The moment Sora's face appeared before Sanji, the effect was immediate.
Still crying uncontrollably, Sanji quickly broke free from the filthy obsession that had consumed him and returned to the person he had once been.
At last, he understood just how absurd his recent behavior had become.
The unhealthy fixation that had twisted his mind gradually faded beneath the healing warmth of his mother's gentle smile.
…
Seeing this, everyone quietly left the room and gave Sanji some time alone.
Uta finally asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Cain, how did you even think of using Sanji's mother to bring him back?"
"The idea came to me while Iva-chan and I were altering his face."
Cain instinctively touched her own cheek.
"Katakuri and Pudding both said I resembled Big Mom, so I started wondering whether a female Sanji might resemble his mother too."
"His appearance at the time was still quite different from what you'd expect of a gentle mother, though, so we needed to make a few changes. I thought it might produce an unexpected result."
"That's why Iva-chan and I adjusted his features and gave him a softer, more maternal appearance."
"I see."
Uta nodded.
"We really have you to thank this time."
"It was impressive that you thought of it, Cain-chan!" Ivankov agreed.
As they spoke, the tightly closed door opened.
Sanji stepped out with a solemn expression, his head lowered and tears still glimmering in his eyes.
He walked over to Ivankov and spoke slowly.
"Iva-san, I've made my decision. I want you to restore my body to normal."
"But before that, I have one request."
"Let me use your kitchen!"
"Of course! It's right over—"
Before Ivankov could finish pointing out the direction, Sanji had already sprinted away.
Tears continued streaming from his eyes as he ran.
"What is he…?"
Everyone stared after him in confusion.
Only Cain understood.
When Sanji was a child, he had made a promise to his mother, Sora.
She had once asked him to cook for her again.
That promise became one of the most important emotional bonds driving Sanji to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.
But when Sora died, the promise was buried with her.
Now Sanji raced desperately toward the kitchen, determined to fulfill it after finally meeting her again.
"Wait for me, Mom!"
…
The dish was soon ready.
It was Sanji's most familiar and classic specialty.
Fried rice.
Back inside the room, Sanji sat before the mirror and once again raised a spoonful toward the face reflected within it.
The woman in the mirror merely copied his movements.
She did not move on her own.
She gave no response.
No voice answered him.
"Mom… eat it."
Sanji's voice began trembling.
"You promised…"
"You said you'd eat something I cooked…"
The spoon remained suspended in the air.
No one answered.
He repeated the motion.
Forward, then back.
Forward, then back again.
Each attempt forced him to confirm a truth he had known from the beginning.
His initial joy gradually turned to disappointment, and his emotional state began deteriorating once more.
Uta and the others watched through the window, staring helplessly at him.
"What's going on? Why does Sanji look even worse now?"
Cain grabbed her head and began slamming it against the wall, leaving several cracks behind.
"Did I make a mistake? Oh, shit! What the hell have I done?!"
This reaction was completely outside anything she had anticipated.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong!"
Uta hurriedly grabbed Cain by the backside—since she was currently pressed against the wall, it was the easiest part to reach.
His hands skillfully traveled upward until they found Cain's chest, where he began squeezing with practiced rhythm.
Cain fell silent.
Her entire body visibly stiffened, and every raised hair instantly settled back into place.
"…Could you calm me down some other way?" Cain's muffled voice came from inside the wall.
"It worked, didn't it?"
Uta continued without changing expression, his hands moving with almost professional precision.
"Are you calm now?"
Cain remained silent for two seconds before slowly sliding down the wall.
She crouched in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees, wearing the complicated expression of someone who had just achieved profound enlightenment.
"…I'm calm."
"Good!"
Uta clapped his hands and turned toward the window.
"Leave the rest to me."
He opened his mouth and began to sing.
Where did this gentle wind come from?
I ask the sky, but it gives no answer.
Where will this song finally arrive?
I want to find an answer that belongs only to me.
In an instant, the Music Domain expanded.
The surrounding room remained unchanged.
But the mirror before Sanji moved.
The woman reflected within it—Sora, whose eyes had only been able to stare silently until now—suddenly blinked.
Then she lowered her head and gently took the spoonful of fried rice Sanji held toward her.
"…It's delicious."
Her voice was quiet, as though it had traveled from somewhere impossibly distant, yet it also seemed to echo directly inside his heart.
Sanji froze.
His eyes widened, his lips trembled, and tears burst forth without warning, splashing onto the table beneath the mirror.
"Mom…"
Sora smiled from within the reflection.
She extended one hand through the mirror's surface and gently placed it over the back of his.
"You've grown up, Sanji."
"I…"
Sanji choked on his words, barely able to form a complete sentence.
"I've made so many things… I learned how to cook so many dishes… I…"
"I know."
Sora nodded.
"I've seen all of it."
Sanji frantically began feeding her the fried rice one spoonful at a time.
Sora ate every bite.
Each time, she softly told him that it was delicious, her gentle voice filled with a longing beyond words.
At last, a smile appeared on Sanji's face.
It was a pure, unguarded smile that had not appeared there in many years.
Not the exaggerated expression he wore while flattering a beautiful woman.
Not the sharp grin he showed during battle.
It was simply the shy, satisfied smile of a child sitting beside his mother and offering her something delicious he had made with his own hands.
When the final spoonful was gone, Sanji spread his arms as he had when he was small, wanting her to pull him into her embrace.
But he was no longer a child who could fit entirely within his mother's arms.
After confirming that he could reach through the mirror, he stopped hesitating.
Sanji dropped to his knees before Sora and wrapped both arms tightly around her waist, refusing to let go for even a moment.
Sora reached through the mirror and gently stroked his hair.
Her movements were slow and tender, as though she were touching the most precious thing in the world.
"Go to sleep, Sanji."
He closed his eyes.
Tears slid from their corners, but a peaceful smile remained on his lips.
…
When Sanji woke, he discovered that his body had already returned to its male form.
He wiped the lingering tears from his eyes.
"Was all of that… only a dream?"
Then he noticed the empty container of fried rice sitting nearby, still waiting to be cleaned.
"Apparently not."
Sanji rose to his feet, determination filling his eyes.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll never disappoint you."
"After all, I've grown into a proper man now!"
"Oh? So you don't want to be a woman anymore?"
Cain entered through the doorway, casually tossing Sanji's lighter in one hand while watching him with amusement.
Sanji still had not recognized her.
The first things he noticed were Cain's enormous chest and long legs.
His eyes instantly turned into hearts.
"A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN!"
"Honestly…"
Cain rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"Even after everything that happened, your perverted nature hasn't changed in the slightest."
Then she remembered the other members of the Vinsmoke family.
Well…
Apparently, the lust really was written into their genes.
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