KRAKOW! The Baratie shuddered like a titan braced against a crumbling cliff, its fish-shaped hull a blazing torch in the storm's snarling jaws. Inside, chaos roared—CLINK-CLANK! of trembling mugs, HISS-HISS! of sailors' whispered dread, SIZZLE-POP! of pans, the air thick with fried fish and the crushing weight of Don Krieg's name. The storm outside HOWLED!, waves THUD-CRASH! against the hull like warhammers, weaving a cage of dread that snared every soul aboard.
Against a pillar, Daytime Silas slouched, crimson hair glinting like a spark in the dark, his coffee cup cold as a buried vow. His eyes locked on Luffy, sprawled like a rogue king, scarfing shrimp with a CHOMP-CHOMP! that rattled plates like a cannon volley. This kid's laugh—it's a spark I can't shake. The thought flared, unbidden, tugging at his resolve. I could slip out, vanish into the storm. Luffy's grin—SHISHISHI!—cut through the chaos like a flame across a dry plain, and Silas's chest tightened, a forge sparking in the night. A fool with a hat, not worth my blade.
Across the room, Sanji leaned against the counter, cigarette twirling like a dancer's spin, smoke curling like a serpent's sigh, eyes shadowed with ghosts. "I was a kid, stranded on a rock, starving 'til my bones screamed," he growled, voice raw as a fresh scar. "Zeff—that old geezer—ate his own leg to keep me alive. Chewed his flesh so I could have the last scraps." His words sank like boulders, silencing diners in a stunned hush. Luffy froze, shrimp dangling like a tattered banner, eyes wide but steady as a lodestar. "Whoa… that's why you fed that guy, huh, Cool Cook?" Sanji blew a smoke ring, lips twitching faintly, eyes heavy as granite. "No one starves on my watch, Straw Hat. Not ever."
Silas's grip tightened, a flicker in his chest. Compassion in a pirate? Is this what Mother meant? His mind flashed—BANG-BANG-BANG!—his flintlock spitting fire, three pirates crumpling, clutching bleeding shoulders and thighs, groaning in the floor; SHING!—his sabre slicing, a fourth staggering, a shallow gash across his chest, alive but broken as Silas walked away. Why did I draw first for strangers? His logic snarled—a fool's gamble—but a whisper stirred, does this kid carry that spark? He muttered, "This kid's not my fight, so what holds me?" Luffy's defiance, bold as a warcry, drew his gaze like a magnet.
BOOM-CRASH! The Baratie lurched, a monstrous shadow swallowing the windows. SPLASH-KABOOM! Waves hammered the hull as a titanic ship tore through the storm, its prow a shattered skull, sails ragged as a wraith's shroud. The Dreadnaught Sabre—Don Krieg's flagship. Diners shrieked, chairs toppling with a CLATTER-CRASH! as chefs froze, knives mid-slash. Usopp dove under a table, wailing, "IT'S DOOMSDAY! FIFTY SHIPS! WE'RE SEA KING SASHIMI!" Nami's eyes bulged, mind racing like a ledger in a gale. Krieg's ship… a million-berry bounty, a million graves. Zoro stepped forward, hand on his sword, eyes sharp as a honed edge. This guy's a walking fortress.
Gin staggered up, rice grains stuck to his chin, eyes torn between gratitude and dread, fingers twitching on his dagger. "It's… him," he croaked, voice quivering like a snapped bowstring. The doors SLAM-BAM! burst open, and Don Krieg stormed in, a colossus of dented armor creaking like a siege engine, cape billowing like a warlord's banner. His crew—gaunt, hollow-eyed, bones jutting like barren peaks—shambled behind, a hundred ghosts from the Grand Line's depths. "Was it you? Red-haired bastard? Daring enough to harm my men?" Krieg thundered, voice splintering the rafters like a cannon blast, eyes locking on Silas with slits of malice.
Silas's gaze snapped up, cold as a frozen peak, hand steady on his cup. Those rats squealed, dragging their broken hides back to him. The room froze, diners gaping, the air thick as tar. Krieg's eyes blazed, voice dropping to a deadly whisper that cut through the chaos. "Good, since you didn't run! Anyone related to this man will die a gruesome death, you hear me!" His cape billowed as he gestured toward Silas, then swept his arm across the room. "Every last one of you!"
Luffy tilted his head, shrimp forgotten, grin blazing like a spark in the dark. "OH RIGHT? Gunblade Guy trashed your guys? THAT'S SO AWESOME!" His HA-HA-HA! shook the rafters. Krieg's face twisted, armor creaking as he stepped forward, eyes scanning the Baratie's sturdy beams and armed chefs, calculating his move. "Laughing in this situation? Another foolish brave bastard—fine, I'll taste blood today!" His gauntleted fist slammed the nearest table, wood exploding like shrapnel with a KRAK-BOOM! Usopp squealed, "WHY DID WE STAY?! WE'RE CORPSES!" Nami hissed, "Perfect, now we're all on his hit list!", pulling Usopp behind a crate. Luffy just kept grinning, tilting his straw hat back. "Bring it on, metal guy!" Zoro shifted, swords glinting, anchoring the crew's flank as Luffy stood firm, their silent nod a vow to fight as one.
Sanji's cigarette flared, his gaze catching the crew's gaunt faces, eyes hollow as barren dunes, hands trembling as they clutched tattered coats. Starving… like I was on that rock. His jaw tightened, a vow burning brighter than his cigarette. He shot a glance at Zeff, who nodded, peg leg THUD-BOOM!, mustache quivering like a thunderhead. "Quiet, you gutless sardines!" Zeff roared, eyes piercing Krieg like a spear. "Sanji, get the crates! Feed 'em!" The chefs yelped, "Feed a hundred pirates?! They'll gut us!" But Sanji strode to the kitchen with a CLICK-CLACK! of his shoes, defiance in every step. He returned with crates of bread and fish, slamming them down with a BAM! before Krieg's crew. "Eat," he said, voice hard as steel, eyes blazing with a vow no tempest could break. The pirates lunged, GOBBLE-GULP!, tearing into the food like starved beasts, tears mixing with crumbs. Gin bowed his head, whispering, "Thank you… I'll never forget this," his hand gripping his dagger, eyes darting between Sanji's resolve and Krieg's towering shadow.
Silas watched, his mind churning. That grin—does it carry the fire Mother spoke of? Luffy's defiance, unwavering against Krieg's threat, stirred a whisper in his soul. A loudmouth, yet his courage draws them all. He glanced at Sanji, feeding enemies without fear, and Luffy, grinning like a spark in the dark. "SO COOL! You're joining my crew, Cool Cook!" Sanji snorted, blowing a smoke ring that twirled like a serpent's dance. "Keep dreaming, Straw Hat. I'm not leaving this place." His eyes softened, glancing at Zeff, a debt heavier than the mountains.
Silas's chest tightened, a forge sparking in the night. His fire—does it match Mother's tales? Luffy's "NOW!" from before rang like a warhorn across a plain, unshakable. A fool, yet… he binds them together. Sanji's compassion and Luffy's grin stirred a truth, solid as stone. Could he be the spark Mother foresaw? The thought crashed like a landslide, cracking his cynical walls. No. That's absurd. But his boots stayed rooted, eyes locked on Luffy, the brat who burned like a flame cutting fog.
KRAAANG! Krieg slammed his fist, splintering a table to kindling, his eyes glinting as his crew devoured the food, strength returning to their hollow frames. "This food's a start," he growled, voice low as a gathering storm. "But I want this ship. The Baratie's mine!" His eyes gleamed, a tyrant's hunger bared, his crew rising like shadows behind him, invigorated by the meal. Gin flinched, torn, his dagger glinting as he hesitated, caught between Sanji's kindness and Krieg's iron grip. The chefs screamed, CLATTER-CRASH! of pans hitting the floor. Usopp wailed, "WE'RE FINISHED! HE'LL DEVOUR THE SHIP AND OUR SOULS!" Nami hissed, "That bounty's not worth this madness!", her hand signaling Zoro, who nodded, swords half-drawn, grin feral as a wolf's. "Come on, big guy."
Luffy stood, straw hat low, grin unshaken. "This is Cool Cook's home. You're not taking it!" His voice rang, bold as a flame cutting fog, and the Straw Hats rallied—Zoro at his side, blades ready; Nami shielding Usopp, eyes sharp; their unity a silent vow. Silas's heart surged, a wind stirring ashes. His voice—it's a call I can't turn from. Krieg's gaze flicked from Luffy to Silas, a warlord sizing up prey, his pause a predator's calculation now fueled by his crew's renewed strength. Silas's hand twitched toward his sabre, a spark blazing into a dream he couldn't douse. My feet won't move, but why him?
The storm outside ROARED!, waves SMASHING! like warhammers, the Baratie trembling as Krieg's crew loomed, invigorated. Silas caught a glint in Krieg's eyes—ruthless, calculating, a conqueror's ambition cloaked in hunger. He's biding his time, waiting for his men to strike. The restaurant was a tinderbox, Krieg's demand a spark, and Luffy's defiance a blaze that wouldn't quit. Silas's coffee cup shook, Luffy's "NOW!" echoing like a wind across a dune. I don't believe in legends. But as Krieg's shadow towered and Luffy stood unyielding, Daytime Silas felt his destiny surge, a spark he couldn't douse, testing if this impossible, flame-bright brat could be the Warrior of Liberation his mother foretold, worthy of his blade and gun.