#I've waited YEARS for someone to ask me about my theories!!!

[charkyzombicorn]

What's Roger's pirates' opinion of Buggy?

My headcanon?

Buggy is severely annoying and doesn't mind yelling, screaming, mocking and insulting people. The majority of the crew thinks he's super annoying but won't complain because Buggy is a very good choreboy and also Roger likes him. General dislike though

Rayleigh didn't notice he favored Shanks, he just did. He helped raise Shanks from a baby, they adopted Buggy when he was 8-9. Buggy had already been raising himself and had most of the crew convinced the only thing he needed from them was 3 hots and a cot. Maybe protection from more dangerous enemies but he was brought to all those situations so it didn't count. Buggy wasn't the crew baby, he was a choreboy that was annoying as hell and always looking for an audience. When Shanks did the same thing he was coddled - Aw isnt it sweet how much more responsibility Shanks is taking on to match the choreboy, isnt it cute he's acting all jealous, isn't it adorable he keeps trying to show off all he's learning to the whole crew - to be fair, Shanks didn't do stuff like that nearly as often but he didn't feel the need to fight after Rayleigh told him Buggy was just jealous and vying for attention because he's not used to the crew. Shanks may have mentioned this talk during an argument right after Roger's death and Buggy punched him in the face for only noticing him because of Pity.

Also, Rayleigh was good at handling Roger crazy, which was from an honest place. He didn't like the way Buggy conducted himself and while he accepted it he still tended to drift toward Shanks. Especially after Roger trusted him with his hat, because he knew Shanks was the future and he hoped Shanks would succeed Roger after he died (he just wanted a piece of Roger to stay, wanted to make sure Shanks and Roger's legacy was safe, but he was young and stupid and didn't realize it until he got told by Luffy that Buggy was an east blue pirate the last decade and Rayleigh didn't know. That he hadn't spoken to Buggy since the execution, a boy he thought of as his son)

Shanks didn't like Buggy at first, because Buggy was New but not Good New. One of the first things Buggy ever said to him (or more to Roger but pointing at him) was that Buggy was more useful. That Buggy deserved a place in his home more than Shanks did. And then Shanks started noticing how much a ship really needed to be cleaned and maintained, watching Buggy zip around the deck doing so many things that Shanks had never done in 8 years on the ship. Buggy didn't act like a kid, said he wasn't a kid anymore. So Shanks assumed he was childish, that Buggy was right and he was useless on the ship. So Shanks started doing a few chores here and there - even if Buggy had to redo them the crew still praised him for being very kind and helpful. But then Buggy was mopping and Shanks was mopping the same corner over and over, and Rayleigh told Shanks it looked like he was working hard. Buggy slammed his mop down and stormed out, so Shanks asked why and Rayleigh explained. Buggy wanted attention, he was competing because he thought he couldn't share. And Shanks felt bad for him, so he started actually talking to him. And Buggy was hesitant but then there wasn't anywhere Shanks would go that Buggy wouldn't follow, or anywhere Buggy would go that he wouldn't drag Shanks with him. Eventually Shanks forgot any sort of pity toward Buggy. He only brought it up after Roger died because he was angry, he didn't mean it.

Roger loved Shanks and Buggy equally. He loved to watch Shanks grow up following his footsteps and Buggy grow up unique and interesting in his own right. Roger loved Buggy's little performances, was often the only one that would clap. He knew Buggy had great things in store, but tieing Buggy to a promise as great as the one on his - now Shanks' - straw hat? Terrible idea. Buggy didn't need a promise to follow, he needed an audience to applaud. Roger had full faith his crew would be that audience, watching Buggy grow and get more talented and strong enough to do more than Roger could imagine. He knew Buggy was far too social to ever be alone, he would make a great crew of his own or a great family if he wouldn't be a pirate. Roger wished he could have seen it, been right at the front same as when Buggy was 10 and he was the only one clapping while Buggy juggled swords he most definitely stole from Rayleigh.