WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 158, "Watershed," by One, Yusuke Murata, John Werry and James Gaubatz, available in English at Viz Media.
One-Punch Man has had a lot of much-awaited match-ups, usually consisting of either Saitama or Garo. When one of these two enters the ring, fans are guaranteed to witness a gratifying match. After all, Saitama has already achieved the pinnacle of power, and there is probably nobody in the entire universe who can match him. Garo has also been plowing through the power ranking and has recently perfected his own martial arts. Chapter 158 of One-Punch Man finally pits these two infamous characters against each other.
When Garo first arrived on the scene, he was a measly antagonist with hints of being special. Since then, he's honed himself and his fighting style through non-stop battles against strong opponents to the point of being recruited by the Monster Association. When the Hero Hunter refused, however, he was forcefully monsterified. His power has skyrocketed further since then, and it came to a point that he could already defeat Monster Association executives with a single strike. Now it seems 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 engage with Centisennin in a far lengthier fight. Meanwhile, Saitama dealt with Evil Ocean Water using his Serious Punch, resulting in the tsunami-sized water behemoth to rage down. Saitama kept the aircraft carrier safe by using it like a surfboard and navigating the raging seas. When the water was about to reach the battered heroes, Saitama used the aircraft carrier as a wave breaker. It served its function and shielded the group from the first wave before Pig God came to the rescue.
Saitama jumped from 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 locked eyes, and Saitama asked Garo what exactly he is.
Clearly, there is no animosity between the two just yet. Saitama is also not the kind of character to attack others simply because they are a monster -- Oculette is the living example of this. However, the same can't 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 faceoff isn't their first meeting.
Back when Garo was already being hunted by professional heroes, he met Saitama who was out shopping for a wig. Garo struck him, which of course dealt zero damage, and Saitama knocked him out using the same attack. Though this occurred a while back, there is a good chance Garo will remember their first encounter -- especially since he is fixated on individuals stronger than him. Remembering his utter defeat is more than enough reason for him to challenge Saitama.
One-Punch Man fans have long been excited for a new Garo versus Saitama clash. Garo's exponential growth has rightly roused attention, and his exploits have proven him worthy of being Saitama's opponent. Given that the Hero Hunter continues to grow during dire situations, it'll be interesting to see how he copes against Saitama. There is also the ever-lingering question of whether or not he can finally scratch Saitama's long-standing itch for a good fight.
