"Justice"
But what surprised everyone even more was—
—the woman in his arms.
Dressed in an elegant evening gown, she still looked a little shaken from the experience.
Inside Hero Association HQ
For a moment, relief flooded the room.
But before the staff could celebrate surviving certain death, the higher-ups snapped them back to work.
Dragon-level threats made them look powerless—
—but intelligence gathering was their specialty.
So when the surveillance feed captured the woman's face, one of the staff immediately recognized her.
"Is that… Fubuki? The top-ranked B-Class hero?"
The monitoring team instantly went into overdrive.
"Quick! Cross-check our hero database. I want that man's identity in the next minute!"
Meanwhile, the executives secretly let out a sigh of relief.
And at the same time—
—they made a silent vow.
"We need more S-Class heroes stationed near HQ… or better yet, living here permanently.
"We can't let this happen again.
"We need real firepower at our doorstep."
Back on the battlefield…
Having just been dragged across half a city at three times the speed of sound, Fubuki's legs still felt weak.
She had to lean on Kizaru just to stay upright.
"You alright?"
Kizaru asked, clearly amused.
Fubuki's physical endurance was far too low—
—even weaker than Nami's.
He made a mental note—
"I need to convince her to train more. Otherwise, she won't last long in battle… or anywhere else."
"I-I'm fine! But be careful—
"Dragon-level threats aren't that easy to deal with!"
Though still shaken, Fubuki knew exactly how dangerous a Dragon-class monster was.
And the moment she snapped back to reality—
—she immediately warned Kizaru.
'BOOM!'
Before he could respond—
—The purple-skinned monster came rushing back at breakneck speed.
"Watch out!"
A-Class Rank 6 hero, Blue Flame, shouted in warning!
He wasn't weak.
In fact, he believed himself to be on par with some S-Class heroes.
But against that monster?
—He couldn't even get close.
So when Kizaru first appeared and kicked it away with ease,
—Blue Flame had been stunned.
But now…
—He was genuinely worried.
Would Kizaru survive the counterattack?
He didn't need to be.
"Hmm?"
Kizaru's eyelids lifted slightly.
But—
—he didn't even turn around.
Instead, he simply raised a hand—
—and casually swatted.
It was over before it began.
With future sight from his Observation Haki, Kizaru had already predicted the monster's attack pattern.
To an outsider—
—it looked like the monster willingly threw its own face into Kizaru's palm.
'SLAP!'
One monstrous slap sent the creature spiraling like a spinning top,
—before slamming it back into the ground.
Its head twisted dozens of times, its neck coiled like a pretzel—
—but it still wasn't dead.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU! UNFORGIVABLE!"
The monster shrieked in rage.
Its fury drowned out all reason.
"A mere human… dares to HUMILIATE ME?!"
Even after taking such a heavy blow,
—It acted as if nothing had happened.
It simply… twisted its own head back into place.
And in mere seconds—
—it looked completely unharmed.
Kizaru clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Still not as tough as a certain bald guy.
"Maybe I should try his training routine too?"
Kizaru frowned slightly as he looked at his right hand.
He had always known that the bald guy was ridiculously strong, but having a clear reference point made him realize just how absurdly overpowered he actually was.
Compared to the Four Emperors or Marine Admirals, this purple-skinned monster—or rather, Vaccine Man—was still a step below.
But if placed among the Seven Warlords, it would definitely rank near the top.
Only Mihawk could definitely defeat it.
Hancock and Doflamingo?
They could put up a fight.
If Kizaru got serious, he could probably one-shot Vaccine Man—
—but compared to a certain bald guy, who obliterated him with a casual punch…
The difference was painfully obvious.
"FOOLS! I AM VACCINE MAN—BORN TO ERADICATE HUMANITY!
"HUMANS ARE NOTHING BUT A DISEASE, CORRUPTING THE EARTH! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME?!"
Vaccine Man was absolutely livid.
Endless energy erupted from his body, setting off another round of high-energy alerts at the Hero Association HQ.
While his combat ability might not match the top-tier fighters of Kizaru's world,
—his raw energy levels surpassed even them by several orders of magnitude.
Even Kizaru had to take a second glance at the sheer power radiating from him.
"Huh… That's a lot of energy."
Kizaru rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"I wonder… Do monsters count as humans?
"If I take him back and have Vegapunk modify him…
"He'd make one hell of a battery, wouldn't he?"
After all—
The Pirate World had some crazy energy sources.
Even Cola was a viable power source.
But compared to Vaccine Man's energy output?
Cola was nothing.
Even the energy cores that powered Pacifistas couldn't come close.
"HUMAN! FEEL THE WRATH OF THE EARTH!
"EARTH PURIFICATION CANNON!"
Vaccine Man couldn't stand it anymore.
Even after releasing so much power,
—Kizaru still wasn't taking him seriously.
His rage boiled over.
He no longer cared about his original mission to destroy Hero Association HQ.
This golden bastard had to die first.
He condensed his boundless energy into a hyper-compressed sphere—
—and fired it directly at Kizaru.
For all his boasting,
Vaccine Man wasn't lying about his strength.
Even if former Admiral Zephyr was included,
—less than ten Marines could actually beat him.
And those who could do it without taking damage?
—You could count them on one hand.
His life force and endurance were insane.
If someone like Gion or Chaton (Admiral candidates) fought him without prior knowledge,
—there was a real chance they'd lose.
"ULTIMATE FLASH."
Kizaru raised his right hand,
—pointed a single finger at Vaccine Man—
—and whispered.
LIGHT.
ENDLESS LIGHT.
For a moment—
—the world lost all color.
When the blinding brilliance finally dimmed…
—everyone was left in stunned silence.
A massive, circular tunnel had been carved through the ruins—
—piercing straight through half the city.
Even the distant mountains at the city's edge had been blown clean through.
The tunnel extended all the way to the horizon.
With the naked eye,
—no one could even tell how far the attack had gone.
And as for Vaccine Man?
Gone.
Not even a speck of dust remained.
"S-So cool…!"
A voice suddenly broke the silence.
Everyone was still shocked speechless, but—
—a man in a yellow jumpsuit and a white cape had appeared out of nowhere.
With his lifeless fish eyes, he stared at Kizaru with faint curiosity.
Saitama had been watching the news from Z-City.
And when he saw reports of a disaster-level Dragon monster attacking A-City,
—he rushed over at full speed.
But when he arrived—
—he found that the "terrifying monster" had already been vaporized.
At first, he didn't care.
One-shotting monsters was his everyday life.
But then…
He saw Kizaru.
And for the first time in a long while…
—he felt something strange.
A hunch.
An instinctive feeling.
"This guy… might actually survive one of my punches."
Saitama longed for battle.
He ached for a fight that would ignite his passion again.
But no matter how strong the opponent,
—none of them ever lasted more than a single punch.
Even Dragon-level monsters were nothing more than one-shot fodder.
But this tall, golden bastard?
For the first time in years…
—Saitama felt his blood stir.
His heart began to race.
He felt… excited.
"You're pretty strong, huh?"
Saitama said.
Kizaru smiled lazily.
"You flatter me.
"You're quite strong yourself…"
Kizaru studied the bald man in front of him.
His Observation Haki was screaming at him—
—warning him just how dangerous this plain-looking, unfashionable guy really was.
It wasn't quite a mortal threat,
—but this might be the strongest opponent he had ever encountered.
If they actually fought—
Kizaru could probably stall him with lightspeed movement,
—but in the end, he'd still lose.
Because Saitama could afford to make mistakes.
He, on the other hand, could not.
One misstep—just one—
—and he'd be flattened.
"Wanna have a fight?"
Saitama's eyes lit up.
Since Kizaru didn't look like a monster,
—Saitama couldn't just punch him out of nowhere.
But in his mind—
Someone this strong must be struggling to find a worthy opponent—
—just like him.
If they fought and he held back a little,
—maybe, just maybe, he could finally have a real battle.
"No thanks."
Kizaru rejected the offer without hesitation.
He enjoyed a good fight—
—but only if he had a real chance of winning.
Against a cheat like Saitama?
Even if he went all out, his chances of victory were barely in the single digits.
Fighting him was just asking for disappointment.
If he ever did challenge Saitama—
—he'd rather wait a few more years.
At his current growth rate,
—two or three more years, and he might actually qualify for a fair fight.
"Aw, that's too bad."
Saitama sighed.
It was rare to find someone strong,
—and even rarer to find someone who didn't want to fight.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, come find me, okay?"
"Sure."
Kizaru replied succinctly,
—watching as Saitama walked away, looking back three times before disappearing.
Clearly…
Saitama had no interest in dealing with the Hero Association.
Though that was mostly because…
—he had no idea they actually paid their heroes.
A long moment passed after Saitama left—
—before Fubuki finally found the courage to step forward.
Her emerald-green eyes were still filled with shock and awe.
That attack from earlier—
—it nearly pierced the horizon itself.
According to the Hero Association's sensors,
—the energy reading was an unprecedented 99,999+.
It surpassed even the strongest weapon Metal Knight had ever developed.
And the attack range?
—It completely shattered the Association's previous records.
Even Metal Knight's most powerful long-range cannon—
—was completely outclassed.
"Who… was that just now?"
Fubuki tried to keep her composure as she spoke.
But after witnessing Kizaru's power firsthand…
—she wasn't sure how to address him anymore.
"A troublesome guy."
Kizaru muttered, clicking his tongue.
In more ways than one.
Until he reached a level where he could challenge Saitama fairly,
—he'd rather not deal with him.
For the first time…
He felt like he finally understood
—why people called him "the Marine Monster."
And why they looked at him the way he just looked at Saitama.
Before Fubuki could say another word—
—her phone rang sharply.
It was a direct call from the upper ranks of the Hero Association.
"U-Um…"
She hesitated for a moment.
Then, in the most polite tone she could muster,
—she asked:
"Would you be interested in joining the Hero Association…
—and maybe the Blizzard Group?"
Fubuki hesitated, glancing at her phone.
Even after deciding to answer,
—she couldn't resist asking Kizaru first.
Originally, she had planned to slowly recruit him,
—waiting for the right moment to invite him into the Blizzard Group.
But now, she was being forced to act—
—before she was ready.
She had no choice but to go for it.
"The Hero Association is fine.
As for the Blizzard Group… I'll think about it."
Kizaru raised an eyebrow.
He didn't mind joining the Hero Association.
Flawed as it was,
—it was leagues ahead of the World Government.
At the very least,
—it was created to protect civilians.
The same couldn't be said for the World Government.
Of course, part of this was simply because…
—the Association lacked the sheer power of the World Government.
If it were as vast and dominant as the latter,
—who's to say it wouldn't become just as corrupt?
Still, for now—
joining the Hero Association wasn't a bad move.
Especially since he had already made a strong first impression.
Kizaru's response didn't surprise Fubuki.
Had she not known he was from another world,
—she would have never humiliated herself
by inviting an S-Class hero into a B-Class faction.
"Just don't take too long to decide, okay?"
She sighed, a little frustrated.
Then, she finally answered her phone.
"Miss Fubuki, do you know the gentleman beside you?"
The moment the call connected,
—the Hero Association executives spoke urgently.
They had already scoured their database of registered heroes.
Not a single one matched Kizaru's description.
In other words—
—the man who just took down a Dragon-level threat…
…was an 'ordinary civilian.'
°°°
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