No one realized that Saitama still hadn't reached his peak.
He was just waiting.
Waiting for King Kong to go berserk.
According to Saitama's system, once King Kong entered his enraged state, his attack and defense would increase by three hundred percent.
That was why, once King Kong entered the human world, he could climb skyscrapers and brawl with the U.S. military on top of them.
Right now, though, Saitama was a little distracted.
If the American leader Trump and his daughter Ivanka could see this scene… what would they think?
He'd probably gain two more hardcore fans.
It was a pity they weren't here in person, but that wouldn't last forever. Once Hollywood director Carl finished the film and released it, Saitama didn't have to worry about them missing the show.
And sure enough—
When King Kong finally couldn't stand being toyed with any longer, he began his furious evolution.
Roar!
He pounded his chest, and his whole body flushed with a rage-red hue.
Of course, like any normal ape, King Kong's fur and skin were still black. Even with that red boiling under the surface, it wasn't easy for the naked eye to tell.
But anyone who wasn't on Saitama's level would be badly hurt just from the power bursting out of him.
Boom.
King Kong charged Saitama again.
Saitama could feel it—King Kong really had gotten stronger.
Strong enough that even he had to take the fight seriously.
Boom!
Their fists collided once more. As they landed, the recoil of that clash split the ground of the valley beneath them, cracking it open into a jagged seam.
The fissure ran all the way to director Carl's feet, making him stumble back several dozen meters in fright.
This time, it was Saitama who moved first.
The moment he stepped forward, the air around him rippled like a violent sonic boom.
Everyone heard a deafening hum in their ears.
The next instant, they saw Saitama rocket toward King Kong like a cannon shell.
Bang. Bang.
Once Saitama got serious, every heavy strike he threw slammed into King Kong's body, making the giant ape howl in pain.
King Kong finally seized an opening and managed to grab Saitama in his hand, squeezing with all his might.
Roar!
He clenched harder, then tossed Saitama straight into his mouth to swallow him whole.
In that instant, everyone felt their hearts leap into their throats.
Vivian's worry for Saitama reached its breaking point.
But the very next moment, Saitama showed his strength again.
He braced King Kong's teeth open with both hands, kicked at King Kong's fingers with both feet, and forced the giant mouth wide.
Then Saitama tucked his body in and drove a heavy punch forward.
Boom!
His fist smashed straight into King Kong's nose.
The sudden counterattack made King Kong's eyes water with pain.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, Saitama had landed four punches in a row. After tasting those four blows, King Kong finally toppled over and didn't get back up.
His body lay there like a mountain.
"What an unbelievable fight!"
"There are no words for this!"
"He really is the hero who saved the world!"
Seeing Saitama bring King Kong down, everyone erupted in cries of amazement. The bolder ones even approached King Kong and tried to touch his gigantic foot.
With their height, they could only reach his sole and heel.
But they didn't mind at all—like tourists at a landmark, they gathered around King Kong's massive foot to take selfies.
More people crowded around Saitama, asking to take photos with him.
Saitama couldn't refuse and could only agree.
During all that, he felt the heat of their enthusiasm once again.
Once the crowd finally dispersed, Saitama checked the system reward from defeating King Kong.
"Mission complete: Defeat King Kong. Reward: Attribute boost."
He opened the reward pack and felt a surge of power spread through his body.
He had become stronger again.
"Too reckless, Saitama," Vivian said softly.
"What? It was just knocking down a big gorilla," Saitama replied.
"Yes, it was 'just' a big gorilla," Vivian said, "but if something really happened to you, I don't know how I'd go on."
As she spoke, she looked again at the man in front of her—the one in the beige coat and red cape.
That cool figure was once more etched deeply into her heart.
"You know," Vivian whispered, "when you were almost swallowed by King Kong just now, I felt like my heart had stopped."
Saitama pulled her into his arms.
"Yeah, I know. I know. But it's over now, isn't it?"
Vivian brushed away tears that mixed worry with relief, kissed Saitama on the cheek again, and said, "Next time, don't take such risks. If you really can't win, we'll just run."
"That's impossible," Saitama said. "Your husband is the hero who broke through the boundaries of the world."
After comforting Vivian for a while, Saitama gently set her aside and turned to Carl.
"Carl, how's it looking? Did you get everything we just did on film?"
"Of course," Carl said. "I recorded all of it. As soon as we get back to the States, I can contact Hollywood and start preparing for the release."
Saitama chuckled. "Aren't you supposed to shoot more material for a proper movie?"
"We're near Sumatra right now," Carl said. "By the time we get back to America, I'll have had more than enough time to reinvent myself as a savior. I won't let you down."
With Carl's repeated assurances, Saitama finally believed he would handle everything properly.
Still, seeing Carl make such hasty promises, Saitama couldn't help thinking that Carl's team was in for some heavy overtime.
There was no helping it.
That was the life of ordinary people—busy, rushed, nonstop.
Even a Hollywood director wasn't exempt.
By the time Saitama was done thinking about it, everyone had already finished setting up the tents and lit bonfires around the camp, ready to spend the night.
Only then did Saitama truly see how strong people could be when they worked together.
In less than two hours, they had everything arranged neatly, and they also worked out how to properly deal with King Kong.
They used vines from the edge of the rainforest to bind the fallen King Kong, then tied those vines around towering trees.
King Kong, with that brain of his, would never in his wildest dreams have imagined he'd one day be trussed up by "tiny humans."
"So, tonight we celebrate our hero!" Carl announced. "Let's call it 'Hero's Night'!"
Carl really did have the makings of a director. In a night like this, when emotions ran high, he managed to come up with a whole "Hero's Night" event.
That night, everyone raised their glasses to the hero.
They drank and celebrated until no one could stand.
(End of Chapter)
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