"A bald guy in a cape? What's so special about him?" Hashirama asked curiously after hearing Ryan's advice, unable to hide his curiosity.
The other members glanced at Ryan, equally curious. Could he be someone dangerous? They thought. Is this bald, caped man really that strong?
Ryan nodded and answered confidently, "That guy is the protagonist of the One Punch Man world—the strongest being. No matter how strong, fast, or gigantic his opponent seems, he ends every fight the same way: with a single punch."
The audience was stunned by this revelation. None of them had expected such a character to exist. A fighter so powerful that any opponent, no matter how strong, could be taken down with a single blow? Isn't that practically invincible?
"Doesn't that mean this mission is way too dangerous?" Tobirama asked, his usually composed tone faltering slightly. "If we run into someone like that, we could be in trouble. One punch, and we're finished!"
His words voiced the unspoken fears of the group. The thought of such a dangerous adversary made everyone uneasy. This bald, caped man was no joke.
Of course, not everyone was worried. Naruto, ever the optimist, chimed in. "I don't think it'll be that bad. After all, he's just one person, and the world's a big place!"
"Even if we run into that guy, as long as we're careful and avoid fighting with him, we'll be fine," Naruto said optimistically.
Tobirama couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Do you think that's possible?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't forget, in both previous missions across two different worlds, our goals were always in conflict with the locals. Especially the 'protagonist group' from other worlds—we always have to defeat them."
With Tobirama's reminder, the mood shifted. Everyone's expressions turned serious. He was right—this wasn't some friendly journey. Every mission so far had involved taking on powerful adversaries. This was no different.
They weren't just tourists hopping between worlds; they were essentially invaders, sent to plunder and wreak havoc. And that meant there was a high chance they'd be clashing with this "Caped Baldy."
At that moment, anxiety swept through the group.
Seeing their worry, Ryan spoke up, trying to calm them. "Alright, relax. It's not as bad as you imagine. I only brought him up as a warning." He paused, then added, "Once we get to the One Punch Man world, just leave that guy to me. You won't have to worry about him. Even if you're unlucky enough to run into him, he's not the type to attack without reason. Listen, as long as you don't irritate him, Saitama won't even notice you. He's not the type to pick a fight—unless you give him a reason. So, whatever you do, don't get on his bad side, and you'll be fine."
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief after hearing Ryan's reassurance. They had been tense, but knowing about such a laid-back invincible being made them feel more at ease.
The thought of this Saitama was still daunting, but with Ryan taking charge, they could afford to lower their guard—at least for now.
Ryan's strength was undeniable to everyone present. He was easily the strongest among them, without question. His victory over various rewards had granted him countless powerful abilities. When Ryan said he could handle Saitama they trusted that he would. The Hokages felt a sense of relief, reassured by Ryan's confidence.
As the group settled down, the familiar notification tone of the chat group echoed through the room. Everyone's attention shifted to the glowing light curtain in the center, where several bold lines of text appeared:
[Mission Released!]
[Mission 1: Defeat Saitama]
[Mission 2: Defeat all the Monsters Association]
[Mission 3: Defeat the Hero Association!]
After seeing the missions, the Hokages breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was just as they had anticipated—this mission in the world of One Punch Man was yet another villainous task. Their objectives were clear: defeat the world's "Protagonist," Saitama, along with the forces of both good and evil.
No matter how strong the beings in that world were, they would be the Hokages' targets—destined to be crushed and defeated.
However, Ryan's expression had grown more serious. Although he had reassured everyone earlier that he could handle Saitama, the truth was that dealing with him wouldn't be easy.
For all the other figures in the world, Ryan knew he could defeat them without much effort. But Saitama was an entirely different case—a truly unique existence. He was unlike anyone they had ever faced before.
Beyond the limitations of race and strength, Saitama had achieved limitless power. No one had ever been able to truly understand just how strong he was. So, if it came down to facing him, Ryan knew it would be no easy task—he'd have to push himself to the limit.
Luckily, one of the rewards Ryan had received in the past included a similar type of "limit-break" ability, just like Saitama's. This ability allowed him to grow stronger every time he reached his limits. Because of this, Ryan believed that he and Saitama might be on par in terms of raw power. And that didn't even account for Ryan's various other powerful abilities.
As for the other two tasks, they were more typical of the missions given by the chat group.
One mission was to defeat all the monsters. While these creatures were certainly formidable, they shouldn't pose much of a threat to the Hokages. Their combined strength would easily overpower the monsters.
The other mission was to defeat the Hero Association. The S-Class heroes within the Association were known to be quite powerful, but if the Hokages were serious, they'd have no problem handling them.
With the tasks laid out, the group began to prepare themselves mentally for the challenge ahead. At that moment, Ryan addressed the others:
"Alright," he said. "I've already briefed you all on the basics of this world. I think everyone has a good understanding of what to expect. Compared to the other worlds we've visited, the average power level here shouldn't be much higher. However, their technology is far more advanced than what we're used to, so keep that in mind."
The Hokages nodded thoughtfully, taking in Ryan's advice.
Everyone nodded solemnly, fully aware that this mission was no joke. Among them, Tobirama seemed unusually excited. The moment he heard the word "technology," he could barely contain himself.
Ryan had mentioned that the technology in the One Punch Man world was incredibly advanced. If that was true, Tobirama wondered if he could bring some of that technology back and use it to advance the level of development in their world.
This thought alone made his excitement grow even more. He could hardly wait to get there and see for himself.
At that moment, Ryan stood up and spoke. "Is everyone ready? Then let's go!"
As Ryan's words fell, a portal of shimmering, multicolored luminance appeared out of thin air in the meeting room. The radiant glow illuminated the faces of the Hokages, who all understood what this meant: stepping through that portal would take them to another world.
With Ryan leading the way, the Hokages, both nervous and excited, crossed into the vibrant gateway of light, ready to face the challenges that awaited them in the new world.