Tatsumaki screamed and covered her eyes, then continued to peek at the ring through her fingers.
Unfortunately, although he was indeed a fairly good-looking naked man, he had no skin, and even his muscles were still growing.
What's even more outrageous is that before she could see anything else, Gawain had already reacted.
Gawain casually tossed his clothes aside, letting the coat land on the Zombieman.
"You seemed troubled before, as if you were facing some kind of loss of freedom."
You've already utterly destroyed yourself. If that still doesn't get you out of trouble, then perhaps I can introduce you to Metal Knight and Drive Knight.
With their combined technical skills, they can at least offer you some assistance.
So, no matter what, join the Hero Association.
Your abilities are well-suited to be a hero, and your disregard for personal sacrifice is enough to form the foundation of a hero.
As they were talking, Gawain waved to the distance, and Fubuki, who was exceptionally good at reading people's expressions, immediately called Metal Knight and Drive Knight.
Meanwhile, on the arena...
The Zombieman nodded slightly as he put on his clothes with a blank expression.
"I really don't feel controlled anymore."
But I'm equally unsure whether I've truly gained freedom.
Anyway, thank you.
Furthermore, after joining the Hero Association, I hope to meet the scientists you mentioned."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Zombieman carefully buttoned up his coat.
He truly didn't care about injury or death, and he didn't show much emotional fluctuation.
But that doesn't mean he has no sense of shame.
Running naked in public is terrifying.
Having received the reply, Gawain nodded in satisfaction, then gestured for the Zombieman to step off the stage.
Immediately afterwards, Gawain put his hands in his pockets, raised his head and looked down at the audience below the ring who were repeatedly shocked.
"The Zombieman's challenge is over. Is there anyone else who wants to stand against me?"
As he spoke, Gawain smiled and glanced around. Whoever his gaze fell on would involuntarily take two steps back.
"I'm not fighting anymore, we can't win!"
"This is power far beyond that of Monster! How could we possibly defeat it!"
"That's terrifying!"
"Ahhh, a 10 billion prize! That's a 10 billion prize!!!"
Amidst countless timid voices, a mournful cry stood out remarkably clearly.
People in shock and panic immediately looked toward the source of the sound.
To everyone's eyes, a gaunt man was holding his head in utter frustration.
"If you really wanted to distribute these prizes, why hire such a terrifying guy to guard this arena!"
You're cheating us! You never intended to give us that money, you never did!
Without this money, what will happen to my child!
It only costs a few million in prize money, so why can you rich people casually throw out billions to play this kind of deceptive trick, while we dogs can only be lured by your promises of... a cotton candy sinking in the water... futilely nibbling at the surface!
Billions are just numbers in your private chats!
We, a bunch of dogs, can't even scrape together a few million for medical treatment!
You look down on us and laugh at us!
We can only watch as our children, our family, and our friends gradually die in poverty!
Why is wealth always concentrated in your hands?
Why is it that what we receive and what we give are never equal?
Why have our desires become your playthings?
Why!
Why is all this happening?!
With a scream, the emaciated man struggled to his knees, slamming his head against the hard floor with all his might.
Thump!
Blood flowed freely.
Whether watching on television or at the ring, many ordinary people who heard this man's voice couldn't help but start thinking along with him.
Just when everyone was starting to think that what this person said made some sense, they suddenly felt that something was starting to go wrong!
Thump!
The emaciated man was covered in blood.
Thump!
A crack appeared in the skull of the emaciated man!
Thump!
Faintly, people felt the ground tremble slightly!
The next moment, Bang glared fiercely at himself.
"Tatsumaki, quickly move everyone here to a more distant place!"
That guy is about to turn into Monster!
Moreover, this Monster must be very strong; I sensed an extraordinary aura emanating from him!
Quick, get everyone out of here first!
As he roared, Bang watched the constantly changing Monster.
At this moment, the emaciated man had completely mutated; his thin body was stretching and stretching until he was almost turning into an alien.
At the same time, his head slammed into the ground again...
Boom!!!
The ground, which had already been ravaged by Gawain, began to surge and churn erratically, as if boiling water!
Just as countless specks of dust were kicked up, the gaunt, Monster slowly rose to his feet.
While waiting for the dust to settle back to the ground, the Monster looked at his new appearance with delight and roared excitedly to the world.
"I finally understand the meaning of my existence!"
I have finally grasped the value of life's birth!
I am not just a poor person, but also every poor, exploited, manipulated, and even bullied person!
I'm just a low-class Monster!
A once lowly, Monster belonged to the lower class!
But today...
I will tear apart all those who once stood above me, beside me, and behind me, ignoring me!
You all deserve to die!
Damn it!!!
With a loud roar, the Monster suddenly swung his long, narrow right hand in all directions.
He flicked his arms and fingers, unleashing sharp wind blades that sent shivers down the spines of countless people nearby.
"How terrifying!"
"Did he become Monster because he was poor?!"
What should I do if I don't really dislike Monster for the first time, and I don't even blame him for killing me?
"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"
"Can a poor person become Monster?"
"Such immense power!!!"
Amidst the horrified cries of countless people, Bang took the lead and charged straight at the Monster.
"Flowing Water... Rock-Smashing Fist!"
With a step and a punch, accompanied by the rhythm of flowing water, Bang completely shattered the wind blades unleashed by the Monster.
"Such immense strength! This is definitely a Dragon-level Monster, and not just any ordinary Dragon-level Monster!"
After delivering the punch, Bang, while experiencing the Monster's power, roared at Gawain without turning his head.
"There are too many civilians near the association; we can't afford to fight a protracted war with him!"
Gawain, it's up to you. We have to take him down as quickly as possible!
"Rest assured."
Gawain nodded slightly, and then appeared in front of the Monster in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the Monster before him, he sighed and said.
"That's quite a relatable... reason for becoming Monster."
Unfortunately, even though I somewhat admire your resistance as someone from the lower class, such resistance shouldn't be carried out by turning into Monster.
If you hadn't become Monster, perhaps your charisma could have helped more people like you ignite a fire against capitalism in more situations.
But the moment you became Monster, you ceased to be human.
Even the goal that supports you...
As the Monster's mindset continues to develop, the target will transform into a pure, aimless desire to kill.
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain took a small step forward.
Seeing Gawain approaching, the inferior Monster didn't panic; he simply continued to look excitedly at his hands.
"Hahaha, I might have been scared by you just now."
But now... I have achieved transcendence!
The power to destroy a city? I clearly feel it, and I possess that kind of power too!
Hero, damn it, hero!
If all the rich people in the world died, then any ordinary person could be called a hero!!!
The Monster strode excitedly forward, about to smash a punch into Gawain's head.
The moment he took a step, the ground beneath his feet churned once more.
The air in front of him seemed to freeze the moment he threw his punch.
But...
At this moment, the Monster's speed, which was close to that of a powerful general, appeared incredibly slow to Gawain.
Without even needing Observation Haki, Gawain made the Monster in his eyes move as if in slow motion just by looking at it!
As the fist slowly approached, Gawain sighed softly.
In the instant after exhaling, Gawain raised his right hand and slammed his right fist directly at the Monster's incoming fist.
Boom!
Bang!!!
Splash, splash, splash~~~.
The Monster's fist began to crumble rapidly; his hand bones shattered and pierced his muscles, followed by his forearm exploding with a bang.
In the end, the Monster who had been so arrogant and thought he possessed the greatest power had completely turned into flesh and blood that polluted the environment.
Snap!
It's like a water balloon popping.
The Monster exploded...
It exploded completely!
Those who were about to flee all stopped in their tracks upon seeing this absurd scene.
Looking at the splattered blood and flesh on the ground, people looked at each other.
Then, they all turned to look at Bang.
Young Bang, you're really young this time, aren't you? Didn't they say this Monster was difficult to deal with?
So, does being "definitely very strong" mean being unable to withstand even a casual punch?
Clap clap clap!
Suddenly, someone started to clap softly.
The applause grew louder and louder, and Gawain was thus sent off from the ring by the applause.
Watching Gawain's departing figure in front of the television, Dr. Genus stared wide-eyed, muttering to himself involuntarily.
"This power..."
That's right, this is definitely not ordinary power!
A limiter?
Has this man broken the shackles that God left for mankind?
Dr. Genus's eyes gleamed with greed for a moment, but he quickly shook his head to dispel the thought.
Indeed, Gawain is now the most suitable test subject for him.
But isn't it a bit presumptuous of me to want to study Gawain's work?
Therefore, in this Hero Association event, Zombieman lost his alternative for the ultimate plan.
And this loss...
It's fair to say that not every effort deserves a sufficient reward...
Meanwhile, in a bar in N City.
Wearing plainclothes clothes, Blast finally opened his eyes.
"That indescribable power... it's truly astonishing."
I never expected that the old Masked Hero Man would actually create a Hero Association on his deathbed.
Moreover, he was very lucky to find someone who could perfectly integrate into the association and become the strongest hero right at the beginning of its establishment!
With a guy like this guarding this planet, I can finally rest easy!
Haha, after I finish this drink, I'm going to have some fun in the universe.
The new wave pushes the old wave forward, one wave after another.
Although I'm about to be surpassed by the younger generation, I'm not one to give up so easily.
"If I can learn something from the Zhao Jin incident, maybe the pressure from the younger generation will even help me improve a bit?"
Regardless of Blast's current thoughts, after the Monster was smashed into Monster sauce, the arena battle became virtually unnecessary.
That was originally a stage for Argoni and the Hero Association to demonstrate their power. Now that their power has been demonstrated, it's time to carry out large-scale construction on the Hero Association.
People flocked to sign up, regardless of their abilities; everyone wanted to join the Hero Association and get closer to an indescribably strong figure like Gawain!
Safety is something you earn yourself. Staying close to the strongest and standing on the same side as the strongest is, of course, the safest approach.
As people eagerly signed up, many even began inquiring about Gawain's identity, background, and address...
We'll move as soon as we get back, we'll move everything to the vicinity of Gawain!
As long as I can be neighbors with Gawain, regardless of whether I can become a hero or not, at least I won't have to worry about Monster anymore!
In the crowd, watching those people who, in the blink of an eye, flocked to it.
A masked man shook his head disdainfully.
This world is full of people whose hearts are filled with petty scheming and despicable acts. It is precisely because of their madness and greed that the Monster did not escape danger!
One after another, ordinary people dominate everything in the world. How can true heroes be determined by a mere association?
Although I... although I don't possess that terrifying power.
But at least I can do something for this chaotic world?
Thinking this, he disdainfully walked past the crowd and approached the registration staff of the Hero Association.
"Name, gender, abilities. After filling out the form, please go to the back room to take the ability test. If you pass and have no major criminal record, you can register as a great hero!"
Following the route indicated by the registration officer, the masked man arrived at the testing area.
He doesn't have any superpowers, but he works out regularly, and his physical condition and talent are quite good.
Therefore, although the physical test results were barely passable, the person wearing the mask ultimately became a hero.
Code name: Mysterious Mask.
Abilities: hand-to-hand combat, shooting, and swordsmanship.
Qualities: Possesses an exceptionally strong sense of justice, but is somewhat obsessive.
Welcome to the Hero Association...
The mysterious Masked Man!