Andy took in the sight of the small island. It wasn't very big, with only a few sparse trees and some sweet potato fields scattered around. It was a poor, simple village. He could sense that his sudden appearance had put the villagers on edge, like a flock of startled cranes, but he didn't give it much thought. He just found a flat spot at the edge of the woods, set up his tent, and settled down for the night. He still had to cross the Red Line tomorrow.
Meanwhile, back in the village, the people watched the nearly three-meter-tall man. Seeing that he wasn't making a move to plunder them, they let out a small collective sigh of relief.
"Grandpa," a little boy piped up, his innocent eyes wide with admiration. "Isn't that the man from the newspaper today?"
A man standing nearby also recognized Andy. "It… it really seems to be him!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" The boy's grandfather, a stern, white-bearded old man who was also the village chief, cut in sharply. "And don't provoke him! We'll just pretend we don't know who he is and hope he leaves our village alone. Do you all understand?" He shot a final glare at his grandson. The newspaper had reported that this man, known as "Red Hawk," possessed a strange cursed sword and that he was a terrifying killer who could murder people for three days straight without flinching.
"We understand, Village Chief!" the villagers replied, their faces tense as they recalled the newspaper's frightening words about Red Hawk Andy.
The night passed peacefully for both sides. When the first light of dawn broke, the villagers were already up. It was clear they hadn't slept well; dark circles hung under everyone's eyes. It was hard to sleep when a rumored "god of death" was resting on your island.
When the sun finally rose, spreading its scorching rays across the sea, Andy emerged from his tent. After a quick wash in the river and a hearty breakfast, he packed up and prepared to leave Sweet Potato Village.
"Hey!"
Just as Andy was about to start his motorboat, the village chief's grandson called out. He looked at Andy with a mix of excitement and longing. "Big Brother, isn't being a sea adventurer a lot of fun?"
The village chief immediately clapped a hand over his grandson's mouth, and the other villagers' faces filled with terror. Andy turned his head and looked at the boy with an indifferent expression. "The seas are a world that devours men," he said. "We pirates love to eat soft, tender children like you!"
With that, he twisted the throttle, and the motorboat shot out onto the water, leaving Sweet Potato Village behind. The little boy was in for a rough time, as his parents and grandfather scolded him relentlessly. Though he cried loudly, the look in his eyes held an even stronger desire to go out to sea. He still thought Red Hawk Andy was amazing.
After leaving Sweet Potato Village, Andy continued his journey toward the Red Line. Based on the knowledge he had from the original story and the information he'd gathered, crossing Reverse Mountain shouldn't be a problem. As he got closer to the Red Line, his heart pounded with excitement. He'd never felt a thrill like this before.
As noon approached, he finally saw a large cluster of cumulonimbus clouds. He felt the ocean currents begin to pull his motorboat. "Finally, I'm reaching the Red Line," Andy murmured, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering stick. The propeller churned out a silver-white wake against the current.
The currents in this area pulled all ships toward the Red Line itself, not toward the canal entrance. If a ship didn't find the entrance in time, it would crash into the massive mountain range. As he entered the area beneath the storm clouds, heavy rain began to pour down. Andy put on his goggles and used all his strength to control the motorboat. Between the clouds, the rain, the sea wind, and the powerful currents, a thick mist settled over the water, making it even harder to spot the canal's entrance.
"Where is it…" Andy muttered, feeling the speed of the current. The closer he got to the Red Line, the stronger the current at the canal entrance would be. When he was less than a thousand meters away, he finally spotted a thin, narrow crack in the massive mountain.
"Found it!" He immediately twisted the throttle, and the motorboat, carried by the current, sped toward the crack. As he got closer, he could see the canal and its entrance.
"Grand Line, here I come!" The moment he saw the canal, Andy corrected his motorboat's direction and rushed forward. As he neared the Red Line, the waves grew larger. His motorboat leaped like a flying fish, and amidst the roaring wind, rain, and waves, Andy controlled it with incredible precision, rushing into the canal with a dangerous maneuver.
The water flow in the canal was incredibly fast, carrying Andy's motorboat at a flying speed toward the top of Reverse Mountain. "It's so long?!" he cried out in shock as he looked up the canal. The Red Line was ten thousand meters high, but the canal looked endless, far longer than that.
"Damn it! The original story lied to me," Andy gritted his teeth, his heart cursing. "I thought getting to the Grand Line was easy! The canal is slanted uphill, and it's definitely longer than half the width of the Grand Line! How did the Straw Hat Crew get up here in less than a minute? What a lie!" To reach the top of Reverse Mountain, he had to travel a distance longer than half the width of the Grand Line.
At this point, all Andy could do was wholeheartedly control his motorboat and keep going. It was a good thing the canal's current was so fast, or he didn't know how long it would take to get to his destination. After a long, unknown amount of time, his hands felt numb just before he finally saw the point where the five canals converged at the very top.
"Finally, I'm reaching the top!" Andy was so excited.
"Ro ha ha ha ha! We're finally at the top! Grand Line, our Funeral Pirate Crew is here!"
Just as Andy was celebrating, he heard an excited shout from another pirate crew. They were coming from a different sea region! Just as Andy's motorboat was about to rush onto the top of Reverse Mountain, a pirate ship from another canal flew out at the same time, heading right for him.
The pirates on the ship, who numbered over a dozen, finally saw Andy's motorboat and were instantly filled with terror.
"Better you die than me. My apologies…" At some point, a sniper rifle had appeared in Andy's hand. In the blink of an eye, a bullet wrapped in Haki whistled through the air, piercing the opposing pirate ship.
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted, instantly blowing the pirate ship to smithereens. Reverse Mountain received its first fiery baptism. The pirates' screams echoed in the flames as Andy's motorboat shot through the blaze and landed accurately in the canal descending toward the Grand Line.
[Ding~]
[Bounty points + 66 million!]
A great start! He was about to enter the Grand Line, and he'd already gotten a good omen.
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