The news of Hawkeye's arrival at Reverse Mountain spread like wildfire, drawing the attention of every major force in the world. Marines, pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and even hidden intelligence agencies acted like sharks circling blood, moving swiftly to confirm his presence.
Their investigations quickly uncovered the shocking reason for Hawkeye's journey: a fifteen-year-old boy named Andy, who had already achieved the legendary rank of a Sword Master.
Given Hawkeye's singular obsession with swordsmanship, the world immediately began to speculate that Andy's astonishing talent was what had captured his intense interest.
This news only fueled the curiosity and concern of these powerful groups. However, Andy himself remained completely oblivious to the chaos his presence was causing.
He was fully immersed in his work with Rex, consumed by their shared goal of forging a masterpiece sword. For the past year, their collaboration had progressed smoothly, with Andy dedicating all his time and focus to the task.
After a quick meal, Andy hurried back to Rex's underground forge, the place where they were turning their dreams into reality. This was their sanctuary, a place of creation and miracles.
Three months passed in a flash. Rex's underground forge, nestled within a magical, heat-resistant forest in Wano Country, was finally ready for its most crucial step. It was time to add the final, most important materials: crimson aurora magma and obsidian profound steel ore.
"The moment has finally arrived," Rex said, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and anticipation. His hands, calloused and scarred from years of forging, held the precious materials with the reverence of a man holding his life's dream.
Andy didn't say a word, simply giving Rex a firm, determined look as he assisted him. Taking a deep breath, Rex carefully placed the crimson aurora magma and obsidian profound steel ore into the furnace.
Instantly, the entire underground workshop was bathed in a fiery red light. The two materials began to fuse at a staggering temperature of nearly three thousand degrees, hissing and coiling together like venomous snakes locked in a fierce battle.
"The temperature's not high enough!" Rex cried out, his face contorting in panic. He tossed the thermometer aside and pressed his bare palm against the scorching furnace wall. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, but he didn't seem to notice. "It's 2,692 degrees! We're still three hundred short of the critical point!"
Andy reacted immediately, pulling on the bellows with all his strength. Sixteen air inlets roared to life, and a powerful surge of air rushed into the furnace. Under the super-high heat, the molten liquid boiled violently, slowly taking shape into a two-meter-long blade embryo.
Rex stared at the nascent blade, his eyes sparkling with a mix of madness and joy. This was the first time in his life he had ever reached this stage in forging a Great Grade sword. Just reaching this point was a third of the way to success.
Once the embryo was formed, Rex quickly pulled it from the furnace. Now came the true test of his skill. To give the blade its final form, it had to be hammered a thousand times. Rex called this process "Bone Forging and Soul Shattering."
The moment the first hammer blow landed, a loud clang echoed through the forest, startling the fire-red birds into flight. Rex's bare chest gleamed with sweat, his muscles pulsing with the rhythm of his forging. He swung the special hammer—forged from Sea Stone and star iron alloy, weighing over a ton—with practiced ease, each blow a blur of motion.
Andy watched intently, his sharp senses capturing the subtle changes within the blade. Sparks rained down on both of them, leaving small burn marks on Rex's skin, but he seemed not to notice, lost in the fever of creation.
Seven months later, the most dangerous part of the process arrived: the quenching stage. When Rex plunged the incandescent blade embryo into the living cold spring, something unexpected happened. The microorganisms in the spring went wild, and the ghostly blue water transformed into thousands of tentacles that wrapped tightly around the blade.
"This is bad!" Rex yelled. Thinking quickly, he added a special coolant to the spring. A determined and calm expression settled over his face as he battled the living water, fighting a desperate war against fate.
Finally, Rex found his chance and hammered three obsidian profound steel nails into the sword's guard. Instantly, dark purple patterns, like veins, spread across the blade's surface. This was a critical step in imbuing the blade with the properties of a cursed sword, bringing them one step closer to success.
The blade embryo continued to undergo a cycle of cooling, heating, and forging, each step bringing it closer to completion.
Another year and two months passed. The blade in the furnace was now almost finished. Even if they were to take it out now, it would be a powerful weapon, teetering on the line between a Skillful Grade and a Great Grade sword. Rex looked at the blade, his eyes filled with a feverish excitement, knowing they were finally on the last leg of their journey.
"Hey, Rex, I got the food," Andy announced, walking into the workshop. "Go get something to eat. I'll watch the furnace."
Rex snapped out of his trance. "Alright. Oh, and Andy, I'm going to see Edward Newgate in a bit. I'll need his help for the next part."
"Sounds good," Andy nodded. "I don't know anything about forging, so you do whatever you think is best."
"Hahaha, don't you worry, Andy," Rex said, a confident smile on his face. "This time, I'm going to forge you a top-tier Great Grade sword!"
Andy was a little confused. Rex seemed more excited than he was. But he didn't dwell on it, figuring it was just because his dream was finally coming true. After Rex ate, he told Andy to keep the fire burning and left to find his younger brother, Edward Newgate.
To Andy's surprise, Rex was gone for two days. In the ten months they had been working together, Rex had rarely left the forge, and when he did, he was never gone for more than half a day.
Andy wondered why he would risk leaving the work now, but Rex didn't offer any explanation. When he returned, he was even more excited than before, the madness in his eyes completely unmasked.
They continued their work, and the blade, now almost complete, gleamed with a cold, menacing light. Andy couldn't help but feel a thrill of his own.
A year later, Rex began to weaken the fire in the furnace while Andy was out getting food. As he worked, his younger brother, Edward Newgate, appeared. With him was a terrifying Hellfire Magma Lizard, a creature that ate magma and whose blood was the hottest in the world.
"Brother, are you sure about this?" Edward Newgate asked, his voice filled with concern. "You know there's no guarantee this will turn it into a true cursed sword."
Rex stared at him, his gaze intense. "Edward Newgate, don't try to talk me out of it. I've waited decades for this moment, and Andy gave me this chance. I have to make this a perfect cursed sword for him!"
Edward Newgate saw the unshakeable determination in his brother's eyes and sighed. "I understand. I'll help you with this last step."
"Thank you, brother," Rex said, a wave of relief washing over him.
The two began the final process. Rex approached the furnace, his hands trembling as he pulled out the finished black blade. The Hellfire Magma Lizard saw the blade and thrashed wildly, trying to escape, but Rex was too fast. He plunged the tip of the sword into the lizard's head.
A horrible, ear-splitting scream filled the underground space. As Rex and Edward Newgate watched, red, vein-like patterns spread across the blade, and tiny serrations on the edge opened and closed as if they were breathing. The sword was absorbing the lizard's blood, and the creature's body shriveled as the last drop was drained.
Edward Newgate then walked forward and touched the sword. The blade hummed like a newborn baby's cry, and every metal tool in the workshop exploded. He pulled the blade out of the lizard's head and pointed it at Rex. "Brother, I know I can't change your mind, but I have to ask one more time. Are you absolutely sure? This could kill you."
Rex threw his head back and laughed. "Edward Newgate, this is my last chance! Do it! Only my heart's blood can turn this into a true cursed sword!" He ripped open his shirt, exposing his chest.
Edward Newgate knew there was no stopping him. With a pained expression, he gritted his teeth and plunged the tip of the blade into Rex's chest. Decades of sword-forging memories flowed from Rex's blood into the blade, and it burst forth with a brilliant red light.
With his last breath, Rex roared, "Now! Transform for me!"
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