One Punch of Justice

“That’s strange! I’ve never had any dealings with that guy. Why would he suddenly call me?” Nezumi pondered, his mind racing with questions. “Does he know about Arlong and the bribery?”

He dismissed the thought, as investigating matters like Arlong and bribery fell under the jurisdiction of the World Government, unrelated to him.

Nezumi contemplated the situation for an extended period, his mind grappling with various thoughts. After much deliberation, he managed to gather his composure and answered the phone, striving to project an aura of tranquility through his voice.

“Hello, Mr. Commodore. How can I help you?” he inquired.

“There’s something I’d like to inquire about…” the voice on the other end of the line sounded groggy and emotionless. “Have you recently received a distress call from Cocoyasi Village? It falls under your jurisdiction, and it seems they were subjected to a pirate attack not long ago…”

“Cocoyasi Village?” Nezumi paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before answering.

“It’s true that we received the distress call from the village some time ago. However, we swiftly blocked the communication and promptly informed Arlong to take charge of the situation! I can’t help but wonder how those civilians managed to establish contact with that Bald Devil,” he ruminated, a growing sense of unease enveloping him.

Nezumi felt a sense of confusion and unease. “That’s odd, I didn’t hear anything about that,” he said in response to Saitama’s question.

He quickly began to weave a lie in his mind before replying, “I have personally visited Cocoyasi Village, they claimed that the town was attacked and destroyed by Fishman Pirates, but we searched the area thoroughly and found no trace of them.” Nezumi hoped that his answer would satisfy the commodore and put an end to the conversation.

Saitama’s voice crackled through the phone. “Ah, that’s really weird,” he said.

Nezumi squinted his eyes in suspicion. “This hasn’t happened before?” he asked.

“No, it hasn’t,” Saitama replied. “What could be happening in that village?”

Nezumi quickly came up with an idea. “It must be because of the recent typhoon,” he exclaimed.

“What typhoon?” Saitama questioned, puzzled.

“All the houses were demolished by the typhoon, and I suspect they needed financial assistance to rebuild. Instead of shouldering the expenses themselves, they concocted a false pirate attack story to deceive the relief fund provided by the World Government. It’s a deceitful tactic that’s been employed before,” Nezumi responded, hoping that Saitama would believe his explanation.

“I see,” Saitama uttered before abruptly ending the call.

Little did Nezumi know, the Bald Devil had already descended upon the village. The town lay in ruins, with shattered buildings and lifeless bodies scattered all around.

He shifted his focus to the two fishmen he had just apprehended, their screams and insults falling on deaf ears. He sighed heavily, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Saitama let out a sigh. “Looks like I’ve got some work to do,” he muttered under his breath, as he confidently approached the fishmen who were still struggling against his firm grasp.

At first, the fish-men displayed no signs of being perturbed upon seeing Saitama. Instead, they addressed him in a familiar manner, inquiring if he had come to escort Nezumi to the warship.

To verify his suspicions, Saitama swiftly made a phone call to gather more information about the situation. To his dismay, he discovered that on the other end of the line, Nezumi was still weaving lies and justifications, continuing to assert the necessity for aid and the devastation that befell the town.

Saitama triumphantly declared, “Now that the facts and evidence have been confirmed, Captain Nezumi is unquestionably guilty!”

The two fish-men pirates, who were tied up in various ways, continued to threaten him wildly. “You abhorrent navy! How dare you?” they shouted. “You’ll regret this! Our captain is still in town, and when he figures out what happened, you’ll wish for death! Ha-ha-ha… he will kill you!”

Saitama looked at the tied-up fish-men and asked, “Oh, captain? Is he really that good?”

“Of course he is!” they replied, sneering. “We fish people are born with strength ten times greater than you puny humans! And our captain, the mighty fish-man King, is the strongest warrior on our island after Jinbe! You lowly navy scum… He could crush you all in an instant!”

Saitama couldn’t help but chuckle at their bravado. “Interesting,” he said, stroking his bald head thoughtfully.

“Hey, soldier!” he called out to one of his comrades. “Keep an eye on these guys while I head to town. I want to see this so-called king of the sea for myself and maybe even rescue some survivors along the way.”

The soldiers all stood at attention and replied in unison, “Yes, Commodore!”

Saitama strode confidently out of the alley and into the deserted streets of the abandoned town. He put his hands in his pockets, looking like an old man on a leisurely stroll.

As he surveyed the empty town, he couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious about his attire. “It’s a little awkward wearing these old man’s clothes for heroic activities,” he muttered. But he quickly brushed off the feeling and continued walking with determination, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the eerily silent town.

Saitama paced along the town road, which had been reduced to ruins. He called out as he walked, “Is anyone here? If there are survivors, please come out. I received your distress call. Anybody there?” His voice echoed through the empty town, but there was no response.

He continued to call out for a while longer, but no one came out of hiding.

Saitama frowned, his keen eyes scanning the abandoned buildings and rubble-filled streets for any sign of life. The desolate town was a stark reminder of the devastation that had occurred.

Determined not to give up, Saitama pressed on, searching for any survivors who may still be hiding in the ruins.

Realizing that the town was deserted, Saitama concluded that the survivors must have fled to the nearest village for safety after the fish pirates attacked. He decided to head in that direction, hoping to find any remaining survivors.

As Saitama traversed the desolate road, frustration etched on his face, he scratched his head. “They must have escaped to a more secure place,” he muttered, berating himself. “I should have anticipated that. I feel foolish for not considering it earlier.”

As Saitama voiced his thoughts, a small head cautiously emerged from behind the corner of a dilapidated wall. The child, bearing visible injuries, surveyed the surroundings with caution, until their eyes fell upon Saitama.

“There’s no one here,” the child said softly.

Saitama waved enthusiastically at the child and called out, “Hey, I’m over here!”

The child examined Saitama carefully for a moment before emerging from hiding. He held a knife in his hand and asked with distrust, “Are you…are you with the rescue navy?”

“Yes, I am,” Saitama replied, his gaze sweeping the surroundings as he spoke. “Why are you alone? Where are the others? Are there still survivors?”

“They’re hiding,” the boy replied with a sigh. “I sneaked out to seek revenge …”

With disappointment etched on his face, the boy gazed at Saitama. “We already alerted the World Government about the peril these pirates represent. So why did they send someone weak like you? And where are the rest of the crew? Moreover, you’re not even wearing a Marine uniform!” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Are you truly a Marine soldier?”

Saitama chuckled and responded, “I apologize if I come across as weak to you. However, there’s no need to worry about my crew. I can handle this situation on my own.”

“Uncle, you should go back and call for more soldiers,” the boy insisted firmly.

“The leader of these mermen is incredibly powerful, and that octopus with his six knives…you won’t stand a chance against them alone.”

Saitama’s expression remained unchanged as he confidently stated, “Don’t worry. I’m a hero. But what about you? Shouldn’t you stay safe with the other villagers?”

The boy’s eyes glinted with bitter hatred as he replied, “No! Those fish-men murdered my father. I will seek revenge personally.”

Before he could finish, a young woman with light blue hair and tanned skin rushed over.

“Kid! Stop fooling around! It’s extremely dangerous!” she exclaimed.

Upon hearing the boy’s last words, the blue-haired beauty hit him on his head and said sternly, “Don’t meddle with those fish pirates! They will not hesitate to kill you and everyone in this vicinity! You should be acutely aware of that,”

“I…I know…But Nojiko! They…” The little boy’s voice trailed off, and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. “But my father… they took his life. I will neve forgive them…”

The beauty’s frustration was evident as she shook her head and cast an angry glare at Saitama. “And you! What kind of soldiers are you? And which hero are you referring to? Heroes don’t exist; you should refrain from filling the child’s head with nonsense! Moreover, why would the Navy assign someone as young as you?” she said, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“You’re wrong!” the boy interrupted her.

“Excuse me, little boy!” she retorted.

“There are countless villains in this world, and heroes will save us from them,” he declared with conviction.

As he listened to the conversation, Saitama, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke up.

“When people find themselves in darkness, they seek the light. It doesn’t matter how faint or small that light is. As long as it’s there, there’s hope. And with hope comes the possibility of resistance that cannot be lost. Everyone expects it. They expect a hero who will save them and lead them to that light,” he declared. “And if that hero doesn’t appear, just ask for their help, and they will be there for you,” Saitama concluded with a reassuring smile.

Then he turned to the little boy and said, “And when you find a boy looking to avenge his father’s death with his own hands, without any fear… then you must know that kind of boy doesn’t need heroes for help. Because he is a hero!”

The little boy’s eyes lit up with hope as he exclaimed, “Big Brother… I’m not afraid! I will kill those mermen!!”

But Saitama interrupted him with a smile, “Ah, about that… In fact, you can leave it to me!”

In a sudden change of demeanor, he reverted back to his usual laid-back self, scratching his head and continued, “I simply can’t agree with her belief that heroes are non-existent. It’s true that before heroes emerged, individuals had to protect their homelands single-handedly. However, now that I’m here, you don’t have to bear that burden alone,” he said, emphasizing his presence as a source of support.

Saitama patted the boy’s shoulder and said, “You did well on your own. Leave the rest to me!”

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great time reading this chapter!

I’m really excited to hear your thoughts and get your feedback. Don’t forget to drop a comment and let me know what you think!

Looking forward to catching you in the next chapter!

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