By becoming the Monster King, Shinji not only gained a huge number of points but also unlocked Sage Mode. This powerful technique allowed the user to absorb natural energy and convert it into Sage Chakra, which significantly enhanced all their abilities.
Though Shinji couldn't produce Sage Chakra through traditional means, the system had already modified the technique to function effectively within his unique physiology. There was no need to worry about compatibility.
Sage Mode on its own was already impressive, but when combined with the regenerative and energy-amplifying traits of Hashirama Cells, the effects became even more potent. Still, Shinji didn't have enough of those cells yet, so there was no rush to redeem the Tailed Beast Scrolls.
For now, the presence of the Gedo Statue was sufficient to maintain order within the Monster Association. His top priority remained increasing his own power.
"Those guys should behave themselves now," Shinji muttered, seated across from Psykos in her hidden laboratory.
Without Monster King Orochi in this version of the world, the structure of the Monster Association had shifted. Psykos was technically its leader, yet she wasn't the strongest. Still, that wasn't necessarily a contradiction. In truth, most of the Monster Association's cohesion came from shared goals rather than loyalty. Their alliance was more like a gathering of individuals with overlapping interests, especially in opposing the Hero Association.
Even in ONE's version of the story, the strongest form of Black Sperm, Golden Sperm, wasn't enough to take down all of the S-Class heroes on his own. Characters like Black Sperm and Homeless Emperor had clearly joined the association out of convenience, not conviction. Their cooperation was purely transactional. So long as their goals were supported, they didn't care who the leader was.
To fill this structural gap, the Murata version of the story introduced Orochi as a visible figurehead, creating a sense of hierarchy. Psykos, also known as Gyoro Gyoro, controlled things from behind the scenes, with the two maintaining a carefully balanced power dynamic. But here, Shinji was now part of that equation, and he strongly suspected Psykos was planning to use him in much the same way.
There were no obvious signs of manipulation yet, but Shinji wasn't about to drop his guard. It never hurt to be cautious.
"Hmm, this time I suppose I should be the one thanking you," Psykos said with a calm smile.
"No need for that," Shinji replied. Compared to their earlier interaction during the meteor crisis, the dynamic between them had clearly shifted.
"The Monster Association's ultimate goal... I assume it's to go to war with the Hero Association?"
"That's right. More precisely, the final goal is the extermination of all humanity. But before that happens, the Hero Association needs to be removed as the biggest obstacle," Psykos answered without hesitation.
"I figured as much," Shinji said with a sigh. "Then I guess that makes us enemies in the end."
"Not necessarily. By then, maybe you'll have regained your memories," she said, her tone still gentle.
"Maybe... I really don't know how that's going to happen."
Even now, Shinji had no idea how to recover those missing memories. He was certain his future self had traveled back to Psykos's student years, but as for how or why, that part remained a complete mystery.
"I believe you'll remember eventually." Psykos's tone carried a calm certainty, as if she were more convinced of Shinji's future than he was.
Shinji merely smiled, choosing not to respond. Deep inside, though, he was seriously weighing whether to use the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, to rewrite her consciousness.
Psykos hadn't always been like this. Her mind had clearly been altered by "God's will," and if he could erase that influence, she might return to her original self. At least, that was the theory.
But theories rarely survive in the world of One Punch Man. Whether in the ONE version or Murata's, God existed on a completely different level of reality. Only Saitama could be considered on equal footing, a true Tier 0 existence. Trying to use Kotoamatsukami on Saitama would be laughable, bordering on delusional. And if God was of the same magnitude, then purging His influence from Psykos wouldn't be any easier.
The greatest limitation, however, was the cooldown. Each of Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan eyes held a version of Kotoamatsukami. The right eye could permanently rewrite someone's will but had a ten-year cooldown. The left eye had a much shorter interval, but its effects were temporary. While Hashirama Cells could reduce these cooldowns, the effect was limited by quantity, and Shinji didn't have nearly enough cells to make a difference.
To fully cleanse Psykos's mind, the right eye would have to be used. But that meant gambling with a once-in-a-decade resource. If the genjutsu failed to erase God's hold on her, the eye's power would be wasted.
After some quiet reflection, Shinji shelved the idea. Kotoamatsukami was too valuable to use on a hunch. Unless the situation became dire, it needed to be reserved as a trump card.
...
Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the coastal district of J City.
"I am an envoy from the deep sea! Humans, surrender the land to the Sea Folk! We, the Sea Folk, are the true rulers of this world! You filthy humans are nothing but our food, ahhhhhh, !"
The speaker was a towering, ten-meter-tall humanoid with an octopus head and bloated, waterlogged limbs. It had emerged with the rising seawater, which surged through the streets as if a tsunami had struck without warning.
Despite its overwhelming size and confident declaration, the creature barely registered as a threat, it was only a Wolf-level monster.
Its grand proclamation barely had time to echo off the nearby buildings before Saitama appeared in front of it and casually erased it from existence with a single punch.
"A hero! A hero came to save us!"
"That hero looks like the S-Class Caped Baldy, right?"
"No, I remember now, he's S-Class Rank 16, Saitama. Calling him Caped Baldy isn't wrong, but he hasn't officially been assigned a hero name yet."
"He took that monster down in one punch. As expected from an S-Class hero!"
Cheers erupted as people who had been fleeing moments ago now turned to celebrate. But Saitama, as always, remained indifferent. Without saying a word or even glancing back, he turned and continued walking home. The monster just happened to be in his path, and dealing with it had been little more than a reflex.
...
Back at home, Saitama brought it up. "A monster claiming to be from the Sea Folk, huh? I think I've heard of that group before. But there was only one?"
Genos furrowed his brow. "Probably just the vanguard. If one's shown up already, there's a high chance more are coming. It could be a full-scale invasion by Sea Folk."
Shinji nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds about right. When one scout appears, the rest usually aren't far behind."
His tone was calm, but his words carried the weight of foreknowledge, as if he were peering down on events from a higher vantage point.
"Master makes a good point," Genos agreed.
"I'll step out for a bit. Be right back."
With that, Shinji rose to his feet and vanished instantly. He had activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting straight to J City.
He knew this area would soon become ground zero. The Deep Sea King and his army would descend here in force, and Shinji intended to get ahead of the chaos.
He began preparing in silence, placing kunai embedded with his Flying Thunder God seals at key positions along every coastal zone.