When Ark Maxim docked at the Hachinosu pier, Kid was the first to jump off.
He slammed his feet on the stone pier, causing two fine cracks to appear in the stone slabs beneath his feet.
The robotic arm slammed into the ground, the metal striking the stone surface with a crisp "clang".
The soldiers from Hachinosu, lined up on the dock, all turned to look at him, their eyes filled with a mixture of wariness and amusement.
" Roy--!"
Kid yelled at the top of his lungs toward the Ark Maxim, pointing his right metal arm forward.
I challenge you! Now! Immediately!
There was a moment of silence on the dock.
Then came a murmur.
A few seasoned veterans leaned against the cargo box, amusement playing on their lips.
The green recruits looked at each other, wondering who this red-haired, spiky guy was and how he dared to call Roy by his first name on Hachinosu.
Several heads peeked out from the side of the ship Ark Maxim.
Yamato looked down, carrying his spiked club, his expression like that of someone looking at a wild cat that didn't know its own limitations.
Jesus Burgess grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
Hawk Eyes leaned against the mast, not even lifting his eyelids.
Roy did not show up.
Tesoro, who came out of the port dispatch office, chimed in.
"The boss doesn't have time to play house with you."
Tesoro walked up to Kid with a nonchalant tone.
"However, there are plenty of people on Hachinosu to keep you company."
Tesoro's slightly dismissive words made Kid's expression freeze for a moment, then his face turned bright red.
What he hated most in his life was being looked down upon, especially being treated like air so casually.
Who do you think you are!
Kid's Magnet-Magnet Fruit power activated with a bang.
The metal on the dock suddenly went berserk.
The swords at the soldiers' waists, the iron hoops on the cargo boxes, the spare anchor chains piled in the corner, and even the iron nails on the ships moored in the distance all rose into the air.
Dozens of metal objects floated in mid-air, humming and vibrating, and instantly formed a metal arm.
Kid's robotic arm pointed towards Tesoro.
Energy gathers in the palm of your hand.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
This is not a place for you to act recklessly!
Tesoro's Rumble-Rumble Fruit domain silently spread out from beneath his feet, golden arcs of electricity shooting out along the ground, covering the entire dock like a spider web.
The electric current traveled through the air, through the metal, and through Kid's body.
Kid felt a churning sensation inside his body.
The feeling was so strange, like something inside his body had short-circuited.
The flow of magnetic force became instantly disordered, nerve signals became intermittent, and even the bending of fingers became sluggish.
The magnetically controlled metal arm instantly disintegrated, crashing to the ground with a series of thuds, piling up haphazardly.
Kid's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
The Magnet-Magnet Fruit... has it stopped working?
He had never encountered anything like this since he ate the fruit.
Electromagnetic force is an integral part of his body; it's his fighting instinct, as natural as breathing.
But now, that power seemed to have been forcibly pulled out of his body and locked behind a door he couldn't open.
"This... how is this possible!"
Tesoro pushed up his glasses, his expression indifferent, but his eyes held undisguised contempt.
"You don't even understand basic common sense like electromagnetic force is ineffective against electric current, yet you dare to cause trouble on Hachinosu?"
Kid's face turned from red to purple.
Shame and anger surged to the top of my head, and reason evaporated instantly.
Stop being so smug!
Conqueror's Haki erupted suddenly.
Black and red Inazuma exploded from his body, carrying the aftershocks of magnetic force, spreading outwards like a shockwave.
On the dock, several soldiers who were standing too close were pushed back by the blast wave.
Kid pushed off with his feet, trying to force his way forward.
He wanted to tear that smiling face off.
But as soon as he took half a step, an even heavier, colder, and more undeniable Conqueror's Haki pressed down from above.
The terrifying power instantly forced Kid's Conqueror's Haki back into his body, making him feel like a wild beast with its throat being choked, his limbs and bones stiffening.
His knees buckled suddenly, and he almost knelt on one knee on the stone slab.
The veins on his forehead bulged, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Roy slowly stepped off the deck of the Ark Maxim.
The black trench coat was billowing in the sea breeze, fluttering behind him.
Roy walked towards Kid step by step, each step feeling like it was landing on Kid's heart.
When the figure walked up to Kid, the invisible pressure made Kid feel like a child standing in front of an adult.
Roy's eyes were calm, but Kid could sense that beneath that calm lay something powerful enough to crush him into dust.
Want a challenge?
Roy spoke, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach the ears of everyone present.
"Okay."
He turned his head and gestured with his chin toward Tesoro.
"Take him to the training ground. If he wants to play, play with him as much as he wants."
Tesoro suppressed his cold smile and gave a slight bow.
"Understood, boss."
Roy turned and walked toward the island, then stopped after a few steps, adding without turning back:
"Don't kill him. He might be useful."
Kid clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.
Roy had already gone far away, but the lingering aura of his Conqueror's Haki still weighed on him, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
Tesoro dusted off his suit, turned to look at Kid, and put on that smile that made Kid uncomfortable again.
"Let's go, red-haired kid. The training ground is this way."
Kid had no choice.
Training ground
When Kid was brought to the center of the field, there was already someone standing on the opposite side.
Yamato.
She carried Genzo's spiked club, her ponytail tied high, and her expression was somewhat lazy and casual.
Seeing Kid approach, she looked him up and down and then curled her lip.
"Him? Boss, you really trust me to let you practice?"
"Stop talking nonsense."
Kid gritted his teeth and lifted the robotic arm.
"Come!"
Yamato sighed, took the spiked club off his shoulder, and slammed the head of the club onto the ground.
"Alright. You go first."
Kid didn't stand on ceremony.
With the magnetic force fully activated, metal scraps, broken weapon remains, and even iron filings from the soil were all pulled out of the ground.
A giant metal fist materialized on his right arm and slammed towards Yamato with a whooshing sound.
Yamato raised his spiked club and gently flicked it.
The metal fist was deflected mid-air, grazing Yamato's shoulder before slamming into the ground and creating a large crater.
Before Kid could react, Yamato was already right in front of him, his knee pressing against his abdomen.
"Puff--!"
Kid was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground. The excruciating pain in his abdomen nearly made him vomit everything in his stomach.
He struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Wow, that was fast.
He didn't even see how Yamato moved.
Even though he didn't use any Devil Fruit abilities, just pure physical skills and Haki, the speed and power completely exceeded his expectations.
"Again."
Yamato beckoned with his finger.
Kid roared and charged forward, unleashing his mechanical arm, magnetic projectiles, and metal storm—he used every means at his disposal.
But Yamato was like a moving wall, each attack was precisely blocked or dodged, and then he was retaliated with a simple and brutal punch or kick.
Each blow was excruciatingly painful, each blow made him realize that the gap between them was even greater than he had imagined.
Yamato didn't even use the Okuchi no Makami Fruit, yet he still beat him to a pulp.
A dozen minutes later, Kid lay on the ground, panting like a dehydrated fish.