The recent chapters of the One-Punch Man manga feature the literal, earth-shaking battle between Saitama and Garou. In the process of achieving his goal to become "Ultimate Evil," Garou received powers from the mysterious character, God, making his presence a danger to all lives on planet Earth.
In chapter 166, the number one S-Class hero, Blast, tried to stop Garou, but the Hero Killer's powers far surpassed what Blast could handle. In the end, Garou ripped Genos's heart out, provoking Saitama to become serious for the first time. chapter 167 then featured a jaw-dropping clash between the two powerhouses that shocked One-Punch Man fans.
The Clash of the ‘Serious’ Fists
Towards the ending of chapter 166, Saitama lurched at Garou with his full strength, ready to strike the now cosmic character with a punch from his Serious Series arsenal. On the other hand, Garou was unaffected by this development since it was his plan to get Saitama to fight him at his “full strength” so he could copy the B-Class hero's moves. However, the moment their fists were about to collide, Blast remarked that the effect of their clash would be enough to destroy Earth or render it uninhabitable. To prevent that from happening, Blast tried to warp the duo to a distant location; however, their powers were too strong for Blast to manipulate.
The S-Class hero’s actions were about to backfire until some strange existences showed up to assist him. From their comments and shadow appearances, fans can assume that these individuals are from another planet or other "worlds." Either way, they assisted Blast in successfully warping Saitama and Garou away from the Earth, saving millions of lives in the process. In space, both Saitama and Garou's fists finally collided, resulting in a catastrophic shock wave that presumably wiped out planets from space. One can only imagine what would have happened to Earth if Saitama and Garou clashed in it. The force of the duo’s clash, combined with Blast’s warp, transported them to one of Jupiter’s moons, Io. Facts-wise, the estimated time it would take a spaceship to reach Jupiter is a little over six years. Still, Garou and Saitama reached the planet's moons within moments, surprising One-Punch Man readers.
The Fight On Jupiter’s Moon
After the duo arrived on moon Io, one of Jupiter’s caustic moons, Garou was surprised and wanted to call off their match temporarily to figure out how to get back to Earth. Interestingly, Saitama remained cool-headed, unfazed that he was on one of Jupiter's moons light-years away from Earth. To examine the fight's setting, the moon Io's atmosphere is very thin, devoid of the abundant presence of oxygen. Further, the moon's surface is lava-oriented, meaning it's not even safe to step on Io's surface. Still, Saitama and Garou dueled on the hellish platform, exchanging powerful blows, being able to breathe and walk on the moon’s surface.
Before the fight, Saitama commented that he would finally be able to use his full strength for the first time. Although this is something the B-Class hero has always looked forward to, the situation he was in wasn’t exactly “thrill-worthy.” In fact, it saddened Saitama following the circumstances that led to the battle: Genos’s possible death. The fight on Io opened with Saitama challenging Garou to attack him, stating that one of his fists was enough to tackle him. Indeed, one fist was truly enough as Saitama was able to land heavy blows on Garou with just one hand. Next, Garou tried attacking Saitama using Hyper Space gates, but it was a useless effort as Saitama thwarted the dimensional gates effortlessly. This development triggered Garou to use a multi-directional attack move that allowed him to attack from countless directions simultaneously. Combining this move with other equally powerful attacks, Garou managed to land blows on Saitama, who remained unharmed.
In the next instant, Saitama makes a move that is the most shocking in chapter 167. Using a move he called "Serious Table Flip,” Saitama was able to destroy the moon Io by using a flipping-like move. Io is roughly bigger than Earth's moon, and Saitama was able to destroy it with minimal effort. This feat is currently one of the biggest in the One-Punch Man series. The destruction of Io allowed Saitama to use the fractured moon parts as a stepping stone to attack Garou from countless directions. The two powerful individuals zig-zagged on the shattered Io at speeds possibly exceeding light speed, with Saitama taking the lead. Saitama’s attacks were so intense that even Garou lost his sense of direction.
Towards the end of chapter 167, Garou finally admits Saitama's strength. In his words, “He’s limitlessly strong! So Strong!” These words harbor a tone of desperation, resulting from Garou’s fruitless efforts in his attempt to defeat Saitama. The chapter then ended with Garou trying to copy Saitama’s, once again, but out of desperation and a weak strategy. At this point in the fight, it is clear that Saitama will win the battle. Regardless, the tricks Garou might pull up next will be worth the read. Above all, one major fact chapter 167 tells fans is that Saitama is strong enough to destroy planets.