《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 16: Akainu: A Mother is Never a Choice!

The elderly woman's eyes suddenly sparked with recognition as she nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! My son is also named Sakazuki, but he's only eight—" She paused, confusion crossing her face. "No, that can't be right. My son must have grown up by now, otherwise how would I have a grandson?"

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the moment of clarity vanished. Her gaze grew distant again as she turned anxiously toward Momonga. "Who is my grandson? I... I seem to have forgotten again!" Her voice cracked with distress. "Oh dear, I've forgotten my own grandson!"

With that, she hurriedly rose and scurried toward the bedroom, her frail hands fluttering in agitation.

Momonga made no move to stop her, instead fixing Sakazuki with a measured look.

Seizing the opportunity, Sakazuki set down his bowl and met Momonga's gaze directly. "Has Xayuki been caring for my mother these past three years?"

Momonga nodded. "When Lord Xayuki is deployed on missions, he arranges for Vice Admiral Gion to look after her. Otherwise, he remains constantly at her side. Often, if he merely turns his back for a moment, she forgets his identity entirely—sometimes even mistaking him for an intruder and attempting to drive him from the house."

Hearing this, Sakazuki turned to watch his mother as she wandered the room, searching frantically for a grandson whose face she couldn't recall. His expression hardened with resolve.

He didn't believe Xayuki's actions were calculated manipulation.

According to the investigation reports he'd reviewed, Xayuki had been caring for the elderly woman long before discovering her connection to Sakazuki.

This meant Xayuki's compassion had been genuine—untainted by ulterior motives.

The realization settled something within Sakazuki. "Is your Den Den Mushi operational? Connect me to Xayuki. Now."

Momonga produced the communication device and dialed without hesitation.

The connection established almost immediately.

Without preamble, Momonga stated, "Put me through to Lord Xayuki."

After a brief pause, Xayuki's voice emerged from the snail. "Momonga, you have ten minutes. Regardless of Sakazuki's decision, you are to return immediately afterward and accompany me to meet with Sengoku."

Sakazuki took the receiver, his deep voice resonating with authority. "This is Sakazuki. I have one question. If your answer satisfies me, I will support your bid for Fleet Admiral."

Without waiting for acknowledgment, he continued, his tone hardening, "You've investigated my mother's identity. Why not leverage this information to secure my cooperation? You must realize this is my sole vulnerability."

"There is no reason to."

Xayuki's voice came through the Den Den Mushi with measured calm. "I anticipated that once you learned of her identity, you would likely compromise on tonight's events—perhaps even reluctantly fight for my cause. Because for any man, a mother is never a choice to be weighed against other options."

"But I refused to employ such tactics. To me, she is not a bargaining chip to be exploited."

Meanwhile, on the approach to Marine Headquarters, Xayuki tossed the Den Den Mushi to Strawberry and gazed up at the imposing edifice looming before them, his eyes narrowing with focus.

Though his conversation with Sakazuki had been brief, the Admiral's initiative in making contact spoke volumes. For Xayuki's purposes, he didn't need Sakazuki's active support—his neutrality alone would suffice for tonight's endeavor to succeed.

"Bang!"

The sharp report of a rifle shattered the night air as a bullet streaked toward Xayuki's face with deadly precision.

Before Xayuki could react, Bastille—who had been silently shadowing him—drew his massive blade in one fluid motion. The Shark-Cutter traced a gleaming arc through the darkness, bisecting the incoming bullet with surgical precision.

In the same movement, Bastille stepped forward, channeling a fearsome aura through his weapon before unleashing a devastating ranged slash toward the bullet's origin.

The air itself seemed to part as the invisible blade of pressure hurtled across the distance, cleanly severing the rooftop of a building hundreds of meters away.

A shrill scream pierced the night as the bisected structure tilted and crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing upward.

Xayuki continued his advance without breaking stride. As Bastille had dispatched the threat, he proceeded toward the headquarters building, surrounded by Strawberry and a phalanx of Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals, officers, and hundreds of loyal soldiers.

"Xayuki, you disgrace to the Marines!"

Just as Xayuki crossed the threshold into the main hall, a furious roar echoed through the space.

A figure burst from the formation of soldiers guarding the entrance, lunging toward Xayuki with lightning speed.

"Finger Pistol!"

As the attacker closed in, Strawberry intercepted with blinding velocity. His rigidly extended finger—hardened through the Marine Six Powers technique—pierced the assailant's chest with deadly accuracy.

"Damn you!"

The impaled officer's eyes widened in shock and rage as he glared at Strawberry. "How could you, Strawberry? You were the hero who hunted the Sun Pirates—Admiral Kizaru's most trusted lieutenant! Why betray everything to follow this traitor Xayuki?"

Strawberry gripped the man's throat with impassive efficiency. "Debates over right and wrong have become irrelevant. Anyone standing against Lord Xayuki is now our enemy." His voice remained coldly professional as he concluded, "So you may die now."

Without further ceremony, Strawberry snapped the officer's neck with a precise twist, then swiftly rejoined Xayuki, who was already approaching the elevators.

Such was Strawberry's nature—ruthlessly efficient, devoid of hesitation when executing his duty.

In many respects, he shared Sakazuki's temperament and ideology, which made his position as Borsalino's subordinate somewhat ironic. Despite Admiral Kizaru's considerable trust in him, Strawberry had always privately disagreed with his superior's ambiguous approach to justice. This philosophical disconnect had prevented him from truly integrating with Kizaru's other Vice Admirals, leaving him professionally isolated despite his rank.

The turning point came during a mission to the New World alongside the newly promoted Vice Admiral Xayuki. Observing Xayuki's uncompromising methods against pirates, Strawberry felt an immediate kinship. For the first time in his career, after the mission concluded, he took the unprecedented step of initiating a personal connection.

Through subsequent interactions, Strawberry found himself increasingly drawn to the charisma of the Marine Corps' youngest Vice Admiral. In Xayuki, he recognized not only a kindred spirit but a visionary whose ambitions extended far beyond his own.

Once he fully grasped the scope of Xayuki's aspirations, Strawberry silently committed himself to becoming one of his most valuable lieutenants.

Yet even he had underestimated the true extent of Xayuki's ambition.

Xayuki sought more than merely becoming the youngest Fleet Admiral in Marine history.

But such considerations had become academic. What mattered now was his unwavering loyalty—regardless of Xayuki's actions, Strawberry would stand beside him. For a true warrior would gladly die for one who understood his soul.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Weekly Stable Updates with 30+ Chapters Always Available. High-Quality and Consistent Translations Are the Channel's Top Priority.

Current Books:

Naruto: Deidara's Struggle

God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village 

Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual

One Piece:The True Codex

One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

👉patreon.com/GoldenLong