Chapter 311: Chapter 12 – The First Encounter with the Bald Overlord
"A-Class Rank 1 Hero? You’ve got something to say to me?"
Genos looked puzzled.
Saitama leaned in and whispered, "He might be giving you some newbie advice. Be careful, Genos."
"I see. Understood. Then, sensei, please wait for me here."
Genos stood up, eyes cold, and looked straight at Handsome Mask: "Let’s go. I was just thinking I could use a little walk."
The two stepped out of the building.
Saitama rested his chin in his palm and popped another ice cube into his mouth.
"Genos should be fine, right?"
"Hey. You."
Saitama heard the voice and looked up.
Standing before his table was a stunning woman in a green dress, arms crossed and figure striking, her eyes fixed on him.
Saitama glanced left, then right.
Then, confused, he pointed to his own face and asked, "You’re talking to me?"
"Who else is here?"
Fubuki let out a weary sigh.
"That so... Well, what do you want with me?"
Saitama looked at her with his usual air-headed expression.
Fubuki stared at him and said, "I know you’re the new C-Class hero who passed the certification today—’Caped Baldy’..."
A dark line appeared on Saitama’s forehead.
"Could you not call me that? It’s kind of annoying."
Ignoring his protest, Fubuki continued, "I’m the top-ranked B-Class hero and the leader of the Blizzard Group. I’m known as Hellish Blizzard. You’ve heard of me, right?"
The Bald Overlord scratched his cheek. "Nope. First time."
"I don’t know why you’re hanging around with an S-Class hero like the ’Demon Cyborg,’ but now that you’re a hero, I doubt you want to stay at the bottom. You must want to climb the ranks, right?"
"Uh... yeah, I guess."
"Exactly! But being a hero isn’t easy! There are monsters above you—literal monsters. It’s not realistic to beat them alone. If you want to climb higher, why not join the Blizzard Group? Together, we can challenge the upper tiers—"
"Uhh..."
Saitama interrupted her, "So basically, you’re here to ask me to join your... Snowfall Group or whatever?"
"It’s Blizzard Group!"
"Doesn’t matter if it’s Snowfall or Blizzard, I’m not interested. Go find someone else."
Saitama averted his gaze and yawned. "I didn’t become a hero for something this boring."
"Boring...?"
Fubuki’s face stiffened. "Are you saying everything I’ve built in the Blizzard Group... is boring?"
"Hmm..."
Saitama thought for a second, looked her in the eyes, and nodded sincerely. "Yeah, pretty much."
Wha—what an unbelievably rude and awful guy!!
Fubuki stared at the bald man in front of her, fists clenched in frustration.
She’d approached him with such sincerity, and this was how he treated her?
Just a measly C-Class!
Hellish Blizzard had never been treated like this!
Rage colored her face as psychic energy stirred around her. Her dark hair lifted slightly without wind—the signal that her powers were flaring up.
But just then—
A hand landed gently on her shoulder.
Her psychic energy instantly dispersed.
Fubuki turned to glare and snapped, "What are you doing? Trying to stop me?"
"I’m trying to keep you alive."
Ron replied earnestly.
Saitama turned toward them.
His eyes settled on Ron—and he froze.
Oh, it’s that guy... the one who was in the challenge earlier with us...
This was the first time Ron and the Bald Overlord met face-to-face.
To most people, Saitama looked completely ordinary. But in Ron’s eyes—eyes enhanced by the Tenseigan, Observation Haki, and the Transparent World—Saitama radiated an aura so terrifying it sent shivers down his spine.
Bottomless.
It was as if inside that ordinary human body, countless gods and demons were sealed.
Since arriving in the world of One Piece, Ron had never encountered someone who gave him such an overwhelming sense of I can’t win, no matter what.
"Hey, you a hero too?"
Saitama asked, curious.
Snapping back to reality, Ron looked at him and replied, "No."
"Huh... You’re not?"
Saitama seemed surprised. "You look strong. I figured you’d be a hero too. Guess not, huh?"
Something stirred in Ron’s mind. He asked, "Why do you think I look strong?"
"Hmm..."
Saitama scratched his shiny, light-reflecting head, pinched his chin, and thought for a moment. Then he said, "Can’t really say... Just a feeling."
Ron grinned. "Then let me ask you this—between me and your friend, who do you think’s stronger?"
"You mean Genos?" Saitama pondered. "Yeah... I’d say you probably seem stronger."
At that moment, the door opened.
Genos walked in, just in time to hear that very sentence.
"Ah, crap."
Saitama instantly knew trouble was coming.
Genos approached with a stone-cold expression. Saitama lowered his head and quietly sipped his water like nothing had happened.
"S-So, all done? Genos?"
"Yes."
Genos responded calmly, then turned to Fubuki and Ron.
"Hellish Blizzard. If I recall, you often recruit B-Class and lower-ranked heroes into your Blizzard Group, don’t you? Now your target is Sensei?"
Fubuki blinked. "S-Sensei?"
Genos shifted his gaze to Ron, eyes narrowing slightly. "And you are...?"
Ron smiled. "Name’s Ron. Just a traveler."
"Ron... Never heard of you. You’re not a hero, right?"
"Correct."
Genos stared hard at him. "Not a hero, yet Sensei says you’re stronger than me. Interesting."
Ugh... Genos is definitely taking this personally...
Saitama lowered his head even further.
Genos gave a thumb-point toward the open door and said to Ron, "Are you free right now? Would you spar with me?"
"Genos, it’s late. Let’s skip the fight for today, okay?" Saitama quickly interjected. "I’ve got a 9 PM show to watch."
"No worries, Sensei."
Genos didn’t even look away. "I’ll make it quick."
Ron glanced at the wall clock and said, "Let’s not today. Another time."
"When exactly?"
Genos pressed on.
Ron casually replied, "Whenever you want. You pick."
Then he turned to Fubuki, who was still staring blankly. "Hey, lend me ten thousand yen."
Fubuki snapped out of her daze. "What for?"
Ron pointed at the wall, at the sign that read:
"Challenge: Mega-Spicy Jumbo Bucket – Fail, Pay 10,000 Yen."
Fubuki rubbed her temples and sighed, "Seriously... you don’t even have 10,000 yen?"
Hearing this, Saitama stiffened. He suddenly remembered—he also had failed the challenge earlier. And he... didn’t have 10,000 yen on him either.
Fubuki pulled out her wallet and handed Ron a bill. "Fine. Here."
Ron took the bill and said, "I just happened to forget today."
Saitama’s eyes lit up. His gaze toward Ron turned much warmer.
He slapped the table and stood up. "Genos, I forgot my wallet too! If you win some prize money later, lend me ten thousand, will ya?"
"No problem, Sensei. I’ll cover this meal too."
...
Leaving the udon shop—
Saitama and Genos walked side by side down the street under the cover of night.
Saitama couldn’t help but recall the scene right before they left: a few high school girls, faces brimming with admiration, had swarmed Genos asking for a handshake. A tiny hint of envy crept into his heart.
"Man, being S-Class really is a whole different league compared to C-Class."
"Well, that makes us even now—one win each."
Genos glanced down at the prize money in his hand, his mind replaying the events of the day. He thought of Sweet Mask, the top A-Class hero, and of that so-called "ordinary guy" named Ron.
Even after becoming an S-Class hero, Genos knew—there were still plenty of monsters out there much stronger than him.
He shifted his gaze to Saitama beside him. "Sensei, if I were to fight that guy Ron... what do you think my chances would be?"
Saitama pondered for a moment. "Hmm... hard to say exactly, but probably not great. That guy seemed pretty strong."
"What if I went all out—do I at least have a fifty percent chance of winning?"
"Nope. With your current strength, I’d say you’ve got less than thirty percent."
"..."
Neither of them spoke after that. They walked in silence for a while.
Eventually, Genos stopped beneath a streetlamp.
"Sensei, I’ve made up my mind."
Saitama looked at him.
With a firm and determined face, Genos said, "I want to go back for another full rebuild."
"Oh, I see. Well then—catch you later."
"Yes. I’ll take my leave."
Genos gave a deep bow, then turned and walked off into the night.
In his phone, already stored, were the contact numbers of both Ron and Fubuki.
Saitama casually waved him off and headed in the opposite direction.
...
Elsewhere—
Ron and Fubuki were crossing a bridge as cars sped by beneath them.
Fubuki, wrapped in her signature white fur coat, gave him a sidelong glance. "Including tonight, you already owe me over 200,000 yen. Don’t think I’ll forget."
Ron yawned lazily. "Two hundred-something thousand? That’s chump change for someone like you, isn’t it?"
"Excuse me? That ’chump change’ funds the entire Fubuki Group’s operations. I’m basically holding everything together with a shoestring budget right now."
"Well then... cut down on your personal spending a bit. Maybe stick to ramen and beef bowls for a while?"
"Absolutely not!"
"You’re really something, you know that? I even gave you a ton of credit for the last mission. Didn’t the Hero Association give you any reward?"
"Oh, that reward? I split it evenly with everyone in the Fubuki Group."
"..."
"A-anyway, just don’t forget to pay me back!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Ron responded with a lazy drawl.
He could easily pull some gold or gemstones out of his system inventory and pay her off right now, but trying to explain all that would just be a headache. It wasn’t like it was some massive debt anyway—he could just exchange some goods for cash later and pay her then.
The night breeze gently tousled their hair.
Compared to the worlds of One Piece and Demon Slayer, the air here had a distinctly urban flavor to it—less of wild freedom or demonic menace, and more... modern life.
Eventually, the two reached an intersection and split up, each heading home.
That night—
Fubuki lay in her luxurious bed, unable to stop thinking about something that had been nagging at her.
"Now that I think about it... why did that S-Class cyborg call a C-Class baldy ’Sensei’?"
.........
Ron had expected Genos to challenge him the very next day.
But that didn’t happen.
Which, to be honest, surprised him.
After that brief weekend break, Fubuki led the Blizzard Group back into Z-City and the surrounding areas to continue their hero work.
The cities remained quiet and peaceful.
Ron, on the other hand, slipped into a rhythm of casual, almost hedonistic city life—wandering around during the day hunting for the best eats and desserts, then drifting between bars at night sampling fine liquor, and waking up each morning in a different woman’s bed.
Relaxed. Unhurried. Utterly at ease.
That lifestyle lasted for four full days.
By the fifth day—
After hearing from Genos that C-Class heroes would be delisted if they didn’t perform any hero work for a week...
A bald man in a cape began dashing madly through the city—with a terrifying expression, at blinding speed—like a demon unleashed.