Kid spun around just in time to see Yamato leaping high into the air, her kanabo crackling with lightning as it came crashing down toward him.
"Magnetism—Iron Fist!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Kid swung up his massive mechanical arm, clenching it into a steel fist to meet Yamato's strike head-on.
BOOM!
The huge arm made of scrap metal crumpled like paper under the impact of Yamato's kanabo, shattering into pieces that scattered across the ground.
"What the—?!"
Stunned that his attack had been destroyed so easily, Kid's eyes widened in disbelief just before Yamato's kanabo came down again.
PFFFT!
Blood spurted from his mouth as his body shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through one building after another before vanishing into a cloud of dust.
"Tsk~ Such an arrogant tone. I thought he was some kind of powerhouse. Is that all there is?"
Yamato clicked her tongue in disappointment. She had taken Kid's boasting and that giant metal arm as signs of a real powerhouse—but he was just a paper tiger.
Not bothering to check the rubble, Yamato slung her kanabo over her shoulder and turned to leave. But before she could take a step, movement stirred in the dust.
"Cough cough cough... spit~"
"Killer, you all right?"
"I'll live… but Kid, I don't think today's ending well for us."
"Hahaha! All the better! Let's go down swinging!"
From the swirling dust, Kid and Killer emerged again, battered but defiant.
"Well, well~ You've got some fight in you after all. Good! Let's see what else you've got, and try to entertain me this time!"
Seeing Kid still full of spirit, Yamato's interest piqued. Maybe he wasn't totally worthless after all.
"Damn it… Magnetism—Giant Mechanical Arm!"
As Kid spread his arms wide, every sword, blade, and scrap of metal in the plaza—and even further away—began flying toward him.
"Huh? What kind of power is that?"
Feeling her own kanabo tugging toward Kid, Yamato's eyes lit up with excitement as she studied him closely.
In the distance, Nojiko and Kuina almost lost grip of their blades as the pull yanked at their weapons. They hurriedly tightened their grips, watching Kid with wary eyes.
"Wow! He can control metal?!" Chopper exclaimed, fur standing on end.
"It must be some kind of magnetic power," Robin said calmly, holding her necklace to her chest.
"Correct. The Magnet-Magnet Fruit—grants control over metal," Leno added coolly, casting a disdainful glance at Kid. Of all Devil Fruit users in the seas, none misused a god-tier ability worse than this 'Iron-Headed Fool.'
A fruit of divine potential, yet he used it like a blunt hammer—utterly pathetic.
While they spoke, Kid's arms had already transformed into colossal mechanical limbs. He grinned fiercely and shouted:
"Magnetism—Repel!"
"!!??"
Across from him, Yamato frowned, unsure what he meant—until a storm of gathered metal shot toward her like a torrential downpour.
Her heart skipped a beat. She instantly cloaked herself in Armament Haki, swinging her kanabo with hurricane speed to block the barrage.
But when pieces struck her, she realized they barely even hurt. She froze—then exploded with rage.
"You bastard! Are you mocking me?!"
"Magnetic Demon—Form up!"
All the scattered metal surged back to Kid, molding around him in seconds until he stood as a towering steel giant, more than ten meters tall.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Tremble before my ultimate form! Magnetism—Vise Grip!"
The giant's massive arms slammed together, trying to crush Yamato between them.
WHOOSH!
Yamato vaulted out of the crushing range and sprinted up one arm toward the giant's head.
"Think size makes you strong? Then take this—something I just mastered!"
As she leapt, the kanabo in her hands began to glow with flickering arcs of black-and-red lightning. A terrifying pressure spread outward.
"That's…!!!"
From afar, Hancock and the others gasped—they knew this aura too well.
Recently, when Leno had been teaching Kuina, Yamato, and the others how to imbue Conqueror's Haki into their attacks, they'd seen this phenomenon more than once. None expected Yamato to have already mastered it.
Leno smiled proudly and nodded. His teaching was paying off—he could call himself 'Teacher Roshi, the Second'. His eyes then drifted toward Kuina, curious whether she, his earliest student, had also learned Conqueror's infusion.
Before anyone could speak further, Yamato had already reached the giant's head. Her kanabo flared with a blinding red light.
"Thunderclap Eight Trigrams—Thunder Bagua!"
"What the hell is that?!"
Encased in layers of steel, Kid looked up at the descending crimson glow. The overwhelming force froze him in place—he couldn't even react before it struck.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The giant of iron collapsed like tofu under a hammer, completely obliterated by Yamato's blow.
The ground caved in, forming a massive crater as a shockwave tore outward, shredding nearby buildings into dust. Cracks split the plaza in every direction—the scene looked like the end of the world.
In the distance, Hancock and Leno shielded everyone behind them from the violent blast.
When the dust finally settled, the plaza was gone—nothing remained but a gaping pit surrounded by ruins.
"W-wow… When did Yamato get that strong?!" Chopper poked his head out from behind Leno, fur bristling.
"Sugoi! So tell me, dummy—can Yamato beat you now?" Nami asked, eyes gleaming.
"Smack~"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Leno flicked her forehead, exasperated. "She just got the hang of it. Beat me? Hah! Maybe in another hundred years."
"Hmph! Don't act so smug. One day I'll have Kuina, Yamato, and Hancock gang up on you—then we'll see how cocky you are!"
Nami rubbed her forehead, muttering under her breath.
"Come on, let's take a look. Maybe there are survivors who need healing."
When the group approached, Yamato was still standing there, dazed, savoring the lingering thrill of her strike.
"Not bad at all, Yamato. You've finally taken that step forward."
Leno walked up and patted her shoulder, smiling with genuine pride.
"Ah? Y-yeah, guess I did! Heh, I knew I was the best!"
"Hahahahaha!"