Chapter Text
Karai Bari Island was not a stranger to rough tropical weather, but heavy rains and strong winds had still pushed every last Cross Guild member inside. Music and festivities filled the main tent, but the atmosphere was nowhere near its usual fever pitch. Buggy the Star Clown was noticeably absent, and his loyal followers were getting antsy. The newer recruits were especially restless. Buggy's commanders had left the private seating beyond the balcony and joined the general populace, but combined, they did not fill the emptiness left by the missing Emperor.
"I…I can't take this!" A heavy mug was slammed down on a table, frothy beer sloshing over the rim. "The Captain shouldn't be missing out on this. We've got to go get him!"
"Yeah! I bet he's working himself ragged, even during this storm."
"He really is the greatest!"
The chorus of agreements echoed around the tent, stirring more men and women to action—until a shot rang out and startled everyone to silence. All eyes turned, landing on Alvida with her smoking gun still raised. "Keep it down, you barbarians. And don't bother the boss. I doubt he's in any mood for visitors right now."
"HUUUUUH?! BUT ALVIDA—"The voices of the masses were one in their protests, but those quickly turned to shrieks of terror when Dracule Mihawk stood from his chair. A primal fear rippled through the room as sharp yellow eyes seemed to pierce the soul of every pirate present. Mihawk picked up his ornate black sword from beside his chair, and another wave of panic and whimpering spread. "Please, sir, we're sorry! We'll—"
Mihawk did not hear the pleas. He mounted his sword to his back, turned, and walked out of the main tent towards the private quarters. Most watched him go before a sigh of relief was released when he vanished. Alvida scoffed, rolling her eyes at Mihawk's dramatic display. She then turned to regard Cabaji and Mohji. "Why don't you tell these idiots why we don't bother the chairman in a storm like this." It was not a request.
Veteran mercenaries had heard the reasons before, and they sunk back into their seats with a renewed understanding. The rookies, however, crowded the commanders' table. Mihawk had left, and Crocodile was nowhere in sight. They were emboldened to approach the remaining, less homicidal leaders. "So what's going on? Captain Buggy doesn't usually miss a chance to party, even during a storm." There were synchronized nods of agreement from the gathered group.
Acrobatists and tightrope walkers restarted their performances while jugglers, fire breathers, and veterans returned to their tables and meals. Slowly, jovial noise was returning. Yet the atmosphere remained tense around the commanders' table, blocking out the commotion.
Galdino straightened his glasses, "Yes, normally, our boisterous captain fills this space with his rousing speeches and domineering personality." It was the start of a speech, and Mohji and Cabaji traded looks before they interrupted. They didn't need Alvida losing her temper and beating them for ignoring her command. "It's like Alvida said." Mohji started. "Even a great guy like Captain Buggy can be affected by storms like this. Something terrifying happened years ago. He carried us, his crew, through it, and he still bears scars and memories that sour his mood."
Buggy's high command, who knew the clown's true self, always did their best to uphold the image painted for these mercenaries. They had to choose their words carefully, especially regarding stories of the past they shared.
"Terrifying? You mean he's scared?"
“No! Not scared.” Galdino cut in, already on damage control.
"Well, it was scary to us," Mohji admitted. "But it instilled something far more dangerous in Captain Buggy that we don't want to provoke."
The crowd whispered, wondering what the commanders meant. Alvida sighed, getting frustrated by the non-committal explanation and unnecessary fluff. "Don't try to dance around it, you fools." Her eyes hardened. "Rage. Your great leader stays in his private quarters to spare all of you from it. You think he's intimidating when commanding you from up there," she jabbed a thumb toward Buggy's balcony, "then, believe me, you should be grateful he's not here right now."
There were several audible gulps from the gathered rookies. Although passionately devoted to Buggy, they were not blind to the clown's powerful emotions—especially his temper. Considering the control he wielded over two beasts like Hawkeye Mihawk and Sir Crocodile, they could only imagine what unbridled fury Buggy carried. Though the idea was intimidating, the gathered pirates' hearts warmed. Their outstanding chairman, as strong and strict as he was caring and considerate towards them all.
"But what caused it?" A lone voice questioned. "What could've happened that remembering it can make him so dangerous?"
Lips set in a hard line, Cabaji steepled his fingers. Lightning lit up the tent, followed by a rolling roar of thunder.
——
Hurricanes. For a boat sailing the Grand Line, the ruthless winds and monstrous waves could be a death sentence to even the most skilled sailors.
That day, the Big Top had sailed deep into a strong storm, and not by accident. No, her captain had directed the ship into the rough waters, a plot to try and shake their pursuers. Although they'd created some distance, the Marine's cruiser ships were more maneuverable than anticipated. Their captains were more motivated to chase a legendary pirate than to keep their crews alive.
"I should've expected it. Not even Marines can resist me. The flashiest pirate in the Grand Line, soon to be the next Pirate King!"
C a p t a i n B u g g y.
The clown was aloft, standing on the railing of the crow's nest with binoculars in hand. His watchman was gripping the mainmast, shivering and squinting his eyes as he tried to see past the rain and wind while the captain was borrowing his usual tool.
Buggy grits his teeth, lowering the binoculars as he glared at the distant ships. He seemed unaffected by the harsh wind and strong tilting of the boat. Devil fruit powers had their perks, even if they incurred the sea's wrath. Buggy tossed the binoculars back to the watchman. "If those idiots have a death wish, fine by me!" The clown spread his arms, his coat picked up by the gale, and pulled back as he yelled, "I hope you enjoy your watery grave, Marines! No captain and crew can sail these stormy seas like the Buggy Pirates!"
"Captain!"
The wind changed, the coat attached to Buggy's shoulders whipping back into him with enough force to knock him from his perch. The moment his feet lost solid purchase, he dropped like a stone. His panicked scream was, thankfully, swallowed up by the storm as he plummeted to the deck. His body split to pieces, and Buggy twisted to grab his feet and throw them straight down. By luck alone, they landed with soles flat and the rest of his parts reassembled on top of them. The force of the impact still jolted him to the top of his head, making even his hair stand straight up. He'd stuck the landing, and that's what counted.
"Captain, sir!"
"Shut up!" Buggy swept an arm out like he was cutting through the rain. "ALL HANDS, STOW THE SAILS BEFORE THEY'RE TORN TO PIECES!"
They'd rode the strong winds into the storm; it took experience and instinct to maintain the delicate balance of current and wind to guide the large ship, but with the sudden shift in the wind's direction, they needed to change tactics. Immediately.
Buggy was confident in his crew's abilities. The Big Top was not a circus ship in name only, with all its freaks well-trained and sure of their footing. They rushed on narrow beams and ropes to follow their captain's command. Buggy chopped his arms from his shoulders, sending them back up the mainmast to help.
With his attention focused high above, Buggy overlooked the frantic and frustrated force charging him until a hand was on his hat and hair. "Buggy!" Alvida's grip was deceptively powerful, and Buggy's head popped off his neck as she whipped it around and rushed towards the bow.
"AAAAH! Alvida, what are you doing??!" His headless form chased after the woman. "Stop! Don't run with my head!!"
"Shut up, you fool," Alvida growled at her captive, finally reaching the front of the ship and holding his head up high. "Look!"
The woman forced Buggy's eyes to focus straight ahead. What he saw made his jaw slacken and his body slump behind Alvida. A few other crewmates soon joined them, wanting to see what was so urgent for themselves. "Captain Buggy, what is that?"
A vast expanse of the water ahead was roiling and twisting, two massive currents colliding. The clouds above seemed to mirror its movements, lightning striking the surface and illuminating horrified faces. The water's surface dropped, and onlookers lost their breath. Buggy broke out in a cold sweat. "Oh crap…"
"MAELSTROOOOOM!!!"
That one word echoed over the entire ship, and all heads turned towards the bow. Another chorus of screams rang out from the rest of the crew as realization hit them.
"Dammit," Buggy's arms returned to his shoulders, and he grabbed his head, "Alvida, let go!!" The woman's grip wasn't tight, but she kept hold of the captain's hat, and long fingers snagged the ties in his hair. Buggy didn't have time to care, reattaching his head and jumping back from the bow. Long blue hair instantly stuck to his face and neck, and he pushed it back as his other hand shot out to find Mohji. "Listen to me!" Buggy had dragged his first mate to him as his hand slammed back into place on his wrist. He was running to the stern now, delivering frantic orders. "As many people as you need, get them below deck and load every canon with a Buggy Ball. Port and starboard sides. GO!"
Buggy threw Mohji aside as he took two steps at a time up the stairs to the helm. The single crewman at the wheel was having a hard time holding it, trying desperately to fight the current of the vortex to keep the ship out of it. Buggy kicked the man away, then slammed a foot against the bottom of the wheel to hold it in place. "I'm taking over the helm. Get below deck and help Mohji." The captain threw his orange coat to the abused helmsman, a cord ripped from the shoulder clenched between his teeth. He quickly gathered his mess of blue hair, tying it back as a crazy grin split across his face. There was a manic look in wide, sea-blue eyes.
"Cabaji! Keep a team ready to release the sails on my mark!"
"What?!" The second mate was still aloft, his disbelief echoed by the rest of the pirates who had just finished stowing the sails."Don't question your captain!" A red and white striped bandana was tied tightly over Buggy's hair, helping to absorb some of the water and sweat that would otherwise run into his eyes. A deck below the clown, Mohji called for battle stations, herding every pirate not tending to the sails to the gun deck. Even Alvida seemed to have snapped to her senses. One look at Buggy's face told her she would not get any answers about what the crazy clown was thinking, so she retreated below deck with the crowd.
Gloved hands slammed down onto the wheel, gripping spokes as he threw his head back and laughed. Where the helmsman had struggled to control their course, Buggy held it with ease. "IT'S TIME TO GIVE THESE MARINES THE FLASHIEST SENDOFF TO DAVY JONES LOCKER!" The captain spun the wheel, turning the Big Top into the maelstrom. The ship entered the whirlpool quickly, the faster current causing it to lurch forward. Buggy had to lean hard against the wheel, grunting with the effort it took to keep his ship from getting dragged straight to the center of the vortex.
"I know you're watching this…Captain." Buggy ground out between clenched teeth. There was still a wild look on his face, his eyes crazed and his grin showing all his teeth. The entire ship groaned beneath him but was holding firm. "You told us… to never try a stunt like this." Buggy was staining now, feeling the wind change as the ship turned. If it weren't for the extra strength afforded him by the Bara Bara no mi, Buggy might not have been able to hold the Big Top's course alone. Yet he persevered, growing more excited by the second. "But this is going to be flashy as hell, so you know I can't resist!"
Buggy's hair whipped with the wind, pushed forward and surrounding his face. It was finally time, and he shouted over the roar of the hurricane to his crew on the yards.
"RELEASE THE SAILS!!"
He was pulling the wheel, trying to guide the ship back out of the faster current of the whirlpool. It didn't want to release the Big Top, but the tailwind nearly lifted the boat out of the water as the sails were unfurled and secured. He held the course straight, watching, shaking from effort and anticipation.
The bow erupted over the edge of the vortex, and Buggy held his breath. The two pursuing ships had nearly caught up but altered their formation. The Marine ships had separated to avoid the dangerous whirlpool as any sane sailor would. Buggy was sure they weren't expecting a fight—he was counting on it.
"Captain, all cannons are ready!" Mohji yelled up to the helm.
Buggy waited for a beat. The Big Top soared out of the whirlpool, throwing a large wake as she escaped. She landed in the space the Marines had so kindly made between them. Another beat as the ship evened out. A crack of lightning was followed closely by Buggy's command.
"FIRE!"
It was chaos, and not even the hurricane could swallow it all. No storm could stifle the specially designed Buggy Balls so easily. Colorful smoke, fire, explosions, and screams rang out from both sides of the Big Top as the surprise attack struck the Marine ships broadside. If the ships didn't outright sink from the damage, there was no doubt that they'd succumb to the storm.
Either way, they wouldn't be following the Big Top any longer.
Buggy locked the helm, making sure the wheel wouldn't turn from their course before he ran back and launched himself up onto the taffrail. His body split as he jumped, coming together again when his feet found purchase on the solid wood. His eyes were alight, and Buggy's unrestrained laughter echoed out at the sight of the carnage. They were close enough that he could feel the heat from the fires of the blasts that had nearly capsized the two ships. "Gyahahaha-HAH! That's what you get!" The clown shouted. "If any of you survive, don't forget who did this to you. The bravest, smartest, most flashy pirate of them all, Ca-"
"CAPTAIN!!!"
Buggy nearly bit his tongue, his lips twisting into an angry sneer. He turned around, stomping as he looked towards Cabaji, who was now at the helm and looking pale. "WHAT??!!" And then he noticed his second mate was pointing ahead. They'd already beaten a maelstrom sinking the sea in their path, and Buggy was so high from the success of their attack that he seemed confident there was nothing that could get in their way.
Nothing, except the massive Marine battleship bearing down on them. The world seemed to lose all sound, the rain and wind melting away as the three great barrels of the gunship moved. Slowly, they were being lowered and readied. Buggy took a breath, his mind going blank; he'd just pulled off something unthinkably brilliant, but of course, the world had to stomp on that victory before he could enjoy it.
It wasn't the enormous boom of the enemies' cannons that startled the Buggy pirates to act again, breathe, prepare to fight, and probably die. Instead, it was a quieter noise, a crack and sudden splintering in the mizzenmast as Buggy's body lurched forward. Cabaji had a clear view of the spray of blood that erupted from the clown's chest and lips. There were shouts from the few pirates who had emerged from the gun deck, and even before Buggy's body landed, they were scrambling up wet steps to get to his side.
Blood--Buggy's blood-- mixed with the rain and vibrant blue hair around the fallen captain. The first and second mate slid into place at either side of their leader, but neither knew what to do besides shout his name. The wood underneath them was quickly stained red by a rapidly expanding pool. The screams of the crew were incoherent, tears of frustration and terror hidden by the downpour. One of Buggy's hands twitched, and he took a ragged breath, gathering his arms beneath himself to try and get up. Mohji and Cabaji each took an arm, intending to help the wounded clown to his feet.
Both men could feel it before they saw it: pure, unfiltered rage. Buggy's body felt hot to the touch, and something about the captain's aura made their breath catch in their throat.
There was an audible snap, like their very mast had split in two, and the entire crew's vision went white.
——
The rookies were unmoving, unblinking, waiting for the commanders to continue. Tense, anxious seconds, minutes—Buggy was alive now, but they needed to know—
"And?" Someone finally prompted. "What happened next?"
Mohji sighed, settling a hand in Richie's thick mane to stroke the lion's long, soft fur. "Well…we aren't sure." He admits. "It's like I said, everything went white. We passed out."
"The entire crew," Alvida confirmed, begrudgingly including herself in that picture.
"We don't know how much time passed, but everything…it was over when we woke up." Mohji met the eyes of their crowd. "The storm was gone, and the sun was shining. The Marine ships were nowhere in sight, and we were safe."
"And Captain Buggy…?"
"Injured." Cabaji offered. "The Marines shot him with a sea prism bullet. Thankfully, it didn't splinter in him and went through. He'd moved around while we were unconscious, but we found him slumped against the mainmast and out cold."
The commanders let the subsequent silence linger. They allowed these pirates to let their imaginations run wild. They needed to see how the rookies filled in the gaps and what theories they crafted about what happened. In truth, none of them had an answer themselves. Buggy was tight-lipped about that day, not that they could bring themselves to pry too hard. The nervous aura from the rookies finally dissipated, expressions brightening as they spoke. "That's amazing…that means he saved them. Saved everyone."
"He must've fought hard to protect his crew. Hurt and with a Marine Battleship at the bow—damn."
"I wonder what the Marines did to knock everyone out. A concussive shot?"
"Had to be something like that. Those Marines didn't want to fight at all. And if they shot Captain Buggy with a sea prism bullet, they had to be desperate."
"They had to be terrified."
Cheering and celebration were building.
"Man, that Captain Buggy—what a pirate."
"What a hero!"
The commanders breathed out in relief but maintained composure as a few stragglers still had questions. "That's what you meant by scars?" One pirate asked. He had a hand over his chest, frowning. "He always seemed like he healed so fast, but he's still got one from that?"
Alvida shrugged, and Galdino saw his chance to speak. "I think it's more metaphorical. He still remembers it, and even though he came out on top, the Marines managed to injure him and his crew. And that, most likely, is the rage he still carries." Galdino pushed his glasses up his nose. "You see?"
A soft 'oooh' of understanding rippled through the remaining gathered pirates. They seemed satisfied with the explanation, having enough information now to form their conclusions. They too, returned to their tables to talk amongst themselves.
Finally, alone, the commanders each returned to their various drinks. They didn't embellish that story, and it saved their chairman face to tell it rather than offer a simple explanation. Simple could let someone stray too close to 'he's so terrified of these storms, so much so he can't even leave his tent.' No one had ever really accepted easy excuses anyway when it came to Buggy.
"It never gets easier telling that story," Mohji mumbled. The memories weren't exactly the best for them either, even if they had lived.
Off to one side, a prominent figure lurked in the shadows near open tent flaps, listening in. It was quite the story that Crocodile had never heard about the Cross Guild's figurehead. Not that the ex-warlord had anyone to blame but himself. He was always holed up in his quarters when it rained, and he stayed away from the main tent when it was loud and rowdy. Crocodile blew out a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring his face from curious onlookers now that the crowds were spreading out. The main tent was reaching its usual levels of music and merry again, meaning staying close by would be a headache.
So the ex-warlord turned back the way he'd come, back into the rain, and back towards the private tents that housed the Cross Guild's leadership.
"Even accounting for their usual exaggerations and fluff, that was an interesting one." Crocodile was walking with purpose, his path set for Buggy's tent. There was no shelter from the rain along the way, but getting wet was a price he'd pay to get answers. "I'll just have to find out what happened from another source." A source he could torment and interrogate behind closed doors. There were always reasons to bully Buggy. Having a new one was exciting enough to drive Crocodile out of hiding and after his favorite prey.