Chapter 115: Aokiji vs Saitama
Aokiji stood up, and frost began to cover the ground from beneath his feet.
A bone-chilling cold enveloped the entire floating island.
The climate began to shift, and heavy snow started falling from the sky.
The frozen earth was covered with a layer of hard ice shards, sending a stinging chill through the soles of shoes.
"I've reinforced the island's hardness once more. Now, it's no different from a massive block of ice floating in the sky. As long as I have stamina, it won't fall."
Aokiji stepped forward.
Even though the climate of the entire airspace was changing and the temperature was plummeting under the influence of the Ice-Ice Fruit,
his exhaled breath still carried a distinct, icy white mist.
"Any other concerns, Saitama?"
"Ha, since you've gone this far," Saitama punched his palm, his Battle Intent soaring, "of course not!"
Aokiji released all his abilities; ice calamity, lightning storms, and barbaric brute force all emerged and converged: "Then— [Three]"
Saitama understood instantly, his eyes burning bright: "[Two]"
The cold wind howled—
"[One]!" x2!!!
The countdown ended.
Two blurred afterimages collided in an instant!
The frozen ice layer, harder than the glaciers at the North and South Poles, emitted a tooth-grating screech and shattered inch by inch!
A massive spherical air barrier ravaged the island, expanding toward the sky!
The floating island, which had no connection to the ground, shook violently as if struck by the movement of tectonic plates!
"This intensity?!" Bang's eyes widened, and he bent his legs to maintain a stable stance.
This wasn't his first time seeing Saitama. When they had hotpot together at the Dojo before, he hadn't felt that this plain-looking young man was anything special.
Coming here today together by invitation to become S-Class Heroes in the Association, Bang was a bit surprised, but thinking he was Aokiji's friend, it wasn't too strange for him to barely squeeze into the ranks of the strong.
But this opening clash had completely exceeded Bang's internal predictions!
"Hey, hey! That unmotivated guy can actually clash with Aokiji to this extent?!"
Metal Bat propped himself up with his bat, his shock tinged with frustration.
If this continued, wouldn't he become the weakest one!
"Aokiji, Saitama..." Superalloy Darkshine murmured blankly, his arms crossed.
The sheer power at the start of this battle had already surpassed his previous exchange with Aokiji.
The towering ice mountains rising in the battlefield and the violent strikes of black-red lightning were all proof of Aokiji's seriousness.
Superalloy Darkshine had originally thought he was the strongest pure physical type among the S-Class, but the reality was now unfolding before his eyes.
"I really want to know what kind of training method they use," Superalloy Darkshine subconsciously spoke his thoughts aloud.
BOOM——!!
The towering ice mountain cracked and collapsed!
Saitama shook the ice shards out of his clothes and immediately flashed forward again!
Aokiji's figure also vanished into thin air instantly.
When the two reappeared,
their fists had already collided fiercely!!
The leaked power surged through the island without any pause!
Aokiji was also somewhat surprised; the powerful aura his Observation Haki sensed before the battle actually wasn't Saitama's full strength.
Or rather, before it was just a pool of still water.
Now, it was a surging tide!
However, I can win!
My daily Training, and the persistence of only sleeping once a week on average, isn't just for show!
Ice formed under Aokiji's feet.
The originally broken and unstable footing solidified again, and he used this to burst with new strength!
The muscles all over his body surged with power once more!
He sent Saitama flying with a heavy blow, crashing through the frozen ice layer!
Directly piercing through the island!
A white afterimage flew out from beneath the island!
Oh, Saitama was knocked out of the arena.
Aokiji leaned over the forced-open tunnel and shouted to Saitama, who had fallen off the island:
"Kick the air—just like you're stepping on a Monster to gain leverage, kick your legs against the air!"
Falling toward the ground, Saitama was looking at his fist, which hadn't felt pain in quite some time.
Hearing Aokiji's shout, a look of realization appeared on his face.
"Kick the air, it should be like this."
Saitama's legs suddenly exerted force and stomped!
A massive milky-white air barrier suddenly erupted!
Saitama plummeted toward the ground at an even faster speed!
"Adjust your direction first!"
Saitama, who was occasionally dazed—and 'occasionally' meant quite often—finally reacted.
Then, using an unpracticed, crash-course version of 'Moonwalk', he returned to the floating island purely through raw stats.
"Have you played too many easy games lately and forgotten how to fight seriously?" Aokiji said speechlessly.
"Uh, it seems so." Saitama awkwardly wanted to rub his head, then remembered the bald spot on the back of his head and quickly stopped.
"It's fine, I've already adjusted."
Saitama lowered his body, his sketchy and dull art style vanished, replaced by a focused and serious one.
Aokiji took his stance and returned to battle mode.
True, his current stats were higher than the Saitama who had just started losing his hair.
But he wouldn't relax or treat this battle lightly.
One could say Saitama's combat techniques were crude, but one could never say his combat awareness was poor.
For instance, the first Monster Saitama ever defeated was a Tiger-Level Crab Monster.
Tiger-Level sounded like small fry that didn't need any attention.
Yet, in the Hero Association's future ratings, it was an opponent that required one A-Class Hero or ten B-Class Heroes to defeat.
In other words, a Saitama who hadn't undergone any training yet had achieved the feat of an A-Class Hero relying solely on his combat awareness.
Not to mention that during his training process, he had fought Monsters to the brink of death countless times, yet won every single time.
This was absolutely inseparable from Saitama's own superb combat awareness.
Moreover, Saitama's speed of progress at this time, even if it wasn't as irrational as during his bald period,
was definitely considered [beyond common sense] among the [beyond common sense].
After a brief interlude,
the battle was once again on the verge of breaking out!
The impact lifted a massive slab of earth even more exaggerated than an ice mountain!
The observation area where Bang and the others stood tilted upward along with a section!
However, the two in the heat of battle had no time to worry about that.
Aokiji's fist slammed into Saitama's forehead!
And Saitama's attack landed on Aokiji at the same time!
Aokiji's right leg, which was leaning back for support, suddenly exerted force and lifted.
Knee strike—!
Air burst—!
Ascend—!
Saitama was blasted into the clouds by the massive force!
Deep cracks erupted on the ground, and Aokiji leaped up!
He arrived beside the hunched, skyward-flying Saitama.
His massive frame seemed to become even larger, his hands clasped together and raised high to build up power!
At that moment, Saitama slapped his hand against the air.
Bang—!
Saitama didn't think about anything.
It was just combat instinct driving him to use the air-slapping technique he had just mastered.
In the air where there was nowhere to gain leverage, he used the force to spin his body.
He charged up and clashed with Aokiji's descending double fists!
Black-red lightning and surging air currents exploded!
The massive frozen earth slab that had just been lifted was slammed back to the ground!
The entire floating island tilted significantly to the naked eye!
The two fell downward.
During the fall, they grabbed each other and continuously struck at close range!
Waves of intense vibrations spread through the sky!
Bang, Superalloy Darkshine, and the others stood on the shattered frozen ground, looking up and watching the two fall back to the floating island.
BOOM————!!