One-Punch Man is not short of good battles, but the showdown revealed in Chapter 158 is what fans have been waiting for for a long time.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 158, “Watershed”, by One, Yusuke Murata, John Werry and James Gaubatz, available in English from Viz Media.
One Punch Man has had many highly anticipated matchups, usually consisting of either Saitama or Garo. When one of these two steps into the ring, fans are guaranteed to witness a rewarding match. After all, Saitama has already reached the pinnacle of power and there is probably no one in the entire universe who can match him. Garo has also been moving up the power rankings and recently perfected his own martial arts. Chapter 158 of One Punch Man ultimately pits these two infamous characters against each other.
When Garo first appeared on the scene, he was a miserable antagonist with hints of being special. Since then, he has perfected himself and his fighting style through non-stop battles against strong opponents to the point of being recruited into the Monster Association. However, when the Hero Hunter refused, he was forcibly monstrified. His power has skyrocketed even more since then, and he reached a point where he could already defeat the Monster Association executives with a single punch. Now it seems that his next challenge is the strongest existence in the series.
After Garo made quick work of Platinum Spermatozoon, he teamed up with Metal Bat to take on Centisennin in a much longer fight. Meanwhile, Saitama engaged Evil Ocean Water using his Serious Punch, causing the tsunami-sized water giant to go on a rampage. Saitama kept the aircraft carrier safe by using it as a surfboard and navigating the rough seas. As the water was about to overtake the battered heroes, Saitama used the aircraft carrier as a breakwater. She fulfilled her role and protected the group from the first wave before Pig God came to the rescue.
Saitama jumped off the ship just before the wave hit and landed exactly where Garo was standing. Garo immediately noticed his presence as he wondered what happened to Evil Ocean Water. The two looked into each other’s eyes and Saitama asked Garo what exactly it was.
Clearly, there is still no animosity between the two. Saitama is also not the type of character to attack others simply because they are a monster; Oculette is the living example of this. However, the same cannot be said for Garo, who has actively sought to fight opponents stronger than himself in order to hone and test his strengths. One Punch Man fans may also remember that this matchup is not their first meeting.
When Garo was already being chased by professional heroes, he met Saitama, who was shopping for a wig. Garo punched him, which of course didn’t deal any damage, and Saitama knocked him out with the same attack. Although this happened a while ago, it is very likely that Garo remembers his first meeting, especially since he is obsessed with people stronger than him. Remembering his total defeat is more than enough reason to challenge Saitama.
One Punch Man Fans have long been excited for a new Garo vs. Saitama clash. Garo’s exponential growth has rightly drawn attention, and his exploits have proven him worthy of being Saitama’s opponent. Since Hero Hunter continues to grow during dire situations, it will be interesting to see how he stacks up against Saitama. There’s also the ever-lingering question of whether or not he can finally scratch Saitama’s longstanding itch for a good fight.
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