Makino gazed at Saitama's back, seeing a resplendent soul that seemed different from everyone else.
Just as Saitama was about to leave the tavern, another group of people approached the pub, seemingly happy and carefree.
"Ha ha, we have finally returned to the East Blue. Makino, quickly bring out the wine,"
A red-haired man wearing a straw hat greeted Makino with enthusiasm.
However, the moment he brushed past Saitama, he felt an ice-cold piercing sensation in his heart, causing it to palpitate.
His Kenbunshoku Haki began to repeatedly warn him that a monstrous being had just passed by. He quickly turned around and prepared himself for a battle.
However... what he saw was the back of an ordinary-looking person wearing a billowing mantle. Shanks' eyes immediately became dignified as his breathing gradually became deep.
As one of the Yonko of the New World, he was easily able to look past the surface and see the hidden truth!
"This guy... was hiding immense strength!"
****************************
After leaving Foosha Village, Saitama raced through the surrounding forests, hills, and valleys at breakneck speed. He knew he was getting closer to the sea. To find his way home, he knew it was best to ask around in densely populated areas. Despite countless beasts attempting to stop him, Saitama was like a hurricane, plowing through without even slowing down.
After leaping over a cliff, Saitama saw a massive settlement stretching so far that he couldn't determine its borders. The place was filled with huge piles of garbage littered throughout the mountain, and countless people dressed in rags and covered in dirt. Their eyes were like empty holes, devoid of any signs of life.
Saitama scratched his head in puzzlement.
"This place is like a whole different world," he muttered to himself.
Just then, a disheveled middle-aged man passed by.
Saitama quickly approached him and asked, "Excuse me, do you happen to know..." But the man didn't even bother to lift his head.
"I don't know. Go away!" he grunted.
Saitama kept moving forward despite the man's dismissal. As he continued through the area, he noticed that everyone here seemed to be living in complete apathy, indifferent to everything except survival. He sighed helplessly, realizing that asking these people for help would be useless.
The proprietress had told him to head to the town in the kingdom, so it shouldn't be a place like this. Lost in thought, he soon stumbled upon a thick city wall. Peering through the barrier inside the city gates, he saw a world completely different from the one outside.
He leaped over the wall, which was over a dozen meters high, and landed safely inside the city. As he wandered around aimlessly, he decided to ask the pedestrians if they had any information about Z-City. Unfortunately, he didn't get any helpful answers.
As he sat in a corner, contemplating his next course of action, a sudden, sharp sound from above caught his attention.
Crack!
Two small figures fell from the sky, along with pieces of shattered glass. In the next moment, an angry roar could be heard from the building upstairs.
"Leaving without paying! Catch those two brats quickly!"
It was obvious that the two figures who had jumped from the building were thieves who had left without paying for their meals. They had relied on the falling debris and objects to land safely on the ground, displaying a level of efficiency.
One of the children, wearing a shirt with the word -violence- printed on it, laughed proudly and said to the other child, who was wearing a formal dress and a top hat,
"Did you see, Sabo? I told you that as long as we're skillful enough while escaping, we can land safely even from eight floors high."
Sabo pulled at his somewhat crooked top hat and agreed, "The food here was really delicious, Ace! Let's come back again next time!"
Afterward, the two mischievous kids prepared to make a run for it. Based on their past experiences, they knew that the public security officer would arrive shortly with his baton.
"Don't get in our way, baldy!" shouted Ace and Sabo as they rushed towards Saitama from opposite directions.
"We're mighty pirates, and if you mess with us..."
****************************
Ten seconds later.
Both Ace and Sabo were beaten to a pulp and dragged by their collars back to the hotel by Saitama.
Under the threat of his fist, the two kids reluctantly bowed and apologized to the hotel owner for their actions.
"We're sorry," they muttered.
"The total damages amount to 26 bowls of noodles and a shattered window," the owner replied sternly.
The owner looked at the two young troublemakers with a sense of helplessness and eventually sighed while waving his hand. "Never mind, I'll let this matter go. Just don't do this kind of thing again..."
"Despicable,"
Muttered Ace as he glared at the ordinary-looking bald man next to him, who was responsible for his black eye, with a feeling of discontent. "If it weren't for this guy, we wouldn't have been caught!"
Sabo, who was suffering from his bleeding nose, nodded with indignation.
"If we hadn't been so anxious to escape back then, we wouldn't have gotten caught!"
"I'm telling you two troublemakers, cut it out already," Saitama said solemnly, standing next to them. "You did something wrong, and now you're acting like the victims?"
"Peh!"
Ace stuck out his tongue resentfully. "Mind your own business!"
Saitama gave Ace and Sabo a light slap on their heads, creating a -ping- sound effect, and sent them flying through the street before crashing headfirst into the road. He then spoke sternly and commanded,
"Apologize properly!"
Ace covered his head and muttered through gritted teeth, "...Sorry."
Sabo wanted to cry but had no tears left. "It was Ace who annoyed you... Why did you hit me too..."
As the hotel owner witnessed the two children being severely beaten, his anger dissipated and he felt relieved. He then decided to show his gratitude towards Saitama for his assistance by offering a reward.
"It's okay. I didn't suffer a huge loss, so please let them go. Thank you for your assistance. Can I offer you a meal or something else?"
"I don't need a meal right now. But can I ask you something?" Saitama waved his hand, allowing the two little troublemakers to escape.
"Have you heard of Z-City or the Hero Association? The contact device they gave me doesn't seem to be working. Can I use your phone?"
"Phone?!" The hotel owner was taken aback.
"Oh, do you mean a Den Den Mushi? I can't afford a high-end device like that. And as for the Hero Association and Z-City, I've never heard of them in any newspaper..."
"I see..."
Saitama muttered, confirming his suspicions. "It seems like I've ended up in a completely different world... And now, I have nowhere to sleep or eat. Should I consider finding a job?"
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Thank you!