Chapter Text
Buggy sighed in relief as he saw his beautiful circus-ship waiting for them. His arms were aching, and his head pounding with all the arguing between the two kids, all of it made worse by the blazing sun and the stress of the situation. Apart from the children all of that was normal. Actually.
"So, you, Brat Number One," Buggy asked, privately in his head enjoying the irony of calling him that, pointing at Crocodile who was staring at his majestic ship with a rather disgusted look. He was just like his adult counterpart, not knowing how to appreciate a colorful and fun vessel. "Your name is Crocodile, yeah?"
"And I'm a boy." He completed, grinning like a mad man in a body of a 10 years old, then he looked back at him and furrowed his brow. "Why is your ship a circus? That the most undignifying thing I ever saw."
"Hey, not this conversation again, kid, I'm a clown my boat is like that, it's called branding, don't you know?" Buggy retorted clapping his hands in time with his speech to make it seem like he was speaking more smoothly. Adult Crocodile had already tormented him enough with that. As if someone, called "Crocodile", had tried to conquer a kingdom in the middle of the desert, and had hundreds of aquariums with his favorite animals, crocodiles, in his house could have a say on that topic.
"My damn luck. The usual hypocrite." The clown whispered, rolling his eyes, receiving a confused look from the mini-Crocodile.
"Clown-"
"Buggy, little devil number two." He replied automatically, since every ten minutes Buggy had to repeat his name to the mini-Mihawk who couldn't seem to find the will to remember it. The child remained attached to his sword. Their joint attempts, even Crocodile seemed a bit uneasy with the situation, to make him move away from Yoru enough, at least, that if a wave had rocked the boat abruptly he wouldn't have mutilated his face, were fruitless.
"Buggy, of course." Mihawk nodded impassively. Buggy knew he would soon forget it. "I want to go back to the mainland. I have to train."
"For the umpteenth time: we are miles away from any mainland you can find. Even if I wanted to take you, I can't with this little boat, I need my ship. That ship, see?" Buggy exhaled, pointing to the white and red drapes that were getting closer and closer. "No ship, no mainland."
Oh, and how would have he loved to send him away? He would've joyfully put him in a crate and shipped him to the closest big island around, better if it was lived by cannibals or something that could have eaten that unnerving and hardheaded child. Now that was a dream worth living for.
Mihawk stared at him, half-closing his yellow eyes, studying the ship silently for a few seconds, then he said without changing his expression: "You have a beast on your ship. Your companions will be dead by now." And he added after frowning for a very brief second, as if it was more dictated out of politeness than by a genuine emotional connection to the situation. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Crocodile at those words leapt up again, putting both hands against his forehead and trying to see what the other had seen from so far away. Buggy grabbed him with a disjointed hand by the back of the white shirt he was wearing, the one Crocodile had been wearing when they left, now long to his bare feet and acting more like a dress than anything else.
"A beast...?" Buggy frowned looking at him. He wasn't even surprised anymore that Mihawk could actually see what was happening on his ship from such a distance.
"We should kill it!" Crocodile exclaimed, too excited for the Clown's taste. "We could sell its head to the highest bidder and become famous, what better way to gain the respect you absolutely need, Clown?"
Buggy exhaled an exhausted breath. Crocodile was so lucky he needed the adult him for his money and he was more scared returning without him because of Daz, because he wasn't above killing a child at that point. That attitude, although, explained how that brat had managed to lose his hand and get his face disfigured at such a young age. Mini-Crocodile was too excitable and full of ideas to last long in that world. He missed the older Crocodile's pessimist but sound-enough judgment.
"We won't do any of sorts, Croco, sit down before you tip us over." He muttered, forcing the kid to sit down again. "Don't make that face, brat, there's no beast to kill in my ship."
The mini-Crocodile gave him a sarcastic stare, as if he were a poor old fool, and Buggy felt the weight of his four decades on his shoulders. The boy was increasingly proving to be too energetic for his tastes and stubborn. So much stubbornness in such a small body. How did he survive? Also, Crocodile reminded him of someone, someone that pissed him off in the same way, but he couldn't focus on who.
"He has a light coat, big fur around his head, fangs, and two tusks. His tail ends in a tuft of neat hair, he's very graceful. I wouldn't mind trying to fight him, Clown." Mihawk suddenly intervened, continuing to observe the ship, demonstrating why he was called Hawk Eyes. "An admirable creature." He nodded to himself, for the first time with some sort of feeling. "It would be a shame to sacrifice him for glory."
"That's Richie! He's part of my crew!" Buggy realized exasperatedly. "None of you little monsters will try to kill him or sell his head, am I clear?!"
"You have a trained beast?"
"We're...we're a pirate circus!" He shouted. "We're...it's literally our brand!"
***
"Okay, so what rules do we have?"
"Don't kill the beast." Mihawk began confidently, since he had discovered that the lion posed no danger to them seemed more inclined to board the ship that from his gaze he deemed unworthy of his presence.
"Don't traffic anything or anyone." Crocodile continued seemed bored out of his mind, tucking his black hair behind his ear."You're such a bunch of boring pirates."
"I'll traffic you, brat, if you don't shut up." Buggy chewed, rolling his eyes once more.
"Go ahead, I'll run away and come back to find you to get my revenge. " Crocodile replied without missing a beat, his eyes shining with something dangerous. "They've already tried." He added with a feral grin. Buggy did not doubt that he had actually done it.
"No trafficking, we're friends here."
"I don't know you. " Crocodile replied with a shrug.
Mihawk stared at them impassively, even if he seemed a little bored by their umpteenth argument of the day. Yuno urged him to grab her, lift her up . She was so thrilled at the idea of being handled by him, being his. Mihawk had tried to tell her that he wasn't worthy yet, that he wouldn't be for a long time, but the metal shone, asking to be touched, even just his presence was enough. The sword already knew his potential, their bond had not been broken, Yuno didn't want any other master if not him. Mihawk privately didn't understand why or how, it was as if she appreciated him as a person, as if their bond went beyond his skills, which he didn't have. But it was impossible, a sword like Yoku should only be wielded by the best of the best swordsmen, there was no place for sentiment, no attachment.
However, Yonu sang with his soul and not his skills. The sword was still tied to him, who was no longer worthy of its presence. He, without skills, was not the Mihawk that sword was looking for. He had no soul, he had no life outside of his goal, he was never meant to be alive if not to become the greatest swordsman in the world. But Yoku didn't care, she only cared that it was him. Not his hands, not his body, only his heart and soul. Mihawk didn't understand, but he felt warm inside.
"Okay, let me go up and warn the others before they think I got rid of you and this is a voluntary thing." Buggy blurted out, detaching part of his torso under the interested gaze of both of them. Crocodile walked over and ran his hand across the vacant section with fascination, without asking permission.
"You are really full of surprises." He commented, patting the section still on the ground.
"Do you mind?!"
"Why can't I see your bones?" Mihawk suddenly asked, moving for the first time. Without making a sound, he walked over, dragging Mihawk's jacket behind him like a cloak wrapped around him, and peered down at the circular section of Buggy's torso still on the ground, climbing up against his side. The sectioned area was only a dark pink, not really a microscopic section of a severed body. Buggy had often asked himself that question privately.
"I don't know, can you guys just sit in your seats and be quiet for two seconds?!" He barked in exasperation.
"Maybe it's because your devil fruit doesn't break you down, but creates passages through the dimensional planes in which your body can move through. " Mihawk commented, giving him one last critical look before stepping back down on his bare feet and returning to his corner with his sword, under the shocked gaze of Crocodile and Buggy.
"What the actual f-?" The Clown whispered back, feeling a cold shiver of uneasiness.
***
Buggy threw his arms up in the air. "But I brought him back to you, didn't I?" He shouted in the direction of Daz who hadn't stopped trying to cut him up yet. There was no doubt about who this man was loyal to. "He's just a few sizes smaller!"
"Come here, Clown, face your destiny as a man." He only replied angrily.
"No way, you damn caveman! And besides, your power doesn't work on me!" Buggy yelled over the mast for safety. "If you had listened to a single word I said without trying to kill me, I have already told you that I believe it's temporary."
"Your hypothesis is not a warranty, Clown."
"Buggy's right, ya' big guy. " Elvira spoke up, sitting on the ledge with her legs elegantly crossed , while out of the corner of her eye, she peered at the two children in rags who seemed to be arguing animatedly in the boat. They were damn adorable for being two bloodthirsty pirates as adults. "Aw, even though he's not, we can keep them as cabin boys. They're cute enough and we already know they have the potential to become powerful. What's better than knowing we have malleable weapons in our hands?"
Buggy glared at her, desperately telling her to shut the fuck up, as Daz looked like he was about to explode with the vein pulsing on his forehead. The man known as Number One slowly turned towards her with a murderous stare.
"What did you just say, woman?"
"You heard me right. You know your boss will never fuck you, right? Give up this pathetic loyalty you have, Daz, you will always be just his bootlicker."
"I am loyal to Sir Crocodile and will be for the rest of my life, woman, if you don't have an ounce of loyalty in your body and soul it's not my problem." He growled back stiffly, his arms still transformed into blades. "If you touch my boss even with the tips of your fake nails, it will be the last thing you do. You have been warned."
"Buggy, come on, you know I'm right. " Elvira said smoothly, batting her eyelashes at him. Buggy loved her ability to be an arrogant bitch, but right now it was the last thing she needed with Daz so mad. "You thought the same thing, admit it."
"It's temporary, they'll grow up again!" He shouted still on the mast, trying to make her stop messing around, just for the fun of it. "You want to piss them off even more, if they remember what happened when they were kids? Do you really want to risk it?" He added for Daz, trying to convince him as well of his words. "You know, if it was a fountain of youth it would be surrounded in legend! The effect is definitely temporary."
"Let's kill them and steal their money." Elvira sneered but raised her arms when Daz's blade pressed under her chin. She smirked flirtatiously. "Come on, you rough pirate, even you know this is a golden opportunity." When the blade didn't lower and the man continued to look at her with disdain, the woman shrugged and huffed. "Oh, you're such an idiot, a loyal dog. A whole life sacrificed for just a man, disgusting."
Buggy let out a sigh of relief, the two clashed often, given their very different natures, but they seemed to have come to some kind of agreement. Elvira returned with her relaxed shoulders hanging over the edge, while Daz after a few seconds transformed his arm and slowly lowered it. They looked at each other for one last fleeting moment, at each other's communicating something in that blink of an eye, before turning their attention to Buggy.
"If anything happens to my boss, you'll pay the consequences, Clown." Daz threatened as soon as Buggy returned to them from the top of the mainmast.
"Hey, she wants to, like, kill them or use them as personal slaves, and I'm the one who pays the consequences?!" He protested, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't you even have the slightest respect for your captain?"
" No. " Elvira replied dryly, smiling cruelly. "You're only my captain because you have a bigger target on your back than me. When we're together, they'll always try to hit you first."
"You're not my captain and you're only alive because the boss wants you to be. " Daz said gravely.
"Oh, long live the sincerity." He laughed joylessly as he looked at the small boat anchored to the ship and the two occupants still intent on chattering about something. Given his usual luck, they were probably still planning his murder. "Back to the two little devils down here..."
"Pray that it's really temporary, Clown." He threatened the darker man, his irises casting murderous glares.
"O-Okay, I get the idea!" He exclaimed exasperatedly making a T-gesture with his hands. "But I meant it, we get to practical things-"
"They look like two ragged street rats, I agree, they won't be boarding in that state." Elvira interrupted him, giving him another look of her own. "I'll take care of the clothes for those two little things. I'm the one who has the most experience with having cabin boys on board, after all."
"Okay?"
"You're not going to undress my boss."
"Jealous even when he's a brat? Don't worry, I don't want to die anyway if he remembers." He shrugged. Buggy felt compelled to intervene, but at the last second decided not to say anything. "I like them young, but not that young."
" Witch ."
" Lackey ." She grinned as he hopped off the deck and swayed toward the cabins, searching for clothes fit for a couple of brats. "They'll look adorable dressed as mini versions of their adult selves."
"Find what you want as long as you don't get us killed if they remember." Buggy reminded her anxiously.
"You're no fun."
Once Buggy was alone with Daz leaning against the shade of the tent the woman had disappeared under, Buggy approached, wringing his hands in his lap.
"Uh, Daz, my friend-"
"We're not friends Clown." He growled, glaring at him.
"Sure, sure, but I was thinking, maybe since we're business partners I should look after the brats, like a full-time thing? I don't want to bore you with all this stuff, I mean you're paid by Croco to be his bodyguard, not his babysitter, right? A pirate of your caliber babysitting? A disgrace, a humiliation if you ask me." He said practically vomiting the words one after the other, feeling the sweat dripping down the back of his collar. "Leave this to me, am I or am I not a splendid clown? Who better than me to entertain the two brats."
"What are you implying?"
"That you should leave them to me, uh, I'll keep an eye on them all the time, swear on my life. You know, um, they're big, they should be able to manage on their own private thing, I mean, of course, I'm enough to keep an eye on them, but also they need a more...uh, private space? They'll stay in my room and-"
"Clown, I know you know of my boss, I can see it in your eyes. You're such a liar and still bad at telling lies." Daz growled without actually looking at him. "I know what you're doing, but if this comes out of your mouth with anyone else, I'll find a way to rip your tongue out and then your eyes out."
Buggy swallowed and took a step back, raising his hands disjointed with nervousness. "O-Okay."
The man relaxed his shoulders and stretched his neck. The words came out of his mouth as if they were hard to actually say: "I appreciate what you were trying to do for my boss."
"I mean, we're a pirate circus."
"What do you mean?"
"Once we're inside, nothing is weird anymore."
"I should rip your tongue out just for implying that we're in your stupid crew."
"Whether you like it or not." Buggy chuckled, staring at the tent behind them. "You're on my circus ship and in my fleet of circus freaks. And getting in is just a matter of spirit, not of business."
"It almost sounded like a speech worthy of a leader."
"Eh, if we're really that desperate I'll contact Ivankov. I mean he did once, he can do it again."
"You still in touch with that revolutionary?" Daz asked, raising an eyebrow for the first time, slightly interested. "Why would he answer you?"
"Hey, we escaped Impel Down together, you know? Impel Down! Impassable, impossible to escape? Remember?! Good bonds form that way, but why am I telling you antisocial people? You wouldn't form an amicable bond even if the paid you to do that."
Daz didn't answer, but he looked at him skeptically. Something in the way he was visibly tightening the right side of his face gave away his state of mind, and to anyone, it would have been nothing, but Buggy studied people to survive.
"Iva's got the best contacts for the finest fabrics this side of the hemisphere." He admitted, chewing his words a bit embarrassed. "Don't tell everyone, but I'm not all this gorgeous and shining because of my admirable personality."
Daz then raised both eyebrows, still not saying a word. He stared at him intently for a few seconds and then shrugged. "Waste of fabric."
"I don't take insults from people who think the height of style is to go shirtless!"
"Only a clown like you could make the best fabrics look frivolous and unwatchable."
"Because they pale in my presence, that's what you meant!" Buggy growled, feeling his face betray him into a childish pout, accentuated by his bright makeup.
Daz didn't answer, but reserved one last long look of disdain and not just at him, for once, but at his entire outfit. Who knew Daz could get so worked up over simple fabrics?