Reverse Mountain, an island built atop an active volcano, immediately assaulted Andy with a wave of scorching heat. He had already read up on the island's history and knew what to expect.
This was a land of fire and metal, where four volcanoes constantly spewed magma. Originally, it was an uninhabitable wasteland, but its unique geography held a valuable secret: incredibly rare ores perfect for crafting weapons. The crimson aurora magma inside the volcanoes was also an ideal heat source for forging.
Driven by this discovery, forging craftsmen settled here, braving the harsh environment to hone their skills. As the quality of their weapons became famous, merchants flocked to the island, and a town slowly formed.
Over time, the craftsmen organized themselves into four major systems: sword forging, firearms, armor, and large weapons. These systems eventually grew into four distinct nations.
The four countries were the Furnace Country, which specialized in large weapons and was located on the eastern coast; the Black Anvil Country, a hub for armor forging on the western slope; the Flint Country, a nation of firearms in the north; and the Wano Country, home to the best sword smiths, situated right in the center of the island.
While they were four separate countries, they governed themselves through a shared political system called the Great Furnace Council. Whenever an issue affected the entire island, representatives from all four nations would convene and vote.
The island also had a common organization called the Volcanic Priesthood, whose members could predict volcanic eruptions by observing the shifting patterns of the magma flow beneath the ground.
The southernmost part of the island remained a desolate wasteland because the magma from all four volcanoes converged and flowed in that direction. However, this also made the south the richest source of the island's special ores, so the four nations jointly managed and developed the area.
Because Reverse Mountain once forged a Supreme Grade Great Sword for a powerful figure in the World Government, it was recognized as a legal weapon export site. This brought in a constant flow of visitors from all over the world.
All major factions, from pirates to the Marines, came to the island, but there was a strict rule they all had to follow: no fighting was allowed. Andy found this political structure fascinating, but his main focus was on a particular mission, and he had enough information to start his search.
Andy finally chose to dock at the Black Anvil Country on the west slope. As the largest producer of flintlock guns in the West Blue, he was curious to see the quality of their sniper rifles. The port was bustling with all kinds of vessels, including those from the Marines and the World Government.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Mafias, pirates, and Marines all gathered here, yet they're getting along so well," Andy muttered, looking around with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "This is a rare sight."
He even spotted a ship flying the flag of the Iceberg Bay Gang, whose crew members seemed to recognize him. For a moment, they looked terrified. But then they remembered the island's strict rules and visibly relaxed, knowing he couldn't attack them. Andy merely gave them a passing glance and headed toward the main street.
Despite the intense heat, the town was a hive of activity. The people here had reddish skin, a result of the unique environment, and the women often wore revealing clothes, a popular fashion choice among the locals.
Andy wasn't interested in the sights, but he did notice the numerous weapon shops lining the street. Most were run by foreign merchants, but there were only three official shops belonging to the Black Anvil Country. He decided to try one of them.
The moment he stepped inside, the shop owner's eyes lit up. "Red Hawk, sir! I didn't expect you to visit our Black Anvil Country. It's a true honor!" The owner, an old man named Bart, said excitedly. "My name is Bart. How can I help you?"
Bart, also known as "Old Smoker," was a well-known gun seller. He immediately recognized Andy as the number one sniper in the West Blue, a man with a bounty of 110 million Berries. Gun sellers like him loved dealing with powerful individuals like Andy.
"Hello, Boss Bart!" Andy responded, a bit surprised by the man's enthusiasm. "I was wondering if you offer refurbishment services for sniper rifles. It might need a few minor modifications, too."
As he spoke, his rifle appeared in his hands as if out of thin air. It looked old and unremarkable, but it still exuded a powerful aura. Bart's eyes widened, and a wide grin spread across his face.
"Yes, we do!" he exclaimed without hesitation. "We have the best craftsmen and the finest materials here! We can definitely enhance your gun's performance while preserving its unique style. I promise you'll be more than satisfied with the final product!"
Bart's years of experience allowed him to understand all of Andy's requests in an instant. Hearing his confident reply, Andy felt a sense of relief.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you, Boss Bart," he said with a smile, gently handing over his old companion.
Bart carefully took the rifle with both hands as if it were a priceless treasure. "Red Hawk, sir, please rest assured! I will personally instruct our craftsmen to give this job two hundred percent of their effort!"
As a gun enthusiast, Bart deeply respected Andy and even refused to charge him for the service. Andy didn't push the issue. Instead, he asked about the legendary sword smith in Yanshan Country. After getting the information he needed and promising to pick up his rifle after returning, he left the Black Anvil Country.
Meanwhile, the situation in Wano Country was quite complicated. More than a decade ago, a revolution had been sparked by the descendants of the legendary sword smith.
After 500 years, only two descendants of the legendary smith remained, and their visions for the future of their country were completely different. Originally, Wano Country followed a high-end, custom-made model for its swords.
This meant they could only produce one-of-a-kind weapons, which had caused their country's development to fall far behind the other three nations on Reverse Mountain.
One of the descendants wanted to change this model. He proposed a shift from custom-made weapons to mass-produced, factory-made swords, believing this would allow them to sell weapons in large quantities and boost the country's economy. He argued that the high-end route was simply too demanding and uneconomical, as most of their forges ended up as failures.
Most of the people in the country supported this change. However, the other descendant opposed it, fearing that it would degrade their skills and eventually lead to them losing their ability to forge high-quality swords. His lifelong dream was to forge a weapon that could at least reach the level of a Great Grade Sword of the Twenty-One Grades, just like his ancestors.
Unfortunately, his ideas were only supported by a handful of people, as most citizens simply needed to make a living. Unable to stop the change, he left the country and set up his own forge to continue his research alone.
But forging a good weapon requires not just skill, but also materials. Without a source of income, he had to sell all of his valuable possessions and now depended on others to get by in Wano Country, all for the sake of his dream.
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