Chapter 3 - 24 to 33

It's that damned Beast Tamer!"

Teach's heart sank further. His Devil Fruit ability was still underdeveloped, completely insufficient to attack at such a high altitude, so he simply gave up and fled headlong.

But soon, a chill ran down his spine.

Behind him, the dull sound of a ship's horn echoed.

A large ship was rapidly approaching at an even faster speed.

It was the Moby Dick!

Teach turned his head to look, only to see a towering figure standing at the bow of the ship, leaning on a life-sized naginata, staring coldly at him.

Whitebeard—Edward Newgate!

This legendary figure of the sea had come after him!

"Teach, stop the ship immediately, and I can give you a chance to explain!"

Whitebeard's voice drifted over, clearly piercing into Teach's ears.

Teach ignored him completely, just continued to flee headlong.

Jozu, standing at the bow, snorted: "A fool who doesn't know his place, still trying to escape at this point!"

They all knew very well that those who ate a Devil Fruit were cursed by the sea; besides sailing, the only other way was to fly, and Teach clearly did not possess that ability.

Simply using Moonwalk could only achieve temporary suspension in the air, and its speed was not as fast as sailing.

"Namur!"

Whitebeard slightly tilted his head to look at the side.

A Fishman who looked like a shark walked out, baring a mouthful of ferocious sharp teeth, and laughed: "Pops, leave it to me. In the sea, he can't escape!"

This person was Namur, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Eighth Division, a Fishman.

Namur leaped into the sea, a fin appearing on the surface, rapidly cutting a white wake as he swiftly closed in on Teach's direction.

"Namur!"

Teach also spotted the fin coming towards him, his expression somewhat grim.

He suddenly regretted eating the Devil Fruit so quickly, which left him too passive now, trapped on the vast sea with no way to escape.

"Teach, surrender. You have no chance!"

Namur revealed his figure not far away, surfacing, and advised: "Go and explain to Pops. What misunderstanding cannot be resolved? Pops loves us very much!"

Due to the urgency of the situation before, Whitebeard and Thatch didn't have time to fully explain what had happened.

Teach's impression within the crew was that of a kind-hearted person, and Namur also had a good impression of him.

Teach let out a cold, cackling laugh: "Namur, are you telling me what to do?"

Namur frowned: "I'm genuinely doing this for your own good. Don't be ungrateful. If I have to bring you back by force, the nature of the matter will be different!"

Teach burst into wild laughter: "For my good? I don't need it!"

Namur was furious: "In that case, don't blame me!"

With that, he plunged into the water, his figure disappearing.

The next moment, the small boat beneath Teach violently vibrated, its bottom directly lifted by a powerful force, thrown high into the air, and disintegrated into pieces of wood that fell into the water while still in mid-air.

Namur, in mid-air, let out a cold laugh and, gathering his strength, punched at Teach, who had also been thrown into the air.

"Fishman Karate—Shock!"

The seawater below seemed to come alive, swirling and gathering around him, and with a punch, it fiercely slammed towards Teach.

Teach, in mid-air, was neither surprised nor angry; he suddenly stomped his foot, and his body rapidly ascended a section.

Moonwalk!

Dodging the attack, Teach's speed suddenly increased, and a thick black mist enveloped him, growing larger and larger, covering the entire area.

"What is this?!"

Namur instinctively sensed danger and turned to leave the area, wanting to return to his home turf in the sea.

But it was too late; the spreading darkness was faster than his descent, and in the next moment, it completely engulfed him.

"Oh no!"

The captains on the Moby Dick were instantly alarmed and all rushed out towards Namur's direction.

But most of them did not have means of flying, so their speed was too slow; by the time they reached the battlefield, it would probably be too late.

"I'll give you a hand!"

Just then, Zhou Li, who had been standing silently in the corner of the ship, suddenly pulled out a scroll from his怀 and tore it open, forming a hand seal and pressing it onto the scroll, then threw it towards the captains.

"Earth Release: Light-Heavy Rock Technique!"

A visible yellow light enveloped the captains.

All the captains were startled, clearly feeling their bodies lighten, as if the gravity of the ground had been nullified, allowing them to float in mid-air on their own.

"What kind of ability is this?!"

Everyone couldn't help but turn to look at Zhou Li.

Zhou Li urged: "Don't worry about that for now; if you don't go, that shark is going to be in big trouble!"

The captains then came to their senses and quickly used their various techniques to Blast the air, propelling themselves towards Teach.

Whitebeard glanced at Zhou Li, a half-smile on his face: "You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve…"

Zhou Li smiled faintly: "This was a gift given to me by a Ninja when I passed through a Ninja village. It contains sealed Ninjutsu that has already been enchanted, so it's not my own ability."

Whitebeard said "Oh," noncommittally, his gaze returning to the battlefield.

The thick black mist floated in mid-air, and no one could see what was happening inside.

The captains arrived at the edge of the mist and stopped.

"I'll go!"

Flower Blade Vista shouted, his two swords rapidly spinning, creating a hurricane around him.

"Flower Cut Slash!"

Streaks of sharp slashes, like hurricanes, crisscrossed and cut into the thick mist, tearing the darkness apart.

But soon, the mist re-converged.

"It's not working!"

Vista frowned, "This is the power of a Logia-type!"

Everyone present's expression changed.

They all knew very well what a Logia-type Devil Fruit represented; it was the most mysterious and troublesome power among all Devil Fruits.

"Everyone, Armament Haki, go straight in!"

Diamond Jozu snorted. He refused to believe that Teach, a guy who had just eaten a Devil Fruit, could withstand the encirclement of so many captain-level fighters.

All the captains immediately covered their entire bodies with black Armament Haki, leaving no gaps.

Against Logia-types, Armament Haki was the best method.

Just then.

Splash—

Bang—

A figure fell from the thick mist, landing directly in the water.

It was Namur, who had been swallowed by the mist earlier.

At this moment, his entire body was extensively corroded, revealing stark white bones, blood gushing out, and he had already fallen into a coma, looking like he was close to death.

"Namur!"

The captains all looked grim. Vista had already dived down and pulled Namur out of the water.

"Teach, you deserve to die!"

They hadn't known what Teach had done before, but now, the captains were enraged, Killing Intent surging like a whirlwind.

At the same time that Blackbeard Teach was rescued by a mysterious person, the Golden Rankings above the sky suddenly burst forth with an incomparably brilliant light.

This light almost illuminated every corner of the world, and everyone couldn't help but cover their eyes with their hands, squinting slightly as they looked up at the sky.

"Has that mysterious Golden Rankings changed again?"

"Damn it, this world is already chaotic enough. What kind of existence is this mysterious Golden Rankings anyway...?"

"I wonder if that mysterious gold list number one can compare to the existence of this Golden Rankings? After all, even this Golden Rankings cannot fully ascertain the specific information of this mysterious number one!"

At this moment, all the powerhouses in the world flew outside, looking up at the Golden Rankings that was changing again in the sky.

Before long, lines of text appeared on the golden list, clearly visible to everyone.

[From today onwards, the ranking will be updated in real-time. Lower-ranked individuals who defeat or kill higher-ranked individuals can take their place and receive corresponding rewards. If the original ranked individual is not killed, they will be moved down one position.]

[Furthermore, those not on the list who can defeat or kill a Golden Rankings powerhouse can also be included in the Golden Rankings, with no restrictions on methods.]

The current changes in the ranking are now announced.

[Marshall D. Teach]

[Affiliated World: Pirate World]

[Abilities: Dark-Dark Fruit (Logia-type Evil Fruit), Armament Haki, Observation Haki]

[Introduction: Having hidden for many years in the Whitebeard Pirates, his strength was originally comparable to a Rear Admiral. After consuming the Dark-Dark Fruit, his strength greatly increased. He defeated Namur, the commander of the Whitebeard's 8th Division, and was then knocked into the sea by Whitebeard.]

[Current Ranking Change: Sixty-third place]

[Original sixty-third place Golden Rankings Namur, moved down to sixty-fourth place]

[Rewards Issued]

[Night Stealth (Passive Skill): After not being attacked for half an hour, enters a state of Night Stealth, immune to physical, energy, and Soul attacks. Actively attacking will automatically break this skill.]

[Due to Saitama, who is ranked third, obtaining information related to the number one ranked individual, corresponding rewards are now issued to him.]

[Saitama: Currently ranked gold list third]

[Affiliated World: One-Punch Man World]

[Abilities: Normal Punch, Serious Punch]

[Introduction: As an ordinary person, he broke the genetic lock that restricts human growth, possessing infinite potential and room for improvement. He acts with high profile but lives with low profile, currently a B-class member of the Hero Association.]

[Strength Value: ???]

[Current Reward: Golden Thread Battle Armor (Strength increase 200%, Defense bonus 300%, immune to Soul attacks, additional flying ability Metal Wings)]

At the same time, a golden stream of light fell from the Golden Rankings, heading south.

"Hmm?"

Saitama, who had just walked to the bottom of the Hero Association headquarters building, walking side by side with Genos, looked up at the sky.

A golden stream of light struck directly onto him.

Instantly, a terrifying pressure swept in all directions.

Genos was greatly surprised, quickly retreated, and prepared for battle in the air. All his weapons were ready, and his electronic eyes scanned frantically, but he couldn't get any specific information about what was inside.

An incredibly dazzling golden light burst forth, almost blinding people's eyes.

"What's going on?"

"Is a Monster invading?"

"How dare they cause trouble directly at the Association headquarters? Report it quickly!"

The surrounding staff and some heroes gathered around the building were all greatly surprised and reacted quickly.

A few seconds later, the golden light gradually dimmed, revealing the situation inside.

Only then did everyone clearly see the scene inside, and everyone's eyes widened, revealing expressions of incomparable amazement.

Saitama was seen wearing golden battle armor, not that dull yellow gold, but a gold with some red, which not only didn't look vulgar but instead appeared more noble and imposing, giving people an indescribable sense of pressure.

Behind him, the originally vulgar red cape disappeared, replaced by a pair of incomparably magnificent golden wings slowly unfolding and flapping, allowing Saitama to float about one meter above the ground.

"Teacher... you..."

Genos couldn't help but swallow, slowly flew forward, his eyes full of envy: "Your outfit is simply awesome!"

Saitama was also very surprised, then tapped the golden battle armor helmet on his head with his finger, and then touched the golden wings, muttering: "Isn't this a bit too flashy...? It's so awkward, I'm not that high-profile of a person!"

Genos was a bit speechless, and scanned the surroundings.

Everyone was frozen in place, staring at Saitama with wide eyes.

"Holy crap, is that the same idiot bald guy from before?"

"Sure enough, clothes make the man! This guy looked silly just now, but wearing this outfit, he's absolutely amazing!"

"By the way, is this guy having a transformation ceremony? It scared me, I thought it was a Monster invasion!"

"Isn't it cool? I'm going to cosplay the same outfit later!"

Everyone discussed animatedly, pointing at Saitama.

Saitama flapped his wings and landed, then with a thought, the entire battle armor directly retracted into his body and disappeared, and he put on that vulgar superhero costume again.

Genos was a bit envious and regretful, saying: "Teacher, I think you looked great in it!"

Saitama shook his head and said: "I'm still not used to it. As a low-key person, I don't want too many people to pay attention to me, and that outfit looks so chuunibyou."

Everyone was speechless. Can it be more chuunibyou than the one you're wearing now?!

On the Moby Dick, Zhou Li, who was drinking tea, silently looked up at the golden list in the sky, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"To find me, you've resorted to such methods? Now that the whole world is watching me, it's really troublesome. Competing for rankings without limits on methods... Do you want to make the entire Three Realms completely crazy?"

Blackie, who was sleeping soundly on his shoulder, opened one eye. A bloody vortex seemed to be swirling in his thick black pupils, and his tail twitched gently, actually making a cracking sound of air explosions, as if to say that for these weaklings, he would kill every single one that came!

"Let's see!" Zhou Li smiled, patted Blackie's head, and said with interest: "I still quite enjoy watching a show..."

And at this moment, the powerhouses of the world were all boiling.

In the live broadcast room.

[Senju Hashirama: "The Golden Rankings can be changed? And you can get more rewards!!! Good news, who was ahead of me again?"]

[Uchiha Madara: "The mysterious gold list number one is ahead of you. Go, go! I heard you've been resurrected. If you don't mind dying again, I support you!"]

[Senju Hashirama (expressionless): "Madara, I remember you're ahead of me. Where are you now? I'll come find you!"]

[Uchiha Madara: "I'm in Hell."]

[Senju Hashirama: "..."]

[Whitebeard: "This ranking change can earn more rewards. There's a lot of room for maneuvering. These Golden Rankings rewards are all good stuff!"]

[Sengoku: "High rankings naturally have their reasons; how can you be easily pulled down? Use your brain, Whitebeard!"]

[Whitebeard: "My strength has returned to Peak, Sengoku. Long time no see, I think you've gotten too arrogant! What are you boasting about when you're ranked behind me? I'll be storming your Marine headquarters soon, and then your Fleet Admiral position will cease to exist. Interested in becoming my son?"]

[Sengoku (fuming): "Go to Hell!"]

[Eneru: "You can even re-rank and get more rewards! It's absolutely exhilarating! The Thunder God's Hammer has at least doubled my strength. It seems it's time to descend to the Lower Realm and show the world what the Thunder God is truly like!"]

[Akainu: "I knew the guy upstairs wasn't any good. Another fool who doesn't know his place is stirring up trouble!"]

[Red Hair: "What kind of existence is that mysterious number one? Saitama, who is ranked third, got a reward just for obtaining some information!"]

[Doflamingo: "Heh heh heh heh heh, what a good method. As long as you can get information about that mysterious number one, you can get Golden Rankings rewards. It's so tempting..."]

[Tsuru (squinting): "I'm just afraid you'll go there with a name but not come back alive. Kizaru only saw him once, and the other party didn't even make a move. Just the pet of that second-ranked person made him lose an arm. What do you have?"]

[Doflamingo: "Heh heh heh heh heh, I was just saying. Of course, I wouldn't dare mess with such an existence. What I want to remind are those guys ranked lower. The Golden Rankings said there are no restrictions on methods for competing for rankings. Many people will definitely target those guys... Do you understand what I mean?"]

The live broadcast room fell silent for a moment.

The Golden Rankings' explanation was indeed insidious, almost intending to completely muddy the waters.

There are quite a few top powerhouses in the Three Realms, but there are only so many spots on the Golden Rankings. Ambitious people are everywhere; who wouldn't covet the mysterious rewards of the Golden Rankings? Once obtained, their strength would be greatly enhanced.

And the Golden Rankings stated no restrictions on methods, meaning assassination, poisoning, and various other means could be used. Even sneak attacks during a confrontation might not be out of the question, which would make everyone feel insecure.

After all, the Three Realms had only just formed, and information between them was limited and not fully understood. A high ranking might not be enough to guard against the endless array of methods, and it was inevitable that some would fall into traps.

[...]

For a time, the changes in the Golden Rankings shook the powerhouses of the world, and each of them developed different thoughts.

And others who were not on the list were also eager to try. If they could defeat or kill a ranked powerhouse, they could also make it onto the list and receive Golden Rankings rewards.

Trouble brewed once more!

In the Pirate World, Holy Land Mary Geoise.

A towering building stood, and inside a secret chamber.

A figure flickered in and out of the darkness, and before him was a crystal coffin.

Inside the coffin, a figure lay at this moment.

If any of the Four Emperors were here, they would certainly recognize the identity of this person.

The instigator who once rampaged and caused the Divine War—Rocks.

He was also a strong individual ranked among the top ten on the Supreme Strength Ranking.

He once led countless pirates to attack Mary Geoise, but he perished there. The power of the Gorosei and Imu exceeded his expectations, and he died as a result.

His body was also left behind.

"Rocks…"

The dark figure let out a low chuckle: "Leaving your body before was just a whim; after all, you were the first guy bold enough to attack my Holy Land. I didn't expect you to still have value!"

This dark figure was none other than the highest ruler of Holy Land Mary Geoise, the superior of the Gorosei, Imu!

"That mysterious Golden Rankings is too terrifying. Just one strike almost caused my demise. I never thought such a terrifying thing existed in the world, and I can feel it… If it wanted to kill me, it would only be a thought away!"

It seemed to be talking to itself, yet also speaking to Rocks.

A cold light flickered in Imu's eyes: "If I can obtain such power, unifying the Pirate World, or even unifying the current Three Realms, would be a mere wave of my hand. Rocks, you also entered the Golden Rankings, but unfortunately, that Golden Rankings did not provide you with a treasure for resurrection… Now that I am severely injured, it is time to use you!"

Imu has now been blacklisted by the Golden Rankings and can no longer receive Golden Rankings rewards.

His strength has almost reached its Peak, making further improvement incredibly difficult, with basically no room left for enhancement.

But if he could obtain the bodies of other Golden Rankings strong individuals, he might be able to circumvent this rule.

Imu had been sanctioned by the Golden Rankings and was deeply aware of how terrifying this suddenly appearing mysterious Golden Rankings was. His desire for power was incredibly strong. He knew that if he wanted to continue to improve, he would definitely need to obtain the rewards from this Golden Rankings.

Those treasures were one more Heaven-Defying than the last.

As he spoke, Imu placed his hands on the crystal coffin.

A dark green phantom gradually emerged from Imu's head and slowly seeped into the crystal coffin.

Clang, clang, clang—

The crystal coffin suddenly began to shake inexplicably, and Rocks' body also trembled violently, as if it had already gained life and could awaken at any moment.

This was one of Imu's talents: he could make his Soul Emergence, having the chance to Possess another person's body.

Swish—

Rocks' eyes suddenly opened, and two dark green rays of light shot out from them, but they vanished after a brief flicker.

"Ah—"

The dark green phantom suddenly seemed to suffer immense damage, letting out a scream, and quickly withdrew from Rocks' body, returning to its original body.

Rocks' body also returned to calmness, and his open eyes closed again.

"How is this possible? Why isn't it working! Why isn't it working!"

Imu gasped for breath, his eyes filled with unwillingness and dread.

Just moments ago, he had almost succeeded in Possession, beginning to control Rocks' body.

It must be said that Rocks, as a super pirate who once made a name for himself, possessed first-rate talent and physique, not inferior to Imu's original body.

It was just that he was too eager for quick success, attacking Mary Geoise before he had fully matured, which led to his demise.

Imu's strength was beyond doubt, and he was extremely confident in himself. If he hadn't been severely injured and blacklisted by the Golden Rankings, he wouldn't have attempted to seize another's body.

But the Possession, which had originally succeeded, was inexplicably interrupted by a strange power, which then forcibly blasted him out of Rocks' body.

His already severely injured body now had his Soul also heavily damaged.

"No! No! No! Why, Rocks, you are clearly dead, your body is just a shell, why can't you fulfill me—"

Imu raged in impotent fury, terrifying power unleashed within the secret chamber, causing the specially reinforced hard walls to subtly crack.

Outside the secret chamber.

Five figures suddenly appeared and swept over. Noticing the energy fluctuations within, the five people's expressions changed slightly. They looked at each other, but no one dared to enter.

"What happened?"

Sonobe Keiichi looked surprised.

"Unclear, this is Imu's power. Could something have changed inside?"

Ogata Kenichi speculated with a frown.

"Imu, has an enemy invaded?"

Hirano Masato hesitated for a moment, then asked loudly.

"Get out—"

A terrifying force suddenly erupted from the secret chamber, directly pushing the Gorosei out.

The Gorosei stabilized themselves, all somewhat puzzled. What was wrong with Imu?

But soon, they all knew the reason, and not just them, but everyone in the Three Realms also knew.

At the same time as Imu's Possession failed, new changes appeared on the golden inscription in the sky. It somehow knew about Imu's extremely secretive actions and announced the matter to the entire Three Realms.

The originally silent Golden Rankings suddenly glowed, illuminating the entire Three Realms.

[Imu attempted to Possess the body of a Golden Rankings strong individual to obtain Golden Rankings rewards. Now, ninety percent of his Soul Power is stripped as punishment.]

This news immediately shook the Three Realms.

In the live stream, strong individuals poured in.

[Whitebeard: "Imu is causing trouble again? Possessing the body of a Golden Rankings strong individual? Who is it!"]

[Senju Hashirama: "Is there something wrong with that Imu in your world's head? After being sanctioned by the Golden Rankings, he's causing trouble again. Does he think he's lived too long? How can he mess with a terrifying existence like the Golden Rankings?"]

[Saitama: "Possessing the body of a strong individual? That's interesting, is that even possible? Is his own body not good enough? But speaking of which, if someone could Possess the body of the gold list number one, wouldn't they instantly reach the Peak?"]

[Kaido: "The body of the gold list number one? You're dreaming! To Possess, the other party's Soul must have already left their body or be in an extremely weak state, and not everyone has this talent. Who could defeat this gold list number one? Even if you're the gold list third, you wouldn't be able to, right?"]

[Saitama: "The gold list number one is indeed very terrifying, I am not his opponent. The most crucial thing is that this existence is too mysterious; his whereabouts cannot be found within the Three Realms. I have been searching for him, but I still want to find this Imu from your world; I am very interested in him!"]

Kaido: "Possession of a strong person's Physical Body? Could it be…"

Big Mom: "Back then, we followed Captain Rocks to attack Mary Geoise together, participating in the God's War. Captain Rocks fell, and his body has been missing ever since. Could it have fallen into Imu's hands?"

Kaido: "Damn it! We guessed that back then, and now it seems it's true. Possessing Captain Rocks' Physical Body, how detestable!"

Red Hair: "Fortunately, it didn't succeed. Rocks' strength supported an entire era. He was on the same level as Captain Roger, and in some aspects, even stronger. It's very possible he hadn't reached his Peak yet, but even so, he made it into the top ten of the Golden Rankings. It's just a pity he didn't receive the Golden Rankings' revival reward. If Imu had succeeded, our plan to attack Mary Geoise and overthrow the World Government might have ended without a fight!"

Kaido: "That Imu still has evil intentions, coveting the Golden Rankings' reward. He courted death by trying to snatch other people's rewards and was blacklisted by the Golden Rankings. Now he's trying every possible way to get onto the list, but unfortunately, he still hasn't succeeded. This time, I will definitely reclaim Captain Rocks' Physical Body!"

Orochimaru: "Hehehehehehe… Possession, huh… A bit interesting. I've changed many bodies for the sake of eternal life, but the Golden Rankings never alerted me. Is it because my Soul is still my own, while Imu has already been marked by the Golden Rankings? I previously wondered if this special method could be used to obtain Golden Rankings rewards. It seems this method won't work. Thank you, Imu, for helping me clear this obstacle, hehehehehehe…"

Roger: "That Imu failed to possess Rocks' Physical Body, and his Soul Power was stripped away. Now he's greatly weakened. The plan to attack Mary Geoise has a few more chances of success. Hehe, it's time for my return. Back then, the World Government controlled the entire Pirate World and publicly executed me, ushering in the Great Pirate Era. Now it's time to settle the score. My young ones, do you still remember me?"

Red Hair: "Captain Roger, you're coming back!"

Uchiha Madara: "This Golden Rankings is truly terrifying. Imu's Possession must have been very secretive, definitely not letting too many people know, but it still found out. Can that golden eye see all corners of the Three Realms?"

Saitama: "Perhaps not? At least it couldn't see through the gold list number one."

Senju Hashirama: "That existence is an exception. Even the Golden Rankings seems to be extremely wary of him. I think this mysterious gold list number one is very likely a powerful existence comparable to the Golden Rankings!"

…

For a time, due to Imu's actions, the Three Realms were in turmoil.

"Imu attempted to possess Rocks?"

The Gorosei were also silently observing the chat logs in the live broadcast room but did not speak.

However, the information inferred by many powerful individuals was infinitely close to reality, causing them to tremble with fear.

Others might not know, but as the visible supreme rulers of the World Government, the Gorosei were very clear that when Rocks died in battle at Holy Land Mary Geoise, his body was taken by the World Government and preserved by special methods, remaining incorruptible to this day.

"Could Imu have just been attempting to possess Rocks' Physical Body?"

Sonobe Keiichi was somewhat uncertain and looked towards the secret room, still feeling lingering fear from Imu's power outburst.

Ogata Kenichi nodded slightly and said, "It's very possible. Did you notice that Imu's power just now seemed much weaker than before, even after being severely wounded by the Golden Rankings?"

The other four thought for a moment and all nodded slightly.

It was indeed true. If it had been the Imu of the past,

with a full power outburst, he could have directly severely wounded any one of the Gorosei to the brink of death, but just now, he didn't cause any harm to anyone.

"Should we go in and see?"

Sonobe Keiichi suggested.

The other four exchanged glances. They had a deep-seated fear of Imu. Would intruding without permission anger Imu?

"There's no more movement in the secret room now, and the Golden Rankings also said that Imu's Possession failed this time and he was stripped of most of his Soul Power. I'm afraid the situation isn't looking good."

Ogata Kenichi agreed with Sonobe Keiichi's suggestion.

The five reached a consensus and arrived at the entrance to the secret room.

The entrance to the secret room was now bulging out from the terrifying force earlier, covered in cracks, and completely deformed.

Sonobe Keiichi tightened his grip on the First Generation Kitetsu at his waist, a bright flash of light appeared, and the heavy steel door was directly cut in half, with perfectly smooth edges.

Boom—

The entrance to the secret room opened, revealing a winding staircase leading downwards.

The five familiar figures easily descended the stairs. As soon as they reached the secret room, they saw the dark figure lying on the ground and the shattered crystal coffin beside it.

Rocks' body lay there quietly, as if asleep.

Imu's power outburst just now had no effect on his body, which made the Gorosei look on in surprise.

"Imu!"

The Gorosei tried to awaken the dark figure.

However, the dark figure had too much Soul Power suddenly stripped away by the Golden Rankings and had now fallen into a state of slumber.

"What should we do?"

Hirano Masato frowned, unable to make a decision for a moment.

The World Government was already facing a crisis, and Imu, as the World Government's strongest combat force, was in an increasingly serious situation, making the Gorosei even more anxious.

"We don't know much about the Soul. How about sending him to Vegapunk and letting him take a look?"

Masutani Kouki mused.

Noda Keiichi nodded and said, "And that guy named Moriah. His ability seems to involve the Soul as well. Let's summon him to take a look."

Sonobe Keiichi's eyes were deep, and he suddenly said, "I remember in the Golden Rankings, there's a guy named Orochimaru, who is similar to Vegapunk and also researches the Soul. How about bringing him over to try?"

Hirano Masato frowned and said, "Can we trust someone from another world? As far as I know, this guy named Orochimaru has a very bad personality. I'm afraid he might do something we can't control during the process."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Sonobe Keiichi pressed one hand on the First Generation Kitetsu at his waist and said disdainfully, "If he dares to mess around, I'll just cut him down!"

The five of them jointly helped Imu up and walked out of the secret room.

At the same time, in Marineford, several figures darted out, heading swiftly towards the Naruto World.

Fleet Admiral Fo Zhi Sengoku stood by the window of his office, looking at the distant coastline, with a heavy look of worry on his brow.

Yinya, you're already so old, still thinking of rushing into battle? Aren't you afraid something will happen to you?"

A young man carrying a Metal Bat walked over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yinya, looking out at the smoke and flames of war outside the window.

Their pupils suddenly constricted, and they both looked down at the base of the building.

There, a dazzling golden light burst forth, exploding into a brilliant glow.

A golden man, clad in golden armor, floated in mid-air, appearing majestic and domineering.

"Who is that?" Yinya squinted, then looked at the golden inscription in the sky, muttering, "A troubled time indeed. What kind of existence is this Golden Rankings? Saitama... what a terrifying fellow. He's only ranked third. That first place..."

He dared not think further. Even Saitama's strength, he had only witnessed the tip of the iceberg, truly unable to imagine how powerful that mysterious first place would be.

Yinya glanced at him. This man was Metal Bat, ranked 16th among the 17 S-Class Heroes of the Hero Association, with very high potential, the type that gets stronger the more he fights, becoming stronger against stronger opponents.

"Hmph, you weaklings, in this situation, you're just throwing your lives away."

A green-haired girl in a black dress sat in a chair and snorted coldly, her tone full of disdain.

"Who's spouting nonsense over there? Believe it or not, I'll... Oh, it's Tatsumaki-sama! Never mind!"

Metal Bat immediately became displeased and turned to retort, but when he saw the other person's appearance, his expression froze, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

S-Class Rank 2, Tatsumaki!

A super-powered girl with terrifying psychokinesis, her combat power was so strong that she even made it onto the Golden Rankings.

In this Fusion world, there are too many strong individuals, and those acknowledged by the Golden Rankings in the One-Punch World are only a handful.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the other party back down, Tatsumaki proudly lifted her chin, then looked towards the door and mumbled, "Speaking of which, why isn't that Baldy here yet? This guy who pretends to be a pig to eat the tiger has fooled us for so long. I'm definitely going to scold him thoroughly when he gets here."

Everyone present immediately perked up.

They naturally knew who the Baldy Tatsumaki was referring to was.

Golden Rankings Rank 2, Hero Association B-Class Hero, Saitama!

Speaking of this guy, most people hadn't encountered him and didn't have a deep concept of him, not knowing how strong he truly was.

"If this guy named Saitama is so strong, why is he so low-key? And still B-Class?"

Atomic Samurai, ranked fourth, frowned and asked.

The one most familiar with Saitama here was probably Yinya. He slowly turned his back and chuckled, "You probably don't know yet, but this guy got a perfect score on the physical test, but failed the written exam. If it weren't for his Heaven-Defying physical test, he wouldn't have been able to join the Hero Association at all!"

"What? Failed the written exam?"

The Heroes present were all stunned, showing expressions of disbelief.

"Holy crap, really?"

Superalloy Darkshine, ranked eleventh, touched his bald black head and exclaimed, "That kind of test, even a primary school student could pass, right?"

"I thought he was so amazing, turns out he's an idiot! No wonder he can't get ahead. What's the use of just having strength? You still need brains to defeat enemies!"

A little boy with a schoolbag, biting a lollipop, let out a very smug sneer, crunching off a large piece of the lollipop, "Indeed, when God opens a door for him, he closes a window. No wonder he's a Baldy, it's because he has no brains!"

Superalloy Darkshine's face instantly darkened, "I think you're targeting me!"

The little boy nodded, "If you want to think that, then yes!"

Superalloy Darkshine was speechless for a long time before finally managing to say, "You're higher ranked, you're awesome. I won't argue with a child!"

This little boy was Child Emperor, S-Class Rank 5 of the Hero Association, with super high intelligence and considerable combat power.

"You don't understand how terrifying that man is."

Yinya smiled meaningfully, as if recalling something, "Even someone of Genos's caliber willingly became his disciple."

"Genos?"

A strange guy completely covered in armor said disdainfully, "Just a weakling ranked fourteenth, he's nothing! Becoming a Baldy's disciple won't make him much stronger!"

Suddenly, two sets of footsteps sounded from the doorway, and at the same time, a faint voice spoke.

"I heard someone talking bad about me from a long way off..."

Everyone immediately turned their heads to look.

They saw a man with an egg-shaped head and a red cape draped over his back, accompanied by a handsome blonde cyborg, slowly walk in.

The newcomer was Saitama, and the one accompanying him was Genos.

Saitama's eyes were somewhat dangerous, and he walked step by step towards Metal Knight, "What did you just call me?"

Metal Knight was startled, but with so many Heroes present, and being ranked sixth himself, although he heard the other party was a strong individual on the Golden Rankings, he would not concede in terms of Aura.

Just a B-Class rookie, how strong could he be? That so-called Golden Rankings has no credibility at all.

Metal Knight snorted, "Baldy! What, are you trying to..."

Bang!

Before he could finish his sentence, he completely vanished from his spot.

A huge crater appeared in the opposite wall, and cold wind howled in.

Saitama withdrew his hand expressionlessly, "I hate it when people call me Baldy!"

Yinya, standing by the window, glanced outside, his eyelids twitching violently.

Metal Knight, who was said to be invincible inside his armor, had a large section of his chest caved in and had now turned into a stream of light, flying off to who knows where. It seemed he wouldn't be back anytime soon.

If he hadn't made himself super-dense, powerful alloy armor, he would already be a corpse.

And from Saitama's expression, he had just thrown a casual punch, not even using any real force.

"Teacher, everyone here is a Hero, and we still have to fight Monsters together, so let's not kill them."

Genos couldn't help but say.

Saitama grinned and said, "Don't worry, I know my limits. I'm not the type to kill innocent people indiscriminately."

The other people present immediately breathed a sigh of relief; they had all been frightened by Saitama.

Metal Knight, ranked sixth, was instantly defeated. What was more terrifying was that no one present had seen how he had struck just now; it was too fast!

"But for me, anyone who calls me Baldy is not innocent!"

After saying that, he aimed at the little boy sitting in the chair.

Child Emperor's scalp instantly tingled, and he quickly put the lollipop in his mouth, feigning an innocent look.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door again.

A middle-aged Suit Man walked in, pushed up his glasses, and smiled, "Almost everyone is here. So, this S-Class Hero meeting should begin! Please find your seats."

The Heroes said nothing and each found a seat.

The Suit Man was the host of this meeting and was currently the spokesperson for the Hero Association. He had considerable authority and was considered high-ranking, but he himself was just an ordinary person.

"This meeting is to discuss the future of our land."

The Suit Man showed a serious expression, picked up the remote control from the table, turned around, and opened the projector behind him, "For this meeting, everyone is present except for Blast and Watchdog Man, who were unwilling to come! Let's first look at a set of images."

The Suit Man pressed the remote control in his hand, and an image immediately appeared on the projector.

Surging seawater, like an out-of-control beast, roared and crashed through human cities, raging through them. In the seawater, there were countless terrifying sea beasts, wantonly harvesting lives that fell into the water.

The Suit Man said with a heavy expression, "This seawater from another world has submerged twenty percent of our cities. Now, its momentum is gradually being blocked by the terrain. We have lost countless human compatriots, but fortunately, the sea disaster has been contained."

All the Heroes frowned tightly.

The Suit Man pressed the remote control again, and the screen changed, beginning to play some videos. Many strange-looking sea beasts appeared in the videos, and there were even some strangely dressed humans riding on ships.

They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of evil deeds, leaving their arrogant laughter everywhere in the footage.

"Pirates!"

Saitama recognized them.

As the third-ranked existence on the Golden Rankings, he naturally knew some information about the Pirate World. The pirate flags fluttering on the masts were very conspicuous.

"Correct!"

The Suit Man nodded, "They are Pirates, a mysterious organization from another world, living on the sea year-round. They possess a unique power System, and some special individuals even have very strange abilities, known as Devil Fruit Users."

Atomic Samurai nodded, "Two days ago, I encountered a guy on a mission who must be the Devil Fruit User you mentioned. He could transform his body into a beast, and his combat power soared, making him very difficult to deal with!"

Several other Heroes also nodded in agreement, apparently having some understanding.

"Yes!"

The Suit Man's expression was solemn, "Now, our threat no longer comes solely from Monsters, but also from our own kind. Some of them are kind, some are evil, similar to the Monster Association—a group of individuals with fallen Souls!"

"We need to become stronger, much stronger, to protect our homeland!"

The Suit Man looked at the Heroes with impassioned words, his emotions stirred. He suddenly slammed his fist hard on the marble table, then fell silent.

"???"

The Heroes were a bit confused.

Why did he stop talking?

The Suit Man was seen covering his hand and silently squatting down, his body trembling continuously.

The Heroes: "…"

A few minutes later, the Suit Man regrouped, adjusted his emotions, stood up, and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

"Now, after discussion, our Hero Association has come up with some methods that will benefit all of you, and even all of humanity!"

The Heroes immediately perked up, looking at the Suit Man with interest.

The Suit Man said, "I already know that the mysterious Golden Rankings that appeared in the sky have changed the world and ranked the strong individuals of the entire world. And four of our Hero Association members have made it onto the list!"

As he spoke, he looked at Saitama and Tatsumaki with a slight smile.

"Mr. Saitama, Blast, Tatsumaki, and Watchdog Man!"

The Suit Man said, "This is our glory, especially Mr. Saitama. I am truly amazed that you are so incredibly powerful, ranked third in the entire world!"

Saitama scratched his head, "Actually, I didn't expect to be this strong. Just basic moves, nothing special!"

Tatsumaki grumbled, gritting her teeth, "You annoying bald head, why are you showing off so much—!"

The Heroes: "…"

The Suit Man pushed up his glasses and said, "The strength of these four Heroes is beyond doubt, but human power has its limits. They are individuals with limited energy. The world is so vast that they cannot simultaneously support every place, so most of the time, we still have to rely on ourselves. Moreover, as far as I know, there are also people from the Monster Association on the list!"

Yinya nodded, "Indeed, the number of people from the Monster Association on the list is not less than ours."

"Exactly!"

The Suit Man sighed, "Among the three worlds, our world is the weakest. Nearly ninety percent of the strong individuals are in the other two worlds. Fortunately, apart from the mysterious strong individuals ranked first and second, Mr. Saitama, who is ranked third, is with us. This is also a deterrent! As long as Mr. Saitama is here, they will have some reservations!"

Flashy Flash, ranked thirteenth, was already a bit impatient: "Can you speak faster and get to the point!"

The Suit Man was a little embarrassed. He habitually tried to lighten the mood and stir up the Heroes' emotions, but it was clearly inappropriate now.

He cleared his throat and said in a deep voice.

"It's like this: we plan to send several Heroes to purposefully capture some strong individuals from other worlds to obtain their world's Cultivation methods from them. Think about it, the other two worlds are so powerful, and the number of strong individuals far exceeds ours; there must be special Cultivation methods."

He paused, then continued.

"If their people can Cultivate, there's no reason we can't. As far as I know, the main composition of these two worlds is still human. Not everyone needs to Cultivate; as long as more Heroes emerge in our world, we can save more human compatriots!"

The other Heroes' eyes gradually lit up.

Genos nodded, also getting a bit excited: "That's right, precisely! Not just ordinary people, but we Heroes also have room for improvement. If we obtain their Cultivation methods, we will certainly become stronger, and then we will have greater power to protect humanity!"

On this point, Saitama and Tatsumaki had more say.

Tatsumaki showed a thoughtful expression and nodded.

"This is a very good idea. According to the information I gathered in the live stream, in the Ninja World, they Cultivate a special energy called Chakra, which can communicate with natural elements and unleash incredible mysterious powers."

"And in that Pirate World, ordinary people can also Body Refining to an incredibly powerful level, and there is even a very systematic Cultivation System, but it's not easy to obtain. It seems to be controlled by forces called the Marine and the World Government. Secondly, there are Devil Fruits. If one can obtain such a thing, they can immediately leap to become a strong individual, becoming a Hero is no problem."

"Good!"

The Suit Man's face showed joy. He raised his hand, intending to pound the table, but stopped himself at the last minute and instead slapped his own thigh: "Since everyone has no objections, then I will issue the mission."

The Suit Man looked at Saitama and Tatsumaki, and said seriously, "God says, with great power comes great responsibility. As strong individuals on the Golden Rankings, you must bear the pressure. This mission is entrusted to you. I will also speak to Blast and Watchdog Man. Please try your best to bring back some powerful individuals so that we can obtain more and better information!"

Two days later.

A-City, Hero Association Headquarters.

The staff busy in the headquarters and some Heroes who came to accept or submit missions suddenly felt a violent tremor.

"What's happening? An earthquake?!"

An ear-splitting alarm sounded throughout the building, and red lights flashed continuously on every floor.

"Don't worry!"

The high-ranking leaders of the Hero Association, currently holding a meeting on the top floor, were very calm: "This building has the most robust defense System and can remain safe even in the face of a Level 12 disaster."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the gentle sunlight that had been streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly dimmed, shrouded by a huge shadow.

"What is that?"

Someone quickly ran to the window to look out, and his eyes immediately bulged: "Holy crap!"

At this moment, people on the lower floors had already run out of the building, then couldn't help but retreat in horror, shouting: "Monsters! Monsters are attacking the headquarters!"

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

No one had expected that the Hero Association headquarters would also be attacked. There was more than one S-Class Hero on rotation here.

"Daring to target the Hero Association headquarters, they must be tired of living!"

Atomic Samurai and Metal Bat walked out side-by-side, looked up, and were immediately startled.

Above their heads, an incredibly massive and terrifying Monster was hovering in mid-air, blocking most of the sunlight and giving off an extremely dreadful pressure.

"This Monster… it must be Dragon-level!"

Atomic Samurai felt his scalp tingle, immediately entered combat mode, and drew the long sword from his waist.

Metal Bat also had a solemn expression, gripping the bat in his hand.

"King! What time is it, why aren't you coming out quickly? This guy doesn't look easy to deal with!"

Atomic Samurai took a moment to shout back, a little dissatisfied.

A man with three claw marks over his eye slowly strolled out with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the terrifying behemoth suspended in mid-air. A thunderous drumming sound emanated from his chest.

"It's here! The Emperor Engine!"

Someone shouted, their expression excited, as if with the appearance of this man, everything would be fine.

S-Class Hero, Rank 7, King!

Metal Bat and Atomic Samurai exchanged glances, also slightly relieved.

Metal Bat said, "Alright, with this guy here, it should be stable."

Atomic Samurai nodded, "That's right, although this guy looks a bit unapproachable, his strength is quite good."

Then he turned his head to look at the man and said, "You seem eager to make a move. A gentleman doesn't take what others like, so I'll leave this big guy to you!"

After speaking, he sheathed his sword and walked to the side.

Metal Bat also put his bat back on his shoulder.

Both of them seemed to have great confidence in this guy.

King: "…"

After a moment of silence, King said, "Um… I suddenly need to use the restroom!"

Atomic Samurai said, "What time is it? Hold your pee. With your strength, it shouldn't take long to deal with this guy, right? If not, you can pee on him when no one is looking. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to catch your speed anyway."

King took a deep breath, feeling an urge to pull down his pants and pee directly on this person's face.

Which bastard elevated him to this extent?

He was really just an ordinary person, damn it!

Just because of a series of Opportunities and his cool, fierce appearance, he was somehow forced into becoming an S-Class Hero.

If it weren't for his good luck, he would probably have lost his life long ago.

It seemed his good fortune might have run out today.

"King! Go for it, I believe in you!"

"Kill him! King, I want to have your babies!"

"King, don't worry, if you get hurt, I'll operate on you. I'm the most skilled Young Miss doctor in the entire Hero Association. I'll fix whatever is broken!"

"…I really appreciate that!"

King was swept along by the tide. The situation was out of his hands. He bit the bullet and walked out of the building, facing the terrifying Monster directly.

In front of this Monster, humans were as tiny as ants.

Boom boom boom—

The sound of the Emperor Engine grew louder and louder. Everyone became excited. They knew this was the prelude to King's attack. As soon as he made his move, this Monster probably wouldn't even withstand a single blow.

"Is he finally going to make a move…"

Atomic Samurai leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his eyes gleaming: "Since this guy became an S-Class Hero, I've never seen him fight. I'm really looking forward to it…"

Metal Bat nodded, "His strength is indeed very powerful. This special prelude to an attack, even I feel immense pressure. Perhaps his strength is enough to rank in the top three, or maybe he can even rival Tatsumaki, who knows. I just don't understand why he isn't on that Golden Rankings."

Just then, a female voice came from high in the sky: "Everyone, move aside, clear out this space for me. You have no sense of awareness. With so many people gathered here, where am I supposed to put this thing?"

"???"

Everyone looked up in astonishment, only to see a green-haired Young Miss in a black dress flying down from the sky, hovering in front of King. She scrutinized him, then nodded, "As expected of the legendary King. Facing such a big guy without any fear, and even wanting to make a move. Not bad. It took me some effort to deal with this big guy, especially since it was in the sea."

After speaking, she waved her hand.

The surrounding crowd was suddenly pushed away by an invisible force, clearing a large open space.

Immediately, the behemoth in mid-air crashed down, landing right in front of King. The ground around the Hero Association, which had been reinforced, couldn't withstand the pressure of this force and directly shattered into pieces, revealing jagged cracks.

King remained standing in place with his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless, his demeanor extremely cold.

Tatsumaki patted his shoulder and praised, "Not bad, not bad. Unfazed when a mountain collapses before you; you have the aura of a strong individual. Perhaps the S-Class Hero rankings should be adjusted."

After speaking, she walked towards the headquarters building.

King stood motionless in place, his profound back giving a great sense of security. Many young women showed infatuated expressions.

"He's so manly! I want to sleep with him!"

"He gives such a sense of security! I'd let him mess with me a hundred times!"

"If I marry, I'll marry a man like this!"

Atomic Samurai and Metal Bat looked at Tatsumaki as she walked in, showing expressions of dissatisfaction: "So it was you who caused all that commotion. You scared us. I thought a Monster was invading the headquarters!"

Tatsumaki said disdainfully, "Your courage is far inferior to King's. Look at him!"

Atomic Samurai looked at the man's back and sincerely praised, "He is indeed a very powerful guy!"

Metal Bat asked, puzzled, "By the way, why did you bring such a big guy back?"

Tatsumaki said, "Didn't they say we should bring back some things from other worlds? I thought this guy was quite special, big and fierce, so we could definitely get a lot of information from it, so I brought it back."

The two were speechless.

You're out of your mind.

No matter how big this guy is, it's just an animal. What kind of information can you get from it? For scientists to study genetic mutations?

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

A group of high-ranking Hero Association leaders walked out, and the Suit Man who had chaired the meeting was among them.

"What's going on, Tatsumaki, did you do this?"

The Suit Man asked directly.

Tatsumaki nodded, glancing at him sideways, "Yes, do you have a problem with that?"

The Suit Man was sweating profusely, "No, no, I was just asking."

Although they were the founders who financially supported the Hero Association, facing an S-Class Hero like her, it was better to be a little submissive, as they didn't care how much money you had.

No matter how much money you have, can you withstand one of my punches?

Tatsumaki pointed her thumb at the big guy behind her and said haughtily, "Such a big guy should count for many missions, right? I want to rest for a while, don't bother me if there's nothing important!"

She was about to leave after speaking.

The Suit Man quickly stopped her, smiling apologetically, "Tatsumaki, I think you've got it wrong. This kind of thing has no research value at all, and it takes up space. Even extracting its genetic data for research would take too much time, and it can't be used on the human body at all. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and those Monster Association guys?"

Tatsumaki's delicate brows immediately furrowed, and she said in an unfriendly tone, "You mean I came all this way for nothing? This mission doesn't count?"

The leaders all took a step back in unison, waving their hands repeatedly.

The Suit Man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, knowing that this Young Miss had a bad temper and he dared not anger her.

"No, no, of course it's still useful. We can extract some special cells from another world from this big guy. Although they can't be used for human modification, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle! And such a big guy has so much meat, it can also be cut off to help with disaster relief. Many people are not getting enough to eat due to disasters right now, so you've made a great contribution!"

Tatsumaki immediately cheered up, "See, I'm still useful, right!"

"Of course, of course!" The Suit Man nodded repeatedly.

While everyone was discussing, another loud roar came from outside, as if something else had landed on the ground.

Everyone quickly looked outside.

They were all dumbfounded.

They saw a young man in golden armor, holding a huge warship in one hand, smashing it onto the ground. A pair of golden wings on his back flapped gently, stirring up a sky full of strong wind and dust, and the ground beneath his feet cracked like a spiderweb, spreading in all directions.

"Oh ho! King, long time no see!"

Saitama greeted King opposite him, his golden armor retracting into his body, replaced by his cool red cape.

Thump thump thump—

The sound of the Emperor Engine in King's chest grew louder again, and he stared at Saitama, speechless for a long time.

"Oh, oh, oh! This bald man standing in front of King, there's a hint of provocation. Is he going to make a move?"

"I know that guy, he's the newly promoted S-Class Hero, named Saitama, and it seems he's already taken Blast's place as the number one S-Class Hero!"

"What? He actually replaced Blast? How can he be worthy?"

"I'm not entirely sure about that, but he looks really strong. He's holding such a large ship effortlessly. Look, there are people on that ship!"

"Is King trying to challenge him? The Emperor Engine's sound has gotten louder again. Is he unhappy that this man suddenly became the number one S-Class Hero?"

King stiffly turned his head and glanced at the chattering crowd, his eyes cold.

You're all full of crap!

King cursed silently in his heart.

The reason he was standing there motionless was because he was too scared to move, okay?

As for the Emperor Engine, his heart was just beating a little faster because he was scared. Is it wrong to have a special Physique and a strong heart?

"Mr. Saitama, what is this?"

The Suit Man, the leaders, and heroes like Tatsumaki walked out together, all looking at Saitama with curiosity.

Saitama tossed the large ship in his hand aside, and with a loud crash, a large hole broke in the bottom of the ship, and a chorus of wails and groans erupted from above.

Only then did everyone get a clear view.

There were indeed many people on this ship, all with their hands and feet bound, and they were thrown into disarray and complaining bitterly from Saitama's toss.

Saitama pointed at the ship and said, "I saw this when I was passing by at sea. It should be what they call a pirate ship. Looking at the number of people on this ship, we should be able to get a lot of information. There should also be a lot of things on the ship, so I brought them all back together, fearing I might miss something."

Everyone: "…"

You're awesome!

Your thought process is almost identical to Tatsumaki's.

Afraid of missing something, so you carried back both the people and the ship.

The Suit Man, however, looked pleased and called out, "Hurry up, search the entire ship, and then bring the people down. Be careful, these guys might be quite strong!"

Immediately, some heroes from the headquarters, led by strong security personnel, boarded the ship and began to herd the people off and search the entire interior of the ship.

But soon, a leading A-Class Hero ran over, looking strange.

"Sir, something seems off."

"Hm?"

The Suit Man looked at him, puzzled, "What's off?"

The hero cautiously glanced at Saitama, swallowed, and said, "Uh… it seems these people on the ship are all ordinary people, and there's nothing on the ship, just some ordinary supplies, and…"

"And what? Don't stutter!"

The Suit Man frowned.

"And, this ship seems to be a ship from our world. According to their Captain, they are a giant escape ship built by J-Country to avoid disaster. Due to a shipwreck, they were caught here not long after escaping…"

Everyone: "…"

The Suit Man looked at Saitama and said faintly, "Mr. Saitama, didn't you say this was a pirate ship from another world?"

Saitama also looked bewildered, "Isn't it? But I couldn't understand what they were saying! Doesn't that prove something?"

The Suit Man took a deep breath and asked, "Forgive me for asking, do you speak J-Country language?"

"No."

"Then you f***ing…"

The Suit Man almost swore, but swallowed his words halfway through, smiling wryly and waving his hand, "Never mind, let's settle them down first. In the face of disaster, everyone is a victim. Since Mr. Saitama brought them back, we have an obligation to take care of them."

The A-Class Hero took the order and left. Not long after, a cheer erupted beside the large ship: "Long live Mr. Saitama!"

Saitama smiled and waved, "You've all worked hard, comrades! This is what I should do!"

On the boundless ocean, a petrel soared proudly.

The gale rolled up dark clouds, and between the clouds and the sea, two figures rapidly shuttled through the high sky.

"Genos, I think it's better if you fly a little lower, you're likely to get struck by lightning!"

Genos turned his head to look at his teacher, Saitama, who was using him as a mount, with a hint of resentment, and sighed, "Teacher, you can clearly fly by yourself..."

Saitama said matter-of-factly, "Those wings are too fast, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up, and I don't want you to treat me as a mount. Besides, being all shiny gold is too flashy; won't everyone run away as soon as they see me?"

So it's fine if you treat me as a mount?

Genos felt even more aggrieved.

A sexy woman with short black hair, wearing a snow jacket over a cheongsam, looked up at the dark clouds so close above her, a vein throbbing on her forehead. She couldn't help but complain, "I really don't know what those guys were thinking, why did they put me in this group with you!"

Genos, with flames jetting from his body, was also flying rapidly. He turned his head and said, "It seems you were the one who absolutely refused to be with Tatsumaki, right?"

Saitama, sitting cross-legged on Genos's back, turned his head to look at the sexy woman, pointed a finger and said, "Hellish Blizzard, your pink underwear is showing!"

The sexy woman was stunned, then her pretty face instantly turned crimson. She quickly covered the skirt of her cheongsam, which was being blown by the strong wind, and angrily said, "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge out your eyes, you bastard!"

This person was none other than the Hero Association's B-class Rank 1, Hellish Blizzard, and also the younger sister of S-class Rank 2, Tatsumaki.

Genos said, "How can you blame Teacher for this? You insisted on wearing this kind of clothing, and besides, looking at it won't cost anything..."

"You shut up!"

Hellish Blizzard's pretty face was frosty, and she said viciously, "What does a cyborg like you know, you idiot!"

"She's really fierce!"

Saitama rubbed his bald head, looking forward, his red cape flapping in the wind. He mumbled, "I wonder how much longer it will take. We've been flying for several days. Logically, we should have reached the territory of another world by now, right?"

Genos said, "According to the terrain, we should have arrived, but it's strange that we haven't found any pirate ships or Marine fleets along the way. The intelligence said that over eighty percent of this world is water, so we should easily see them!"

Hellish Blizzard sneered, "Maybe you took the wrong path!"

Genos said seriously, "My body is equipped with the most advanced positioning System, and my sense of direction is very strong. I absolutely won't take the wrong path! Otherwise, why would headquarters send me with Teacher?"

Saitama's face darkened, "Genos, I think you're mocking me."

"No, absolutely not, Teacher!" Genos quickly defended himself.

Hellish Blizzard couldn't be bothered with these two idiots and observed her surroundings.

Five days ago, due to the unreliable behavior of Saitama and Tatsumaki, headquarters revised the mission plan, deciding to send people to accompany them to complete the mission together.

Saitama, Genos, and Hellish Blizzard were assigned to one group.

Tatsumaki, Watchdog Man, and Yinya were assigned to another group.

Blast, being accustomed to acting alone and for other reasons, did not participate in this mission.

Due to the weakness of the One-Punch World, the Hero Association headquarters highly valued this mission, dispatching the two strongest combat forces currently available to obtain enough intelligence and treasures.

For the One-Punch World, only by raising the overall level of humanity could they contend with the other two worlds. Otherwise, let alone whether they could resist future invasions from the two worlds, even their native Monsters were becoming increasingly stronger and harder to deal with.

The entire human population was already rapidly declining.

"Look, Teacher, there's a ship below!"

Genos's mechanical eyes looked downwards, instantly zooming in and locking onto the target below.

"Oh oh oh oh—"

Saitama's eyes lit up. He looked down and said excitedly, "Let's go down quickly, I'm almost sick of flying these past few days!"

Hellish Blizzard pondered, "I think it's better to observe a bit more, after all, we don't understand the opponent's strength and... Oh my god, are you two even listening to me!"

Genos and Saitama completely disregarded Hellish Blizzard's words and directly plunged downwards.

—

Buggy Pirate Crew.

Buggy the Clown was currently lying on a sun lounger, leisurely enjoying the calm before the storm.

"Captain, the storm is coming soon, shouldn't we speed up and pass through this area?"

A sailor came to suggest.

Buggy waved his hand and said, "As a pirate, to be afraid of a storm is simply a joke. For the great Buggy, this is just a small setback on my path to conquering the sea."

Moji, the Vice Captain and Beast Tamer, holding a whip and leading his beloved small lion, Richie, walked over and said, "Captain Buggy, Richie is hungry."

Richie raised his paw, pointed it at his gaping maw, and let out a roar.

Buggy was instantly enraged, "Hungry, hungry! This beast has eaten so much and is still hungry, it's truly insatiable! What does it know besides eating? It's almost eaten all the food on the ship, what are we going to eat? Eat it? I think we should just throw this guy into the sea, or turn it into food for us to satisfy our cravings, at least it would be contributing something."

Richie was instantly furious and suddenly opened his mouth wide and bit Buggy on the butt.

"Ouch—"

Buggy yelped in pain, jumping up from the sun lounger, fuming with anger. He pointed at Richie and said, "Moji, if you don't get this beast away, I'll kill him right now!"

Richie glared, not at all afraid of this so-called Captain. He raised his paw, extended the middle claw, and made a gesture of disdain.

"I can't take this anymore, where's my sword?"

Buggy was furious and was about to teach this ignorant beast a lesson.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Captain, look at the sky!"

"?"

Buggy subconsciously looked up, then his face changed dramatically, and he shouted, "Get out of the way!"

He himself dove to the side.

Two figures descended from the sky, plummeting straight down. One of them had intense flames jetting from his hands and feet, and a terrifying heat could be felt even before they got close.

While still in mid-air, another person separated and jumped straight onto the ship.

Bang!

Saitama's body plunged directly into the deck, only his smooth, bald head exposed.

The crew members: "..."

"Huh!"

Saitama propped himself up with both hands and pulled himself out. He looked down at the large hole he had made and smiled shyly, "Sorry, I broke your ship. How much does it cost? I'll pay you."

After speaking, he took out a cute frog coin purse from his pocket and poured out a few coins.

Hellish Blizzard, who arrived late, couldn't help but cover her forehead, truly not wanting to be with these two idiots.

They were so damn embarrassing!

After being stunned for a long time, Buggy finally reacted and cursed at the three uninvited guests, "You bastards! Who are you! Why did you destroy my pirate ship!"

Pirate ship!"

Saitama and the two others exchanged glances, seeing a spark in each other's eyes.

Hellish Blizzard, already impatient, took the lead. She raised her arm and with a gentle wave, a hurricane instantly formed, tightly enveloping everyone. Some people were even blown into the air.

Genos's movements were also swift; his figure flickered and he vanished from his spot. The next moment, he appeared behind Buggy, his palm striking horizontally, turning into a blade that cut towards Buggy's legs.

Swish—

The incredibly sharp palm-blade instantly severed Buggy's two legs, separating them from his body and dropping them to the ground.

However, there was no bloody scene as imagined, nor a single drop of blood.

Genos was stunned; it was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Buggy, however, broke out in a cold sweat. It was fortunate that he was a Devil Fruit User of the Chop-Chop Fruit, otherwise, with that one strike, he would have been paralyzed.

The severed legs surprisingly crawled up from the ground on their own, frantically rushing towards the ship's cabin.

And Buggy's head and body also sharply separated, escaping Genos's control.

Thus, a strange scene appeared on this ship.

A head, a torso with only arms, and two independently moving legs each acted on their own, fleeing towards the ship's cabin.

"Devil Fruit User!"

All three reacted.

Hellish Blizzard made the first move, clenching her hand in mid-air.

A hurricane appeared out of nowhere, directly trapping these three strange, broken body parts and dragging them towards her.

Buggy was greatly alarmed. Since he came to the East Blue, it was the first time he had encountered such a terrifyingly strong individual.

As a Devil Fruit User, he didn't even have the slightest ability to resist.

"Are you also a Devil Fruit User?"

Buggy the Clown looked at Hellish Blizzard with a face full of terror. He hadn't expected such a beautiful and sexy woman to be so ruthless. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.

Hellish Blizzard shook her head, raising her chin and asking proudly, "I am not what you call a Devil Fruit User. I have questions for you. If you dare to run again, I'll kill you!"

"No running, no running! You can ask anything you want, I will definitely tell you everything I know!"

Buggy the Clown nodded like a pecking bird.

A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. As long as there's life, there's hope. One day, this great lord will get his revenge!

Ten minutes later.

All the pirates of the Buggy Pirate Crew sat quietly on the deck, hands and feet bound, awaiting judgment from these three strange individuals.

The disparity in strength was simply too great; they didn't even have the thought of resisting.

They even tied themselves up.

These three people didn't seem like hardened criminals. If they behaved well, they might just survive.

"I ask you, is this the Pirate World?"

Saitama and the two others sat on chairs. That sun chair, exclusive to Buggy the Clown, was occupied by Saitama, and Genos was responsible for asking questions.

Buggy the Clown looked a bit confused, then his eyes widened, "You are people from another world?"

It had been almost a month since the Golden Rankings appeared. The Golden Rankings' rankings were already common knowledge, and the news of the three worlds' Fusion was also known to the public.

Hellish Blizzard's eyebrows immediately furrowed, "Are you asking us, or are we asking you?"

Buggy the Clown repeatedly offered a conciliatory smile, "You ask, of course you ask! That's right, this is the Pirate World, the original East Blue location!"

"East Blue..."

The three had no concept of this geographical location.

Genos then asked, "I ask you, we've been here for some time. As far as I know, there should be many pirates and Marines in this world. Why have we only encountered your pirate ship after so long?"

Buggy the Clown's expression became serious, and after some thought, he said,

"This isn't much of a secret anymore. Ten days ago, news came from the New World that the Four Emperors had allied with each other and even colluded with the Revolutionary Army, intending to completely overthrow the World Government. Upon hearing this news, all the pirates from the Four Seas headed towards the Holy Land Mary Geoise, wanting to witness this historic moment and also hoping to gain some benefits from it."

"Four Emperors alliance?"

Saitama and the two others were stunned for a moment, then frowned.

Saitama had already reported what he knew about the Four Emperors, so Genos and Hellish Blizzard also understood some things.

All the Four Emperors were powerful individuals listed on the Golden Rankings. For them to ally against the World Government, this action seemed a bit too grand.

"Then why didn't you go?"

Genos was a bit curious.

Buggy the Clown chuckled, "That kind of war is too dangerous. If we went, wouldn't that be suicide? I'm better off honestly searching for my treasure. There's no need to join that kind of excitement. Even if you get good things, you might not live to spend them."

Hellish Blizzard sneered, "You at least have self-awareness."

Genos asked some more questions about the Pirate World and some of their world's Cultivation methods.

However, this guy was clueless about everything, which left the three quite speechless.

They could also tell that, apart from being a Devil Fruit User, this guy was an utter waste, good for nothing but still loved to show off.

"Don't underestimate me! I used to be an apprentice on Roger's ship!"

Seeing the somewhat dangerous looks from the three, Buggy the Clown quickly tried to prove his usefulness, "Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, and I are very good friends!"

"Four Emperors? Red Hair? Friends with you?"

The three looked at him suspiciously. Hellish Blizzard scornfully said, "With your appearance, how can you shamelessly cling to a Four Emperors' coattails? How do you have the nerve?"

"If you're so powerful, why do you only dare to cower in a place like this and not participate in this war? You should know that right now, if you can kill a powerful individual on the Golden Rankings, you can directly climb the Golden Rankings and receive a reward! Are you not interested in those Golden Rankings rewards? Those things are far more precious than any treasure!"

Saitama said, "Red Nose, don't lie. Lying is not for good children!"

Buggy the Clown's veins bulged. He hated being called Red Nose the most, but the current situation was not in his favor, so he could only endure.

"I'm telling the truth. Red Hair and I were both on Roger's ship. It's just that his talent was better, and his luck was better, that's all..."

Buggy the Clown didn't want to die and tried hard to prove his worth.

"Alright, we believe you!"

Saitama stood up, walked to the ship's rail, and turned back with a smile, "Then let's set off. You lead the way."

"???" Buggy the Clown looked utterly confused, "Where to?"

"To the World Government's headquarters, of course!" Saitama said matter-of-factly, "You said it yourself, most of the pirates and Marines are there now. I can't find anyone, so I'll just go there. It'll be a good chance to see these so-called powerful individuals. Just thinking about it makes me excited!"

Genos also nodded, fire igniting in his mechanical eyes, "Teacher is right, I also really want to see it! This time, there should be many beings on the Golden Rankings appearing and fighting each other. I also really want to spar with someone on the Golden Rankings and test myself. If I'm lucky enough to make it onto the list and receive a Golden Rankings reward, my strength might also get a huge boost, just like Teacher!"

Saitama glanced at him, then nodded and said, "Genos, you are a cyborg. It's not very realistic to improve your strength purely on your own, but with this mysterious Golden Rankings, it might actually be possible."

Hellish Blizzard sighed, "As of now, this is the only way."

Buggy the Clown repeatedly shook his head, "No, no, you don't know how dangerous it is there right now. A brush means death, a bump means demise! You can kill me, but I won't go!"

Half an hour later, Buggy the Clown, who hadn't been killed, sat at the bow of the ship, obediently directing the route. The pirate ship, under Hellish Blizzard's control, sailed with the wind, its speed soaring.

In the Pirate World, on Mechanism Island, in the Future Kingdom.

There was an extremely massive experimental base here, one of Vegapunk's experimental bases.

A colossal building, full of modern flair, stood in the very center of Mechanism Island.

At this moment, five figures swiftly passed through the complex of buildings and arrived before this colossal structure.

"Halt!"

Suddenly, a group of burly robots burst out from the building, their eyes glowing red, all pointing their arms at the five individuals, scanning them with red laser beams.

"Identity confirmed, no abnormalities. Access granted!"

The building's main gate opened, and two of the Gorosei, each carrying a person on their back, quickly flashed inside.

"Vegapunk!"

The five individuals' objective was clear, and they seemed very familiar with the place, heading straight for the core area with ease. They passed through unimpeded, undergoing several checks, but encountering no real obstruction.

Inside a massive laboratory, the Gorosei could clearly see a figure in a white lab coat busy through the glass. Before him was a Giant Race member, and countless mechanical arms, controlled by the person in the lab coat, performed complex procedures, injecting strange substances into the Giant Race member's body.

The Giant Race member let out a painful roar from his throat, but was utterly unable to escape control, left completely at their mercy.

"I told you, don't disturb me when I'm experimenting!"

Vegapunk's voice came through the loudspeaker on the glass, extremely cold, like a machine devoid of emotion.

"How dare you speak to us like that!"

Sonobe Keiichi was struggling to suppress his anger, wishing he could draw his Shodai Kitetsu and cut this fellow in half.

"Forget it!"

Hirano Masato narrowed his eyes and said, "This guy always has this temper, you know that. Let him finish his work; there's no rush."

Sonobe Keiichi snorted, but he also knew Vegapunk's terrible temper; that's how Geniuses are, possessing an unbearable personality.

Such top-tier Geniuses, even beings like the Gorosei, treated him as a treasure. If such a person were lost, it would be an immeasurably significant blow to the World Government.

They waited anxiously outside the glass window for over three hours, until the Gorosei's patience was almost exhausted, before Vegapunk's experiment finally concluded.

A semi-mechanical steel Giant stood in the laboratory, a perfect combination of a steel body and a flesh-and-blood body, presenting a unique kind of beauty.

Vegapunk gazed at his creation in fascination, appreciating it for a long time before slowly turning around and exiting the laboratory.

"What is it?"

Vegapunk took the handkerchief offered by a robot servant, wiped his hands, and then slowly asked, his gaze falling on Imu and Rocks.

"Rocks!!!"

Vegapunk instantly recognized his identity, and his eyes immediately shone with brilliant light, revealing immense excitement.

Vegapunk had coveted Rocks's corpse for a long time. He had known that the World Government had collected this strong man's body, and his repeated requests to study it had been denied. He never expected the Gorosei to bring him today.

As for Imu, he had never seen Imu. After all, Imu was a top-secret, supreme existence within the World Government, and only a handful of people had ever seen Imu's Face.

"I assume you've seen the information released by the Golden Rankings. This is Imu, and there's been some problem. Can you save Imu?"

Sonobe Keiichi asked, suppressing his anger.

For so many years, who dared not give the Gorosei Face?

And they had been made to wait so long. If it were anyone else, they would have died eight hundred times over.

"This is Imu?"

Upon hearing this, Vegapunk's attention was immediately drawn, and he fixed his gaze on Imu, seemingly even more interested in this person.

He clicked his tongue, pacing back and forth around Imu with his hands behind his back, his eyes flickering.

Although he was a mad scientist, he still collected some intelligence. Working for the World Government and the Marine, he knew a little about some secrets.

Imu was also an unparalleled strong person, possessing a great secret. He never expected to have the good fortune to study Imu's body.

Seemingly discerning Vegapunk's thoughts, Hirano Masato immediately warned, "Imu is the supreme ruler of the World Government. You'd best not entertain any improper ideas, or today will be your death day. Your life isn't even worth a single strand of Imu's hair, understand?"

Vegapunk cast a sidelong glance at the Gorosei, withdrew his gaze, and said with a fake smile, "Understood, five sirs. Follow me with the person!"

The Gorosei, carrying Imu and Rocks's corpses, followed Vegapunk through various passages until they arrived at a specially constructed secret room.

It was filled with strange scientific instruments, most of which even the Gorosei had never seen.

As Vegapunk arranged for robots to place Imu and Rocks's corpses on beds, he adjusted various equipment and said, "Imu has a problem with his Soul. My expertise in this area isn't deep, and this was done by the mysterious Golden Rankings, so you'd best not hold out too much hope!"

Ogata Kenichi snorted, "That's not our concern. You must cure Imu, otherwise…"

"Otherwise what?"

Vegapunk suddenly turned his head to stare, "Kill me?"

Ogata Kenichi was choked, somewhat annoyed, "You think I wouldn't dare?"

Vegapunk shrugged, indifferently saying, "I know you would dare, so… go ahead!"

"You!"

Ogata Kenichi was at a loss, this guy was truly arrogant.

He had never seen anyone so arrogant in his life!

"Alright, stop arguing!"

Hirano Masato interjected, "We know your expertise in Souls isn't deep, so we've already found another solution. Someone will soon bring Gekko Moriah, and also that guy from the Naruto World named Orochimaru. He seems to have some research in this area, but whether we can bring him here is hard to say, as it's in another world, not our home ground."

"Gekko Moriah?"

Vegapunk was somewhat disdainful, then his eyes lit up, "Orochimaru? Is that the scientist from the Naruto World? The one who researched how to pull dead people out of Hell? Good, good, good. If you can bring him, I'll have some confidence!"

Vegapunk seemed very interested in Orochimaru. Both were individuals in their respective worlds who were incredibly passionate about science. If they could truly meet, who knew what kind of chemical reactions they would produce, or what astonishing events they would create.

At the same time, in the Naruto World.

In a dense forest, Admiral Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji walked through it, carefully observing their surroundings.