Outskirts.
King and Bang stood facing each other, while Saitama slowly sorted the ingredients at the side.
The old geezer Bang sure keeps his word; he'd already prepared all the hot-pot ingredients in advance, even stocking up on several extra servings of wagyu beef.
Clearly, he'd truly mastered the Saitama Manual and understood wagyu's allure for the Bald Devil KING.
King crooked a finger at Bang, his whole body sliding into combat mode; the thud of his heartbeats grew louder, reverberating like thunder inside his chest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The very world seemed to resonate with those heartbeats, trembling in rhythm.
Hearing the engine-like drumbeats beside his ears, Bang's expression turned grave.
So this is the rumored King Engine… the mental and physical pressure it exudes is overwhelming. He lowered his center of gravity, right arm sweeping back into the opening stance of Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist.
"Come, KING; today this old man will show you what Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist truly is."
King knew that Bang's Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist relied mainly on counters—turning an opponent's force against them.
Back when he'd read the source material, he'd wondered exactly how the style worked and what it felt like in action.
Now, fighting the creator himself was a dream come true.
"All right, Elder Bang—watch yourself!"
The ground beneath him exploded; King shot forward like lightning, reappearing in front of Bang in the blink of an eye and punching out.
He hadn't opened the Eight Gates; he attacked purely with his own monstrous physique.
The savage fist-wind struck Bang's face, flooding him with a sense of crisis; decades of martial instinct screamed at the might of this blow.
Moreover, Bang could faintly sense King wasn't going all-out—he'd even held back this punch.
As expected of The Strongest Man on Earth—his reputation is well-earned.
But this old man isn't to be trifled with!
Facing King's lightning fist, Bang raised both hands; his clenched fists traced mysterious arcs through the air, a flowing current of force sheathing his palms.
The instant the two fists met, the soft power of Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist erupted, colliding with King's own brutal force.
The next moment, King felt his fist deflect half an inch; the force meant for Bang was diverted by a water-like energy and slammed into the ground beside him.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
The power poured into the earth, blasting the ground within dozens of meters to dust; spider-web cracks spread for a hundred meters, a huge crater yawning beneath them.
At the sight, cold sweat ran down Bang's back.
Too close—if I hadn't redirected that force, it would've shattered both my arms.
Even after using Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist to divert the blow, his aged hands trembled, clearly injured.
King's punch had simply been too ferocious; he couldn't transfer all of it, and part of the impact still seeped into Bang's body.
Now it's my turn!
Bang's eyes sharpened; flowing energy spread through his palms as he redirected the force he'd just absorbed and punched out.
King stood his ground, a blazing aura of blood-qi surging around him, cocooning him in a protective shield.
Bang!
With a dull impact, King half-stepped back; the spot where the shield was struck cracked slightly, then instantly mended.
Seeing his attack barely register, Bang was dumbstruck.
This tough?!
That punch had combined Bang's own strength with residual force siphoned from King's earlier blow—two powers fused into one.
Yet it hadn't even broken the opponent's defense!
"So this is Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist—not only neutralizing an opponent's force but turning it into your own counterattack; truly an exquisite martial art."
King praised without reserve while replaying every move Bang had just made inside his head.
The passive skill Precise Control let him manipulate every ounce of strength in his body with ease.
Once he'd familiarized himself with the posture of Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist, he instinctively began aligning his body to match it.
Bang had still been marveling at King's insane defense and power; the next instant he froze in place.
His aged eyes snapped wide, as if witnessing something that could shatter his entire world view, staring ahead in disbelief.
Before him, King lowered his center of gravity and assumed an opening stance identical to Bang's.
Then King's fists moved slowly, a familiarity of flowing intent suffusing every punch, each motion displaying the elegance of a grandmaster.
Bang was stunned; only shock remained in his heart.
He'd performed Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist just once in front of KING, yet the man had effortlessly copied it, his proficiency rivaling that of veterans who'd trained for years.
This is the caliber of The Strongest Man on Earth… worthy of the name KING—not just terrifying in raw strength, but possessing comprehension, mind, and insight bordering on sagehood.
Before, Bang had merely sighed at the might and ferocity of King's exploits.
Now, after facing him in person, the seventy-year-old martial-arts grandmaster felt genuine, heartfelt respect for this strongest man.
Both stepped forward at once, eyes locked solely on each other.
In the next instant Bang burst forward; flowing force shimmered around his fists, faint blue light tracing arcs through the air as he unleashed the Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist he'd honed for decades.
King stopped relying on raw strength and likewise threw out Flowing Water Rock-Crushing Fist, clashing head-on with Bang!