SUMMARY
The fight between Saitama and Garou continues on Jupiter’s Io, with Garou being gradually overcome by the hero. Garou realizes that Saitama is deliberately copying his movements. Saitama mocks him for believing he could imitate him because he’s serious and encourages him to try. Frustrated, Garou realizes that even if he replicates Saitama’s power, his next attack will hit even harder. Knowing that if this continues Saitama will eventually be able to hit him hard enough to kill him, Garou opens the gate and emerges with a straight punch fueled by his anger. Saitama grabs his fist but starts to feel something. With his clothes blown off and exposed to the extremely cold atmosphere, Saitama lets out a serious sneeze at Garou who barely manages to move out of the way.
The sneezes devastate the surface of Io and travel all the way to Jupiter itself, ripping apart the gas giant planet’s surface.The sneeze recoil launches both of them from Io into interplanetary space. Garou can see the Sun as they travel through space. With this in his vision, Garou tries to look around the Earth and successfully spots it, bringing it within teleportation range. After hitting Saitama with his nuclear fission, which caused a massive explosion, Garou opens a portal to teleport back to Earth, outside of its atmosphere. Without warning, Saitama suddenly appears behind him and praises Garou’s ability to open hyperspace portals, shocking him. Saitama explains to a confused Garou that after getting a stomach ache from the cold, the light from the earlier explosion caused him to fart, allowing him to reach the hyperspace gate in time.He slams the Garou down to earth, landing both of them right where their clash first began. Garou, realizing that all his efforts were in vain in the end, asks him why Saitama doesn’t kill him on the spot.
Saitama conveys his belief that he can never be cut out as a hero compared to Garou’s “quick-changing costumes” or King’s reputation. Still, he claims to be a hero, adding that it was his promise to “that kid” that he wouldn’t kill him. Garou wonders whose last request he had in mind, so he turns to see Tareo on the ground, having died from exposure to his cosmic radiation.With guilt mounting, Garou runs away, mourning that Tare’s death was caused by getting too close to him, seeing it as the price of being the sinister future. Confused by his behavior, Saitama wonders if someone did something to him and notes that he’s been asking questions strangely since he fell from the sky. Garou replies that if anything has happened to him, it’s because his spirit is too weak. He laments that being “Absolute Evil” is laughable when Saitama can beat him, only to act like he’s not good enough to be; he believes that Saitama could have killed him and allowed his wish to be truly evil to come true.
In the end, the one he wanted to save first after the world changed is now dead.Realizing that Garou always wanted to save Tareo, Saitama asked him if he was sticking by him as a support. Angered, Garou wonders what he knows about clinging, only to find that he is still holding Genos’ depleted core. The hero tells him that someone of his power can never keep his right mind, shocking the monster; after questioning Garou about what he will do now, Saitama is asked for a favor.]Garou asks the hero to copy his moves; Knowing that he is able to copy his techniques and surpass them even further, Garou informs Saitama that he will give him his most powerful technique, which he himself has never attempted. Although somewhat annoyed, Saitama complies. Garou begins to use his technique in Saitama’s testimony.
Suddenly, a voice emerges from the sky telling Garou that his powers must be returned. He suddenly begins to turn into salt, but once again focuses on helping Saitama.After replicating Garou’s time jump ability, the subatomic particles in Saitama’s body begin to move as one, causing him to travel back in time. Before “God” turns him into a pillar of salt, Garou tells Saitama to go and defeat the “sinister future”. Saitama travels back in time and arrives at the moment when Garou appeared before many heroes on the surface. As Garou looks up at the sky, Saitama defeats him with Zero Punch, the attack being abnormally activated on Io, defeating Hero Hunter with a punch that was technically never thrown.
As the heroes present look on in awe, a shocked Garou realizes that his power is escaping. The “future” Saitama is then drawn to his “past” self and after they make contact, they become one, with only Saitama now holding the Genos core from the future.Confused by what happened, Saitama just remembers being hit by Garou’s burst of gamma rays. He is soon shocked to see her holding a spent core. He is even more surprised when he sees a hole in the crotch of the costume. Suddenly, Genos rams into him; the disciple apologizes for getting carried away, but Saitama is instead surprised to see him still alive.
REVIEW
Chapter 168 of One Punch Man delivers a gripping and action-packed installment that will undoubtedly leave fans wanting more. The artwork is stunning, capturing the intensity of the battle with intricate details and dynamic illustrations. The fight scenes are visually captivating, showcasing the immense power and skills of both Saitama and Garou. The revelation of Garou’s power-up and monstrous transformation adds an exciting twist to the storyline, injecting a fresh sense of urgency and unpredictability.
This unexpected development keeps readers engaged and eager to see how the confrontation between Saitama and Garou will unfold.Furthermore, the chapter’s exploration of Garou’s backstory adds depth to his character and enhances the overall narrative. Understanding the motivations and experiences that shaped Garou’s journey provides a greater appreciation for his role as a complex antagonist. Overall, Chapter 168 of One Punch Man successfully balances intense action with significant character development. The combination of breathtaking artwork, shocking revelations, and emotional storytelling makes this chapter a must-read for fans of the series.
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