The Greatest Robot on Earth

The Greatest Robot on Earth ("Chikyū saidai no robotto" 地上最大のロボット) is a chapter of the Astro Boy manga which originally ran in Shonen magazine in March 1964.

Plot Summary
A sultan called Chochi Chochi Ababa the Third has a built a robot named Pluto to be the king of all robots. He sends him to fight seven other powerful robots to prove that they are indeed the greatest on Earth. His first stop is Switzerland, where a robot named Montblanc is chopping down trees. He gets caught off guard as Pluto successfully kills his first target then leaves to fight Astro Boy.

Astro and his family hear the news of Montblanc's destruction when Pluto suddenly arrives. As their fight began, Professor Ochanomizu demanded that he fight him too. Pluto explained the situation and said it only fights robots. Ochanomizu refused to let Astro fight him, so he decides to leave Astro alone for now and go to his next target. Astro demands the professor upgrade his horsepower one thousand times so he has a chance. Furious Ochanomizu calms down by assuring him that strength doesn't matter, but Uran is upset.

Meanwhile in Scotland, a robot butler named North #2 detects Pluto nearby as an enemy, having heard of Montblanc. His master is terrified by this, but he allows North to fight him, yet only catch him. So that she can analyze him. Despite North's six arms, which get replaced by weapons, North is defeated. Much to his master's horror. The sultan demanded Pluto go back to Japan to fight Astro. Only Uran is home and asleep, she gets a phone call demanding Astro to fight Pluto. Uran gets the idea of dressing up like Astro. Pluto is not fooled, Uran lacked her brother's powers, so he decided to take her as a hostage to lure Astro to him. Someone saw him and informed Astro and his parents, causing Astro to leave.

Astro Boy heard Pluto somewhere on a beach, he agreed to fight him in exchange for Uran. But suddenly, Brando, the top Turkish wrestler appeared out of the ocean. He demanded Astro to destroy Pluto to avenge his friend, Montblanc, threatening to destroy Astro if he did not comply. Pluto agreed but returns Uran first, Brando turned into a ball and dragged him into the ocean, where he then laid in pieces, but not before giving Pluto a challenge. Astro pushes a button on him to call his master and leaves. The sultan is furious with Pluto's creator, Dr. Abullah, that Pluto almost got finished. He has him modify Pluto so that if he loses another fight, he'll explode so that his defeater will go down as well!

While Astro's family as discussing what to do, German robot inspector Gerhardt arrived. He wants to arrest Pluto to find out who's manipulating him, he asks that Astro becomes a witness to his upcoming trial, he gladly agrees. During a rainstorm near Jung Brumen, Germany, Gerhardt gives Pluto a warrant for his arrest. Pluto simply ignores it, so Gerhardt is forced to use force. The guns on his chest do nothing, so he tries a sneak attack underground, although he couldn't be zapped by Pluto's horns due to his zeronium alloy, he still defeats him by ripping him in two.

Professor Ochanomizu leaves in his jet somewhere while Astro secretly follows behind. They arrived at the sultan's secret lab where the professor demanded what he's doing with Pluto and where he is. Pluto just arrived, the sultan reveals that he wants world domination, he was banished by his own country. Dr. Abullah suspects Astro nearby, so he has Ochanomizu dumped in a pit of robot alligators where he is saved by Astro. The sultan shoots Ochanomizu's giant nose, but he demands that Astro and Pluto take the fight outside. Pluto seemed to run away during the fight, but he secretly didn't want to destroy Astro since he saved his life. He has him go home with the professor calling the current match a draw. Abullah is sure Astro will come back wounded as long as they have the professor.

In Acropolis, Greece, the last two greatest robots, warrior Hercules and Australian Epsilon, meet. Epsilon has Pluto's letter to Hercules, he suggests that they fight him together, but Hercules refuses due to his sense of honor. Meanwhile, Astro has requested Dr. Tenma to upgrade him to one million horsepower. Chochi Chochi Ababa the Third reveals his past Ochanomizu, he to used to take money from all his subjects until they rebelled and drove him out. He was hoping to use Pluto to get his country back but then decided to conquer the entire world instead. Ochanomizu demanded Abullah on why he's working for the sultan, but he just ignore him. Pluto goes off to fight Hercules while Epsilon watches from behind a pillar. While seemed like Hercules had the upper hand, Pluto uses his own spear to take off the arm holding his shield. Hercules snapped it then fired parts of his body at Pluto, but when he pinned down on his horns Pluto sent electromagnetic pulses to completely destroy him. Pluto then demanded Epsilon to fight him now, but he insisted they do it in his own country so he can say goodbye to the children.

Dr. Tenma brings Astro to where he was born, Uran is excited but Tenma warns Astro that he may go berserk. This immediately happens after the operation, Astro immediately begins his second fight with Pluto in the ocean. However, the modifications make him run away, Pluto thinks he has sunken much to the shock and sadness of both Tenma and Uran, who demands Pluto to bring him back. Reluctantly, Pluto agreed, but only if Uran will be her friend, he gets Epsilon's help after he said his own goodbyes. They find Astro, but Epsilon regrettably leaves Pluto in the ocean silt so they wouldn't have to duel, though he changes his mind at the last minute. Pluto returns Astro to Japan and makes up with Uran, but he still insists that he fights him later.

Meanwhile, Ochanomizu assures the sultan that some robot will always than another. Dr. Abullah disappeared, he is so mysterious after all. Suddenly, someone named Dr. Goji arrived with a giant robot named Bora who's said to be even stronger than Pluto. He wishes for them to duel, but the angry sultan refuses. Astro has recovered but still has one million horsepower. Uran doesn't want Astro to fight Pluto but Tenma wishes him best of luck. Pluto chooses to fight Epsilon on a very stormy night, that way the sun won't power up his photon light rays, this allows him to emerge victorious, just in time for Goji to arrive. Astro uses his new horsepower to help people lift a ship out of the water, although they thank him, they secretly call him a monster. He then gets a letter from the sultan telling him to meet Pluto at Mt. Aso and Ochanomizu will die if he runs away!

At the volcano, Ochanomizu tries to escape using all the smoke, but is stopped by Goji and Bora. Astro Boy arrives and learns of Bora and how Pluto will blow up if he's defeated, Goji knew this because he is also Dr. Abullah, he wanted to see Pluto destroyed in front of the arrogant sultan. Astro decides to lure Pluto into the volcano, but during the fight it begins to erupt. To protect the surrounding towns, Astro uses rocks to make a mini-mountain on top, Pluto eventually helps out too despite only being designed for fighting, he decides that he's done fighting Astro. The sultan is furious, but Goji insists on Pluto fighting Bora. Bora gets the upper hand causing Astro to help out by running through him, both Pluto and Bora explode. The sultan is very sad, Dr. Abullah reveals that he is a robot himself, his former manservant. He built Bora after Pluto started destroying the other robots, he takes the sultan promising never to make robots again. Before they go home, Astro and Ochanomizu wonder why robots must fight without hatred, but the former still believes that they can one day all become friends and never fight again.

Characters

 * Astro Boy
 * Pluto
 * Uran
 * Sultan Chochi Chochi Ababa the Third
 * Dr. Abullah/Goji
 * Dr. Tenma
 * Epsilon
 * Gerhardt
 * Bora
 * Hercules
 * North #2
 * Brando
 * Montblanc
 * Astro's parents
 * Cobalt

Collected Volumes
This story has been collected in the following volumes:


 * Astro Boy, Volume 13 (Kodansha)
 * Astro Boy, Volume 3 (Dark Horse)