"Haha, you can call me whatever you like. I never expected that guy Jiro would take a disciple either," Ichiryu laughed heartily, but his expression suddenly turned serious. "I've observed your fights. You don't seem to have an Appetite Demon inside you, do you?"
"I only had the Appetite Cell transplant half a year ago," Setsuna nodded, not surprised that Ichiryu could tell.
Ichiryu asked with a smile, "So, do you want an Appetite Demon? Just say the word, and I'll deliver one to you."
Setsuna was taken aback, 'Were Appetite Demons like loots and equipment that could be dropped from defeating monsters?'
He asked hesitantly, "The Appetite Demon you mentioned is...?"
Ichiryu laughed heartily, "It's my Appetite Demon. I call him the Don Slime."
"Don Slime?" Setsuna's eyes widened in disbelief.
If it were any other Appetite Demon, he might have hesitated. After all, Appetite Demons were like Tailed Beasts, and they were both a help and a threat to their Jinchuriki. Some evil Appetite Demons could even erode the host's consciousness. He didn't want a time bomb inside him.
But Don Slime was different. Not only was he incredibly powerful, as he was a former Cosmic Emperor like Frieza in his past life, but he was also extremely loyal.
Despite Ichiryu not letting him enjoy any gourmet food for 500 years, leaving him in a perpetually hungry and weakened state, after Ichiryu's death, he went to great lengths to resurrect him, even at the cost of his own life, to help Ichiryu get revenge. This nature made him a trustworthy partner.
Although Don Slime wasn't like Titan, as his mind was fully mature. If he truly hosted him, the secret of his world travel would certainly be exposed.
But Setsuna never intended to hide it anyway. It would be perfect to have Don Slime act as his 'Tailed Beast', just like a Perfect Jinchuriki. If he ever fell under an illusion, Don Slime could wake him up from within.
As for the risks, even in the worst-case scenario where Don Slime tried to betray him, he just needed to restrain his own desires. After all, he was the master of his own body, just like Ichiryu.
By simply refusing to eat gourmet food, Don Slime would be powerless against him, just as he was against Ichiryu.
Before Setsuna could respond, a pitch-black, slime-like demon appeared, angrily demanding: "Ichiryu, you bastard! Are you betraying our friendship?"
Although he was making a racket, the surroundings remained quiet.
Ichiryu had booked the place when he entered, asking everyone else to leave temporarily.
Coco had also fallen into a deep sleep, clearly indicating Ichiryu didn't want him to hear these things.
Ichiryu explained with a wry smile: "I'm about to head into a life-or-death battle, and I'm not confident I'll survive. You'll receive better nurturing by Setsuna's side. Besides, haven't you always wanted to enjoy all kinds of delicious food?"
Don Slime slapped the water furiously, the violent motions scaring the toxic jellyfish into unconsciousness: "That's exactly why I can't leave! Your enemy is that brat Midora, right? If the two of us join forces, Midora is no match for you at all!"
Setsuna nodded inwardly. Based on the plot he knew from his previous life, Ichiryu not only didn't use his Appetite Demon's power in the end, he didn't even use his Gourmet Cell power.
Relying solely on his own strength, he still came very close to defeating Midora, who was using his Appetite Demon.
Hearing Don Slime's words, Ichiryu shook his head and said gravely, "I've sensed a hidden force constantly instigating conflict between the IGO and the Gourmet Corp. The mastermind behind the scenes is likely manipulating everything. I can't stake all my hopes on myself alone. And you are the bet I'm placing on the future."
Setsuna felt a wave of emotion. Although Ichiryu was powerful, his mindset was similar to someone like Shanks, always preferring to bet on an uncertain future.
If it were him, he would only ever bet on himself.
Don Slime suddenly had a realization: "I know! It must be that your Gourmet Cells have completely deteriorated. You tried to revive them but found it required consuming a massive amount of food, so you restrained yourself, didn't you?"
Ichiryu smiled wryly, "I can't hide anything from you."
"Of course not! We are one, after all," Don Slime laughed triumphantly, then sternly slapped the water's surface. "You're the president of the International Gourmet Organization! So what if you consume a bit more food? And you're doing it to protect this world!"
Ichiryu shook his head slightly, "You know my appetite well. I was originally a super big eater. Suppressing my appetite for 500 years... if I tried to satisfy it now, I might consume over half of the food in the Human World. There are still so many poor and suffering people in the world who don't have enough to eat. How can I seize their food just to satisfy my own desires?"
"You're so stubborn!" Slime threw up his hands, "Just go hunt in the Gourmet World! With your strength, aside from maybe the Eight Kings, you can hunt any other ferocious beast easily, right?"
Ichiryu still shook his head, "I can't disrupt the balance between the Human World and the Gourmet World just for myself. If I enter the Gourmet World and slaughter indiscriminately, those highly intelligent beasts might retaliate against the Human World."
Setsuna sighed inwardly. Although Ichiryu, Jiro, and Midora were fellow disciples, their philosophies were truly different.
Ichiryu upheld the ideal of everyone being able to eat at the same table, and refused to kill for desire. Jiro believed that once you kill, you must eat the kill. Midora was even more extreme, willing to devour the world for his appetite.
Don Slime was practically going insane, roaring, "Why are you so pig-headed? If those beasts attack the Human World, you just fight back! Fight until they are terrified! That's how I did it in the universe, conquering planet after planet with force. They didn't dare resist."
To this, Ichiryu only shook his head in silence.
At that moment, Setsuna suddenly took out a Senzu Bean and asked with a smile, "Uncle-Master, would you like to try this?"
"A snack for drinks? Pity I didn't bring any alcohol," Ichiryu laughed loudly, not refusing Setsuna's kindness. He took the Senzu Bean and ate it. But soon, the smile froze on his face, and his eyes snapped wide open. "My appetite... it's 20% full!"
Don Slime was also incredulous: "How is that possible? One tiny bean filled 20% of your appetite?"
However, Setsuna had only one thought: 'What a loss.'
The Senzu Bean's effect for recovering from injuries was 100%, but it seemed to only fill 20% of one's appetite. That meant when he fed the Mother Snake before, five beans at most would have been enough. He had essentially wasted three beans.
Setsuna sighed and took out four more Senzu Beans, "Uncle-Master, if you eat these four, your appetite should be completely full."
After training in Food Honor, which was like having a free Senzu Bean in reserve, he wasn't so desperate for them anymore.