"This is way too fast!"
Unlike the others who had already adapted to the high-speed combat style of this world, Rukia had just arrived. She found it hard to adjust to the frenetic pace—battles that ended in under half a minute.
From the earlier conversation, it was obvious that the Wolf Fire Dragon was supposed to be a formidable creature. Even if it wasn't quite on par with Zed, Rukia had expected a clash of titans—a fierce showdown.
But the result? The colossal beast was subdued in less than thirty seconds.
"Just give it time. Mr. Zed's battles are always like this. You'll get used to it," Mirajane said with a smile. She, too, was a warrior and had long since grown accustomed to this world's lightning-fast combat.
Though fights often began at full power, they weren't entirely without testing. The warriors here unleashed their strength with surgical precision. Those who had mastered Food Honor could explode with power and yet remain in complete control—freely attacking and retreating.
To the normal people, it looked like people were simply charging in recklessly and finishing fights instantly. But in truth, these high-speed decisions were backed by a profound mastery. Countless calculations were made and discarded in mere seconds. The moment a flaw appeared; it was instantly exploited.
After defeating the Wolf Fire Dragon, Zed didn't bother with the massive barbecue pit nearby. He didn't understand the language of the Nitro Tribe, after all.
But he knew Ichiryu would understand. He had named the three Nitro chefs and maintained contact with them. If anyone knew what secrets lay hidden in the Old 1st Biotope, it was the Nitro chefs. And if the chefs knew something, then Ichiryu certainly did as well.
Zed wasn't interested in lingering. He had good news to share with his companions—news about returning to their home worlds.
Though no one had openly complained about homesickness, Zed understood each of them. They missed home, whether they admitted it or not.
Erina family might have been shattered, but her grandfather still cared deeply for her. Hisako had a whole family back home.
Mirajane was inseparable from the spirit of Fairy Tail. If Zed ever entered that world, he would undoubtedly join their guild. Despite the crises they'd faced, the guild had always endured—until the Tartaros incident and the Final War. And even then, it wasn't the end.
Mirajane had Elfman, her younger brother, waiting for her. Her guild was her family. Naturally, she longed for them.
As for Rukia, she had only recently left the Soul Society. Her only worry was Kurosaki Ichigo. The Shinigami powers Ichigo wielded had come from her. If she had stayed, she could've taken responsibility for that. But now that she was missing, the Soul Society would eventually notice. Once they discovered a human wielding her powers… the fallout would be unimaginable.
She didn't want Ichigo dragged into that storm.
The group led Tatsu to the coastline. His massive frame had outgrown the narrow passageways they'd used before. Having devoured so much since arriving, the only exit left for him was the sea.
But just as they reached the shore, Zed's eyes narrowed. He sensed something.
A peculiar whale floated ahead—its presence almost undetectable. Even Zed's Soul Power had trouble noticing it at first. It resembled a mix of turtle and whale—flippers at its sides, a shell on its back. Intrigued, Zed sent out a deeper scan.
Inside the creature's body was… machinery.
"A camping monster?"
That possibility sent a spark of excitement through him. He approached silently, his aura suppressed. The massive beast didn't even notice.
He soon spotted a three-meter-tall hatch hidden on its shell—almost invisible unless you were looking. A door like this meant only one thing.
It was a camping monster.
Zed opened the hatch and stepped inside. A complex world unfolded before him: rooms, furniture, electronic systems—all inside a living creature. At the front, he found a main control room.
"This is incredible..."
Camping monsters were rare, even more so ones like this. Normally, you had to tame them. But this one had a direct control interface. The moment Zed activated the console, the whale responded, registering him as its owner.
Now under his command, the creature was his.
Outside, the others were puzzled.
"Mr. Zed? Where did you go?" Mirajane asked, scanning the surroundings.
"I found a camping monster. It's ours now," he said, returning with a satisfied grin.
"What?! Seriously?"
Camping monsters were legendary in the Human World. No one knew where they lived, and they had to be stumbled upon—pure luck.
"Yup. And it's already accepted me. Look over there."
He pointed to the approaching beast as it emerged from the sea. Its flippers extended into legs—it was amphibious.
"A camping monster? What's that?" Rukia asked, genuinely curious.
Everyone took turns explaining the concept. A biological residence—a living creature that served as a mobile fortress. For someone from a world like hers, it sounded like fantasy.
"I suppose it's just unfamiliar to me," she said after a moment. "Just like Hollows must seem strange to you."
That analogy made everyone smile. Hollows were a mystery to them, just as camping monsters were to Rukia.
Inside the whale, they explored the halls and chambers.
The creature's name, according to Zed's scan, was Land Whale.
An ultra-rare, land-walking camping monster—among the most prized of all.
It could even generate furniture and equipment naturally within its body. Zed had originally intended to seek out a Fortress Rhino, but to have a Land Whale come straight to him?
It had to be Food Luck.
"Everything here is fully furnished... there are enough rooms for hundreds of people!" Hisako said with amazement.
The others were equally delighted.
Everyone—except Tatsu.
He stared longingly at the entrance, too small for his oversized body. He couldn't enter at all.
"Tatsu, let's go. We're going home," Zed said gently through the communicator.
The massive beast perked up and followed as the Land Whale plunged into the ocean. Behind it, Tatsu swam quietly.
Zed uploaded the Human World Map into the Land Whale's control console. The creature could now navigate anywhere based on marked coordinates.
This wasn't just a creature—it was biological GPS.
They encountered sea beasts along the way, but none approached.
"The Land Whale can mask its presence extremely well. Most creatures won't even register it," Zed explained. "Same goes for Tatsu. They're basically invisible."
After exiting the former 1st Biotope, Zed made a quick detour to register the whale at IGO Branch 513.
The news traveled fast.
"He actually found a Land Whale? In the Old Biotope?" Mansam exclaimed, chewing on grilled meat beside Ichiryu.
Ichiryu chuckled. "I'd been planning to find one for Toriko and the others. But they're so rare. That's why we settled for training the Watermelon Octopus."
"President, Ayame says his Food Cell Level has passed 100. Should we invite him to the Zero Biotope?"
Zed's mentors—Acacia's Disciples—were members of the Zero Biotope. It wasn't far-fetched.
Ichiryu shook his head. "No need. He has his own path. Let him walk it at his own pace."
Mansam nodded. It was true. The Zero Biotope was bracing for a hard war with Bishokukai over the Eight Ingredients. Dragging a promising young warrior into that conflict prematurely would be unwise.
Back in the city, Zed gathered everyone.
"I've figured out how to send you home."
"You have? But I thought you had no clue before?" Erina asked, both hopeful and confused.
"My strength wasn't enough then. But after my Food Cell Level passed 100, my Gourmet Demon awakened a new ability. It can locate your world coordinates—and open a gate."
Once again, he credited his Gourmet Demon, maintaining the illusion.
After all, it had once torn open dimensional space—what was one more portal?
"Finally... we can go home," Erina said softly, tears welling in her eyes. "I just wonder what's become of everything... of everyone."