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gingernut1314 · 10 months ago

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The Luck Child - Chapter 3: Discussions of Pain and Chaos

Buggy x F!Reader

Summary: Buggy throws a temper tantrum and you are less than happy to sit around and wait for him than his senior officers. Especially when your position on his crew has yet to be decided.

Warnings: spoilers for the anime (Marineford Arc and onward), canon divergence, canon typical violence

Word Count: 3.8K

A/N: This is done in collaboration with the wonderful @fanaticsnail and her Sapsorrow series--go read it if you haven't already!!! And thank you @i-am-vita for creating the beautiful banner and storyteller collab masterlist!!

Buggy had been a snapping firecracker of chop-chopped limbs, screeching and screaming, angered tears, and cruses upon Red-Haired Shanks’ name. A firecracker that burned bright and fast, flying off to bar himself within his large, red and white striped tent, now very crinkled map in hand.

There had been throwing and the sound of crashing and then--silence. Utter silence that had lasted for longer than you could have ever believed the clown could stay as such.

So long, you were beginning to convince yourself he had died. There was no other logical option, really. Because the Buggy you knew could not physically keep his mouth shut even if it was to save his life.

But firecrackers were, if anything else, short-lived things.

His senior officers seemed utterly unphased by Buggy’s temper tantrum.

Cabaji had walked off to shout commands and insults at his subordinates fixing their Captian’s ship, the Big Top, while the rest sat just before Buggy’s tent in chairs made of wax.

You paced. Had been pacing since Buggy had locked himself in his tent and continued to pace as Galdino came back over to the assembled group with a silver tray in hand. Intricately designed porcelain tea cups full of steaming dark-amber liquid sat on top of it, a matching teapot in the middle.

You watched, turning back around to pace before the tent flaps, as Galdino handed Alvida one of the cups. Watched her, from her spot on a wax-made couch she lounged out upon, take the tea from him, an all-too-pleasant thank you leaving her red painted lips. Lips that pulled up in the smallest of smiles for the man. Galdino nodded his head, a near-matching smile on his face.

You turned on your heels once more, after making it to the other end of the tent, and headed back for the other side as Galdino handed Mohji a cup as well. The fur-covered first mate nodded his thanks and took a sip of tea, a pleased hum on his lips. His larger-than-normal lion, whose name you remembered was Richie, napped at his feet like some overgrown cat.

Galdino turned towards you and your pacing body, his lips thinning.

“Would you like a cup? It’s earl grey--made the bled myself just yesterday.” He spoke, pride welling in his voice at such a fact.

You paused in your pacing. Paused and stood perfectly still as he came up to you, taking your settledness as welcome.

You lifted a hand to take the delicate cup from his, Galdino grinning at you.

“See? Isn’t the simple pleasure of a nice cup of tea much better than such--” You grinned a wolfishly wicked thing in his face as you sharply threw the cup away, it shattering into little pieces against the hard surface of a nearby rock, which grew damp from the spilled, homemade tea. “...brutish nonsense.” The former Mr. 3 finished, a deep frown cutting down his face. “That was a part of a set.” He snapped.

“Boo. Hoo.” You answered, starting up your pace once more.

“It’s not worth trying to tame such a savage beast.” Alvida’s silky smooth voice spoke as she raised the porcelain to her lips, sharp eyes tracking Galdino as he started for his own wax-made chair next to her couch. “It’s best to either give them a wide berth or hunt them down for sport.”

“You might be right. And she does have such a nice bounty on her head.” Galdino mused, sitting down all prim and properly in his chair. Alvida took a sip of her tea, turning her head so she could continue to glance his way.

“Then why vogue for her in such a way? We would do best to get rid of her. Stray animals should stay as such.” She said with a smirk and another sip of tea.

“Because, dear, what a nice asset she would be to us if she were domesticated.” Galdino took a sip from his own cup, turning his gaze onto Alvida with a growing smirk of his own. “Maybe we would do best to invest in a shock collar. That would keep her from causing too much mayhem.” Alvida gave a luscious chuckle.

“If we are to keep her, dear, then we best invest now.” You ignored their taunting, finding it not worth your time. Especially when your time was already being wasted waiting around for that pathetic excuse of a man still hiding away in his tent.

“How much longer does he expect us to wait around for him to sulk?” You snapped, turning sharply on your heels once more to march back over the white sand you had been leaving a consistent trail of boot marks in.

“We find it best to…leave the captain be when he gets like this,” Mohji spoke, taking a sip of tea. “He’ll come around…soon enough.”

“Soon enough is not good enough. He should be out here discussing a play of action.” Mohji winched at your words.

“I would not push him.” You snarled at the fur-covered man who all but sunk into his chair as if to get away from your wrath. His lion stirred, seemingly sensing his master's unease.

“Galdino, dear, make a note to also purchase a muzzle.” Alvida’s voice hummed.

“Yes. Our budget definitely would allow for that as well.” You turned your snarl onto them.

You would only take so many slights against your name.

“You best remember Galdino that I will take no such disrespect from you or anyone.” You hissed, making the man pale. Alvida only laughed, its ambrosian ring floating over the soft breeze, not understanding the true meaning behind your words.

Galdino was best to remember that you still held power over him. Best to remember you held his daughter’s life in your hands and that one simple call would send her into the pits of hell.

“And what will you do, wild woman? You are trying to join our crew and you have been doing very little to earn your place.” What you would do to that woman had her words not rang true. What utter carnage you would have wrought against her and this crew she belonged to if you didn’t have this mission to complete.

You snarled at her for a moment longer, a moment long enough for her to take yet another sip of her tea and swallow before you barged into the tent you had been pacing before.

You would drag that fool from his den before you sat there any longer and allowed that woman to insult you.

Darkness enveloped you. A darkness only broken up by the round hole in the apex of the tent, which allowed the smoke from the fire at the center to escape through. The fire flickered and swayed at the sudden rush of wind you had created in your rush.

Its swaying light illuminated more of the space. Illuminated a broken desk, shattered mugs, and torn papers. Brightly colored clothes lay sprawled over the floor, causing the fire’s light to reflect off the sparkles and gems on them to shine like a sea of diamonds. Glass beer bottles rattled together as you slowly made your way through the large space towards a pile of pillows that looked like some strange birds nest.

And in that nest, laying on his front, body parts chop-chopped apart, and flowing blue hair splayed around his head, was Buggy the Clown.

He was quiet.

Too quiet.

You’re earlier thought crossed your mind in a flash.

He looked dead.

Maybe he was--died of his red-hot dramatics.

What an easy mission that would make, but you knew your luck wasn’t that great. Knew Buggy’s “prophesied” luck was stronger than your own and he was still alive under that sea of blue hair and fluffy blankets.

“...Buggy?” You questioned, coming to a stop just before his bed space began.

He didn’t answer. He didn’t move.

It pissed you off.

Submission. You had to be--supportive of your new captain's antics.

Gods--it almost made you want to gag.

You made your way into his bed space, stepping over pillows and blankets to come to a stop next to him.

“Buggy?” You tried again, but once more he remained silent as the grave. It was almost eerily how silent he was being.

With a huff and a manhandling of your will and pride, you sat down next to him and---

Pffffffrrrrrfffttttt.

The tent grew still once more.

A--a fart…that had been a release of gas-made air.

Had he--no--that ghastly sound had come from under you, but you knew good and well that you had done no such thing.

Buggy moved then.

A small shake of his shoulder that grew so powerful that it began to rock his whole body up and down.

Buggy was laughing at you. A laugh so intense it was utterly quiet.

You reached under you and grabbed up the deflated pink, rubber cushion beneath you.

A whoopee cushion.

Of course Buggy had planted a whoopee cushion for you to fall for.

Buggy gave a deep inhale of breath before belting out the loudest, funkiest laugh you’ve ever heard him produce. One that had your anger stifling, if just for a moment, to listen to the utter joy your personal embarrassment had brought him.

“Good one.” You grit, throwing the whoopee cushion at him. Buggy hardly seemed to feel it or care as he turned his head to look up at you, his blue hair cascading over his face and blocking some of his smudged and running make-up. He looked--almost too beautiful in that moment.

It made you want to chop-chop his head off and punt it into the sea.

“Holy shit! I’m--I’m--BWAHAHAH!!” Another fit of laughter overtook his words, tears brimming at the corners of his cyan eyes. “I’m--I’m sorry but holy shit! You’ve gotta admit I gotcha good!” You clenched your fists tightly in your lap to keep from beating the absolute shit out of the clown laying next to you.

“...you got me.” You said, teeth hardly even letting you get the words out. It only threw Buggy into yet another laughing fit, one accompanied by the slamming of his fist on the ground and feet kicking.

“I did! I really did!” You let him continue his hysterics, knowing you would prefer to deal with a teasing, happy Buggy, than a Buggy who wouldn’t speak.

But that silence that had lived in the tent before his prank filtered back in, stealing his laughter and smile and filling those bright eyes with those haunting shadows he had almost convinced you had ceased to exist. You watched him as he let his head fall into his awaiting hands, the heels of his plam digging into his eyes in a rough manner that would further smudge his clown-like make-up.

It made your skin crawl. Mabe your anger roll in your chest, your fist begging to hit something.

You forced your fingers to uncoil from their pale knuckled hold on themselves. Forced yourself to think your re-sparked anger was because he had laughed in your face…not because his quiet was making you feel--strange. Not because whoever had put that hauntingly hurt look in his eyes was pissing you off just for daring to make his brightest fall away. A hurt you were carefully piecing together must have something to do with Red-Hair.

People didn’t just have that kind of reaction to a Jolly Rodger they hadn’t memorized--hadn’t let burn into the forefront of their mind and rage shimmer in their veins at its mere sight.

No. Nope. Your anger had nothing to do with any of that.

“I didn’t know the map had anything to do with that Emperor.” You spoke low and slow as if you were approaching some sort of wild beast. Buggy scoffed at you, rolling his head in his head to look back up at you.

“Of course, you didn’t know. You didn’t even think to smell the damn map.” Buggy said like it was utterly ridiculous that you hadn’t thought of that.

“Who smells a fucking map?”

“Any pirate who has a true heart for the hunt. Obviously.” You rolled your eyes as you pulled one of your legs out from its crossed position so that you could rest your forearm on your knee, leaning down closer to the clown.

“Obviously the map wasn’t for me. I care more for the wildness of the adventure than any treasure at its end.” That spark of brightness began to filter back into his eyes as a teasing smirk tugged at his lips.

“That makes us perfect together then, huh? I like the shininess of gold and silver and you like the shininess of blood and marrow.” You couldn’t help that wolfish grin of yours from pulling to your lips at his words.

“That I do. Which is why I make such a wondrous addition to your crew.” Those cyan eyes scanned over your face, lingering on your lips for far longer than you liked. Your fists were clenched into fists at the rising beat of your heart, ready to strike him in his far too loud mouth.

“I still can’t wrap my head ‘round that, Minnow. You don’t like me. You don’t like my crew. You were once a part of a crew whose membership I hear is very difficult to earn. I know your nature well enough to know you wouldn’t just give that up without a true reason.” You watched Buggy who watched you with those eyes of his. Eyes you would never admit had found their way into the shadows of your dreams. Eyes that had your fluttering heart turned blazing in red-hot anger.

“I’ve already told you. I saw you fight at Marineford and--”

“Cut the crap!” He shouted, rushing to sit up on his knees. To tower over you, grabbing hold of your shirt so that he could yank you closer to his bared teeth.

Close. How close he had grown. And that anger. Oh, that utterly wild anger had your toes curling in your boots.

Your muscles and temper wanted to grab him and break his hand for ever thinking of touching you, but your brain sharply reminded you once more to submit.

“You ain’t tryin’ to join me 'cause you saw some fuckin’ broadcast. You ain’t tryin’ to join me 'cause you think I’m powerful. There’s somethin’ you want. What is it?” Buggy hissed in your face.

Submit, submit, submit.

You grinned up at him, pulling yourself onto your own knees so you could press your breasts into his chest and run a hand over the warm skin of his exposed arm, which was flexed from the hold he had over you. Buggy watched you in pure shock as his face grew redder and redder with each passing moment.

“What I want,” You purred, letting your eyes greedily drink in the thin curve of his lips beneath the smudged paint. “Is to serve you. I want to be your weapon. I want you to wield me however you choose against whomever you choose. I want to see you achieve greatness.” Those eyes of his, so wide and full of disbelief, fluttered to your own lips.

“But--but you hate me.” His voice grew soft, near whispering along with the loosening of his fingers around your shirt.

“The past is in the past.” You saw that hurt flash in his eyes. That haunting darkness. “Shall I kill off that Red-Haired Emperor for you to prove my loyalty?” Buggy blinked, snapping himself out of whatever haunting pasts had started to invade his mind.

Good.

“W-what? No. You wouldn’t last a second against that guy.” You shrugged on an agreeing nod.

“Yes…but his crew isn’t as unbeatable. I could select one of his senior officers, hum…let’s say their Doctor, to wipe off the chess board. It would be an assassination of stealth--of shadows. It would leave them scrambling to figure out how it had happened. Who had done it. Leave them distracted--hurting.” Buggy’s breath hitched as you continued to speak, bringing your voice low and filling it with honey-thick and sultry tones.

“I would then go for his chef, then his sharpshooter, and on and on until I get to that pesky first mate of his. Now he would be tougher to kill. I would have to catch him off guard, and on guard he would be after such a massacre of his men. Get him at his weakest state--in his blind spot and strike. Your crew could handle the rest of his underlings and then poor Red-Haired Shanks would be left to wallow in his mourning. He would be weak and utterly alone.” You brought your lips ever closer to his, which parted on a stuttering inhale of air.

“And then, if you commanded it, I would go for Red-Hair himself. A little poison in the drink he would no doubt be drowning himself in would weaken him enough to make it ever so easy to,” You ghosted your fingers over his neck, feeling Buggy’s rapidly beating pulse and the bob of his Adams Apple on a sharp swallow, “take his head.”

Buggy watched you for a long moment, tongue wetting his lips and pupils growing with each passing moment he stayed within such close proximity of you. And for a few of those moments, you thought he might try to close that distance. And you might have let him that close again, especially after getting yourself all worked up on such discussions of pain and chaos.

“Fuck--” Buggy cursed on a huff of air, those eyes of his narrowing as he tried to refocus himself. “I forgot how fuckin’ crazy you are.” You hummed in agreement, fingers continuing to touch his skin. Skin that was all too warm and inviting.

“And all my instantly is yours now, captain.” Buggy gave that funky laugh of his, a smile pulling at the edge of his lips.

“You’re truly persistent, ain’t ya?” You nodded, thumb brushing over the stumble of his jaw. Buggy shook his head in amusement, finally letting go of your shirt as he flopped back amongst the various pillows that made up his bed space to rub at his face.

“Fine.” He said, voice muffled by his gloved hands. You huffed a smirk, crawling your way over so that you could peer down at him and his sea of blue hair sprawled out around him.

“Fine…what?” You lulled, peeling one of his hands away from his face so he could look at you. That blush you had pulled from him moments ago dusted over his skin upon finding you kneeling over top of him.

“Alvida is gonna kill me.” He groaned, brows furrowing.

“And is she your captain?” Buggy gave a huffing chuckle at your question.

“Technically she’s my co-captain. We have this alliance goin’.” You narrowed your eyes down at him, making that blush only deepen. “B-But ya know that’s--she kinda just does her own thing--follows me around. I’m the captain.” You nodded, leaning ever the more closer as your grin yanked at your lips once more.

“Good. I will not serve under her. I will only serve under you.” Buggy swallowed, those alluring eyes of his scanning over your face rapidly.

“Heh--yeah. Und-under me.” He cleared his drying throat, that blush continuing to bloom. “Yep. On my crew--serving me.” You boredly blinked at his ramblings.

“What shall your first command be, captain?” You asked, making the clown clear his throat once more.

“Right. Command. Well--if we’re gonna find this treasure, we’re gonna need to find Shanks.” Buggy said, bitting the name of the red-haired emperor out, that anger you so enjoyed seeing flashing through his eyes.

“And like I said before, I am exceptional at gathering hard-to-get information. I will find him for you.” You said, pulling yourself up and away from the man who you now officially called captain.

A gloved hand shot out to grab your wrist before you could stand, pulling your blistering hot attention back onto him.

Submit. Your brain screamed, but your body wanted to punch him right in that rounded nose of his for continuing to touch you.

“No grand assassination attempts--though very flashy indeed.” You nodded, your head, going once more to stand but his hand held firm. “How are you going to find him?”

“There is a large town on one of the islands bordering this one I will go to ask around. Maybe find a Marine--”

“Minnow, you ain’t gonna find any Marines here.” You blinked down at him, calming your raging anger. “This island is home to one of the biggest pirate havens around. Hidden away from the watchful eye of the World Government. It’s why I came here. Needed to get off the Marine’s radar for a little while.” You almost scoffed at him.

If only he knew he’d let one right into his confidence.

“Oh?” You said in your stifled angered state. It was all you could say without lashing out at him.

You hadn’t heard of any pirate haven on this island. The people of the town you had talked to said nothing of it, even after your bribes of knowing more about this island. All they had said it was full of was sand and forest and the Buggy Pirates who had washed ashore the night prior.

Luck child. Your brain purred back at you. A purr you shoved down to keep your anger from spiking any further.

“Oh?” Buggy said, a smirk growing on his painted lips as he pulled himself to sit up once more. “You don’t know? And here I thought you were exceptional at gathering hard-to-find information.”

Oh, how you wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. To beat him into a pulp before he ever thought to question your skills again.

Submit, submit, submit. It made your weakly caged anger rile in its chains.

“I am. But I was not in need of finding any pirate heaven here. I was in need of finding you.” That blush was back in seconds, his mouth falling open and shut like a suffocating fish.

“Heh--right.” He chuckled awkwardly, letting you go and allowing you to stand.

“I’ll find this pirate heaven and I will find that emperor for you by the time your ship is ready to set sail tonight.” You said, bowing your head in show of respect before turning on your heels to leave.

“Uh--wait!” Buggy called the sounds of him scrambling to get up sounding behind you.

“Yes, captain?” You asked, clenching your fists as you faced the disheveled man.

“I’ll come with you.” Your anger rolled in its cage once more. “I don’t think I trust ya to get there without gettin’ lost.” He said on another chuckle meant to tell you he was only teasing. It did nothing but heat your anger further.

“Of course. Your knowledge of this heaven will be useful.” You said through slightly grit teeth as the clown came sauntering up to you.

“Exactly what I was thinkin’, Minnow.” He said, that wide grin of his pulling to his face as he leaned close into you again. You allowed it, your attention being stolen by those damn eyes on his once more. “And hey, maybe we’ll have a little bit of fun together.”

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Tag List: @lostfirefly , @mydearlybeloathed , @sordidmusings , @fanshavegottensotoxic , @khaleesihavilliard, @sukilovesyou

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gingernut1314 · 11 months ago

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The Luck Child - Chapter 2: A Quick Chit-Chat Between Good Ol' Friends

Buggy x F!Reader

Summary: After making sure loose ends are tied down and pink-covered threats quelled, you finally come face to face with the Star Clown himself. But is he happy to see you? And will you be able to secure yourself within the ranks of his crew to start your mission?

Warnings: spoilers for the anime (Marineford Arc and onward), canon divergence, canon typical violence

Word Count: 5.9K

Oof--sorry it's been a while. I've been fighting writer's block for a good while and just when I had wrestled my way out of it, I got hit with a horrible stomach bug. Buttt I'm all good now and I hope you all enjoy!!

A chilled breeze blew through the treetops you currently sat in, their leaves of deep reds, purples, and browns obscuring your view of the beach shore every so often. You tore a chuck out of the bit of hard bread you had stolen, along with many other supplies, from one of the Marine ships docked outside of Headquarters before you left on this grand adventure.

Grand--hardly. There was nothing grand about hopping around pirate ships full of utter fools. You would much rather be…what would you much rather be doing? You hadn’t had a single moment of peace in the past five years to truly think on what you wanted to do.

Definitely not sitting in a tree, bark digging into your back as you continued to munch on the same piece of horribly bland ration as you jotted down name after name in your logbook.

Considering the amassed pirates that bustled about over the white sands all had sizable bounties on their heads, you would have hoped it to have been a bit of a fight to find them.

It had not and their campsite had been found with a few simple favors pulled and beri placed in the right pockets.

Now, the next day, you continued to rack your brain to match faces with names to scribble them down for your superiors.

An utterly tedious act, but one that would help you in the long run anyway.

If you were to infiltrate this crew, it was in your best interest to make certain none had been incarcerated by your hand. If one so happened to have been, you would have to go about the horribly messy task of luring them into the wood you sat in and killing them before they could report back to their captain.

But as you wrote down another name, you were certain none of them had known of you before your wanted poster had joined theirs.

None but one. One of the few escapees your commanding officers had known about before sending you off on this mission.

Galdino, formerly known as Mr. 3 and agent for the criminal syndicate Baroque Works.

He had once, during your first year on the Wild Wood Pirate crew, come to the forest-covered island you had been stationed to prove yourself before you could ever step foot onto one of their ships. It was an island conveniently housing a small Marine base at its center and Galdino had come to gather important files on certain Baroque Works members they had begun to weasel out.

When he found you, he had instantly identified you as your father's daughter and had threatened to expose your cover if you didn’t use your status as a Marine, however low, to get these files for him.

And seeing as you had just been demoted prior to joining the Wild Wood Pirates, you had no interest in going back to your superiors with a loss of that magnitude. One your father would have surely used to pull you from the Navy altogether and dress up like some porcelain doll, ready to be picked apart by the wolves who made up the high class.

So you stole the files for him and threatened to cut that silly little three off the top of his head and force it down his throat if you ever laid eyes on him again. Galdino had only laughed in the face of your threat before setting sail once more. Had laughed because you both knew he had the upper hand. Had information that would ruin everything you had fought to secure.

You never ran into him again. Made sure, after you were permitted to set sail on one of the wood-covered ships that made up the Wild Wood Pirates fleet, to stay far away from any marine bases and territories Baroque Works was whispered to flocked around.

That is, until last night when you had snuck through the Buggy Pirates campsite and dragged him from his wax-made house, deep into the shadow-covered wood you had made base. You had thrown him to the decaying leaf-covered ground and simply told him of your purpose for being on this island, though you made sure as to not give away any detail regarding Buggy’s possible promotion to Warlord.

“You are a truly dull creature if you believe for a second I would withhold such information from my captain.” Galdino had all but screeched in your face, the tip of the winding three on his head sparking with orange flame in warning of his devil-blessed powers stirring to life.

“Forgive me if I find it hard to believe you owe that buffoon any sort of loyalty.” You had spat right back at him, clenching the sea-prism stone knuckles around your fingers tighter.

“An utter buffoon yes, but he helped free me and many others from Impel Down, and for that, I am grateful. Enough so to call him Captain and follow him, regardless of how idiotic and misguided his ways may be.” The wind blew cooly, rustling the leaves above your head as you scanned your eyes over his wiry body. Scanned him long enough that beads of sweat began to form over his brow at your abnormally calm assessment.

“How is that Miss. Goldenweek? Marianne?” Galdino’s face paled--that spark of power banking at the mention of his former partner. A partner you had seen him treat as more of a daughter than any true coworker. “Oh yes, that's right. Not so well, last I was informed. Taken into custody right alongside a few of your other coworkers she had been hiding out with.”

“You lot arrested her? She is only a child!” Galdino had shouted, ripping himself up off the ground to bare his teeth at you, his power once more sparking above his head in threat. You had hardly blinked.

“Child? She’ll be turning eighteen in a month's time, correct? She is no more a child than you or I. Old enough to be transferred to Impel Down…she is quite the threat to the World Government.” Galdino’s mouth fell open, eyes all the size of saucers under his blue and silver framed glasses. You moved closer, a wolfish grin slowly pulling to your lips.

“Or I could stop all that by putting in a good word to my superiors, seeing as we are such wonderful friends. I could even see about getting her released on parole…unless you wish to still tattle-tale on me to your captain. My heart would break for that precious little one, thinking of her in such a horrid place. You would know, having spent some time--”

“Fine!” He hissed, shaking fists clenched at his side. “Enough. You promise me she will never see the waters that prison festers under--that she is released--and I will do as you ask.” You simply nodded.

“Of course, of course. As long as you make sure my place within this crew is solidified, I will make the call tonight.” You said on a light, cheery tone you would have only used with friends…had you any.

“You are a heartlessly, cruel and cold woman.” He spat down at you. Words that only had your grin blooming in the same wickedness he believed of your nature.

“If I didn’t know any better, Mr. 3, I would believe you were flirting with me.” And with your biggest threat blackmailed to your liking, you had sent him on his way back to his wax-made house.

You had spent the rest of the night picking out the best tree to make nest in as you watched over the sleeping pirate campsite. The very same tree you still sat in now, shutting your logbook with a snap before tucking it back into its hiding place within the lining of your satchel bag, which hid the Star Clown’s file and a small, hand-held transponder snail.

Making quick work of climbing out of your tree, you made your way out of the forest and across the white sands of the beach you had been observing. Growing closer to the cluster of pirates, who had been busing themselves with repairing their beached ship all morning, more and more eyes found your form. Eyes as untrusting and skeptical as your own.

“What the hell are you doing here?” A silky smooth voice cut through the air, stopping your march towards the biggest, red and white striped tent you were certain the Star Clown himself lay within.

You turned, finding a woman you were only familiar with due to her five million beri bounty and what your superiors had gathered on her.

Iron Mace Alvida had once sailed the East Blue, and had been known for her brutal attacks on small towns and luxury vessels, though she disappeared some time ago, before reappearing at Loudgetown with that fool of a clown. She made a show of showing off her newfound Devil Fruit powers before escaping into the Grand Line.

She was quite beautiful, with skin kissed by the sun and curling, ebony hair that brushed over her pink, leather jacket-covered shoulders. Her red-painted lips downturned as she blinked at you, looking like some pink and glitter-covered guard dog.

“You have caught me at a disadvantage. You know me, but I know…nothing of you.” Your words rose an ember of anger in the woman that flashed, clear as the sky above, through her dark eyes. Anger that had her sharp, red-painted fingernails wrapping tighter around the wicked iron mace that stood by her side. You let an amused smirk pull to your lips at such emotions.

“I am Alvida.” She snapped your way.

“Alvida…Alvida.” You said, rolling her name over your tongue and around your mouth as you pretended at thought. “Not ringing any bells.” She hissed, plumes of steam all but flying from her flared nostrils.

“You have no business here, wild women. Leave these shores or I will take great pleasure in crushing your skull.” She said, swinging that dangerous mace to rest on her shoulder.

“I have business with your captain.” Alvida went to open her mouth once more, but you turned your back on her before a single sound could escape her lips.

During the rather short conversation you had held with her, your patience had run dry.

“You dare turn your back on me?” She shouted, her fellow crewmates having paused in their duties to watch whatever was about to unfold between you two. “You will not take another step.” She declared your final warning--one you merely smirked at as you took a rather large, exaggerated step toward their campsite.

“Oops.” Just as your patience had vanished, Alvida’s went up in flames at your blatant disrespect. She gave a roar that shook the earth as you heard more than saw her rushing for you, iron mace up and ready to smash you into a million bloody pieces.

A quick glance allowed you to see her red-flushed face just as she was about to bring her mace down upon you. A mace you easily weaved your way out of its zone of attack, moving your body around hers as you pulled your sea-prism stone knuckles out of your pocket and onto your fingers.

That iron mace swung back around, you ducking your head and rushing forward to shove your fist upward fast to collide with her chin.

The sea-prism stone made the angered woman’s muscles loosen, all that energy she had been attacking you with flying away with the touch of the ocean's allure.

She gave a weak, pained sound as her body flopped backward into the sand, droplets of blood that matched her lipstick falling from her mouth to her chin.

You were quick to press your knuckles against her smooth skin to keep her down and powerless, your eyes scanning over the beach to see the rest of the Buggy Pirates tensing, readying to engage in battle with you.

You heard your name whispered in the wind--of your bounty, former crew, and their reputation. The mere mention of the Wild Wood Pirates had many stepping back towards the sea as if ready to flee into it to escape you.

“Will someone kindly fetch me your captain?” You hissed towards the group of near-frozen pirates. A small group of three rush off, bumping into their fellow crew mates in their haste.

“You--play dirty.” Alvida all but slurred out in her exhausted state. You flashed her a wicked grin.

“That I do, pinkie. It’s more fun that way.” Alvida had just huffed what you assumed was meant to be another growl when the three pirates came running back.

You heard his voice before you ever saw him. One that had your blood simmering at its screaming familiarity.

“Who the hell would dare to--” The Star Clown himself stopped dead in his tracks, his first and second mates, along with Galdino, stopping just beside him.

Buggy the Clown looked--different…though why he looked different was hard to pinpoint.

He still had that air of patheticness to him, still wore his trademark clown-like make-up and outfit. The same rounded, cherry red nose that you made sure to never look too long in its direction, knowing it was one of the quickest ways to anger the clown.

You pulled your attention away from it and onto those same beautifully striking cyan-colored eyes of his, which always had an annoying nag of dragging you into their depths like a pair of wicked whirlpools. Whirlpools you had been drugged under and drowned in all those years ago. Eyes that still had your stomach twisting up in knots, even when your brain hated them. Even when they flew wide in fear of you.

Maybe it was the fact he was allowing that long, beach-wavy cerulean hair to flow free in a perfect ponytail down his back, a few braids running through its length.

Maybe it was the fact that you were both older than you once were. Though time showed its fang through the little, microscopic things, Buggy was still the same old Buggy you had laid eyes on before.

And maybe…just maybe it was in his eyes. There was something--different about his eyes. Nothing shade or shape-wise. Nothing physical. They looked--lighter, almost. Brighter. Unlike the sad, hurting, near-depressed eyes you had once known--hauntingly shadow-filled eyes.

“What--what a surprise.” He said on a nervous chuckle. “I see you’ve met Alvida.” You huffed, grabbing hold of that iron mace of hers before you removed the sea-prism stone from her skin. Alvida rolled onto her front, arms shaky as the effects of the sea slowly fell away from her.

“Yes, very welcoming this one.” You said, tossing the mace towards the group of pirates near the sea who jumped out of the way as if to not be hit. Alvida’s dark eyes snapped back onto you, that anger only growing more and more steadily with each passing moment. Again, you grinned her way, leaning down as if to allow her to see your face better. “Go fetch,”

Alvida growled, lunging for your legs, but her movements were still sluggish and you easily walked over her as you brought yourself closer to the man you had traveled all this way for.

“Whatcha doin’ here, minnow.” You all but snarled at the nickname. One that quickly reminded you as to why you despised the clown.

Reminded you of five years ago, back in the East Blue. It had been the first time you had ever left the Grand Line. The first time you had ever gone off on your own, truly alone and with little to no help should you need it.

You had gone there because of a lead on the Wild Wood Pirates, though that lead turned out to be very, very wrong so you took a month to start dipping your toes into the pirate world.

The East Blue was easy pickings, known for its calm seas and even calmer pirates. Pirates that could hardly ever rival that of their neighbors in the four blues, let alone in the Grand Line.

You started stealing. Fighting and killing whoever dared try to challenge you.

And the clown with those enchanting green-blue eyes had challenged you. Though, not to any fight. Not in any battle of strength or wit either.

He challenged you in a game of Go Fish.

Easy. A child's game.

But you had gone into the game without thinking like a pirate. A cheating, no-good pirate who won again and again and again without fail or falter. He took you for everything you had. Your beri, your food and water jug, even your damn earrings.

He left you with nothing and instead of fighting you, like you so desperately had wanted, he ran like the coward he was. Like a slimy, scaly fool.

Luck child. Your brains whispered like some haunting premonition. He’s lucky, not a cheat.

No. No, he was a cheat. You wouldn’t let the words of some superstitious old woman fill your brain with nonsense.

You knew him for what he was, and what he was, was a clown.

“Finally come to…what was it you said? Oh right--chop my body up all itty bitty and use the pieces to bake bread and feed it to my crew?” And although Buggy was slowly pulling that fake confidence of his up to try and shield himself, you could still see the smallest bit of fear shaking in his eyes.

Maybe not from thinking your threats were true, threats you yourself knew now could never come true because of those damned Devil Fruit powers of his, but of your ability to still beat him to a pulp if you wished it.

“Buggy,” You said in that friendly, cheery tone you had used with Galdino the night prior, waving his words off in a big, swooping motion as if swatting an annoying little fly away. “That’s all in the past. I only spent a week in the freezing cold because of your game.” Buggy hardly seemed convinced of your words--words that only had that slowly building confidence crumbling at its weak edges.

“Y-you know, that’s not even that long, minnow. Only a week? And we're talkin’ about the East Blue here. Easy peasy…right?” He said, giving another nervous chuckle as he tried to keep the mood from turning sour. As he desperately tried to gauge what you were intentions truly were.

You again felt coiling rage wrap around your heart, but you kept your laid-back demeanor up.

Just as you had to relearn manners in the face of your superiors, you were going to have to learn to submit to this foolish clown of a man and his silly ways.

“Easy peasy. It’s all water under the bridge now.” You said, coming to a stop just an arm's width before him. It was a space Buggy quickly scanned over--a space he took a step into as if to try and show you just how unafraid of you he was.

It would have amused you if you weren’t focusing very, very hard on not breaking that rounded nose of his.

“So…you’ve tracked me down, beat the crap out of Alvida, and made half my crew shit their pants just for a quick chit-chat between good ol' friends?” He asked, taking yet another step closer to you. One that brought him close enough that he could touch you with a simple lift of his hand.

A touch you couldn’t help your mind from imaging snapping in a few, calculated movements and bringing him to his knees.

You brought a lazy, closed-lipped smile to your face. One you knew would never reach your eyes in his or anyone else’s presence.

“I’ve come to join your crew.” Buggy froze. Utterly and completely froze like some supernatural focus had come over him. A high, bewildered shock had pulled up onto his make-up-covered face. You knew that was the last thing he thought you were going to say. Something so--outlandish it never could possibly become a reality.

“This is a trap.” Alvida snapped quickly, pulling herself to her feet. Her dark eyes grew that much more dark in their utter hatred of you. “The Wild Wood Pirates would have her head if this was truly happening”

“The Wild Wood Pirates,” Galdino said in that uppity way of his that grated on your every nerve. Alvida turned that burning glare from you onto him, finding him just as aggravating as you did, “are a dying breed. Their ways are self-destructive. I am sure this is her merely reaching out for a lifebuoy.”

“How about before we all jump to conclusions, we ask why she would even wish to switch allegiances. That is not done without heavy consideration.” Buggy’s first mate, Mohji, spoke. He wore a rounded-eared, white-furred cap that matched his white-furred cropped top, and bear-clawed paw-shaped shoes. Alvida merely turned her overly angered glare onto him, the man’s tough exterior melting in fear of her.

“How about I shove your suggestion so far up your ass it never sees the light of day.” Alvida said darkly, making the first mate all but tremble. Buggy’s Chief of Staff; Cabaji, stepped in, anger to rival that of Alvida’s clear on his half-hidden features, which were blocked by his straight locks of deep green hair.

“You best remember your place, Alvida.” She laughed a wickedly cruel laugh in his face.

“My place? I am more powerful than you could ever dream of. You talk to me in such a way again, and I’ll be sure to crave your tongue from your mouth and feed it to your lover boy’s lion.” A mocking smirk pulled at the corners of her lips, looking more like a snarl than any such smile. Galdino rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest in a bored manner--a superior manner.

“You are almost as brutish as that one.” He said loftily. Alvida’s smooth skin, which was a call to her devil-blessed powers, began to turn bright red in her anger.

“You best believe my wrath will not halt even--”

“Enough you damn fools!” Buggy shouted, coming out of his shocked state in a flash of dramatically clenched fists and hair flying around him in a wild flare. “You all seem to have forgotten I am the captain. You all should be grateful that I am even allowing you to sail under my Jolly Roger!” He gruffed at his crew. Alvida continued to stare poisoned daggers the three men's way but grit her teeth against her words while Galdino checked his nails, unbothered. Buggy’s first and second mates muttered apologies with ducked heads.

You, on the other hand, chuckled. A chuckle that turned into a laugh that shook your shoulders and had Buggy’s anger faltering at such a reaction.

Buggy’s explosive anger was his one redeeming factor. His need to prove himself over others--prove he could be better than them in such a peacocking manner. Oh how it utterly tickled your sides.

“What--what are you doing?” He asked, unease filling his demeanor.

“Their chirping amused me.” Fire flared in not only Alvida’s eyes, but Mohji and Cabaji’s as well. Anger that only fueled your amusement. “At least I know being on your crew will not be a dull affair.” It was Buggy’s turn to laugh then. A funky, high laugh that had your slight smile pulled sharply down.

“Now thats a laugh.” He said, clutching at his stomach as if what you were asking was truly the funniest thing in the Grand Line. You watched him wipe a phantom tear from his eye as you felt your own eye twitch. “I think my answer is gonna be a big ‘ol nope.” He said popping the p.

“We should talk about this in private then.” You all but grit out, your own anger strangling you like some hand around your throat. Buggy laughed again and that hand tightened.

“Minnow,” He said, elongating the nickname, “There's nothin’ to talk about. Alvida is right, I don’t trust ya.” Buggy took another, bold step closer to you. A step that allowed him to lean down and stare right into your eyes.

So close you couldn’t help but let your mind imagine just how easy it would be to take that silly, light maroon-colored scarf tied around his neck and use it to squeeze the breath from his lungs.

“Especially when you’re lookin’ at me like you want to tear me apart,” Buggy said, pulling you from those very thoughts he had pinpointed in you.

Submit.

You were not the captain here. Not anything other than a lowly pirate begging to join this crew. He was your superior now, no matter how much it made you sick to your stomach.

Buggy wanted respect--craved it, needed it like he needed the air to breathe.

“I saw you. During the battle at Marineford--you broadcasted it, yes?” Though you hadn’t seen it at the time of its true showing, you had dug through the archives at Navy Headquarters after you read of its mention in Buggy’s file. It had been--something else. The blood, fire, and tears raged around in the background while Buggy bumbled himself around the battlefield.

“...Yes. I did.” He said, that skepticism filling his eyes once more. “You saw it?” You nodded, keeping your eyes on level with his gem-like ones.

“You fought against the Marines. Against Warlords. You even stood up to an Emperor of the Sea.” You saw his eyes cringe a little--like he was self-aware enough to know he had hardly ‘stood up’ to any of them. “You were brave. Heroic, even. A true warrior. A true captain.” A murmur from the group of pirates near the sea rose. They were agreeing with every last word you spoke despite their erroneous nature.

Lemmings. The whole lot of them.

“I respect strength. The Wild Wood Pirates are strong, but my former captain is stuck in her ways. Never to change, never to improve, never to grow more powerful. I see you are heading for great things and I want in. I want to serve the man who I see one day becoming King of the Pirates.” Buggy’s face was pulled up into that high shock again. You could see he didn’t want to believe your words, but such words of flattery and praise were hard to ignore.

“You--no--I…of course I’m gonna be King of the Pirates.” He said with a dramatic wave of his hand like it was nothing. You nodded eagerly in agreement.

“Yes, I believe so.” A growl sounded from Alvida and you watched her grab a fistful of Buggy’s white and maroon striped short sleeve, yanking him towards her.

“Do not let her honeyed words fool you. She is a wild woman. They feed off idiotic men who are too dimwitted to not see the hole in the ground they have dug for you to fall in. She is a fanged creature--a bloodthirsty thing that will eat you alive.” Anger spiked in Buggy again as he grabbed at Alvida’s wrist, only for it to slide right off thanks to her Devil Fruit abilities.

“I will advocate for myself then.” You spoke, gaining Alvida’s dark, pit-like eyes back on you. “Not only do I know my way around a ship, but I am a fair navigator. I have never lost a fight and am skilled in assassination if you so command such skills from me. I am also exceptional at collecting hard-to-get information. I kept my former captain greatly informed of things happening outside of our secluded ships. You run a circus as well, yes?” Buggy glanced Alvida’s way, who shook her head against your question--against you in your entirety.

“I do…” He wearily said, choosing to ignore Alvida’s warnings.

“I have always been an admirer of them. I have garnered skills in acrobatics, gymnastics, and in my youth, I even trained an eagle to dance.” Buggy’s weary and suspicious nature nearly vanished completely at the mention of such things.

“You trained an eagle to dance? You?” You thought of the rather large brown and white feathered bird you had once kept as a pet in your father’s home fondly.

“And to pick the occasional pocket, yes.” Buggy laughed, pulling from Alvida’s vise-like hold. The woman huffed, but stopped her attempts at throttling your plan. You could see in her eyes she knew this was a losing battle.

“Where were these fun little facts at when we first met, minnow?” You shrugged, allowing Buggy to come back before you.

“I do not trust easy.” Buggy nodded, understanding clear as day in his eyes.

“Ya know, that’s what's keepin’ me from just givin’ in and lettin’ you hop on board. I don’t trust easy.” You nodded right back at him. You had seen that in him from the very first moment you had laid eyes on him. Had seen all that sadness and hurt which had once shone in those cyan eyes of his and had found it was something you, begrudgingly, could relate to.

“I have also brought a peace offering.” You said, pulling the sea-prism stone knuckles from your fingers before slowly, as to not spook the man and his crew, reaching into your satchel bag. “The first adventure you can embark on with me on your crew. A test run of my service.” You traded your weapon for the rolled-up map to offer it to the clown.

“A…treasure map?” You nodded, wiggling it his way.

“Do you still have a love for them after all these years?” Buggy was quick to take the map from your hand, a wide smile pulling up onto his red, painted lips.

“No true pirate wouldn’t.” You watched as he excitedly unrolled the map. An excitement that faltered when he laid eyes on the worn line work before him. Excitement that snapped to disbelief. “Where the hell did you get this?”

“I found it on the body of a Marine I killed. Do you recognize it?” Buggy scoffed.

“Do I--it’s only the map to Griffin Head Island! This is--” The mass of Buggy’s crew just a little ways away began to murmur again. A murmur that cut the clown off and had him whipping around to face them, wide-eyed and slowly beginning to fume. “What the hell are you all just standing around for? Get to work! I want my ship back in the water and sailing away from this good-for-nothing beach by nightfall!” He screamed down at them.

They started at his command, giving apologies and yes sirs as they bumped into one another in their hurry to do as they were told. Green-blue eyes fell onto you once more.

“You got this off a marine?” You nodded, watching as he pulled the map closer to his large nose to inspect it that much better. “Why--why the hell does it smell like lemons?”

“...Lemons?” You questioned, moving closer to peer at the old map. You had looked over that map maybe a hundred times trying to memorize it and never had you had the idea to smell it. Old maps were old and the smell of old paper always turned up your nose. “I don’t know what you mea--”

“Fuck me.” Buggy growled after flipping the map over. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He continued to curse as he used his mouth to yank his white glove from his hand, the glove staying between his teeth as he ran his bare fingertips over the blank back of the map.

You glanced towards Buggy’s senior officers in search of some kind of answer for what he was doing. Alvida was cross armed and cross-faced as she stared at Buggy like he was a complete idiot, a near-matching look on the face of Galdino. Mohji was the only one to give you a shrug in unknowing at his captain's antics.

“Give me your hair.” Buggy’s words came out muffled around his glove as he whirled to find Galdino. The former Baroque Works agent wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“You will come nowhere near my hair.” But Buggy was already grabbing him around the neck with a detached hand, all but dragging him closer. White sand flew into the air as Galdino struggled against Buggy’s hold. “HOW DARE--”

“Do something with your wax shit,” Buggy commanded, yanking Galdino’s head further down so that he had better access to the tip of the winding three his hair made up.

“I--”

“Do something!” Buggy shouted, glove falling to the sand and making the man within his hold growl in utter annoyance. Galdino gave in, probably finding it would end this foolishness quickly, and collected a small ball of melted wax in his hands, creating what appeared to be a flower. That flame roared to life on the tip of his hair-do and Buggy was quick to run the map over top of it.

Panic struck in your chest hard and fast at the action.

If he burned that map, you were as good as done here. There was no way to that island without the map and if he burned it, he would never get that golden feather. Would never face the monster that roamed its lands and prove his “worthiness” to your superiors.

Though, it would make things easier, wouldn’t it? No grand, waste-of-time adventure before he ultimately got himself killed. You had been given orders to kill him if he tried anything other than earning the feather and killing him you would.

Killing him now would mean you would still have time to grab a drink before you had to report back to Headquarters. Maybe they would let you go back to the Wild Wood Pirates to finish the assignment they had ripped you from.

Maybe you would even get a promotion…Seamen First Class had a nice ring to it.

And maybe…just maybe you could even pull for something higher. Maybe you could even get your original ranking of lieutenant back. Oh, how that would make your father’s blood boil.

Yes--yes, you definitely could get that back. With the annoyance of Buggy the Clown taken care of, his senior officers wiped off the chest board alongside him, it would be more than enough reason to earn the title back. You could even sweeten the deal by bringing a few of those escapees back into custody. That would surely--

“HA! I knew it!” Buggy’s high and grating voice cut you from your fantasizing. “I knew I smelled lemons. You can use it to create invisible ink that appears with a little flame. I used to leave hidden messages all around Oro Jackson.” He laughed at the memory. A memory that brought a spark of grief to his eyes. “Someone left one here.” He said, glancing your way in such excitement it almost had you forgetting your dislike of him.

Adventurous joy looked good on him.

“What does it say?” You asked, moving to stand beside him. Alvida, Mohji, and Cabaji did the same, peering over his tall shoulders to peek a look.

“It says; I have the--” Buggy’s breath hitched as the last of the words rose in a burned black color.

I have the keys to the Island. Come find me.

It wasn’t the sentence that warranted such a reaction from the clown next to you. This just meant there was more to do before finding the island and the feather it held.

No, it was the Jolly Rodger crudely drawn under it instead of a signature.

It was a skull with duel sabers in place of crossbones, but running over the skull's left eye socket were three lines. It was a Jolly Rodger you knew in seconds.

This was the Jolly Rodger of Buggy’s old crew mate aboard the Oro Jackson, now fearsome Emperor of the Sea. This was the symbol of Red-Haired Shanks.