Chapter 22
The Going Merry cut through the waves like she was eager to reach her destination, patched sails billowing with the perfect sea breeze. In the distance, Loguetown rose from the ocean like a crown jewel—white buildings gleaming in the afternoon sun, the infamous execution platform visible even from miles away.
"WHOA! IS THAT IT?! IS THAT WHERE GOLD ROGER DIED?!"
Luffy practically vibrated with excitement at the bow, straw hat bouncing as he pointed at the distant island.
"That's Loguetown alright," Nami confirmed, consulting her charts with navigator's precision.
"The town of the beginning and the end. Where the Pirate King was born—and where he died."
Usopp puffed out his chest.
"Hah! The great Captain Usopp isn't impressed by some old execution platform! I've seen way scarier things!"
"Like your own reflection?" Zoro muttered from where he was napping against the mast, somehow standing upright.
"WHAT WAS THAT, MOSS-HEAD?!"
"You heard me, long-nose."
Sanji emerged from the galley, cigarette dangling.
"Perfect timing. I could use some high-quality ingredients. Maybe find some premium spices and fresh cuts for once."
"And I need to hit the shops," Nami added, eyes practically sparkling with berry signs.
"We've got bounties now. Time to upgrade."
"YEAH! MEAT!" Luffy shouted.
"Loguetown meat! I bet it tastes different because the Pirate King ate there!"
"That's not how food works, you rubber brain," Sanji sighed.
---
While the crew chattered excitedly, Silas stood apart. Red hair catching the light, eyes fixed on Loguetown with a look that didn't match the mood.
Zoro noticed first.
"Oi, fancy boy. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just thinking," Silas replied, voice missing its usual edge.
"About what?" Nami asked, following his gaze.
"Old business." His hand drifted to his sabre hilt.
"Nothing important."
"You've been to Loguetown before?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"Something like that."
The conversation might've continued, but Luffy got distracted by a seagull, Usopp launched into another tall tale, and Sanji returned to his cooking. Only Zoro kept watching Silas with those swordsman eyes—quiet, sharp, knowing.
---
As the Merry drew closer to port, Silas slipped away.
"Gotta check something on my ship," he said casually.
"Make sure everything's still secure."
No one questioned it. They were too busy prepping for arrival.
He climbed aboard his weathered vessel, still strapped absurdly to the Merry's side. It had held up perfectly. More importantly—it still held his secrets.
Feet found familiar grooves in the deck. This ship had been his home for years. Every scratch told a story.
But today wasn't about nostalgia.
He moved with practiced efficiency to a section of planking that looked ordinary. Fingers found hidden catches. A panel lifted.
Inside: a long black box, untouched for months.
Silas stared at it. His reflection shimmered in the polished surface. Then, with steady hands, he opened it.
Two items lay nestled in red silk: a mask and a sabre.
---
The mask was unlike anything his crewmates had seen. Dark material that seemed to absorb light. It covered the upper half of a face. Etched into the forehead: a stylized sun, its rays flaring like a star.
The sabre… was something else entirely.
Even sheathed, it radiated presence. Black lacquered wood. Crimson cord. Guard shaped like a crescent moon.
Silas reached for it first. Lifted it with reverence. His posture shifted—straighter, sharper.
Blood Fang.
"This weapon has been in our family for twelve generations," his mother's voice echoed.
"It's not just a weapon, son. It's a responsibility. Every man who's carried it used it to protect those who couldn't protect themselves."
He drew the blade an inch. Steel gleamed like liquid silver. Sharp enough to cut through shadow.
This was a great-grade weapon. The kind swordsmen would kill for.
He'd been carrying a good sabre for months—adequate, functional. But Blood Fang? Blood Fang was meant for war.
And if they know? Don't care.
He slid the blade back into its sheath and set it aside. Reached for the mask.
Light. Familiar. Powerful.
The Red Sun Demon.
For two years, that name had struck fear into slavers and tyrants across the East Blue. A masked figure who appeared where the strong preyed on the weak. Bodies left behind. Prisoners freed.
Ten million berry bounty. No traceable identity.
They'd hunted the Red Sun Demon for months. Never realizing he was the same man they called the Charismatic Red Fang.
Two identities. Two bounties. And they still didn't know.
Silas chuckled, tucking the mask into his coat.
Thirty-five million for Daytime Silas. Ten million for the Red Sun Demon. Forty-five million total—if they only knew.
---
Luffy's laughter carried across the water. Somewhere along the way, these pirates had become more than crewmates.
They'd become family.
And family was worth protecting.
Silas stood. Blood Fang now hung at his hip. The weight was different—balanced, deadly. Anyone who knew sabres would recognize it.
Let them wonder.
He looked toward Loguetown. Close enough now to see buildings. People. Movement.
Somewhere in that town, there might be Marines. Bounty hunters. Maybe someone who'd recognize the mask.
Speaking of which…
His mind drifted to seastone bullets. The legendary material that could weaken Devil Fruit users. He'd heard rumors—certain weapons dealers in big towns sometimes had access.
If he could get his hands on some… craft bullets using his family's techniques…
"Well," he murmured, smirking as Loguetown grew larger.
"I wonder if I can find some seastone in this place."
---
The Going Merry sailed on, carrying its oblivious crew toward the town where the Pirate King met his end.
But Silas wasn't thinking about Gold Roger anymore.
He was thinking about the future. About the battles to come. About the enemies who'd try to hurt his new family.
And about the weapons he'd need to stop them.