One-Punch Man: Saitama Just Pulled a Jimbei Move

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 157, "Bad Boys," by One, Yusuke Murata, John Werry, and James Gaubatz available in English at Viz Media and Manga Plus.

One-Punch Man's main character, Saitama, is renowned for nonchalantly avoiding disastrous events and defeating incredibly powerful opponents without breaking a sweat. He possesses incredible might as well as unique problem-solving skills, and the bald hero proved this once again in the latest chapter of the manga. This time, he channeled Jimbei from One Piece as he faced a gigantic wave.

When Bang's fist finally broke through Garo's mindless onslaught, the first thing the Hero Hunter did was attack the Monster Association executives, killing Barf President Ugly and dispersing Evil Mineral Water in the process. The liquid monster then merged with the ocean and gained a huge upgrade, turning into Evil Ocean Water. It was huge enough to be considered a tsunami, and it easily made a massive aircraft carrier capsize.

In Chapter 155, Centisennin fought Garo with the help of Evil Ocean Water. The humongous water monster shot the Hero Hunter with a tower-thick beam of water. At that moment, Saitama ran across the water surface and unleashed one of his killer moves -- Serious Punch. The punch was strong enough to cut the sea in two, causing the huge swell of water to subside. Seeing what happened, Centisennin wondered if a tectonic shift occurred. When the huge wave dropped, it caused the sea to rage. The now-kaput aircraft carrier was about to be swallowed by the wave, but Saitama was luckily on deck.

Even though he could easily carry the aircraft, Saitama knew it was impossible as there was no foothold. He had to improvise and change his plan. Instead, Bald Cape sunk his feet on the aircraft carrier and used it as a surfboard. He easily rode the gigantic wave -- big enough to make the ship seem like an ant -- after regaining his balance. Given Saitama's skills, it may be safe to assume that the aircraft carrier survived the debacle.

In a similar fashion, Jimbei once proved his superior skills as a helmsman in Whole Cake Island. The berserk Big Mom was riding a tsunami to catch the Thousand Sunny. Despite the risk of drowning her own island, she was dead-set on taking the Straw Hats under the sea. Jimbei took the steering wheel and made the Thousand Sunny ride the wave, entering the space created inside the crest of a breaking wave. Needless to say, the future Pirate King's crew escaped unscathed.

Saitama's surfing stunt isn't just a clever solution, it's also a look back to One-Punch Man's roots, comedy and satire. The manga's recent developments have been filled with tension, especially since there's been one major reveal after another. While the seriousness perfectly fits the events, it overshadows the manga's comedic undertone, which One-Punch Man is famed for. Chapter 155's quirkiness serves as a breath of fresh air and a good break from all the suspense and excitement.

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