so there was no danger of waking up to a charred mattress. Still, while awake, the user's body temperature would steadily rise—like a boiler under constant pressure.
"Yeah, the drawbacks are there… but nothing unmanageable."
Daiki wasn't fazed. The flaws were real, but in the modern world, they were far from dealbreakers. With current cooling technologies—portable refrigeration, heat-resistant gear, temperature regulators—managing the side effects was well within reach.
For now, though, he put the thought aside.
There was still one last cast to make.
He held the final bait in his mental grip—the Super Bait. Unlike the other two, this was a once-a-year item. A trump card. Given what he'd already pulled with just a Small and Big Bait, Daiki's anticipation was through the roof.
The moment the line hit the water, a tremor surged through the rod—far more violent than before. The whole pond seemed to ripple as if the very space was reacting to what was being summoned. Daiki didn't wait for the full tremor to settle. He pulled hard.
What emerged from the depths was a radiant white orb nearly a meter in diameter. It hovered mid-air, pulsating softly. Then, in a flood of energy and information, Daiki received the answer.
"Hiss... Shokunin no Shokunin?! And it's... tailor-made for me?"
His breath hitched.
This wasn't just good. It was absurd.
The previous catches—the Seven-Star Knives and the Explosion Flame—were already enough to put him leagues ahead of anyone in Tōtsuki. But this… this was from an entirely different world.
Shokunin no Shokunin, or The Meaning of Cooking, was a concept from the world of Toriko, a world where cooking wasn't just a skill—it was a spiritual pursuit. And even in Toriko, mastering this ability was considered incredibly rare. Only a handful of chefs—prodigies like Komatsu or the Gourmet Disciples—could grasp it.
But the Shokunin Daiki pulled wasn't some generic skill. It was custom-built for him. It wasn't the mass-temple version from the Food Spirit Temple. This was a personalized manifestation of cooking philosophy—a pure, refined path crafted to suit his growth, his instincts, and his journey.
"This is... insane. Super bait really lives up to its name."
He now wielded:A legendary set of knives from Cooking Master Boy.A destructive flame ability from Little Chef.And now, a spiritual-level culinary principle from Toriko.Any one of these would be enough to elevate a chef into the realm of myth.
But Daiki had all three.
And this was just the beginning.
...next update on Thursday, although new , I'd love to have your opinion on the book so far , and you can check my patreon Seasay, dropping each chapter a day.