It was early in the morning when Andy arrived at Edward's place. Seeing Rex alive and well, a heavy weight lifted from his heart. Rex looked incredibly pale, but he was able to move around on his own.
"I knew you'd come today," Rex said, turning his head to look at Andy, his voice weak.
A faint smile touched Andy's lips. He pulled the blade out of his system space. "I named it Zhu Chi," he said simply. "'Chi' is an old word for a mountain demon, an elusive, mysterious spirit."
"A perfect name," Rex said with a soft sigh of praise. "It fits the aura of the blade perfectly."
Andy nodded, a confident gleam in his eyes. "Live well, Rex. I know you'll be watching as Demon Blade Zhu Chi shines brightly across the sea. When that time comes, the whole world will be shaken."
Rex's pale face showed a flash of the old madness. "Of course. The moment you decided to stay here for a year, I knew this blade had found its true owner. It's destined to leave a mark on history."
Andy said nothing more. He gave Rex a final, confident smile, then turned and left without a second thought. Rex watched him go, muttering to himself, "Zhu Chi... yes, an inexplicably fitting name for a Demon Blade..."
With the blade's creation complete, Andy was off to see another old friend. He left Reverse Country and, after half a day of travel, arrived in Black Anvil Country. A year had passed, but the place seemed unchanged. The bustling streets and the familiar clanging of hammers from the shops gave off a comforting sense of life.
Andy walked with a determined stride toward a specific gunsmith's shop. He pushed open the door and called out, "Boss Batt, my gun should be ready, right?" His voice echoed, catching everyone's attention.
"You are..." Batt looked up, not immediately recognizing the young man. He squinted, examining him for a moment, and then his confusion turned to surprise and excitement. "Red Hawk! You're back! Whoa, you've gotten so tall I almost didn't recognize you!"
In the past year, Andy's transformation had been incredible. He had grown from 2.36 meters to 2.85 meters, his body was more muscular, and his face had become more defined and resolute. His deep-set eyes seemed to hold the weight of countless stories.
The customers in the shop heard the commotion and all turned to look at Andy. A hush fell over the room. The name of the West Blue's Ultimate Evil, Red Hawk Andy, was known to all, an existence that had once made the entire sea tremble.
"Heh, it's me. I'm surprised you still recognized me," Andy said, a slight smile on his lips.
"Haha! Congratulations, Red Hawk! Demon Blade Zhu Chi has certainly made Reverse Mountain a lively place," Batt said with a hearty laugh, his eyes full of envy and admiration. Though he was a gunsmith, he had a deep appreciation for blades, especially a Twenty-One Crafts-grade Demon Blade.
"Of course. Demon Blade Zhu Chi is destined to achieve great things in my hands," Andy said, his calm voice filled with a powerful conviction that made people instinctively believe him.
"No one in Jinyan Mountain doubts that. Please, wait a moment. I'll get your gun now," Batt said earnestly, then hurried into the back room.
Andy ignored the staring patrons and walked around the shop, his eyes scanning the various guns on display.
Soon, Batt returned. "Red Hawk, this is your sniper rifle. Take a look. Are you satisfied?" He presented the rifle with both hands, a confident smile on his face.
Andy took his old friend into his hands and immediately noticed that it was heavier than before. It looked the same, but he could feel that it was far more powerful.
"This is amazing craftsmanship. Thank you, Boss Batt," Andy said, genuine admiration in his voice.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. You're getting ready to leave Jinyan Mountain now, right? But..." At this point, Batt's expression grew mysterious. He looked around cautiously, then leaned in to whisper, "We got news that the new King of Skull Bay has already led seven warships toward Jinyan Mountain. I'm sure you know why."
Andy's eyes lit up with excitement. "A new king? Who is he? Most importantly, does he have a bounty?"
Batt was confused by Andy's reaction. He seemed happy to hear that someone was coming to fight him. Still, he relayed the information he had. "He's one of Duke Hegu's adopted sons, a man named Sabrino. He had a bounty of 71 million Berries. After you took out Duke Hegu, Skull Bay was a mess. Sabrino took out the other adopted sons and became the new king. He's quite a political schemer."
Andy didn't care about Sabrino's political skills. He only cared about the 71 million Berries bounty. He still had 130 million bounty points, and defeating Sabrino would give him another 71 million. That would be enough for a massive power upgrade.
"This is very important information. Thank you, Batt. I'm leaving. Goodbye!" Andy said excitedly. He pulled out a few million Berries from his system space, slammed them on the table, and strode out of the shop.
Batt watched him go and sighed. "Just as I'd expect from the Red Hawk. Seven warships—that's the power of a small nation—and he's not even a little worried."
Andy arrived at the sea, where the wind howled and the waves crashed against the shore. He took a deep breath, feeling completely refreshed. After being cooped up in Yanshan Country for so long, he was ready to face Sabrino and get back to the open sea.
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