KRAK-THUNDER! The Baratie quaked like a colossus teetering on a shattered peak, its fish-shaped hull a flaring torch against the tempest's volcanic roar. SLAM-POUND! Waves pounded the hull like earthquake tremors, the air thick with salt and dread, every plank groaning under the weight of Don Krieg's hunger. Inside, chaos erupted—CLINK-CLATTER! of mugs toppling, HISS-SCREAM! of diners' panic, SIZZLE-BANG! of pans, the kitchen a battlefield of sizzling fish and trembling steel.
Daytime Silas leaned against a pillar, crimson hair glowing like a flame on a scorched desert, coffee cup cold as a forgotten oath. His eyes pierced Luffy, sprawled like a rogue emperor, straw hat tilted, grin bright as a sun flaring bright. Why's this brat worth watching? The thought seared, unbidden, a forge burning fierce in his chest. I could vanish into the gale, yet here I stand. Luffy's laugh—SHISHISHI!—rang like a warhorn across a mountain pass, and Silas's chest tightened, a spark he couldn't douse. A fool, yet… is he the fire Mother spoke of?
Across the room, Don Krieg loomed, a titan of dented armor creaking like a siege tower, his cape billowing like a conqueror's banner. His mind churned, eyes locked on Silas, venom laced with dread. That red-haired bastard… I know him. The Charismatic Red Fang! Damn those brokers—his bounty's a joke, barely a whisper to the World Government! A shadow pirate, unseen, lethal. Few see his blade and live. My luck's a rotting wreck! His gauntlets clenched, CRACK-CRUNCH!, as he scanned the Baratie's fortified deck, waiting for his crew to rise stronger.
Silas caught Krieg's glare, his own gaze cold as a frozen ridge. Hmph, pathetic bastard—does he think he knows me? A smirk flickered, but his eyes stayed on Luffy, testing. Show me, Straw Hat. Are you foolish… or truly brave? For the first time, his hand stayed off his sabre, choosing to watch, to weigh the brat against his mother's prophecy—the Warrior of Liberation, the sun he was born to serve.
BOOM-SHATTER! The Baratie rocked as Krieg's crew, sated but savage, surged forward. Luffy leapt to his feet, straw hat low, expression lighting up like a wildfire. "Zoro! Don't help!" he barked, voice cutting through the tempest's roar. Zoro froze, hand on his sword, eyes narrowing. "Huh?! You idiot, why?!" Luffy's grin widened, reckless as a forest fire. "You'll kill 'em!" He spun to Sanji, kicking a crate aside with a THUD!. "Sanji! Fight that Gin guy or whatever! This should be fun!!" Zoro snorted, "Tch!" and leaned back, swords sheathed, his smirk feral but respectful. Fine, Captain. Show me. Silas's eyes narrowed, a spark igniting. He leads with trust—a fool's gambit or a king's?
Sanji lit a cigarette, smoke curling like a dragon's breath, and faced Gin. One of Krieg's men tossed Gin his twin tonfa, the familiar weight settling in his hands like old chains. WHAM-CLANG! Sanji's kick met Gin's tonfa, gleaming like steel under moonlight, sparks flying like a forge's fury. Luffy charged Krieg, GUM-GUM PISTOL!—his fist stretching like a comet, only to CLANG! against Krieg's diamond-studded armor. "GEHAHAHAHA!" Krieg roared, unleashing a barrage of spikes—SHINK-SHINK!—from his gauntlets, each a deadly fang. "Straw Hat bastard, you think you're brave? You'll die buried in these seas!" Luffy dodged, WHOOSH!, grin bright as a lightning strike. "SHUT UP, YOU UGLY GUY! I HAVEN'T MADE TWO PEOPLE MY NAKAMA YET! I WILL BE THE MAN TO BECOME THE PIRATE KING!!!!!!"
Silas's heart jolted, the word "nakama" striking like a thunderbolt across a dune. Nakama…? Family…? His vision blurred, memories surging like a tidal wave breaking a dam. A child's voice—his own—echoed in the dark. "Mother, where's my father?" Her laugh, warm as a hearth, filled the void. "Haha, no need to worry, my son! He's protecting the sun." Young Silas, eyes wide, tugged her sleeve. "Protecting the sun? What's that mean? Father can't fly!" She ruffled his hair, smiling. "Haha, you'll find out someday."
The memory shifted—ROAR-SMASH!—a sea beast's jaws loomed, scales glinting like a nightmare's blade. His father stood tall, sword flashing, voice a thunderclap. "Silas! Don't forget! Protect the sun, even if we die! Go! Run!" The beast's claws tore through, blood spraying like a crimson flood, his father's body falling as Silas fled, heart shattered, trauma burying the memory deep. The tattoos on his body—a meaning he couldn't recall getting—burned now, a brand of his father's vow.
WHAM-BOOM! Luffy slammed into a wall, Krieg's mace—*KRAK!—*splintering planks, but Luffy sprang up, bloodied but grin bright, GUM-GUM BAZOOKA! sending Krieg staggering. Krieg's eyes widened, panic seeping through his snarl. This brat… he's relentless! And that Red Fang watches, waiting—damn my luck! He unleashed a net of blades—SHWING-SHINK!—but Luffy twisted, WHOOSH!, laughing through the pain. "I'M GONNA WIN, METAL GUY!" Silas's breath caught, Luffy's defiance a flame cleaving shadows. This brat… his will binds them, like Father's did.
Mid-chaos, Usopp's wail pierced the din. "OI, WAIT! WHERE'S NAMI?! I WAS FOCUSED ON YOU GUYS—SHE VANISHED RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!!!" Johnny and Yosaku burst in, panting, THUD-THUD!. "Sorry, big brother! Nami—she stole the ship and split!" Zoro's eyes flared, swords half-drawn. "That bastard! Oi, Luffy, that woman shouldn't be our navigator! She—" Luffy's grin didn't waver, voice booming like a volcano erupting. "I REFUSE! NAMI IS NAMI! SHE WILL BE OUR NAVIGATOR!!" Silas muttered, "Fool…", but his chest tightened, Luffy's faith a sun shining bright. Zoro growled, "I swear! Why did I join this fool!" but stayed put, loyal despite his scowl.
Sanji and Gin clashed—CLANG-KICK!—Gin's tonfa trembling, his eyes flickering to Sanji's resolve, torn between Krieg's iron grip and a debt he couldn't repay. Luffy dodged Krieg's poison darts—ZING-ZING!—his body stretching like a rubber comet, GUM-GUM GATLING!, fists hammering Krieg's armor with BAM-BAM-BAM! Krieg staggered, desperation cracking his sneer, "This brat's insane!" He fired a cannonball—BOOM-SHATTER!—but Luffy spun, GUM-GUM BALLOON!, deflecting it with a WHOOMP! Silas watched, heart pounding. Is this the fire I'm bound to? Luffy's will, unyielding as stone, echoed his father's final cry: "Protect the sun!"
The memory thundered like an avalanche—his father's voice, clear as a warhorn. "Protect the sun, even if we die!" Silas's tattoos burned, their meaning dawning. The sun… Luffy… the Warrior of Liberation. His mother's tales, his father's sacrifice—they pointed to this brat, this flame-bright fool who fought for "nakama." Father… Mother… I see him. Silas's eyes stung, tears tracing his cheeks as Luffy landed a final GUM-GUM BATTLE AXE!—KRAK-THUNDER!—Krieg smashing through the deck, defeated, his crew slumping in awe.
Silas stood, voice barely a whisper, "You really are a foolish brat, Straw Hat… you said something so foolish… and yet, thank you…" His gaze locked on Luffy's back, sweat-soaked but unbowed, the Straw Hat radiating like a sun against the tempest. I want to protect the sun. The truth exploded like a volcano—why he couldn't leave, why Luffy's grin anchored him, why his mother spoke of the Warrior, why his father died. It's in my blood, my soul, my ink. His tattoos glowed in his mind, a vow reborn.
The Baratie erupted in chaos—chefs roaring, "Straw Hat crushed Krieg! That kid's a monster!" diners whispering, "Who's the red-haired guy with the killer vibe?" and Krieg's men groaning, awestruck. SLAM-POUND! The tempest roared, waves battering like earthquake tremors, but Luffy stood tall, grin bright as a sun flaring bright. Daytime Silas strode forward, boots THUD-CLACK! echoing like a war drum, crimson hair glowing like a torch on a scorched desert. His sharp eyes locked on Luffy, a forge burning fierce. He's the sun I'm sworn to guard.
"Strawhat," Silas called, voice low as a gathering flame, "I'm Daytime Silas." The room hushed, HISS! of bated breath like a desert wind, chefs and diners gaping, Zeff's mustache quivering like a thunderhead. Luffy's head tilted, straw hat bouncing, eyes wide with expectation, a beacon radiating hope. "You aim to rule the seas as Pirate King? Then you need a loyal blade and gun at your side!"
Luffy's grin split wide, a sun searing the gloom, fists pumping like twin comets. "YOU'RE IN, GUNBLADE GUY?!?" His HA-HA-HA! shook the rafters, a wildfire of joy exploding through the Baratie. Silas's lips twitched, a rare smirk cracking his icy facade. "That's right, Straw Hat! This Charismatic Red Fang is your blade and gun!" His hand gripped his sabre, tattoos glowing in his mind, an avalanche of resolve thundering through him. Father… Mother… I'll protect the sun.
"YESSSSSS! A NEW NAKAMA!" Luffy roared, leaping onto a table, CRACK-SHATTER!, arms flailing like a rubber hurricane, straw hat nearly soaring off. The Straw Hats erupted—Usopp dove behind a barrel, wailing, "WE'RE FINISHED! A RED-HAIRED KILLER ON OUR SHIP?! HE'LL TURN US INTO SEA KING SASHIMI!" His eyes bulged, slingshot trembling, TREM-TREM-TREM! Zoro leaned against a beam, swords glinting, a feral smirk curling his lips. "Hmph. Better keep up, Red Fang." His eyes flicked to Silas, respect glinting like a honed blade, but his growl carried a challenge,
Sanji stood by the kitchen, cigarette flaring like a spark, eyes narrowing at Silas over the Baratie's chaos. "Another lunatic joining that fool? Hmph, don't trash my restaurant, Gunblade!" His CLICK-CLACK! steps echoed as he scanned the battered deck, loyal to Zeff's dream, his gaze sharp as a chef's knife. Zeff grunted, peg leg THUD-BOOM!, nodding gruffly at Luffy. "Not bad, Straw Hat. You've got a knack for picking 'em." The chefs roared louder, "That kid took down Krieg! He's unreal!" while diners muttered, "The Charismatic Red Fang? Who is he?" Gin stood frozen, tonfa hanging loose, staring at Sanji with a debt heavier than iron, his silence a storm brewing within.
The tempest outside ROARED!, waves SMASHING! like fate's hammer, but the Baratie buzzed with life, a tinderbox of cheers and awe. Luffy's laugh rang, a sun no darkness could dim, as Daytime Silas stood firm, gaze locked on Luffy's back, sweat-soaked but unbowed, the Straw Hat radiating like a beacon cleaving shadows. This is my vow—blade and gun for the sun. His destiny ignited, a forge he couldn't quench, bound to the impossible, radiant brat who'd become the Pirate King, the Warrior of Liberation, the sun he'd shield with every ounce of his soul.