Looking at the docunt thrown at his feet, Sakazuki was montarily unsure whether to pick it up or not.
mories of his childhood involuntarily surfaced in his mind. Although many things had beco blurred over the years, so even completely forgotten, the image of his mother closing her eyes in his arms remained vividly etched in his mory.
At that ti, he was just an eight-year-old child with both parents alive and a relatively stable life. But the peace didn't last long.
One day, a pirate ship docked at the harbor of his hotown.
The pirates disembarked and began to burn, kill, and plunder. His father, trying to protect him and his mother, was beheaded by the vile pirates. His mother, also trying to protect him was pierced through the body by a pirate's blade.
Even so, his mother still shielded him with her body making the pirates believe he had also been killed.
In truth, he was paralyzed by the sudden turn of events, hiding beneath his mother not daring to make a sound. It wasn't until the pirates had finished their rampage and left that he dared to crawl out from under his mother.
Though decades had passed, he still vividly rembered the mont when his mother, with her last breath gently caressed his cheek.
Since everyone in his hotown had fallen victim to the pirates, with no survivors he could only bury his mother in the backyard of their ho. Filled with hatred for the pirates, he resolutely embarked on a journey to the naval base, determined to eradicate all pirates in the world.
Decades flew by, and countless pirates had fallen by his hand or been imprisoned by him. Yet, despite this, he never forgot the vow he made at his mother's grave to exterminate every last pirate.
After a brief silence, though he was certain in his heart that Orion must have made a mistake, he couldn't help but bend down and pick up the file.
As soon as he opened it, a photo imdiately caught his unprepared eyes. In the photo was a hunched, wrinkled old woman who appeared to be nearly seventy years old.
The old woman sat calmly on the living room sofa, a kind smile on her face. Standing beside him was Orion, draped in a Rear Admiral coat. He had heard about Orion rescuing an old woman during a mission, but he had never inquired further.
Even after Orion was promoted to Vice Admiral and placed under his command, he had never visited Orion ho. All he knew was that Orion had been caring for this old woman for three years.
Moreover, as a workaholic, he rarely wandered around the residential area. His days were spent either at work or on the way to work, so he had never seen the old woman Orion had brought back.
The mont he saw the old woman in the photo, he froze as if struck by lightning.
Imdiately, he eagerly began to read through the investigative report in the file. The further he read, the more his hands holding the file trembled uncontrollably.
After finishing the report, he could no longer contain himself. He looked up at Momonga and Orion, his voice hoarse and incoherent.
"You… no, this can't be. I buried my mother with my own hands back then. She… she couldn't still be alive."
As he spoke, he picked up the photo again. Though decades had passed, and the face in the photo didn't match the image of his mother in his mory but it felt inexplicably familiar.
His heart raced, pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat. The composure of an admiral, the sternness and coldness he had maintained for decades, all crumbled as he lost control of his emotions and blurted out.
"Orion, where is the old woman now?"
Hearing this, Orion calmly sheathed his sword, then without even glancing at Sakazuki he said.
"Let's go!"
"No, you can't leave!" Sakazuki stepped forward in a flash, his voice deep and insistent.
"Take to see her!"
Seeing this, Orion brow furrowed slightly. Momonga, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and bowed.
"Vice Admiral Orion, I'll take Admiral Sakazuki there."
Orion nodded, then strode past Sakazuki and walked out of the prison which had already been reduced to ruins.
As soon as he stepped out of the prison gates, nearly ten thousand navy soldiers standing in two rows simultaneously snapped their legs together and raised their hands in unison shouting.
"LOYALTY!"
The neat and resounding voices echoed through the night sky, lingering over Marineford.
Hearing the sudden slogan that filled the night, soldiers controlling the dormitories, armories, science division, and various fortresses of the headquarters also stopped in their tracks, turning their bodies toward the direction of Marineford Square.
It was clear that an unprecedented rebellion had ended the mont Orion stepped out of the prison gates.
Looking at the officers of various ranks and the ten thousand soldiers standing neatly in two rows, Orion gave a slight nod, then lifted his head and straightened his chest striding forward with purpose.
...
At the Sa Ti.
Sengoku, who had rushed out of his ho upon receiving the news, had just entered the headquarters building when a pungent sll of blood hit him.
Before he could react, Vice Admiral Hound led a swarm of over a hundred soldiers out.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please stop!" Hound quickly walked up to Sengoku, saluted, and then dropped a bombshell.
"Marineford is now mostly under our control. If you don't want Marineford to be destroyed, please stand quietly and wait for Lord Orion arrival!"
"HUUUUH?"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku expression changed slightly, and he quickly scanned his surroundings.
When he saw that the familiar figures in the headquarters lobby were nowhere to be found, and instead, soldiers were pointing their guns at him, he could no longer hold back.
His admiral coat billowed without wind as he barked at Hound.
"Hound, how could you be so ruthless to your comrades! Tell the truth—were the on-duty soldiers in the headquarters building all killed by you?"
Before Hound could respond, the three n accompanying Sengoku—Bass and his companions—suddenly jumped out, pointing at Hound and shouting in fury.
"This is treason! You traitors will pay for what you've done!"
Seeing the three n suddenly appear, a cold glint flashed in Hound eyes.
"Noisy!"
Before his words even finished, several soldiers behind him rushed forward and pulled the triggers on Bass and his companions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a series of gunshots, Bass and his companions were killed by the soldiers who emptied their magazines, without even a chance to scream.
"Damn it Hound, how dare you…" Sengoku was nearly driven to spit blood when he saw Hound rcilessly kill Bass and his companions.
After all, Bass and the others were the chief judges of Enies Lobby, holding the sa rank as him.
As long as Bass and his companions were alive, Sengoku still had a sliver of hope to salvage the situation.
But with their deaths, the situation had spiraled completely out of control.
"Fleet Admiral, tis have changed!"
Hound waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to step back, and then said calmly.
''Lord Orion has declared that in tis of chaos, strict laws are needed, and bloodshed and sacrifice must begin with us! The Navy must undergo reform, and the corrupt elents and parasites of the World Governnt must be purged."
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