Sakazuki's mother?

Sakazuki took a deep breath in the kitchen, then turned to look at the figure sitting in the living room. The sharp gaze under his military hat, which hadn't shown any emotional fluctuation for years, gradually softened.

Although he still wasn't 100% sure if the old woman before him was the Mother he had held in his arms as she died years ago, the feeling of a blood connection between mother and son grew stronger.

However, he didn't rashly reveal himself.

Relying on his fading memories, he decided to make a bowl of the food his mother used to love the most for the old woman.

Accurately speaking, it was the food he liked.

Hailing from the North Blue, where the climate was cold, he had loved eating white rice with chili since he could remember. It wasn't that he particularly enjoyed eating it that way, but rather due to the limitations of his circumstances.

He had continued this habit until now, and gradually, his subordinates and colleagues he didn't interact with often all knew that his favorite meal was white rice with chili.

However, thinking that the old woman was hungry now, he abandoned the idea of testing her and skillfully prepared a bowl of ramen for her.

In a short while, he brought a steaming bowl of ramen to the old woman.

Immediately after, he quickly returned to the kitchen, brought out a bowl of rice, picked up a few fresh chilies, and sat opposite the old woman, devouring the food as if he hadn't eaten in three days and nine meals. Momonga, who was accompanying the old woman, kept getting question marks above his head.

Sakazuki's actions quickly caught the old woman's attention.

After staring at Sakazuki for a while, the old woman seemed to forget she was hungry and cautiously asked, "Are you also a colleague of my grandson?"

Sakazuki nodded.

The old woman's spirits immediately lifted. She leaned closer to Sakazuki and tentatively asked, "Can you share some white rice and chili with me?"

Sakazuki paused for a moment, then placed the bowl of rice in front of the old woman.

Seeing this, as if afraid Sakazuki would go back on his word, the old woman quickly grabbed the bowl Sakazuki offered and the chilies on the table, hid them under the table, and mysteriously said, "My son's favorite is white rice and chili..."

Mid-sentence, the old woman suddenly drooped her head in dejection, her voice instantly choked with emotion, "But I can't find my son."

Before she finished speaking, the old woman turned her head to look at Momonga, "Hey, you... can you help me find my son?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Momonga nodded repeatedly. "We've been looking for him all these years."

"Oh, right, what's my son's name?" The old woman thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up in a panic, looking anxious. "I... I forgot who my son is. Who... who is my son!"

"Right, right, right, white rice and chili~"

After pacing back and forth twice, the old woman took out the white rice and chili she had hidden under the table and handed them to Momonga. "My son loves white rice and chili the most. Can you help me find him?"

Momonga took the bowl of rice and chilies, then placed them in front of Sakazuki, and tentatively asked, "Elderly lady, does he look like your son? His name is Sakazuki, and he's an Admiral at Marine Headquarters!"

"Who is Sakazuki?" The old woman glanced at Sakazuki and shook her head. "How could he be my son? My son isn't this old. He's only eight years old..."

Momonga shrugged helplessly and explained to Sakazuki, "Sorry, Admiral Sakazuki, the elderly lady's dementia is getting worse. She doesn't even remember Lord Akira usually. She only knows Akira is her grandson, but she doesn't know who Akira is..."

Before he finished speaking, a flicker of surprise flashed in Momonga's eyes. He looked at Sakazuki with disbelief.

At this moment, Sakazuki had pulled his hat brim down low, making it impossible for Momonga to see his eyes. However, he saw two silent tears streaming down Sakazuki's face.

Sakazuki's heart was filled with excitement and complexity.

He was certain that the old woman before him was the Mother who had "died" in his arms years ago, but he dared not acknowledge her.

It was because he had buried his still-living Mother in the yard.

If he had dug the grave deeper when he buried his mother, he would have become the true murderer.

Thinking of his mother waking up buried under the soil, his heart ached, and he almost suffocated.

Most importantly, after decades, Mother had forgotten who he was, but she had never forgotten his favorite white rice and chili.

After a brief silence, Sakazuki suddenly stood up. Disregarding his usual demeanor, with tears streaming down his face, he went behind the old woman and quickly lifted her clothes.

As her clothes were lifted, a penetrating wound on the old woman's back immediately caught his eye. Even after decades, the scar was still clearly visible. Based on his years of experience, he recognized at a glance that this penetrating wound was caused by a sharp blade entering the front and piercing through the back.

Looking at the scar before him, Sakazuki's mind immediately flashed back to the scene of his mother being pierced by a pirate's blade when he was young.

"You... let go of me!"

The old woman was clearly startled by Sakazuki's actions. She quickly turned and slapped Sakazuki across the face. At the same time, she trembled as she ran behind Momonga, nervously grabbing his arm.

After being slapped, Sakazuki stood in place, tilting his head slightly and taking a deep breath. Then, facing the old woman, he knelt down with a thud and choked out, "Mother..."

Before he finished speaking, Sakazuki bowed his head heavily, his shoulders shaking violently, clearly struggling to control his emotions and prevent himself from crying out loud.

Marine Headquarters Marineford was filled with smoke. Although the situation was mostly under control, a small number of Headquarters Officers were still resisting.

Unlike the major fortresses of Marineford, where gunshots echoed through the night sky and explosions from various battles could be heard, the courtyard where Akira was located was quiet.

Sakazuki had calmed down. Relying on the lingering memories in his mind and the innate sense of closeness, he no longer doubted the old woman's identity and quietly stayed by her side.

The old woman's memory was severely confused. One moment she was fiercely protecting the white rice and chili, and the next, seeing the tears on Sakazuki's face, she returned the white rice and chili to him.

Sakazuki didn't speak, burying his head and eating ravenously.

Although it was just simple white rice and chili, it was the first time he had eaten so deliciously in decades.

"You like eating white rice and chili too."

The old woman didn't pick up her chopsticks. She stared intently at Sakazuki and said kindly, "Just like my son. If you find my son, you must not bully him, okay? He's wanted to be in the Navy since he was little... Oh right, what's your name!"

Hearing his Mother's constant chatter, Sakazuki, who was eating ravenously, remembered how he had personally buried his still-living Mother in the ground years ago. Tears welled up in his eyes again.

However, he still managed to answer in time, "Sakazuki."

"Sakazuki?" The old woman blinked and said thoughtfully, "My son... Right, do you know my son's name?!"

Sakazuki replied again, "Sakazuki!"