"IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!" Kombu cheered through a mouthful of food. They had the purest smile, and their eyes were closed due to their happiness.

Saitama and Kombu Infinity sat alone in a rather large and pleasant cafeteria. The Seafolk asked where everyone else was. Thinking back to his earlier explanation, Saitama told the non-human that since this was a hospital, nearly everyone was working or seeing their friends and family. Kombu didn't press it any further since that made perfect sense, even with their limited knowledge of the surface.

"Enjoying yourself?" Saitama rhetorically asked. He was smiling as well. It was hard not to with how happy they were.

"YES!" Kombu exclaimed with widened eyes, swallowing afterward. "I never would've guessed meat would taste like this! It's like an explosion of flavor on your tongue!" They carried on.

"Glad it suits you. It'd be a shame if you hated it after waiting so long to try meat." Saitama said.

"Yeah. That'd suck." Kombu agreed. "So, Saitama, can I ask you a question?" They requested.

"Sure. Go ahead." Saitama permitted.

"Who are you?" Kombu inquired while taking another bite. "Those men from before all dressed the same. They looked pretty official, too. So, I'm guessing they work here. But you're dressed...not so officially. So, what do you do here? Or were you just concerned for me since I passed out near your territory?" They questioned. It came out a bit muffled due to the food.

"..." Saitama was silent. Crap. He genuinely didn't think about that until now.

"Saitama!"

A new voice called out from elsewhere in the room. When Kombu Infinity and Saitama looked in its direction, they saw a rather tall blond-haired man approaching.

"Oh, hey, King." Saitama greeted then turned toward the Seafolk in his company. "Kombu, this is King, my best bud. King, this is Kombu Infinity." He introduced them to each other.

"Sup." Kombu greeted, still chewing their latest forkful of meat.

"Uh, hi," King responded with a friendly gesture. "Sorry if I'm a bit awkward. I've never interacted with a non-human before." He preemptively apologized.

"Nah, it's cool," Kombu assured him, finally done with the food in their mouth. "I've never been friendly with humans before now. I gotta say, you guys are great!" They exclaimed with a grin.

"Oh. Thanks. That's kind of you to say." King replied. Wow. All of his fears instantly disappeared. In his mind, he painted the Seafolk as disturbing or somewhat scary. But they were...unexpectedly normal.

"So, you know Saitama, huh?" Kombu asked as he sat down. "Were you one of the people who found me? Saitama mentioned that." He added.

"Uh, no. But that is what I came to talk to Saitama about." King admitted.

"Let me guess; the others want me to join them now?" Saitama assumed.

"Yeah. They want to know about...Kombu..." King replied, hesitant to say that last bit in case it upset them.

"Ah. There it is." Kombu said, surprising King. "I was wondering when the interrogation would start. Someone comes bearing a message warning of war; they will be in the hotspot." They reasoned.

"Hey, no one's interrogating anyone," Saitama told them. "Still, we would like it if you shed some light on the situation. As you said, you came with a message warning of a possible war. It's hard not to ask questions when that happens." He explained.

"It's fine. I'm not mad or anything." Kombu assured him with a smile. "Besides, it's you asking the questions, Saitama. So, I know you won't be a jerk about it." They added.

"Wow. Thanks for the praise." Saitama responded, genuinely grateful for their kind words, especially since they'd known each other for less than an hour.

"No biggie," Kombu said. "So, where should we start?" They asked.

Upon hearing that, King and Saitama went dead silent. They knew where they WANTED to start, but they were uncomfortable asking Kombu Infinity if it was okay.

"...It's fine..." Kombu repeated. However, the tone was far different. That boundless excitement and glee was gone. "It was a stupid question. Of course, you'd want to start from the beginning. So, we will." They said as they let out a sigh. "Long story short, I'm a weakling. Maybe not to you guys since you're humans, no offense. But among my kind? Yeah, I'm near the bottom of the ladder of power." They began as they pointed at their hair. "My seaweed? Stronger than steel. I can use it like a weapon or a shield. It can pierce anything. It helps me to get around, like a speedy set of crab legs. But that's ALL I've got. The strongest of the Seafolk race? Oh. They've got TONS of stuff going for them. The Deep Sea King is no exception. He's one of the few Seafolk who's INSANELY dangerous on land and when dehydrated. But the guy's a God when he's hydrated, especially in water. Most of our population could try to overwhelm him, and the ocean would overflow with chum." They continued while slowly gripping their arms. "So, for weaklings like me, we serve the strong. As a plant Seafolk, I was an endless food source. But then, when they needed a messenger, I was the only weakling who'd do well on land. At first, I didn't have a problem with it. But then they told me who I'd be going to see. The surface dwellers' God. One Punch Man. After that, I tried to escape. There was no way in HELL I'd be the cannon fodder sent to the ruthless killer of monsters. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough. They dragged me back to the Deep Sea King. My punishment came in parts. First, I was beaten. Next, I was held down, and the Deep Sea King's clawed finger carved the message into my back. Once it was done, they threw me on land. They didn't need to give me directions. Everyone knows where One Punch Man lives. It's the only place in the world monsters actively avoid." They concluded.

King looked at Kombu Infinity with eyes of horror. Good lord, this poor guy! King knew it wouldn't be a good story, but geez. No one deserves that sort of treatment, human or otherwise.

Saitama's reaction, well, it was a little different.

"Wow. You're crazy strong." Saitama complimented the Seafolk.

"...Huh?" Kombu and King responded to that in unison.

"You were beaten, had a message carved into your back, and you STILL managed to make it to City Z before you passed out. If that's not strong, I don't know what is." Saitama explained as he pointed at Kombu. "I bet none of the guys who attacked you could do the same thing. They were right to choose you as the messenger. No one else was as tough as you are." He continued.

"...Really?" Kombu questioned with widened eyes full of hope. The mood shift nearly gave King whiplash.

"Yup. You're awesome, Kombu. I bet those other Seafolk were just jealous." Saitama reasoned.

"Well, not to brag, but I CAN lift a ship with my seaweed. Even if I'm not in the water." Kombu confessed. Now they were actively mining for compliments.

"Whoa, that's amazing." Saitama maintained his praise. "Say, where did you come from? Bet it was SUPER far away." He asked.

"Oh, City J," Kombu answered.

"Dang. Did you walk from City J to City Z? Surely you used your hair for SOME of that distance." Saitama inquired.

"Nope! Just my feet!" Kombu exclaimed with a grin. Their mood was back to the way it had been earlier.

As King watched Saitama and Kombu Infinity continue their chat, he felt an indescribable pride for his best friend. With no special talents or tricks, the world's strongest hero turned this poor creature's mood back to happiness. It was incredible.

...

...Wait...Saitama...was the strongest hero...and from how Kombu Infinity described him...it was almost like...

"Um, Saitama," King interjected, stopping their conversation. "Can...I talk to you for a second?" He requested.

"Sure, King." Saitama accepted as they stood up. "We'll just be a minute, k?" He told the Seafolk.

"No problem! Take your time! I've still got meat!" Kombu replied before resuming their meal.

The men walked out of earshot as the meat-loving Seafolk munched away at the remainder of their food. Even so, they still felt the need to speak quietly.

"What's up?" Saitama whispered as they huddled together.

"Saitama, I had to ask. Does Kombu not know you're One Punch Man yet?" King asked.

"..." Saitama said nothing; he was trying to think of something.

"Don't try that with me, dude. I know you too well." King told him, not allowing for any nonsense. "Why haven't you told them yet? You should've led with that! Now it's going to be SO awkward!" He scolded him.

"I was worried! I figured if a monster suddenly learned that they were speaking to One Punch Man, they'd die of a heart attack!" Saitama explained. "Sure, Kombu's a plant, so they might not even have a heart. Or maybe it's not the same as a human's. But still, I didn't want to terrify the poor guy and have him drop dead right after we saved him!" He went on.

"...Wait..." King started as something occurred to him. "...You...said "guy" just now...is...Kombu...anything?" He questioned.

...Huh. Yeah. That slipped Saitama's mind. Kombu was...well, Kombu. Did Kombu have a gender? Did plants at all have genders? Neither Saitama nor King were too knowledgeable about science. Uh oh.

"That can be figured out later." Saitama decided. King quickly nodded in agreement. They had too many problems to tackle another one right now. "As for the One Punch Man thing, how about we wait until they share what they know with everyone?" He suggested.

"You sure? Once they realize they're sitting in a room full of heroes, Kombu might figure out who you are." King reasoned.

"Sure. But if there's a chance we can prevent the shock for longer, then we should." Saitama insisted.

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you." King responded.

With that settled, the duo returned to their guest. Luckily, they had just finished their meat.

"Mmm~ So wonderful~" Kombu hummed with a smile of contentment.

"Hey, Kombu," Saitama spoke, getting their attention. "We...have some friends who'd like to talk to you. Right, King?" He said.

"Er, yeah. Friends. A WHOLE lot of them." King agreed.

"...Guys. You suck at lying." Kombu told them with an unimpressed look.

"We're not lying! They are our friends...sort of." Saitama replied, trying to save face. "Although, the talking part was a BIT friendlier than what it actually is. It's...more questions. But if you tell us everything you can from the get-go, we won't need to ask more beyond that." He explained. "Sound good?" He inquired.

"...Will...I have to tell my story again?" Kombu nervously questioned.

"No. I promise." Saitama quickly assured. "What we're looking for is information on the Seafolk. Now, I know that sounds traitorous, and I guess it pretty much is. Even so, we'd greatly appreciate it if-"

"Sure. Let's go." Kombu cut him off before standing from their seat.

Saitama and King were stunned. They watched the Seafolk stretch their arms before focusing on them.

"Well? Are we going?" Kombu asked.

"Uh...yes. We're just shocked at how quickly you agreed to this..." Saitama answered.

"Oh, yeah, no, screw those guys," Kombu told them, furthering their surprise. "I mean, I've got a FEW buddies, sure. But overall? Nah. The Seafolk can bite me. No one stopped my captors when I was dragged to the Deep Sea King. Everyone laughed as they beat the crap out of me. If you guys can promise that you won't hurt the few friends I have down there, I'll serve'em to ya like the meat you served me. I'll even put a bow on them and give them as a gift. Again, SCREW those guys. They're dead to me." They stated.

...Honestly? Makes sense. Upon reflection, King and Saitama weren't surprised anymore. If anything, they wholeheartedly agreed. Screw those jerks. Rock on, Kombu Infinity.

"Alright. This way." Saitama beckoned as he led them. Together, the trio left the cafeteria and went to another room within the facility.


A Few Minutes Later...


...Holy crap. No, seriously, what the Hell? When King and Saitama said they had "friends", they could've been a BIT more descriptive. The group of people that sat in front of Kombu Infinity was INTENSE. Not even the Deep Sea King could rival the sheer power present in this space.

So many stares, glares, and...other things looked at Kombu Infinity. Regarding that last one, they didn't know how to describe it. Three of the people here were made out of metal. Two of those three didn't have normal eyes. They weren't metal, but they weren't organic, either. This was undoubtedly the strangest and scariest bunch the Seafolk had ever seen.

"Hey." Saitama, who was sitting close by with King, spoke to them. "You okay? Need something to drink?" He asked.

"N-No. Sorry. I've just never been in a situation like this before." Kombu answered.

"Don't worry. It's a first for us too." Saitama promised. "Whenever you're ready, let us have it." He told them.

Nodding to show they understood, Kombu Infinity took a few seconds to calm themselves and organize their thoughts. Once they were done, they spoke.

"Okay. Pay attention. There's going to be a LOT. First, the Seafolk have set up shop off the shore of City J. Our actual home, or place of origin if you want to call it that, is in the literal middle of the ocean. I don't have coordinates or a map, sorry. The Deep Sea King gathered his strongest and Seafolk like me for the journey. For context, I'm Kombu Infinity. That should explain why I was brought along even though I'm not among the most powerful of our race. I'd like to leave my part at that if it's okay. Saitama can tell you the rest if you need to hear it.

Anyway, back to the Seafolk. Technologically speaking, I don't know how to describe us. We don't have anything crazy, like giant weapons. Well, not counting biological weapons, that is. The Seafolk like to keep things simple. Eat. Sleep. Reproduce. The basics. However, we do repurpose surface dweller objects and tech. For example, a LOT of Seafolk LOVE to use those big heavy things on chains attached to ships as weapons. I think you call them anchors. There are also a few that dabble with stuff like the spinning blades and other mechanical parts. But most of our population keeps it simple, like with our lifestyle. Is it sharp? Good. It can stab. Is it sturdy? Good. It can bash something's skull in. That's about as far as the majority of Seafolk think.

But don't interpret that as they're a bunch of idiots. Savages? Definitely. You won't find me calling any of them geniuses. Yet, regarding combat, the Seafolk are genuinely natural masters. A lot of it has to do with millions of years of evolution, instincts, and practice. But some, like the Deep Sea King, have spent much of that time figuring things out. Sadly, I can't tell you anything. The ones smart enough to be creative with their abilities keep it close to the chest. The Deep Sea King's the MOST secretive. All I can say is everyone's come up with rumors about the guy. But they're too plentiful and ranging in age for me to confidently say which are true, false, and somewhere in-between.

Now, I can only offer this much regarding the Deep Sea King's threat of war should One Punch Man not meet him at City J. Not because I'm trying to withhold information, I swear. I'm simply at the bottom of the food chain. So, they wouldn't tell me anything. But when we were leaving our home, I DID see several groups of Seafolk going in different directions simultaneously. Like City J, I'd be wary of locations near rivers and the ocean. As for general weaknesses, we don't necessarily have any. If someone has flaws, strengths, or both, it's on a case-by-case basis. There isn't something that ALL Seafolk share. That said, I know that the Deep Sea King has different forms when he's in the water or hydrated and on land or dehydrated. So, if you try to fight him, ensure he has NO moisture. This will sound gross, but blood and other fluids also count. It doesn't specifically need to be seawater. That does apply to all Seafolk, too. We're only called that because we came from the ocean. Even Seafolk, who evolved FROM saltwater-only creatures, can exist in freshwater, too.

And...that's it. Again, sorry I can't offer much else. I was only a walking source of rations before I got upgraded to a messenger. But I'll still try to answer any questions you have." Kombu stated.

For the next several minutes, there was silence. Kombu Infinity wasn't bothered by it. These humans were facing a possible war, after all. It was logical for them to consider the information they provided before proceeding.

Eventually, after roughly twenty minutes of contemplation, one would say something. Unfortunately, it was the worst thing they could've chosen. It was terrible. Thoughtless. So unbelievably inconsiderate.

"One Punch Man, what are your thoughts?" Sweet Mask inquired.

Saitama's body stiffened like a board. His eyes locked onto Kombu Infinity. The poor thing's eyes were wider than they had been thus far. Their pupils were the size of pencil points.

Slowly, the Seafolk turned their head toward Saitama. Once their eyes met each other, a single sentence was uttered. It was a high pitch. A squeak, really. It barely escaped the frozen mind and petrified body of Kombu Infinity. Additionally, it was accompanied by a smile that only worsened Saitama's worry.

"Thanks for not killing me."

THUD