Chapter 39: Why Won't This Old Man Let Go?
Bang lightly tapped the table with his finger. A subtle force sent the teacup flying into mid-air. After tracing a perfect parabola, it landed precisely back in his hand.
He took a slow sip and set the cup down gently. Not a single drop of tea had spilled throughout the entire process.
Watching this, Sitch sighed in admiration.
As expected of the legendary martial arts grandmaster. It is truly an honor for the Hero Association to have Old Man Bang among its ranks.
Just then, the main doors opened, and a voice filled with exasperation reached everyone's ears.
"Can someone come carry this brat away? Are all the kids in the Hero Association this naughty?"
Bang wondered who was causing a ruckus in the Hero Association and turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
When he saw the scene before him, the wrinkles on his face smoothed out in an instant, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
What is going on?!
At the entrance, Saitama stood holding the unconscious Tatsumaki by the scruff of her neck with one hand. His yellow jumpsuit had a few tears here and there. In his other hand, he clutched a plastic bag filled with unknown contents.
Seeing this bizarre scene, Bang seriously suspected that his senility had kicked in and he was hallucinating.
If he wasn't mistaken, that bald man was the newly promoted S-Class hero, Caped Baldy (Saitama).
But why was S-Class Rank 2, Tatsumaki, dangling from his hand, looking knocked out cold?
Noticing signs of battle on both of them, Bang's eyes narrowed. A conclusion surfaced in his mind—one even he found hard to believe.
He turned to Sitch, who looked equally shocked, and asked slowly:
"Mr. Sitch, could you tell me what happened earlier?"
Sitch was also deeply shaken. Tatsumaki, the ace of the Hero Association, had been defeated twice in just a few days.
King defeating her was understandable. He has legendary achievements and is the Strongest Man on Earth. It's not jarring.
But Caped Baldy is a brand-new S-Class hero. How did he do it?
Suddenly, Sitch remembered King's words on the phone.
"Tatsumaki, of course. Saitama's strength is not inferior to mine."
So... everything Mr. King said was true...
After learning the full story from Sitch, Bang's shock didn't diminish; instead, he felt even more overwhelmed.
"Mr. Sitch, are you saying that Saitama was dragged out by an enraged Tatsumaki for a duel, and he walked back carrying her unconscious body, almost completely unharmed?"
If that was true, then this Caped Baldy's strength was unfathomable. He might very well be the strongest hero after King.
Intrigued, Bang walked over to Saitama.
As soon as they met, he extended his hand with a warm smile.
"Isn't this S-Class Rank 17, Caped Baldy? A pleasure to meet you. This old man is S-Class Rank 3, Silver Fang (Bang)."
Saitama tossed Tatsumaki onto a stretcher held by waiting staff and looked blankly at the old man wanting to shake his hand.
Who is this old guy?
"Uh, hello."
But as the saying goes, you don't slap a smiling face. Since the old man was so friendly, Saitama shook his hand even though he didn't know him.
Got him!
The corner of Bang's mouth curled up. He subtly twisted his wrist.
He had already infused his palm with the power of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, converting it into a trap-like mechanism. The moment they shook hands, it would trigger.
He wanted to feel just how strong this Saitama, who had defeated Tatsumaki, really was.
If Saitama was easily flipped over, it would prove he knew absolutely nothing about martial arts techniques.
This was the outcome Bang desired most. It would mean Saitama was an unpolished gem. If he could carve the marks of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist onto him, he could create a martial arts prodigy.
Although he had been wild and reckless in his youth, indulging in vices, now in his old age, Bang only wanted to find a worthy successor to pass on his martial art.
But in the next second, something surprising happened.
Bang twisted his wrist, sending the subtle force of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist into Saitama's body. But it vanished like a clay ox entering the sea.
Bang froze. He took a deep breath and exerted more force, unleashing more of his technique's power.
Yet, Saitama remained immovable. He even looked at Bang with genuine confusion.
What is this old man doing?
Ever since he grabbed my hand, he's just been standing there frozen like a statue.
Bang's gaze turned serious. Drops of cold sweat rolled down his forehead, tracing the deep wrinkles of his face.
As a martial arts grandmaster, his intuition was extremely accurate. In his perception, what he was trying to flip wasn't a human, but a mountain thousands of meters high.
I can't move him at all...
But looking closely, Saitama was full of openings. Every movement had massive flaws. Anyone with even a little martial arts knowledge could easily exploit those gaps to take him down.
So, there was only one reason why Bang couldn't flip him.
This guy possesses a physical body terrifying to the extreme! Stronger even than Superalloy Darkshine!
Among the S-Class heroes, Superalloy Darkshine represented the pinnacle of physical prowess.
He possessed terrifying strength and speed, along with unparalleled defense that could tank most Dragon-level attacks unscathed.
Bang had sparred with him before, but he had never felt this sensation of bottomless depth from Darkshine that he felt from Saitama.
No wonder he could defeat Tatsumaki...
Realizing that Saitama truly knew no martial arts but possessed such immense power, Bang swallowed hard. His imagination ran wild.
If I can get this guy to learn the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, this martial art will surely flourish worldwide! It might even reach its peak!
Ultimate physical strength combined with ultimate martial arts... That would be insanely powerful!
As a grandmaster of his generation, Bang made a decision right then and there: I must take this Saitama as my disciple.
Saitama was getting more confused.
We've been shaking hands for a whole minute. Why won't this old man let go?!
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