Chapter 33

Toriko had fought countless monsters, but this was the first time he felt truly outmatched. Sixth Hokage Naruto was not just an opponent—he was a force of nature.

Yet, Toriko wasn't helpless.

He had trained tirelessly under the guidance of White Demon, unlocking abilities that defied reality itself.

With his Gourmet Energy surging, Toriko unleashed one of his most powerful techniques—

"HUNGRY WORLD!"

A massive wave of golden energy erupted from his body, expanding outward like an all-consuming tide. This ability wasn't just an attack—it was a phenomenon, a world in itself, an insatiable force that devoured the very existence of everything it touched.

Naruto's Truth-Seeking Balls—the deadly spheres that could erase anything—vanished the moment they came into contact with Hungry World.

Toriko smirked. "You're not the only one who can erase things, Naruto!"

But he wasn't done.

Time slowed around him.

Naruto's reality-warping abilities distorted the flow of time, forcing everything in the area to move at a crawl. The black-armored Hokage's golden eyes glowed ominously, his hand slowly tightening into a fist.

Toriko refused to be slowed down.

With a surge of will, he activated Back Channel!

A shimmering barrier of Gourmet Energy distorted the laws of time itself, forming a localized bubble where one second equaled an entire year.

Naruto's time manipulation was counteracted.

Toriko moved freely once again.

"Nice try!" he growled, his body radiating golden flames of Gourmet Energy.

Now it was his turn to attack.

Toriko took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the overwhelming essence of the Gourmet World. His muscles bulged, his energy reaching its peak.

Then, he roared—

"METEOR RAIN!"

From his body, countless golden beams shot outward, each carrying the power of Hungry World.

These weren't just ordinary blasts.

Each beam ignored conventional defenses, phased through dimensions, and erased anything in their path.

—Naruto couldn't phase through them.

For the first time in the battle, Naruto's expression changed.

His golden eyes narrowed as he twisted his body, avoiding the first barrage. The black armor hummed with energy, resisting the onslaught as he spun his lance, Ea, into a shield, blocking the incoming attacks.

Toriko smirked as he saw Naruto actually forced to dodge.

"Heh. Finally taking this seriously, huh?"

Naruto landed on the shattered remnants of space, his lance glowing ominously. His Ten Crowns ability still made him untouchable, but Toriko had forced him into a position where he had to actively block and evade.

Slowly, Naruto exhaled.

"I see… You're more troublesome than I expected."

He spun his lance, gripping it tightly.

Toriko could feel the shift in atmosphere.

—Naruto was about to go on the offensive.

Toriko had thought the tides were shifting in his favor. Now that his attacks could actually touch Naruto, he believed victory was within reach.

He was wrong.

Naruto, still clad in his ominous black armor, suddenly shifted his stance.

A pulse of chakra surged through his body, amplifying his muscles and bones on a cellular level. Each of his cells was infused with enough energy to destroy an entire city.

His physical power skyrocketed.

Toriko barely had time to react before—

BANG!

Naruto moved.

No, he teleported right beside him. His black lance, Ea, spun wildly, the very air around it distorting as reality twisted under its pressure.

Toriko barely blocked.

The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. As Toriko gritted his teeth, he noticed something terrifying—

Black runes began crawling over his skin.

Some kind of curse-seal technique?

Toriko tried to retreat, but Naruto refused to let him go.

His movements were precise. His martial skill was on another level. Every attack came with a perfect balance of brute force, technique, and strategy.

—Toriko was outmatched in hand-to-hand combat.

"Tch!"

Realizing the danger, Toriko did the only thing he could—

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted from his body, blasting Naruto backward. At the same time, Toriko severed the cursed parts of his body, allowing his Gourmet Cells to regenerate instantly.

He exhaled, sweat dripping down his brow.

"That was close..."

His mind raced.

I just need to hit him once.

If he could land one good hit, then he could use—

"DAMAGE KNOCKING!"

Acacia's ultimate damage-transferring technique. If it landed, it would force all the accumulated damage Naruto had taken over his lifetime to strike him at once.

If Toriko could just get one opening—

And then, he saw it.

Naruto raised his hand.

A familiar seal formed.

Toriko's stomach sank.

"No way...!"

—Naruto made clones.

A dozen shadow clones materialized instantly, each wearing the same black armor, each wielding their own lance.

Toriko's jaw clenched.

"DAMN! THIS IS CHEATING!"

He called out internally.

"White, are you going to help?!"

For a moment, the White Demon inside him was silent. Then, in an eerie, monstrous voice, he chuckled.

"Heh… So you're finally asking for my help, huh?"

Toriko's body shuddered as his Gourmet Cells reacted violently.

The White Demon was awakening.

The moment White actively joined the battle, Toriko felt the difference.

His power surged. His mind sharpened.

And his instincts screamed—DEVOUR!

Toriko's body radiated an intimidation aura—not just the aura of a predator, but the very desire to consume everything.

This was his Intimidation Technique.

The overwhelming killing intent surged through the battlefield.

—Against weaker beings, they would simply die.

—Against strong beings, they would falter.

Even Naruto's clones hesitated, their movements stalling for just a fraction of a second.

And that was all Toriko needed.

"It's time..."

His voice echoed as he activated—

Gourmet King Routine!

The world shifted. Reality warped.

Naruto and his clones were no longer warriors.

They were—

Dishes.

A grand plate materialized beneath them.

A massive gourmet giant appeared, its enormous hands carrying a knife and fork.

This was a dinner fit for a king.

And the main course—

—Was Naruto Uzumaki.

The laws of the Gourmet King's world dictated one absolute truth:

"Food cannot move. Food cannot resist."

Naruto's Rinne-Sharingan gleamed as he fought back, his body trembling against the supernatural law trying to bind him. His sheer willpower clashed against the Gourmet World's rules.

But Toriko had White's power backing him.

For the first time, Naruto was trapped.

Toriko didn't hesitate.

With a smirk, he lifted his hand.

"Bon appétit."

—But Naruto wasn't finished.

Even as a meal, he fought back.

Even as he lay on the plate, his power roared.

He activated his strongest move—

🔥 TERRIBLE PROVIDENCE! 🔥

A technique born from the fusion of three supreme energies:

—The cosmic energy of the universe.

—The Otsutsuki chakra refined through countless lifetimes.

—The nature energy of creation itself.

Naruto concentrated all three forces into a single point, using seals to amplify and compress them.

And then—

The energy exploded.

A Big Bang erupted within the Gourmet King's world.

The sheer power to destroy a star and erase everything in its path descended upon Toriko.

But…

It was meaningless.

Toriko licked his lips.

"An appetizer."

White devoured the explosion.

The unstoppable force was consumed like a simple dish.

And then came the main course.

With one final bite, White consumed everything.

Naruto's Ten Crowns ability was nullified.

His immortality was stripped away.

And in that moment—

Naruto Uzumaki, Sixth Hokage, fell.

Toriko patted his stomach.

A satisfied grin spread across his face as he rubbed his hands together.

"Thank you for the meal." 🍽️

As the virtual battle concluded, the Heroes Chat Group exploded into activity.

The match between Toriko and Sixth Hokage Naruto had been beyond anything they had ever witnessed.

It wasn't just a battle of strength—it was a battle of concepts, of reality itself being rewritten, devoured, and reformed.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then—

[One For All] Izuku:

"WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WATCH?!"

[Dragon King] Issei:

"Bro, did Emperor Naruto really just get turned into a five-star meal?!"

[Vongola Decimo] Tsuna:

"Even with all my training… that fight was on an entirely different level."

[Grand Scholar] Wang Lin:

"This confirms what I've suspected for some time now. The Emperor's past self was already transcendent… yet he has gone far beyond even that."

The realization sank in.

[Hybrid] Ichigo:

"So let me get this straight… Sixth Hokage Naruto was already absurdly powerful, but the current Emperor? He's beyond that?"

[Saiyan immortal] Goku:

"Man, that's awesome! The Emperor's strength has no limits!"

[Warrior Prince] Gohan:

"That fight was insane… Toriko, I have to ask—what did it feel like to fight the Emperor's past self?"

[Gourmet Hunter] Toriko:

"I won't lie. Even though I had White's help, it still felt like I was fighting something impossible. He moved like a force of nature, like the universe itself was rejecting my existence just because I opposed him."

Toriko exhaled, still processing what had just happened.

"But the moment I activated my Gourmet King Routine… I knew I had a chance. And in the end, I devoured his final attack."

[Ruin Princess] Rias:

"That's the part that's still hard to believe… you actually ate the Emperor's ultimate technique."

[Faker] Shiro:

"Not just any technique. 'Terrible Providence' was an attack that could erase a star and alter reality. And you turned it into an appetizer."

[Dragon King] Issei:

"And people call ME broken?!"

Toriko just chuckled.

"Well, White was the real MVP. Without him, I would have been erased before I even got to the main course."

As the initial excitement settled, a more serious question emerged.

[Warrior Prince] Gohan:

"Master, I have to ask… can we reach that level?"

The chat grew quiet.

All eyes turned to Naruto.

He had been watching, smiling.

Now, he spoke.

[Emperor of Mankind] Naruto:

"Of course."

There was no hesitation. No doubt.

His golden eyes gleamed with absolute certainty.

"Not only can you reach that level—you will go beyond it."

That statement shook the chat group.

[One For All] Izuku:

"You really believe that, Master?"

[Emperor of Mankind] Naruto:

"I don't just believe it—I know it."

His words carried weight.

Naruto was not just giving them hope.

He was stating a fact.

[Saiyan immortal] Goku:

"Heh… sounds like we've got a lot of training ahead of us!"

[Hybrid] Ichigo:

"Tch. If the Emperor says it's possible, then I'll just have to push myself until I get there."

[Grand Scholar] Wang Lin:

"The path to power is endless… but having a guide makes all the difference. If the Emperor is leading us, I will follow."

[Ruin Princess] Rias:

"It's insane to think we could reach that level… but if anyone can make it happen, it's Lord Naruto."

[Holy Grail] Illya:

"Well, I do like winning, so count me in!"

[Dragon King] Issei:

"Alright! Let's go! The 'Dragon King' title will mean nothing if I don't reach this level someday!"

[Vongola Decimo] Tsuna:

"Looks like there's no turning back now…"

The fire in their spirits had been lit.

"This is Just the Beginning."

Toriko stretched, a confident grin on his face.

[Gourmet Hunter] Toriko:

"For me, this is just the start. I haven't even left my planet yet."

That statement made everyone pause.

[Faker] Shiro:

"Wait… you're saying you're already at this level… and you haven't even explored the universe yet?"

Toriko just laughed.

[Gourmet Hunter] Toriko:

"Exactly. There's an entire cosmos waiting to be explored. An entire multiverse full of unknown ingredients, creatures, and powerful beings. I have no idea what's out there… but I can't wait to find out."

That realization hit hard.

If Toriko, who had just eaten a star-level attack, considered himself only at the beginning of his journey—

Then how far could they go?

Naruto smirked.

[Emperor of Mankind] Naruto:

"Then let's keep moving forward. The universe is vast. And the path to true power… is endless."

The chat group erupted into excitement—talks of training, challenges, and new rivalries forming.

They had all made their decision.

To follow their Emperor.

To surpass the limits of their reality.

To reach the peak—

And then surpass it.

Naruto world:

Countless scenes passed before his vision.

Naruto stood atop the highest point of his empire, gazing into the unknown.

The World Integration was proceeding smoothly—no resistance, no unexpected interference.

That was a good sign.

Even better was the domination of other universes.

It had been an unexpected gain, but one he welcomed. Every conquered world, every absorbed reality, only served to fuel his ascension.

He could feel it.

His energy reserves were growing faster than ever.

Soon, he would reach a level where a single universe was no longer his limit.

"Countless universes…" Naruto murmured, his golden eyes gleaming with ambition.

Yet, he forced himself to pause.

"I shouldn't count my chickens before the eggs have hatched."

Despite his rapid progress, he hadn't even fully assimilated a single universe yet.

And here he was, dreaming of countless.

Still—

It was only a matter of time.

Naruto chuckled as he considered the next step.

Once he reached the pinnacle of his current power, he would do something that had never been done before.

He would take his entire empire—a vast and boundless civilization—and place it within himself.

To become a living, breathing cosmos.

He had already theorized how to do it.

The seals, the cosmic energy, the metaphysical restructuring— all of it was possible.

And when it finally happened…

Oh, the reactions would be priceless.

"I can't imagine what the people will think… but I expect it to be hilarious."

His grin widened as he pictured the moment.

His advisors, his warriors, his subordinates—

All of them shivering at the poor bastard who would dare to challenge a man who held an entire empire inside his body.

"It's gonna be a weird feeling…"

But a damn satisfying one.

Because in the end—

He Was Naruto Uzumaki. And the Universe Would Belong to Him.