Kuroda Hayate turned sharply—only to be met with a massive steel fist slamming into his body. Instinctively crossing his arms to block the blow, he braced against a strike larger than his entire torso. A tremendous force exploded on impact, sending his body flying like a broken kite. He hit the ground hard, landing in a disheveled heap.
Coughing up blood, Hayate wiped the corner of his mouth and stood up slowly. Pain pulsed through his entire body. His eyes narrowed at the enormous metallic arm that had struck him.
"What the hell…"
The mechanical fist was still expanding, pulling in every scrap of metal nearby. The village's buildings, many of which had steel support beams, collapsed one by one. Panicked villagers scattered, shrieking in fear.
"It's him! The real demon—Eustass Kid! Run for your lives!"
Hayate struggled to stay composed as he observed the towering figure before him—a burly man with spiky red hair and an unsettling grin. The villagers' fear now made perfect sense. This man wasn't just dangerous—he was chaos incarnate.
Kid stood tall, red goggles perched on his head and a tattered crimson coat flaring behind him. A dagger and pistol hung from his belt, and his colossal steel arm radiated sheer menace. His face twisted into a sneer as he barked, "Heh heh… Pathetic trash. I can't believe I had to get involved personally. Kira, you let me down!"
Kira flinched but tried to maintain composure. "Kid, I can finish him off. You didn't need to step in."
"Kid…?"
Hayate clenched the grip of his Desert Eagle, which trembled under a magnetic pull. This bastard was the one manipulating the bullets. That explained why his earlier shots had veered off course—this guy's ability had rendered them useless. Hayate cursed the waste of two rare bullets. Still, he understood now: this wasn't just another enemy. This was the boss the pirates had feared. Kid was no ordinary foe.
"Watch your mouth, garbage!" Kid growled. "You're not even worthy of speaking my name!"
With that, the steel monstrosity of an arm came crashing down toward Hayate. Kira, recognizing the incoming destruction, quickly leapt out of the way to avoid being crushed.
The gigantic arm slammed into the earth with a bone-rattling impact. The island shook violently, a booming tremor echoing across the landscape. A cloud of dust burst into the air. Entire structures crumbled, and the terrain was gouged open as if by an earthquake. The ground didn't stop quaking for several seconds.
Kira reappeared beside Kid with a sigh. "You've gone too far again. Half the village is gone. This is your birthplace, you know."
Kid scoffed. His magnetic arm now shed clumps of iron to the ground, revealing his normal hand underneath. There was no sign of Hayate in the dust. He curled his lip in disdain. "Tch. What a waste. I thought I'd get a decent fight. Crushed like an insect."
"Guess that's that," Kira muttered.
At that moment, three other pirates ran up. The first, a zombie-like man with his mouth sewn shut, blinked at the destruction and rasped, "This... This has to be Boss Kid again, right? We heard the explosions from miles away and came running."
A muscular brute with black horns shrugged. "Who else? When the boss gets pissed, everything turns to rubble. Sucks we missed it. What triggered him this time?"
Kira answered coolly, "Some short-haired punk. He's gone now."
"Short-haired?" the third pirate, a skinny guy with a chicken-combed haircut, chimed in. "Oh! I think I saw someone like that earlier—ordinary-looking, hurt, didn't think much of him. No way that guy survived Boss Kid's attack, though."
"Hmm?"
Kid turned and glared menacingly at the chicken-headed pirate, who froze mid-sentence. Realizing he'd crossed a line, the man backtracked fast. "R-Right, there's no way anyone survives your attacks, Boss! No one even comes close!"
Kid's snarl curled into a sinister grin. "Heh. Damn right."
Flicking his red coat dramatically, Kid turned to his crew. "Let's hit the bar. One last drink before we sail. The throne of the Pirate King will be mine."
The chicken-headed man exhaled in relief. Any slower, and he'd be decorating a wall. The group made their way to the pirate bar, spirits rising with anticipation.
BANG!
The bar door exploded inward, the heavy wooden plank falling with a crash. Kid stormed in, expecting raucous cheers—but the air was heavy, somber. A bald man lay unconscious on the floor.
Kid's expression darkened instantly. "What the hell happened here?"
A muscular pirate rushed over, holding out a brimming mug of ale. "Boss, I—"
Kid's punch landed with explosive force, sending the man flying. He didn't move again.
Uninterested in excuses, Kid looked past him to the voluptuous woman behind the bar. "You. Talk."
She sashayed over, pressing herself against Kid's broad chest. Her sultry expression didn't mask the nervous energy in her voice. "Ooh, Boss Kid… some short-haired guy came in and made a scene. He… he ended up killing Slow."
Kid's eyes narrowed. His voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "What's his name?"
The woman tapped her chin, blinking as she searched her memory. "Hmm… kind of hard to remember. I think it was something like… Kuroda Hayate?"