"We, the Seafolk, pledge our eternal allegiance to the strongest in the world. He who walks with the strength of the world in his fists. He who is unmoving and immune. He who stands above all others. We are your people. We are your tools. We are your weapons. We are yours. Forever, now, and always."
...
...
"Uh...cool. Thanks a lot." Saitama said as he blankly stared at the numerous Seafolk before him. "I mean, we already worked this out back in the ocean. You didn't need to kneel and recite something." He said.
City J and the rest of the world were witnessing history. The presumed entirety of a race of monsters was giving themselves to One Punch Man, proclaiming that he was their new leader. All of humanity expected their hero's talks with the Seafolk to go well, but they never anticipated this!
"But of course, m'lord." A Seafolk who resembled a great white shark spoke. He was at the front of the massive horde. "We must again express our loyalty to you out of gratitude for your mercy. But we also say this so that your people may hear it. They must know we see you as our ruler and that we mean neither you nor them any harm." He stated.
"...M'lord?" Saitama questioned in his head before speaking. "Guys, it's fine. Really. Sure, we'll need to tell everyone you won't hurt them; that IS important. But there's no need for such a display." He told them.
"Have we displeased you, oh great one?" Another Seafolk asked.
"What? No. I'm just-"
"Should we recite it again?" Another chimed in.
"No. Guys. Please. Listen to-"
FWOOSH
A sudden strong gust assaulted the Seafolk and Saitama. However, it wasn't with the intent to harm or move them. It was only conjured to ensure that they'd be quiet. And who else could it be than a certain Esper who'd been nearby?
"Yo. Baldy." Tatsumaki called out from above as she descended. During the Seafolk's pledge of allegiance and promise of loyalty, she had arisen from her chair and flown over. "What the Hell is going on? The last I heard from you, you were fighting these guys. Now you've brought all of them onto land?" She asked while landing.
"M'lord, who is this woman?" The Great White Shark inquired. "Is she your queen?" He added.
"What? No. This is someone close to me, but not in that way." Saitama replied. Meanwhile, as he focused on the Seafolk, he failed to notice Tatsumaki's eyes shoot wide open and a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Ah. An advisor, then? Or perhaps a concubine? Maybe a member of your harem?" The Great White Shark guessed.
"ADVISOR. STICK WITH ADVISOR." Saitama quickly responded. Tatsumaki's face became hotter and redder as this Seafolk unintentionally filled her head with MANY ideas.
"Of course. Someone of your status would have many who help manage his kingdom." The Great White Shark said. By now, Saitama had his face in his hand as he tried desperately to get control over this conversation.
"One Punch Man!"
A new voice called out, this time from the back of the beach. When everyone, excluding a flustered Tatsumaki, looked to see who had spoken, they found a blue-haired man hurrying toward them with a camera crew.
"Oh, hey, Sweet Mask." Saitama greeted them as they reached him.
"One Punch Man! This...This...is incredible!" Sweet Mask exclaimed in disbelief. "How did this happen? What about the Deep Sea King? You've only been gone for a little under an hour!" He asked.
"Before I say anything, is that camera rolling?" Saitama inquired, addressing the cameraman.
"Y-Yes, sir! We're live right now!" The cameraman confirmed.
"Alright. Everyone, please, no talking." Saitama requested, speaking to the Seafolk and the humans present. "I will tell you what happened while I was in the ocean. Pay attention." He stated before proceeding.
A Short While Ago, Near The Coast of City J...
Punches. Kicks. Tentacle and tail whips. Snapping jaws. Swinging claws. Poison. Venom. Head bashing. Elbow jabbing. It was a mess of bodies and limbs doing all sorts of things.
In the midst of it was Saitama. He stood perfectly still. The room had flooded, and monstrous Seafolk were assaulting him, yet he did nothing. Why? Because he hoped they'd make him try.
A wound. Some blood. A bruise. Even the smallest possible irritation. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Despite their size, these guys, to Saitama, were like butterflies. Their fists were pillows. Their teeth and claws were like plastic sporks. What a disappointment. The Deep Sea King got his hopes up for nothing.
"Good thing I took up swimming..." Saitama thought with his arms crossed as he was attacked from all sides. "It's helped me to improve how long I can hold my breath. Even with the Association's pools being the cleanest around, I still don't want a mouthful of pool cleaner..." He carried on.
The area surrounding Saitama was pitch black. Made sense. They were inside a barge at the bottom of the ocean. Well, to be precise, it was sort of the bottom. The real bottom would be where the Seafolk lived.
...
...
Oh. There's an idea.
"Hey, Saitama." The voice of Tatsumaki telepathically spoke to him. "What's going on? You've been quiet." She asked.
"Yeah, some stuff's happened." Saitama began. "First of all, Bad was right on the money. The Deep Sea King's an ass. There was never a chance for peace, at least not with him. But we still don't know ANYTHING about the situation back at the Seafolk's home. So, there could still be something we could salvage." He told her. "Oh. Also. I'm being attacked." He added.
"What? Seriously? Like, right now? As we're talking?" Tatsumaki questioned.
"Mhm. These Seafolk are pretty gnarly. It's super dark here, but they're so close I can make out their faces. I hope this doesn't make me sound racist...specist? Whatever the right word is to describe what I'm meaning. The point is, they're ugly." Saitama said.
"It's alright. I know what you're trying to say." Tatsumaki assured him. "I know how stupid this will sound, but do you need backup? I know YOU'RE fine, but are the Seafolk heading to the shore? Do we need to get ready for them?" She asked.
"Nah. They're all focused on me. Plus. Metal Knight would've found more Seafolk waiting somewhere if they were." Saitama answered.
"Okay. So, you'll punch those guys and head back, right? It doesn't seem like there's much else to do right now." Tatsumaki assumed.
"Not exactly. Yes, I will punch them in a second, but I had an idea before you contacted me. I'm going to see if it's good or not after these guys are dealt with." Saitama explained.
"Oh. Well, would you mind telling me what that idea is?" Tatsumaki requested.
Before Saitama could reply, he heard a loud and strange noise fill the water. It came from all directions and was so immense that it overshadowed the Seafolk's sounds. What could it possibly-
CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK...BOOM
The barge wasn't on a solid sea bed. Saitama only learned this as the ground beneath crumbled, and the entire thing sank. The Seafolk's ceaseless offense sent violent vibrations through the vessel and into the surrounding area. They couldn't do ANYTHING to him, but the terrain was a different story.
The "BOOM" that was heard was the ground giving away. However, there hadn't been another. Saitama expected it since he didn't think the ship would fall that far. Turns out, he was wrong.
"Whelp...have to rethink this..." Saitama pondered, still doing nothing as the ship plummeted further and the Seafolk continued their attack. "Also, I am getting a LITTLE worried about my air. It'd make sense to catch a breather before I do anything else." He reasoned.
With a course of action settled, Saitama went through his list of moves to find one that best suited this scenario. Unfortunately, nothing was sticking out. But that's when his brain had a brilliant, albeit unorthodox, solution.
"Hmm...it's worth a shot..." Saitama decided before extending his arms outward. "Serious Series. Serious Spin." He stated, naming this new technique.
In one motion, Saitama spun himself around and jumped. If this were any other human being, even someone who was mechanically enhanced, their spin, at best, would be somewhat quick. They would need to do MULTIPLE in quick succession to generate ANY speed. But for Saitama? That one spin was all he needed.
Saitama shot out the barge like a torpedo of death. The Seafolk? Blended. A red color in the water. The barge? It exploded. Not with fire and heat, mind you. Its body couldn't hold together from the force of Saitama tearing through it. No amount of rivets, screws, welding, and engineering could stop this man.
Here's the thing, though. The barge hadn't simply fallen straight down. It was already resting at an angle, but as it floated downward, it was essentially a rusty incline on its way to becoming entirely vertical. So, when Saitama jumped and spun, causing him to soar through the water, he ascended at a diagonal trajectory. In summary, that boy flew far. VERY far.
Saitama broke the surface of the ocean like a baseball breaking a window. He went farther away from the mainland and closer to the endless watery horizon. By the time he started his descent, there wasn't any land to be seen at ANY distance. Saitama re-entered the salty sea with a splash that would make any passing ship think an explosive had just been detonated.
"Wow. I need to remember that for later use." Saitama told himself, at last, audibly. He expected to get distance with that jump spin, but not THAT much. Plus, it took out the Seafolk. A ten-out-of-ten performance.
For the next minute, Saitama relaxed. He repositioned himself to float on his backside, regained his breath, and enjoyed the serenity of the ocean's waters. He didn't know how much farther it'd be to the middle of the sea, so he contemplated how best to get there.
"I think I'm far enough to kick things up a notch..." Saitama thought aloud as he watched the clouds move by. "I'll still need to hold back, of course. But this will save me a LOT of time..." He continued to ponder.
After a few more seconds of debating it, Saitama decided to proceed. First, he went below the surface. Then, he aimed himself at a downward diagonal angle. Finally, with his course determined, he kicked his legs.
...
...
BOOM
Roughly ten seconds. That's how long it took for Saitama to hit the bottom. His assumption that his jump spin had sent him FAR into the ocean was correct. Even though there'd be specific areas that allowed greater depths, such as trenches and chasms, this was the lowest point from the surface.
Saitama tried to gather his bearings after shaking himself to get rid of the sand on his clothes. However, this far down, the sunlight didn't reach all too well. He could make out shapes and things within the environment, but that was it. But before he could pick a direction to start swimming in, Saitama detected motion on his right side in the distance.
Turning towards whatever was approaching, Saitama could immediately discern the entity's size. It was big like the other Seafolk. As the seconds passed, he could make out fins and a tail. This creature was a type of shark from the looks of it.
"Fish or Seafolk?..." Saitama wondered. He didn't take a fighting stance since, regardless of the answer, what would either be able to do to him?
Soon, the mysterious form reached Saitama. As he assumed, it was a type of shark. Great White, if he had to guess. It was also a Seafolk, a double whammy!
Yet, unlike the Deep Sea King or the other Seafolk Saitama had been exposed to, this one didn't attack him. Instead, it positioned itself to stand on its legs. Then, it...knelt?
Back In The Present...
"After that, not much else happened," Saitama said as he put his arms behind his head. "Great White, the name of the Seafolk behind me, introduced himself and guided me to the Seafolk's home. As for the details, I'd like it if he could be the one to share them." He concluded before looking back at the Seafolk. "You wouldn't mind, right?" He asked.
"Of course not, m'lord." Great White answered as he approached the camera. But not too much since he didn't want to scare the other humans present. "I...speak into this, correct?" He inquired, not wanting to mess up.
"Mhm. Look at the lens, the shiny part in the middle, and talk," Saitama confirmed with a nod.
"Ahem. Attention land-dwellers. Please, forgive any discomfort my appearance may cause. I know your kind is hesitant toward other species. But that is not an insult, nor do I fault you for your hesitation. Since the world began, it has always operated on strength. The powerful rule. This is the law of nature. As such, we, the Seafolk, like any other race, followed the strong. We never questioned their leadership. They were the strongest, and by this logic, they DESERVED to lead. But then, your champion appeared. A surface-dweller who can kill any foe in a single strike. When this information reached the world's other species, we all believed it to be nonsense. Admittedly, a significant factor was that your kind never had any notable powerful figures. But once confirmation was achieved that this entity DID exist, it sent shockwaves through the world. The ocean, and by extension, the Seafolk, was not excluded. We assumed your champion to be no different than our king. Ruthless. Merciless. Cruel. Because that is how the strongest have always been. But then, we learned more about your champion. We heard many tales of his victories and accomplishments. Alongside them were descriptions and accounts that he was benevolent, caring, reasonable, and much more. Some of us started to wonder if life could be better. If by reaching out to your champion and establishing relations, perhaps the Seafolk could finally live on land and in the waters. However, our king had planned for the longest time to invade the surface. A plan that, once it was shared, caused great discourse among us. Those you see on this beach, and those that remain in the waters behind them, all thought he was mad. To challenge your champion who could kill us all in one blow was suicide. Yet, our king persisted. And, unfortunately, none of us were strong enough to stand against him and his loyalists. We needed to bide our time. What you see is the result of that. When our king left to carry out his trap, we also sent out scouts. We waited for the inevitable arrival of your champion. When he was seen rocketing out of the barge, the scouts stealthily followed. Those that witnessed his arrival at the ocean's bottom came and told me about it. From there, it is as he said. I guided your champion to my people. He didn't need to say anything. We bowed before him and swore our fealty. Afterward, he brought us here." Great White told everyone.
Silence. No one said or did anything. The words spoken by Great White sank into the minds of everyone who heard them. After a handful of seconds went by, Sweet Mask stepped between Great White and the camera.
"And there you have, people of the world." Sweet Mask started, his duty as the PR expert kicking in. "One Punch Man, as always, has made the world better. He's not only saved us from a tyrant and his inner circle of murderers. But he's also liberated these unfortunate souls from their cruel life. There's still so much to ask, say, and do. Yet, we all need a nice commercial break to gather ourselves before moving forward. So, we leave you in the capable hands of the broadcast outlets, stations, and so on. We promise to be back soon." He stated.
"...And...we're good. The feed's done." One of the TV crew personnel that had accompanied him said.
"Did I do well?" Great White asked. Surprisingly, he addressed Sweet Mask rather than Saitama.
"No. You did splendidly!" Sweet Mask answered in praise as he turned to face the Seafolk. "The way you spoke, your choice of words, the picture you painted, it was perfect! We couldn't have rehearsed anything better!" He exclaimed, continuing to compliment him.
"Oh...thank you, sir." Great White replied, now looking at Saitama. "What shall we do now, m'lord?" He inquired.
"First of all, you could stop with the LORD talk..." Saitama thought before replying. "Have the Seafolk relax on the beach or in the water. Tell those who hung back to be safe that everything worked out how we wanted. They have nothing to fear or worry about." He told him.
"Understood, sir." Great White responded before attending to his people.
"I gotta say, great work, Baldy," Tatsumaki said, praising her leader.
"Great? How about EXCELLENT!" Sweet Mask corrected. This didn't help improve Tatsumaki's perception of him, which was an asshole.
"Aw, thanks, guys," Saitama replied with a smile. Even though he was the most celebrated and beloved human in the world, he still appreciated praise from anyone. "Sorry for the unexpected company." He apologized, knowing this would cause an even bigger stir than it already was.
"You have no reason to apologize. This is going to do WONDERS for our non-human campaign!" Sweet Mask told him.
"Plus, as we assumed, there are more species and races out there that we don't know about. But from what the shark man said, they seem to know each other. Not only can we get intel, but we now know you've had eyes on you this whole time. Which means they undoubtedly knew about the Deep Sea King's plot to try and kill you. Or, at the very least, they had HEARD he was up to something. So, in addition to all the humans who saw this, just as many non-humans did." Tatsumaki pointed out. "Speaking of, where is the regal prick?" She inquired.
"Dunno. Genuinely." Saitama began as he put a hand to his chin. "When the lights went out, the other Seafolk rushed in. But as I told you, I could see them since they were around me. I can confidently say that none of them resembled the Deep Sea King." He stated.
"That means he fled. But where would he run to? His people have abandoned him, and his loyalists are now dead. He's a king without a country." Sweet Mask pondered aloud.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Saitama reasoned. "Right now, let's get through the rest of today. That alone is going to be one Hell of a task." He told them.
Nodding in agreement, Tatsumaki and Sweet Mask departed to attend to separate matters. Tatsumaki would contact the other S-Class heroes and tell them to get to City J to help. Sweet Mask, unsurprisingly, fielded all of the PR-related matters alongside Association staff. As they did this, Saitama stayed with the Seafolk and assisted Great White. All in all, today went pretty damn spectacularly.
