WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 154, "Divine Punishment," by One, Yusuke Murata, John Werry and James Gaubatz available in English at Viz Media and Manga Plus.
The Hero Association's No. 1 hero, Blast, hasn't been seen lately in One-Punch Man. It's common knowledge that the association has powerful heroes to offer, especially with Terrible Tornado, Genos and Bang in its lineup. However Blast, the known strongest among them, has been out of action since time immemorial. Rumors have it that he's rather lazy and irresponsible, but events in Chapter 154 suggest otherwise.
The two associations' fight seems to be reaching its climax as the underground gang has finally resurfaced with the help of Blast, who appeared just as Garo defeated yet another Monster Association executive. Tornado, in bad shape after engaging in multiple big fights, was knocked unconscious. Her biggest inspiration, Blast, found her in a similar manner when they first met. He pointed out that she would have defeated all of her enemies with just a little more power, then proceeded to offer her his own. However, Tornado avoided this trap and revealed the speaker's true identity.
The real Blast made his entrance thereafter and was shocked that Tornado drove the mysterious being away on her own. After praising her for her growth, the No. 1 hero talked to King and tasked him to take care of the unconscious psychic as he provided support elsewhere. He immediately opened another portal, revealing numerous silhouettes of his supposed allies -- then left once again for an unclear cause.
Even though Blast hasn't specified who or what he is fighting, God easily comes to mind. It is logical to assume this being is one of the mightiest in One-Punch Man, since it is referred to as God. Besides the name, God was also previously shown to have the ability to grant others -- The Worthless Emperor in this case -- immense power and take it back with ease. It makes sense that it takes more than Blast to keep it at bay. Intriguingly, Blast also seems to have the ability to detect God's existence.
The only reason Saitama and the gang were transported back to the surface was that Blast dragged them out, and he only appeared after the Bald Cape, Flashy Flash and Oculette drilled a hole revealing a gigantic God in fetal position. This theory is only strengthened by the fact that he once again reappeared the moment God tried to tempt Tornado. And according to him, he only managed to stop it at the last minute due to the gap in time caused by the cube.
Blast is undeniably one of the strongest characters One-Punch Man has to offer. While he doesn't seem like he'll be staying on Earth for good just yet, his comeback leaves a couple of clues about what may happen next. It's a safe bet that fans will be seeing more of him and God in future chapters of One-Punch Man.
