Alvin was fully aware that he had been discovered, but for the moment he had no time to deal with those gang members.
He did not bother cleaning the dilapidated house. Instead, he quietly placed several items filled with memories into his spatial storage, then turned and walked out the door.
The gang intelligence agents watching from outside saw Alvin come out, and their fear instantly deepened.
Without hesitation, they scattered and fled in all directions to report the news.
Red Hawk Alvin had returned, and he might begin wiping them out at any moment.
"Scream… be afraid… I will let you live a little longer. After I pay my respects to Grandma, I will come back and deal with all of you," Alvin murmured as he watched the fleeing figures.
His calm voice carried a chilling coldness that could make anyone shudder.
He soon withdrew his gaze and slowly walked toward the mountain where his grandmother was buried.
It was a barren peak overlooking the sea, with no trees growing upon it.
——
At the same time, inside a castle located in the Port City, the Dark Tide Family had already fallen into complete chaos.
From the outside, the castle looked magnificent and imposing.
Yet inside, the atmosphere was heavy with corruption and crime.
After receiving the news that Red Hawk Alvin had returned, the entire Dark Tide Family had entered a state of maximum alert.
Every member of the organization was overwhelmed with fear.
Salvatore Scalzi, the current Godfather of the Dark Tide Family, was slumped in a chair with a panicked and pale expression.
Years earlier, in order to seize the position of Godfather, he had used underhanded methods and falsely claimed to avenge the previous Godfather. Under that excuse, he relentlessly hunted Alvin.
But he never expected that the fifteen year old boy would survive.
Not only did Alvin escape, but within just over a year he had built a terrifying reputation across the seas.
"Irene… Red Hawk has really returned. He will not let us go. What should we do?" Scalzi asked anxiously, his voice trembling as he looked at the beautiful woman beside him.
Irene Ferrante was the strategist of the Dark Tide Family.
Her appearance was elegant and charming, yet her eyes were sharp and calculating.
It had been her schemes that helped Scalzi ascend to the position of Godfather.
It was also her suggestion that Alvin be eliminated completely.
Yet even she had not expected that the child they failed to kill would one day become the infamous West Blue terror known as Red Hawk Alvin.
Irene frowned and paced back and forth, forcing herself to remain calm while her mind rapidly searched for a solution.
"Do not panic. We still have time," she said with forced composure, though her voice carried a faint tremor.
"Although Alvin has returned, he will not act immediately. We can first send people to test his strength while gathering all of the family's forces to strengthen the castle's defenses."
Scalzi felt slightly relieved after hearing Irene's words, but the fear inside his heart remained.
"But he has become far too powerful now. Can we truly resist him?" he asked with obvious doubt.
Irene stopped walking and looked directly at Scalzi.
Her eyes were firm.
"We have no choice.
If we do not fight, then death is our only outcome.
Besides, Alvin has only just returned. He may not attack us immediately.
He could have other matters to deal with first.
We must seize this opportunity and prepare ourselves completely."
Scalzi also understood that even the smallest chance was worth grasping.
Otherwise, death was certain.
"No… No, no, no… There must be another way!"
Suddenly Irene's eyes lit up as if a thought had struck her.
"What way?" Scalzi immediately leaned forward, hope appearing in his eyes.
Irene gave a faint smile before quietly whispering a name into Scalzi's ear.
The moment he heard the name, all the fear on Scalzi's face disappeared.
It was replaced by excitement and relief.
"That is perfect! Irene, you truly are my greatest strategist!" Scalzi exclaimed excitedly as he pulled Irene onto his lap.
Irene smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around him and laughed with a clear, ringing sound.
——
While the Dark Tide Family discussed their plans, Alvin had already arrived at his grandmother's grave.
The wind on the mountaintop was strong, stirring dust and blowing through his hair.
He stood silently before the grave.
His eyes fixed on the photograph of his grandmother on the tombstone.
Gradually, his eyes began to grow moist.
"Grandma… I am back," Alvin said softly.
His voice trembled slightly in the cold wind.
"These past few years, I have worked very hard to become stronger. Do not worry. No one will ever bully me again."
He slowly knelt down and gently placed his hand upon the tombstone as if trying to feel the warmth that once belonged to her.
The mountaintop was completely silent.
Only the sound of the wind echoed through the air.
But suddenly Alvin's expression turned cold.
A powerful killing intent quietly spread from his body.
Although he had come here to visit his grandmother's grave, his Observation Haki had been monitoring every movement of the Dark Tide Family.
Their entire discussion had not escaped his perception.
However, when Irene mentioned that particular name, his heart trembled slightly.
"Mother… I never expected you to still be alive…" Alvin murmured quietly.
...
——
The Queen's bedchamber was lavish and luxurious.
Golden ornaments and silver tableware gleamed under the soft lighting.
Beautiful carpets covered the entire floor, making every step feel soft and silent.
At that moment, a beautiful woman with a graceful and mature figure slowly hung up the Transponder Snail in her hand.
Her expression was filled with panic.
She wore luxurious clothing, and the pearl necklace around her neck swayed slightly with her uneven breathing.
This woman was Vera Rosato.
She was the Queen of the Cortes Kingdom and the wife of King Iron Jaw Gregor.
She was also Alvin's mother.
The call she had just received came from Irene.
In the past, Irene had been her closest friend. This time she contacted her to request help resolving the crisis facing the Dark Tide Family.
The moment Irene mentioned that Alvin had returned to the Cortes Kingdom, Vera lost all her composure.
Fifteen years earlier, it was Irene who introduced her to Iron Jaw Gregor, who had been the Prince of Cortes at that time.
She quickly accepted his pursuit.
Soon after, she abandoned her family in the Port City and returned to the capital with him.
Fifteen years had passed since then.
Everything now felt like a distant dream.
She had become completely immersed in her new life, burying all memories of the past deep within her heart.
No one knew about her past except Irene.
Even Alvin himself did not know where she was or whether she was still alive.
Now Alvin had become famous across the seas.
The name Red Hawk shook the entire West Blue.
And he had returned to this very country.
The news struck Vera like a thunderbolt and shattered the peaceful life she had carefully built.
Irene's request left her trapped in an impossible dilemma.
Irene demanded that she intervene and help the Dark Tide Family resolve the threat posed by Alvin.
If she refused, Irene threatened to reveal every secret she had hidden.
Her past of abandoning her family.
Her identity.
Her current life.
The consequences would be unbearable.
Yet facing Alvin…
Facing the son she had abandoned fifteen years ago…
She simply did not have the courage.
"Mother, look. These are the clothes Father gave me today. Only the future king is allowed to wear them, you know…"
At that moment, a boy about thirteen or fourteen years old walked into the room with excitement written all over his face.
Hearing the boy's voice, Vera suddenly snapped back to reality as if waking from a nightmare.
She instinctively took a deep breath and quickly adjusted her emotions.
Then she gently brushed the loose strands of hair beside her face, trying to appear as calm as before.
Finally she slowly turned around.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
It was a smile that carefully concealed her helplessness, her guilt, and the complicated feelings she held toward the boy standing before her.
...
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