Chapter 39 (Vigilantes)

Kazuho Haneyama catches Koichi Haimawari drilling his Scrappy Thrust Style and shuts it down. Firing projectiles takes a license, she argues, and harmless or not, a passing officer or pro would land him in real trouble. Koichi concedes and patrols alone, since schoolwork keeps Kazuho behind.

He runs into Octoid, whose Octopus (Squid) Quirk and frightening raw strength mark him as a Next-Level Villain. Without backup, Koichi settles for herding civilians clear and baiting the villain's attention until the authorities arrive. Keeping his distance works until Octoid starts hurling rocks hard enough to send him running.

At the Recycle Shop: Hoppers, Jiro Hotta and Ichiro Hotta are midway through selling an illegal baldness drug when Shota Aizawa walks in and the buyer bolts. Pressed on why he keeps darkening their door, he says Naruhata's black market is where Trigger rumors surface, adds that a stop here settles him before patrol, and compliments their coffee, which only irritates them further.

A flying stone shatters the storefront. Outside, the three find The Crawler shouting at people to take cover. He and Aizawa recognize each other from the hero's clash with Knuckleduster months earlier, and Koichi plays innocent until a scream cuts the questioning short. Octoid has turned on two girls. Erasure does nothing to him, so Aizawa concludes he is another Villain Factory subject. The capturing weapon binds the villain, then two tentacles erupt from his torso and leave the hero badly wounded. As Octoid moves in to finish him, Koichi plants himself in the way with a repulsion beam ready.

Kazuho warns Koichi that unlicensed projectile attacks would expose him to police or pro heroes.

Octoid debuts, and Erasure proves useless against him, marking him as Villain Factory handiwork.

Aizawa is severely wounded by tentacles hidden inside Octoid's torso.

Koichi steps in to protect Eraser Head, putting the vigilante face to face with a pro.

The thirty-ninth chapter of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and drawn by Betten Court, running twenty-one pages in Volume 6 and released on October 13, 2018.

It belongs to the Team Ups arc, introduces Octoid, and is adapted in Episode 17 of the Vigilantes anime. Knuckleduster appears only in a flashback.