Makino seemed to see a resplendent soul different from everyone else as she looked at his back.

As Saitama was about to leave the tavern, yet another group of people were happily walking towards the pub.

"Haha, we have finally returned to the East Blue. Makino, quickly take out the wine..."

A red-haired man donning a straw hat greeted Makino with enthusiasm. However, the moment he brushed past Saitama, he experienced an ice-cold piercing sensation in his heart that made it palpitate. His Kenbunshoku Haki began to repeatedly warn him that just now an earth-shaking monster had walked past him. He quickly turned around and got ready for a battle.

However... he was met with the sight of 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 ran at breakneck speed through the surrounding forests, hills, and valleys. He was close to the sea. If one is to find their way home, they should always begin by asking in densely populated areas. Saitama was like a hurricane as countless beasts that tried to get in his way, unable to stop him for even a moment.

Finally, after jumping over a cliff, he saw a huge settlement of people that stretched so far that he was unable to determine its borders. There were huge piles of garbage littered throughout the mountain, as well as innumerable people dressed in rags and covered with dirt. Their eyes were like soulless, empty holes, completely lacking the characteristics of living people.

Saitama scratched his head in puzzlement, "This place is like a totally different world..."

Just then, a middle-aged man in unkempt clothing passed through. Saitama hurriedly asked, "Hello, would you perhaps know-"

The man didn't even bother to lift his head, "I don't know, go away!"

Saitama continued to move further after being scorned. While passing through, he saw that everyone here seemed to be living their lives in complete apathy and were completely indifferent to everything except survival. He sighed with helplessness. It seemed like asking these people for help will be useless.

The proprietress had told him to go to the town in the kingdom. So, it should not be a place like this...

As he pondered about it, he soon came upon a thick city wall. Through the barrier inside the city gates, he could see what could only be described as a completely different world in comparison to outside the gates.

He leaped over the wall that was more than a dozen meters high and landed inside the city. While walking around aimlessly, he decided to ask the pedestrians about any information related to Z-City. Unfortunately, he did not manage to get anything helpful.

As he sat in a corner and contemplated his next course of action, a sudden clear sound from above got 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 very obvious that the two figures who jumped from the building were thieves who had left without paying for their meals. They efficiently relied on the falling debris and objects to land safely on the ground.

One of the children, who was wearing a shirt printed with the word "violence," laughed proudly and said to the other one wearing a formal dress and a top hat, "Did you see Sabo? I told you as long as we are dexterous while escaping, we could land safely, even from eight floors high."

Sabo pulled at his somewhat crooked top hat while agreeing, "The food here was really delicious, Ace! Let's come back again next time!"

After this, the two little devils prepared to run away. Due to their prior experience, they knew that the public security officer would arrive here very soon with his stick.

"Don't stand in the way, bald uncle!"

Ace and Sabo jumped from the right and left respectively as they rushed over in Saitama's direction, "We are mighty pirates! If you annoy us..."

****************************

Ten seconds later.

Both Ace and Sabo were beaten black and blue, and then, dragged by their collars to the hotel by Saitama. Under the threat of his fist, the two kids unwillingly bowed and apologized to the hotel owner for their actions.

"We are sorry..."

"The total loss is 26 bowls of noodles and the glass window..."

The owner looked at the two little paupers with helplessness and eventually sighed while waving his hand, "Forget it, forget it, I will let this matter go. Just don't do this kind of thing again..."

"Despicable..."

Ace looked at the ordinary-looking bald-headed man next to him, who was responsible for his panda eyes, with discontent, "If it weren't for this fellow, we wouldn't be caught!"

Sabo, who was suffering from a bleeding nose, nodded with indignation, "If we hadn't been anxious and in a hurry to escape back then, we would've never lost!"

"I'm telling you two little rascals, give it a rest already." Saitama standing next to them solemnly said, "It is obvious that you have done a bad thing, yet you dare act like the victims?"

"Peh!"

Ace resentfully stuck out his tongue and said, "Bah, mind your own business!"

Saitama hammered both Ace and Sabo's heads with a "ping" sound effect and sent them flying through the street, planting head-first into the road. He then severely said, "Apologize, earnestly!"

Ace covered his head and said with the corners of his mouth, twitching, "...Sorry"

Sabo wanted to cry but had no tears, "It was clearly Ace who annoyed you... Why did you hit me too..."

After seeing the two children beaten so miserably, the hotel owner's anger dissipated, and he felt better. So, he decided to reward Saitama. "It's fine. I didn't suffer a huge loss, so please let them off the hook. I would also like to thank you for your help. Would you like to have a meal, or perhaps something else?"

"I don't require a meal currently. However, I would like to inquire about a matter from you..."

Saitama waved his hand and let the two little devils go, and then asked the hotel owner, "Have you heard about Z-City or the Hero Association... The contact device given to me by the association doesn't seem to be working. Could you lend me your phone?"

"Phone?!"

The hotel owner was stunned and immediately replied, "Oh! Are you talking about a Den Den Mushi? I can't afford a high-end thing like that... As for the Hero Association and Z-City that you mentioned, I have never heard of them, even in any newspaper..."

"Ah... I see..."

Having confirmed the suspicions in his heart, Saitama sighed. "I seem to have arrived in a completely different world... Also, I don't have a place to sleep for the night and to eat dinner. Should I consider looking for a job?"