The Baratie groaned against the strengthening storm, its fish-shaped hull standing defiant against waves that crashed like thunder. Inside, tension crackled thicker than the sea spray coating the windows. All eyes focused on the tableau frozen in time—Lieutenant Fullbody, purple-faced and trembling, facing down the red-haired stranger whose mere presence had turned the restaurant into a powder keg.
Silas stood like a shadow given form, crimson hair flickering in the lamplight, those sharp eyes boring into Fullbody with the weight of absolute certainty. The Marine's fist hung in the air, frozen just inches from its target, quivering like a sail in a dying wind.
"BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!" Fullbody finally exploded, his carefully maintained composure shattering completely. His fist flew toward Silas's face—a desperate attempt to salvage what remained of his dignity.
The punch stopped dead, caught effortlessly in Silas's palm. Not deflected, not dodged—simply caught, as if Fullbody were a child throwing a tantrum.
Before anyone could blink, Sanji's polished shoe crashed into Fullbody's chest with the force of a cannonball. The Marine flew backward, smashing through a table in an explosion of plates and cutlery. Blood trickled from his nose as he lay dazed among the wreckage.
"How dare you attack a customer!" Sanji snarled, yanking Fullbody up by his rumpled collar. His usually composed demeanor had given way to righteous fury. "You spit on the Baratie's food, you spit on me!" The cigarette between his lips flared like a beacon of indignation.
The restaurant erupted in cheers, mugs raised high as the crowd savored the spectacle of a corrupt Marine getting his comeuppance.
Silas stepped back, watching with detached interest as the scene played out. His intervention had been instinct more than conscious choice—something about Luffy's crew pulled at him in ways he couldn't quite name.
"AWESOME!" Luffy vaulted over his table with rubber-limbed enthusiasm. "Gunblade Guy! Cool Cook! You're both joining my crew right now!"
Nami's eyes gleamed as she calculated the value of Silas's equipment while simultaneously appreciating Sanji's skill. *That redhead's walking treasure, and that cook has style...*
Zoro nodded approvingly at both displays of combat prowess. "Not bad. Either of you."
Usopp remained firmly planted behind his makeshift cover. "Why do we always attract the crazy ones?!"
Silas caught himself staring at Luffy's unshakeable grin. *That damn smile... why does it remind me of dreams I buried years ago?* The thought came unbidden, and with it, his mother's voice: *"He has the power to make people believe again."*
"Don't get any ideas, brat," Silas called out, his voice carrying a teasing edge. "You look about a year younger than me, and you're still wet behind the ears in these waters!"
Luffy's laugh boomed through the restaurant. "Wet behind the ears?! You're the one joining my crew, Gunblade Guy!"
*This kid's got nerve,* Silas thought, turning away to hide his conflicted expression. But that laugh lingered, washing against the walls he'd built around his heart like a relentless tide.
Fullbody struggled to his feet, dragging his mortified date toward the exit. "Y-you'll pay for this, pirate scum!" he croaked, his voice cracking with pain and wounded pride.
The doors slammed behind them, and the restaurant roared back to life with renewed energy. Diners toasted Sanji's victory while staff quickly cleared the debris.
From the kitchen came a voice like rolling thunder: "SANJI, YOU DAMN EGGPLANT! Stop showing off and get back to cooking, or I'll boot you to the All Blue myself!"
Chef Zeff emerged, his peg leg striking the floor with authority. His massive frame and braided mustache made him look like a sea king in human form. His eyes swept the room before settling on Silas with obvious interest.
*Trouble,* the old chef thought. *The kind that could change everything.*
The moment of relative calm shattered as the doors creaked open again. A figure stumbled inside—gaunt as a skeleton, clothes torn and salt-stained, face hollow with desperation and hunger. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his stomach with hands that shook like autumn leaves.
The sight struck Sanji like a physical blow. Memories flooded back—a starving boy on a barren rock, the taste of desperation, the gnawing emptiness that consumed everything else. His cigarette trembled between his lips.
"Please..." the stranger—Gin, though none knew his name yet—rasped. "Food... anything..."
The kitchen staff jeered from their posts. "Toss him out!"
"No money, no meal!"
"We're not a charity!"
But Sanji stood frozen, seeing himself in those desperate eyes. The weight of his own starvation, of Zeff's sacrifice, pressed down on him like the ocean's depths.
Silas watched the cook's internal struggle, noting the deadly stillness of the man's posture. *There's more to him than fancy footwork.* He also caught the glint of steel hidden in the starving man's coat—this was no ordinary beggar.
Defying the protests of his fellow chefs, Sanji returned with a steaming plate of fried rice. He set it before Gin with ceremony usually reserved for royalty.
"Eat," he said simply, but his voice carried the weight of understanding and shared pain.
Gin fell upon the food like a man drowning grabbing a rope, tears mixing with rice as he shoveled it into his mouth. The restaurant fell silent, some patrons softening at the display while others scoffed in disgust.
Luffy's grin stretched impossibly wide. "That's so cool! You're definitely joining my crew, Cook!"
Sanji blew a smoke ring that drifted toward the ceiling. "Dream on, Straw Hat. This place is my life."
But Silas had heard the whisper that cut through the crowd like a blade: "That guy... he's with Don Krieg's crew!"
The name hit the restaurant like a cold wave. Don Krieg—the Pirate Admiral, commander of fifty ships, terror of the East Blue. Conversations died mid-sentence as fear crept through the room like fog.
Usopp dove under his table completely. "FIFTY SHIPS?! WE'RE ALL DEAD!"
Nami's face went pale. "A bounty worth millions... and a death sentence."
Zoro's hand moved instinctively to his sword. "Krieg. Now things get interesting."
Luffy just tilted his head curiously. "Sounds like a fun guy to fight!"
Silas's eyes narrowed as he studied Gin's reaction to the name. The man flinched as if struck, and that hidden weapon seemed to weigh heavier in his coat. *No coincidence. The storm's coming, and it's bringing trouble with it.*
The Baratie creaked ominously as if sensing the approaching danger. Outside, the real storm was building—but inside, an even greater tempest was about to break.
Silas found his gaze drawn once again to Luffy, whose fearless grin remained undimmed despite the growing threat. *That stupid kid... why do I want to believe in him?*
His mother's words echoed in his memory: "You'd clear his path before he ever needed to fight."
For the first time in years, Silas wondered if maybe—just maybe—the time had come to stop running from his destiny.