Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Conquering the East Blue had been way easier than Buggy the Clown ever expected.

Maybe he should thank his navigator for pulling him into a race war over a tiny unimportant island? After all, when all was said and done, he did get to absorb all those captain-less fishmen into his own crew, so it all worked out in the end. Somehow, purely by chance, he figured, everything past that worked in his favour.

All things considered, his current status as “Ruler of the East Blue” wasn’t bad. He could live with that. Terrorizing Orange Town was fun, but this is just as great. As long as the marines didn’t catch wind of his secret reign, he was probably fine.

...Man, if that Arlong guy hadn’t thought he could swallow a Buggy Ball (patent pending), he might have croaked right then and there.

Whatever! If that bastard wanted to die, sure! What did Buggy care? He was master of (one of the four) seas!

It was in this state of mind, relaxing as any true ruler should, that one of Funan Bros approached him, wringing his hands uncertainly. “-Um, Buggy-sama?”

Buggy waited a few moments before answering, moving his body to sit upright in his throne on the middle of the deck (none of these greenhorns knew what Emperor he was imitating). He leaned his upper body, letting his impressive cape shift, and peeked one eye open. “-What is it?”

Before him stood the circus-themed pirate, confused and uncertain over something Buggy didn’t really care for. Unless a high-ranked marine showed up, or Shanks came to visit, Buggy seriously didn’t care.

“There’s a marine vessel approaching, Buggy-sama, and we’re not sure-,”

Buggy’s eyes flared open. “-M-, marines?” He really tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but it was hard. If there was one thing that scared him more than high-ranked marines and the ghosts of the past, it was marines. He cleared his throat, avoiding the gaze of his confused subordinate. “State the matters. What kind of vessel?”

The Funan Bro scratched his neck, “um, it might be better you took a look yourself, sir.”

Buggy was about to bark something at his uncooperative underling when the man in question thrust a pair of binoculars into his gloved hands, pointing out over the seas. The implication was obvious, and Buggy could do nothing but scowl and stand up, peering out over the waters at whatever had been noticed.

It was a marine ship alright. But it was kinda… small?

Barely the size of a regular ship, it seemed more like a leisure caravan than anything the marines would ever approve of. It was painted alright, but with that sheep figurehead, Buggy just couldn’t take it seriously. It looked like the kind of ship a kid dreaming of becoming a marine would come up with.

Squinting harder, Buggy was allowed a bit of an insight, namely a look at the captain of the ship.

Young, barely of age. Wearing that stupid marine-cap and a stupid pair of blue overalls and a stupid grin. Short sleeves, one of those blue weird ties that isn’t a tie… Still, compared to the few other members aboard, he seemed to be the most mature one. In other words, this person was ranked higher than the others, but on a ship like that, he might as well be a Chief Petty Officer.

A small fish in an even smaller pond.

“-You forced me to stand to look at THIS?” Buggy asked, genuinely perplexed by the actions of his subordinate. He’d thought them a bit more clever than this, but what can you expect from a man who willingly dressed up as an acrobat to roam the seas?

The man gulped. “Well, uh, sir, the newest recruits-” he must have meant those former marines from that marine base they’d raided, “-they wanted to see the so-revered Buggy-sama in action, and-,”

“-FOOL!!” Buggy sneakily dislodged two fingers to make his cape billow threateningly, “the king doesn’t fight where a pawn could clear the table! Tell them to prepare for battle instead!”

Although Buggy could take a fight if he was thrown into one, he’d rather leave his crew to do most of the work. He was kind of lazy like that, but that’s life.

The man stumbled back, proving that Buggy’s threatening had actually worked. “S-, sorry sir, but-,”

“-BUT.” Another man stepped out from the shade of the mast, having observed the situation long enough. One hand gripping the axe merged with his other arm, he let his gaze fall on
his new captain. “-If you do not prove your might, I will not follow you.” A dangerous glint shot through his sharp eyes. “As a matter of fact, I might just try and take your position for myself.”

Great, one of the newbies was of the rebellious sort. Just what he needed. Buggy clicked his tongue. Well, as they say, nip it in the bud. If you can’t turn a man to your side by saving him, just prove you’re too far above them for them to be rebellious.

...Oh well. Guess he’ll make an example out of these small-timers. Who the hell let them out on the seas unchecked anyways? Buggy might have felt a bit bad for them if he wasn’t about to pound them into the dust using overwhelming force.

“...Get us closer to that damn caravan,” Buggy growled. The Funan Bro nodded and ran off to complete the order.

For some reason, Buggy couldn’t bring himself to grin facing the soon-to-be destruction of marine property.

For some reason.

------

This was great. Sure, Usopp had made a point of telling the most outlandish stories about the world, but when all was said and done, he was happy right here in his home sea.

Not that he could go anywhere else if he wanted to. When it came to joining the marines, there was a big difference between being marine material and officer material. Usopp considered himself lucky just to be a Master Chief Petty Officer. He’d worked for that title for two long years, ever since a passing marine vessel saved him from true, actual pirates, but even then, he knew he didn’t have the constitution to get any further.

He was happy right here, right here on the Going Merry, right here with the former Usopp pirates. Heh. To think he’d once wanted to be a pirate. Like his father.

Usopp’s grip on the railing tightened. Yeah, right. Maybe it was best he kept to these small waters. Kept away from the grand line. From all those big fish that could swallow him in one gulp. But he couldn’t stay away from small-timer pirates. No, it was his duty as captain of this ship to make sure the reports of missing ships and conquered islands were true, and he had now noticed the ship of a notorious local pirate.

Buggy the Clown. Usopp only recognized the man himself from the big, giant, colossal red nose stuck smack-dab in the middle of his face like a misplaced juggling ball.

The man himself stood atop the railing of his impressive ship, legs wide and arms crossed. Did he want to talk or something? Going by the way he was staring Usopp straight in the eye, he sure did seem like he wanted to say something. An audience with a pirate. Could Usopp wish for anything worse?

“Cap’, should we do something?” one of Usopp’s dozen or so recruits asked. Usopp turned to him and shook his head. No, something here was up, and he would rather not shoot a canon in the face of someone who might be willing to surrender.

A man dressed up as a mime suddenly appeared on the deck of the pirate ship, standing beside Buggy with a megaphone in hand.

“-HARK!” a voice rang out over the seas, loud enough to reach the Going Merry and even beyond, “you are in the presence of the great, all-mighty, immortal Buggy the Clown!”

That was one way to say it. The man himself nodded at being referred to so grandly.

And then Buggy grabbed the megaphone. He poked it a few times, letting white noise explode out of the speaker, and then put it to his face. “Ah-, yeah. That’s me! Bow or be destroyed!”

Usopp stared at him for a few moments and turned to his seaman college. “-Grab me the megaphone.”

The clown captain handed the megaphone back to the mime. “Be joyous to hear his voice! Be joyous to know you are to be allowed an audience with the fantasmical Buggy-sama, of the one-on-all-of-youse variety! Winner takes all, loser has to fall!”

That stopped Usopp in his tracks. He slowly accepted the megaphone from his subordinate and turned to the circus-themed pirate ship. “Sorry, we don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Ka-chk, Usopp turned the megaphone back off.

“Y-, you!” Usopp could hear Buggy sputter indigenously all the way from his ship before robbing his mime of his megaphone. “You listen up here, buster! I’m doing you a kindness just by not blowing you into the New World with one of my yet-to-be-patented Buggy Balls!”

He was right, sort of. In a weird way, Usopp was happy they hadn’t just gotten onto the fighting straight off the bat. Usopp was perfectly happy just talking it out. Two years of marine training aside, fighting still wasn’t his strong suit, though he didn’t exactly have any other strong suits to speak of… Except for his charms, that is.

“What, uh, what exactly do you want, then?”

“Are you deaf or daft or both?!” Buggy roared into the megaphone, forcing it to sputter out some static not-noises that made Usopp’s ears ring. “We’ll have a duel! I’ll fight all of you, and you’ll fight all of just me! How can this possibly be a bad thing for you?!”

He brought up a fair point. The most common sort of fight between marines and pirates were the crew vs crew variety, which often resulted in a great loss of men on both sides. It wasn’t often that an all-out flight was a possibility, and even if it was, it didn’t reflect well on the marines as a whole. That was off the table.

All of Usopp’s forces against just Buggy… he could do that. “Yeah, okay, sure.”

“Y-, you-, that’s it? No bartering for your souls?! You are fools to think you’ll survive! I’ll mop the deck with you! I’ll grab the lot of you, stick you in a swashbuckle, and I’ll-,”

Usopp poked the megaphone much like Buggy had mere minutes ago and brought it back up to his face. “No take-backsies?” The obvious here went unsaid. Usopp knew his own limits and the limits of his small crew and small ship. He wasn’t a fool, he knew from just a look at Buggy’s overwhelmingly large ship that the Going Merry could be sunk in a jiffy. It was a miracle they weren’t dead yet, and getting a chance like this is…

Usopp swallowed his fears and doubts. He wasn’t one for fighting, he didn’t have the constitution. But he was stronger than his men, and they had to live.

“Of course there’ll be no take-backsies! If I lose, which I won’t, you’ll be free to go! We won’t attack, will we, boys?”

“””YEAH!!”””

“Alright! Hoist down the Monkey!” With that rallying cry, a small rowboat painted like a monkey was let down into the calm waters, with Buggy himself following closely behind, hopping into it without any of his underlings following along. Apparently, the pirate would be staying true to his promise. Maybe.

Hopefully.

Somehow, the boat rowed itself through means Usopp couldn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. Soon enough, the little boat containing the imposing captain had docked beside the Going Merry, and everything felt very odd. For some reason, Usopp couldn’t bring himself to fear the dread-captain. He felt… oddly calm, really, despite the upcoming battle.

“Do you want us to throw down a ladder or-,” and then, with that starting shot, Buggy was off.

Forget a rope ladder, he flew out of the little rowboat without any sort of help whatsoever! One might have been tempted to think he was being carried by strings, soaring into the air with his arms and legs spread wide, but going by his flexibility, such a thing was impossible.

“Watch this, hayseed!” Buggy mocked, materializing two-thirds of a dozen throwing knives into his hands, a sneer thrown on his face for good measure.

Usopp cursed at his folly. “Draw your weapons! We’ve got a DF!” Usopp himself grabbed his trusty slingshot. Even though his superiors and governing officers had all told him to use a real gun, whenever possible, he still went for the slingshot instead. It had better flexibility in a fight, and it reminded him of his resolve.

“YESSIR!” his subordinates called out, most drawing swords while others went for their firearms.

It turned out quite quickly that Buggy was entirely immune to any sort of cutting, and if he could see the gun fired at him, he could easily dodge it. Usopp’s group of greenhorns couldn’t handle it in the least. The worst off got a knife thrown in a random limb, and the less-badly-off got a finger in their eye or just outright got slugged in the face. He was a flurry of limbs and knives, and Usopp was captivated. His hands trembled, but he didn’t know why. He’d been in battle before. He’d seen a Devil Fruit user and what they could do. This wasn’t anything new, so…

Why did he feel so weird? That competitive grin on Buggy’s face, showing off his peerless confidence and experience.

A man with an unparalleled body and the wit to use it.

It set Usopp’s heart ablaze.

A knife whizzed past his face and Usopp was brought back to the here and now. Buggy sneered at him triumphantly, his red-and-blue make-up twisting along the ridges of his features. Beneath him, all of Usopp’s forces laid battered and bloody. Their wounds weren’t enough to kill them, it almost seemed like he’d avoided hitting their vitals, but…

Usopp didn’t look at them. To his shame, to his revulsion, his entire attention laid on Buggy himself.

“Well? Do you accept defeat?” he jeered, juggling a knife in one hand.

Usopp drew his lips tight, hoping Buggy wouldn’t notice the flush overtaking his cheeks. “Only in death.”

This battle, this battle between them where Usopp’s smouldering heart grew despairing and roared, this battle was short. It was a battle of captains, but Usopp felt more like an ant being trampled by an elephant. Soundly defeated, open wounds scattered his trembling body. He fell to his knees, the shadow of his blood-stained cap falling over his face. He felt hot inside. Hot in the head, hot in the heart. His chest was a furnace of all the wrong flames, forging a weapon of disdain.

A knife found its way beneath his chin, the tip of it almost slitting his throat open. But it didn’t. Instead, his head was raised, chin tilted, banishing the shade of his cap. He looked up, and there stood Buggy.

Somehow, he didn’t seem happy. His cape, draped so gingerly over his shoulders, seemed forlorn where it billowed. Unhappy in the pride it presented.

“...Do you accept defeat?” Buggy repeated, his voice soft. Usopp blinked slowly. His eyes moved, turning from the pirate and onto his defeated crew. They were alive for now, but that might not last forever.

He looked back to Buggy. “-Yes,” he croaked. “I accept defeat.”

Buggy hesitated for a moment. Neither side moved.

Then, Buggy removed the knife from beneath Usopp’s chin, grabbed the megaphone off of the floor, and climbed atop the railing. “-They admit defeat!!”

From the other ship, a chorus of “yeah!” and “whoo!” rung out, excited roars after witnessing the curb-stomp of the century. “Kill them!” someone called out, louder than the rest, “leave no survivors!”

Buggy’s grin faltered for a moment. He cast a quick glance at Usopp, his eyes softening immensely, and then he turned back to the group. A beat passed. “-Let’s tie them up and leave their pride in shambles!”

Silence. On Buggy’s ship, his crew exchanged glances, confusion laying a wet blanket over the whole party. Until…

”””-YEAH!!!!”””

Apparently, the mere idea of sending a personal letter to the marines, one stating that these people were so far below them that they didn’t even deserve death, was enough to excite the crowd once more.

Usopp didn’t witness what happened between his being tied to the mast of the Merry and waking up in the infirmary of a larger marine ship.

All he knew when he woke up was that he had been defeated.

His heart ached weirdly.

Chapter Text

East Blue might have been a tad bit bigger than Buggy initially assumed. Even so, spurred on by his overexcited crewmembers, now including such characters as Alvida and a few straggler pirates of the Kreig crew. Hell, he’d even had to get a pair of new ships to get everyone aboard!

It was a bother by this point. Even worse, now they were starting to ask that he should conquer more parts of the seas! Specifically…

“I am not going into the Grand Line. Forget it!” Buggy told Gin, who acted as spokesman for the entirety of the Third Fleet.

“Buggy, there-,”

“That’s Buggy-sama to you, buster.”

Gin cleared his throat. “Buggy-sama, there is unrest among the members. There is no dwindling respect for you, they merely wish to see the full extent of your prowess.” Buggy actively withheld a cackle at the mere idea that they would revolt against him. Those sods wouldn’t tell a thing to his face, not that they were smart enough to see a fault in him if they so tried. This guy, on the other hand… Too clever for his own good. “-You needn’t bring the whole fleet, Buggy-sama, merely a fraction of the strongest.”

Buggy almost jolted out of his throne. “-Not bring the whole fleet?! Why, you-, you expect I - the great BUGGY-SAMA - to enter Paradise with a mere fraction of my full strength!?”

Gin threw up his hands, quickly surrendering any such ideas. “No, of course not. Were you to bring the entire fleet…” Gin looked out over the three ships docked next to each other, a rare intervention of the entire fleet, “-you would surely conquer it as easily as you conquered East Blue.”

Buggy nodded sagely, feeling an arrogant grin surface on his lips.

“Thus, to test your true strength, impress your followers… why not bring only one ship, and leave the other two here, to keep an eye on your sieged territory?”

It… wasn’t a bad idea. If these last months were anything to go by, he seemed to have a knack for attracting oddballs willing to join him. Who knew, maybe he could do the same thing in the Grand Line after all? Maybe he wouldn’t almost die this time?

“...Inform Alvida and Chuu that there’s been a change in plans.”

Gin nodded and ran off.

But before they entered the Grand Line, they’d need to do a quick stop at Logue Town.

---------------

Four months. That’s how long Usopp had been staying at Logue Town.

That event had haunted him ever since. Even more so, the man who embarrassed him. He haunted his dreams, a whirlwind of limbs and knives and soft glances that made Usopp’s spine tingle. It was clear he couldn’t continue what he’d been doing. These small waters… Buggy conquered more land every day, but Usopp wasn’t worried. He knew Buggy would come for the crown some day, and when that day came, Usopp would be there, and he would take him down.

He was sure of it.

The first few weeks of his stay at Logue Town had been spent mostly just getting up to speed, keeping an eye on the pier, steeling his heart… For some reason, the higher-ups had placed him with Captain Smoker, alongside his Ensign Tashigi. That was alright. Usopp hadn’t planned on training much, but after his rank rose to Warrant Officer, two months into his stay, he realized this might just work out alright.

He trained, he let Smoker guide him, he (unwillingly) trained close-quarters combat with Tashigi, and when Smoker sent in a request to have his rank increased to Ensign, he could barely even believe it.

Even stranger…

“They accepted??” Usopp sputtered, his salute faltering. Smoker didn’t seem to notice, and simply pushed an enclosed envelope in Usopp's direction. At the clear implication, Usopp released his salute fully and tip-toed over to the wooden desk. He grasped the yellow envelope in trembling hands, feeling the coarse material under his fingertips. “Y-, you’re certain?...”

Smoker scoffed, but his smile was warm. “Can’t know for sure, kid.” His voice was gruff but soothing. Usopp gulped and flicked open the envelope, removed the paper inside, and let his eyes trail over them.

He cast a glance at Tashigi, who had joined them in the office for the occasion. She smiled. “Don’t worry Usopp, I’m sure they’d never disapprove after knowing how hard you’ve worked!” She seemed optimistic enough, but somehow, Usopp couldn’t help but feel the very opposite. He didn’t feel much stronger than when Buggy defeated him, so there was no way this was actually happening.

...Still, he had to affirm his suspicions. The paper weighed heavy in his hands. He looked back at it.

In the bottom right corner was that classic insignia, proving that this was official. The blank space provided had been signed by none other than Vice-Admiral Con D. Oriano, and Usopp felt somewhat awestruck just to hold the same paper such a legendary figure had signed. His gaze trailed over the paper. Most of it was mindless mumbo-jumbo, the kind that bored Usopp to death just to look at, but down at the end…

“Request for the promotion of Warrant Officer Usopp into Ensign… Approved!!” Usopp gleefully recited, a grin blossoming as he read the final part. “I-, I’m an Ensign!”

Tashigi squealed something incomprehensible and threw her arms around Usopp, grinning as if she herself had just been promoted. The words he’d just spoken lingered on his lips, and he couldn’t help but mumble them over and over while Tashigi excitedly hopped around him like a rabbit given a carrot.

“Ensign, ensign, ensign…” while he mumbled that like a deranged lunatic, he felt a large hand settle on his shoulder. He glanced up.

Smoker met his eyes with a proud grin and a thumbs-up.

Tashigi grabbed his hands, and Usopp ripped his eyes off of the older marine. “We’re gonna celebrate!”

“C-, celebrate-?”

“Yeah! There’s this pub downtown I’m sure you’ll love!” Tashigi said, skipping from one foot to another.

“No, wait, um, I don’t drink?” Usopp said, only to be met with a frown. “-I’m only… wait, let me see… I’m only 19! I can technically drink but I don’t feel adult enough to!”

Tashigi pouted, puffing up her cheeks. “You’re an Esign now! If you don’t drink, I’ll be real mad!”

Can’t argue with that logic. “Uh, um, okay, but… but only one drink!”

Tashigi grinned, probably because she knew anybody who said they’d “only drink one” always drank fifteen more than the rest. “Will you be coming along, Captain Smoker?” The man in question seemed perfectly content just to watch his younger collegues bicker, but at the mention of his name, he turned to her, flashing a sad smile.

“Got paperwork to complete. Bastards up top wouldn’t let me skip out on writing a full report on the damage to marine property the other week,” Smoker growled, biting down on his two cigarrs. He seemed genuinely disgruntled about not being able to attend the party. Had Usopp not known the man rather well, at this point having come to view him as something of an uncle, he might have been surprised at how the otherwise professional man would like to attend such a celebration. Now…

“Hey, it’s okay! The next time I get promoted, we’ll party all night long!” Usopp reassured, although he personally doubted he would ever be promoted again.

Smoker’s lips actually curled upwards at the idea, proving that Usopp’s lie(?) had worked surprisingly well. “Yeah, sure, kid. You’ll get far.”

Usopp didn’t have time to mull over the meaning of Smoker’s words before he was dragged out into the streets, presumably to party.

-----

The time was, oh, 24? 00? Midnight. Usopp lost track of time after his first beer.

It went down very, very badly. But on request of Tashigi and a dozen or so marines, he just had to have another one. And another one. And by the sixth one, they actually tasted rather okay. Around 22:00 or so, the other marines started dozing off or heading home, and by the end of it, only Usopp remained in the actually-quite-nice bar.

He sipped a juice he’d ordered and tried to smile. He felt like he should be way happier than he was.

Ensign. That wasn’t anything little. That meant he could wear one of those oversized justice coats. That meant he was officially no longer a pawn to be used. Smoker said he should be able to get his coat within a few days or so. Still, his thoughts lingered elsewhere. On his reason for choosing to be stationed out here to begin with.

Buggy.

Usopp let his eyes fall on the back of a lone man sitting by the bar. Yeah, like that guy. He’d wear a billowing, impressive cape just like that one. Big, crown-like captain’s hat, mismatched oddly coloured clothes, broad, imposing back, rugged chin, dreamy eyes…

Usopp violently shook his head, an angry flush covering up his tender blush. Fuck no, fuck that, he wasn’t thinking any rebellious thoughts like that, oh no he wasn’t!

He’d sooner die than think of a pirate in-, in that way!

...Then again, that guy sitting there did look sort of familiar…

Usopp squinted. It was hard to see through his alcohol-induced fog, but… Was that a tuft of blue hair he saw?...

No way. No. Fucking. Way.

“Hey, barkeep, bring me, uhhh, bring me one of those flaming drinks will ya?” the man said, and… yup. That was the voice. The voice that had tormented Usopp for four months. The voice that mocked him and jeered at him and told him things he didn’t want to hear.

There was a buzz in his head, and he reached for his bag. Knives, slingshot, ammunition…

He felt the wooden thing in his grip. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him, but… he didn’t call for help. Didn’t even think to draw his weapon or a knife. No, instead, he pulled out a certain oddly-made mask. He hadn’t really thought much about it when he made it, but… here it was.

Yellow in colour with three sunray-like extensions. A hole in the middle of the face to fit his nose.

He slipped on the mask, rose, and went over and sat down beside Buggy.

-------

Buggy already regretted docking here. To say nothing of his eccentric crew suggesting they subjectuate the mild-mannered town, the booze wasn’t even that good!

Take this flaming little drink for example. The second Buggy brought it to his lips, it burnt his nose! Buggy cursed and slammed the drink on the bar, scowling as he rubbed his charred nose. “Bastard drink burning my face off, I’ll make you squeal, barkeep!”

As he tried to threaten the bartender who knew for a fact the upset captain had drunk way too much to be able to fulfill his threat, someone sat down next to him.

A puff of air crossed the bar, blowing out the little fire on Buggy’s drink. “Hey, buste-,”

“You’re supposed to blow it out before you drink it, duh,” the man said slowly (obviously drunk off his ass, what an idiot, heh), and Buggy only now noticed that the man in question was wearing a mask. A damn mask. In a bar. And it didn’t have a hole for the mouth. Just one for his nose. His very long nose. Very long, somewhat familiar nose…

“Say, don’t I know you?...” Buggy asked, squinting at the masked man who squirmed on his stool.

The man coughed into his hand. “Uhm, no, no, I’m-, my name is…” the man paused, thinking hard in his drunk state, “-Sogeking! King of the snipers! That’s me, hagagagaga!”

Hmmm… Buggy scratched his stubbled chin. Yeaup. Sogeking was a pretty appropriate name. “Yeah, okay, makes sense to me.” Buggy idly took a sip of his drink, and… it was pretty good! As it turned out, with the flames removed, he was actually able to drink it alright! “Hey, uhh… Thanks for the drink,” he flashed Sogeking a smile, “the name’s Buggy, and don’t you forget it!”

Sogeking gave a pause. “-Just Buggy?”

“Hm? Uhh, yeah. Just Buggy. That a problem?”

“Oh, no, no! I-, I just, uhhh… What was I thinking? Hold on, my mind’s all fuzzy… Yeah, okay, I’ll call you Buggy, and you’ll call me Usopp. Yup. Two pals hanging out,” Sogeking said, gesturing broadly, a clear sign that he, too, had drunk just a few too many drinks. Wait. Did he say his name was Usopp?

“Cool with me Usopp, buddy ol’ pal! But, y’know what I thinksies? I think you need to have a drink,” Buggy said, grinning broadly. Somehow, despite his white make-up, a red blush was apparent. “See, I gots this here drink, and it was pretty tasty, and since you were so kind as to let me have a tasty of it, without burning my face off, I think you deserve a taste.”

Usopp threw up his hands defensively. “Uh, no thank you, I can’t drink, I’m only twelve!”

Buggy squinted, blinking slowly. “BWAHAHAHAHHAHA!! You silly silly silly man, you are just-,” Buggy snorted, folding over to pound his fist on the table, “-what a riot! Usopp, my man my boy my brother, you are just-,” And then, without any warning, Buggy grabbed a hold of the drink and shoved it in Usopp’s face, into the nose-hole and down his face. “Drink, drink, drink! It’s on the Buggy house!”

Usopp sputtered, trying fruitlessly to fight against the pirate captain to no avail. The harsh alcohol easily found its way down his face and into his mouth, giving him no choice but to drink.

“Drink, drink, drink! Shanks could drink like a horse and I can drink just as much!” And then, suddenly, Buggy stopped in his tracks, the mention of his brother-in-arms bringing something out of him. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes. “He-, we went our separate ways, and… and we haven’t seen each other for so long, but, but…!”

Usopp coughed and tried fruitlessly to clean the alcohol off of his mask, but seeing Buggy become so emotional at the mention of one of the four emperors… Usopp gazed sympathetically at the captain.

“That-, that… That BASTARD!!! How dare he become an emperor while I grovel in the dirt?!? It ain’t fair, it just ain’t!” Buggy cried, throwing his arms in the air. Whether this was in rage or misery, no one but he could tell. “Here I am, apprentice of Roger, and I’ve gotta rile myself up to enter the Grand Line?? God, I’m pathetic!”

With that, Buggy threw himself at the bar, draping his body over it.

A sob rose through his alcohol-burnt throat, but it was one of rage over the injustice he had faced. A hand fell on his shoulder. He gazed over at Usopp. “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it! You’re the great Captain Buggy-sama! Nobody’s gonna do nuthin’ to ya!”

Buggy smiled. And then, with all the conviction of a man unmasking his saviour, he ripped the mask off of Usopp.

His face was still soaked in alcohol, although the area around his mouth had been cleaned. Large, innocent eyes peered back at him, wide and surprised and fond. A deep blush covered the majority of his face, but somehow, in his drunken stupor, Buggy could tell some of it had nothing to do with alcohol. “Uh, um.”

Wait. He recognized that face. That dopey-ass face that asked for an ass-kicking to the ass.

“Y-, you! Hayseed!” Buggy sputtered, recoiling from the younger man with such force that the barstool he sat at tipped over, sending him flying to the floor where he clattered into a heap of unmade capes and tilted hats.

“Eh? You alright, Buggy?” Usopp asked innocently, reaching out his hand to pull the pirate to his feet. Buggy slapped it away.

“You-, I-, what-, traitor!” Buggy stammered, unable to keep his thoughts in one place. “You’re a marine, aincha!? Didja try ‘n fool me into, uhh… wait, what was I… fool me into liking you or something?!” Buggy pointed a gloved, accusing finger at the confused Ensign as if the too-drunk man was supposed to understand what the hell he was saying.

Usopp frowned. “Um, uhh, did you hit your head? I’m…” a lightbulb went off in his head, “I’m not some marine! I’m Sogeking, King of Snipers!”

“I, uh…” Buggy scratched his chin, “yeah, but you’re still a marine!”

Squinting, Usopp let the words tumble through his head, savouring them long enough to understand that his cover had been blown. “-Shoot!”

Buggy hopped to his feet, drawing… well, he hadn’t brought his knives, so he didn’t have any weapons. But, he DID draw his fists! “En garde, dummy stupid idiot!”

Usopp sputtered. “Hey! That’s mean! I’m calling the cops!”

“The cops, eh? The cops… the cops?!” Buggy realized all of a sudden that although he could easily take Usopp in a fight, battling all the marines on the island just wasn’t a very strategic move. “Aw heck no!”

And with that rallying cry, Buggy tossed himself out of the door and into the darkened streets.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Buggy didn’t really listen to Usopp, instead choosing to run through the streets of the nightly district, shouting for any and all members of the Buggy pirates to prepare for flight. All through his nightly jog, he could hear Usopp pacing after him, calling for him to stop and face the consequences of his actions. Buggy did not, as a matter of fact, stop. If anything, he ran faster.

Half an hour later and Buggy was back by the pier where his crew and ship stood parked. “Raise the anchor, fucking pieces of shit!”

What few people were awake at this time instantly got to work, preparing to sail out even though the moon was high.

“H-, hey! You-, stop! Buggy, figGHT ME!” Usopp roared, raising his fists for the occasion. Buggy eyed the marine without any actual fear. He knew he could take him (probably) but he just… he didn’t feel like it, okay? Not that he wasn’t used to fighting people he also had drinks with and cried with, he just… He didn’t want to fight a drunkard. Yeah, that’s it.

“STOP FOLLOWING ME, GREENHORN!!” That little statement earned him a rock to the back of the head. “Ohhhh, you asked for it!!”

That was enough for Buggy to do a total 180. The pirate and marine faced off in front of the Big Top, with Buggy’s crew cheering on. Unlike what Buggy has expected, this fight was not of the one-sided variety. No, it was actually quite equal, with Usopp and him trading blows and spitting insults on equal ground. It might have been the alcohol burning their insides, but the whole fight felt like a flurry of activity.

Still, in the end, the one defeated was none other than Usopp. “YEAAAAAAHHH!!” Buggy exclaimed, fists raised high in the air and foot placed squarely on Usopp’s back. That’s what you get for challenging the mighty Buggy-sama!

“Grrrr, you cheated!” Usopp growled through gritted teeth.

Buggy smiled triumphantly. “Nuh-uh, pirates can’t cheat!”

Usopp’s eyes flared open in realization. “You’re right,” he gasped, “pirates can’t cheat!” He gritted his teeth at the realization. “No fair!”

“Totally fair. Pirates are better than marines, so it’s only right we get to cheat!”

Usopp sputtered. “Are NOT!”

“Are too. And I won, so it’s proven!”

Usopp ground his molars. “...I’ll catch you. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll catch you, and bring you to Impel Down and then you won’t be able to cheat anymore!”

“Just you try it!” Buggy said. “If you CAN!”

A challange. The hidden intent was clear. “Come catch me”. Usopp grinned from where he laid, defeated and battered. “I will!”

It was a promise.

Chapter Text

“What a JERK!” Usopp roared, slamming his empty mug on the wooden deck.

Tashigi nodded, sipping her ale. “Yup, yup, total bastard.” By now, she knew better than anybody that when Usopp started ranting and raving about Buggy, there was nothing you could do but nod and say yes. “He should’a kidnapped you or something.”

“-Yeah! Like, come on! He had an Ensign at his feet, and he just let me go?? Idiot! Idiot booger brain!”

Another fun game Tashigi had learnt over the course of these three months on the Grand Line was the simply named “What Kind of Weird Shit Can You Convince Usopp he Wants?” So far, Tashigi had convinced him he’d wanted Buggy to set Logue Town on fire and execute himself on the execution platform. Somehow, Smoker even talked him into believing that the optimal outcome of their battle had been for Red-Hair Shanks to descend from the heavens to stop the battle. “Yeah, yeah.”

Three months at sea. Three months of the two ships following a trail of smoke, keeping an ear against the railroad at all times in case word of Buggy showed up.

Smoker and Tashigi weren’t on the Grand Line to find Buggy or anything, that was all Usopp’s goal (he’d even gotten permission for it from up high). They were just bringing him along, him and his little boat and his little crew. At times, the small group would break off from the larger ship to sniff out some clue or lead, but they never found anything concrete.

Then again, finding dozens of small pirate hide-outs did let him rise in rank rather quickly (Usopp’s wrath at finding a clue was false was not something Tashigi wanted to experience first-hand).

Buggy himself, on the other hand, almost seemed like a phantom. Appearing in seemingly random places, recruiting new devotees wherever he went…

A genius. Tashigi took another sip of her brew, feeling the warm liquid slip down her throat.

Usopp stared blankly at her for a moment, and Tashigi briefly wondered if her game had been discovered. Not so. No, the next second, Usopp let his upper body fall back and bonk against the wooden deck.

“Where the hell is he…” Usopp mumbled, staring up at the sky.

----

Buggy, too, stared up at the sky, watching the stars twinkle and dance. “Where the hell are we?”

Mohji, who had decided to sleep on the middle of deck, right on top of Richie, simply shrugged. “I dunno, ask Nami. She got us here.” The lion he slept on gruffed in affirmation, exhibiting his usual human intellect.

Growling, Buggy spun on his heel, heading for the navigator’s cabin she’d forced them to install. He just had to do everything himself, didn’t he? To think even with a bounty of 69 000 000, with a three-ship fleet filled with over three hundred devoted pirates, he still had to walk to places!

Buggy didn’t even bother to knock on the door, simply throwing it open. “Nami, where the hell are we?!”

The girl whipped her face around from where she’d been drawing out a detailed map of whatever island they’d been last. She clicked her tongue. “Didn’t knock before entering. 20 000 beri fee.” One would have been blind not to see how her lip curved in satisfaction at swindling yet another poor unfortunate soul.

Buggy flinched harshly. “T-, twenty thousand!? You-, you scamming hag, first you get us off-course, and now you’re blackmailing the exalted captain! Why, I’ll have you flogged!”

“Off-course?” she raised an eyebrow, seemingly genuinely confused about the mere idea, “did we get hit by a sudden storm or something?” Buggy crossed his arms, irritated that the matter of him losing twenty thousand beris was just scrubbed over, but before he could answer, she took a glance at the log pose. “-No, we’re right on course. Shouldn’t be much longer either, going by the movements of it.”

Buggy tapped his foot. “-Going where, exactly? Hell?”

Nami scoffed. “Close, but no cigar. Alabasta.”

“Why the fuck are we going to that dried-up raisin?” Buggy asked, feeling a smidge betrayed that these plans had been made behind his back. Nami gave a short, witch-like laugh. Upon seeing that Buggy was not, in fact, kidding, she realized she had to specify.

“Seriously? I thought since you were aiming to become the King of the Pirates, you’d have known there was a poneglyph there.”

Buggy drew a blank.

-Oh.

Okay, carry on, then.

-----

“We’ll meet up in Yuba,” he’d said. “After the refurbishment, it’s better than ever,” he promised. “Just make sure not to get separated from your subordinates,” he’d warned.

Yeah, sure, Smoker. We’ll do that.

Usopp growled as he walked wide-legged into what could barely even be called a town at all. He wanted to take off his coat oh so badly, but it wouldn’t do for a Lieutenant to shed his coat of justice. Then again, nobody in this little town knew that, and he’d lost his crew (and their map) several towns back, so nobody would know, right?...

...No. Usopp shook his head, grip tightening on his walking-stick.

What he needed to do now wasn’t to forget his pride, but to have a drink! Some juice or water would really do him well. His white shirt had long since gotten so drenched that it sticked to his light-blue overalls like a soaked bat. At least his headband soaked up the sweat on his brow, but otherwise, he just wanted to get out to sea again.

“Camel’s Draught…” Usopp read, shading his eyes as he stared up at the helpful sign above the bar. Might as well grab a drink before he continued his trek through this barren hellscape of an island.

Usopp slipped inside the almost-empty bar and sat down by the counter. “One juice, please. Anything that’s in season.”

Saying so, he threw a couple of coins on the counter. A beat passed, and soon he was two hundred beris poorer but one glass of (something) juice richer. Just as he liked it. A sip proved the drink to be to his liking (sweet, tangy but with a warm aftertaste), and he smiled bitterly. “Can you believe it? I lose the whole crew, in the middle of the desert, and they’ve got the map!”

“I feel ‘ya on that one, buster,” someone replied from right next to him. “Lost mine too, just the other day. Those buggers’ll die from thirst before sundown I’m sure!” Usopp grinned, feeling all too familiar in the words of the stranger. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they left me of their own accord!”

“Heh, sure! I’ll bet they can’t even find Yuba! Not that I can do it on my own…”

“Headed for Yuba?” the stranger asked, his voice surprisingly hopeful. Somehow, that little change in pitch brought a question to the surface of Usopp’s mind. Was he imagining things (as he often/always did), or did he recognize that voice?...

Usopp turned to face the stranger fully.

Buggy’s already pale face palened even further.

-----

“G-, g-, greenhorn?!” Buggy flew from his seat much alike how he’d done three months ago, only now he was at least sober enough not to clatter to the floor. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

Usopp failed to remain calm. “I’m pursuing you, dumbass!!”

“Pursuing me??” Buggy grinned in disbelief, “aren’t you, like, a Petty Officer or something?”

That’s it. Usopp ripped his coat from his shoulder, holding it up in both pride and proof. “I’m a Lieutenant!” Buggy glanced between Usopp and the coat embellished with the “Justice” slogan. Usopp could feel his jaws grinding. “I LITERALLY became a Lieutenant to chase you! Don’t you even remember our promise??”

Buggy squinted and scratched his stubbled chin. “Uh, no?” he said, before cracking up into a little smile. “No way you’re a Lieutenant, whatever that means. You’re pulling my leg.”

“I’m NOT-” and then Usopp noticed the shit-eating grin on Buggy’s face. He glanced down at his hand.

There was a leg in it.

“GAH!” Usopp cried, throwing away the cleanly severed appendage.

“BWAHAHAHAHA!” Buggy laughed, throwing his head back to point and laugh at the exasperated marine. “Gotcha! You stupid idiot, ‘course I remember our promise! Didn’t think you’d actually do it, though…”

A faint blush invaded Usopp’s cheeks. “You remembered?...”

Buggy grinned. “Didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to think you could catch ME, the great captain Buggy-sama!” Saying so, Buggy threw out his hands, cackling to the skies while his cape billowed. “Seriously though, do they just hand out coats to any marine who wants to have a crack at the big-shots? What’s up with that?”

“I’m a Lieutenant! NOT having a coat would be weirder than having one!” Usopp said, slapping the coat in his hand just to prove it was real.

“Right right, Mr Lieutenant whatever,” Buggy threw an arm around Usopp’s shoulders, “how mean of them, to throw you into Paradise without teaching you anything.” He pointed at himself with one gloved hand. “This is a pirate. Pirate. Can you spell ‘lawless criminal scum’?”

Usopp shoved Buggy off of his shoulders and bared an accusing finger of his own. “That’s it, we’re fighting!”

Buggy hung in the air for a moment, torso separated from legs. “-Excuse me?”

“You heard me! You, me, in the sand. I’ll show you this coat ain’t just for show!”

A pause. Then… “BWAHAHAHA! Greenhorn, you’re kidding! You couldn’t-”

A rubber-band hit him square in the forehead. “-Can’t what, Buggy?” He grinned.

It hadn’t hurt, but the implication was obvious. “That-,, that’s Buggy-SAMA to you, bastard!”

“I-,” Usopp paused for a moment, brows scrunching together, “no? You told me just to call you regular Buggy. So regular Buggy you are.”

Buggy’s jaw snapped shut. As much as he hated it, he could actually remember telling this greenhorn - Usopp - to call him just Buggy. Curse his drunken stupor! Next time he got drunk, he’d make sure to give himself a smack in the gob. “You know what? Fine. You, me, in the sand! I’ll turn you into minced meat, rookie!”

Chapter Text

Usopp smirked.

Not a moment later and he burst out the door, booking it for the nearest patch of desert, which wasn't any further than two houses down. Once he got there, he swivelled around, felt how the coat draped over his shoulders billowed, and drew his slingshot.

He'd made a few modifications to it over the course of these three months. It was no longer just some repurposed old toy, no, now it had purpose. He'd had it specifically forged in steel, had it elongated, changed the shaft… By now, it wasn't just a slingshot. If he pressed a button on the end, it clattered into a long, hard staff. If he reigned it back in, the end of it acted as a makeshift bludgeon.

Counting all the ammunition in his bag, he was just about prepared for anything.

Including a panting, slowly jogging pirate captain. "Wh-, wait up, I can't run in this heat-," he gasped, which was a rather acceptable excuse. He was, as usual, dressed in poofy, colourful clothes, the kind that could easily collect heat and sweat. In comparison, Usopp was dressed far more casually, bar the Justice coat.

A light-blue pair of overalls, a customary short-sleeved white marine shirt, and the blue necktie completed his navy look. It wasn't overly warm or anything, but Usopp still wished he'd worn shorts.

Buggy finally caught up with Usopp. "Okay, okay, I'm cool. I'm good. Let me just-," Usopp did not, in fact, let him just.

The moment Buggy reached for his knives, Usopp was on him. Slingshot raised, he appeared right in front of Buggy's shiny red nose, poised and ready. "-Hm?"

Usopp fired. A rotten egg splattered across Buggy's face, forcing the pirate to stumble back, desperately clutching his nose. "What the hell did you-,"

He wasn't done yet. With Buggy caught off-guard, Usopp knew there was only one thing to do. He fumbled for his bag, sweaty palms grasping a few iron ball bearings. He dropped one or two but that didn't matter. He loaded one up, drew back the rubber band, and-,

And got a fist to the face.

He crashed to the sand, red hot pain blossoming over the bridge of his nose. He could feel it in his bones. Buggy was strong, but now, he was stronger, too.

"The hell did you do, bastard?! Is this-, did you hit me with a rotten egg? Do you know how long it'll take me to get it out of my hair?!" Buggy said, his limbs and body already up and flying in the air. Usopp snorted and spat a bloody lob of saliva at the sandy ground. "You think I'll go easy on you just cuz-,"

He could say no more, because in the next second, an iron ball went flying, hitting him square on the forehead. "GAH-," he exclaimed, staggering back in the air, two dislodged hands flying up to grasp his aching forehead.

Usopp grinned and threw himself off of the ground. This was his chance.

A blindly thrown knife whizzed past his face. He ignored it.

While Buggy complained about him, Usopp ran right up to his cluster of bodyparts. Differentiating one slice of body from another wasn't easy, but Usopp could remember how Buggy had been dressed. His eye scanned the limb-cloud, looking for that particular part.

-There! The lower part of a light purple vest with lime buttons floated haphazardly. Usopp ran for it.

"-You, I'll kill you!" Buggy growled, bearing his teeth and knives at the younger man. It was too late. Usopp smirked.

He took a stand, legs wide, recounted how Smoker had taught him, and…

Slugged Buggy in the solar plexus.

Buggy was sent reeling, coughing and sputtering, his entire breathing system seizing up in shock and agony. In his pain, he could do nothing but focus on Usopp. He'd underestimated the runt. He still didn't know what the hell a Lieutenant was, but whatever it was, Usopp might just deserve the title.

"I did it!" But that title did not bring with it the wisdom not to celebrate his victories early.

Buggy smiled fondly. Yeah, this guy was a total idiot.

His chest was still hurting like hell and he could barely breathe, but that didn't stop him from slugging Usopp right back. The younger man flinched at the sudden attack, staggering back, grasping his chest. "Never celebrate your victories early, colt!"

Usopp looked up at him, feeling his eyes water. He'd been foolish, he knew that. If his opponent had been anyone but this guy…

"Don't they teach you anything in the academy? Did they even train you at all?" Buggy jeered, his bodyparts flying around Usopp in a whirlwind of activity.

Usopp grit his teeth. He felt tired. He just wanted this battle to be over, and judging by the tremble in Buggy's body, the slight vibrato to his voice, he was feeling much the same way. An idea struck him. No, wait, that was just a flying wrist. Oh, no, wait, it was both!

"-Buggy. How about the next one to get a hit in wins?"

Buggy squinted, but he didn't deny it outright. "-Not to the death?"

"Do you want to fight to the death?"

Buggy rubbed his chin for a moment. "-Nah."

There it was. The two stared each other down. "Three,"

"Two," Buggy said,

"O-," Usopp couldn't even finish the last number before a fist went flying at him. He dodged, but only barely. In the same moment, he let loose another iron ball bearing, seeing it miss Buggy by only the smallest increment. He cursed and threw himself out of the way of another pursuing limb. Kind of weird that Buggy hadn't tried to kick him yet, but he'd take it.

A moment passed, Usopp reloaded, aimed, and dodged a fist. Another fist whizzed by the other side of his face. He pulled the rubber band back, prepared to fire at Buggy's face…

Only to find it gone. "-Huh?"

Two robust hands grabbed his wrists, forcing him to release his hold on the slingshot. A grinning face slowly came into view, a body assembling underneath it as he appeared. "Never take your eye off the enemy, runt!"

Usopp quivered in his grip. Buggy smiled. "I wi-,"

He couldn't finish the sentence before his face was bashed by Usopp's very own skull. He stumbled back, gripping his thrice-hit forehead in pain. "What the he-,"

"I won!" Usopp said triumphantly, "I got the last hit in!"

Buggy stopped in his tracks. "Did not!"

Usopp shrugged. "Heh, guess it's always hard for the loser to accept the win of another… Especially when the loser is a poopypant meanie like you."

"You-!" Buggy seethed in anger, "that's cheating! Marines can't cheat!"

"Hey! I didn't cheat, I headbutted you fair and square!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Grrrr… fine! We'll call it a draw!" Buggy finally said, stomping his foot into the sand.

"That's right, I wi-, whu what?"

Buggy pointed at his gradually reddening forehead. And then to Usopp's gradually reddening forehead. "It's a draw."

Usopp grit his teeth. He wanted to say Buggy was wrong, that he was full of shit and only making it up so that he didn't lose, but he was sort of right. His forehead did hurt, and at no point during the battle had it felt like he was outright winning. They were fairly matched, for once. "-Fine. It's a draw."

Buggy grinned. "Great! Then, I'll just be heading for Yuba, and you'll just go wherever, and we'll never meet again, yeah?"

Usopp waited a moment before answering. "-Um, I'm also headed for Yuba though?..."

A pause passed between them.

"You're what!?"

"Just so you know, I'm only doing this because I haven't got any choice, yeah?" Buggy warned.

"Yeah, sure," Usopp replied. They'd been walking for the better part of an hour now, and somehow, they actually hadn't gotten into a fight again, which Usopp considered a positive. Despite the time passed, his chest still ached a fair bit. Say what you will, but Buggy sure could pack a punch.

Then again, with weather like this, whether you'd been slugged or not didn't really matter. The sun was really beating down on them, frying them alive.

"Say, uh, what exactly is a Lieutenant?" Buggy suddenly asked.

Usopp squinted suspiciously. "-It's the ninth highest rank. It means I've got control over almost everybody below my rank."

"That tells me exactly nothing." Buggy looked up at the clear blue sky. "So, you're strong?"

Usopp shrugged. "Strong enough, I guess." A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes. "Strong enough to one day drag you down to Impel Down." As before, Buggy wasn't put off by his conviction in the least.

"I'd like to see you try it, heh," Buggy challenged. Usopp didn't bite the hook. Instead, he took note of something in the distance.

"Is that… a city?..."

Buggy glanced over in the direction Usopp was pointing in, shading his eyes with his hand. It was a city alright. Going by the directions they got from the (rightfully confused) townfolk of the last town they'd been to, this should be Yuba. Going by their stories, this should also be where their separate crews were lodged.

First one to get there would be the first one to prepare their soldiers.

They shared a blank glance.

-And broke out sprinting.

"-Hey, no fair, stop throwing knives!" Usopp cried, hopping out of the way of one of the flying projectiles.

"Not until you stop pelting me with marbles!" Buggy argued back, flying about ten feet in the air.

Usopp's hand stalled for a moment and he abstained from shooting another ball bearing at the flying pirate. Oh, right, maybe that's why. "Okay, truce!"

"Save your truces for the grave, softskin!" Buggy said back, flinging yet another knife in Usopp's direction. But by this point, both knew that Usopp could dodge it easily.

A few minutes of running later and they both found themselves inside Yuba.

"Hey! Pathetic disgrace, go get the other members!" Buggy called out to a passing man dressed in colourful clothing with make-up on his face.

The man seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of his captain, but was still quick enough to give a salute and sprint off.

A white shirt caught Usopp's attention. "Recruit!"

The Seaman Recruit, carrying a bag of groceries, instantly stiffened like a board and swivelled around to salute him. "L-, Lieutenant Usopp! You've arri-,"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Inform Captain Smoker that the Buggy pirates are here in Yuba!"

"Y-, yessir!" The Seaman Recruit ran off, leaving Usopp and Buggy in the street, facing each other with stiff expressions. They were in the middle of a square, filled with confused, unsure civilians. Shit. They couldn't fight like this, Usopp knew that better than everybody.

He spread his legs wide, crossed his arms and squared his shoulders, making sure his Justice coat was as visible as possible. "EVACUATE THE PERIMETERS, CIVILIANS!"

Silence. Buggy stared sympathetically at the short youngster.

Then, he dislodged his torso from his legs, rose into the air above the confused people, and…

"BWAHAHAHAHHAHA! Fear me, civilians! It is I - the great Immortal captain Buggy-sama, feared ruler of East Blue, leader of the Buggy Pirates!"

Now that got their attention. When he then fished out a dozen glistening knives, a few screamed out in fear, and they all started tumbling over each other, panic gripping a tight hold of their hearts as they ran for their lives. Within barely a minute, the square was evacuated, leaving Buggy and Usopp alone.

Usopp gave Buggy a thankful smile.

Buggy's face instantly grew flushed and embarrassed. "W-, well, having a bunch of deadbeat civilians in the way of our battle would just make it boring!"

Usopp grinned. "Sure thing, Mr Feared Ruler of East Blue."

"I-, it's true!"

Before Usopp could shoot something snarky back at the flustered pirate, smoke flooded the square, making Buggy cry out in surprise. Usopp, on the other hand, had seen this smoke too often to fear it. "What's the situation, kid?"

Usopp turned to see Smoker standing tall right next to him.

A glean found its way into Usopp's eye and he smiled broadly. "I found Buggy!"

Smoker turned to look at where Buggy stood, knives at the ready. A few of his crew, including a lion and a furry, had already appeared, weapons drawn. "Yeah, I noticed. Mind telling me why he ain't in seastone-cuffs?"

Usopp gulped. The dreaded question. "W-, well, um, I tried fighting him, but it turns out we were equally matched, so I couldn't defeat him and he couldn't defeat him so-,"

"So… what? You didn't… did you walk here with him?!" This might have been the first time Usopp saw Smoker genuinely surprised, of the negative kind.

"Uh, um," he glanced away, "no?"

"...God help me, what the hell will I do with you?"

Tashigi ran up to them, clutching her sword tightly. "Captain Smoker! Everybody's here! Are you sure we should battle here? In the middle of Yuba? Buggy the Clown's tactics are hardly known for being subtle!"

"Yeah, we've got no choice," Smoker said. "Bastard wants an all-out fight."

Smoker stared at Usopp, who squirmed under his gaze.

"BWAAHAHAHAHAHA! Smoker, is it? To think I'd have the pleasure of battling such an exalted man in these slums!" Buggy shouted from across the square. It might have been hard to hear him, but he shouted quite loud enough. "Now, although I would love to stick around and show the lot of you the power of senseless violence, I-,"

Smoker raised his hand to signal that it was his turn. While Buggy stuttered, Smoker formed a funnel out of smoke, and brought it to his lips. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

"I'm not a terrorist!" Buggy screeched, shaking his fist in the air. "And even if I was, I wouldn't let you negotiate with me!"

Smoker let his improvised megaphone dissipate into nothing. "Soldiers, prepare for battle." Despite not speaking very loudly, his voice carried out over the entire square, prompting both marines and pirates alike to raise their weapons.

"Hey! Listen to me! If we fight, which we won't, I'd win! But-, but I'd probably lose a bunch of my men!" At this, almost all Buggy pirates gave out tear-filled appreciations. "And I don't want to lose them! So, let's not fight!"

Smoker crossed his arms and turned to Usopp. "-What do you say?"

"I-, huh? Well, um… I say…" Usopp glanced out over the people gathered, a hundred young men and women at the least, all ready to throw their lives into battle, "-We let them go."

Smoker didn't seem surprised. "And why do you say that?"

"He's both right and wrong. Although we have more soldiers, although we have more technical strength, we would still lose too many men for it to be a viable option. We still have your mission to complete. Losing half or more of our forces now would be nothing but a waste of lives." Usopp took a deep breath, "I say… we take his deal."

Smoker nodded gravely. "I trust your opinion, Lieutenant. Men!" The connected groups turned to him, expectant. "Let them go."

For some reason, Buggy, of all damn people, seemed the most surprised by this turn. "Wait, seriously? Just like that?" Smoker nodded. "Oh, well, um. Don't mind if I do!" And with that, Buggy broke out into a sprint, amidst a chorus of people shouting for him to wait up. The marines did not pursue the fleeing pirates.

No, all Usopp could do was stand there, arms crossed, feeling his nails dig into the flesh of his arms.

They'd let them escape. Just like that. Three months of pursuit, just to let him go. Usopp could feel a scowl manifest on his face.

A large, warm hand was placed on his back.

"Sometimes, you've gotta make tough choices. You did good, kid. You did good."

Somehow, it didn't feel like it.

Chapter Text

“You’re going to need a larger crew someday,” Smoker said.

Usopp hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in his armchair while a conflicted expression painted his features. “Well, yeah, but I’m not sure I want your G-5 soldiers… Kinda rowdy, ain’t they?” Really, if there was any way to describe the G-5 soldiers, it was rowdy. The second Usopp arrived at the G-5 Marine Base, they’d tried to tie him to a pole to burn him alive. In his rightful panic he didn’t really catch why they wanted to burn him on the stakes, but to him, it was sort of unimportant.

Smoker scoffed, not at Usopp but at how correct he was. “Yeah, rowdy’s the word for it.” Smoker leaned forwards, the chair creaking as he folded his fingers. “Even so, you absolutely can’t mistake your current rank with the one you had before.”

“Why not?” Usopp asked, shrugging where he sat.

Taking a deep drag of his cigars, Smoker let his eyes wander the room. “Kid, you’re no longer just some guy sailing in your little boat with your little friends. You’re a Commander. You’re no Vice-Admiral, but having a capable man like you sailing around in an over-sized dinghy won’t reflect well on the Marines as a whole.”

“Yeah, sure, but, um,” Usopp drew his lips into a tight smile, “-does it have to be your guys specifically?...”

Smoker’s eyes sharpened. “You think you can find any other Commodore willing to just hand you their own soldiers?”

The threat in his words was obvious and Usopp could do nothing but exhale deeply while he looked out through the window in Smoker’s office. Down at the training grounds, a group of his soldiers tried futilly to fend off Smoker’s giggling soldiers with a bunch of brooms. “...Do I have a choice, Commodore?”

Smoker grinned. “Nope.”

-----------------

The G-5 Marine Base. Not a place Usopp ever thought he’d have to visit, but when Smoker let himself be stationed out there under the current head, Usopp sort of just followed along. As it turns out, going by that last conversation they’d had in Smoker’s office, he had ulterior motives for letting Usopp come along.

Not any bad motives or anything, but ulterior still. And Usopp had thought it was only because Buggy should surely be entering the New World soon enough.

At least Vice-Admiral Vergo was nice enough to let Smoker have his own soldiers.

...Smoker was right, all things considered. Despite how Usopp felt, he wasn’t a small-fish anymore. That idea was cast aside when he decided to pursue Buggy. But even so… He couldn’t dismiss how he felt in his heart. He was still the regular old Usopp, going around in his regular old caravan with his regular old crew.

But he wasn’t just a regular old marine anymore. He could feel it in his bones, in his flesh. Smoker had taught him well. In a fight, he wouldn’t just drag him down.

...Buggy was also strong. Usopp shivered thinking of the sword-throwing warlord. After they let them escape back in Alabasta, Buggy just kept growing stronger, his fleet growing in size right alongside his ballooning bounty. Still, choosing to let him go had been their best decision by far. The whole “Buggy pirates” debacle had barely been a footnote in what happened after it.

After all was said and done, Usopp got most of the credit, not just for making a sound strategic decision, but also for defeating the dethroned shichibukai Crocodile.

They’d let him go a year or so ago when his involvement in the fall of Alabasta’s royal house, but he hadn’t left just because of that. He’d stayed alright, nestled deep inside the island’s affairs like a malignant tumour. Seeing sand and smoke crash together in such a way still made Usopp’s hair stand on end. For some reason though, Smoker didn’t get the credit for his defeat.

Usopp did. He figured out Crocodile’s weakness, he succeeded in soaking the rogue pirate, and he did the knock-out hit.

But that was long ago. Not much had happened since. Usopp had trained like crazy, to be sure, but he hadn’t met Buggy. Or-, er, he hadn’t battled the Buggy Pirates. That’s it. Right there. Usopp coughed in his hand, hoping no passing recruit heard his uncouth thoughts. There was nobody in the scrubbed-white hallway leading down to the training grounds, so it seemed like nobody heard him. Good.

Usopp sped up his pace a little. He needed a good work-out to get his mind off of the red-nosed brute plaguing his hear-, err, mind.

“Hey!” Usopp called out to the assorted G-5 soldiers on the training grounds tormenting his very own soldiers. Two dozen eyes turned to him. “Whoever defeats me gets a promotion!” An exchange of glances were made. Swords and guns and bludgeons were picked up off the ground. Usopp’s soldiers, now tied above a heap of firewood, whimpered.

“Like, all at once, Commander?” one of them asked, a bloodthirsty grin already spread across his face.

Usopp smiled back. “Just you try it. If you can!”

Only a few marines hesitated to attack their superior. The ones that didn’t were more foolish, perhaps believing the younger man (only 19 still) to be an easy promotion, practically threw themselves at him. None, bar his own soldiers, even noticed him grabbing his slingshot.

In the next moment, all attackers were on the ground, painfully grabbing at their foreheads.

“Grraghh, wh-, what’d ya do?!” one of the braver G-5 marines exclaimed, squirming on the ground.

Usopp grinned, and only now could they see the weapon of his choice. “Come on, give me a fight!” Usopp said with a laugh. The marines present, none too hurt to continue battle, all took to their weapons, ready for a second round. They charged, weapons raised high, shouting about friendship or love or something else that Usopp didn’t care to listen to.

Their charge was stopped dead when a certain soldier got a fist to the face.

And promptly went flying.

The marines’ gazes went soaring along with their fallen comrade, and when they looked back at Usopp… He was gone.

“Looking for someone?”

The marine addressed turned his head to look at whomever had dressed him. “Huh-,”

And got a fist to the face too.

“Consider this a handicap!” Usopp slugged another poor marine into oblivion. “If I used my slingshot,” a kick sent a bucket-wearing marine flying, “-you’d all be dead!” Even though he said that, none of the marines present, Usopp’s own men included, could honestly believe Usopp was doing anything but going all-out. He was quick and agile as a monkey, but he hit like a gorilla. The last thing they saw was a fluttering white coat and a pair of livid, glittering eyes.

Less than three minutes later, and all the marines were on the floor. A thin sheen of sweat covered Usopp’s forehead, but otherwise, he was pretty much unharmed.

“Great goi-,”

“Good work, Commander Usopp. May I know if there was a reason for you to attack my subordinates?” Vice-Admiral Vergo asked, crossing his arms.

In that moment, Usopp only swivelled around and saluted Vergo on pure instinct. In every other way, his mind was a total blank. Heart pounding, breath hitching, he tried as best he could to keep a blank expression. “V-, Vice-Admiral Vergo, sir!”

Vergo nodded, the plate of spaghetti stuck to his face wiggling. “Commander, may I have an answer?”

“Y-, yessir, I-, well, I really just… It was just a friendly spar!” Usopp said, simultaneously kicking the nearest marine. “I-, isn’t that right, men?!”

A mumbled chorus of “yeah” and “urgh” and “oww oof ouch my bones” resounded.

Vergo scratched his chin. “-Glad you’re keeping them in shape, Commander. Try not to break any major cartilage.”

Usopp nodded. “Um, sir? Did you perhaps eat spaghetti today?...”

“Yes, I did,” Vergo’s eyes narrowed slightly under his sunglasses, “how’d you know?”

“...Just a hunch, sir.”

Vergo waved his hand dismissively. “-No need to call me sir, Commander. You’re a guest in this base. No need for the salute, either. You may call me Vergo, if you’ll let me call you by your own name.”

Usopp flinched. “R-, really, sir?! No, wait, Vergo, sir! Sir Vergo. Mr Vergo. Vergo-sama. Argh, Vergo!”

“Yes?”

“Oh, um. Yeah, just-, just call me Usopp, alright?”

Vergo smiled. “Sure thing, Usopp.”

---------

Buggy squinted through the binoculars. A small town and a beat-down but imposing marine base. “-And there’s no alternative?”

Nami shrugged uncaringly. “Nope. It’s this or fishman island.”

Buggy shivered at the mere thought. Yeah, he’d been there once, and e wasn’t going back there anytime soon. What he’d seen in those depths… No way was he repeating that stunt. Still, did they really have to plunder a marine base just to eat? “Y’know, I can go without food for a few more days.”

Nami scoffed. “Hah! Guess you’d rather feed Richie, then!”

Someone on deck scrambled to his feet. “Hey! Richie doesn’t eat humans! Do you, bubby hubby?”

The lion did not, in fact, make eye contact, instead glancing away suspiciously. Mohji gasped, hands clasping over his wide-open mouth. “Richie! You naughty, naughty lion! Is this why the second platoon went miss-”

“No, they were just weaklings,” Cabaji said, tossing a few swords in the air.

At this point, Buggy decided to stop listening.

Buggy turned back to Nami, brows furrowed. “Where the hell did our riches go, then?? We’ve plundered like two dozen ships and five islands just in the last month!”

“Um.” Nami glanced away. Before Buggy could ask her what the hell she did, she instead looked out over the waters, over at the impressive marine base. “Wooooowww it’d sure be cool if you plundered a marine base! Those things are, like, super secure!”

An arrogant smile found its way onto Buggy’s lips. “Heh, yeah, I guess it would-, HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE WHERE DID OUR MONEY GO!?!”

Nami smiled innocently. “Aha. Ahahahaha, I’ve got a map to draw!” And in the next moment, she was gone. Buggy growled, and looked over at the base. Sure. They could plunder a marine base. But not in the light of day. No, if they were going to do this (if they were going to eat and not starve to death), they’d do it in the shadow of night, while all those crummy marines were asleep.

Marines. Bah, Buggy hated ‘em! And why shouldn’t he? Ever since Alabasta, he’d been forced to specifically maneuver his fleet so as to not bump into that obnoxious brat!

Eh? Sink Usopp’s ship?

...No. No way. Not an option.

Buggy scratched his chin.

After all, uh… Hmm… if he sunk him, they’d just send another ship-?

Yeah, yeah! If he sunk the low-ranked greenhorn, the guys up top would realize he truly was a force to be reckoned with, and, in turn, they’d send someone stronger! Someone who was actually competent and strong and boring and dull and no fun to talk and drink to.

…

Buggy slapped himself.

“B-, Buggy-sama! Is everything alright?” some random colourful miscreant asked.

“Uh? Ah, yeah. Um. Gather our strongest soldiers, we invade at moonrise!”

Chapter Text

Usopp couldn’t sleep.

Really, he’d never been much good at sleeping. Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind would fill with vivid stories and ideas about pirates and knights in shining armour and dragons and sea-beasts and whatever his boyish mind could come up with. As he grew older, his nightly thoughts took a turn for the practical. Instead of imagining stories, the young marine would think up new weapons, ways to improve his damage output, combat strategies. Anything to get him ahead of his physically superior peers.

He usually forgot his nightly thoughts the day after though, so it didn’t really matter.

In times of stress or excitement, these habits only grew more severe. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, head stuffed full of wooly ideas he just had to get out there. Sometimes he’d write it out, sometimes he’d draw a scribble, and sometimes he just went straight for the workshop.

Tonight was not that kind of night. Tonight, his reason for walking through the sparsely lit halls were not because his head was jammed full of unneeded thoughts, but rather a complete lack of them.

His head felt empty, a gaping cavity. He was awake, but he sure didn’t feel like it.

He let his legs carry him, wearing his seagull-patterned PJ and matching nightcap, Justice coat draped haphazardly over his shoulders, pillow secured safely under his right armpit. Really, he didn't know where he was going, but moving seemed like a neato idea right now.

“Ah, Commander Usopp!” someone called out. Usopp glanced at the meek Chore-Boy mopping the floor. At this hour. “S-, sir, you oughtn't be up at this hour!” The young boy looked Usopp up and down. “-And without socks, too! You’ll catch a cold!”

“Mnghnnaaaahh, I’m fine,” Usopp slurred, making a conscious effort not to slip on the wet floor.

The Chore-Boy drew his lips into a thin line. “Well, um, if you say so, sir… Just try to get in bed on time, okay?”

“Yeh yeh.” Usopp nodded, barely noticed how the Chore-Boy waved him goodbye, and continued dragging his body through the marine base like a famished zombie. Had he been in a sounder frame of mind, he might have noticed how it was pretty disrespectful of the lowest ranking marine not to salute him, but hell if he cared. Kids will be kids, can’t expect them to respect their elders right away.

Let’s see what we can find in the kitchen.

Usopp turned a corner, squinted into the pitch-black corridor, and swore he could see something moving. “-Hm?”

Silence. And then…

“Groaaaaann,” someone’s stomach growled.

-------

Of all people. Of all fucking people-,,

Yup, Buggy would regret this forever. Not that he didn’t already regret his entire life. Being a pirate was… It just never ended, did it? Can’t go one day without meeting a familiar face that also wants to kill you.

Maybe they were lucky it was this greenhorn? They could probably silence him before he was able to scream for an actual threat to pop up.

(What Buggy didn’t know at this moment was that Usopp was the third highest-ranking officer in the entire building.)

“Um, uh, hello-?” the sleep-deprived greenhorn croaked. His voice was about as hoarse as one can expect going by the dark rings around his eyes. The time was 02:00. According to Nami, only the odd patrol or Chore-Boy should be up and about, but it seems Usopp defied such expectations.

Buggy cast a glance at his handful of specifically chosen crewmates. He couldn’t bring everybody (and Nami obviously wouldn’t volunteer to join), so his only members were Cabaji, Mohji and Richie. The lion, that is. He knew he could trust him.

...With a gaggle of hens like this, Buggy had no choice but to do this himself. He was the fastest, anyways.

With no warning whatsoever, Buggy dislodged his upper body and threw himself at the half-awake marine, knives at the ready. “BWAHAHAHA PREPA-,”

The second he got within range to Usopp, he got slugged in the face.

The pirate captain went crashing into the wall, feeling it crack under the sheer force of the hit. He gasped at the sudden strike, knocked so hard that he couldn’t even tell what had happened.

“Huh? Uh!” Usopp exclaimed, glancing between his closed fist and Buggy, tired eyes widening at the realization. “B-, Buggy?! The hell are you doing here??” As it seems, Usopp himself had no idea he’d even hit the pirate. It was entirely on instinct.

“Gg-, gh,” Buggy groaned, crumpling to the floor like a used tissue. “Y-, y-, you--,, g-, green… horn-,,”

Usopp ran up to where Buggy laid, dropping his pillow to the floor. It clattered oddly. “H-, hey! Keep it together, man! It wasn’t that hard!” This was probably meant as a reassuring gesture, but to Buggy, it sounded more like an insult. No way that wasn’t a hard hit. That was a damn sledgehammer of a punch!

“You-, you bastard-,,” Buggy said, his voice nasal and odd after the punch. Usopp tried to grab his hand to pull him up, but Buggy slapped away his hand. “-Don’t touch me, pipsqueak! The hell is wrong with you?!”

“Hey, you’re the one who went flying at me! How was I supposed to react?!”

“Maybe, y’know, NOT by punching!?” Buggy retorted, flying up from where he’d been sitting.

Usopp stared at some defined point beneath Buggy’s eyes. Namely, his nose. “Um, dude, you’re bleeding. Are you oka-, no, wait, that’s your real nose?!”

“WHAT’S THAT ABOUT RED NOSE?!” Buggy screamed, jabbing a knife in Usopp’s general direction. “Like you can say anything, long-nose!”

“I didn’t-, hey! What’s that, you no-good-,”

A lion stepped between them before things got any more physical. “Roar. Roar roar roar,” Richie said in a deep, philosophical voice.

“”SHUT UP!”” both captains roared, two fists flying at Richie all at once.

“Garouuuuu~” Richie said, falling to the floor in a most dramatic fashion.

“Richie!” Mohji said in the most heart-broken voice Buggy had ever heard, stumbling up to the defeated lion to fall on his knees beside him. Without even so much as a glance to the people looking at him, he cradled the struck lion in his arms, sobbing profusely. “Whyyyyyyy!”

“Why NOT, idiot?!” Buggy said, slamming his fist into Mohji as well, who gave a whimper and collapsed into Richie’s paws.

“Garou!?”

Usopp couldn’t bear it any longer. “That’s it-, I’m calling the night-guards.” With that, the sleep-deprived Commander spun on his heel, and headed towards some part of the complex facility where he might find a subordinate or two to inform Smoker or Vice-Ad-, err, Vergo of the situation. “Guards!”

“H-, hold on!” Buggy said, running up to Usopp from behind. “We can talk this over! I’ll just-, wait, why the hell am I trying to suck up to a greenhorn?! Cabaji, Mohji! Sic’ ‘im!”

Both men practically threw themselves at Usopp, Mohji summoning Richie to do his bidding while Cabaji simply grabbed his swords.

One second Usopp, drowsy and only half-awake, was walking through the halls, and the next, he had a sword at his throat and a lion ready to bite his head off. Great. Usopp sighed deeply, one of those soul-deep sighs you can only bring out at 2 am. “Be careful where you point that thing, pirate.”

If Usopp hadn’t been this tired, if the time hadn’t been two in the morning, if he hadn’t been just about ready to pass out at any moment, he might have handled this with more tact.

However, that was not the case.

So, when Cabaji made no attempts to remove his sword, Usopp acted rashly.

Not that Cabaji himself noticed it, that is. No, one moment he was holding a sword to the throat of a man he considered barely bigger than a small fry, and the next… his sword was fractured into a thousand shards which all fell to the floor with a metalling crash. “-Huh-?”

Before Cabaji could even realize what had happened, he was struck in the face by something hard. Real hard. He crashed to the floor, his clothes and skin ripping as they came into contact with the discarded shards of his former sword. It felt like he’d been hit by a damn cannonball! Something warm and wet flowed down his face, and he realized his nose was probably broken.

He looked up at Usopp, the pain assaulting his face almost making him black out. What the hell had he-,

Oh. It wasn’t just a metaphor, Usopp had literally hit him with a cannonball.

What.

How the hell-, no, forget the semantics, how was Usopp even strong enough to lift a cannonball in one hand?? And then hit him with it???

Silence overtook the hallway as Buggy and his small band of pirates tried to understand what the hell was happening.

“Gygh!” Richie whined, tail flashing to move beneath his stomach, and turned tail.

“Oh no you don’t-,” Usopp slurred, and Richie only barely got twenty feet down the hall before a cannonball flew past Buggy and Mohji and hit the lion in the head. The large cat collapsed on the spot. “Gotcha!”

This is the moment where Mohji should have run up to Richie, cradled his body and cried. However, that did not happen, because at that very moment, Mohji was overtaken by fear. Usopp had just thrown a cannonball. Thrown it. A ball of iron. Lobbed through the hall. Like it was a damn tennis ball.

In other words, Mohji chose not to stop and help his ally, and instead fucking booked it for the exit.

Hell no. Hell no, hell fucking-,

“Ohnoyoudon’t-,”

And that was the last thing Mohji heard before he got a cannonball to the back of the head and promptly went unconscious.

Buggy simply stared. Snorted. Turned back to the almost-asleep Usopp.

And chose not to run.

Maybe he was simply clever enough to know that running was no longer an option, maybe he understood that being arrested was preferable to having his skull cracked, maybe he hoped Usopp would pass out on his feet if he just didn’t do anything… Maybe it was all of it. Or none of it. “Um.”

Usopp turned a tired, unfocused eye to Buggy. “Yeah?”

“Where, uh, where’d you get the cannonballs from?”

Usopp paused for a moment. Removed his coat. Checked the pockets. “...Nothing.” Checked the pockets on his PJ’s. “Nothing…” A lightbulb went off in his head. “-Oh!” He leaned down, grabbed the pillow off of the floor, and Buggy only now noticed that it had a rather… strange shape.

Usopp opened up the pillow. It was filled with cannonballs. “Look.” Usopp smiled. “Good for your back.” Usopp turned to look at Buggy, confusion painting every facet of his face. “-And, invading pirates…”

Buggy threw up his hands in surrender before Usopp could toss any cannonballs at him. “H-, hold up. One second. Um.” Usopp stopped, hand half-reaching into the pillow. “How about, instead of cracking my skull, uh…” Buggy took a cautious step closer to Usopp. “-You just, y’know, let me go?”

Usopp squinted. “Why the heck would I do that?”

“Well, you know, heh, uh,” Buggy’s mind went blank at this very moment. The best thing to do in this kind of moment was to bribe the shit out of the marine using whatever they loved, but Buggy had no idea what Usopp liked. None whatsoever. He seemed like he needed a nap, but he could just get one after he arrested Buggy.

So, what else did Buggy know Usopp liked? The first time they met, he didn’t seem interested in anything in particular, in Alabasta he got a juice to drink, in Logue Town… Ah!

“How about… we have a drink together?” In this moment, he meant “drink together” as in “I’ll buy you a drink and we’ll be fine”, but he didn’t understand the implications Usopp understood.

A blush spread evenly over Usopp’s cheeks. “A-, a drink? Together?...”

Focus on the together, not the drink.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll buy you, like, the best rum the New World has to offer!” Focus on the drink.

Usopp would take it. “Y-, yeah, I’d like that. I’d like that very much,” Usopp said, putting down the pillow. He could always grab it later. In his sleep-deprived state of mind, he forgot all about his duties as a marine. That could wait, right? He could just arrest them all later! After he’d had a drink, that is.

With Buggy.

Usopp smiled to himself.

Buggy, cautious beyond words, slowly stepped closer to Usopp, a tad bit more confident now that he knew he’d successfully fooled Usopp. His eyes grazed Usopp’s slim body. Dressed in nothing but poofy PJ’s and a Justice coat, it was hard to tell he was anything but a 19-year-old kid.

Buggy pursed his lips. Yeah, something here was off. Usopp was a greenhorn. A weak greenhorn Buggy had no problems soundly defeating the last time they met (paraphrased from Buggys own mind; their tie in Alabasta has been activly repressed), so the idea that Usopp would suddenly become powerfull enough to toss around canonballs as if they were nothing…

There was something afoot.

At first, Buggy surmised it might have something to do with Usopp himself. It might be some sort of devil fruit ability, allowing him to easily lift heavy stuff or something. But that didn’t sit right either. Buggy had always felt like he was good at spotting fellow users, and Usopp certainly wasn’t anything like that.

Then… the cannonballs?

Yes, of course! Usopp, as stupid as he is, does seem like the crafty type! Of course he’d manufacture some sort of magic cannonball that was easy to lift and throw but still hit hard! Why, Buggy even felt a bit like a genius himself for realizing the fact of the matter.

Then, all Buggy had to do to gain the upper hand was to rob Usopp of his weapon. His salvation.

Buggy cackled.

“Hm? Everything alright, Buggy?”

“Oh, yes, everything is quite alright. Very alright, even!” Seeing Usopp transform into a question-mark almost made Buggy’s night. “You thought you could fool ME? The great captain Buggy-sama??”

“-Huh? Whatcha talkin’-,”

“-But you failed to consider my likewise magnificent genius!”

While Usopp watched, too confused to act, Buggy threw himself at the pillow, preparing to lift it off the ground as if it were a bag of apples, “just watch this, you foolish greenhorn! I’ll pelt you into the dust with your own weapon, you-”

-Hm? It was… it was heavy? “W-, wait, what the h-,”

“Buggy?” his voice was as chilly as frozen steel, “what are you trying to do?”

“Uh, uh, um,”

Buggy threw himself off of the ground, brandished his knives, shouted “en garde!” and then a fist collided with his face and made him pass out on the spot.

Chapter Text

Usopp mulled over the scene laid out before him. He’d already knocked Cabaji out as well, not to mention collecting his cannonballs, so all he was left with was the matter of the actual pirates.

There were only four of them, but… Considering that Buggy was known to command a fleet of six battleships in the Grand Line and another two in East Blue, thinking that he came here alone would be more foolish than anything. So, his best course of action would be to call for a guard, report to Vice-, Vergo and Smoker himself, inform them of the situation and prepare for an all-out war.

That was the best course of action. For a marine.

…

Instead, Usopp bent down low beside Buggy’s passed-out body. He’d fallen on his chest, meaning that his elegant, ornate cape covered his body almost like a blanket.

Usopp grabbed a light hold of Buggy’s face and leaned it just a little so that he could get a proper look at it. Mature. Angled. Hidden by a firm layer of make-up. Usopp wanted to scrape it all off, to get a look at the man underneath. The real man. The real Buggy.

But he couldn’t do it here. Not now. Not with Buggy in this situation.

Not without knowing it’s what he wanted.

Usopp shook his head and stood up. Buggy’s followers could be handled by anybody, but… But he had to take Buggy himself. Buggy was strong. This was just-, just an accident! In reality, in any situation but this one, Usopp might be lucky to get even a single hit on the exalted captain! Right, right.

Buggy wasn’t weak. Wasn’t now, wasn’t ever.

Usopp leaned back down, squatted, and grabbed a hold of Buggy. When the clown captain groaned in response to the touch, Usopp almost dropped him. But he pulled himself together alright, and slugged the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The best way to carry criminal scum like him. He could leave the rest to some unfortunate Recruit or-,

“S-, sir!?” -Or a Chore-Boy.

“Uh, um, Boy!” Usopp said, unsure of how to address the younger man.

The Chore-Boy stumbled back at his mention. “Y-, yessir?”

“WIll you, like, inform someone that we’re probably about to be attacked by the Buggy pirates?”

“Th-, The Buggy Pirates!?!” the Chore-Boy exclaimed, clutching his mop ever closer. “As-, as in the pirates led by the great captain Buggy-sama, worth 185 000 000 beris!?”

“Well, um, yeah. Would you? I’ll carry him to the cells or something, I dunno. Just make sure Vergo knows, yeah?”

The Chore-Boy nodded, and with that all said and done, Usopp wandered off.

...Buggy was light. Usopp had really expected the man to weigh like a horse, but not so. If anything, he was slightly lighter than the regular person. It made Usopp think of him as a little bit less than he maybe should have. Like a regular person, instead of an unreachable dream.

When he then found himself at the docks, he wasn’t exactly sure why he’d gone there instead of the cells down low.

...Oh well. Might as well get him into the single cellar on the Merry. Didn’t hurt, did it?

They’d have to bring them to Impel Down anywa-,

Usopp stopped dead in his tracks.

On his shoulder, Buggy shifted and groaned before slipping back into unconsciousness. Usopp glanced up at him, his eyes going soft.

Impel Down…

Somehow, Usopp couldn’t see Buggy in there. He couldn’t imagine the boisterous captain in those depths, rotting away for months or years only to be executed like a common criminal. He couldn’t imagine that bright smile fading away, corroded by despair and suffrage. Couldn’t see himself bringing him there. Letting such a fate occur to him.

It felt… wrong. Bittersweet.

Had Usopp won? Well, yes. Technically. The one unconscious here was Buggy, not Usopp. And still, it hadn’t felt like a true win.

Usopp sighed and stepped onto the wooden walkboard and aboard the deck of the Merry. He went through the doorway, down the stairs to the cell, made sure not to bump Buggy’s head into anything, and… And there he was. Buggy was in his cell. Lying on the little bunk-bed, sleeping as soundly as anybody ever slept.

Usopp smiled, and walked back out, making sure to lock the cell before he left.

-------

When Vergo found Usopp, he was in a state of self-induced coma, spread-eagle in the lobby.

“...Usopp.”

The Commander didn’t answer. Better get to the heart of the matter, then.

“Usopp. Buggy has escaped.”

“H-, hugyck!?” Usopp practically threw himself into a standing position, right arm instinctually raised in a salute. “H-, he wHat?!”

Vergo crossed his arms. He didn’t seem angry or anything. “Smoker told me to find you, said you’d be the man for the job.”

Usopp went silent for a moment. “Um, uh, what job-?”

Vergo pointed at the ceiling. “-He’s on the roof.”

“He’s what,” Usopp deadpanned. Vergo didn’t even reply, and simply pointed towards the stairs. Usopp got the hint and simply ran. Half a year ago, these stairs might have posed some sort of trouble for him, but no longer. Now, all he could think about was Buggy. Hadn’t he put him in the cell? How the hell did he-,

Oh, right. Buggy can slice himself into small pieces. The cell had bars.

Usopp didn’t put him in seastone cuffs.

With that thought, Usopp cursed under his breath as he threw himself up the fifth flight of stairs. What time was it even? He could barely even remember capturing Usopp. Maybe Buggy broke a leg or something? Maybe that was how Usopp was able to beat him? Very possible.

The stairs ended in an open door which Usopp burst through.

“Hey! Hey!! Grand fleet, talk to me!!”

He was on the roof alright. “-Buggy!”

“Huh? Argh, you!” Buggy said, swivelling around to face Usopp. Behind him, out on the ocean, three large ships, seemingly themed after a circus, all stood side-by-side, ready to attack. “I’m trying to rally my troops, leave me alone!”

Usopp was almost too tired to reply. Almost. “I won’t leave without you! In-, in handcuffs, that is!”

Buggy seemed stunned. “That is-, THE most clichéd thing I’ve ever heard. Seriously? I’m not letting you arrest me!” Usopp could only watch as Buggy did that thing where he separated his entire body into two dozen slices. “Just you try it! Here on the roof, I can spread as wide as I’d like!” Buggy grinned. “ONE order from me and this marine base goes flying!”

That’s it. That’s what Usopp needed to hear. He drew his slingshot.

Buggy stared at him as if he’d pulled out his phallic. “Greenhorn. What. I’ve seen you sling around cannonballs, and-, and you’re going to fight me with a children's toy??”

Usopp was just about to warrant Buggy with an answer when he noticed something.

He quickly sidestepped, and not a moment later, a cannonball whizzed by, luckily missing Usopp but still flying into another one of the marine-towers. He had to finnish this quickly.

“W-, whoa. Uh, that was-, I didn’t ask for that, but… HELL YEAH!!”

-The longer Buggy was on the loose, the more damage he did.

While Usopp fumbled with his slingshot, Buggy reached high into the sky, bodyparts circling each other haphazardly, making non-verbal signs for his crew to attack. “Come on, come on…”

Usopp pulled back on the elastic band of his slingshot.

Buggy grinned at his fleet, believing he had already won.

Usopp aimed, and…

“Hah, watch-,”

The very next second, something hit Buggy. Compared to the ball bearings, hell, compared to a fucking cannonball it was nothing, but… It lodged itself inside Buggy’s shoulder, like a little sharp rock. “What the hell-,”

And then, all strength Buggy previously had was drained out of him. Every part of his flying body fell to the floor, limp and unmoving. “Wh-, what-,”

Usopp stepped up to him, standing tall over his dismembered head. “-Special shot: Seastone Fang. You won’t be able to move for a good while. At least, not while the seastone is still in your system.”

Buggy writhed on the floor, caught between exhaustion and misery. He tried to say something, but weakness grasped and crushed his meagre attempt.

Without another word, Usopp leaned down, grabbed Buggy’s dislodged head, and held him up high. High enough for the ships to see. “-Behold! Your captain!”

Silence.

------

“N-, Nami, what do we do??” Haccan asked, biting nervously at all 35 of his nails at once. This was just-, they had captain Buggy! His head, too!! “Nyuu, should we escape?”

Nami tapped her foot impatiently, her expression strained. “I don’t know. He isn’t necessarily dead, but-, but…” she clicked her tongue, “he’s been captured alright. We’ve got no choice! Without him, we’re nothing!”

The three ships present grew silent as Nami grabbed a megaphone in order to communicate with the lot of them. Her message was simple. “-CHARGE!!”

And charge they did.

It was a stupid move, really. Most other crews would’ve left their captain to rot. But not the Buggy pirates. No, these fanatics had no other place to go but to throw their bodies at the heavily armed marine base in the hopes that they might win.

In the end, not only did they lose, but they did so with great losses. One of the ships had been sunk, and Nami estimated off the top of her head that at least 120 men had died.

Along with the loss of Buggy himself and his officer men, this was not an easy loss to take.

Nami, for all her talents in commanding stupid leaders, was no leader herself. She simply didn’t have that ability to make hundreds of people stick together through thick and thin. Not like Buggy. He had that talent. That inherent skill that made people want to follow him, protect him.

She was barely even able to drag the relentless pirates away from the G-5 marine base. But if she hadn’t, none of them would have made it out alive.

But they didn’t have Buggy.

And without him, they were nothing.

Chapter Text

When Buggy woke up, he was alone.

His body felt heavy, rigid, bound to the earth with shackles of stone. No, wait, seastone. The heavy cuffs clinked just from moving slightly, and Buggy could already tell this would become annoying in a few minutes. Apart from that, his pockets were also a bit light…

Touching them ensured that he had, indeed, been plundered of all personal belongings. Shit.

They even took his hat! The bastards!

Buggy grumbled and sat himself down, peering about his new quarters. He could remember seeing it some time ago when he briefly escaped, but with these shackles, that wasn’t happening anytime soon. The cell itself wasn’t that bad. The bunk bed had a thin mattress and a single blanket neatly folded atop it, there was a round window through which he could see out into the sea, and that was about it.

Buggy himself was dressed almost exactly the same as before he’d been arrested. He didn’t have shoes (for some reason?), and both his hat and coat had been confiscated.

At least they didn’t stink him in one of those dreary black-and-white striped pajamas those inmates in Impel Down had to wear.

...Oh, right.

That’s where he was going, wasn’t it?...

A peculiar form of panic settled snugly in Buggy’s stomach.

Memories he didn’t care for rose to the occasion. (He didn’t even say goodbye. Buggy couldn’t remember if he told him about his plan or not. He hadn’t been old yet. He didn’t know the seas, didn’t know anything. His first captain, executed. Loathed. A sick man dying the only way he could.)

Buggy stood up, and tried to breathe. His chest felt tight. Tight and compressed. Like he was a hundred feet below the surface, choking on salty water and salty tears and salty regrets.

His eyes fell on a plate placed by the locked door to the cell. It hardly seemed warm, but…

Buggy hadn’t had actual, real food in days.

He sat down, dug in, and tried not to think too hard.

He wouldn’t die here. Not now. He wouldn’t walk the same road as Roger.

He’d live. No matter the cost.

-------

Every day, at three specific times, one of three boys would come down with a hot plate of food. One came in the morning with breakfast, one came at noon with lunch, and one came in the evenings with dinner. They never said a word and he never caught their names, but he affectionately dubbed them Carrot, Pepper and Onion.

Why the odd names? Well, apart from the fact that they were mute like their namesake vegetables, they had all the hairstyles of them.

Kinda odd, but that was okay.

The first day, he’d just tried to get them to talk. They didn’t, but at least they seemed somewhat conflicted about it. As the days went by, they slowly became more accustomed to their silence. Buggy could tell, and he hated it. Hated being ignored.

It was the third day. “So, uh, when can I talk to the captain of this ship?”

The purple-haired kid, bangs covering his eyes, didn’t respond.

“-It’s that greenhorn, right?”

The young marine twitched slightly, but remained silent.

“It is! Look, just-, just tell him to come down here, and we can talk. I just want to talk to him.” Buggy inched closer to the bars, trying his very best to make puppy-eyes at the youngster. “Seriously. If-, if you do, I’ll give you more beris than you can possibly use! A million, no, TWO million, all yours!”

It was a stupid plan, probably the stupidest he’d had in a good time, but it was the only one he had. And if he didn’t have confidence in it, he might as well let himself be dragged down to Impel Down. It was simple, really. If he remembered correctly (he’d been barely even a teenager at the time), that persistent Garp marine had hardly been happy to drag Roger down to Hell. If anything, he found it just as tough as it was for the older members of the Roger pirates to accept.

In other words, if the marine trying to bring you down actually knows you… they might not want to bring you to the execution block at all.

He just had to talk to him. Carrot put down the lunch, turned away from the cell, and left.

Another day gone by, another failure.

Buggy ate. He ate, and he slept, and he bargained.

--------

He had no escape.

Three times a day, he’d ask an increasingly indifferent marine to let him speak to somebody, anybody, and every time, they simply walked away. He stopped asking to speak to their captain. Stopped asking to speak to the greenhorn. Stopped asking for them to say something.

Stopped speaking. He accepted the food, ate it, and went back to staring out the window.

He’d never been the imaginative type.

He could plan, he could scheme, but when he looked at the waves, he could never imagine another world, full of fantastic things that couldn’t possibly exist. He couldn’t think of a different life. Such thoughts didn’t come easy to him, but now, he forced them. When the waves grew high, he forced himself to think of his ship, of the Big Top and of Mohji and Nami and Cabaji and Alvida and Gin and Chuu and all of them.

They were probably doing well. He hadn’t been much of a leader anyways. All he did was sit on a throne and bark orders.

Without him, they were much better off. Without him, they could avoid this fate.

As Buggy stared out the window, watching the dark clouds swirling above, he heard the door open. Paprika entered. Of the three youngsters, he seemed like the strongest, physically speaking, that is. Buggy didn’t move. Didn’t say a word. Not when Paprika entered, not when he placed the hot food on the floor, and especially not when Paprika picked up the still-full plate he’d gotten from Carrot and left.

Buggy didn’t eat anymore. It wasn’t worth it. Everything tasted the same. Like wet newspapers. Pulp.

Buggy scoffed. His lips drew into a colourless, blank smile.

Worst of all, he didn’t even feel hungry.

------

“Commodore Usopp.”

Usopp glanced up from where he’d been reading the paper. “-That isn’t official yet. I’m still just a Commander.” His tired eyes surveyed Paprika where he stood, saluting and… frowning. Not a good sign. “Everything alright, Apprentice Paprika?”

Paprika smiled wryly. “Well, Commo-, erm, Commander Usopp, it’s about… Buggy the Clown.”

Usopp’s eyes narrowed. “What about him, Apprentice?”

“I’ll get straight to the point, Commander. He hasn’t said anything in a while. I know you told us not to speak to him and not to listen to him, and I’m sure you had good reason, but… He isn’t even asking for you anymore. Or trying to speak with us. Or eating, at all. Pirates are scum, I agree, but seeing him waste away like this, I… I can barely stand it.”

“Are you defying my orders, Apprentice?” Usopp asked, a sharp edge to his voice making Paprika’s hair strand on edge. He swallowed hard, and stared into Usopp’s large, dark eyes.

“-I am.” His voice didn’t even waver. “This is no way to treat a man.”

Usopp bit his lip and looked away. Out over the seas. “You don’t know what you’re-,”

“Usopp.”

The commander’s head whipped around at the casual greeting. “You-,”

“You can dismiss me if you want, you’ve got that kind of command. Even so, if you don’t do something, change your orders, I’m assured that Buggy the Clown won’t make it another week.” It was true. Paprika was entirely correct, and if anybody knew it, it was Usopp.

He hadn’t visited Buggy once. He’d helped his underlings to carry Buggy into his little cell, helped them put all the body parts into place, and then he’d given Buggy one last look and walked away.

Usopp ground his teeth. “-You’re dismissed.”

“Yessir.” Paprika gave a mocking salute, and left.

------

Usopp didn’t eat dinner.

He watched Onion ready up a plate of the sea-king stew, and when Onion left for the cell, Usopp followed at a distance. He’d always been good at sneaking. It came to him more naturally than fighting did.

He followed Onion rather closely, that is, until Onion reached the door heading downstairs to the cells. Hiding behind the mast, Usopp watched Onion pull the door open and enter. In a flash of movement, Usopp dashed for the door, pressing his ear up against it the moment it closed. At first, he just heard footsteps. Booths rapping against wood. A brief moment of silence. The clatter of cutlery.

Silence.

Silence.

Someone spoke. Usopp barely recognized him. “...Wadduya want?” It was hoarse. Hoarse and weak and pathetic. It was absolutely hopeless, barely an echo of the Buggy Usopp knew. Usopp felt his heart sink like a hammer. His blood ran cold. He wanted to rip his ear from the door, but he couldn’t.

Silence filled the cell below. “...Just go away.”

Onion did not, in fact, go away. “Please, I… Unless you’re going to say something, just leave me be.”

Another pause.

The silence echoed through Usopp’s heart. “-Are you making fun of me?”

Someone stood up. “If you,” his voice cracked like a broken sob, “if you seriously think I’ll grovel, and-, and bow down to you, ask you to go get your captain, I won’t. You marine bastards are all the same. Sadistic bags of shit who want to uphold your own little petty form of justice. For what? To keep the people of the world safe? Hah!”

Usopp trembled where he stood. Hands balling into fists.

“Sure. Whatever.” He paused for a moment. “-Or do you want me to eat? Prolong my life enough to get to-, to Impel Down? To get executed?”

There was yet another moment of silence before the wooden taps of feet rung out. Usopp threw himself behind the mast before Onion exited, his face tense with barely kept emotion, carrying a plate of cold food. Usopp watched him leave, enter the combined kitchen and dining hall, and left Usopp alone on deck.

For some reason, Usopp felt himself drawn to the door.

He didn’t open it. Something stopped him. Something invisible and strong.

He pressed his ear towards the door. A soft, restrained sob reached his ears. “I-, I need to talk to Usopp…” Buggy whispered to himself. A little reminder of his goal. But it was weak. Weak and almost broken.

Usopp walked away.

He’d wait until nightfall before he did anything.

Chapter Text

Usopp stared, arms crossed and brows knitted.

Buggy was still sleeping. A soft, almost unnoticeable snore filled the cell, less than a breeze. With a nose like that, Usopp had expected him to snore like a rhinoceros, but not so. It might be his situation, what with being arrested and heading to his certain doom and all.

Somehow, knowing he had arrested Buggy and succeeded in his life-goal just didn’t make Usopp any happy. If anything, he felt conflicted.

Seeing Buggy in handcuffs…

Usopp let out a dry, choked laugh.

“-Gh!?” Buggy jerked up and out of bed, tumbling out of it with all the grace of a mermaid in a fishnet, the blanket tying itself around his foot and midsection. “W-, who, what, where??” His voice was tiny and terrified as his wide eyes stared out into the darkness. He knew he wasn’t alone.

Usopp decided not to (literally) keep Buggy in the dark any longer, and turned on a nearby gas-lit lamp.

“...” Buggy didn’t say anything at first. He blinked at the sudden light, dry eyes falling on Usopp. He blinked again. “Y-, you!!”

Usopp felt like running away. “Yeah, me.”

“I-, I-,” Buggy trembled where he laid on the floor, tied up in his one comfort, “the hell are you here for? To behold your prize?? Is that it, greenhorn?!”

Usopp almost felt insulted that that was the thing Buggy thought Usopp wanted. It almost seemed like he was looking down on him. Thinking he saw Buggy as a prize. But he didn’t voice these thoughts. Instead, he simply shook his head. “-No. That isn’t why.”

“Then, why?...” It was an earnest plea. A need to know why his captor would grant him an audience after so long.

Usopp glanced away, back hunching slightly. “I… I don’t know.” Buggy almost burst out laughing, but Usopp continued. “I guess… Just leaving you here to rot didn’t leave a good aftertaste, yknow?”

Buggy scoffed. “The hell do you care? You’re a marine! I’m a pirate! Who gives a shit?”

‘-But you’re so much more than that,’ Usopp thought. But he didn’t say it, partially because he didn’t know what he meant, mostly because he didn’t want Buggy to know. Know what? His emotions? What he thought of the dread pirate? Hah! Like he felt anything apart from rivalry!

Why else would he go to the Grand Line?

What other reason could there possibly be?

Usopp bit his lips, an aggressive flush overtaking his cheeks. “...I do. I give a shit about what happens to you.”

Buggy drew himself into a sitting position.

------

He’d almost forgotten his original plan.

Maybe it wasn’t that he’d forgotten it so much that he’d given up all hope. What Garp and Roger had just wasn’t something that could happen over the course of a few months. Not unless some really strong emotional push was in place. Such as hatred. That would fit pretty well with how Usopp had treated him aboard this little ship.

...But it didn’t really fit with how Usopp treated him whenever they actually met.

No, the only other strong emotion that could lead to this sort of perseverance would be…

“...BWAHAHAHAH!” Buggy guffawed at the mere idea! Usopp? In love? With him??

No, the mere idea was so ridiculous that Buggy, head thrown back and chest seizing in laughter barely noticed how flustered Usopp became at the sight. “Wh-, what’s wrong?”

Buggy grinned to himself. “I just had the stupidest thought. You wouldn’t believe me if I said it, though!”

Usopp plopped down on the floor, arms and legs crossed. “-Oh yeah?”

Buggy stared at him blankly. “No, seriously. You wouldn’t.”

“...Try me,” Usopp said, squinting.

Buggy scoffed. “No way.” No way he was telling a marine he thought he might be in love with him. That might just be on the same level as asking him to drop him in the ocean! Or, even better, toss him into Mariejois to act as serving-plates for the guys up top! “I am not telling you my thoughts. They’re private!”

“Thoughts can’t be private property. Isn’t that the whole point of talking?”

Buggy blushed, something that was all-too-obvious since most of his white make-up had melted off by the second day. “N-, not so! Hey! I have no idea what you mean, but I’m not telling you anything! Not without a lawyer around!”

Usopp grinned smugly. “Pirates can’t have lawyers. And even if they could, I have every right not to hand you one! I’m the master of this ship, and what I say goes!”

Buggy scratched his cheek, actively repressing his urge to snap something back at the youngster. “Y’know, you never did tell me how the hell you got so strong.” From Buggy’s point of view, he’d met Usopp a grand total of four times, and every time he did, the newbie was equally weak. He seemed to increase in rank alright, but that seemed more like cosmetics than anything. Seemed. “What rank are you even? Petty Officer?”

“Hey! I’m a Commodore!” Suddenly, Usopp stopped, glanced away, and frowned sadly. “Or, well, I’ll be in a while. It isn’t official yet, so I’m technically just a Commander.”

“The hell’s a Commodore?” Buggy asked, leaning his head like a confused puppy.

Usopp’s face scrunched up. “-How do you not know what a Commodore is?”

“Look, buddy, I know a grand total of like, uhh… onetwo… Five ranks, and those are chore-boy, petty officer, captain, admiral and vice-admiral. I have no idea what the rest are.” He squinted for a second. “And-, and I only know ‘em cuz they’re the only ones important to my conquest! I’ve no need for lower ranked scum, anyways!”

Usopp sighed, his hands massaging his temples. “Okay, so, um. Will it help if I say a Commodore is above a Captain but below a Vice-Admiral? Does that help?”

“Maybe? I still don’t really care. Are Commodores strong? Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain how you slugged cannonballs around like they were pebbles.

Usopp blushed oddly. “Did-, I-, um, did I do that?” He scratched his cheek, seemingly flustered by the revelation, “I didn’t, uh, do anything weird did I?... I usually don’t throw cannonballs around, I just put them in my pillow. It’s good for your-,”

“-Good for my back, sure, sure. Look, it was impressive! Garp did that too, y’know?”

Usopp flinched at the name. “G-, Garp the Hero? You know him??”

“Heh, more like knew. And, yeah, he’d throw cannonballs at Roger’s ship like it was nothing, and Roger would always hit them back like a ping-ping ball. Really impressive, but I-, w-, wait,” Buggy suddenly realized he might not want a marine knowing he was on the past Pirate-King’s ship, “I-, forget what I just said, yeah?”

Usopp stared at him blankly. “-Forget what?”

“You know what? It’s nothing. I didn’t say anything. Yup.”

“...You’re acting pretty suspiciously, y’know?”

As if he didn’t know that himself. Buggy glared at Usopp before turning away, choosing to lay his eyes on something that wasn’t quite so childish. Knowing he’d been captured by this greenhorn of all fucking people… It almost made him sick. He really just asked for it. Going into a marine base was a stupid move, but even worse was the fact that he pracically encouraged Usopp to come after him.

He didn’t expect anything from him. He didn’t think that some squirt from the weakest sea would actually get strong just to get to him.

He miscalculated, and it’s all this fucking guy’s fault.

“-Buggy, everything alright?” he asked, as if he genuinely cared. Somehow, this annoyed Buggy. It made his mind cloud, teeth grinding in irritation. Scowl creeping onto his face, he turned to Usopp, eyes dark.

“Like you care!” he snapped, fists balling at his sides. “Nothing’s alright! If there’s one fucking constant in my life, it’s that!”

Usopp flinched under the sudden harsh words, bringing Buggy some form of savage, unhappy glee. “You’re just the final straw. Some amalgamation of all my stupid mistakes coming to haunt me.”

“B-, Buggy-,” Usopp said, trembling.

“No. Shut up. You made me loosen up. You always do that, don’t you? Whenever we meet, you just go running your mouth off as if we aren’t locked in some desperate, futile struggle that can only end in death. As if you aren’t taking me to Impel Down. As if you didn’t capture me yourself.”

“I-, I didn’t-,”

“Didn’t what?” Buggy growled. “Didn’t stick me in this cell yourself? Didn’t tell your subjects not to tell me jack shit? Didn’t leave me to rot??”

“I didn’t!” Usopp said, voice desperate. “I didn’t just leave you to rot, I’m here now! I’m right here!”

Buggy scoffed. “Right, that makes up for that. Makes up for cracking the skulls of my dearest friends. Makes up for taking everything I had. Makes up for-,” a tear, unwelcome and intrusive rolled down his cheek, bringing with it the few splotches of white paint still covering his face. “Makes up for… for taking my fucking make-up. Leaving me exposed like this. It’s all I’ve got left, the only damn constant in my life apart from how shit it is.” He wiped at his face, recoiling softly at noticing his hand whitened. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

Usopp gave him a look. A soft, pitying, ashamed look that told Buggy everything he didn’t want to know. Then, he stood up, cape billowing slightly as he left the room.

Left Buggy to wallow in his misery. Another heavy tear fell. He didn’t feel like wiping it away. Didn’t want any more of his little defences rubbed off on his hand. He was such a fucking idiot. Getting this guy to like him enough was his only hope of surviving. And he let his emotions get the better of him. Ran his mouth like it couldn’t lead to his demise. Such a fucking idiot.

This was probably the end. He’d sit here in his little cell, in this little boat and await his little end. Barely a drop in the big sea.

Pathetic. Maybe he was lucky that such an insignificant creature like himself was erased off of the face of the world this easily? Maybe he was lucky he was going to d-,

The door opened with a shy creak, and Usopp returned. Buggy stared as he descended the stairs carefully, his hands filled with… with something Buggy recognized all too well. A small, white case. Filled with all the toiletries Buggy needed to keep up his image.

Usopp placed the case on the floor in front of the cell. When Buggy tried to reach out to grab it, Usopp stopped him. “-No. I brought it to you, but I can’t let you have it. As… as much as I want you to have this, I can’t just hand it over to you.”

Buggy’s face twisted in incomprehension as he slowly retracted his hand. “What? You went out of your way to bring it here just to leave it right outside my cell? You’ve got some damn gall-,”

“No. I just… I won’t let you do it. Yourself, that is.” While Buggy only grew more confused, Usopp glanced away at some undefined spot, cheeks blooming pink flushes. “-According to protocol, we can’t return items to a prisoner, no matter the situation.” Before Buggy could criticize what Usopp said, pointing out how that hardly helped his case, Usopp continued. “-But it doesn’t say anything about using their items ourselves.”

Oh. Ohhh.

“You-, you aren’t saying what I think you are, are you?...”

Usopp popped open the lid of the case. “-I am.”

Buggy kind of wanted to say no. To deny this marine officer use of his make-up, tell him to just leave it all be and go away, but… Buggy couldn’t bring himself to. And it wasn’t just because he couldn’t handle being privately viewed and done up by someone. It was more than that. When he looked at Usopp, into his childish eyes that lacked true knowledge of the world’s hardships, he just couldn’t say no. “-Okay.”

Going by the way Usopp’s eyes lit up, he’d made the right choice. Usopp smiled, and took a glance into the case, only for his smile to instantly falter. “I-, um, how do I-?...”

Buggy’s heart dropped. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.

Buggy pointed at a small box filled with tissues. “Do these ones first.”

“What are these?” Usopp asked, removing one of them. It was wet, and smelled like alcohol.

“It’s a make-up remover. Painting on an already done-up surface is a bad idea, you’ve gotta-” And then Buggy realized what he was allowing. Maybe Usopp didn’t get it, maybe he didn’t understand why this was such a big deal to Buggy, but… He couldn’t remember the last time someone had seen him fully unmasked. Fully bare. Exposed and true.

Usopp was staring. “It, uh, it removes make-up! Heh, just-, just like this…” Usopp didn’t let Buggy grab it.

“Can’t let a prisoner use their items.”

“But-, but!”

“Under any circumstances.”

Buggy growled. “Grr, fine! Whatever. Not like I care about some blind-ass recruit having a go at my face.”

Usopp blushed. “H-, hey! I’m neither blind nor a recruit!”

Buggy glanced back at him. They were both sitting down, Buggy cross-legged and cross-armed, Usopp sitting with his legs folded neatly beneath them. Right. Buggy turned his body to face Usopp fully. The marine could barely get a question out before Buggy scooted closer to the bars until he was practically squished up against them. “Uh-, um,”

And then, he squashed his face up against them. The sides of his face hit two bars, but the rest of it was clear. “Come on. Go at it.”

“Uh, um,” Usopp stammered, his cheeks red and embarrassed at having Buggy’s face so close to his own. “I, um, okay…”

He proceeded to also lean in, but was considerably more hesitant about doing so. His hand, still clutching the make-up remover, reached out, moving closer to Buggy’s face. Buggy flinched slightly when it made contact, but didn’t make any attempt at drawing back. A go-signal Usopp couldn’t ignore.

He let the tissue move over Buggy’s face, wiping off what little white paint was left, revealing colourful skin. There were small blue markings around his eyes, along with a crossed pair of bones over his forehead and eyes. Once Usopp got to these parts, Buggy had to squint his eyes closed to give Usopp the chance to get a proper wipe at them. “Sorry about this…” Usopp mumbled as his other hand reached closer to stretch out Buggy’s slightly wrinkled eyelids. The paint had gotten wedged in between.

Once that paint was out alongside the drawing on his forehead, he just had one part left. Namely, his lips.

Usopp was about to wipe them down when Buggy stopped him, hand raised up. “Hey, dude, switch napkin.”

“Huh? Oh,” Usopp replied absentmindedly, balling the used wipe up while he grabbed another one. Back to the lips. He wanted to wipe them softly and carefully as he had done with the white paint and the eye-decorations, but he quickly realized that doing so would be impossible. The lipstick was of the persistent sort that had to really stick. Usopp grumbled a little apology before he went at it, wiping hard and slowly to really get it out of there. Buggy didn’t even groan in objection.

And when that was done…

Usopp leaned out. And for the first time, he got a look at who Buggy really was.

His skin was light, but still had a clear tan, despite being covered by make-up at all times. His jutting jaw was framed by a pair of blue side-burns, a light stubble covering his chin. Lines around his eyes and mouth proved him to be the kind of man equally prone to bouts of laughter as to enraged scowling. Although his eyes were tired, there was an amused gleam in them, something Usopp couldn’t help but notice had been there all along.

Usopp’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt yet another blush form on his cheeks. He didn’t bother shaking it off.

Buggy pointed at one of the many containers in the little box. “-Next up is foundation. Or, uh, I guess, white paint? It isn’t regular foundation. I-, I’d never use the same kinda stuff some pale bimbo would! I’m a man, damn it, this is just for the sake of my image!”

Usopp nodded as he grabbed it. “‘Course, Buggy.”

His blind trust brought Buggy to silence. He didn’t say a thing. Not when Usopp tried to apply the make-up, not when he applied it wrong, and especially not when he leaned back out, eyes lighting up. “And-, and then, you just go for… Well, there’s a bunch of stuff, but if you’re not very good at drawing you can just draw a couple of blue triangles under my eyes or something, it isn’t very-,”

“Nah, I’ve got it,” Usopp said with a confidence Buggy didn’t like. From what he knew, Usopp was good at two things: being persistent and throwing cannonballs. Not drawing. Buggy was absolutely assured that Usopp was about to draw a bunch of dicks and hairy balls on his face.

“N-, no-, it’s really-,” and he could say no more, for Usopp had already grabbed his black eyeliner (don’t judge him) and drawn something. Right on his forehead.

“Hold still…” Usopp said, but Buggy really didn’t want to. He wanted to retreat to the furthermost part of his cell, but even if he did so, Usopp, as the captain of this ship, surely had a key and could just enter as he pleased. Goddamn it. All he could do was hold still, face pressed against the bars, hoping none of his subjects would ever try to visit him in Impel Down. “-And there!”

With such a bright smile, Buggy had almost hoped that Usopp had drawn something nice. Like a bird. Buggy liked birds. They minded their own business.

Buggy wanted to cry, but if he did, he might never look proper again. “Yeah, looks great, sure.”

Usopp leaned back, hand rubbing the back of his head and his lips twisted into a goofy grin. “Aww, gee, shucks, thanks, Buggy!”

“Okay, right. Lastly, there’s the lipstick. Just take the red one and we’ll be fine.”

Usopp turned back to the box, hand floating above the five or so different lipsticks, and… didn’t grab any of them. “Um, Buggy?” Buggy peeked an eye open. “Is it alright if I use the pink one? It, um… it fits the composition better.”

“...Sure.” At this point, Buggy was about ready to accept anything.

...Though Usopp did seem a bit suspicious…

He grabbed the pink lipstick, popped off the lid and proceeded to stare at it for a bit too long. Ah. “-You’ve gotta twist it around to make the lipstick pop up.”

“Oh, Okay, yeah,” Usopp mumbled, fumbling with it until the lipstick finally went out. Buggy closed his eyes. Usopp leaned in, hands trembling as he focused himself on Buggy’s lips. Those soft, buttery lips of his. Like cream and strawberries. He gulped, and placed the lipstick against those sweet lips. He didn’t need to press hard for the lipstick to stick. His hands trembled, but he held it steady, as steady as he could. He was a marksman, damnit, and a marksman couldn’t have trembling hands!

First the upper lip, then the lower lip, untill…

Well, it looked a bit crooked, but… “-How is it?”

Seeing the hot-pink lips moving about, transformed by Usopp’s own hands made his heart skip a beat.

“It’s good,” Usopp said, a soft smile settling on his face. “It’s all good.”

“You’re sure? And you didn’t, like, draw dicks or something? Once when I went to sleep Nami and Alvida went and drew a dick on my forehead and I didn’t notice all day and-”

“Hey, I didn’t draw a dick! Sheesh, I’d never do something childish like that!”

Buggy scratched his cheek. “But you’re a child though?”

A flush assaulted Usopp’s cheeks once more, of the upset kind. “I-, I’m nineteen! Twenty by next month!”

Buggy shrugged. “That’s a child.”

Usopp almost wanted to growl, but his anger died before he even had a chance to realize that’s what it was. It was soon replaced by an odd calm. A warm, glad kind of calm. He was happy. Buggy wasn’t mad at him, he wasn’t mad at Buggy… Maybe it’d be alright? Maybe it’d all be alright in the end?

Smiling, Usopp rose to his feet, bringing the little make-up box with him. “-I’m going to bed. You should sleep, too.”

Buggy watched him stand up and stood up as well, purely in response. Buggy felt odd, knowing that he was physically looking down on the shorter Usopp despite Usopp’s power over him. “Y’know, by tomorrow night, this’ll just have rubbed off anyways.”

Usopp smiled. “Then, I’ll just draw it back on.”

And he did.

Chapter Text

The next day, Buggy got a good taste of embarrassment first thing in the morning.

“Waddaya lookin’ at, kid?!” he barked at Carrot. The boy had entered mere seconds ago, but the moment he saw Buggy’s face, he froze in place. Not that Buggy could even see his eyes. After all, the kid had bangs like curtains. It was a surprise he could see at all, but Buggy didn’t question him to his face. “You hungry for a knuckle sandwich?!”

A little smile blossomed on Carrot’s face like a tiny dandelion. Alongside it, the slightest laugh found its way out, barely stifled by Carrot’s hand. Finally, with that done, he shook his head and descended the stairs.

As a final gesture, he placed the tray in the cell and took a step back.

Buggy glanced between the young marine and the food tray.

It contained a pair of sandwiches, an apple, and a glass of some sort of fruit juice. Together with a small note. “Eat up, big-nose!” it said, the bottom corner signed with a little drawing of who Buggy could only assume was Usopp.

“W-, WHO’S A BIG-NOSE, LONG-NOSE!?” Buggy roared, ripping the note from where it sat, crumpling it into a little ball and promptly stuffing it into his own mouth. He chewed for a few seconds, arms crossed tightly, before he realized what he just did. “Wh-, ew, shit, ptuh, ptuh!”

The half-chewed piece of paper splattered to the ground.

He glanced up. Carrot was still standing there. “Um, uh. You didn’t see that, did you?”

Carrot rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head at noticing Buggy’s dark glare. Didn’t see nothing, yessir.

Buggy nodded and turned back to the tray. He grabbed one of the sandwiches. It felt soft and springy, meaning that the bread was likely newly baked. He couldn’t tell what the inside was filled with, but he didn’t care to check it. Instead, he took a bite, chewed and swallowed. peanut-butter and jelly.

Something here felt off. Not the sandwich or anything, just… Wait, he wasn’t alone.

“-Somethin’ bothering ya, kid?” Buggy asked Carrot, taking another bite of the sandwich.

Carrot made an odd little sound of surprise before shaking his head, a sheepish smile on his face. He scratched his head, and turned to leave.

“...No, wait.”

Carrot stopped in place and glanced back.

“Tell the greenhorn… No, tell Usopp I’ll eat. Tell him that.”

Carrot smiled, nodded, and walked out.

Buggy hadn’t eaten in so long. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have a full stomach. He’d almost forgotten what a really good sandwich tasted like. It was good. It was very, very good. It didn’t taste like pulp or newspaper or anything like that at all. It just tasted like breakfast. A warm, lovely breakfast.

He grabbed the red apple and almost crushed it in his grip. It wasn’t just an apple, after all. Someone had carved something onto it. A pair of eyes, a big full-lipped smile, and…

“WHO’S GOT A BIG RED NOSE!?!” Buggy screamed into the empty room, apple raised high in preparation to smash it into the ground. But he halted his hand. There was something else to this apple. He’d noticed it just out of the corner of his eye. He lowered the apple, letting his eyes run over the details of it. It was well-sculpted. A well-sculpted apple resembling his face. More specifically, what was drawn on it.

There was a spade sign on his forehead, large but not overwhelmingly so. From this spade sign, two arrows protruded like arrows puncturing a heart. These arrowheads went down and through his eyes. The final details were a pair of upside-down hearts below his eyes. Compared to his usual motifs, it was… a bit odd. Less so something a pirate would wear and more so something a genuine clown would wear.

Somehow, he didn’t feel insulted in the least.

He ate the apple, and drank his juice. It was tasty. Real tasty.

------

“Hey, Apprentices, you know you can’t sit by this table!” Usopp scolded. Carrot, Pepper and Onion didn’t seem any inclined to rise though. They were all smiling oddly, giving each other knowing glances. Usopp gestured to the other people sitting at the table. “This table is only for officers!”

“Hey, hey, Usopp-chan, they can stay, can’t they?” the oddly dressed Bon Clay said, waving his hand with a grin. “If they wanna hang out with the big shots, who’s to stop them?”

“...Ensign, don’t step outta line, this is adult matte-,”

“Buggy ate his breakfast!” Onion blurted out. Once he noticed what he’d said, he clasped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. Two fists bonked his head to a chorus of “idiot!”

Usopp stared at them, sandwich frozen mere inches from his gaping maw. “-He did?”

The three former Usopp pirates turned to each other, grinned, and nodded all at once.

Usopp smiled softly. “Well, ermm, I guess, as honorary Usopp pirate members, you may sit at this table. But only today!”

The three youngsters shared a mischievous look and got to eating.

-------

“You ATE the apple!?” Usopp screeched at finding his beloved creation little more than a seedy core. Overcome by emotion, he almost dropped the little white box.

Buggy burped. “Hey, who wouldn’t? It’s part of a healthy nutritious breakfast!”

“It, but, I-,, don’t you clowns have clown eggs to keep track of who has used what faces? I thought-, I was so proud of it, I wanted it to be a bit more of a, y‘know, permanent fixture?”

“Some clowns do use clown eggs, yes, but I don’t. Why? Cuz’ I’m a pirate!” Buggy said, spreading his arms wide in pride. Usopp didn’t quite understand what he meant. Couldn’t you be both a clown and a pirate? Wasn’t that his whole schtick? “-And even if I did use clown eggs, there’s a reason we use eggs and not apples. No chance of rotting.”

Usopp stared at Buggy for a moment, taking in how absolutely smug the imprisoned captain looked, what with that grin and everything. “...I’m leaving,” Usopp said and spun on his heel.

“No-, wait! Nooo, don’t go, greenhorn! I’ll behave, I swear!”

A glance ensured that Buggy was, indeed, showcasing his most effective puppy-eyes, including having his lower-lip pout out. “...Well, okay. Sure. But you owe me an apple!”

------

The evening passed rather similarly to the last one. He wiped off the make-up from last night (though unwillingly, he’d gotten rather attached to it), wallowed in Buggy’s true face, applied a new design, and that was that. The night was young, and Usopp had no reason to stay down by the cell.

Other than his emotions, that is. If he could choose himself, he’d gladly stay up all night with Buggy. To-, to keep an eye on him, that is!

Buggy is still a high-risk prisoner, and so it only made sense that Usopp, as a high-ranking marine, would be tasked with keeping an eye on him. Well, technically speaking, tasking a Commodore with keeping an eye on a single prisoner was a bit of a hyperbole. Not even a Lieutenant would normally be tasked with such a mundane duty.

And yet… here he was.

“You know what we need?” Buggy said, leaning in closer to Usopp while his newly-painted face twisted into a cunning grimace. “Booze.”

Usopp squinted. “No. No way. Dude, I’m only-”

“You’re almost twenty!” Buggy argued sensibly, his shackles clacking together as he threw his hands to the skies in indignation. “Practically an adult!”

“I am an adult! But-, but I’m also the captain of these ships, and I can’t just steal liquor to-, to give to a prisoner of all things!” Usopp said, shaking his head decisively.

“Sure you can! As the captain of these ships, you can do-, wait. Hold on. These ships?”

Usopp gave him a blank stare. “Well, yeah. Ships. Vergo let me borrow two of his warships and a few hundred of his soldiers while we transported you to Impel Down. They’re only coming along to get to HQ though, so I’m only temporarily governing over them, but they still respect me alright.” Usopp furrowed his brows. “-How did you not see them? All the higher-ranks from these ships get together in the mornings and evenings, you should have seen them from the window!”

Buggy crossed his arms. “I wasn’t looking, duh.” A glance from Usopp prompted Buggy to continue. “W-, well, y’see, I wasn’t looking for marine ships, per se.”

“You were looking for…” Usopp put two and two together. “-Your own ships?”

Buggy glanced away.

“You were! Why, I’ll have you know, we haven’t seen them yet, and we probably never will. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing though…”

If Usopp was conflicted, Buggy was ten times worse off. He’d weighed the pros and cons so much that he could no longer consider them without breaking into hysterics. If they came, it was bad. If they stayed away, that was bad. There was no good to be had here. With a single possible exception. “You sure we can’t have a drink? Just two beers, bro-to-bro?”

Usopp jerked at the casual greeting. Bro. A blush spread evenly across his cheeks. “Mrr, just… only one, okay?”

Buggy grinned. “Only one,” he lied.

Giving an unhappy murr, Usopp rose from his seat and left Buggy to wonder how in the world that justice coat didn’t fly off Usopp’s shoulder every time he did anything. Maybe they glued it to the suit? Ah, then again, Usopp didn’t wear a suit.

No, he wore a free, boyish light-blue vest with a pair of matching dress pants, alongside a dark-blue shirt and a white tie. Apparently, once you got to a high enough rank, you could no longer wear anything even remotely casual. Man, Buggy sure was glad he’d never even considered becoming a marine. He didn’t look much good in suits, so skipping out on that was a clever choice.

...The purple vest he was wearing right now was an exception.

The door creaked open once more, revealing a surprisingly skittish Usopp. “What’s the matter, greenhorn? You look like you made a ghost!”

“I-, what? What does that even mean?” Saying so, Usopp descended the stairs, holding a single bottle of beer. Just one.

Buggy eyed Usopp disapprovingly. “What’s that supposed to be? I’m not sharing a beer with you if it’s a single bottle, buster!”

As soon as Usopp got the door closed (and took a peek outside to make sure nobody saw him), he opened up his coat, revealing another bottle, hidden in the empty arm-hole. “-Geez, I wouldn’t do you dirty like that, cool it!”

Usopp tossed the bottle into the cell, which Buggy grabbed after a few seconds of fumbling for it. Once he had it in his grasps, he grinned ferally. God, he was parched alright. Hadn’t had a good drink in, what? A week? Two? Who knew. Too long, that is. Buggy brought the brew to his dry lips, and immediately felt the bitter betrayal. “-Dude, you didn’t even open it. What’s wrong with-,”

Usopp flicked open the cap with one finger. “-Wassup?”

After a moment’s pause and a moment’s stunned stare, Buggy reached his bottle out through the bars, watching in silent awe as Usopp flicked it open. At least it tasted as sweet as nectar. He’d needed that. He glanced up, watching how Usopp flinched from the taste of the meek beer. “...You’re kinda weak, aren’t you?”

Usopp seemed deeply offended. “Am not!” And a second later, as if to prove his case, Usopp rolled up one of his dark-blue sleeves, revealing a surprisingly muscular arm. He flexed it a few times, proving his strength. “I could easily lift you if I wanted to!”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Buggy took a sip of his beer. “But, see, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Usopp gave him a blank stare. “Then, how-,”

“Try chugging that beer.” Usopp sputtered. All Buggy did was grin. “-Betcha can’t.”

Usopp glanced at the bottle before breaking out into an assured smirk. “Easy!”

The moment he finished the first bottle, Buggy challenged him to do yet another. His duties as a captain were calling to him, telling him this was something that could easily make him lose most ranks he’d gained, but… Despite what he said, he was far too weak to alcohol to debate Buggy.

In the end, all he could do was leave and return with an entire keg of beer. Buggy beamed at the sight. “Ohohoho, now we’re talking!” Usopp handed him one of the beers, making sure to flick it open first. “Wait. Hold on. That color scheme, that seagull… Are these marine beers??”

Usopp shrugged. “Uhh, yeah, um, yup. Guys up top won't let us drink nothing they didn’t make themselves.”

“Seriously?” Buggy took a swig of it. “-Bleh! What is this, water? They feed you water when you could have real beer??”

“I, um… I think it’s pretty good? Like, I’m not much for the strong stuff, it hurts my-,”

“Hey, dude. We’re gonna get you plastered, and I won't let you do that with this as your guide. You’ve gotta have stronger stuff, right? Like… like rum! Or whiskey! Anything that’ll make your stomach churn like the bowels of Impel Down!”

Can’t disagree with that. Seemed sort of rebellious, but Usopp could faintly recall that they did have a few bottles of Marine Certified Hard Liquor.

Usopp swallowed his drink and left to go grab them.

Buggy drank his beer. It wasn’t actually that bad, but he absolutely wanted to see Usopp get smashed. He was the weak type, clearly didn’t drink often or a lot, so seeing a physically strong guy like him get shitfaced would surely make Buggy’s evening a whole lot more enjoyable.

Certainly, less than a minute later and Usopp returned, stumbling downstairs with half a dozen bottles in tow. “-I didn’t know which one you’d like so I grabbed, uhh, most of them?”

“Ohohohoho! Would ya look at that!” Two of the bottles seemed to be of the Marine brand, but the rest were not. One was a tequila from Alabasta, another was a rare gin from the fishman island down below, and the list went on. It was almost impressive what kind of drink they had on this unassuming little caravel. “And you brought glasses?”

Usopp innocently presented a pair of beer mugs. “Yup!”

Maybe Buggy should have argued with him, told him that people seriously shouldn’t drink tequila from a beer mug, but at this point, he just wanted to see how drunk Usopp could get. “Sounds good to me.”

An hour later and Usopp was pretty much ready to pass out.

Chapter Text

“I miss them so much!” Buggy cried, squashing his face and body against the bars. “D’ya think they remember me? Huh, do ya??”

Usopp mumbled something incomprehensible. “Yhehyhe they cooool…”

“They ARE! The’re just-,, just so so cool, and I just,” a sob escaped Buggy’s throat, “I just left them! Why did I ever do that? I love them bastards and I just gave ‘em the shaft and said buh-bye!” His stony shackles clacked against an empty bottle of gin which rolled away.

Usopp blinked slowly. “Well um, uh, uhhh, like, see, um, didn’t, I… like, capture you? Like that’s… that’s why you’re away from your friends?”

It was a good point. Buggy scratched his stubbled cheek. “-Hey, you did! Man, that was mean!”

Usopp broke down into subs. “I’m um, I’m soweeeyyyyy!”

Buggy reached through the bars, placing his hand on Usopp’s caped shoulder. “There there buddy. I forgive you. Probably.”

“R-, really?...”

“Probably yeah I mean I dunno how I’ll feel tomorrow but yeah we’re cool.”

Although Usopp had no idea what Buggy said, it did make him feel a bit better. “Oh, um, arrite, I’m gunna go to sleep now, bye byeeeeee-”

“COMMODORE USOPP!!” someone cried, bursting open the door with violent force that instantly awoke Usopp.

He sprang to his feet, eyes wide awake and hand raised in an instinctive salute at the sudden intrusion. “Y-, Yessir! NosirIdidn’tstealthealcoholpleasesirIhaveawifeand-,” suddenly, his salute faltered. “Hey, waitaminute… I’m not a Commodore! Yet!”

Onion stared at the two drinking-buddies, appalled. “S-, sir, you don’t understand, that isn’t-,”

KABOOM!

A violent explosion rocked the Merry, sending both bottles and pirate captain tumbling with the force of it. The single gaslamp in the room swayed from side to side. Usopp’s eyes, previously dim under the effect of one-glass-too-many now lit up in realization. “W-, we’re being attacked!?”

“Yessir, we need you on deck, it’s an emerge-,”

“Who are they?” Buggy croaked, gloved hands gripping the bars desperately. “What crew is attacking?” Any possible bravado Buggy had kept up until now was shed. “Is it-,”

“It isn’t the Buggy pirates,” Onion said. “It’s the Bellamy pirates. We need to act quickly, Sir!”

Usopp nodded, his head as heavy as an unfired cannonball. Oh, yeah.

“Buggy, watch this,” Usopp slurred, a grin manifesting on his flushed face. Buggy had told him it was cool when Garp the Hero threw cannonballs, hadn’t he? Well, as stupid as it was, Usopp sort of really wanted to show off a little. Show Buggy he wasn’t weak at all. Show him he could protect him if he needed.

“Wh-,” Buggy couldn’t respond before Usopp left with Onion in tow. What the hell had he meant by that?

A whistling sound rang out like a boiling tea-kettle before another crash exploded into the water, rocking the boat once more and sending Buggy reeling. He cursed and threw himself at the window, staring out at the situation as best as he could. The night was black and tumultuous, dark blue clouds swirling about like unhappy ghasts, heavy drops of rain smattering against all ships present like whips.

Buggy could see a ship out there. Eccentric with pink details, sporting an oddly spherical figurehead like that of a round skull. He didn’t recognize it in the least, but going by the size of it, it was no small-timer crew. Bellamy pirates… The name didn’t ring a single bell.

Suddenly, two large warships appeared from the sides of the Merry, shielding the smaller vessel with their heavy girth.

It was hard to see from so far away, but Buggy would have recognized that white coat and tuft of black hair standing atop one of the warships anyday.

It was Usopp.

Beside him, he carried a large bag of somethings. Buggy had absolutely no idea to make of him. Despite the winds ripping into him and the rain crashing into him from all sides, when Usopp turned his head towards Buggy, he easily gave him a thumbs-up and an assured grin. As if they weren’t being attacked by pirates.

...Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to get the strongest guy on all these three ships black-out drunk. Seemed like a self-goal right there, what with the invading pirates and all.

While Buggy grumbled over what a stupid idiot fool he’d been, Usopp reached into the bag and grabbed a cannonball. He weighed it in his hand, feeling the weight of it. Then, he leaned back, took aim, grinned, and threw it.

If Buggy hadn’t seen it happen, he would’ve assumed that the whistling and the way it crashed into the pirate ship would be the result of a cannon firing. Not a youngster throwing it.

Usopp pumped his fist in the air, turned around, and gave Buggy a peace sign while the pirate ship behind him caught on fire.

The rain might have put it out, had Usopp not grabbed another ball of lead and thrown it at much the same speeds. It hit the mast squarely, wood and metal groaning as the main mast collapsed into the deck, the crow’s nest splashing into the sea as the unfurled sail draped over parts of the sea and boat, wet fabric making contact with soaked pirates.

Usopp cackled and threw another one. And another one. And another.

He was a machine-gun of activity, pelting the burning pirate ship with overwhelming physical force. Buggy could do nothing but stare. His awe slowly but surely turned to fear. Liking him to Garp the Fist had been all too right. This man, if he tried, was a damn force of nature. The Bellamy pirates hadn’t even stood a chance.

Maybe Buggy was lucky he wasn’t on Usopp’s bad side. Maybe he was lucky his own crew hadn’t tried to invade yet. Maybe he was damn lucky only he was going to Impel Down, and not in a coffin either.

He’d really befriended a little monster.

Said little monster was currently waving and yahooing as the burning pirate ship sunk behind them. Buggy hesitantly returned the wave.

--------

“Who are you waving to, Commodore?” the borrowed G-5 soldier grinned teasingly, “your girlfriend?”

Usopp sputtered. “I-, am NOT! And-, and if you keep spouting such lies, I’ll, uhhh, I’ll have you thrown overboard! Or something!” Despite his harsh words and dangerous threats, the marine in question didn’t seem frightened in the least.

“Oohhh, scary~” he said, floating off into the crowd of happily shouting marines. Usopp growled in his wake, but found himself unable to muster any sort of anger.

Even if he felt more emberassed than before, his face didn’t show it, mostly because the alcohol had already reddened it to such an extent that no amount of childish teasing could worsen it. Girlfriend. Heh. Like Buggy was his girlfriend. No way, no way. Nai wa. They were rivals, locked in an eternal battle! Men having a go at each other, fighting when the situation presented itself!

No way he’d actually want to be romantically involved with Buggy of all people.

His heart skipped a beat.

Did… did he?

Usopp clutched his chest, trying to still his quickening heart. Stop it from doing such a damn accelerando. Hold the den-den mushi, Usopp. Quell any such thoughts! That just-, it wasn’t… No. He couldn’t push these thoughts away. He’d done so too many times before. He had to accept the facts of the matter.

There was something about Buggy. Something about him that made his heart beat faster and made his mind turn pink and made him want to follow him to the ends of the earth.

Maybe it wasn’t rivalry.

Maybe it was love.

-------

When Usopp returned a few minutes after the Bellamy pirates had been sunk, he seemed… somewhat absent. And it wasn’t just the alcohol getting to him, either.

“Uh, everything alright there, sport?” Buggy asked, finally removing himself from the window to take his seat by the bars. Usopp followed along as well, pushing away an empty bottle before sitting down, head hung heavy in his hand. “You seem kinda, what’s the word… distant?”

Buggy barely caught the glance Usopp threw to him. It was of that fleeting sort, just a quick look. Barely anything at all. “I dunno, Buggy.”

“So, uh,” Buggy gave a short snort, “you think Onion’s gonna report ya to the guys up top? Get your licence revoked? Or something?”

Usopp shook his head, smiling a little. “Nah, if we wanted to report each other, I could report him for being in a pirate-, wait… hold on, how’d you know his name?” For a moment, Usopp actually met Buggy’s gaze. But the second he did, his cheeks blossomed another kind of blush and he turned away, anxiously gnawing at his lip.

“...Are you sure you’re alright there, greenhorn?”

Usopp waved his hands. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” his eyes turned soft, and the final part came out as a mumble more than anything, “t-, thanks for caring…”

Buggy didn’t really get it. “No worries. And I knew his name cuz… he kinda looks like an onion? I didn’t think he’d actually be called that, though! BWAHAHAHAH!”

Hearing Buggy laugh made Usopp feel better. Somehow.

Here in the same room, sitting right next to him, Usopp couldn’t possibly deny it anymore. He felt something for Buggy, and it sure wasn’t of the hateful sort. It was like a cloud of strawberries and candyfloss, puffy and sweet and wonderful and he hated that it had to be Buggy of all people. A clown. A pirate. A pirate clown.

A pirate clown he was bringing to Impel Down himself.

Was this how his second love would play out? Fall in love with some evil pirate warlord, and then bring him to the execution block himself? He just couldn’t catch a break, could he?

Then again, at least… at least it was Buggy. Buggy was a pretty nice guy. Apart from the killing and robbing and pirating and all that. Actually, as a matter of fact, Buggy was a pretty terrible person and maybe he should be happy he wouldn’t live much longer.

...Not even Usopp, the greatest liar he knew could bring himself to believe such a falsehood.

He couldn’t possibly be happy about any of this. If he was able to, he’d rather like to just hand Buggy over to his own crew and let them loose. God only knew how many would suffer at his hands, but… Maybe that was a consequence Usopp was willing to face? If it meant Buggy could live another day…

N-, no!

Usopp fervently shook his head, his need to protect civilians and his own love clashing like pink and green. “I-, I’ve gotta go,” Usopp grumbled. He couldn’t bear to think about it.

“Huh? You sure you're alright, you seem-,”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Goodnight.”

Buggy watched as Usopp stumbled up the stairs hurriedly. Maybe he had work to get to? Then again, he was already at work, so…

Oh well. “Sleep tight, greenhorn.”

Chapter Text

The days went fast. Every night Usopp would paint a new design on Buggy’s face and every morning they were just a bit closer to Impel Down. It was a comfortable, easy living that almost made Usopp forget all about what the actual purpose of this ride was. Or, rather, where they were taking Buggy.

If he hated thinking about his minor (really, really small) crush on Buggy, he despised thinking about this fact tenfold that.

Still, he enjoyed the simplicity of it. Days and nights of easy skies and calm waves. Though, since they didn’t have any more alcohol (not after that drinking party they didn’t), both Usopp and Buggy had to abstain for a while. To Usopp, this was a rather good thing. He quickly came to find out that while drunk, he did a lot of stupid shit he’d forgotten by the next day.

According to Buggy and the rest of his crew, he’d pelted the Bellamy pirates to death, throwing cannonballs at them like Garp the Fucking Hero.

Who-, how? Really, Usopp couldn’t even imagine himself being strong enough to throw a cannonball more than twenty meters at most, and now he was being told he threw them at a ship with the accuracy of a skilled marksman (nice to know he was still a sure shot even with ten promille in his blood)? Like it was nothing? Maybe he should consider adding cannonballs to his regular outfit? Just in case there was a ship in need of pelting?

Usopp flipped open a paper, wondering briefly if Buggy would like a paper to read. He didn’t seem like the type to read the news, but he might wonder about-,

“Commodore!”

Usopp glanced up at Pepper. “For the last time, Pepper, I’m not a Commodore YET-,”

“Ship sighted, sir!” Onion said with a trembling salute. The only one missing now would be…

“A pirate ship, sir!” Carrot reported, also doing that very same shaky salute. Usopp almost felt like explicitly asking what they hell was so spooky, but considering that other people were aboard the Merry right now, letting his persona falter might not be a very good idea.

“Have any of our vessels engaged it yet?” Usopp asked, receiving a shake of the head in return. “And what affiliations does the ship belong to?”

In other words, what pirates are these? “Sir, um… it might be best you saw it yourself,” Onion said, handing Usopp a spyglass. “Quarter past two.”

Usopp frowned, but grabbed the spyscope anyways, turning his eye starboard. There, just on the horizon, a group of clearly defined ships were visible. In total, Usopp could spot about seven of them, all clad in the most decadent and childish of colours. Like a bunch of sea-bound circ-,

Usopp searched for a flag with such sudden fervor that he almost lost sight of them completely. Cursing, he readjusted the spyscope, getting a closer look. On the largest one, sporting an actual circus tent on deck, he noticed someone, standing just by the figurehead. She was the petite type, wearing what Usopp could only assume was meant to be an acrobat costume, but… More worrying…

She was flying a flag.

A flag with a big, red nose on it.

“...Shit,” Usopp bit out. How the hell was he going to handle this? They were obviously not here to negotiate, rather to sink them. And probably also regain their captain. It’s not that he hadn’t planned for this very occurrence, he just hadn’t planned what he’d do once it did happen. Seven ships… About seven hundred men, most likely more than that. According to the reports, Buggy’s crew should only have had about three ships here in the New World, but the reports might have been false.

Or, rather, there was clearly some mistake here. Not that it mattered much.

A marine warship wasn’t the kind of ship that any average pirate ship could hope to sink. A single warship could easily handle three pirate ships on its own. This was as a result of the intended purpose of the vessel, the long training all members aboard had received (unlike most pirates who only knew from experience) and the skills of the captains.

There was no doubt that Usopp and his ships and crew could soundly defeat these rag-tag criminals, but that wasn’t what left Usopp mulling and uncertain.

How could he possibly order for the deaths of the only people Buggy seems to like? How could he tell him that the reason his entire crew was dead or dying was because he told his men to sink them? If he did that, Buggy might come to hate him! And rightfully so!

Usopp bit down on his fingernail.

“Sir, what should we tell the other ships?” Pepper asked.

“Tell them to stand by. Unless they attack, we will not retaliate.”

“Yessir.”

There was unrest among the marines, Usopp could tell. Not that he felt any different himself. If they didn’t attack, they might be able to talk about this, but if they do attack…

Usopp will be able to explain to Buggy why they attacked.

A cowardly plan, but by far better than going down and facing Buggy.

Less than a minute later and a cannonball crashed mere inches from the Merry, causing such a splash that it rocked the ship from side to side. And Usopp wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

---------

“Warning shot deployed, Third Commander Nami!”

Nami nodded. They’re probably keeping Buggy in one of the larger warships, but she still couldn’t dismiss the possibility that they kept him in the smaller caravan. “-Prepare the Buggy balls.”

“Yes, m’am!”

--------

Buggy tumbled ass-over-keel out of bed, realizing now that his nap might have been ill-placed. “What the fucking hell-,” he grunted, cradling his poor hurt head. Maybe if he’d had his hat, he might not have gotten a bump like this. Apart from that, he had to ask himself what the fuck was happening.

...Was someone attacking? Is that what happened??

Buggy leapt to his feet, practically throwing his body at the window. Hands fumbling, he pressed his nose against it, glancing anxiously for any sign of a familiar ship. And…

And there it was. No, there they were! The Big Top was there, along with six other ships, all clearly of his domain. Seven in total. Hold on. He only brought a total of three ships here to the Grand Line, so…

Ah! That’s why this took so long, they had to collect the full forces!

Why, that’s-!

A vision of a certain marine sinking a ship using nothing but his two hands and a sack of cannonballs passed unwelcome through his head.

...That’s terrible! Not only was his main ship going to join Davy Jones’ locker, but so too is his entire fleet! All his 873 circus-themed pirates! Mohji, Richie, Cabaji, and Nami…!

If he didn’t do something, every single person he loved would die.

“H-, HEY! GREENHORN!!” he called out, tossing himself from the window and over to the bars. The chances of Usopp hearing, especially while being pelted by cannonballs (those bloodthirsty fools!) were pretty much null, and still Buggy had to try. “GREENHORN!!!” He made use of any and all weapons of sound warfare at his disposal, creating the most ghastly sounds by pounding his shackles against the bars, bashing his foot into the wooden floor, and finally by grabbing his porcelain plate, the one he’d gotten for breakfast, and simply tossing it against the wall, creating a beautiful crash that made his ears hurt.

...No response.

The only reply he got was in the form of cannonballs and cracking wood. The battle had begun.

Buggy fell to his knees. Slumped over, he wondered if this was hell. Hearing the murder of the only people he cared for, unable to so much as stop them. And-, and he could, too! If he just talked to Usopp, he could change his mind!

He’d go along to Impel Down, he’d be a quiet prisoner, as long as his crew was spared!

He gritted his teeth, and prepared for the worst.

------

“...He knows?”

“Yes, Commodore, that’s what it sounds like,” Onion answered.

“I’m not-, whatever. Continue the assault, I’ll speak with him,” Usopp said, and headed towards the cell. Before he even opened the door, he had to pause for a moment, hand hovering over the doorknob. A deep breath.

The second he entered the room, he was met with a rather forlorn gaze. Hopeless, even. Usopp stalled his tongue, deciding not to be the first to speak. He wasn’t here to bargain with Buggy. No, he’d been called specifically to let Buggy bargain with him.

Buggy soon picked up on Usopp’s silence. “...Please,” he choked out. “Please spare them.”

Another crashing cannonball rocked the Merry. “-They have already begun their formal attack. Sparing them would be the worst option for these ships and our mission.”

“I-, I’ll do anything. Please. You can take me to Impel Down, you can shove me down Magellan’s toxic throat. I don’t care. Just-, please, spare them,” Buggy said, glancing up at Usopp from where he sat slouched over on the floor. “If-, if I tell them to leave, they’ll leave. So… please.”

Usopp stared down at him, lips drawn tight, eyes sharp. Sharper and more serious than they’d ever been.

“...Please. Usopp.”

That changed his mind.

Usopp fished out his keyring, containing a key to every single door on all three ships, and quickly found a certain specific one. It was silver, lacking almost all detail apart from the word “Cell” and… and a red circle. In honour of their first real, actual prisoner. Using said key, Usopp unlocked the cell, pulling it open.

Buggy looked up at him, eyes and mouth wide open.

Usopp reached down a hand, and smiled. “Come on, let’s change their minds before they haven’t got any minds to change.”

Buggy let himself be pulled to his feet, and led outside the cell by the hand. He hadn’t been touched by a human in… weeks? Lord only knew. He couldn’t say he didn’t like it, but the reason was forming a lump in his throat. Unable to do or say anything, he followed behind Usopp, holding his hand, looking at that small, caped back. It felt odd, being taller than him. But also right, in a strange way.

And then, he was on deck. Stuck in that cell, he’d forgotten how big the sky was. It wasn’t just a little circle, it was an endless expanse, a mirrored sea in the sky, bright blue and friendly and almost too much.

Buggy stumbled, almost losing his balance as he arched his neck to take in the whole of it.

He’d missed the sky.

One would think, as a pirate, he’d miss the bigness of the sea more than the sky, but not so. He knew there was an end to the sea, after all, he’d been there and back. The sea ended, as all things did, but not the sky. The sky couldn’t be explored or mapped or quantified. There wasn’t some part of the sky that no man had seen, and that’s what Buggy admired about it. Its great, unfathomable honesty.

“Buggy, everything alright?” Usopp asked in that soft, quizzical voice of his. He didn’t sound like a stoic marine interrogating a pirate anymore, and Buggy was thankful for that.

“Oh, um, nothing,” Buggy lied, returning his gaze to the battle in front of them. So far, Buggy’s fleet was actually quite far away, so they must’ve been using the special long-distance cannons to get a clear shot at the marines ships. The downside being that the cannonballs were quite small and the shot usually missed.

Only one of the warships was actually engaging them, angled side-ways to protect the other warship and the small caravan. A strategic move, and Buggy had no choice but to recognize that Usopp wasn’t a terrible strategist.

Suddenly, Usopp handed him a megaphone and started dragging him up the stairs and over to where Buggy’s crew could see him. Buggy poked the megaphone twice and brought it to his lips.

One could only hope they would hear him. “-MEN!”

Was it just Buggy’s imagination, or did they ceasefire?

In this small window, Usopp grabbed a spyglass and took a look at what they were doing. “...The orange-haired girl seems to be confused.”

“N-, Nami? Hold on- Nami! Turn around! If you escape, they won’t pursue you!” he stopped for a moment, turning to Usopp. “You won’t, right?...” Usopp shook his head.

Usopp spied Nami procuring a megaphone of her own, and it was all-too-similar to his and Buggy’s first meeting, all those months back. It had almost been a year, hadn’t it? Ah, time goes fast when you’ve got things to do. “-Captain! We’ve come to rescue you!”

Buggy gritted his teeth. “Y’see, that’s the problem. You won’t win! Your deaths will be in vain! Please, this is an order!”

There was a short pause. “We are prepared for that.”

Buggy gaped. When he turned to Usopp, he found that the marine Commodore wasn’t surprised in the least. Before Buggy could so much as ask him what the hell they were supposed to do now, Usopp grabbed the megaphone out of his hands, turned it on, and brought it to his lips.

“We aren’t bringing him to Impel Down.” It was a lie. There was no way that wasn’t where they were bringing him, and Buggy knew it well.

They didn’t answer at first. “Is… is that true?”

Usopp silently handed Buggy the megaphone, giving him a nod. “Y-, yeah, it’s true. I’ll return, don’t worry, just… If you stop attacking, this will all be glanced over, alright?”

------

It couldn’t be true. The chances of that being the real and actual truth were pretty much zero. Nami knew it all too well, but… Buggy had never lied to them before. He just wasn’t the type. Pretend, yes, but not outright lie. And why the hell would he cover up for a bunch of marines?

She hated having to believe what she knew had to be a lie, but…

“Men, turn it around. We’re retreating.”

“Nami-,”

“Do it!” Nami hissed, glaring at the pirate. She brought the megaphone back to her lips. “We’ll be at Sabaody Archipelago.”

-----

And that was that. Buggy’s crew left, and nobody died.

It was the best turnout, and still it felt lacking to Usopp. There must have been a way for him to secretly hand over the pirate captain without anybody finding out. There must have been a way to avert it all without lying.

Still… These were just idle complaints.

------

Two days later and they reached Enies Lobby, where Buggy would be put on trial and later taken through the Gates of Justice.

Chapter Text

Buggy carefully stepped down the wooden walkboard leading from the deck of the Merry to the rocky shore below. He looked up, shielded his eyes with his cuffed hands, and let his eyes wander over the cityscape laid out before them. “...This isn’t Enies Lobby, is it?”

Usopp glanced between his prisoner and the fountain-like city, filled with water and canals and things. “Uh, no, this is Water 7. Thought it’d be obvious, what with the…” Usopp gestured towards the entirety of it, “-y’know?”

“Guess so,” Buggy said. “But I meant it more in a ‘why aren’t we in Enies Lobby’ way.”

“Oh,” Usopp said, glancing away. Behind them, the crew aboard the Merry seemed to be fixing up some things, tying it down and furling the sails and whatnot. The other warships, which had not docked at all, were now far away on the horizon, long gone. Where they went, Buggy didn’t know. Maybe to Hell? “Well,” Usopp continued, “a bit of a change in plans. Have you ever been on a sea-train?”

Buggy stopped in his tracks. “A sea-what.”

“It’s, well, it’s sort of like a big long sea-king! And it flies on the sea, and you sit inside of it! I’ve only been in it once myself, but it was so cool! It went really fast, too! Faster than any ship, I bet!”

Crossing his arms, Buggy fearlessly strode closer into the city. “Sure. We’re going to get eaten by a snake. Makes sense to me.” Usopp nodded excitedly, making sure to follow Buggy. This in itself wasn’t too odd for them, Buggy had always been the more confident of the two (though that didn’t say much), but what made it odd was the fact that Usopp had Buggy in chains.

To his crew, it must have looked like Usopp was walking his dog. A dog that happened to be a pirate captain worth 189 000 000 beri. If the rumours were to be trusted, they had even been meaning to increase his bounty further, but since Usopp captured him, that was put on hold.

After a minute or so of walking, Buggy turned around, and looked back at the Merry. “...They’re not gonna come along?”

“Who?” Usopp asked.

“Well, you know. Your crew?”

Usopp scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. Suspiciously enough, a sunny blush found its way onto his cheeks. “Oh, well, I, erm, they won’t bother us. No, I mean! They won’t follow us! We’re going to leave the Merry here, and my crew too, and once I’m done with all this, I’ll return. Maybe. Or something.” Usopp omitted telling Buggy that he actually had to pull quite a few strings to ensure this situation, one of which included convincing one of his superiors that he was strong enough to escort a high-profile prisoner like Buggy on his own.

However, the question here wasn’t of Usopp’s strength, but of Buggy himself. How strong was he? What could he do? Would his crew attack Water 7?

Usopp was able to deflect these questions utilizing all three of his braincells, and here they were.

They entered the city together. To say it was lively was a bit of an understatement. The waterways were filled with bulls and people and food stands and everything was perfectly alright. The sun was shining, the temperature wasn’t hot or cold (just perfect), and the salty smell of the sea seemed somehow a bit less intense than usual, even though there was more water around than any other island.

Buggy looked around, somehow radiating both an intense curiosity as well as a strange tiredness. “Everything alright, Buggy?”

“Huh?” buggy glanced back at Usopp. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

Usopp followed Buggy’s gaze and noticed how it fell on one of the many bulls in the waterway. People happily rode on their backs with little fear about it being a feral creature. All things considered, it even seemed domesticated! Usopp had already been here once so he knew the basics of how things operated, but to Buggy it might have seemed crazy. “-Wanna ride one?”

Buggy’s head swivelled around to face Usopp. “-Huh?”

Usopp smirked. “You wanna ride one of the bulls? We’ve got plenty of time to get to the station. It won’t hurt?”

“Uh,” Buggy said, squinting as he glanced between the aquatic stallions and his captor. “No way. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve eaten a certain kind of fruit. If I fall off, I’m gone!” To punctuate his exasperation, Buggy threw his hands in the air, the sea-stone chains clacking together to create a sound both Buggy and Usopp had learnt to ignore by this point.

“If you fall off,” Usopp made a swishing motion with his hands, “I’ll save you.” A beat passed. “I-, if I don’t, I’ll be in for it! That’s why!”

Buggy scoffed. “Hah, yeah, sure. I’m not stepping onto one of those murder creatures, and you can’t-,” ‘make me’, is what Buggy meant to say, but he realized halfway through that just mentioning this might lead Usopp to realize that he could, in fact, make him. These seastone cuffs weren’t of the strongest kind or anything, but they still sapped his strength enough so that any regular person could drag him around. Then again, considering that this was Usopp, he wouldn’t even need the cuffs to drag Buggy around.

“If you don’t want to go on one we don’t have to,” Usopp said, turning away.

Buggy stared at him. Was it his imagination, or did Usopp seem somewhat… melancholic? Why would he possibly-,

Realization hit Buggy like a flashbang. Oh. “I, um, we can go on the bulls.”

“Really??” Usopp asked enthusiastically, turning to Buggy with such a hopeful gaze that Buggy couldn’t say no in a million years. His eyes were glittering like a million tiny fireflies, alight with some emotion Buggy couldn’t quite place. Or maybe he just didn’t want to place it somewhere it might hurt him. “I-, I mean, you know, we don’t-,”

“No, no, let’s do it,” Buggy affirmed, smiling wryly. “We’ll go on the bulls.”

Usopp squealed oddly before proceeding to grab Buggy’s chain and drag him through the streets. The situation from before was flipped on its head. Before, when they walked through the streets, the people would part like waves, shooting vaguely terrified glances at Buggy, easily making the marine-chains-pirate connection.

Now, however, they parted since if they didn’t they’d simply be mowed down by an overexcited Commodore. A fair few people gave a panicked shriek as he approached, only to fall and tumble into the waterways. All Buggy could do was pray that they weren’t undercover power-wielding pirates.

Soon, they reached a little shop Buggy didn’t know existed, titled “Bull Rental.”

------

Shopkeep Sanzo quietly surveyed the people who entered mere seconds ago. Had his eye been any less sharp, he might have assumed some youngster stole a coat and a prisoner from a high-ranking marine who happened to be visiting. That might almost have been less surprising than what he witnessed instead.

“Why the heck would you want a yellow one?? Yellow is the colour of piss!” the prisoner cried, bonking the marine on the head with one gloved and cuffed hand. Although such a transgression would usually warrant violent punishment from the assaulted officer, no such thing happened. Instead...

The marine whined. “Is not! I mean, yes, but yellow is also the colour of the sun! And a lot of pretty flowers!”

“Bah, flowers! I’m telling you, we’re getting the blue one! If someone starts following us, we can easily escape since it’s the same colour as the water! It’s the perfect escape vehicle!”

“Geez, Buggy, we don’t need to escape anyone! Unless your crew tries to invade Water 7, that is. That’d be real stupid, though,” the marine said, reaching out his arms to caress a happily neighing yellow bull. The prisoner, Buggy, observed the behaviour with disgust and apprehension.

Sanzo approached the bickering pair, nervously wringing his hands. “Is everything to your pleasure, sir?”

Even though he had addressed the marine officer, the only one worthy of respect, the one who answered was Buggy. “No, it isn’t! You tell him yellow is a horrid colour!”

Sanzo decided to ignore him. “Sir, if you’d like, we offer discounts to officers of the law.”

“No, that’s fine,” the marine said, shaking his head. “We’ll only hire her for a day. Isn’t that right Daisy Doopers?” Apparently, although having only known the bull for five minutes tops, the marine had already named it.

“That’s perfectly alright, si-,”

“No it isn’t!” Buggy rudely interrupted. “A horrid name for a horrid creature with a horrid colour! Come on, shopkeep, take my side here!”

Sanzo blinked slowly, letting his gaze wander up and down the imprisoned pirate. “No,” he said. “I don’t think I will.” In his modest opinion, it was always better not to agree with pirates, unless they held a flintlock against your head. Usually.

“Don’t pick on the shopkeep, Buggy!” the marine said, a sly smile flashing across his face. “He just happens to know which side to take.”

“What’s that, you low-ranked grunt?!”

Things were getting a bit too heated for Sanzo’s liking. “Sirs, if you’d listen for a moment, I may know of a way to please the both of you.” -Although he had no idea why a marine would even try to listen to what a pirate had to say, much less an imprisoned one. Maybe they were brothers? Two odd noses might be too big of a coincidence after all…

““Really?”” the two said in a chorus, both turning to Sanzo at once. He nodded and walked over to the bull enclosure, where he pointed at a certain jolly little bull. Green with dark-blue spots.

The marine gasped while Buggy grunted in resignation. A compromise.

Once they had a bull chosen, the marine put down the coins necessary for a day’s hire. Before they could leave, however, Sanzo had something to ask, something that had been on his mind since he saw the caped marine enter. “-Say, sir, what rank are you?”

The youngster smiled an odd little smile. “Oh, I’m a Commande-,”

“Commodore!” the prisoner interrupted with an oddly proud grin. “He’s a Commodore!”

The marine mumbled something about it not being official yet, but otherwise made no attempt to refuse the claim. Commodore… Sanzo had to think for a moment. He wasn’t any whiz on all the marine ranks, after all, they were pretty odd, but… He could somewhat recall Commodore being a pretty large deal.

He took a glance at the flushed youngster before him.

...Nah, it probably wasn’t that high-ranking. No way they’d let a kid like this run around with a prisoner if he was anybody important.

The marine jumped into the little seat on top of the green bull, dragging his reluctant prisoner with him. “Thanks for the bull, shopkeep!”

Sanzo waved to them as they left. He could swear he’d seen that clown’s face before, though.

Let’s see here… Sanzo wasn’t one for pirates, but he did keep a copy of the news, as well as the accompanying stack of wanted posters. Buggy, Buggy, Buggy… ah, here! Buggy the Clown, wanted: dead or alive…

Sanzo read the amount beri listed and instantly paled.

Oh shit.

Chapter Text

“What a nice shopkeep!” Usopp said, petting the green bull, apparently not minding how slimy his hand got.

“Psh, we should’a gotten the blue one.” Buggy leaned back in his seat, trying his damndest not to think about how close he was to falling off. Not only was the bull (for some damn reason Usopp had named it “Marinemo”) slippery as all hell, it also had a tendency to do sharp turns pretty much whenever it wanted to. Although Usopp didn’t seem to find the bumpy ride too distracting, Buggy was of a different opinion.

He didn’t want to drown. That was his entire thing at the moment.

“Hey, Buggy, do you want something?” Usopp asked.

“Huh?” Buggy turned to Usopp, finding that they had come to a stop in front of a little water-bound shop. Meat hung in clusters from the roof of it, rich, steamy vapour rising from them in wisps of delicious aroma. Buggy’s mouth watered. “Oh, uh, sure?”

When had he eaten last? As Usopp handed him a shishkebab of meat, Buggy realized that this will probably be his lunch. He took a bite. If this was his lunch… he was very fine with it. The meat melted in his mouth, something that Buggy hadn’t experienced in many a year. It was tasty. Very, very tasty, and before Buggy knew it, he’d eaten his entire portion.

He gave an unhappy grunt and returned to silently fearing for his life.

The waterway in front of them was filled with people and bulls and little shops. Apparently, this must have been one of the main streets, considering how populated it was. No little amount of gazes were directed towards Buggy and his captor. Maybe it was the shackles, maybe a few people recognized his face, or maybe-,

“Here you go, Buggy!” Usopp said happily, handing him a bunch of what seemed to be colourful waterdrops.

-Maybe it was the way Usopp treated him. Buggy accepted the colourful things somewhat hesitantly. “The hell is this?” The globs seemed to lack any solidity, swaying to side to side with the movements of the bull.

“It’s mizu mizu candy, try one!” Usopp said, slurping down one of his own.

Buggy looked at him, looked at his own candies, and tried one. It couldn’t hurt, right?

...It was pretty damn tasty.

Looking back up, he noticed Usopp was staring at him. Smiling. “Everything alright there, Usopp?”

“Huh? Oh, um, yeah! I was just… no, it’s nothing.” Usopp turned away, scratching his neck. “Don’t worry about it, yeah?”

Yeah, alright. Sure.

Something evidently hit Usopp, as his eyes suddenly flared wide open and he rolled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing a brown and gold watch of the most ordinary make. He looked at it for a moment before glancing back up, eyes filled with panic. “-Shoot, we’ve gotta hurry! Marinemo, take us to the Blue Station! As quickly as possible!”

The bull neighed happily (as they always do) and picked up the pace.

Now, Buggy had no idea where the station was supposed to be, but even then, just going by how Usopp reacted to it, it didn’t seem like the bull was taking the right path. It went into a bystreet, ran up a downward stream and generally seemed to be heading someplace that wasn’t anywhere close to the sea. Usopp seemed to be torn between panicking too much to say something and reprimanding the bull. In other words, his words came out as nervous stutters that not even Buggy could understand.

Not that Buggy cared so much about what Usopp was saying, that is. No, he was fully occupied with trying not to fall off and drown.

Hell, when the bull slowed down enough for him to focus on not holding the saddle as hard as he could, he noticed, somewhat absently, that they were far from where they were before. Far up, that is. Very high up. Wow, he could even see Usopp’s shitty little ship!

...Hold on. Were they?...

At the very top of the city??

“Holy fucking shit,” Buggy breathed. The bull and his tiny ass saddle wouldn’t save him now. He grabbed Usopp’s hand as tightly as he damn well could. If he was drowning, so would Usopp for dragging him into this damn hell!

The youngster’s head swivelled around to face Buggy, his eyes darting between the teeth-gritted hell-ready pirate and his hand.

His face turned red as a beet, but Buggy didn’t notice it, since the bull had apparently decided the time to sight-see was now over.

It rushed down a speeding waterway with the ferocity and quickness of a cheetah, and Buggy could no longer make a difference between the whistling winds, the roaring waves, or Usopp screaming in fear. It was all the same, not that he could hear it much over his rapidly beating heart.

The bull made a few sharp turns around a few sharp corners, grinning the entire time, until… It slowed down. And came to a stop.

“Huh, wouldja look at that,” Buggy said, squinting at the building in front of them. “It’s Blue Station.”

Indeed, there was the building they’d been looking for. White spires rose to the heavens, holding up a large blue roof, the side of it emblazoned with the name “Blue Station” in bold, obvious letters. Usopp breathed a shaky sigh of relief. “W-, we made it!”

And with that, the marine stepped off of the bull with his captor in tow, only realizing once they got off the bull that he was still holding Buggy’s hand. “Ack!” he gasped, jerking his hand out of Buggy’s.

“Hm,” Buggy said, looking at the bull and not his embarrassed captor. “How’s it gonna get back?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, I-, erm, it’ll find its way back. Don’t worry about it,” Usopp said before giving the bull a wave as it sped off into the distance. “Bye-bye, Marinemo!”

Buggy waved tiredly at the bull. It waved back.

Good lord.

“Come on Buggy, we’ve gotta hurry!” Usopp suddenly said, yanking on Buggy’s chains.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Buggy replied, following Usopp rather slowly. Maybe he was just a bit too tired for this, maybe his heart still hadn’t calmed down, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurry. His legs felt like overcooked linguini.

Usopp frowned. His face conveyed one message: “that won’t do.” Buggy didn’t have time to respond to that hidden message before Usopp approached him, threw him off of his feet, caught him in a princess-carry, and proceeded to run with him in his arms towards the station. A minute or so later and Usopp boarded some large metallic snake, holding Buggy close.

Well onboard, he finally let Buggy down.

Among a sea of marines. All of which were looking at them.

Going by this one glance Buggy had gotten at the inside, the only people aboard this particular vessel (sea-train?) were marines, most of which were currently looking at him. And then at his captor. When Buggy also looked at Usopp, he found the man frozen stiff, paralyzed by too-many gazes.

“Ah, Commodore!”

“I’m not-, wait, who are you?” Usopp asked the person who had just now stepped up to them. The man in question, a slim, cap-wearing recruit currently saluting his superior, didn’t seem off-put in the least.

“The name is Seaman Dickins, sir! Marine code 221-,”

“No, no, that’s okay,” Usopp interrupted. “You don’t need to rabble all that off, don’t-, don’t worry about it.” Usopp thought for a moment, studying the now-silent Seaman. He was still saluting. Usopp, in his infinite wisdom, decided to mirror his professionalism and so straightened his back, instantly transforming from a young, impressionable boy into a respectable man. The process was staggering, and Buggy watched it slack-jawed. “What’s the matter, Seaman?”

The seaman clacked his heels together. “Allow me to escort you and the prisoner to the proper cabin, sir.”

Proper cabin? They couldn’t just stand here? “Yes, by all means.”

Watching Usopp act like a real marine officer while they walked through the many cabins was… odd, really. Polite smiles and light nods and brief greetings. He was almost a completely different kind of person compared to the one Buggy knew in private. Or was it private? Maybe he was just softening him up to-,

...No, not even Buggy was stupid enough to think the Usopp he knew below-deck had been some sort of act.

After a minute of walking at most, they arrived at the cabin closest to the locomotive itself. Compared to the cabin they had entered earlier, this one was far posher, with fine velvet lining the seat and tender curtains around the windows outside. The second Buggy sat down, Usopp right beside him, the sea-train started moving with a great whistle.

Buggy jumped at the sudden sound and movement, his eyes shooting outside to see what the hell was going on. The iron serpent was moving.

Well, colour him purple! Usopp had been right all along!

Speaking of Usopp, the young marine was currently torn between looking gravely serious and fawning at the situation by staring out the window at the sea and everything. Seeing Usopp try to act in such opposition to how he truly was… it was sort of cute, really. N-, not that Buggy considered Usopp cute or anything. He meant cute in the sarcastic, derogatory way, not in the “adorable” way!

Apart from Buggy and Usopp, not many people were in the first cabin. Two guards stood by the door, and a few people (also bearing justice coats) sat a few seats away, chattering about this and that and what pirates they had captured last. Buggy couldn’t bear to listen to it, and Usopp seemed to be of the same opinion.

However, it was clear Usopp had no intention of speaking to Buggy.

Or, well, it was obvious he wanted to, but among marines, he had no choice but to tie his tongue. A marine officer speaking to a pirate… why, it would be a scandal, to say the least!

Had Buggy been any less clever, he might not have noticed his upper hand in this game. He might not have realized what power he held over Usopp, what secrets he could unveil to Usopp’s peers, superiors and subordinates. If he acted like they were chums, which they pretty much were, if he simply brought out the goofiness inside Usopp…

Buggy thought about it for a moment, glanced at Usopp, and decided not to even consider doing something like that.

Usopp was a good kid, despite all the weird things he did. He could have been so much worse than he was, he could have done so many terrible things and there wouldn’t have been a thing Buggy could have done to oppose it. And yet, he didn’t. If anything, Usopp had acted as a fresh breeze, a cool spring in a desert of loneliness. Alcohol and things aside, Usopp had acted as a true friend.

Even just now, what with going on the bull-riding and eating food and seeing a normal island and-,

An idea flashed through Buggy’s mind. A single little thought that tied back to a single little thing that Usopp had said earlier that day. Or, rather, what he hadn’t said.

Buggy was no fool. He could tell something here had been done, that something about this whole situation had been manipulated. Why wouldn’t he and Usopp simply travel with the warships to Enies Lobby? Why would they go through Water 7? Why take a damn sea-train of all things?

The answer was simple.

It was a final gesture to him. A final look at all the good the world had to offer before it was ripped from him. A moment of leisure before it all went to hell.

Buggy accepted this fact without much fight. He leaned back, and gazed out at the waves.

He couldn’t find it in him to be angry at Usopp.

What was there to be angry at, anyways? That he went out of his way to befriend an old sponge like Buggy? That he cared enough to let Buggy have one last day in the sun?

Buggy wasn’t anywhere near cynical enough to think Usopp did this to tease him.

The sea flashed past, and Buggy let his mind focus on the waves, on the movements of the sea-train and the young boy beside him. He’d gotten so far. Was it wrong for Buggy to feel a little proud? He’d brought this out of Usopp, hadn’t he? He’d made him reconsider his life, and try damn hard to become something. Maybe Buggy would pay for this in blood, but it was still a pretty neat legacy.

Buggy let his senses wander as two marines stepped up to the table.

---------

The two glanced at each other, and back to Usopp. The left one, a rather overweight fellow, did a shaky salute. “S-, sir, Commander Usopp, sir!”

Usopp squinted at the two. Normally, this is the moment when he would deny being a Commander, but the last time he saw a salute as shaky as that, pirates were attacking. “...What’s the situation, Recruit?” he asked, fully ready to dart from his table and prepare himself for battle.

The right one, taller than the other, smiled sheepishly. “I, er, erm,” the left one jabbed an elbow in his side, “Yowch!” With that, he did a salute, slightly less shaky than the left one’s, all the while sending him a glare. “Sir, I’ve been meaning to ask… is it true?”

Usopp gave him a blank stare. “-Is what true?”

The right one gave Buggy a glance. “That-, that is Buggy the Clown, isn’t it?...” Usopp nodded slowly. “-Then, you’re aware of the rumours, right?”

“What rumours?”

“Oh, it’s nothing concrete, sir, just… Just that Red-Hair Shanks might react once the news of Buggy the Clown’s capture is made public.”

At this, Buggy perked up. The two recruits didn’t seem to notice it, but Usopp did. His ear seemed to grow in size as he listened intently to what was being said. “-Recruit, even if that were the case, it is the duty of higher-ranking officials to decide whether or not that will be a factor in his capture, sentencing and verdict.”

The left one butted in, nodding fervently. “Well, yes, of course sir! We ‘ain’t expectin’ any different!” He scratched his neck. “See, we just wanted ta talk to the up ‘n comer before he went too high to reach.” He paused, and gave Usopp a meek look. “It ‘ain’t outta line, is it, sir?...”

“Oh, no, of course not, Recruit. It’s perfectly alright. You shouldn’t worry like that though, I don’t think I’ll get much higher than this. B-, but, it still isn’t confirmed!”

The right one chuckled. “No worries there, sir, cat’s as good as in the bag! No doubts you’ll get far, just you wait and see!” He gave Buggy a quiet, worrisome glance. “-Though, you should keep an eye on him. Seems a bit sketchy to me.”

Buggy jerked at the accusation, but kept his mouth shut, which Usopp appreciated. “H-, heh, no worries, it’ll be fine! If I could capture him, I can bring him there! Now run off you two, I’ve got business to complete.”

The two glanced at each other, nodded, did a salute, and left.

Meanwhile, Usopp sank into his own thoughts.

Red-Hair Shanks, huh...

That might be a problem.

Chapter Text

“Off with his head!” the man in the middle screamed, prompting the two heads at his sides to both headbutt him at once.

“You’re supposed to be the fair one!” the self-proclaimed “Baskerville Left” said.

“Get your role straight!” the right one, “Baskerville Right” said in turn.

Buggy was starting to think he wouldn’t get a very fair sentencing with people like these to judge him. People? Person? At least the jury was-,

“Bring him to Impel Down!”

“Gyagyagya, join us, softie!”

“Ooh mama look at the calves on that one”

“Jerry, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“The fifth level, the fifth level! He’ll fit right in!”

-Not even the jury was any fair here. All of them were dressed in the classic striped suit from Impel Down, suggesting that the lot of them were, well… prisoners themselves. The jury was skewed, the judge was skewed, and the witnesses…

Buggy glanced over at the three people collected as witnesses against him. There was Usopp, of course, along with some old guy and a dog, of all things.

At least Usopp seemed similarly peeved about the situation.

How the hell had he gotten into this mess?

---------

When they first got to Enies Lobby, things had seemed pretty alright. The Day Station, as it was called, was this big white building that screamed “discipline” and nothing else. Something had seemed a bit off about the main island, but Buggy didn’t mind it since he’d never been here before. Sometimes, islands could be a bit weird, and he was okay with it.

After descending way too many stairs, they reached a very, very fancy gate, with golden details and things. Buggy wasn’t sure if it was guarded or if there were just that many marines running about it.

Oh, not to speak of all the men in black. Who the hell were they? Who decided that dressing in all-black with sunglasses and hats was the best cover?

Either way, once he and Usopp (along with a rather large group of marines whose mission remained unknown to Buggy), passed through the gate, Buggy realized why he thought it looked weird from a distance. “-Holy shit, what the hell is that??”

Usopp, still holding Buggy’s chains, turned to face him. “Oh! Uh, see, Enies Lobby is situated right above this real big waterfall, called the Waterfall Ring. I’m not sure what it is, but neither does-,” and then Usopp noticed how everyone was staring at them. The marines, the agents… All of them had stopped to look at the weird little situation. A future Commodore speaking to a prisoner. “I-, I mean-, silence, criminal scum!”

Smack! It wasn’t hard or anything, but Usopp did still slap the back of Buggy’s head pretty loudly. “Hey! The hell-,”

Buggy almost gave in to banter with Usopp, but the marine hushed him. “Don’t say anything about anything, okay?” he whispered in Buggy’s ear once everyone got back to walking.

Buggy nodded carefully. No lollygagging.

Even then, it was hard not to say anything as they walked over a bridge overlooking that deep, dark abyss.

The next stop was an even larger gate, barring entry into the actual island, guarded by a pair of giants. Giants. Not commenting on that fact was almost harder than not commenting on the fact that the island overlooked a black hole. Once they got through this second gate, Buggy found himself inside a large city, populated by 70% marines and agents and 30% of what seemed to be civilians. A big marine city.

They didn’t stop there though, no, they went straight through the entire city, never taking a break, until they finally arrived at what must have been the courthouse. It was monstrously large, so big that not even the giant gatekeepers outside could hope to rival it. White and marbled. Entirely square. Who designed these damn houses?

“I’ll leave the prisoner in your capable hands,” Usopp said, handing Buggy’s chains over to a nearby marine.

Huh? Wait, what? Wasn’t Usopp supposed to-,

“”“Yes, Commodore!””” all marines present, every single marine that had followed them all this way said, saluting. It seems Buggy misunderstood something. All these marines from the sea-train hadn’t simply happened to follow them, they’d been assigned to escort duty.

Usopp paused a moment before he left. “I’ve got witness duty,” he said, barely loud enough for Buggy to hear. And then he was off, entering the courthouse through one of the smaller doors by the sides of the large middle one. While Buggy tried to stammer a response, the marine assigned to escort him yanked him away, dragging him inside the large middle door of the courthouse.

Buggy already missed having Usopp drag him around. He didn’t yank his chain. Well, he did once, but that was only once!

Well inside the courthouse, the trial got started.

---------

-And that was how it all started.

The judge(s) compared him to his wanted poster, introduced themselves, and that was how far it had gotten before it broke down. Buggy currently stood chained to a stand, surrounded on both sides by marines, the jury being stationed on either side of the judge. He sat on an elevated chair of sorts, holding a frankly oversized gavel.

If he/they wanted to, they could probably squish Buggy right there and then with it. The thought made Buggy shiver.

“Order!” the middle one, who earlier called himself “Princess” (which the other heads didn’t accept for some reason?), said, slamming the gavel into the wooden desk. Buggy was sure the desk would crack. Judging by the odd crunch it made, it probably did. “Summon the first witness, Mayor Boodle of Orange Town!”

A man stepped up to the podium, dressed in a checkered suit and glasses. An angry poodle. That’s what he looked like.

Hm. Didn’t Buggy remember that town? Orange Town, Orange Town… oh, yeah! That’s where he tested out his Buggy balls! Oh, before Nami made him try out his destructive strength elsewhere. Namely in her own hometown. A bit strange, but it increased his bounty, so that fishman must have been someone important…

“He’s the one!” the Mayor cried. “He’s the one that destroyed Orange Town!”

Baskerville Left furrowed his brows. “Now hold on a minute, if it’s destroyed, how come you’re still the mayor ‘n all?”

The Mayor turned to him, scowl subsiding. “Well, we rebuilt it and all, but it cost us millions of beris! Death sentence, I say!”

“Yeah, death sentence!” Princess chimed, grinning.

“Now hold on,” Baskerville Left said. “Where did a small town like you get so much money?”

The Mayor turned away. “...One of his crewmates left a sum,” he mumbled.

Baskerville Left and Right shared a glance. “-Next witness!” Baskerville Right said, hammering the desk yet again with that oversized gavel. The Mayor sputtered something about collateral damage and trauma, but was wholly ignored and instead dragged out.

A dog stepped up to the podium. Buggy was pretty sure it was a dog, not that he could see it. “-Ah, Bailiff, will you get Chouchou a stool to stand upon?”

A few seconds later and the dog was fully visible. It was white in colour, perfectly pristine apart from a wooden leg and a bandage around its midsection. “Arf. Arf arf arf. Woof. Boof. Arf woof.”

Baskerville Right nodded gravely. “Abused, is that right? Had to have your leg amputated?” The dog answered with another bark. Baskerville Right seemed perfectly appalled. “Why, I never!” He shot Buggy a dark, biting glare. “Execution. Down to the pits of Impel Down, and then execution.”

“Now, now! No need to be so harsh, Right!”

“Tell me, Chouchou, what was that about your owner?” Baskerville Right asked the dog, ignoring Baskerville Left fully. The dog barked a few times, and Baskerville Right turned to Baskerville Left, who could do nothing but bite his tongue. “Last witness. Commodore Usopp, will you take the stand?”

“Y-, yes your honour!” Usopp replied, nervously walking up to the podium.

Witness duty. Of course.

Princess leaned in closer to Usopp, giving him a suspicious look. “How long have you been following the defendant? According to your superiors, you have been highly adamant about pursuing him, despite him often being outside your league in different ways. Why is this?”

Usopp cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, putting on a strong face. “I have been pursuing Buggy the Clown for eleven months and thirteen days, more or less actively since the day I suffered defeat at his hands. I have been firm in this resolve due to both my personal umbrage with him as well as the danger he poses to civilians.”

Princess nodded. “It has come to our attention that the defendant’s crew is still on the loose. Why is this, and what problems might this pose in the future?”

“I was unable to capture them at the same time as when I captured Buggy the Clown, however, they should pose no opposition. If they attack, the overwhelming forces of the marines will be enough to handle them, and if they choose not to, they will surely dissolve soon without proper leadership.”

“That was all we needed from you Commander, you’re free to leave. No worries, he will surely be given a fair judgement,” Princess said, giving Usopp a little wave.

“Ah, erm, your honour?” Usopp asked, stepping out of line.

Princess turned back to him, eyes sharp. “What is it, Commodore?”

“I, just, erm, isn’t there anything you should ask?”

“And what would that be?” Princess asked. His voice was sharp and accusatory, prepared to call him a traitor at any time. Speaking back to a superior simply wasn’t in the book.

Usopp knew this, and under that heavy gaze, he cowered. “I-, heh, it-, it’s nothing, I just-,” and then, Usopp’s eyes fell on Buggy. Chained, about to be sentenced to death. His eyes hardened, and he swallowed his fears. “Your honour. If you will allow it, may I speak a few words?”

“That would-,”

“Allowed, Commodore,” Baskerville Left butted in. “Do go on.”

Usopp nodded. “There has been more than one time where Buggy the Clown has, entirely without need to do so, spared my life. Every time where he held my life in his hands, he chose to let me go. I would like for you to remember that in your judgement. Although he destroyed much of Orange Town, he still spared it. Although he beat me within an inch of my life, he still spared me. I wish that we will be able to show him the same mercy.”

The three judges shared a look. “Commodore, leave the stand,” Baskerville Right said. Usopp complied.

They turned to Buggy.

At this moment, all Buggy could wonder was what the hell he ever did for Usopp. He’d beaten him up at least three times, and somehow, they never failed to get right back into it. Even now, he could tell Usopp had strained just to stand up to the oversized judges. He didn’t deserve none of it.

“We sentence Buggy to one month in the deepest level of Impel Down, followed by an execution, where he will be beheaded.”

Usopp sputtered. “Y-, your honour! Please, recon-,”

“He hurt a dog,” Baskerville Right stated plainly. “Are you trying to say we are unfair in judgement?”

Usopp grit his teeth.

The jury went alight at the judgement, partying and whooping and cheering for the execution to happen. In that loud excitement, the air buzzing with noise and elation, Buggy met Usopp’s eyes. They were regretful.

Buggy smiled softly. It was okay, he said with his smile. You tried your best.

Usopp’s face tightened, and Buggy barely caught how he swiped at his eyes.

The court adjourned.

-------

Usopp led Buggy out of the courthouse, over the drawbridge and into the Tower of Justice without a word. A group of marines followed, and now Buggy knew what they were there for. Considering what happened in the courthouse, it was a surprise they still let Usopp hold custody over Buggy. Or maybe it was more of a courtesy than anything?

Either way, they descended from the Tower of Justice into some sort of hidden passage beneath, and through there emerged back into the sunlight.

What time was it even? Buggy could have sworn it had been evening when they arrived, but the sun was still up, so his mind must have been playing tricks on him.

Where were they, then? Shielding his eyes from the sun, Buggy let his eyes trail upwards.

He hadn’t noticed it before. But now he noticed it.

There was a gate.

Calling it large would sell it short.

It was colossal, monstrous, so unbelievably big that one couldn’t think it was made by man.

The Gates of Justice. That’s right. Then, this must be… The Bridge of Hesitation. This is where convicted criminals took one last look at the free world, one last glance at what they used to have before they’re dragged off into their final resting place. “-You aren’t gonna do anything, are you?...”

“Huh?” Buggy turned to Usopp. “Wh-, no, I was just thinking, y’know. That’s all.”

Usopp drew his lips in a tight smile. “Guess so. Shall we continue walking, then?”

Buggy hadn’t even realized he stopped. “Oh! Yeah, of course.”

He gave one last look at the free world.

Then, he followed Usopp into Hell.

Chapter Text

The ceremony took place in Oris Plaza. 

Now, Usopp was hardly the only one whose rank was increased, but among those who did get their promotion, he was one of the higher-ranking ones. This might be because all promotions (not given to whole squadrons) given to marines with rank below that of Ensign would receive their promotion by mail, but even then, he seemed to be rather high-ranking all of a sudden. 

To make matters worse, someone up top had apparently found his dutiful acting commendable enough to earn him a shining, gleaming little medal, stuck right to his chest. It weighed him down more than it should, and he wanted nothing more than to remove the ill-earned hunk of metal.

But with so many gazes facing him admiringly, he had no choice but to carry it with faux pride. 

He’d almost hoped that he would see a familiar face there, but not so. 

Once the outside ceremony had ended, there would be a party of sorts inside the headquarters. Well, it was more of an event than a party. The rules that dictated were different, now calling for ties and polished oxfords. Tables stood lined up, adorned with tablecloths and three pairs of cutlery for each guest.

All in order to get the marines to know each other. Despite what many of the higher-ups might want the recruits to think, beyond Ensign, a large part of the job was simply the social aspect of it.

The social aspect Usopp had never had time to learn.

From Ensign until Commodore, he’d been out on the seas, pursuing Buggy. Hell, the only marines he knew apart from his own crew was Smoker, Tashgi and Vergo. And among them, the only one he felt he was somewhat equal to was Tashigi, since the other two were so much more… adult. 

The youngest Commodore in marine history. That’s what they’d called him. 

A nice title, but a lonely one. He just didn’t fit in with the other Commodores, with their years of service and nagging wives and gossip. All he could do was sit there and nod, wishing he was somewhere else. Maybe training. Maybe figuring out what to do next. 

Even as people started leaving the table to go dance or grab drinks or go home to bed, Usopp couldn’t bring himself to stand.

“You seem saaaad,” someone said in a drawled out, strange accent. 

Usopp sighed, letting his shoulders fall. “I guess I am a bit tired.” A hand fell on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry so much, Commodore! You’ve got all the time in the world to relax noooooow,” he said. 

Usopp smiled a little. It was cliché, sure, but his words did bring a little comfort. “Thanks, I-,” Struck by a sudden thought, Usopp turned around. “A-, Admiral Kizaru!?”

The man in question just grinned. A lop-sided, odd grin that clearly expressed a single emotion: mischievousness. “The one and onlyyyyy.”

“B-, but, sir! What are you doing here!? This isn’t-,”

“Isn’t a fancy eveeeeent?” the Admiral finished, beaming at the way Usopp sputtered. “Why, yes, in fact, it is a very fancy event, hence why I’m so well dresseeeed.” Usopp glanced down at what Kizaru was wearing and realized bitterly that the Admiral was joking. A simple, yellow Hawaiian shirt alongside a pair of shorts and flip-flops. He wasn’t even wearing his coat. “And since it isn’t a fancy eveeeeent…” Kizaru sat down next to Usopp. 

Usopp’s brain shortcircuited. “Um, what are you…?”

The admiral simply smiled at him, and before Usopp could find the proper words to express his intense feelings of inadequacy, Kizaru took hold of a spare fork and stabbed it into one of Usopp’s uneaten pieces of food. “Hey!” Usopp exclaimed, his upset at losing food overriding his respect for superiors. 

Kizaru tilted his head. “What’s wroooooong?” All the while chewing with an open mouth. 

“You-, that’s-,” But at some point, after his shock had settled somewhat, he must have realized again that he was talking to a man far above his own lofty status. “...Sir, if I may, would you please avoid-,”

A risen hand stalled Usopp’s tongue fully. “No need to use that language with me, Commodore.” A small smile, almost bordering on friendly. “You don’t mind if I call you Usopp, do youuuu?”

“Of course not!”

The man nodded, stabbing his fork into another piece of Usopp’s food. He bit down on it, savouring the texture for a few seconds before speaking again, “If soooo, then you can call me Borsalino~.”

“Borsalino?” Usopp furrowed his brows. Although he wasn’t entirely knowledgable on the personal lives and statuses of the guys up top, he was pretty sure he had never heard of the admiral referred by that name. 

“I don’t like it much when people call me Kizaru, especially not friends,” Borsalino said slowly. “Kind of like how I’m sure you don’t much like it when people call you The Human Cannooooon.”

Usopp blinked. “The human what .”

A glint of amusement showed in his superior’s slanted eye. “Oh, yeeees. Very impressive. I hear Garp laughted quite a lot when he read about it. Maybe you should ask him to train youuuuuu?” The grin that found itself onto Borsalino’s face made Usopp shiver. How in the world was he supposed to get back to training after just putting Buggy in prison? For that matter, how could he possibly go on another mission without being reminded of him?

Usopp bit his lip and stared down at his plate. It was still mostly full, since he’d barely so much as poked the food all night. “I… I’ll think about it.”

From the corner of his eye, Usopp saw how the admiral’s characteristic grin slowly slipped off his face. “Noooo, I think you’ve got enough to think about as is.” To that, Usopp gave no answer. Something in his chest tightened. Then, while he tried to come up with some line to change the flow of the conversation with, a large hand grabbed his face and swivelled it to face Borsalino. “Hmmmm…” The admiral studied his face for a few seconds. Usopp couldn’t bring himself to unhand himself. Suddenly, a light of realization glinted in the older man’s eyes. “It’s about someone you loooove, isn’t it?”

Usopp sputtered and threw himself from Kizaru’s grip. “I-, it’s not! It isn’t! Why would you-,”

Borsalino grinned and laughed, his eyes squinting shut. “I knew it~! Having a tough time, aren’t youuuuu?”

Frowning, Usopp turned away and crossed his arms. A fierce blush had spread evenly across his face, making him feel all hot and bothered. “It… it’s just a crush. It’ll be gone before I know it, and I can get back to my duties. It’s nothing deep or anything, so it isn’t anything to worry about.” Something ached deep in his stomach. “I just have to get over it.”

Borsalino watched him for a few seconds, appearing strangely serious, his lips drawn tight. “A crush is when you think a chick looks hoooot.” He took a sip of a nearby drink. “Do you wanna bang this girl?”

“N-, no!” Usopp stammered. “That’s-, that isn’t it. This isn’t something like that.”

Borsalino shrugged. “In that case,” he drawled out, ”it’s not a cruuuush.”

Usopp almost scoffed at him. “What does that matter? It’s not like he feels the same way or anything, and even if he did it’d never work out, so there’s no point in trying anything.” A frown tugged at the edges of his lips. “Not that he’ll live for much longer.”

A stare bored into the side of Usopp’s skull and he turned to see the admiral looking at him with a tired, somewhat irritated look. “You’re kind of an idiot, you know thaaaat?”

“A-, am not!”

Borsalino chuckled. “Only an idiot would think love can go away if you just don’t act on it. The fact that he’s gonna die soon just makes it more obvious, riiiight?” He leaned back in his chair, his long legs stretching before him. “You say he doesn’t love you, but you can’t know that, can youuuu?” His lazy smile grew mocking. “You’re a coward, too. That’s why you can’t bring yourself to tell him how you feeeeeeeel.”

Black, seething rage trickled down the back of his spine, darkening his face. “...Shut up.” 

With a grandiose movement, Borsalino leaned forward again, bringing his face close to Usopp’s. His face was deadly serious but through his haze of anger Usopp couldn’t even realize the great transgression he had made. “Whether you tell him how you feel or not isn’t important to me. It’s important to you .” The admiral stood up once more, forcing Usopp to crane his neck to see his face. “I just want you to know that love doesn’t die when a person does, it just changes into something elseeee.”

Usopp bit out, “Into what ?...”

“Resentment.”

With that, the light admiral left, leaving Usopp stunned and hollow inside.

Really, he should have considered himself lucky not to receive a punishment of some sort for speaking out at an admiral. Most other marines, whether they were above or below his standing, would never have been able to get off that easily. But Usopp did. And still, his mind could register nothing but a hollow sense of dread at the word echoing through his head. Resentment. At who? At Buggy? At the World Government?

…At himself ?

He looked back at the dinner table. The time was hardly close to nighttime, and still, he couldn’t bear to remain a second longer at the stupid useless event that awarded people with medals for sending other people to their graves. Standing up, he registered with great disgust how his newly-won medal clinked against the buttons of his fancy navy suit. 

He was no different from the lot of them, was he? In his pursuit of Buggy, he’d captured enough pirates and similar lawless scum to fill a warship twice over. Likewise, he had sent a number to their watery graves. How was Buggy any different? If anything, damning that man to the deepest pits of Hell was a mercy on account of the people Buggy had harmed in his path to becoming what he was today.

Gritting his teeth, Usopp left the fancy old building filled with fancy old people without saying goodbye to a single person. Nobody would miss him, anyways. 

The sky outside was dark even though the hour wasn’t all that late. This was Usopp’s first time in the marine city of Marineford, and he couldn’t say he had enjoyed his stay. Not in the least. Almost everyone who lived there was a marine or the wife or child of one. The streets contained many such loitering people, many of which were drunk, probably after celebrating a promotion or grieving a loss. There were a lot of losses in this branch of business. It was rare to see people with peg-legs or otherwise lost limbs, but that wasn’t because there were no losses. Just the opposite. It was simply that if someone did get hurt, they usually didn’t survive it. That’s why so many were young. 

Usopp was also young. His birthday was in a week or so, but he couldn’t bring himself to look forward to it. 

Buggy’s execution was in three weeks. 

Three weeks, and he’d be gone, leaving the seas a better place. His crew would disband as soon as they realized there was no infiltrating the place. Just the idea of trying to break into Impel Down was absolutely idiotic. A prime way of getting oneself killed, if not something worse. 

Yes, there was no way in the world that Buggy’s crew would be able to rescue him before his execution.

Usopp paused in the middle of the street, his brows knitting together.

…How come that thought brought him nothing but misery? 

His heart ached and his lips formed into a frown and he wanted to run. He wasn’t sure where, just… somewhere. Anywhere. 

Anywhere but Marineford.

Even though his legs felt heavy, he continued walking. Eventually, he found himself in one of the nicer parts of Marineford. It contained houses and apartments designed specifically for officers, the rent being instantly subtracted from their pay, since the government-owned the buildings. In a way, he could live there for free. All of the places were already pre-furnished. A cleaner would arrive once a week to keep it dust-free, mostly since most officers spent their time on the seas rather than at home.

Usopp entered a small white house with a red roof using a key he’d received a week ago. The house was cool and sterile, completely cold and devoid of human breath. 

He tried to go to sleep, but couldn’t. Just like the last week.

Ever since he left Buggy at Impel Down, he’d been unable to sleep more than two hours at a time, and even then, his sleep was shallow and fraught with terrible looming nightmares, the contents of which he could never remember. He didn’t like sleeping anymore. To keep himself occupied, he tried to work instead, or train. But it was as though the pencils and the tools no longer talked to him. Nothing he made worked. 

His training had stagnated. He couldn’t focus on his tasks anymore.

And so, this night, just like the last and the one before that, he laid awake in bed, dry eyes staring up at the stone ceiling, hoping it might tell him what to do. But the stone was mute.

In his mind, the image of a cocksure pirate clown flashed and made his heart flutter. He tossed and he turned but the image just wouldn’t go away. 

The time was two at night, and Usopp could no longer bear it. He had to move, he had to do something , he had to… to run. Yes, yes, that was it exactly. Struck by a sudden inspiration, he flew from his bed and threw on his clothes and emerged from his house. The streets were even more deserted than before, the black sky now lit only by a grateful grinning moon. Usopp didn’t spare it a glance. 

With the wind on his back, he ran. 

His legs pedalled beneath him like wings and he tumbled through the silent city, down the streets and the sloping pavement and weaving between buildings and stores and pubs, down, down, down, until the cool breeze of the night gained a salty tang and he felt his heart calm and all of a sudden he was at the pier, and before him stood that little caravan he had taken so far already. 

“Merry,” Usopp breathed at the sight of the familiar vessel. 

His chest heaved and his throat burnt with the cold salty breeze but somewhere in the back of his mind, he had to question why he had gone there of all places. The answer echoed from deep down in his heart but he turned a deaf ear to it. 

The ship was dark at that hour, but Usopp knew there were people in it. He couldn’t tell how or why, but he felt it. Three people, young but strong. Familiar. 

His legs carried him without him having to think and he walked aboard the ship. He didn’t have to walk around long before one of the three presences appeared. Usopp turned towards the door to the sleeping chambers before the door was opened and saw clearly in the moonlight how Onion stepped out. The young boy squinted at him from behind his thick-rimmed glasses. “...Usopp?”

Usopp smiled sheepishly at him. “Yeah, it’s… It’s me.”

“What’re you doing here at this hour?” Onion said before giving a great big yawn. 

Usopp fought the urge to yawn. His mind wasn’t thinking, his lips weren’t ready, but his heart spoke for him before he could so much as think about it, “We need to go to Impel Down.”

Onion’s mouth floundered open. “...At this hour?”

For a second, Usopp didn’t say anything. He was just as taken aback by what he’d said as Onion was. Why in the world would he go to Impel Down? And at this hour, too? “It’s…”

Finishing his sentence for him, Onion said, “-It’s about Buggy, isn’t it?” Usopp couldn’t reply to that. Onion stepped out from where he was standing, moving closer to Usopp. In the past years, the boy had grown remarkably, now standing almost as tall as Usopp. And as much as Usopp might pretend to boss the younger man around, he still did consider him one of his closest friends. “...I understand that you want to meet him. I had expected this, but… Can we wait until the morning?”

Reflexively, Usopp nodded. “Of-, of course! I wouldn’t… I mean, at night? No, I just… Sorry.”

Onion shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” There was a brief bout of silence between them. “So… I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

For a few seconds, Usopp remained quiet. His mind was abuzz, he had no idea what ´he was thinking, or even if he was thinking, but with nothing better to say, he let his heart speak once more. “Can… Can I sleep here tonight?” 

Onion stared at him strangely. “Don’t you have a big fancy house up by headquarters?”

Usopp shrugged. “Well, sure, but…” The image of a cold, empty house passed through his mind. “I… prefer sleeping here.”

“Well,” Onion said, “I don’t see why not.” And with that, he turned around. Usopp was almost too stunned by the action to remember to follow him. 

He’d only been gone for a week, and still, somehow the sleeping quarters felt nostalgic. Judging by the two snoring hammocks, Carrot and Pepper were still asleep. Smiling to himself, Usopp undressed and put on his pyjamas. He found his cannonball-filled pillow lying in the corner of the room. While he readied himself, Onion slipped back into his bed. Usopp soon followed suit, and even though it was just a cheap little hammock you could find anywhere for less than 1000 beris, it was far more comfortable than any high-class bed he’d ever slept in. 

For a few minutes, he simply laid awake. But it wasn’t like before. His mind was quiet, for once. His heart was content. 

He had his answer, and that was all he needed. A serene, true smile slipped onto his face. And then he felt himself being observed. He glanced to his right. Onion was watching him, though probably not too well since his glasses were lying on a cupboard.

For a few seconds, they simply watched each other. And then, out of nowhere, Onion said, “You love him, don’t you? Buggy the Clown.”

Usopp turned pale in an instant before quickly switching to a bright shade of red. “Th-, that’s not, what are you, how could you-,”

Onion shook his head, flashing a relieving smile. “I’m your friend, Usopp, but I’m not stupid.” That quelled Usopp’s worries somewhat, but he still couldn’t help but hear how his heartbeat had turned to resemble a jackhammer. Onion’s eyes shifted, a strange emotion gliding through them. “I just want to say that, well,” he smiled, “I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“...What do you mean?”

Onion wouldn’t answer that. “Let’s talk more in the morning, okay? I won’t tell anyone. As long as you don’t think your heart is in the wrong, I’m sure you won’t do wrong.”

Usopp couldn’t ask him anything else before Onion turned away, draped his blanket over his shoulders and went to sleep. Overtaken by a sudden exhaustion, Usopp could do nothing but follow his example. That night, he did not have any nightmares, and in the morning, he could remember exactly what he dreamt. The mere thought of it turned his face beet-red, but it wasn’t a bad dream. Not at all.

During the noon, Usopp quickly gathered his small but tight-knit crew and set out for Impel Down.

His heart had never been calmer.

Chapter Text

The people who called Impel Down “Hell” must have been the same type of people who referred to the first half of the Grand Line as “Paradise,” because they were completely correct. Compared to the graveyard of pirates that Buggy had spent the majority of his life in, this place was indeed Hell.

He’d only been there for a week, but he was already starting to look forward to his execution.

For some reason Buggy wasn’t all too sure about, the guys up top had apparently decided to send him down to the very lowest level. But it wasn’t the fifth level. Buggy didn’t know all that much about the world, he could admit to that, but he knew for a fact that Impel Down had a total of five levels. Was it so stupid of him to assume that “the lowest level” meant level 5? 

Ah, then again, maybe the prison had been newly expanded and the news just hadn’t reached him. 

Though, considering how old his cell-mates were, that was unlikely.

“You seem thoughtful, Buggy.”

The clown captain turned to glance at his cell-mate. The man–-or, rather, fish-man-–was large enough to make their rather sizable cell they shared feel claustrophobic. Not that Buggy didn’t know who he was. By being incredibly paranoi-, erm, vigil about the world as a whole (and the danger it posed), Buggy had kept himself updated enough to know that this guy was a former warlord of the seas. What he was doing at the bottom of Hell was a mystery. 

“Yeah, guess I am,” Buggy croaked. No point in denying the truth.

The larger man watched him for a few seconds before inching closer. Unlike Buggy’s, his chains were stupidly short, keeping him pretty much stuck directly to the wall. “Are you still awaiting a visitor?” That, Buggy would not answer. Jinbe didn’t need an answer. “I don’t suppose you’d need me to remind you that only the highest-ranked marines are allowed to know this place so much as exists.”

“No, you don’t,” Buggy growled. “I know that.” 

A minute or so of silence passed while Buggy ground his molars. Of course he knew that the greenhorn couldn’t possibly get all the way down here. He was barely even an adult, much less anything respectable. Expecting him to, against all odds, descend down here just to visit him was to expect disappointment. Not that Buggy was a stranger to that feeling. 

At the moment, the only positive feeling he could muster was that the greenhorn had probably gotten quite a lot of repute from capturing him. After all, everything considered, he’d done it almost single-handedly, hadn’t he? Buggy’s crew was still on the loose, sure, but without him, it was just a matter of time before they realized Buggy probably hadn’t been the best captain to follow to begin with.

…So why did he feel so hollow inside? 

The course of future events had already been set in stone. In a number of weeks (he had already lost count of the days) he’d be dragged away and executed and that would be it. What use was there in mulling over things that could never possibly happen? It was foolish and stupid and everything Buggy didn’t want to be. 

The hope he held in his chest was ill-placed and bound to just hurt him once it inevitably led to disappointment. It was a cruel hope.

While Buggy sat and silently seethed, Jinbe simply watched him, a slight frown tugging at his jawed lips. In his own quiet experience, most people who got to this level of Impel Down had every right to be there. Things were kept quiet there. Most people were either pirate captains with devil fruits or marines who knew too much to be kept elsewhere. Almost half were on death row, the rest expected to stay there the rest of their miserable little lives. Jinbe was no different.

But Buggy had fire in him. Or, rather, he had something nobody else down there did. Hope . 

Jinbe had been able to see that the very first minute the clown captain arrived. His eyes had roamed around, taking in the malnourished and desolate faces present, but even then he hadn’t lost hope. There was a light in his eye even as they shackled him to the wall with long chains of seastone. 

As was customary, the second the guard left the prisoners to their own devices, the newcomer (the first of the year) was berated with questions and inquiries about what was going on in the world. Some questions were big and demanding, asking about the state of the world as a whole, others were smaller, requesting any and all information about their former crews and friends, and some brave fellows asked the smallest questions of all, wondering if their families were alright, despite knowing that nobody who went to the sixth level could possibly know about that. But they asked anyway, just in case. 

In a sense, one could say that all of them had hopes of some sort. But every time a new person arrived, every time they revealed that the condition outside had changed minimally and that they knew nothing about their loved ones, that hope died. These prisoners held their hopes in a constant cycle of reincarnation, living only when someone arrived and dying shortly thereafter.

But not Buggy’s hope. It held strong, and it didn’t take long for Jinbe to find out why.

Somehow, someway, in contrast to the very foundations of the system that governed the world, Buggy had befriended a marine. The very marine that had captured him, no less.

A situation that had only ever happened with Garp and Roger. At first hearing about it, Jinbe had been stunned into silence. But once he heard a few more details, he understood why Buggy found his hope to be so painful.

The marine was just a boy. He had a coat of justice, sure, but he was nothing but a greenhorn. According to Buggy, capturing him wasn’t even that strange, considering how weak Buggy was. Or, rather, how weak he considered himself to be. Jinbe wasn’t too sure about that. See, there was something about Buggy. He had a presence. 

Level Six of Impel Down was, to its inhabitants, known not only as Unending Hell, but also as a Hell of Silence. The only times people spoke was when someone new survived. After that, quiet reigned with a firm hand of dune, smothering conversations. The only sound one could hope to hear was the cough of the sick or the growling of hungry stomachs. 

Buggy changed that. 

It was staggering to see, but Buggy brought conversation where there was none. Almost bored to tears, he made an effort to ask people things. Just simple things. “Who are you?” “What crew did you lead?” “Who captured you?” Stuff like that. Questions they’d gotten a million times. But when he couldn’t care less about what affiliations someone had, he began to ask other things. “Who was your first love?” “Ever had any pets?” “Why did you choose to roam the seas?” On and on and on until he found some point they shared, at which point he doubled down. 

“What, you’re from Alabasta? Hey, I’ve been there! Kinda nasty place, real sandy. What, you like the sand? Don’t be weird, man. You’ve got good tequila though, I’ve gotta admit. The cactuses, though… I tried some–-yeah, yeah, I know, I was really thirsty–-and it made me trip for like two days straight. Not sure if I’d ever try to visit again. If I’d visit you ? Uhh, sure, dude. As long as you pay, bwahahaha!”

“Have I been to the New World? Yeah of co-, well, heh, um. No. Never. Why would I go to that damn death trap? What? Visit mermaid island? Heh, uh… Do you want me to die? Is that it? No, no, I get it, I just–dude, have you seen the sea kings down there?! M-, me neither. Heh. But yeah, sure, if you pay the drinks, I’m down.”

“West Blue? The hell? Who would willingly get born in-, yeah, I know, I know, I just… West blue. Aren’t you the guys with those super-big whales? What, I’m supposed to just know that? I may be the Great Captain Buggy-sama , but I’m no whale-ologist. And you are? Yeah, right. Look, if I somehow survive getting my head chopped off–-but like, for real–-then yeah, I’ll go whale hunting with you. What’s the harm?”

And on and on it went. By talking with him, he even made other prisoners realize their similarities. Within only a few days, the formerly deathly-quiet prison cells had gained a happy hum of chatter. Anytime a guard or marine officer arrived it all totally died down, of course, but it always picked right up afterwards.

And Buggy didn’t even seem the least bit aware of the miracle he had pulled. 

Somehow, he almost seemed to have shared his little flicker of hope with the rest of the prisoners. He spoke as though they were all going to make it out of there, and for some reason, they believed him. By this point, even Jinbe felt an irrational sense of hope in that they might get out of this with their necks intact. 

“I know he’s not coming, but…” Buggy crossed his arms, the seastone chains clinking together, “is it so strange to want something you can’t have?”

Jinbe almost smiled. “Isn’t that why we became pirates to begin with?”

Buggy scoffed, but before he could say anything in reply, there was a telltale unlocking of doors and all chatter inside the sixth level of Hell died down. Not even a whisper was spoken. Down the hallway, a heavy door was opened and a stream of light peeked inside the otherwise dim underground prison. If Jinbe strained his ears, he could hear someone say “Here we are, Commodore. I don’t believe I need to remind you of the rules pertaining to this particular level?”

A young, almost boyish voice responded, saying, “Of course not, Vice-Warden. Thank you for your excellent, eh, guidance. ”

“No problem.” A small pause. “Taunting prisoners is a staple of their due punishment, so don’t be afraid to speak freely.”

“...I will,” the young voice replied hesitantly. Then, the door slid back closed, snuffing out the small light it had brought. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Prisoners shared glances, wondering whether to return to conversation or not, but then a pair of footsteps began ringing out. They were light and simple. Going by the sound, their owner couldn’t have been a large person by any means.

When the marine appeared around the corner, Jinbe’s suspicions were proven as a boy of no more than twenty years of age showed his uncertain and young face.

Buggy’s breath hitched.

His eyes met with Usopp’s and all of a sudden he couldn’t remember how his lungs were supposed to work. Somehow, it was almost like Usopp felt the exact way, because the second his eyes fell on Buggy–after carefully examining each nearby prisoner in turn–he completely froze mid-step. His eyes widened and he made a really good imitation of a wax sculpture. 

“B-, Buggy?” Unlike when he spoke just now, his voice was small. Weak. As breathy as it always was when they spoke. All the authority that he’d gathered while talking to the Vice-Warden seemed to completely drain out of him, leaving him looking more like a boy in a costume than any actual marine.

Unable to say anything in reply, Buggy glanced down at his own clothes. A simple, boring, striped prisoner uniform. For some reason, he felt embarrassed to show himself in such a state. He wished he’d at least had a cloak or some nice make-up. But, oh no, those fucking guards just had to confiscate his last remaining pieces of pride, leaving him all exposed and naked. At least he didn’t mind Usopp seeing his nude face. “Uh, hey.”

At hearing his words, Usopp visibly relaxed, his body once more gaining the ability to move. With easy steps, he moved over to Buggy’s cell. Then he glanced around, at the other prisoners, at Buggy’s cell-mate, and finally at Buggy himself. Or, more specifically, his chains. “...Geez, that’s a bit much.”

Buggy scoffed. “Heh, yeah, tell me about it. It’s like they think I’m actually anywhere near the level of these other guys! Like, look at that guy-–Crocodile-–almost usurped a whole damn country. All I did was sneak into a marine base and do some typical pillaging! Completely unfair.”

Usopp smiled strangely. “Well, that’s the thing-,” and then he suddenly turned pale before his face whipped around to look at the man Buggy had pointed at. “C-C-Crocodile?!” 

The man in question was one of the many prisoners stuck down there. He hadn’t been all that talkative and most people didn’t seem to like him all that much, and Buggy knew exactly why. Simply because he knew exactly why, he had chosen not to try to talk to him all that much. Now that he thought about it, he’d been pretty lucky to avoid the man when he visited Alabasta.

And now, Crocodile moved. He turned his face towards Usopp and glared at him, a strange grin finding its way onto his face. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t… Yasopp, was it?”

Usopp gulped. “N-, no, I’m, uh, Usopp , Yasopp was my, erm, father.” He poked his fingers together and glanced away. After a few seconds, he nervously whispered, “Sorry about punching you in the face…”

Crocodile cackled before finally giving a burst of laughter. Then, all of a sudden, he turned deathly quiet, his face settling into a grave mask that could probably kill someone if he looked at them wrong. “Never apologize for doing what you want to.”

“Um, uh… Okay?” Usopp said. A bit conflicted, he turned back to Buggy. At this point, he must have realized that there was very little privacy to be had in the prison, because he sat down and scooched as close to the bars as he could get. Understanding what he was trying to do, Buggy mimicked the action, bringing himself near the bars. He was damn lucky they’d made his chains long enough to do things like that.

Sitting close like this, so long as they kept their voices down, only Jinbe would be able to hear them, but he wasn’t a rat. Their eyes met and Buggy suddenly felt like he had nothing to say. “So, uh… How’re things?”

“Well, my status as Commodore became official, so that’s nice, I guess?” He scratched the back of his head. 

“What’s that for?” Buggy asked, nodding at the little medal adorning Usopp’s chest. 

“Oh, that’s…” Usopp’s face darkened in a way Buggy couldn’t remember ever seeing before. “It’s just a stupid medal for, you know…” He shrugged. “Not important.” He looked back at Buggy, his eyes falling to look at his striped clothing. “You’re, uh… How are you holding up?”

“Great. Fantastic, really. Everyone loves me, I get three square meals a day and the whole island pretends that I’m someone important. Abso-fucking-lutely great,” Buggy said with great snark.

Again, Usopp watched him with an unintelligible expression. “You are important, though.”

Buggy froze. “I’m not,” he mumbled.

Usopp looked away and shifted where he sat cross-legged. Somehow, it felt awkward. “Well, um, that’s the thing. I’d forgotten it since I was pretty drunk at the time, but…” He shook his head and turned back to Buggy, pinning him with his gaze. “You were on Roger’s ship. The Pirate King’s ship.” Finally, as an addendum, “Together with Red-Hair Shanks. ”

Crossing his arms, Buggy tore his eyes away from Usopp, trying to focus on anything else. “...How many know?” There was no denying the truth and he knew it.

Usopp frowned, though more so out of pity than anything else. “Among higher-ranking marines, it’s pretty much fact. If it wasn’t for that, you’d probably be on a much higher level. But it was only found out recently, otherwise, your bounty would never have been as low as a mere fifteen million.”

“Heh, thanks for that one,” Buggy said. He glanced at Usopp with sudden suspicion. “You didn’t-,”

“No!” Usopp said before he could finish his sentence. “I would never-, I had totally forgotten it before they told me. And even then, it’s not like it matters all that much to me, you know?”

Buggy felt his brows furrow in genuine confusion. “Why shouldn’t it?” On all accounts, most members of the Roger pirates had and were still seen as both legends and monsters. Those that had survived, at least. For a greenhorn like Usopp, who had met him when he was a Chief Petty Officer at most, knowing he was dealing with a former member of the Roger Pirates would easily have scared him away. 

By all means, Buggy had expected a simple response. Maybe something about how he didn’t care if he was a yonko or a shichibukai and that he’d still chase him to the ends of the seas, but what he saw was a much different expression. 

Usopp simply looked at him, his face blank and empty, giving only the slightest twitches of movement to illustrate the chaotic tides that lay beneath his stony skin. His deep brown eyes seemed to swirl with emotions, like immense sea-kings hiding beneath the quiet seas of the Calm Belt. 

And then, almost out of nowhere, before Buggy could bring himself to ask Usopp if he was alright, the boy simply blurted it out.

“ I love you .”

Buggy blinked at him. “...What?”

For a few seconds, it almost seemed like Usopp couldn’t understand what he’d said either. But then he took a deep breath and a small blush lighted his cheeks and he leaned in closer to the bars. His face didn’t show a single hint of jesting. Then, once more, in a quiet but firm voice, he said, “I’m in love with you.”

“...You’re kidding,” Buggy said without really thinking. His mind buzzed with white static. 

Usopp pulled his lips tight. “I’m not. For a while now-, no, ever since I first met you, I’ve…” He brought his voice down lower, almost to the point of whispering. “That’s why I don’t mind what you are. And… And that’s why I came here. I know you don’t feel the same, and I don’t mind, I just had to-,”

“You’re actually serious?”

The younger man looked at him for a few seconds before giving a reluctant but sharp nod. 

“Heh, no, that’s,” a strange grin pulled at his lips, “you’ve gotta be shitting me! No, no, you’re… You’re pulling my leg! Damn, and you almost had me! Shit, that’s actually really funny. Bwahaha!” Even to Buggy himself, his laughter felt hollow and strange. And still, he laughed. He laughed and he laughed and he laughed until his chest hurt and he had to lean against the bars to catch his breath. 

And then something pressed through the bars and against his lips and something tickled his nose and he realized it was one of Usopp’s long black hairs. 

The boy pulled away, his face dark and deeply flushed. 

Buggy blinked. He brought his fingers to his lips. Soft. There had been something soft there. A taste of some food he’d never had before lingered on his lips and when he looked at Usopp he found that the boy had stood up, but right before Usopp turned away and stormed out of the level, he could see the faintest traces of his own lipstick stuck to Usopp’s thick lips.

And after all of it, Buggy couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

He couldn’t even beg him to stay.

Chapter Text

Stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot!  

He could feel the dozens of eyes of prisoners stabbing into his back as he walked with great purpose out of the level. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to-, he wanted to-, he just had to…

Well, he hadn’t really had a plan or anything, but he certainly hadn’t intended on k-, kis-, kiss…

Usopp’s face heated up to a nice simmering burn and he quickly burrowed his reddening face in his hands. Oh, god. He peeked out from between his fingers. At least the surveillance den-den mushi’s hadn’t been at a proper angle to see the infraction. But, still. Usopp had thought more highly of himself than that . 

As he left, a dark-haired woman watched him go with striking eyes.

His heart was beating out of his chest and when the door opened and Vice-Warden Hannyabal greeted him warmly Usopp couldn’t even bear to respond to him, simply charging right past him. The Vice-Warden didn’t seem too upset by it, instead taking it as a sign that things had gone well, somehow.

With his chest all on fire and his mind scurrying around like a rabies-infected rat, he quickly outpaced the Vice-Warden and moved away and through the prison. 

He was only taken out of it when he reached the first level and promptly walked right into some poor cleaner girl. She clattered to the floor easily while Usopp, who was made of stronger materials, remained standing, albeit shocked. He blinked at her groaning form for a few seconds before realising what he’d done. “Oh! Uh, I’m so sorry, are you okay? Here, I’ll just…”

Bending down, Usopp took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She gave a grateful smile, but Usopp wasn’t looking at that. No, his eyes were firmly affixed to her bright orange hair. 

“Thank you, and don’t apologise, I should have seen you comi-,” her eyes met his, and just as he felt, her eyes lit up in recognition. Looking at her, Usopp almost dropped the Third Commander of the Buggy Pirates back to the floor. But he didn’t. He brought her to her feet and then they simply looked at each other. Neither could come up with anything to say. 

And then the Vice-Warden caught up with Usopp, breathing heavily and leaning on his knees in exhaustion. “Haah, haah, I see you’ve met our newest Chore-Boy, Tinnie. Tinnie, that is no way to greet a superior.”

“H-, huh? Oh, uh, yes, sir!” she said and gave a salute. 

Usopp stared at her in surprise, watching the way her face scrunched up in determination and her eyes shone with will. “Don’t mention it, um. Tinnie. I don’t mind.” He watched as her eyes furrowed in confusion and suspicion. Not really wanting to explain his reasoning to someone he knew would never trust him for obvious reasons, Usopp pushed his way past her. “Vice-Warden, I’m sorry if I gave you the cold shoulder. The prisoner said something I wasn’t too happy to hear. Will you show me out?”

“By all means, Commodore. I’d be happy to.”

And with that, they left. Leaving Nami to stare at the justice emblem proudly emblazoned on the back of Usopp’s coat.

He’d let her go? Just like that?

…Why?

The doors of the elevator slipped close and Nami remembered that she was supposed to be mopping the floor and picking up loose teeth after an earlier fight. If she didn’t want to be reprimanded again, she’d better get back to it.

But right as she grabbed the mop from off the floor, she had a thought. It was possible he hadn’t let her go, but rather gone off to fetch backup. Or maybe to send out a search patrol for the rest of the crew. Not that there was much to find. 

Only one of their many ships had infiltrated Marineford, and it was currently disguised as an ordinary marine vessel. But if someone tried to find it, it wouldn’t take too long. 

However, that didn’t explain why he didn’t capture her right there. She knew very well that Usopp was, by all accounts, worthy of his rank. His great deeds had been all over the papers the last few weeks, coinciding with his promotion to Commodore. Single-handedly capturing Buggy the Clown had been high on his list of achievements, but to Nami, that was nothing too commendable. Most of the crew wouldn’t admit it over their dead bodies, but Nami understood quite well that Buggy was a weak fighter, at least compared to Grand Line standards.

Anyone with a half-decent devil fruit could topple him. His real strength lay in his leadership abilities. People were simply drawn to him, almost inexplicably so. 

The reason Nami was wary of the young marine (only one year younger than her, good God) was due to his subjugation of the Bellamy Pirates.

The event had reportedly led to the addition of his current epitet of “Human Cannon,” but with the kind of potential he had, it was only a matter of time before he gained another, more grandiose one.

To him, capturing Nami on her lonesome wouldn’t have taken much effort. For Nami’s own part, she’d squeal on almost anyone if she got a good enough plea deal.

But he hadn’t. He’d given her a weird look at that was it. And it clearly wasn’t that he hadn’t recognised her, either.

Nami shook her head. Whatever his reasoning was, the fact remained that he had let her go. That was all she needed to know. As long as he didn’t interfere in any of her coming plans, this was nothing more than a strange hiccup. 

Soon, Buggy would be freed. 

Even if it meant raiding the entirety of Impel Down.

Well on the outside, Usopp headed straight for the Going Merry. He said goodbye to the Vice-Warden, but not much else. His mind was racing and his stomach was churning. 

The Buggy Pirates were planning on trying to rescue their captain. They had infiltrated into the very ranks of the marines and Usopp hadn’t said anything. Being in love with a filthy pirate was bad enough, but now he was even at the point of withholding information from his superiors? Information that could very well cause a raid on the prison?

He was only a few solitary steps from becoming an active traitor and he hated it. He hated all of this. 

But he didn’t want Buggy to die. 

Even if the Buggy Pirates tried to save them, their chances of succeeding were minimal. For god’s sake, this was Impel Down they were talking about! They would’ve had better chances at invading Vice Admiral Garp’s cookie-box!! 

Usopp suppressed a groan as he walked onto the deck of the Merry, telling the nearest marine to get the sails unfurled. 

…But they still had a sliver of a chance, didn’t they? It was no bigger than the eye of a needle, but they did have a chance, which was something Buggy would never have on the execution scaffold. 

From what Usopp had learned so far, the execution would be a grand one, meant to send a message about the power of the marines and the futility of the old generation. The life of a man, taken only to say something to the world as a whole. It felt wrong, but this was what the marines did. Usopp had accepted it until the one on the chopping block was the man he loved. 

Was it so wrong that he let the man’s crew try their hand at saving him?

Usopp didn’t know, and he couldn’t know. Not until everything went down.

When Usopp and the Going Merry returned to Marineford, he was told that Garp the Fist wanted to meet him. Unsure what it was all about, Usopp wasted no time finding the man. Since Usopp hadn’t been given any follow-up mission yet, he had plenty of free time to do whatever he wanted, which at this moment was to mope around and sulk. But duty called, and Usopp had nothing better to do than answer.

“There he is!” Garp greeted upon seeing the younger man, his face splitting into a large grin. “Just the man I wanted to see.”

Usopp tried to give a salute, but the man held up a hand, stalling him. “Sir?”

“Between officers like us, there’s no need for that. Now,” he leaned forward behind his desk, his grin broadening, “exactly how drunk were you?”

“E-, excuse me, sir?”

“Just what I said. How drunk were you when you sank a ship with nothing but your fists and a dozen cannonballs?” Somehow, saying it out loud seemed to make the old officer even happier.

Usopp blushed slightly and glanced away. He could barely even remember it, but… “I’m told I was, um, really drunk, sir.”

Garp snickered. “Exactly what I thought. I’ve been told you’re a great sniper. Is that true as well?”

Usopp smiled broadly. “Eheheh, well, maybe~.”

“Mhm, mhm, in that case, I think I’d better train you.” Saying that, Garp leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs in front of him. 

Usopp froze. “I-, I’m sorry?”

“You heard me. A year ago, you were less than a pisstain in an alley. And now?” He brought a rice cracker to his face and took a bite. “You’ve got good potential, kid. But you’re wasting it with all these little gadgets and things. What you really need is someone to train you. If you wanna play with the big shots, you need to toughen up.”

Turning away, Usopp wringed his hands. “Um, sir?” Garp watched him expectantly, making Usopp feel even worse than he already was. “I don’t… I’m not really interested in getting anywhere further than this. I’m, well… Happy?”

Garp looked at him for a few seconds, his grin dropping from his face. “You don’t look all that happy to me.” Then, surprisingly, Garp seemed to consider his words carefully. “But I get where you’re coming from. You almost spent an entire year chasing this guy, right? Buggy.” Usopp flinched at the mention of his name. “You put all your time and energy into catching the swine, and now that he’s in Impel Down and everyone is praising you, you don’t know what to do anymore. You ran and you ran and you reached the finish line, but now you’re being told another marathon is waiting. Is that it?”

Usopp turned away.

Garp sighed and straightened out in his chair. “Listen, kid. What you’re feeling right now… It’s not going to go away. The more time you spend brooding, the worse it’s gonna get.” His eyes grew a sharp edge. “The only way you can move on is to simply keep striding forward. Do what you gotta do, but never stop moving.” Finally, Usopp met his eyes again. They were softer than he’d expected. “When you’re ready to become a real marine, come back to me, alright? I’ll still be here.”

“...Thank you, sir,” Usopp mumbled. Then, he turned around and left.

It had been a long day. He wanted nothing more than to get to bed, but he still had his training to do. It was nothing too taxing, nothing too intense, but it kept him in shape. Simple cardio and weight-lifting, followed by a few hours in his workshop to upkeep the quality of his weaponry. 

But as he sat there inspecting his rotten eggs and specialised shots and gadgets, he realised something. It was all so… fake. It was a trick. Things made more so to deceive and fool his opponents rather than to actually defeat them. Sure, he had his useful and powerful things, but was he really still the kind of person who needed to outsmart his opponents? He could throw cannonballs , for god’s sake! Wasn’t he already at the point where he could fight well enough with his fists alone?

…He wasn’t taking this seriously enough. With Buggy, using simple tricks had been a necessity. But now he wouldn’t be up against someone who’d show mercy once he got the egg out of his hair. The next time he got a mission, he would have to fight real pirates. People who used swords and guns and wanted nothing better than to kill him.

Garp was right. He had to get stronger.

But not right now. That could wait, couldn’t it? At least until after Buggy’s execution. 

Then he could stop being obsessed over some criminal who didn’t even feel the same thing and start taking his life seriously. 

That night, when Usopp went to bed, he felt more restless than ever.

Days passed in a seemingly quiet fashion, with mornings rising and nights falling all in their regular tempo. But behind the scenes, several factions plotted against and for each other, some benevolent, others less so. Usopp, for the most part, remained oblivious. That was, until the very final decision was made to have Buggy executed several days before the previously decided time.

It was all in response to the mobilisation of the Red Hair pirates. 

At first, it had been nothing but rumours, often unfounded, speaking of movements and decisions and ships sailing towards the Tarai Current. Rumour soon became fact and in order to avoid all-out war, it was decided that Buggy would be brought out ahead of schedule. 

It had been as surprising to Usopp as to everyone else, but his reaction might have been a tad less appropriate. His first thought was how he could contact Nami without making it obvious enough for someone else to notice. Should he send a note by carrier-gull? It was attractive in the cowardice it presented, but it wouldn’t work. He’d been to Impel Down, and knew that any unregistered carrier-gulls were shot down on sight. 

But there was something he could do. It was risky, but it made the whole concept of alerting an undercover pirate slightly more plausible. 

Slightly.

In a very different place, far beneath the surface of the sea, Nami clutched a broom closer to her as she strategically sweeped to avoid being in grabbing-distance of the men behind the bars. Sure, she was as pirate-y as the lot of them, but she still couldn’t get over her disdain of pirates. It had been two years, and she still couldn’t really believe she had actually become a pirate. A real one .

But, as odd as it may have been, if she was going to become a pirate, being the underling of Buggy wasn’t all that mad. He may have been ruthless to his enemies (and innocent bystanders), but when it came to his own people, he was surprisingly caring. 

Caring enough to liberate the island of one of his underlings simply because she asked him to. 

Nami shook her head and tried to focus on the job in front of her. The more immersed she seemed, the less suspicious her superiors would be. Maybe. It had worked so far, but who knew? If she was unlucky, someone might realise her scam sometime during the coming days, foiling her plans completely. She couldn’t allow that.

But as she stood sweeping, she began to hear the approach of footsteps. A lot of footsteps. At least a dozen people were walking towards her. 

Suddenly in the grips of an irrational fear (did he report her? Had he chosen to only now turn her in?), she threw herself into a nearby dark corner, dragging her broom with her. The voices approached, speaking in semi-hushed tones. Most people wouldn’t have been able to make out what they were saying, but Nami was a proficient eavesdropper. She heard every word, and even more so, she knew exactly who had said them.

“Of course, by all means, I’m honoured,” Usopp said in a voice much deeper than she remembered it being. He had to be pretending to make it sound like that. “I had expected the duty to be handed to someone of a more respectable status, but…”

“Oh, no, not at all!” someone with a shockingly slimy voice replied. “You are far too humble, Commodore. There is no one more suited for escorting the, heh, prisoner. ”

Nami felt her brows furrow. As the people appeared from behind a bend, she squeezed herself deeper into the shadows. And there he was. Compared to the other marines around him, Usopp was startlingly short, looking much more like a child than any of them. And yet, somehow, it almost seemed like they were grovelling for him , hunching their backs and wringing their hands.

She watched them as they moved past.

She should have expected it. After all, he was a sniper, and still, when his gaze abruptly snapped towards her hiding space, she could do nothing but flinch and try to pull further inside the darkness. He stared at her for a few seconds, face blank.

“Is something the matter, Commodore?” Going by the voice, the short, isopod-like man who just spoke was the same who had expressed himself earlier. Following Usopp’s gaze, he turned to look into Nami’s shadowed hiding-space. But his eyes were far less focused, uncertainly looking up and down at the darkness.

Usopp’s face jerked back to the slimy marine and watched him for a few seconds before speaking, “No, it must have been my imagination. Sorry.” And then, after a pause that was just a single beat too short, he said, “Then again, with Buggy’s crew, you can never really know. How can we know if they foresaw our decision to release him ahead of-,”

“Shush!” the slimy marine said forcefully before realising his fault. “Ah, ehm, I’m just… Commodore, I understand you are young. Please, do not talk so directly about these matters. Come, come, there are many levels left…”

Was it Nami’s imagination, or had Usopp said that last bit just a bit louder than usual?

…Then again, if what they were saying was true, then…

Her heart began to race and her blood drained from her face. They were going to execute him early. Had they caught onto their plans? No, if they had, then Nami would already be sleeping with the sea-kingsl. This was something else entirely.

Then, maybe… were the rumours true? Was Red-Hair Shanks actually coming?

She abruptly shook her head.

Quiet, Nami! The world is moving and you’re just sitting in a corner, trying to make yourself look small. You’ve gotta move, you’ve gotta do something ! Your captain is surely getting dragged away this very second and you’re just standing there ?

She was. Legs shaking, hands sweating, she stood there with her fingers clutched around a broom as if it could somehow save her. 

A sound, the rattle of nearby chains, brought her out of her frozen terror. Across the room, in a cell shared by at least two dozen, one lone man was looking at her. He was wearing the same old shackles and striped uniform as everyone else but his black hair was set up in a thin tail. Looking at him, she couldn’t help but feel like he was a pretty goofy thing to look at, with his rounded face and large lips. “What’re you looking at, girlie?”

Nami blinked. “Uh, nothing,” she said, stepping out of the shadows. 

Then, as if he’d only seen her face clearly now, he squinted his eyes. “Say, aren’t you that girl from the Buggy pirates?...”

She froze where she stood. “N-, nope! Haha, why should I be? Buggy pirates… What a weird name, huh?”

He looked at her for a few more seconds, his gaze only growing firmer. “Yeah, you are! We met in Alabasta, remember?”

“We did?”

He took to his feet, pointing at his face. “Don’t you remember? I was trying to turn your guys into statues, but then I got called away because my captain was getting his ass handed to him. Come on,” he waved at himself, “I’m Mister Three!”

Nami pursed her lips. “Alright, Mister Three. What’s my name?”

His face went blank. “Well, uh, you know, names aren’t really all that important, what’s really critical is that we know each other on like, a soul to soul-,”

“What. Is. My. Name?”

“Heh, uh.” He smiled. “Julia?”

Nami swivelled on her heel and headed towards where the marines were headed.

“Hey, noooo, hang on, hang on! Look, I know what you’re trying to do, so just…” He took a deep breath and placed his hands against the bars. “Look, if you let me out of here, I’ll help you rescue your captain. As easy as that!”

Nami turned around to look at him. She didn’t want to admit it, but she did recognize him from their brief stint in Alabasta. Finding the poneglyph had taken its fair share of time, but since they didn’t have anyone who could read it, they had only been able to take a few copies for later. She looked at the chained man. “What makes you think I’ve got a key?”

“I can’t see how you could imagine saving your captain without a few keys.”

She shrugged. With a slight jingle, she removed a healthy bundle of stolen keys from inside her pocket. Nobody had even seen her steal them. “Why should I save you?”

“Apart from the fact that I can survive Magellan’s poisons and you can’t?” She perked an eyebrow at him. He held up a finger. “I can’t show you right now, but if you take off these cuffs, I’ll be able to make keys out of my wax.”

“I already-,”

“Yeah, but do you have keys to the Sixth floor? ”

Nami frowned. “Sixth? Isn’t the fifth floor the lowest?”

Mister Three shook his head. “It isn’t, and to get there, you’re going to want my help.” She gave him a long, hard stare. “Oh, come on, what would I win by going behind your back?”

She shrugged. Then, silently, she stepped up to the bars and retrieved one of her many keys. He held out his seastone cuffs, and with the turn of a key, they fell off his hands with a great clatter. The man suddenly stood up straighter, flexing and clenching his hands a few times before letting them transform into great mounds of wax. “Well, well, well…”

By this point, a fair few of the nearby prisoners had gotten interested enough to approach, each one oogling her keys with great interest.

But they had no time to do anything before Mister Three elbowed his way through them and over to the gate, where he wasted no time shoving his finger in the lock and giving it a twist. The lock gave a clunk and the door slid open with a creak. Mister Three stepped out, and after a few seconds, the rest followed, grinning and chattering amongst themselves. 

Nami watched them for a few seconds. “Three?”

“Hm?”

She nodded at the other cells. “Open those, too.”

“...You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugged before doing as she said. Within a few minutes, all nearby cells had been opened, letting the excited prisoners spill out into the halls.

“LISTEN UP!” Nami shouted above the buzz, causing exactly no one to actually turn to look at her. Before she had time to gnash her teeth in irritation, someone handed her a white funnel. He looked over at Mister Three. “Oh, uh, thank you?” She brought it to her lips and carefully cleared her throat. “Erm, SHUT THE FUCK UP! ”

Silence.

“Being prematurely released: five million berry fee!” Over a hundred owlish eyes turned to her. She held up a small den-den mushi, the kind used to tap into marine-to-marine frequencies. “If you all just do as I say, I won’t report to anyone that there’s been a prison break, okay?” With the stunning silence meeting her, Nami gave a sweet smile. “Happy to hear it~.”

And then, as people could do nothing but listen in stunned silence, Nami enthusiastically described the plan that was sure to get at least half of them killed. But if they didn’t do it, they’d all die. Either that, or be up to their necks in debt.

“...Are we all clear on that~?”

Crickets.

She held up the sleeping den-den mushi.

“”“ Y-, YES, THIRD COMMANDER!”””

“ Great, just what I wanted to hear.”

Chapter Text

For a while, nobody had said anything, and Buggy was very much grateful for it. If there was anything he wanted that very second, apart from a few bottles of heavy-duty liquid amnesia, it was to not be reminded of what had happened. Of what Usopp had said. Of what Usopp had done.

Buggy didn’t really know how many hours he had simply sat there on the floor with his legs crossed in front of the bars, numbly touching his lips as though they would give him a run-down of key events and clues that led to this particular event. But his lips were quiet, unlike his mind. Over and over, he heard those simple little words - I love you - and over and over, he felt some soft something touch against his lips. 

It had been days, maybe weeks, and still, the thought made Buggy shiver and feel a hot flush come over him and then he’d bring his fingers to brush against his lips as though it might help him recall something new.

But he didn’t, and facts were facts.

On that note, it made a whole lot of sense, didn’t it? You know. With Usopp loving him.

It explained all of it except for why he’d ever love him. Buggy wasn’t a fool, he knew he had barely the shadow of a hope in that specific regard. As a kid, with the Roger Pirates, he’d never had time for girls, not that there were any on the ship. None that he could go after, at least. Even after that, when he’d gone on more of a solo venture, he hadn’t had any luck there, either. He’d been far too busy recruiting underlings to do his work for him. Oh, and constructing his now-patented Buggyballs. Very important, of course.

A childhood of no first loves combined with a fling-less adulthood equated to a realisation Buggy hated to have.

…Had Usopp stolen his first kiss?

It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t have been, but as he paced back and forth in his cell, that fact became all the more obvious. His first kiss. Stolen from him. By a kid , no less! A kid who had then simply taken off without letting Buggy say anything in response. Not that there was anything to say, of course not. 

Buggy paused in his pacing, eyes glued to the floor. His left eye twitched.

… Was there ?

Well, erm, no! Of course not! How could The Great Captain Buggy-Sama have anything to say to the words of a rookie with a little crush? No, as he had said before, Buggy was much too occupied with all manner of important things to have anything to do with such romances. He was the adult in the room, and so, it was up to him to stand firm. 

On what?

Staring at his feet, Buggy felt very much like a man holding a complex puzzle with no instructions to it. There had to be a solution to it, but he didn’t know it, and as a matter of fact, if he so much as tried to fix it, he probably wouldn’t even know when he got it right. Yes, that was what this was. A simple puzzle with a simple solution that he didn’t know, and, really, did he have to know it? In less than a week, he’d still be dead, no matter what his heart was persistently grumbling at him. What he felt down in those dark depths didn’t matter, not at-,

Down the hall, the clunk of a lock opening and the slide of a door let in a single stream of sunlight. A single pair of footsteps rang out and Buggy froze where he stood, staring out of his bars with bated breath and unwitting hope. 

Then the typical hourly guard moved through and Buggy felt himself relax again. 

But the second he realised what he’d done, he straightened out again, an angry blush overtaking his cheeks. He almost felt like slapping himself, but he didn’t want to go to his grave with a bruise marring his face. 

Buggy grit his teeth.

Alright, sure, maybe his feelings were a bit more complicated than just “Usopp bad”, but what did that matter now? He was going to die anyway!

Yes, whether he gave the whole ordeal thought or not, his fate wasn’t about to change. Let Usopp feel what he may, Buggy would still get his neck chop-chopped in the end.

A grinning young long-nosed marine’s face passed through Buggy’s head and he felt his chest tighten. Dying was one thing, but what about Usopp? The kid was barely even twenty, so how would he take this? Maybe Buggy should try to tell him something. Nothing big, just… Something to soothe his heart. Not that he loved him back or anything, that’d be really weird and also strange and unusual. Just… Something. 

While Buggy brooded on his future, the guard silently passed through, looking through the bars, making sure all the cells were locked up and such. Then, finally, he gave Buggy a long, hard look before leaving through the same door he came from. But he didn’t close the door. He let it stay open, and to the hallway outside, he said, “All clear, Commodore.”

Buggy felt his brows furrow. Commodore?...

Pressing his face against the bars, Buggy saw how the Guard held the door open for a small convoy of marines, led by a greasy-looking shortie, and…

Buggy turned to stone where he stood. 

There he was. As young as always, wearing the same blue-hued but formal clothes, with that same old coat ‘a justice draped over his shoulders. But there was something different about him. Somehow, he seemed… Mature. His back was straight and his eyes were seemingly calm. Then it hit Buggy. He was behaving the exact same way he had done back on the sea-train. All authoritative and strong, like a marine was supposed to be. When he had seen it last, he’d been more confused than anything.

But now that he actually had time to look at him, to take in his impressive act, Buggy felt his heartbeat grow slightly faster.

Scowling at himself, Buggy punched himself in the chest to keep his heart from being such a fucking idiot.

The marine convoy approached him and he didn’t know what else to do but to cross his arms and glance away and start whistling. Maybe if he didn’t look at Usopp he would stop feeling so weird. 

“Buggy the Clown?” 

Buggy’s face snapped back to the cell bars. There he was. He spoke like any marine should, but if Buggy looked into his eyes, he still had that nervous uncertainty hidden deep inside. The same that had been there for close to a year now. Buggy swallowed. “Uh, yeah?”

“You…” Shaking his head, Usopp closed his eyes. Then, he took a deep breath. “Buggy the Clown, you have been charged with seventy-two counts of piracy, fifteen counts of plunder and two charges of animal cruelty, as well as being apart of the crew of the former Pirate King. For these crimes, you will be executed by beheading.” Buggy stared at him, all of a sudden feeling very small. Then, with a heavy voice, Usopp said, “Please stand with your hands against the furthermost wall.”

“Huh? Oh, uh,” Buggy took a step away from the bars, “okay.” Once he did as asked, the cell doors were unlocked and two large marines stepped inside, unlocking his chains and slapping a pair of seastone cuffs on him so quickly he didn’t even have time to consider using his fruit. Equally as suddenly, he felt almost all his strength drained out of him. He barely had enough to stand. “What is…”

The chains to his cuffs were handed to Usopp, who said nothing in response. Buggy almost felt a little scandalised at his silence, but he knew exactly why this was.

They weren’t on Usopp’s little ship anymore. They weren’t even on Water 7, or Enies Lobby. This wasn’t a place where they could have a proper talk. Not anymore.

But this was too sudden. Much too sudden.

Hadn’t he had a few more days left? Maybe not enough to decide what to do, but it would have been enough to sort out his tangled feelings. Couldn’t he at least have that? 

Usopp led him out of his cell and Buggy walked with trembling steps. If anyone asked, he would’ve called it an effect of the cuffs. But that would’ve been a lie. He was afraid. Oh, God was he afraid. He wanted to run away. As far away as possible, he wanted to just run, run, run. But not with Usopp holding his chains. Usopp was strong. Easily enough to take him in a fight.

There was nothing he could do but try to keep himself from shivering to a noticeable degree as he followed Usopp through the hallway and out of the door. The eyes of his fellow prisoners were on him but he couldn’t bring himself to give any response. A braver man might have shown them a grin, but Buggy wasn’t his old captain. Buggy was Just Buggy. 

He almost wanted to cry, but at least he wasn’t that pathetic.

The marines walked quietly around him, as silent as a coffin consort. 

After a while, they entered into a small by-way Buggy hadn’t seen before, squeezed in-between two guard posts. The small corridor went on for around a minute, and then the little slimy marine stretched out a tubby finger and pressed a button on the wall. They waited a few seconds, and then there was a ding and a pair of doors slid open.

They entered the elevator.

It was a very small thing, and with the addition of Buggy, they only barely had space for all of them, leaving them as packed as canned sardines. Worst of all, Buggy stood pressed right into Usopp. Or maybe, considering their size difference, Usopp stood pressed into him. Neither of them could bring themselves to say anything, but going by the obvious blush on Usopp’s cheeks, his mind was surely running with a lot of interesting thoughts.

As for Buggy? Well, he was just as panicked, but he couldn’t exactly tell why. He just wanted to get out of there, or maybe say something, but if he said something, then the other marines would know they had an amicable relationship. Especially the three-tonne guy pressed against Buggy’s back would know it. He was practically inside Buggy’s own skin.

But as the elevator slid upwards, a little den-den mushi in the corner of the moving room spoke, “ Prisoners have escaped on levels one-through-three. Currently reported moving downwards. Be careful.”

For a few seconds, nobody said anything.

And then Usopp slammed his hand on the emergency-stop button and the elevator jerked to a stop. The shocked marines all swayed on their feet. “Commodore, what are you-,”

“There’s, um,” Usopp suddenly seemed much more like himself than he had been before, “a girl. Chore-boy. Like, on the second floor or something? When we were going down, I…” He pulled his lips tight. “I can’t let these prisoners hurt her.”

The short, slimy marine seemed more surprised than anyone. “Commodore, what are you talking about?” Usopp opened his mouth to respond, but the marine continued, “Regardless, a single chore-boy is unimportant. Rather, considering the ongoing prison-break we should hurry to our posts. The execution of the prisoner is far more important than saving the life of some low-ranked girl .”

“Her name,” Usopp bit out, “is Tinnie. ” His eyes locked onto the small marine. Mongoose and snake. “How can we possibly call ourselves arbiters of justice when we would rather kill someone guilty than save an innocent?”

The sludge-like marine squirmed. “Of course, a very compelling argument, Commodore. However, you assume there is no one better than you to save her. Magellan will surely deal with this little incident in a superior fashion.”

Usopp gave a grave nod. “I don’t doubt that, Captain. But he can’t know where Tinnie is, or what she looks like.”

The captain gave a sigh and shook his head. “Very well. However, I demand that you let us escort the prisoner from the island first. You may stay behind to handle this… Tinnie, so long as you are able to attend the ceremony later. Your presence is critical. But you already knew that.”

Usopp visibly relaxed. “Thank you.” He pressed the button on the elevator again, allowing it to return on its course. “I will return as quickly as I can.” 

And through it all, Buggy had done nothing but stare. Had he known so little about Usopp that his self-sacrificial nature regarding some miserable little chore-boy was surprising to him? Usopp had shown himself to be a just and capable marine, of course, but only ever in the sense of capturing pirates. Strangely enough, the thought that Usopp would be selfless enough to throw himself into battle with hundreds, if not thousands of escaped prisoners made Buggy’s heart skip a beat.

N-, not that he felt anything about it! Of course not. Usopp was a very regular boy, so it was only a matter of course that he would try to save some innocent little girl from the clutches of the evil pirates.

…Then again, the whole thing just felt off. A prison-break? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the seas? Something here wasn’t what it seemed, but Buggy wasn’t anywhere close to figuring out what it was.

So, mulling unhappily over his fate, Buggy simply stood there, letting himself be crushed to a paste by marines who appeared to be nothing but muscles and a skewed sense of right and wrong.

With a final ding, the elevator pulled to a stop and the doors opened, letting the marines (+ one flattened prisoner) slip out onto the upper layer of the prison. Out there, everything and everyone was abuzz, with guards and strange monsters running about erratically and one or two straggler prisoners being chained here and there.

They watched the commotion for a few seconds before bursting into movement, with Usopp handing the slimy marine the chains to Buggy’s cuffs before turning his back on them and running off into the chaos. But as he ran away, he gave a quick little wave to them and, most startling, a wink. Buggy barely had time to realise that the wink and wave were meant for him before the Captain pulled him away and onto a ship, and off they were.

Yeah, this was Hell, alright.

Nami was almost starting to regret this whole plan, but they’d already gotten to level 5, so what could they do but keep going? First it was burning fires, and now each and every one of her hard-earned comrades(-ish) were freezing to death. Maybe it would have been a bit nicer if they hadn’t been fighting off wolves, too. 

By rescuing every gullible prisoner she could find, they had been able to get this far. But without their telltale weapons or armours, there was little they could do to fend off the raging cold.

“I thought you knew how to get to the sixth level?!” Nami casually roared at Mister Three.

“I-, how am I supposed to know something like that? I’m not omniscient, all I know is that it does exist!”

“Well, you could be pulling my leg one that one, too,” Nami huffed back at him, trying to pull her freshly-skinned wolf pelt closer around her bare arms.

Mister Three scoffed, but when he realised she wasn’t kidding, he added, “Why would I even-, look, if that were the case, we would already have found your dear captain clown.” He looked at her for a few seconds through his ice-rimmed glasses. “Or - what? You think they sneaked him past us somehow?”

She shook her head. “No, no, I just…” Suddenly, a glint between a pair of trees caught her eye. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Mister Three deadpanned.

She pointed over at it, only to discover it gone. “Huh? That’s weird. I could swear-,”

“Hey, Third Commander! Over here,” someone shouted further back. Glancing back, Nami found him gesturing towards an opening in the stone walls. Beside him, two of his comrades were fighting off a small swarm of wolves. “I think it’s heading downwards!”

Nami and Mister Three shared a glance before both spinning around and running towards the opening. 

It was indeed the door leading down. It was pretty hefty, but with the combined might of the prisoners, they were able to open it wide before heading through. On the way down there, they had met quite a few beasts and guards, but with stunning teamwork and the threat of being killed - or worse, expelled! - they were able to persevere. Though, of course, there was a fair amount of running in fear.

The prisoners were waiting for her to walk through first. It was dark down there, but once they assaulted a guard and stole his keys, it became all too clear that the actual level itself was, somehow, even darker. It took Nami a few seconds before her eyes could even understand what she was looking at. But, indeed, it was actually a sixth level. 

The air down there was different. That was the second thing she noticed, beyond how dark it was.

It tasted stale, and while most air she had ever had, even at home, had carried a distinct tinge of salt and algae wherever you went, this one simply did not. It was an abrupt absence of everything she used to breathe and it felt so stale and unbreathed that she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to try it. But the people behind her were getting impatient to meet their new captain, so she had no choice but to stumble inside.

Dozens of eyes met her and she felt goosebumps break out over the entirety of her body. These people… She knew at a glance that she wanted nothing to do with them. There was something in their eyes that few people, even pirates, had. 

The only sound she could hear was the heavy beating of her own heart.

She felt like a statue of stone, and still, she forced herself to move. One step, two steps. Past the chained giants and the dark-haired woman with stunning blue eyes and… wasn’t that Crocodile? 

“M-, M-, Mister One!?” Mister Three blurted out. 

The dark-haired man watched his former subordinate for a few seconds before saying, in a voice as smooth as sand, “Mister Three. To think a useless piece of trash like you was able to escape.”

“Ah, um,” Mister Three seemed to want nothing better than to run away. “I had, uh, help.”

Crocodile’s gaze seemed to pierce right through him. Then, he stood up, and held out his chained hands. Mister Three blinked at them. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“You want me to-?” 

“I had never thought much of you, but I never believed you this daft. What else could I possibly mean?” Crocodile growled at him. But before Mister Three could be pressured into doing anything hasty, Nami placed her hand in front of his chest. Crocodile watched her with eyes that burned like molten sand.

“H-, how about we just hold our sea-bulls, huh?” She tried to give a smile, but it was so clearly faked and strained that not even Mister Three was impressed. “Sure, we could release you. But what’s in it for us?”

A pause. He held up his hand, showing four raised fingers. “Four hundred million berris.”

Nami’s heart almost stopped. “F-, four hundred!?” Her eyes transformed into berri-signs. “That’s enough to buy, like, four islands-!”

“Hey, Nami, snap out of it!” Mister Three cried, shaking her by the shoulders, but she was totally out of it. “How are you supposed to use your money if you’re dead?! Also, this is Mister One ! Who’s to say he’ll even-,” A pair of sharp eyes burnt into his back and he gave a feeble, apologetic smile. “Haha, not that you’re unreliable or anything like that~.”

“I gain nothing from killing you,” Crocodile said matter-of-factly. “As it is to you, my best bet is to escape here intact. To do so, I may need your help as well as you do mine. Consider the money a bonus, should we make it out alive.” Then, suddenly, he glanced away, and Mister Three saw something soft in his eyes that he could never remember seeing before. “Regardless, if this is about saving your captain , then I must admit I, too, would rather he leave here alive than dead.” Leaving no room for questions, he stated simply, “His presence had made this stay a smidgen more… entertaining.”

Nami pressed her lips together. She glanced over at her already sizable group of followers and made a quick decision. “-Release him. We don’t have time to mope around.”

“Y-, you’re sure?” She gave him a nod. “I’m not even sure if he has that kind of money, so-,”

“Just do it!” she hissed.

With a wax-key and the click and clack of chains and cell doors, Crocodile was released. For a moment or so, he simply stood outside the cell, wringing his wrists. He glanced at his right hand and watched carefully as it turned to sand and then back to flesh. He looked over at Mister Three. And then, in a burst of sand and speed Nami could barely even perceive, Crocodile grabbed Mister Three by the throat and held him up in the air, forcing the much smaller man to choke and gag and kick his legs uselessly. “G-, gck!?”

“C-, Crocodile, release him! You said you wouldn’t-”

In a voice so smooth it sent shivers down her back, he simply said, “I never said anything about not killing this dirty traitor. ”

“He’s one of our best sources of strength right now! Without him, we may very well not make it out of here!” Crocodile glanced down at her with eyes like a cold-blooded reptile but she stood her ground and kept her back straight. “Put him down,” she growled. “Or you’ll have to do this alone.”

For several seconds, they stood in a deadlock, ice versus fire. Then, his grip loosened and Mister Three clattered to the floor. “Tsk.” He glared down at the coughing and sputtering man on the floor. “If we meet after this… I will not hesitate.”

Mister Three seemed to believe him.

But they really didn’t have time for this. Turning around, Nami stomped down the hallway, her face bouncing from the cells on the left to the cells on the right, trying desperately to make out the shape of her captain’s characteristic round nose. Not there. Not there. Not there. Not the-,

A half-empty cell. It held only a large fish-man and unlocked, recently used chains. 

She slipped to her knees, staring forlornly at the quiet items inside. She couldn’t have known that this was where he had been, but somehow, she knew. She just knew. 

She should have expected this. Of course he wouldn’t be here. But then, where was he? They couldn’t have passed each other, she and her gang had been excruciatingly thorough, so… How?

From down the hallway, the answer resounded in the husky voice of a woman, “I would expect they brought him up by the elevator.”

Nami turned her head towards the voice. “Wh-, what?” There was no answer. Her chest felt hollow, but she had to know. So she took to her feet again and staggered down the hallway. In a cell empty save for one small silhouette, she saw her. A dark-haired, blue-eyed woman stared back at her, a strange, serene smile floating on her shadowed face. “Hello?”

“They took him away just the other hour. Quite the shame, he brought a lot of energy to this desolate place,” she said breathily. Just from her voice, Nami had expected a beautiful woman. But the white lily that sat inside the cell was so much more than that. She was aetherial, a nymph in human shape, and it only made Nami fear what kind of horrible crimes she must have committed to be banished to these depths of Hell. 

“Who are you?” Nami asked, hoping she wouldn’t recognise the name.

The woman smiled. “Robin,” she said. “Nico Robin.” It wasn’t a name Nami had heard before, and it just made her feel even weirder. “And you are the Third Commander of the Buggy Pirates. Nami.”

“Did Buggy, um, talk about me?”

Robin’s smile grew only bigger. “No, he didn’t. He had his hands full, I suppose. Not much time to talk about your crew when you’ve got such an adoring fan coming to visit.”

Nami didn’t have time for this. The only thing she had time for was to save her captain. “Why are you here?”

“I’m a historian,” she stated simply. “Or, in words you might be more familiar with,” her eyes grew sharper, “I can read poneglyphs.”

At this point, Nami’s brain was working at a million miles per hour, weighing the possible value of her as a member of the Buggy Pirates, whether or not she might weigh down their escape, if she could even be conned into being devout to Buggy, to begin with, if Nami had enough time to even try… “Will you join the Buggy Pirates?”

“Sure.” 

Nami stared at Robin. “If you do, I’ll release you, and we’ll protect you or whatever, you just need to be loyal to Buggy and only to-,”

“I agree.”

“...You agree?”

“Yes.”

Nami blinked at her. “Really? Like, seriously? I mean, no worries if you don’t want to, I just-,”

Robin took to her feet. She was tall. But somehow, it didn’t make Nami feel all that intimidated. She seemed - despite everything Nami had seen so far - nice. Robin leaned closer to the bars until Nami could have touched her without moving a step. Her bright blue eyes glittered like sapphires. “I would love to join the crew of someone so fascinating .”

“Um-,”

“Girlie!”

Down the hall, someone else shouted as well. “Please, if you are to release her, then release me as well! I do not mind whether you have me join your crew or not, but I wish to help you!” Glancing towards the voice, Nami realised that it was the fish-man she had seen before. “You may not believe me when I say this, but I hold sympathy for your captain. They originally locked me here because I refused to fight against Shanks, but at the same time, I cannot imagine letting Buggy die.”

“...What do you care?”

A small blush found its way onto Jinbe’s cheeks, something Nami could instinctually tell was not common for him. “I am, despite what you may believe, somewhat of a romanticist. The situation he is in…” The fish-man shook his head firmly. “It is not my place to speak on it. However, I believe that he stands for something important. Something that I have attempted to fight for during all my years as a pirate.”

Nami stared at him, uncertain.

“Is it not true that a large part of your crew is made up of fish-men?”

Nami blinked. “Well, sure. We absorbed them after he…” Her face darkened. “I wasn’t for it, at the time. They had done things to me that I could not forgive. But that was years ago. The one who did that is dead, and the world is much better off for it.” She saw carefully as the fish-man slowly slumped forward, dejected. “-But it doesn’t mean I hate your kind or anything. Most of the guys who did these things were just roped into it ‘cuz the main guy was a dick! So, to answer your question,” she smiled, “yeah, I’ve got fish-men friends. You wouldn’t be the first if you joined us.”

He looked up at her. “In that case, I would like to help you.”

She nodded. That was all the confirmation she needed. “Mister Three?”

“Aye!” He was on it before she had to ask anything else. Soon, the two prisoners had joined their ranks. But the rest on that floor were far from happy.

“Hey, what about us?!”

“That guy was funny! I don’t want him to die, neither!”

“If you let me go, I’ll give you twice the amount that other guy gave you - no, thrice ! I got the money, I swear!”

Nami turned to them. “- Shut up !! Do you think I don’t know the kind of people you are?! I’m desperate, but I’m not stupid !” She returned to her group. “Come on, we’ve gotta book it before they get him from the island! Either that, or they decide to send someone really strong after us.”

“””Yes, Third Commander!”””

Getting back up had gone pretty alright for about three floors. Strangely enough, there were very few guards to be found, and even the beasts seemed to have pulled back. Why this was only became obvious when they reached the second floor. By that point, quite a few of them were exhausted, likely as a side effect of barely moving for several years, alongside hardly eating.

There, on the second floor, they found what could best be described as an army. At least a thousand guards stood all at the end of a large hall. Among them, one could even spot large beasts standing on their hind legs, wielding weapons almost as massive as they were.

Nami and her prisoner entourage all stopped one after another. Neither side moved a muscle. It was a standoff. The first side to make a move might have had a chance at winning, but it wouldn’t be Nami’s.

Because on the other side, among the army of guards, a man towering above the rest stepped out. He wore a massive leather coat, easily large enough to dress one of the bipedal beasts, and on his head, he wore not only a typical officer’s hat but also a pair of demonic-looking horns. Nami knew exactly who he was because she had been at his beck and call for several weeks now.

The guards at his feet parted like waves until he stood at the very front of the army, clearly placing a lot of distance between himself and them. His eyes bored into hers.

“Tinnie,” Magellan said. His voice was heavy and echoed easily across the room. “To think you would betray us in this manner.”

Name tried to grin, but deep inside, she knew this might be the last thing she did. “I was never on your side, to begin with.”

From his pocket, Magellan retrieved a small wanted poster, small enough to be confused for a cigarette paper in his large hands. “‘Agile Acrobat Nami’. I should have recognised you.” Nami stared at him, hard. “I had not disliked you, but I cannot let you go any further.” He brought his voice to a boom, addressing all the prisoners as a whole, “ For the inexcusable crime of escaping your imprisonment, you are all hereby sentenced to immediate execution! ”

The prisoners shook at his decree, and then, the slaughter began. 

“Toxic-Toxic: Hydra!”

From Magellan’s back, three dragon heads made of a transparent purple poison extended, each gaping and grinning at their future victims. Similarly, Magellan’s entire body found itself coated in poison. A few nearby guards fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth from standing too close to the deadly poison. Even the faint odours emitted from the poison was enough to kill.

Unconsciously, Nami took a step back. 

Seemingly noticing her weakness, the middle head reared and threw itself towards her, moving so fast it was clear she had no chance of running, or even of blinking. 

This was it. 

Caught by an old fear, Nami squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to face the end. But no painful death came. Slowly, she opened one of her eyes. Before her stood a massive white wall. Mister Three stood next to her, arms stretched out. “Wax Wax: Candle Wall.”

Across the room, Magellan approached. He had plenty of heads left, and he wasn’t afraid to use them. But every time he sent one out, a wax wall appeared to block it. 

She was almost starting to feel a sense of hope when the wax wall was suddenly broken down by a flaming sword. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say it simply melted in record speeds? And there, right there on the other side, stood Hannyabal. She’d always liked him, he was somewhat silly but always took his duties very seriously. And here he was, with a flaming sword raised high. 

Moving faster than she could see, Crocodile appeared to block the sword with the golden hook on his left hand. “The hell are you lying there for?” he chastised her.

She was about to shoot something seething back at him when she felt someone grab her arm. And then another person. And another. She glanced back, smiling, and said, “Thank you, that’s very-,” only to find that she had not been grabbed by a person, per se, but rather a number of disembodied arms and hands sticking out of the ground.

In less than a second, Nami grew about fifteen shades paler.

But the arms didn’t react to that, instead choosing to simply push her to her feet once more. Then, in a burst of pink petals, the body-less limbs disappeared. Leaving Nami with just about a million and one questions. And then she noticed that, a few paces away, Robin was waving at her. Unsure of most things except for that Robin must have had something to do with the occurrence, Nami waved back at her. 

A clang and the whipping of sand and winds brought her attention back to the fact that they were currently in the middle of a battle. Crocodile and Hannyabal had apparently moved away from the prisoners, now fighting close enough to the army of guards for Crocodile to reap the lives of a fair few of them. Nami tried not to think about how she recognised some of them. 

But she had no time to breathe, because the second she stopped looking at them, she found that Magellan had in turn moved closer to them, and right as she noticed that, one of his three dragon’s heads came bursting down from overhead. Mister Three was able to form a wax barrier above them, but this only caused the poison to splash away from them and onto the nearby prisoners like water off of a spoon. 

The dying screams of anguished criminals reached her ears and all of a sudden she felt so very, very useless. Even Mister Three could do nothing but attempt his best to uphold the barrier, but Magellan was persistent. Poison upon poison, death upon death, he poured it all on them until Nami was pretty sure he was about to flood the whole level.

And then, out of nowhere, she heard a shout. The voice was familiar but new, but that isn’t what she thought about.

No, from somewhere, she heard someone shout, “Special Star: Seastone Burst Shot!” and then something hit Magellan in the back and he gave an uncharacteristic scream in pain before toppling over, bringing his suddenly limp and inanimate dragons with him. Falling as they did, one of the dragon heads collapsed onto a fair number of the guards, resulting in casualties beyond what the prisoners had experienced.

For a second, nobody moved. And then, “Special Star: Firewall!” A series of bangs rang out, each next to each other, and from below the dome-like wax barrier, Nami saw how a wall of fire was erected between them and the guards, going so far as to split up Hannyabal and Crocodile’s battle.

Silence. Nothing to be heard but the gasps of the dying and the crackling of the wall of fire. 

After a few moments, Mister Three finally gave in and released his wax barrier.

Finally, Nami was able to see the man who had saved them. Perched on a cell high in the air, situated in an almost invisible crevice to either side, was a man in a strange mask, wearing a large black cloak. She felt her eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. And while she tried to understand what the hell was happening, she was able to see with great awe how the man, with all the agility of a monkey, leapt down from so high above, jumping from cell to cell before finally landing on the ground with a small roll. She knew they called her an acrobat, but this was beyond anything like that.

The man stood up and all of a sudden she knew exactly who he was. Sure, almost his entire face was hidden, but it was that almost that made her so sure. See, his nose was visible. His abnormally long, characteristic nose. His curly black hair was also let down, and she knew just as well what that was.

What she couldn’t fathom was why Marine Commodore Usopp would be there, wearing a mask, shooting at his own troops. 

Speaking of…

“Urrghh,” Magellan groaned where he laid on the ground. As the name implied, it seemed like he’d been hit not just with a shot of sharpened seastone, but instead a shot of sharpened seastone that exploded . Seemingly unwilling to leave such a loose end, the disguised marine turned towards him, raised his slingshot (of all things) and loaded a small blue bead into it.

“Restraining Star: Snooze Shot.” With the snap of a rubber band, the small shot flew at Magellan before exploding right in his face into a puff of blue smoke. The Head Warden took two breaths of it before slumping over fully.

Nami stared at him. “...Why?”

The marine turned back to him. “Uh, um.” Somehow, even though she couldn’t see his face, she just knew he was embarrassed. “No need for thanks! For I - the great Sogeking - do not need appreciation to do a good job! It just helps a little, you know. It’s always nice to hear people appreciate what you do, but, uh, I can make do. Yeah, it doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Sogeking?” she said, tasting the word. King of snipers, was it? She glanced over at Magellan. 

Yeah. That would work.

Mister Three appeared at her side, looking suspiciously at the newcomer. “Who the hell is this?”

Nami glanced between Mister Three and ‘Sogeking’. “This is…” the marine squirmed beautifully under her gaze, but even she wasn’t sadistic enough to squander his help, “-Sogeking. King of snipers, you know?”

“No, I don’t know. Where the Hell did he come from?” 

Nami shrugged and crossed her arms. “Not important. All you need to know is that I trust him, and that’s that. You copy?” No response. “Great! Love to hear it. Now,” she glanced at the burning wall of fire in front of them, “any idea how we might get past Mr King-of-snipers’ firewall?”

Nobody said a word.

Nobody except Sogeking. “Uh, well, you can always go the other way?” She stared at him, urging him to continue. “Y-, yeah, uh, I mean… This place was kinda built to be confusing, right? In case of, you know, this , so there are a lot of different routes. You know. If you know them. Which I do, thankyouverymuch.”

“And how do you know them?” Crocodile asked, approaching from where he’d fought Hannyabal. 

“Oh, that’s easy, just in case you ever get lost, they teach you all of them at the aca-,” Sogeking suddenly swallowed his words. “Th-, that’s… Not important? Look, do you wanna save Buggy or not?”

Crocodile watched him for a long, hard moment before turning away. “Just show the way, long-nose.”

And with that, the ex-shikibukai stalked away, leaving Sogeking to watch him go forlornly. “Did he-? Does he…?” A small pause. “…Nah. Can’t be.”

“So?” Nami said, suddenly standing so close to Sogeking it made him jump. “Time is kinda short, ‘Sogeking’. How about you stop moping around and get us there?”

“Y-, yes, of course! That shall be done! Yes!”

Apparently, as it turned out, one of the many cells featured on display actually happened to have two sides that faced the hallways, so if you walked straight through it, you could get to another part of the level. From there on, getting to the first level was simply a matter of fighting through guards and beasts, something that was apparently rather easy with Uso-, erm, Sogeking on their side. 

He’d load a small black ball into his slingshot, aim, and then when he pulled the band and shouted “Sinking Star: Cannonsmall!” it would whistle through the air like a cannonball, and hit like one, too. When Nami first saw it, she had been able to do nothing more than stare and ask, “Hey, uh, what the hell was that?”

He’d held up a small black ball, and said, “This? Oh, uh, I call it a ‘cannonsmall,’ but it’s really just a small cannonball. Hence the, heh, name. It’s made by a totally different material, but it weighs the same as a normal-sized cannonball. See, someone once told me I could throw cannonballs, and apparently, I can, so… But keeping cannonballs on you at all times is a huge hassle, so this way, I can pack a punch while still looking sleek!”

Nami had blinked at him, and all she could think to say had been, “Oh, Buggy did the same thing a while back.”

“...Did what?”

“Okay, more like, two months ago or so, but - you know his patented Buggy Balls? He loved them too, but they were way too big, so he made these tiny variants. I think he called them Muggy balls or something?” A snort. “He’s brave, I’ll tell you that. He created incredibly unstable explosives, and his first thought was to install them in the soles of his shoes! I tried to bring him out of it, to argue that losing a foot might not be all that good of an idea, but it was impossible. No talking him out of it.”

And, strangely enough, Sogeking gave a wistful sigh. “Yeah, he’s like that, isn’t he?”

“...Guess he is. Sogeking.”

It didn’t take long to reach the upper level, and at that point, there was nothing stopping them. As expected, Buggy was nowhere to be seen, but that was far from unexpected. They knew where he would be next, so all they had to do was hijack a marine vessel and hold the gates of justice open long enough for it to pass through. But to do that, they had to leave someone behind. Unsurprisingly, Sogeking volunteered himself. “I’ve got my own reasons to stay behind, so, uh, don’t worry! I’m not gonna die or anything.”

Nami decided not to tell him that none of them knew enough about him to miss him all that much. Either way, they boarded a ship, said their farewells, and headed to Marineford.

At the same time, Usopp slipped out of his disguise and found a ship and crew to borrow for the trip home. Over the den-den mushi to the captain, he explained that he ran into unexpected trouble when some hoodlum prisoner stole and hijacked his weaponry, causing great damage, but that he had been able to defeat him after a long and arduous fight. He would soon be at Marineford.

All in time for Buggy’s execution.

Chapter Text

Darkness. 

From the Sixth Level, to a warship, and now to yet another holding cell. Nobody would tell him anything, but Buggy could taste the stress in the air. The few low-level grunts who walked by his cell seemed to view him with a reluctant determination, as though swearing some vow inside their heads. But what did Buggy care?

Considering everything, the fact that he had been able to get this far without breaking down into a curled-up pile of sobs and heaves was a bit of a miracle. He certainly felt like doing it, but not in private. Not like this, where nobody would care. It would be pathetic, completely unlike him. No, if he was to have a long-overdue mental breakdown, he wanted someone he knew to be there with him. It didn’t even have to be anyone he knew all-too-well, so long as they might sit next to him and put a hand on his back and maybe hug him and k-,

Buggy touched his lips but quickly retracted his fingers. He shook his head for what might very well be the last time. What was the use in thinking about things that wouldn’t matter in a couple of hours? 

So, with an extraordinary sense of numbness, Buggy leaned against the back of his cell. After about half an hour (he couldn’t tell exactly, time was bleeding together), a few marines swarmed into his cell out of nowhere, and Buggy really had expected this to be it, but all they did was switch up his cuffs so that they kept his hands behind his back instead. It was a lot more restrictive before, and he found out pretty quickly that sitting down normally wasn’t comfortable anymore. So, he paced. Back and forth, up and down his little lonesome cell.

And then it was time. The cell doors were opened again, and there stood Usopp. He looked a bit battered, and the smell of gunpowder clung to him like an angry ghost. But it was him. His face was about as expressive as a piece of cardboard and Buggy felt the same way. 

They didn’t say a word to each other. 

Usopp led him out of the cell and down a quiet hallway. Nobody else followed, and for just a few seconds, they were all alone.

Usopp spoke first, his voice low and hushed, “I’m sorry.”

Buggy had expected that. “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re doing what you promised, aren’t you?” 

The younger man turned his eyes downcast. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“This is how it always turns out, kid. It’s an old story, and we’re not the first ones to tell it.”

“Yeah, but…” They approached a door. Usopp paused for just a few seconds before he placed his hand on the doorknob. “I had hoped this would have been a different kind of story.”

The door slid open silently, and for just a second Buggy was too blinded by the sudden light to really understand what was happening out there. In all his years, as part of several different pirate crews, Buggy had seen a lot of marines, often in groups, sometimes entire armies. But nothing like this. Beyond the wooden walk board that led to the scaffolding that he would make his final home, a sea of white-dressed soldiers and officers stood. Some in more erratic formations, others lined up in a pristine formation. Along the edges of the Marineford building, facing the empty bay, stood a long line of justice cape-wearing giants. Buggy didn’t even know they had giants.

Maybe it was a bit weird of him considering that he was about to be cut up and served on what appeared to be live television (judging by the den-den mushi’s), but Buggy found himself gawking at all the attention he was getting for the mere act of being executed. Down there, he could even see the admirals! Each and every one of them seemed like they would much rather be anywhere else, which made Buggy feel a strange sense of pride. Maybe he couldn’t punch them directly in the face, but he could certainly make them bored!

Ah, he really had stooped down low, hadn’t he? Not that it mattered much, anyhow.

Usopp led him out onto the scaffold where he was chained down into a kneeling position, at which point Usopp stepped away once more, likely to join the other officers. Buggy felt a little sad to see him go, but what did that matter? Despite everything, he had a really good view. The sun had almost started falling, so if the whole deheading took place in around three hours as expected, it would be just in time for him to watch the sunset one final time.

He’d always liked the sunset. By that time of day, there wasn’t anything that needed to be done anymore, apart from sitting up in the crow’s nest. Maybe it was cowardice on his part, but he never partook in too many battles, always content to keep look-out while his crewmates went and got famous. There weren’t all that many pros to being the lookout, but one of them had definitely been the sunsets. Whether they dipped into the sea or hiked down the back of an island, they were always a sight to see.

Yeah. He’d look forward to it. 

Suddenly, there was a shift of some sort, as though a wind of unease had passed through all gathered members, putting their teeth on edge. Buggy was no different, and so when a pair of footsteps approached him from behind, he was all-too well aware of it. He knew exactly who it was, too. They were heavy and large, but stoic and gentle. From the corner of his eye, Buggy watched as Fleet Admiral Sengoku approached, his face stuck in the same expression you might have if you stubbed your toe at five AM. It was delightfully constipated, but Buggy couldn’t bring himself to find any glee in it. 

Sengoku finally stopped right next to Buggy, at which point he retrieved a small den-den mushi from inside his coat. He turned to address the den-den mushi’s pointed his way. 

“ The man at my side stands accused and convicted of several crimes worthy of his current position. However, no such crime can hold a candle to the inexcusable sin that is his former affiliations. ” With that, Sengoku turned towards Buggy, affixing him with a gaze that could freeze stars. “ I trust you have the sense to explain this yourself. ” Sengoku held out the den-den mushi towards him, like a reporter asking for a comment.

“Um,” Buggy replied. Sengoku nodded at the den-den mushi and Buggy tried to scooch closer to it, but he was chained to the floor, so he couldn’t. With a small sigh, Sengoku stepped closer to him, letting the dread pirate speak directly into the small communications snail. “ Yeah, uh. You mean Roger? ”

Sengoku quickly returned the den-den mushi to his face to say, “ Yes, ” before returning it to Buggy.

Buggy stared at the snail before glancing out at the people nearby. “ You know, that’s totally just rumours. Very flashy rumours, but, uh. ” He tried to point a finger at himself, but with his hands tied behind his back, he was unable to. “ You seriously think a guy like me could sail with Go-, uh, the Pirate King? ”

The look Sengoku gave him implanted in Buggy the idea that Sengoku probably agreed that this whole mess was way too much for a pirate who dressed up as a clown. But he couldn’t say that on international television, so he simply brought back the den-den mushi and said, “ The status of your former affiliations are not under debate. ”

“Oh,” Buggy replied. The den-den mushi was brought back to him and for a moment he wondered if the World Government couldn’t afford to get two den-den mushi’s for this. “ That’s, um, a shame. ”

That was all he really had to say on the matter, and for once, Sengoku seemed to catch on because he apparently decided, at this point, to go on a long spiel about all the evils Buggy had committed and why he really did deserve this, and how the reason they were making such a big deal of it was only because of the possibility that Shanks might attack, and anyways it might make a good metaphor to say that his death would lead to the final end of the Roger Pirates. He said it in a lot more flowery language, but Buggy was honestly just too bored to really care. Couldn’t they just execute him already?

Buggy had completely zoned out, but he was brought back to the present by the stunning echo of silence that rang across the plaza. He lifted his eyes from the scaffold below. 

There, beyond the bay, there was a creak. Buggy’s eyes widened.

Wasn’t that the Gates of Justice? The ones that weren’t supposed to be opened? Like, at all?

It seemed Sengoku and most of the other marines had had a similar thought, because the silence among them quickly led to an outbreak of mild panic as any and all officers of any substantial rank began barking orders. Apart from the Admirals, of course. For some reason, it always seemed like they never really gave any real orders. They were just strong lapdogs for the government. 

But here, even they clearly felt a tremor. 

The massive gate so large it might as well have been a part of the sky opened to reveal a single, lone ship. From so far away, Buggy could only barely make out the figurehead. It was large and blocky, seemingly depicting a dragon mid-roar. And then it slid further inside the gates, as calmly as an approaching shark, and Buggy could clearly make out the Jolly Roger emblazoned on the sails.

“Sh-, Shanks?...” Buggy stammered. 

But as soon as the name slipped from his lips, he realised that it wasn’t just Shanks. No, from behind that one, lone ship, barely hidden by a wave-like fog, approached a swarm. Just at a single glance, Buggy counted dozens. Maybe even more. It was a truly jaw-dropping amount, but the only thing Buggy could consider was that he must have been procrastinating. Being down there in Impel Down must have done a number on his sanity, considering that it could come up with such an unrealistic scenario. 

Like, come on. Why would Shanks ever rescue him? Sure, they’d been next to brothers, and Shanks had been one of the few people Buggy had ever considered his true friend, but who was to say that Shanks felt the same about him? It was just as likely that Shanks (assuming he was actually there and not a hallucination) had come there to simply observe and make sure Buggy actually did drop his head.

Maybe. 

At least, that might have been the case had it only been Shanks’ ship. No, as the others arrived, Buggy couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of recognition well up inside of him. Several of the ships that now reared on the horizon were of his own make and crew, with other ships being ones that Buggy could remember only in passing. The Harpoon Pirates, led by Captain Cutsk, aka. that guy Buggy had shared a drink with in Orange Town. Captain Troll, Captain Roller, Captain Fryingpan… 

What the hell were they doing there?

And that wasn’t even to mention the one, imposing marine warship that sailed beside the Red Force. Atop that, Buggy could just barely make out that familiar burst of red hair. 

Hadn’t he told them they’d meet on Sabaody? Who did they think they were, actively disobeying his orders?

Buggy bitterly grated his teeth. This wasn’t right. What the hell was going on? Only he was supposed to die! 

But as Buggy’s mind raced with sour thoughts and his chest filled with black sewage, the true forces of this impending war began to view each other with some form of readiness. Sengoku stood tall where he remained on the scaffold, watching with piercing eyes how the forces of the Red-Hair Pirates and all their affiliates drew closer. 

Atop the figurehead of the Red Force stood that infamous Emperor of the Seas. With his face half-hidden by a straw hat, the only feature visible was that ever-present grin of his. 

Once the ship got close enough, Shanks spoke. “I had thought you would know better than to try to execute my brother, Sengoku.”

A profound silence permeated the impending battlefield. The only sounds to be heard was the drawing of shaking breaths and the gentle clink of weapons being readied. 

Sengoku crossed his arms. “You must know what this would mean, Red-Hair.”

The pirate’s grin broadened. “Of course.” A tilt of the head brought his bright, clear eyes into view. “Buggy!”

Buggy jerked at the sudden mention, only barely stopping himself from looking around at any other possible Buggy’s. “Y-, yeah?”

“Just you sit tight. We’re coming.”

Buggy swallowed. “Well, uh, don’t!” For a second, nobody moved. “L-, look, I appreciate the gesture and all, heh, real flashy, but it’s okay! I… I don’t need saving. Really.” He tried to smile, but it simply devolved into a frown instead. “I don’t need to drag any of you down into my mess with me. This is my burden to bear, so-,”

“I don’t think you heard me,” Shanks replied simply. 

Buggy sputtered. “I heard you, numbskull! I may be like fifty yards away, but my hearing’s just fine!” he shouted back at him. He would probably have shaken a fist at him if he hadn’t been chained down. “And it’s not like you’re telepathic, so how could you even-,”

“ Sit tight, ” Shanks commanded. Buggy froze where he knelt. “We’ll get you out of there.” Shanks was always smiling, from the very minute Buggy had first met him, but never had he seen it like this. Never had he seen a smile look less like a smile. But then it transformed back into a smile and his eyes softened. “After this is done and over with, how about we go grab a couple of beers to celebrate your new bounty?”

Buggy prepared himself to shout something about how his bounty was the same as it was last, but Sengoku spoke first, breaking up their friendly conversation with lethal reality. “Should you advance so much as an inch closer, we will declare war. Is that clear, Red-Hair Shanks?”

“It’s clear,” Shanks replied. Then, in a simple but majestic movement, he lifted his long, elegant sword to the skies. For a second, it seemed like the longest thing in the world. “ Very clear.” And with a swift swing, he brought down the sword, as simply as someone might chop a melon in two. But this was no normal swing. At the very touch of it, it appeared as though the very molecules of air were sliced in its wake, the atmosphere cracking and parting before his touch.

The slash transferred across the seas and the soldiers and the stone and in one, single slash, a gash was opened across not just the sea, or the marines, but so too the walls and the rooms and the very foundation of Marineford.

The HQ Building was sliced neatly in half. 

Buggy glanced to his right, and found that the slash had only barely missed the scaffolding. The destruction down below was incredible. It was as though someone had simply opened up a long, completely even slice of the earth. People, weapons, ships and buildings were nothing before it and Buggy was happy that Shanks hadn’t aimed at him . Or at Usopp, for that matter. 

Sengoku wasted no time shouting his declaration of war.

From there on out, Buggy was almost completely in a daze. Not that there was much for him to do.

Chapter Text

Seemingly intent on dicing the entirety of Marineford, Shanks raised his sword once more. Wasn’t this a bit too much? Even worse, was Buggy in need of glasses, but was Shanks almost aiming straight at him ?

Buggy gulped. No, that was definitely what it looked like.

Shanks’ eyes gave a predatory glint and Buggy tried to scooch out of the way, but chained to the scaffold, it was all too clear what was about to happen. “H-, hey, don’t aim at me , asshole-!” But with the flick of a wrist, Shanks lowered his sword. First, the top of the HQ tower split once more, and then the upper levels, and then…

A flash of light burst across the bay and the slash stalled, mere inches from the height of the scaffold. “My, my, how scaryyyy~.” Buggy blinked at the brightly shining star hovering a hundred metres above most marines. There, Kizaru stood mid-air, his right arm raised and holding a sword of concentrated light. It shone so brightly that even Buggy who was well and far away from the action could barely look straight at it. Now he understood why Kizaru always wore shades. It wasn’t just the drip. 

Shanks broke out into an ear-splitting grin, and then he was gone. Buggy wasn’t even sure if he’d seen it correctly, but he was definitely gone. 

All nearby marines must have noticed it as well since there was a short burst of commotion among the lower-levelled grunts.

And then, it happened. Buggy felt it before he saw it. 

A shockwave of immense power and magnitude resounded from the air above the bay, alongside an incredible corona of light. Far below, all nearby marines fell over, and even Buggy, who was about as far away as anyone, felt his scaffolding tremble and whine as the power of a Yonko and an Admiral clashed. It was so bright that one might have assumed the sun had dropped out of the sky and exploded right above them. 

Buggy almost couldn’t look at it, but he had to know what was happening. So, with the care of a man trying to watch the solar eclipse without glasses, he peeked an eye open. There, suspended in the air, the two swordsmen fought, their swords and bodies moving at such a speed that they both formed into what could best be described as a blur. It was hard to see anything, especially since he was so far away, but if he really strained his eyes, he was able to notice how Shanks had his eyes closed, moving entirely by what must have been instinct. 

And for a moment, just a moment, Buggy wondered what he might have become, had he not exiled himself to the crow’s nest.

And then the moment passed and time seemed to move again, all caused by the meteorite that appeared to form on the side of the bay, strangely enough moving upwards instead of downwards. No, it wasn’t quite a meteorite, it was more of a giant ball of flaming magma, rising upwards to join the battle. 

“Akainu!” Sengoku barked, startling Buggy to the point that he had no choice but to whip his head around to face him. The Fleet Admiral appeared just as constipated as before, but his face had grown dark, his teeth gritted and eyes burning. But he wasn’t looking at the magma Admiral, no, he was more so looking at the army of marines that stood below Shanks’ and Kizaru’s battle. A small lightbulb went off in Buggy’s head and he couldn’t help but feel a twang of pity. If Akainu joined the battle, lava would rain like hellfire from above. The whole battlefield would become a human barbecue.

But either Akainu didn’t hear Sengoku, or he didn’t care, because he simply continued ascending upwards. 

Until a bang rang out and he suddenly plummeted back to the ground, splashing only a few dozen marines with liquid fire. It was clear where the bang had come from, and Buggy instantly turned to look at the Red Force, where Ben Beckmann stood atop the figurehead, his large flintlock trained on none but Akainu. Even from so far away, it was clear what he was saying. “You’d better stay out of it if you value your own troops.”

Akainu, in response, intelligently growled and threw himself to his feet, again letting the lower half of his body form into a burning trail as he flew across the battlefield with no consideration for the troops who had been unable to scramble out of his way. 

In response, likely so as to avoid damaging the ship, Beckmann leapt away from the figurehead, landing on the shore just in time to intercept Akainu’s charge. The explosion of heat that followed their clash spread far enough for even Buggy to feel a wave of hot air, alongside the smell of cooked meat. 

Apparently not wanting to be left out, Aokiji rose from his seat, moving easily across the battlefield. Well, calling it a battlefield might be a bit generous since it was more or less a panicked mess of grunts all trying to run away from the battles of people who could only be called human in a tangential sense. But despite running for their lives, they at least had the sense to know to part before Aokiji.

It only took a minute or so before he reached the shore, where he kneeled down, touched the water, and said, “ Ice Age. ”

The entire bay froze in a matter of milliseconds. Every ship, of which there were dozens, were frozen in place, some further away, some mere inches from touching down on the strand. They were stuck. There would be no escaping. However, that didn’t mean that the pirates would be too afraid to do anything. No, the moment they gained such a nice foothold, any and all pirates who were able to do so jumped down from their ships, swords and guns and weapons raised high. Sure, a few slipped and fell, but for the most part, this simply worked to make land of what was once sea.

With this, the war could truly begin. 

However, Aokiji stood firm on the very front lines. Knowing him, a single swipe of the arm could easily bring down a whole army, and the very thought made Buggy’s blood freeze to ice.

“Where are you looking, fella?” Saying something as strange as that, a large, green-clad man crashed into Aokiji, who was so startled by the appearance that it took him a moment too long to recover his form. That split second was enough for Lucky Roux to get in a number of hard-hitting smashes with what appeared to be a half-eaten meat-on-the-bone. Just the thought that someone apart from Big Mum’s entourage would have the guts to fight with food was enough to bring Buggy’s mind to a total standstill.

With their one big obstacle out of the way, the literal army of pirates saw no reason to hesitate in running across the ice and then onto the beach, though with the battle between Aokiji and Lucky Roux ongoing, they did need to keep a fair distance.

Down below, Buggy heard some officer or another shout, “Charge!!” and with that, the marine soldiers apparently realised that they were supposed to be moving towards the pirates, not away from them. From so up high, watching the two immense crowds of people move towards one another was impressive. Any and all marine formations had completely collapsed, and the pirates never had any, to begin with, so it became a complete slugfest. 

Pirate against marine, grunt against officer. 

It was almost too much for Usopp to bear simply watching. 

In accordance with his orders, Usopp stood a small bit away from the scaffolding, together with a few other high-ranking officers. From so high up, he’d had a very good view of the entire battle going on down below. As a sniper, he held great pride in his phenomenal eyesight, but at this moment, he began to view it more as a curse. From so high up, he could see everything .

He saw how the higher-ranking members of the Red-Hair Pirates soon clashed with not just the lower-ranked marines, but also with the marine giants. Some of these giants had ranks approaching Vice-Admiral, and still, before the might of Red-Hair Shanks’ closest confidants, they might as well have been massive targets instead. The ones that didn’t find themselves pelted with bullets and slashes and cannonball shots were instead brought down by other means. 

Not that the lower-ranked recruits fared any better. Looking down at them, Usopp tried his best to pretend that he didn’t recognise some of them from his time in the academy. These recruits were little apart from fodder to keep the weaker pirates at bay, but when faced with any truly strong pirate, they might as well have been air. It was an unhappy thought, but Usopp could imagine pretty well that a large part of their presence had simply been a play for power - a way to show off the might of the marines.

These recruits, hopeful young marines who had yet to ascend in their ranks, men with lovers and parents and children waiting for them at home, were crushed like insects.

Whether it be below the falling meat-mountain of a dying marine giant or as an indirect result of straying too close to the battle of human monsters, they all dropped like flies. Some could hold their own, of course, but what was the use? With his incredible eyes, Usopp saw every detail. The marine who had taken fifteen bullets and five slashes but refused to fall. The officer trying to comfort a dying recruit. The man who simply ran and ran and ran until, all of a sudden, he couldn’t run any more, and when he fell over, the only thing remaining of his back was a gaping hole filled with slowly cooling magma. 

Usopp felt his eye twitch. 

From the scaffold, Sengoku cried, “Don’t stand there gawking, join them!” 

It took Usopp a moment to realise that he wasn’t alone in simply standing there, so high up, watching the death that occured down there. A fair few Commodores, Rear-Admirals and Vice-Admirals were apparently unable to move. Or, they had been, until Sengoku shouted at them, at which point they all gave a hasty salute before leaping into the action. 

But Usopp didn’t. He gulped, and pulled out his slingshot. Yes, of course, he didn’t have to really join the battle or anything. He was just a sniper. His best bet was to stand up there, and take out people from afar.

With that in mind, he reached into his satchel and tried to grab a Cannonsmall, but his fingers were so slippery that he dropped it twice, until he was finally able to pick it up. Had it always been this heavy?

Unsure, Usopp loaded the little ball into his slingshot, feeling how the upgraded rubber bands stretched under the weight. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was a cool dagger. He could do this. Lifting the slingshot, he pulled back the band and took aim. He looked down at the pirates. There were many places where groups of them fought off marines. All he had to do was find someplace where they maybe stood in a line. Yes, that was it. A line of pirates, and then he could just let it loose and it would smash through them all and maybe he’d get another medal.

Slowly, with trembling hands, he scanned the battlefield. He found it. Right to the side, there was a group of pirates who seemed much more interested in dashing for the scaffold than anything else. Usopp let his hands grow still. He focused his gaze on them.

And he would have done it, had he not caught sight of a burst of orange hair. Yes, there she was. Running as though her life depended on it, which it probably did. To her sides, the allies she had painstakingly gathered worked to clear a path by killing, maiming or incapacitating anyone who got in their way.

Usopp paused, his eyes hovering over them. 

He swallowed. And then, he pulled away his slingshot and aimed elsewhere. Up, up in the sky, where the Emperor and the Admiral were fighting. Yes, if he could only shoot down that red-haired man, or even just distract him, then Kizaru could do his thing. Or maybe it did nothing at all. That would also be good.

Content with finding a solution to his question, Usopp pulled the band back again, took aim, and let loose the Cannonsmall. The tiny projectile whistled through the air, too small for most people to see, headed towards the back of Shanks’ neck with impeccable accuracy. Even if it didn’t hit, Shanks would surely be taken by surprise by the attack.

That was, if it reached at all.

Suddenly, there was another whistling across the battlefield, coming from the other side, erupting the split second that Usopp had loosened his own shot, and in a crash so small no one but Usopp could have been able to see it, the Cannonsmall collided mid-air with another, equally small projectile. Usopp felt his heart stop in his chest, and with sudden panic, he turned to see where the shot had come from. Who in the world could possibly snipe well enough to be able to shoot down a fired projectile?

With wide eyes, Usopp searched the battlefield, until finally, he saw him, wearing a starry cape, standing atop the figurehead of the Red Force, holding a smoking gun in his hand.

Usopp’s eyes locked onto Yasopp and Yasopp’s eyes locked onto his. 

The world seemed to stop turning around them, and all of a sudden there was no battlefield between them, no dead bodies and no smoking corpses and no fights. A kilometre felt like an inch as Usopp saw the man he had only ever pretended to remember.

“...Dad?”

And then there was an explosion off to the side and when he looked back, the man in the starry cape was gone. Cursing under his breath at getting distracted, Usopp tried to focus on what had caused the explosion. With that man gone, he should at least have a small chance at getting a shot in. 

“WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?” Nami roared at Mister Three.

“Well, what else was I supposed to do? He was coming right for us!”

“You didn’t need to do that !” she huffed. They’d been running for a pretty good while now and her legs - damn the both of them! - were starting to ache. Well, it was more so that they started aching a while ago, but she kept running, so then they went numb, and now they’re starting to hurt again , which was almost impressive, since-,

Something whistled through the air and before she could think another thought, Jinbe was in front of her, catching something that almost hit her head-on. For a moment, she thought it might have been a cannonball, or some other thing that might supposedly move at immense speeds on a battlefield, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. In fact, Jinbe himself seemed confused by the small blue cylinder he held in his own hand.

Nami reached up and plucked it from his webbed hands. It was certainly a cylinder, but more importantly, there was a note attached to it. She was just about to read it when a marine came charging and she had to pause her actions to watch the marine being easily dispatched by Mister Three. 

She turned back to the note, reading it aloud. “Forgot to give you this earlier, read in the paper you used a stick. Made it earlier as possible weapon but left it at prototype, realised you might need it…” She felt her brows knit. “Signed, your friendly neighbourhood King of Snipers. Ps, check the back for instructio-,” something whistled through the air again and Nami barely had time to duck before a cannonball flew through the air where her head had been just seconds before. She wanted to chastise Jinbe for missing to grab the projectile, but she quickly noticed that he was in the middle of trying to keep a large number of officers at bay.

Grumbling to herself, she turned over the paper, and indeed, right there she found a slip of instructions. Going by her situation, she hardly had time to truly look through them properly, but going only by the little suggestions that were written, the weapon was seemingly powerful enough to conjure massive storms and typhoons.

If only she could get it to work, of course. 

“Nami, stop gawking, we need to get going!” Mister Three shouted at her, abruptly turning their dynamic on its head.

“I’m coming!” she shouted back. She could always try to work it on the way there. There was no shortage of marines (targets), and once she was able to make the cylinder extend into a longer staff, she found a strange sense of relief in finally being able to protect herself. Just bashing the pole into the skulls of marines was soothing in and of itself, but she had to get it to work. 

Apparently, the staff could also be collapsed into three parts. How useful!

This was sure to be-,

Nami ran straight into Jinbe’s outstretched hand. “Hey! What are you-,” Just in time to watch as a series of explosions burst in a long line in front of them, erecting a massive wall of fire, easily broad enough to wall off a fifth of the entire battlefield. She might have been less impressed if she didn’t suddenly realise that the only people who seemed to have been harmed by the attack by running straight into it or being caught up by it were pirates. No marines.

…Could it be?

She turned her eyes upward, above the wall of fire, to where Buggy still stood chained. There, off to the side, standing alone so high up, Usopp held his slingshot raised. 

…Was he for or against them? She looked at the wall of fire. Like this, Usopp would be unable to shoot at them no matter what they did. He had blocked their path, sure, but he had also given himself a great excuse not to directly attack them. 

Just the thought of him actually trying to shoot at them seriously made Nami shiver. 

“We’ll have to go arou-,” was as much as she could say before she noticed that Jinbe was apparently lifting a square tonne of water, dragging it straight through the air as though it was an unwilling anaconda, before throwing it across a large part of the wall of fire, dousing it with a satisfying sizzle. “Wh-, wh-, why the hell-!?”

He blinked at her in genuine confusion. “...Is there something the matter?”

No, there wasn’t. But now they would have to face-,

And that was as far as her words could go before Crocodile decided that this was his chance to take to the skies and fly on wings of sand. He touched down a fair bit away before suddenly being slashed into a million tiny pieces. Nami gasped at the sight before pulling herself together once she saw how Crocodile reformed almost instantly. He slowly turned to the left. 

Somehow, without even knowing what he was supposed to look like, Nami knew who the man was the instant she saw him. His eyes said everything, and even though he wasn’t looking at her, she felt meek.

“Hawk-eye,” Crocodile growled. 

The man nodded. “Crocodile.”

Nami would have loved to stay and watch the two powerhouses have a go at each other, but her captain was kind of about to die, so with only the mild assurance that Crocodile probably wouldn’t die (and even if he did, would she really miss him?) she ran on, her small entourage following suit.

They got about fifteen metres before a man somehow even taller than Crocodile presented himself before them. Her small group tensed up in preparation for battle, but Nami did not. She simply stopped in her tracks completely. But she was trying to move. That was… weird. She tried to ready her staff (the instructions had called it a climatact ) but found her arms immobile, almost as though someone had tied her up standing.

“Wh-, what the hell is-,”

And then she drew her climatact. Or, rather, it was drawn. She hadn’t done it, it just… happened. From the edge of her vision she could see how the man before them held up his right hand, his fingers moving as though manipulating a puppet.

She took one step, and then another, moving with staggering steps towards Jinbe. He looked down at her. “Everything alright, Nami?”

She lifted the climatact before her eyes, but it wasn’t her, and then she slid it open, and with strange familiarity, as though she had been using it all her life, she unfolded it and began to twirl around the three pieces of the rod in some strange but vaguely melodic fashion, up and down, here and there, spin spin spin, as though charging up for a powerful attack, and then, finally, as her heart started to drop in her chest, she raised the rod, feeling how the alien machinations within it moved and swirled, whirring and drumming in preparation of what was to come. Jinbe stared down the barrel of her rod.

Pop! A beautiful bouquet of flowers popped out. 

Nami smiled blissfully. “Wow~, so pretty~.” She looked at the flowers. “NO, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” With that, she threw the weapon to the ground, raising her foot to stomp on it only to realise she could move again. “Hm?”

She looked back at the ridiculously tall man. His right hand was encased in a ball of hardened wax and he was staring at it from behind his sunglasses. She turned to watch Mister Three. “Leave him to me, just keep moving!”

“Y-, yeah!” Nami replied and picked up the climatact again as Mister Three formed a wax wall between them and his battle. 

She only barely had time to see Doflamingo grin as his hand turned into string. “Maybe you’ll be a bit more fun~?”

Chapter Text

Now, if only she could figure out how the damn thing worked. From what she could understand, blowing into one of the three pieces created hot air bubbles, while doing the same in another created cold air bubbles. That wasn’t all too amazing until she tried spinning the pieces, causing large swarms of the things to be made. 

If she could just make enough of these then maybe the hypotheticals in the instructions could come to life. Maybe . 

Well, running as she was, she had all the time in the world to test. At least, enough to try it. Spinning one part of the climatact on her palm, she watched as the red and blue bubbles soared into the sky. The heavens had been mostly clear until now, but with the bubbles joining them, small clouds were starting to gather and form, casting shadows on the battlefield. Maybe she could make something of this after-,

“Watch out!” she heard Robin shout, but before she could even figure out what she was supposed to avoid, she found the climatact snatched out of her hand by what appeared to be a little bat made of shadows.

“H-, hey! Give that back, you little scamp!” Nami cried after it, dashing towards it. From behind her, she could hear Jinbe shouting for her to just leave it be. But she couldn’t. This was her one way of protecting herself, damn it! With her attention torn from the scaffold, she ran after the shadow, leaping over groaning and silent marines and pirates, avoiding blows and larger battles using her namesake acrobatics. 

She ground to a stop and watched how the little bat carefully landed on the hand of a massive pear-shaped man. Her heart dropped. “Gecko Moria…!”

“Shiiii-shishishi. What have we here, hmmm?” The immense man turned over the little weapon in his palm. “So this is what gave me all these beautiful shadows?” She might have wanted to say that he grinned, but considering the fact that he never appeared to not grin, she might rather have said that he leered at her. “You wouldn’t mind if I kept this, girlie~?”

Nami grit her teeth. She was no fool, she knew her own limits. Going up against a warlord of the seas on her own would be the stupidest thing she could do in this situation. But without the climatact, she was basically just a normal girl. A normal girl in the middle of a war in which she could do nothing at all to save her captain. But if the climatact did half of what it promised, then she could do something .

“No,” she bit out. “I can’t let you have it.”

His face did not change in expression, but his eyes shifted. “Is that so? What a shame.” He spun the cylinder in his hand, just like she had done, in turn creating more and more clouds until the sun was properly clouded. “Ryuma, you can come out now, the sun’s no longer around.” 

From within the shadows of a nearby collapsed wall, a man stepped out. No, not a man, more-so a zombie. A samurai zombie. A shiver ran down Nami’s back as she looked into his dead, hollow eyes. Moria barely glanced at him, but it was clear that he swelled with an ill-placed sort of pride at his soldier. “Shame I could only bring a select few of my most powerful soldiers, but I suppose even a lesser grunt could have made away with a little thing like you.”

Nami took a trembling step back. She wanted to shoot something back, but if she did, he might attack sooner. 

“Now, Ryuma.” His eyes glinted. “Do away with her, will you?”

Nami didn’t notice him moving, but she did notice herself being pulled away and out of the reach of the slice that, going by how close the samurai was and the angle of his slash, would have taken her head. She looked up and found herself in the arms of Jinbe. “Hey! P-, put me down, I need to-,”

She heard Moria shouting something about “Give it back!” and then the baton was tossed from one disembodied hand to another until it was finally plopped down right in Nami’s lap. For a moment, she hesitated to take it.

Robin appeared next to her, her arms crossed in front of her, forming an X. Somehow, despite everything, her serene smile did not falter. She looked at Nami and it felt like her sky-blue eyes were piercing right through her, down to the very core of her anxieties. “Don’t hesitate, Commander. You can save that for later. For now, you have to fight, no matter the cost.”

Her final words made Nami shiver, and she pulled herself out of Jinbe’s grip and held the climatact tight. “Right.” She let out a breath. “Okay.” She tried to mimic Robin’s smile. “Let’s go!”

Considering the speed of the samurai, running was not a possibility. All three knew it at once, and so, they acted instantly. Jinbe threw himself in front of the samurai, presenting himself as a shield for the two long-range fighters. “Your battle is with me, swordsman!”

The zombie glared at him. 

Nami turned her eyes skyward. Clearing the skies would not be possible, but there was another way to bring down light on them. Everything pointed to that being the zombie’s weakness, anyways.

“Shiiii-shishishishi! Don’t think I’ll let you off so easily, girlie!” The warlord held out both arms, and from within the shadow of his cape, a swarm of shadow bats emerged. At least, they would have, had a pair of feminine arms not sprouted across Moria’s body to pull the cape back closed, effectively locking the poor creatures within their master’s clothes. Confused and scared, they must have acted on instinct. “Yowch! Hey, don’t bite me , you dolts! Go after-, shishishi, n-, no, not there, I’m ticklish! Shishsishishsishishsishishi!!”

As if genuinely surprised, Robin breathily said, “To think he would have a side like that…”

“S-, stop it, you wench!” Moria cried before cancelling the attack by pressing down on his cape, snuffing out the little things. “Don’t think Ryuma is the only soldier I brought! Rise, my shadow servants!”

From below, the bodies of previously-killed marines suddenly rose, standing tall and imposing and it made Nami’s stomach lurch. Weren’t they supposed to be on the same side here? How could he do that to the corpse of some poor soldier?...

But she had no time for such considerations. Robin and Jinbe could only hold them off for so long, and since Jinbe was already starting to lose ground against the frighteningly proficient samurai, it was up to Nami to do something drastic. 

Pulling out the climatact, she split it into three, and then, with all the grace of an acrobat who had trained her juggling for several years, she balanced two of the pieces on her fingers and the third right on her nose. And then, she brought them all to a spin. She must have looked truly ridiculous doing it, but it was effective enough for her to ignore it. The red and blue bubbles of hot and cold air rose to the sky in great whirls, whipping up the air around them with enough force to create a small whirlwind. Up, up and up they went, joining the clouds up above, making them darken and darken until, finally, the battlefield was basked in almost perfect pitch darkness. 

Raindrops began to fall, first few and meek, then with such intensity and ferocity that it felt as though the entire sky was falling. Winds whipped and the air turned cold, save for those spots where Akainu or Kizaru fought. Within seconds, Nami was dripping. Across the battlefield, one could barely hear the difference between the raindrops and the gunshots.

And then another sound rang out. “Shiiiiii-shishishishi! Why, girlie, how kind of you! With this great darkness, I will have no trouble raising an army, just for you! In minutes, this war will be over and your captain will be dead, all thanks to you ! How can I possibly say my thanks?”

Nami breathed hard. In only a few dreadful minutes, she had gotten soaked down to the bone. She removed the pieces of the climatact from her nose and hands. “You don’t have to thank me,” she said. “Just watch. ”

With one piece of the climatact in either hand, she spun them around once more. Balls of yellow static gracefully bobbed through the air, helpfully trailing in a small helix, up, up and up, until they touched the all-black skies above and slipped inside with no resistance whatsoever. 

There was a rumble above.

And then, apart from the smattering rain, silence.

Moria grinned. “What? What was that supposed to-,”

ZAP!

The whole sky lit up fantastically, veins of yellow spreading like cobwebs, and at the same time as an immense thunderclap, the intense light smashed to the ground, creating a huge pillar of pure light. Right atop Moria and his shadow entourage.

Nami hadn’t even realised that she had squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands over her ears. Slowly, carefully, she cracked open an eye. Moria was almost completely charred, a small trail of smoke escaping his opened, still stupidly grinning mouth. For a few seconds, all of the zombies, the Samurai included, simply stood completely still. And then, one by one, they all collapsed, soul-like shadows escaping their opened mouths. 

“Ghnngh…” Moria groaned.

Nami’s mind burst into high-gear and she forced herself to move. “Come on, we need to run! He’ll be up and about soon enough!”

“Y-, yeah!” Jinbe replied hesitantly, as though shocked that his incredibly powerful opponent had been defeated not by the massive bolt of lightning itself, but rather by the incredible light show it produced. Kind of weird that there was a shadow inside of it, but sometimes things were like that. 

They didn’t get far before they once again found themselves faced with a startling number of opponents. At this point, it was less about the danger they posed individually and more so about their collective irritative presence. Nami held up the climatact, almost feeling like grinning. She plucked the instructions from her pocket, took one look at it, and then let it flutter to the winds. She could do without it. With a weapon as simple as this, all she needed was a little creativity to clear out these guys.

Juggling the pieces of the climatact between her hands, she spun them at high speeds to create the hot- and cold-air bubbles, letting them twist and form into a double helix, letting them suck up moisture and clash, until finally, they formed into a whirlwind. At first, the whirlwind was somewhat small and disconnected, sweeping up a few marines as it went, but then all of a sudden it connected to the storming clouds above, and with an intense gust of wind and power, it quickly picked up speed, forming into a great tornado, sweeping up marines and rubble and sand and water as it went. With the rain already being pretty damn harsh, the addition of even stronger gusts of wind was hardly to be enjoyed.

But it certainly cleared a path towards the scaffolding! Now all they had to do was follow the wake of the tornado, and…

Nami’s heart sank.

…The whirlwind wasn’t slowing down. Or getting smaller.

And it was heading straight for Buggy. 

She almost felt like laughing. Hey, if she was lucky, maybe he wouldn’t die and instead, his chains might just get ripped up! Alongside his arms. And maybe also his legs. And his third leg. Wow, now that Nami thought about it, wasn’t there just a whole lot of limbs on a human that you could rip up? The human species truly was incredible.

But no such thing happened, because right before the tornado - now massive enough to be called a cyclone - hit the scaffolding, a massive laser beam struck it head-on, disrupting the wind flows and making the entire thing collapse within seconds.

In the wake of the whirlwind, standing where it had been mere moments prior, stood a massive, broad-chested man with small animal ears atop the hat on his head. From the corner of her eye, she saw how Jinbe tensed up, his face scrunching together. “Kuma,” he almost groaned. She was about to ask who he was, but then she heard a strange sound and she turned back to Kuma, who had apparently moved across the battlefield in mere seconds, arm raised. 

Jinbe flashed across the ground, meeting Kuma’s raised fist with a strike of the palm. His great muscles trembled and he clenched his sharp teeth. “Nami… Run !”

But for just a second, she couldn’t move.

Kuma opened his mouth wide, and in the back of his throat, a light began coalescing. Jinbe turned back to it, his eyes widening, unable to dodge at such a short distance. And Nami could do nothing but stand there, stand there stupidly watching as he powered up, dead-white eyes focusing on nothing and everything as his body whined mechalically.

“- Tres fleur! ” 

And in the very moment Kuma would have fired, three hands sprouted from beneath his neck, all rising symmetrically to strike Kuma’s chin with their palms, forcing his mouth to face the sky. A great laser beam arched up into the sky, creating a small hole in the clouds, a hole large enough to briefly, for less than a second, let a stream of fading sunlight fall onto the scaffolding before them, like a spotlight.

With that, there was no question in Nami’s mind of what she had to do. Holding the climatact close, she dashed for the scaffolding, her legs aching so, so much, but she was so close, and there was so little she had left to do. 

Her heart beat wildly in her throat. The rain beat against her like whips but she was almost there. Almost there. Just a little bit more.

A smile blossomed on her lips. 

By this point, she could see him - really see him! - from his blue hair to his red nose to the chains on his hands. The small wax key in her pocket felt so light but it meant so much. Yes, from this close, she could see so closely how his face crumbled in despair, and she could hear everything he said when he abruptly shouted, “ Nami, watch out!!”

…Huh?

And then, suddenly, she fell. She wasn’t sure why, but all of a sudden, she was on the ground. It was muddy and sandy and rocky, and she didn’t like it, so she tried to push herself to her feet. But she fell again. One more try, and she fell. Why? Why? What was happening? Why couldn’t she stand? And why did her right leg feel so hot?

She turned to look behind her and found her right leg lying a few paces off, separated neatly by the ankle. The cut was so clean you could make out individual arteries and Nami felt sick and her heart felt sick and she couldn’t feel her leg but it was so hot and it was burning and why, why, why ?

The man with the eyes of a hawk appeared. His left hand was a shrivelled husk and his body was clad in smaller or greater injuries but there he was. Alive. In his right hand, he held a sword. It was so clean she only deduced it had cut her once the adrenaline started wearing off.

He didn’t hurry. Slow, confident steps. She reached out towards the rocks and sand in front of her. “Ah-, ah…” So far away but so nearby, she saw her captain, way up there, looking down at her with a face she had never seen on him before. But it made her feel like it had all been worth it. She glanced back. He was closer now. So close. He stood above her, the wind and the rain whipping at his face and his hair. She remembered him having had a hat before. Where had that gone? Why were his clothes stained with wet sand?

She felt so hollow inside. The trail of red behind her was being washed away by the rain and now he was standing right above her. There was no glee in his eyes, no pity or shame. To him, she must have been less than a louse.

“I…” her throat burned and her body felt so cold, cold like the rain and cold like the ground, “ don’t want to die… ”

Hawkeye raised his sword.

The world froze. Her eyelids felt so heavy. And then, from the scaffold, there was a cry that made the world move again, a cry that bent the world and forced it on its knees before his demands, as Buggy roared, “ STOP!!! ”

There was a pulse of power. Of pure, demanding, all-consuming power. It crashed over the sands, roiled through the clouds and the rain and smothered the thoughts of every single person nearby, and in that very second, it felt like Nami’s mind was nothing but that very word, Stop.  

The words of a King.

Hawkeye must have felt it as well because he stopped, sword frozen mere inches above her back. His striking eyes narrowed a fraction. “Does he…?”

And then, moving like a bolt of lightning incarnate, a flash of red hair appeared and suddenly Hawkeye’s sword wasn’t above her back, but rather striking against the sword of a much different man. Red-Hair Shanks gave a characteristic grin and glanced towards his brother in arms. “I always knew you had it in you, Buggy…!” Then, while his and Hawkeye’s sword trembled against each other to the point of birthing sparks, he turned his eyes towards Nami. “You’ve done well to get this far, girlie. But you can rest now.” His smile grew softer. “I’ll take it from here.”

Her heart calmed and a weariness of the bones and soul took hold of her and she closed her eyes. Right there, in the middle of a war, she fell asleep. 

Only later did she find out that she had only survived thanks to the emergency treatment of someone unknown. She had her suspicions - her little conspiracies - but nothing concrete.

After all, why would she ever suggest that a marine saved her life?

Chapter Text

His breath burnt in his throat and he would probably have cried if Usopp wasn’t standing next to him. He sure as hell wanted to. When had the runt moved so close, anyways?

Buggy groaned and hunched his back, placing his forehead against the floor. “Please,” he whispered to himself, or maybe to God. “Please, let Nami survive this,” he croaked. “ Please .” Sitting hunched like this, no one, not even Usopp, could see the little silent tears that collected in his eyes, falling to the scaffolding in heavy droplets, joining the rainwater that was already there. Everything was so wet.

He had barely been able to see it, but he could pretty much understand that Nami had summoned this massive storm. He had felt so proud. It was stupid and it was silly, especially when he would much rather have seen her run away, but watching her make hundreds of marines get sucked into a tornado had been impressive. It had made him feel so flattered knowing someone as talented as that had decided to follow a useless braggart like him. 

Sniffling, Buggy lifted his head, hoping anyone looking would mistake the tears for rain. 

God, he was weak. He didn’t deserve anything. Not love, not loathing, not awe. His bounty was a fucking joke. Become pirate king? Hah! As if he had even a fraction of the power his old captain had. Or the kindness. Or the humility. Or the presence.

Buggy felt his molars grind together. Maybe if he bit his own tongue off, everyone would stop fighting and they could tend to Nami’s wounds and everyone else would be okay and Usopp wouldn’t have to get hurt any. There was a twang of pain in Buggy’s chest and he tried to drag his gaze away from the young, thoughtful marine. But his heart was beating and his cheeks were on fire and not even the whipping winds and the smattering rain could cool off his burning face.

But there was nowhere else to look, apart from the hell below. Closest of all was the fight between the two who could arguably be considered the strongest swordsmen in the world. The clash between them whipped up such winds and clashes of pressure that Buggy could feel it in the very scaffold he kneeled upon.

And still, he couldn’t conjure any great emotion in him. He didn’t want Shanks to die. But Shanks was an emperor now, wasn’t he? Unlike Buggy, he wouldn’t die so easily.

He would be okay, no matter what. Buggy knew that.

…And still-,

“Proceed with the execution,” Sengoku stated gravely.

Usopp’s head whipped around to face him. “Wh-, what? Sir, isn’t it three hours early?”

Sengoku turned away from the younger marine. “ Two hours. We don’t have time. If we don’t want to be the laughingstock of the world, we need to act. Bring out the executioners!”

Before Buggy really understood what was happening, a pair of marines had appeared on either side of him, holding spears below his throat. When Buggy gulped, he felt his Adam's apple touch the cool blades. Sweat beaded on his forehead and all of a sudden he wasn’t so sure if he wanted to die anymore.

When Buggy looked up, he found Sengoku and Usopp holding two wildly different expressions. Sengoku was as stoic as ever, but Usopp seemed beyond despairing. His eyes were wide and trembling, that sure grip he was so proud of proving to be nothing as his hands shook like leaves in a storm. 

Sengoku turned to stare at Buggy. Hard. “Considering that you apparently have the colour of the conqueror, it is imperative that we end this now.”

Usopp blinked. “Th-, the what ?” before hastily adding on, “um, Sir.”

“It means,” Sengoku said flatly, “that he is a danger to the peace of the world. Should he be allowed to temper that ability…” He shook his head severely. “It is good that this happens now.” And then, carefully, Sengoku looked Usopp up and down. “You didn’t even blink.”

“At what?...”

With a sweeping gaze, Sengoku looked down at the massive number of knocked-out marines surrounding the base of the scaffold. None held a single injury. “Most men would not have been able to withstand it.” He gave an impressed nod. There was something gentle and kind in his eyes. “You’ll go far, Commodore.”

Usopp squirmed where he stood. “Um, lots of people tell me that, but…”

A mighty wave of pressure erupted from below and Buggy tore his eyes off of Usopp to crane his neck and see down there. It was difficult to make out anything at all, but the striking red hair and straw hat of his brother was a clear target and he saw clearly how the man standing close to him - Mihawk - fell to his knees, clutching his left arm. 

Shanks turned away from the defeated swordsman and looked up to the scaffold, and for just a second, his eyes and Buggy’s were locked. Was there nothing that could stop him from grinning?

Raising his sword, two quick flicks caused a pair of slashes to arch through the air, striking down both executioners at Buggy’s sides. But he didn’t have the time to celebrate before the world continued moving.

Shanks moved towards the scaffold, easily slashing down marines as he went.

“I-, I’ll intercept him!” Usopp cried, and Buggy only barely had time to turn towards him before the boy leapt from the scaffold and Buggy’s heart sank.

“No, stop!” Buggy shouted, but Usopp was too far away. Did the runt have a death wish?! Shouldn’t he have known that he was facing an Emperor of the Seas? This wasn’t some kiddie-battle! He was running to his death ! Ruefully, Buggy turned on Sengoku. “Why didn’t you stop him?! He’s going to die!”

The gaze that the Fleet Admiral gave him was enough to freeze the blood in his veins. “What is the life of a promising youth before the death of someone like you?”

Buggy felt his hands tremble and he clenched them so tightly he drew blood. Damn these marines. Damn these pirates. Damn it all ! 

He was weak. He was so, so weak. Weak to the point where he couldn’t even stop an innocent kid from rushing to his own death. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. And here he was, talking big about being a big shot and roping in people several times stronger than he was and pretending as though the life he’d lived hadn’t been leading up to this very situation. 

All the way down there, Nami was bleeding to death and there was nothing he could do about it. How many of his men had died in this battle? How many allies? How many innocent kids, just like Usopp?

Buggy’s chest filled up with something slick and bitter and he felt bile rising to the back of his throat at the injustice of this world, of its people, and of himself. 

Down below, he saw how Usopp positioned himself in Shanks’ line of sight, pulled back the string of his slingshot, and couldn’t even loosen it before the man in the straw hat appeared before him, his sword raised right before his throat and before Buggy really knew what he was doing, he found himself uselessly struggling in his chains, shouting out a desperate, “Shanks, please! D-, don’t hurt him!”

Buggy hadn’t expected Shanks to actually do it . He had, by all means, thought this might be where Usopp’s life ended. At the hands of the man he considered his brother. Somehow, that thought brought him more despair and pain than anything else he saw here.

With his face shadowed by his hat, Buggy could not see Shanks’ facial expression. He couldn’t see whether he was smiling or not. But he brought down his sword a few inches, and then, in one quick movement, he flipped it around and harshly shoved the butt of the hilt into Usopp’s jaw, sending him flying. Hurt, but not dead. Not dead.

Buggy collapsed back onto the scaffolding, a strange calm infringing on his panicked mind. Usopp was okay. He’d be fine. A little kicked around, sure, but he’d be okay.

Thank god.

But with that, there was nobody in Shanks’ way anymore. With a mighty leap, the red-haired Emperor took to the air, and suddenly he was so close to Buggy it felt surreal. But before Shanks could set a single foot on the wooden scaffold, Buggy heard something creak and he turned to see Sengoku transforming into a giant golden Buddha. Buggy’s jaw dropped. “How is that an animal?!”

Shanks didn’t seem to care too much about the human zoan in front of him, because his priorities were all wrong and instead of fighting the literal sea king-sized Fleet Admiral, he easily touched down on the scaffold, slipped behind Buggy and took a gentle hold of his cuffs.

“Um,” Buggy deadpanned. “You don’t even have any keys, do you?”

“Don’t need any,” Shanks answered cryptically. Buggy really wasn’t too sure what to make of that, but he seemed to know what he was doing, so it must have been alright, no? 

“Don’t,” Sengokue grunted, “ignore me!” It was definitely supposed to be a palm strike, but when looking up at it, seeing as how the palm was easily bigger than Buggy himself, all he could see was certain death. Ah, so this was how it happened, then? Punted by a half-naked man of gold. How luxuriou-,

Crack!

A pressure loosened around his wrists and all of a sudden he felt so energetic and alive and even worse, he felt a sudden immense rush of emotions, each more horrible and debilitating than the last. The final emotion he felt was a common and very typical one that he chose to act on instantly, namely panic .

“GARRRGH, BIG HAND!!” In one swift movement, his upper body disconnected from his lower and he deftly flew out of the way of the incoming strike, giving himself just enough distance to watch how Shanks easily blocked the strike. Well, saying it was done easily might have been going a bit far, but to Buggy, being able to block the attack at all was damn impressive. 

The shockwave resulting in the clash made Buggy tumble through the air, only righting himself once the dust had begun to settle. He turned back to the scaffold, and found that in the few seconds since the two had clashed, the entire thing had collapsed. That would explain the horrifying sense of inertia below his midsection. At least he didn’t break anything, right?

Buggy hung in the air like a wet towel out to dry. For some reason, he didn’t feel like running. Or moving at all, for that matter. 

“Buggy!” Down below, Shanks waved at him in-between trading blows with Sengoku. Buggy waved back at him. “What are you doing up there? Come on, we’ve gotta run for it!”

“Why the hell would an Emperor need to run?!”

Shanks shrugged. “It’s more for the sake of everyone else. Now come on and grab your girlie, we’ve gotta go!”

“R-, right!”

At the mention of Nami, Buggy finally found himself able to move again and he swooped down, his eyes scanning the rubble for any trace of his Third Commander. She couldn’t be dead, could she? Losing a leg or even an arm was nothing that killed anyone. You just put a peg on it and you were fine, easy as that! 

And still, with ever-growing stress bordering on panic, he scanned the ground, unable to find her characteristic head of orange hair. Plenty of marines, dead or knocked out, laid littered here and there, but none of them was her. Now that he gave these people a proper look, some of the ones simply knocked out were actually officers, and seemingly of a somewhat high rank, too. 

Now that Buggy thought about it, how in the heck had he done that?

That thing, that was. You know. Where he shouted and all of a sudden people fell over? Wasn’t that weird?...

Well, he could brood on that later, assuming he escaped with his life intact. Right now, he was much more interested in finding Nami. Not here, not there, not-,

-There! 

Lying a bit out of the way, with her now-shorter leg resting atop a piece of rubble. Flying towards her, Buggy found his eyebrows knit together. She seemed to be resting rather calmly, but going by her slowly rising chest, she was obviously not dead. But she looked calm. More surprisingly, her leg was not open. Or, rather, it wasn’t bleeding and dirty and horrible. A belt had been tied an inch or two above the incision, alongside a piece of cloth covering the open wound. Together with her strange position and obvious relaxation, it almost seemed like someone had given her exceptional first aid. 

But who? How? And why ?

Buggy shook his head, banishing questions. Answering that could come later! Right now, he had to get her somewhere safe. 

Not really possessing the time or resources to make her comfortable, Buggy tossed her over his shoulder and made a dash for it back to Shanks, who was still in combat with Sengoku. “Shanks, I’ve got her!”

“Great! In that case,” Shanks replied, “we’d better get going!” And in a flash of movement, he was suddenly at Buggy’s side, clutching a lower-body Buggy recognised as his own beneath his arm. 

“Hey, you can at least try to hold me a little more respectfully!”

And off they were, toward the great unfathomable future.

Within twenty steps, they met strong opposition, but Buggy wasn’t playing any games, and neither was Shanks. Well, Shanks might have been playing a few small games, but it was alright, wasn’t it? And as they fought through goons and officers, Buggy couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of exhilaration. After all, he wasn’t observing from up above anymore, chained down in the crow’s nest. Rather, he was down on the ground, fighting beside his brother in arms. 

If he got out of this, he swore in his heart that he would work hard to make this more than a one-off deal. If he was strong, he could fight alongside Shanks anytime he wanted to, no?

He just and to survive all of this. 

Only that might be harder than expected.

Chapter Text

His breath felt ragged. 

Buggy had found her and carried her off, so she should be okay now. Could the same be said for Usopp? For the most part, at least. He wasn’t dead, that was for sure. As of yet. 

With great uncertainty, Usopp slipped out from the shade of a collapsed building. This battle… it had carried all the way into the cities. He was somewhat sure the pirates were only here to rescue Buggy and then leave, but Marineford was more than just a big marine base. It was also a town, containing retired marines and the families of marines and young, yet-to-be marines. A civilian population rested just beyond the battlefield, and every cannonball that missed the marine base flew and crashed into them, smashing houses and killing people and causing explosions that killed even more. 

He could feel their presences dying. Flitting out, at one point there, at another gone. He had only been at Marineford for a few short weeks, but he recognised quite a few of them. Their voices.

Not to even speak of the amount of death that littered the battlefield. Buggy had been rescued, but the cost in lives - both Marine and Pirate - had been immense. When they arrived, there must have been at least a hundred thousand soldiers on the battlefield. Now, less than half remained. Most of them hadn’t even died in glorious battle, but rather as a result of some bigshots going at each other with powers that could wipe out entire islands. 

The only reason Usopp himself was still alive was that Buggy had begged Shanks not to kill him. 

On trembling legs, Usopp moved over the remains of the battlefield. This close to the scaffold, there were few people still about. Not a lot of pirates had gotten that far, and those who did were met with firm opposition. But now that the target had moved, so too had the back-line marines advanced. Usopp had to do the same thing. He would much rather have liked to go home and sleep for three years, but he had to move. He was only a mere Commodore, but on this battlefield, every life was equally worthless. He just had to stall for time. 

Usopp moved like a soulless spectre, taking great care not to stumble over the discarded weapons and corpses and lost, dismembered limbs. 

He didn’t have to see Buggy and Shanks to know where they were. Somehow, someway, he could simply feel where they were, and once he knew that, he stepped onto a pile of rubble, trying to ignore the little gasps for air that came from below, and way up there, he could see them, just as well as a hawk could see a rabbit. Buggy’s deep blue hair beside Shanks’ bright yellow straw hat and vibrant red hair made for an interesting combination, and as Usopp focused on the two of them, it felt like the entire rest of the world grew muted. The air didn’t taste so salty, the rain didn’t feel as cold, and every person besides the two of them seemed to fade into the background.

His breath grew slow and controlled. He raised his slingshot and took aim. Right at the back of Shanks’ neck. The Emperor would easily avoid it, but then Usopp could write in his report that he tried . Then, nobody would suspect that he wanted nothing more than for the two of them to run away with all their might. 

He squeezed one eye shut, and for a second, just a second, he stopped breathing, and he stopped thinking, and now there was nothing in this world apart from his slingshot and the back of Shanks’ neck.

He released the shot.

The rubber band snapped back and the world once more took on colour, just in time for Usopp to watch with ever-widening eyes how the shot was once more intercepted in midair. Usopp snapped his face toward a presence he hadn’t noticed before, but one he recognised better than any.

There, standing only a solitary few paces off, a man lowered his smoking gun. His hair was tied into dreadlocks and a starry cape billowed behind him. Their eyes met and Usopp felt something lurch deep within his soul. For a few year-long seconds, they simply looked at each other, taking in what the other was - what they had become. Yasopp’s face held a soft but conflicted smile and Usopp couldn’t come to grips with what he was supposed to express at this moment. He felt so numb. 

And then the moment passed and Usopp drew his slingshot and leapt off the pile of rubble at the same time as Yasopp drew his own gun, and at the exact same time, the snap of a rubber band and the bang of a gun both rang out, and a mere millisecond later, both shots collided in mid-air once more. Usopp hit the ground with a roll, instantly bringing himself back up to a standing position, at which point he had already reloaded and drawn back his slingshot. But just a fraction of a second before he could fire, he felt an alarm ring out in his head and he jerked his head to the right, watching as a bullet flew past. But at the very same time, he had loosened his own shot, and a moment after he dodged his father’s bullet, he watched as Yasopp did the very same thing with his shot. 

But while Yasopp was cool and casual, Usopp felt nothing but a burning, searing heat spreading through his body, infecting his mind with rage at sins long past. 

Their eyes met once more, and as one, they both lowered their weapons. Then, Yasopp cast his gun to the side and Usopp followed suit. They were both completely and fully unarmed.

At that point, it took only a moment before the two of them flew at one another, fists bared and raised, both instantly deciding that they were too evenly matched as snipers for the fight to be any good. They traded blows almost faster than the eye could see, but it was clear that the majority of the damage fell on Usopp. Not all of it. He got a few good hits in, and despite his wiry frame, these hits did do some grave damage. Graver than his father would ever show, because from the moment he had seen his son, he had not stopped grinning. As a matter of fact, the more blows they traded, the happier he seemed.

Usopp was just the opposite. His blank, shocked expression had quickly devolved into a frown, now bordering on a scowl. There was so much he wanted to say, but at this moment, his fists could say it better than his tongue ever could. 

His body was aching. Every single hit to his body felt like a jackhammer and that was despite the fact that Usopp was pretty sure his father was going easy on him. Even worse, the man seemed to believe that this was some sort of friendly sparr, to get each other up to date as some sick form of a pirate’s how-do-you-dos. Usopp hated it. He hated it and he loathed the man that stood before him and he wanted nothing better than to slug that stupid grin off his face and show him that he wasn’t a marine for show, that he was ready to take even him down if it meant doing the right thing. 

“Alright, alright,” Yasopp said out of nowhere, taking a step back. “Let’s stop it there, shall w-,”

Blind with rage, Usopp didn’t really catch onto what his father was saying, taking the man’s backing-off as an opportunity to get one final hit in rather than to talk, and that he did. With a quick step and a punch that could shatter steel, he embedded his closed fist deep within his father’s ribs, pressing and pressing with everything he had, putting all his strength and all his hatred into this one, final attack, feeling with grim satisfaction how bones broke under his might and Yasopp stumbled back for a second, his eyes wide with surprise and pain, before finally giving a small cough that brought up a small spatter of blood. But even in that obvious pain, Usopp saw a great big glint of pride shine through and it made him feel empty inside.

“W-, whoa,” Yasopp groaned, pressing his hands into his midsection before collapsing onto the rocky ground. Usopp stood over him, eyes wide, chest heaving strangely. Yasopp smiled up at him. “That was quite the hit, sport. Been training, eh?”

Usopp couldn’t bring himself to give any response apart from clenching and unclenching his fists. 

His father smiled awkwardly. “I always thought you might set off to sea, but to become a marine, of all things…” He shook his head, a relaxed but confident smile resurfacing on his face. “The sea must have called out to you, no? Just like it did me. That ain’t a call you ignore, so I’m real glad to see you out here, even if it might not be the best place for it.”

Usopp’s face darkened considerably, but Yasopp didn’t seem to mind. He had twelve years of catching up to do, and the apparent muteness of his son wouldn’t stop him in that. “Leaving everything and everyone you know behind…” His smile took on a twinge of sadness. “It’s one of the bravest things you can do.” And then, with eyes of bright fondness, he looked up at Usopp, eyes gleaming with expectations. “How Banchi-,”

“ She’s dead ,” Usopp spat. 

Yasopp froze where he sat, face petrified in a mask of broken optimism. It took him a few seconds to pull himself together, at which point he looked away from his son and glanced down the corpse-paved battlefield. When he spoke again, his voice was low, “How did she pass?”

“Sickness. It happened less than a year after you left.”

A flash of hurt remorse crossed Yasopp’s face. “I see,” he said. “I’m sorry, son, I-,”

“ Don’t ,” Usopp hissed, “call me that. ”

Yasopp drew his lips tight. “Would you rather I call you Usopp?” His eyes sharpened. “Or Commodore ?” Despite the burning gaze his father gave him, Usopp couldn’t bring himself to respond. Then, low, so low Usopp could barely even catch it, Yasopp said, “There is nothing more important to a man than his dream.”

“Not even your own family ?” Usopp shot back. 

“Yes,” Yasupp replied simply. “It’s more important than my family.” 

“You’re a disgrace,” Usopp growled. “And you made a liar out of your only son.”

Yasopp stared at him, and in his eyes was something so fundamentally resolute that Usopp felt small and useless in comparison. Here he was, talking shit at a Yonko’s commander. Trying to tell a pirate what was right and wrong. His mind felt like it was full of black fog and the smattering rain and the bruises blossoming all across his body certainly didn’t help. He wanted to be anywhere but there. Bitterly, Usopp glanced out over the battlefield, seeing by the intermittent flashes of light that Buggy and Shanks had apparently clashed with Kizaru. 

“You have a dream, don’t you?”

Usopp’s head snapped back to look at his father, a flush suddenly dawning on his cheeks.

Yasopp simply smiled. But it didn’t feel condescending or insensitive, just… teasing. “Whatever brought you out to sea is the same thing that pulls me. Banchina and you mean the world to me, but you can’t compromise on a man’s dream. Banchina understood that, and that's part of why I loved her.” Slowly, carefully, Yasopp reached out and touched Usopp’s chest, placing the palm of his hand against it. “In there, you’ve got something great. It’s something big and amazing and I always knew you had it in you, just like I have it in me.”

His face grew grave. “But it’s not something you can half-ass, Usopp. You can hate me if you so like, I will understand, but I cannot allow you to squander your potential. One of these days, you’ll go further than I ever will.”

Usopp gulped. His face felt hot and flushed with rage and shame and adoration for the man he well and truly considered his father. With the uncertainty of a dancer taking his first steps, unsure where to place his feet and how the music goes, Usopp pressed his hand against his father’s. “...I will, dad.” He swallowed his pride. “I will become a man you can be proud of.”

Yasopp smiled brightly. “You already are, son.”

A light-fringed explosion caught Usopp’s eye and he turned to where the battle between an Admiral and an Emperor remained ongoing. As he stared, distracted, Yasopp’s hand slipped out of his and he turned down to watch his father grin back up at him. “Well? Don’t you have someplace to be?”

Usopp nodded stiffly. “R-, right!”

And with that, he ran off.

Yasopp smiled as he watched his son leave. Having his own son turn out to be a marine was a bit weird (he was assured he’d imprinted a largely negative view on the world government on the boy), but as long as he was out on the seas and following his dreams, was there anything he could truly complain about?

Not that his son’s current line of work was entirely unexpected. The kind of pride Yasopp had felt when he read that paper about the “Youngest Commodore In History” was of a special kind. A lesser man might not have bragged about it to all his crewmates, but Yasopp simply hadn’t been able to contain himself. This was despite knowing the kind of fate Marineford - and in turn Usopp - awaited. All he could do was try to watch Usopp’s back and keep him from accidentally getting pulled into the battles of giants.

“Heheh-, ow, ow!” Yasopp tried to give a laugh, but with several of his ribs broken, all that came out was a harsh rattle.

Really, he hadn’t expected his son to hit so hard. Sure, his technique left a lot to be desired, but the strength was all there. If he just focused and honed himself, he could easily be a match for any major player.

He wiped the blood from his lips. 

“You’ve gone soft, Third Commander.”

Yasopp glanced at where the Admiral approached, feeling nothing but calm. “It’s the duty of a parent to care for their child. Isn’t it, Akainu?”

The magma man glared at him from beneath his cap. Despite the battle now nearing its end, the man carried next to no visible injuries, moving with broad, steady steps. As he neared Yasopp’s felled form, his stoic face twisted into a rare expression of disdain. “Despicable pirate. You dare speak of duties when you stand against everything moral and right?”

A scoff. “ Moral , sure. By your definition, I’m sure the right thing to do is to bow before the world government, no matter the cost.” Contrary to his fiery power, the glower that Akainu gave him could only be described as freezing. Yasopp sighed. “In that case, you should see nothing wrong with Usopp holding the position he does. Holding it against him simply because of me…” He shook his head. “You should be above that, no?”

In a fleeting moment of introspection, Akainu turned to look towards the quickly disappearing back of the young Commodore. “It is not my place to speak about his fate.”

“Guess so,” Yasopp said. “Well? What are you-,” Before he could even finish his sentence, Akainu grabbed him by the head and lifted him into the air. “Ah, there we go. I don’t suppose you’d grant me any final wi-,”

A massive glob of magma formed on the end of Akainu’s hand, enveloping Yasopp’s head and then dripping down to cover his shoulders and chest. The pirate gave a few final kicks before going limp. Mutely, Akainu threw the man to the side, leaving the molten lava around his upper body to slowly turn into rock as the rain cooled it.

With another commander dispatched, Akainu turned towards where Kizaru fought Red-Hair Shanks.

He still had work to do.

For some reason, as Usopp ran with his breath in his throat towards where the stunning battle was taking place, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of contentment. Although he would never admit it to anyone except maybe Buggy, Usopp had always looked up to his father. He ragged on him for deciding to follow his dreams instead of being a father, but that was just what pirates did. They took what they wanted without asking for permission or forgiveness.

They never had to call stuck-up types “Sir” or grovel before killers, or shoot at people they would much rather kiss. 

They were free to do as they pleased. 

And something about that both scared and attracted Usopp. They had their freedom, and through that, they could do anything . They could cross your heart like a whirlwind and there would be nothing you could do but chase after the shadows of their capes. Always chasing, never catching. 

Until you caught them but it was all wrong.

Maybe, in a different world, if they had met on equal ground, both as pirates, then…

Usopp abruptly shook his head. It was one thing to admire their freedom, but to actively wish he was a pirate ?...

Th-, that had been a childhood dream and nothing more! Now that he knew what pirates were really like (war-hungry, murdering, pillaging and absolutely dreamy ) he could never consider becoming one. He was much better off being a marine, getting a fair wage and knowing that if he ever wanted to settle down, he wouldn’t need to steal the house from anyone.

Ah, then again, his dad never stole the house or anything, did he? He just kinda bought it. But, then again, he had to have used stolen money for it, so…

Usopp ground to a stop. There, less than a hundred metres in front of him, the three of them battled. Kizaru and Shanks were obviously deadlocked, flitting here or there at incredible speeds, but Buggy was mostly just hanging around, at times trying to distract Kizaru by flinging things at him, though mostly unsuccessful. 

Usopp glanced at the other nearby marines and pirates. Almost everyone was in the middle of either fighting or running away. Nobody was looking at him, or seemed to have noticed his presence, for that matter.

It was the perfect opportunity. 

Feeling his heart relax after such a long day, Usopp brought up his slingshot and loaded a cannonsmall. Shanks was moving around quite a bit, but it wasn’t as though Usopp actually had to hit him or anything. He just had to, for a single moment, make Shanks notice him. Then he would deflect the shot or whatever and Usopp could slink back into the shadows until Buggy and Shanks escaped well and truly. It would be simple.

Usopp drew back the rubber band and squeezed one eye shut. He just needed the perfect moment. That one moment where Shanks wasn’t moving and wouldn’t move for a second or so. That was it. 

And as Usopp trained his eye on the combatants, as the world slowed to a measured blur, he felt it. The world may have moved at a den-den mushi’s pace, but when he looked at Shanks and Kizaru, now moving only slightly faster than normal people, he could feel it. He could tell where and when they would both pause, at what point they chose to breathe, and even at what intervals they chose to blink. Or when Kizaru chose to blink, since Shanks was fighting with his eyes closed to avoid damaging them. 

That was why Usopp knew the second he sensed it when the best moment to strike would be. In that slowed-down world where he saw nothing but Shanks and Kizaru, he drew back the band of his slingshot with all the speed of a sloth crawling. But he drew it back, and he aimed, and then-

And then his brain exploded with warnings and all of a sudden he didn’t see just Shanks and Kizaru, he also saw Buggy, and even more so, in his knowledge of what was to happen, he saw Kizaru raise one finger and point the index of it at Buggy’s chest, and from the tip of his finger a beam of light arched like a striking viper and in the sudden shock at this realisation, Usopp’s finger slipped. Sweat and blood stained his fingers and with the whistle of a cannon, the shot leapt through the air. 

Right towards Buggy. 

Usopp felt shivers sprout all across his body as a slippery black depression eased itself across the back of his mind. The world started turning again, speeding up and up and up until Usopp could barely comprehend it anymore, nothing apart from the fact that Buggy was about to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

But the same did not stay true for Shanks.

A shot of light piercing the battlefield and Usopp’s Cannonsmall both crashed into the very same target, but that target wasn’t Buggy. Standing before him, with his arms stretched wide, his right chest pierced by Kizaru’s beam and his left indented by the pressure of Usopp’s shot, Shanks looked more pathetic than Usopp could ever consider him being. But he smiled. Beneath his straw hat and the heavy rain and the red hair, Shanks was smiling. 

Buggy’s eyes widened, jumped from Shanks to Kizaru, and then finally to Usopp. The hurt in them told Usopp that Buggy knew everything. He was extremely certain of exactly who did this. 

But if Usopp hadn’t done it, wouldn’t Buggy have died? Or could he trust the vision he’d had at all? Maybe, if he’d just stayed out of it, nothing would have-,

“Nice shooooot, Commodore~,” Kizaru drawled out, and then he was upon Shanks, his sword of blinding, piercing light stabbing deep into the Yonko’s abdomen.

Shanks gave a bloody cough and staggered backwards, right into Buggy’s arms. 

Grinning that lazy, stupid smile, Kizaru approached, his sword raised high in preperation for the killing blow that was sure to come. Below, Buggy trembled, but more so at whom he was holding than what was about to happen. By all means, the expression on Kizaru's face said everything - namely that he was about to kill two birds with one sword. “Bye bye, birdieeee~.”

- Clang!

…Clang?

Usopp blinked at the scene in front of him. Instead of looking at the corpse of Red-Hair Shanks, he instead watched as an incredibly large man clad in green intercepted the blade of light with his bare hands. Usopp might have felt more impressed if his mind wasn’t currently running at a million miles per hour. 

Behind Lucky Roux, Buggy had brought down Shanks to a lying position. 

All of a sudden, Usopp felt more purpose than he ever had before. He knew first aid. Damn it, he was downright good at it, so if he could help, then maybe… Maybe Shanks wouldn’t die and Buggy could leave this place with all his limbs intact.

And so, taking great care and effort to not attract the attention of anything and anyone, Usopp sneaked around, hiding behind cracked buildings and monuments, avoiding puddles of water and loitering corpses. He approached the two of them, and from the edge of a ruined building, he saw how close they were, and how the wind and rain whipped at their bodies, the water diluting the blood pooling beneath Shanks’ body, and how their dark forms were periodically lit up by the battle between the curious light Admiral and the furious pirate. 

“You’re okay,” Buggy whispered, “you’re alright. You’ve taken worse hits than this, you’re going to be fine.” At hearing that voice, Usopp found himself frozen in his tracks. It sounded so… broken . As a liar, Usopp knew the sound of someone lying. Likewise, he knew that the person Buggy was lying to right now was not Shanks, but himself.

Shanks knew it very well. “Yeah,” he said, smiling. “I’m alright.” He stretched up one hand and held it against Buggy’s wet cheek. He slapped a few times, making Buggy wince. He gave a hearty chuckle before coughing again, spattering blood across his chest. 

“H-, hey! Just-, just relax, will you? We’ll get you out of here, so-,”

“No,” Shanks said calmly. “I won’t.” His eyes grew soft. “But don’t worry. I’ll still be around.” And then, reverently, he removed the straw hat from his head and reached up, placing it atop Buggy’s head. The clown’s eyes widened. “I need you to take care of that for me, okay? I know you’re not the sentimental type, but…” For just a second, a moment of gravity, Shanks’ let the smile drop from his face. “Treat it as your greatest treasure. Higher than gold or silver. Higher than even nakama.”

Buggy reached up, touching the edge of the straw hat with his fingers. “Isn’t this…?” Shanks nodded at him. “I-, I can’t, isn’t there anyone, you know, better suited for it?...”

Shanks regained his smile. “That is up for you to decide, Buggy. Whoever you pass that hat onto will be worthy of it. I trust you to know it.”

Buggy’s face collapsed into barely-withheld grief. “...But I’m weak. I’m weak and I’m pathetic and I’m a braggart. The chances of me surpassing you are as slim as me finding the One Piece!”

“Then do it,” Shanks said simply. 

Buggy blinked at him. “Do… what?”

A grin. “ Become the Pirate King. ” Before Buggy could stop sputtering to try and find an excuse, Shanks reached up again and placed his fist against Buggy’s heart. “In there. Right in there, you’ve got everything you’ll ever need. Not your devil fruit, not your friends, not your intellect. Your will .”

Buggy grew quiet. In a whisper so quiet Usopp barely heard it, he said, “What if I don’t want to become the Pirate King?...”

Shanks’ smile never faltered. “Knowing you, it isn’t up for debate.” Then, quietly, as Buggy stared on silently, his cheeks just slightly wetter than the weather demanded, Shanks leaned back further. “Now then…”

Buggy didn’t feel it - couldn’t have felt it - but Usopp knew in a single moment that Shanks was about to die. His presence, formerly as proud and loud as a glorious shout, now stumbled and wavered, the endless will it exuded still there, only muted. Growing quieter and quieter until, in only mere moments, Usopp knew he would be dead.

All Usopp knew was that he had to act soon, and fast .

All inhibitions lost, Usopp leapt out from behind the rubble and approached Buggy. After all, they were friends, weren’t they? Or rivals. Whichever it was, Buggy must have known at this point that Usopp would never hurt him. Usopp approached the two with utmost confidence, and going by how Shanks’ presence didn’t even waver as he came near, it was clear that the Yonko was well-aware of his arrival.

But Buggy wasn’t.

Usopp stopped in his tracks a few paces or so away from the two, suddenly struck by a strange sense of disillusion. There was something off about Buggy’s presence. Usually meek but prideful around him, it now reared up, all fangs on display, as though trying to scare him off. Usopp felt so taken aback by the look of sheer animosity that Buggy flared at him that he couldn’t bring himself to move, much less speak.

As a matter of fact, neither of them did. 

And then there was an explosion of light and fire behind Usopp and he turned around just in time to watch as Lucky Roux was impaled on both a sword of light and a fist of magma. He felt his jaw drop open. They needed to move fast.

Usopp turned back to Buggy. “Buggy, we have to-,”

But Buggy wasn’t on the ground anymore, he was standing up, and with a look of sheer and utter hatred, tinged by tears and fear, he held his knives high, and with Usopp stunned silent and motionless, that image of his friend showing him a face of utter contempt would be the last thing he saw. The knives crashed down onto his face, slashing across it and down his cheek and through part of his throat. “G-, gck-!?”

Something wet splashed across his face and Usopp realised it had to be his own blood. His face was burning and his eyes felt like absolutely nothing and his neck was open and everything hurt. Around him, the world just kept moving. He heard it all, and he felt it all. But he couldn’t see. Oh, god, he couldn’t see. 

But he felt it. He felt how Shanks gave his last breath and how Buggy turned back to him to clutch the corpse to his chest. He felt the light and the heat of the two Admirals closing in on Buggy, but Usopp felt like a useless spectator in it all, and he couldn’t bring himself to move or to try to do anything more, he really just wanted to sleep, so as his face burnt and his throat splurted hot sticky liquid he felt himself fall to his knees, and then backwards onto the ground.

He wanted to sleep. He needed to sleep. That was all. He couldn’t see anything, so he didn’t need to shut his eyes. He just needed to stop breathing. That was all.

“Buggy!” someone shouted. Usopp didn’t know who, but he could feel by their presence that they were big and strong, and suddenly they had grabbed Buggy. But they didn’t get far. Going by only the crackling of rain hitting magma and the feeling of light beaming onto his face, Usopp knew that they were in close pursuit by the two Admirals. 

Then there was a flash of heat and Usopp could feel Buggy’s despairing, near apathetic presence swelling with pain and hurt as something slashed across his face and down his chest. 

But as Akainu readied himself for one last attack, a new presence arrived. Usopp couldn’t tell who it was, but the air around him crackled with rain hitting fire, and something in his presence smelled like pineapples and birds. “Oya oya, you better leave the guy alone-yoi?”

Somewhere deep inside him, Usopp knew that this man’s arrival meant that Buggy would be okay. His presence was slowly fading due to the grave wound, but he would survive. 

…But what about Usopp? Something inside his chest ached dully, and without really thinking, he brought up his hand to touch his throat. He was still bleeding. If he didn’t stop it, he would surely die within minutes. He would be alright with that. But not now. Not now that he knew Buggy would survive. 

With quiet determination, Usopp brought one hand into his satchel and fished out a first aid kit.

There, right there in the mud and pouring rain, he patched himself up. He couldn’t see, could barely perceive anything above the acute blood loss, but he sewed and he bandaged without hesitation.

And then, once he felt that he was no longer at death’s door, he passed out.

Only afterwards did he hear that the war had only ended because Whitebeard appeared to stop it. But at that point, Usopp hadn’t cared too much. All he cared about was the fact that his life as a marine was over.

Buggy’s slash had done irreparable damage to his eyes.

Usopp was blind.

Chapter Text

Buggy woke up with a headache that could kill sea kings and an ache in his chest that he wasn’t sure was only about that slash Kizaru had given him. It might have been something else as well, but no matter how long Buggy laid in what he instinctually recognised as the sick ward of the Big Top, he couldn’t put a pin on what that ache actually came from. It was sort of like waking up one day and finding a bruise on some random part of your body you couldn’t remember hitting. 

It was a mystery, but at least it kept his mind off of other matters. Matters he really didn’t want to think about at all.

So he thought about other things, like how lovingly familiar the gentle rocking of the boat felt, or how much he had missed that ever-present smell of salt and tang, or even the fact that he was alive. Indeed, somehow, he was alive. 

He was alive, and he had no idea how to feel about it.

He couldn’t move, but he could peek his eyes open. His right eye felt a bit heavy, and opening it hurt, but he still had his vision, so there was nothing he could really complain about. As expected, the roof above him was wooden, painted with monkies and elephants and tigers and everything else you might find in a circus. Buggy really wasn’t sure who had suggested it, but he should give them a promotion. Absolutely glorious.

For a few minutes, he simply laid there on the soft mattress, staring up at the animals, almost begging they’d come to life to give him a show; to distract him from the gentle weight that rested atop his aching chest. 

He didn’t want to think about it. But as he gazed up at the ceiling, he felt his eyes drawn to it anyways.

There, mere inches from his face, a simple straw hat rested.

The sight of it made Buggy’s heart seize up and even though the movement made his chest burn and open and bleed, Buggy reached up and grabbed a hold of it, raising it up high in preparation to throw it away. But his hand stalled mid-air. His entire arm was trembling. The wound Kizaru had given him had clearly pierced deep into him, running down the right side of his face and crossing his heart and all the way through to his lower abdomen. He barely even had the strength to hold a straw hat.

Buggy grimaced. 

Then, gently, he brought his hand back down and placed the straw hat atop his face. Something wet ran down his cheeks and he wasn’t sure if it was blood from his opened wounds or something else - something shameful. 

A door opened and Buggy threw the straw hat to the side tried to sit up but the second he rose an inch from the mattress, the pain made him collapse again. 

The other person in the room didn’t seem to have anything to say about it, since he simply moved across the room with slow, purposeful steps until he arrived at Buggy’s side. “You want to kill yourself, boy?”

Buggy squinted up at the geezer standing above him. “...Crocus? The hell are you doing here?”

The man scoffed and crossed his arms. “Is that any way to thank the man who saved your life?” A shake of the head. “You should be happy I even bothered to come here. Somehow, I knew you’d need someone to patch you up after all this shit. ”

Buggy gnashed his teeth. “You wanna go, geezer?!”

“No, someone might die” Crocus stated ominously, his eyes growing dark. A heavy silence befell the ward. “And that ‘someone’ would be me.”

“Stop trying to scare me, you flashy fool!!” 

As Crocus watched him, his eyes slowly softened, until he finally turned away from him fully. “If you’re that energetic, you certainly won’t need me around.” With purposeful steps, he moved across the floor and bent over, picking up the straw hat where it lay upside-down on the floorboards. Carefully, ever-so-gently, he brushed the dust from the top of it. Returning to Buggy’s side, he placed the hat on his chest once more. “You should try to rest for at least two weeks, lest your wounds open themselves again. But even then, the damage to your chest is irreparable. It might take months, even years before you regain full mobility in your right arm.”

Buggy fell silent, his face setting itself into a neutral glower.

“...Knowing you, you’ll probably be up and about in a few days.” A strange, nostalgic smile found its way onto the geezer's face and Buggy was no longer sure if he actually knew the guy at all. “But try not to get into any fights. Next time, I won’t patch you up. Considering that you took a hit from an Admiral, you should be grateful to even be alive.”

Buggy turned away from Crocus. “Right.” He frowned to himself, and mumbled, “Thanks, I guess.”

Crocus watched him for a few seconds before giving a shrug and turning towards the door. But before he left, he gave Buggy one last cryptic look, and said, “I’d tell you to take care of that straw hat, but knowing Shanks, I’m sure he’s already hammered it home.” Buggy flinched at the mention of the name. Crocus sighed. “If his legacy means anything to you, keep that hat safe, alright?”

“...Sure.”

And with that, the old pirate left. Leaving Buggy to simmer in his own horrible, horrible thoughts.

He clutched the hat closer to his chest.

His eyes felt warm and dry but he didn’t let himself cry. He couldn’t cry. He was supposed to be a pirate, damn it! And pirates were strong-willed and strong-bodied, and they would never falter in front of emotions. Pirates took what they wanted, and that was that! 

-But what if the thing the pirate wanted couldn’t be gained?

What if a pirates’ dreams were nothing but a mirage on the dawn horizon, or the image of a pond in a desert, or the coat-tails of someone who wasn’t there anymore? You couldn’t have everything you wanted. That was something everyone learned as a kid, unless they were a Celestial Dragon. People, be they pirate or marine or something else entirely, could not have everything they ever wanted.

The only problem was that right now, Buggy didn’t know what he wanted. 

A flash of a coat of justice and a split grin passed through his mind and he shook his head. Maybe it was less that he didn’t know, and more that he didn’t want to accept it. 

Life would be so much simpler if he just went after the One Piece. That seemed to be what everyone wanted him to do, anyways. And, hey! If he became Pirate King, maybe people would stop chasing after him and pick fights with him all the time. Then again, becoming Pirate King had hardly stopped Roger from dying.

Buggy sniffled. 

He pressed his eyebrows together and frowned in an effort to keep it together. Yes, he lost his captain and he lost his brother, but so what? He still had his crew, and he still had Uso-,

Something rolled down Buggy’s cheek and he felt his chest tighten. 

He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to consider it. But Usopp…

The mere thought of the young marine’s name made Buggy’s blood both boil and freeze at the same time. Because of him, Shanks had died. Because of him, Buggy had survived and he hadn’t died and here he was. 

Buggy groaned. Considering the slash he’d given Usopp, there was a fair chance that the boy was dead. It had been that sort of attack - completely ruthless - but knowing Usopp, he should have survived, right? He was tough, unlike Buggy. He could take anything head-on and still jump back on his feet to keep going. That’s what made him so endearing. His perseverance. Unlike Buggy’s half-assed “do-whatever-my-crew-wants”, Usopp knew exactly what he wanted, and he pursued it with all his might.

And what he wanted was…

Buggy felt a blush stain his cheeks and he growled at himself. “G-, get it together, Buggy! You’re better than this, you stupid oaf…!” 

Thankfully, there was no one around to hear his vindictive words. 

At least the cloud had one, single silver lining. If Usopp was dead, Buggy wouldn’t have to go around worrying about his own feelings!

Buggy froze. It was unlikely that he had ever before had a thought that was able to so thoroughly crush his little sense of joy in the world. A small tremble was taking a hold of his entire body and he knew it wasn’t the slash. It was something else entirely - something that made Buggy extremely aware of the fact that he did not want Usopp dead. He didn’t even want the poor boy hurt.

The only thing he wanted at that moment, more than anything in the world, was for Usopp to be okay. That was it. 

With that thought piercing through the veil of self-imposed uncertainty, Buggy leaned back, feeling his body relax more than he ever thought it could. 

Silently, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

A few days later, Buggy climbed out of bed to greet his commanders. A lot had been lost, but many had survived. Buggy could do nothing but grit his teeth and be thankful that he still had most of them.

For a few hours, they all sat around the main cabin’s table, reporting on what had happened and what their next course of action should logically be. The very first order they decided on was that they needed to party. Not just because they had gotten their captain back in (mostly) one piece, but so too to honour their fallen comrades. There were many of them, and they needed a proper send-off.

It was during the report Third Commander Nami gave that Buggy found out about the fact that Usopp had saved her and the rest of the prisoners’ lives. It hadn’t shocked him as much as it should have, but it did banish any lingering uncertainties about Usopp’s motives. 

On that note, the banquet would also serve as a good way of welcoming their many, many newer members. Most of the escaped convicts no longer had crews to return to on account of how long they had been imprisoned. So, since they seemed to feel that they were (quite literally) indebted to Nami, he placed them under her power, bolstering the Third Division quite grandly. 

“...You won’t be joining us?”

The large fish-man shook his head. “Officially, I remain part of Big Mum’s crew. It is not a position I enjoy, however, leaving would likely result in the destruction of an island I hold dear.”

Buggy tried to shrug but stopped midway due to his wound. He gave a hiss of pain. “Don’t worry about it, Jinbe.” He furrowed his brows of a second. “Say, if you join me, how’s about I protect it for you?”

“...Take on Big Mum?”

Colour drained from Buggy’s face in a matter of seconds. “Haha, uh, n-, no, I’d ne-,”

“Of course he’d take on Big Mum!” one of the Commanders shouted.

“She wouldn’t stand a chance against his might,” another said solemnly.

Buggy felt a drop of sweat trickle down his back.

Jinbe glanced between the Commanders and finally back to Buggy. “I appreciate the sentiment, Buggy the Clown. However, for the moment being, I cannot accept your help.” Below his cooly spoken words, an ice-cold statement laid in wait - ‘ you are too weak to save us.’

And it was right. “I see. Uh, well, we’ll consider it, okay? There’s no need to hurry these things, is there?”

Jinbe lowered his eyes. “I suppose so.”

And so it continued.

The evening concluded with the decision that the Buggy Pirates would move into the New World within the coming weeks, at that point mostly trying to reclaim the territory that Shanks had lost. Their strategists concluded pretty quickly that there would be a race for the islands soon, and they needed to enter as quickly as possible. 

And so, with no further to do, they set course for Sabaody Archipelago.

It was the middle of the night, but on Marineford, far from everyone was alseep. There had been extensive damages done to headquarters, but until the building could be properly fixed, people would just have to sleep in their old quarters. Akainu and Aokiji had temporarily cooperated to meld certain crevices in order to upkeep the structure of it, but the entire thing would need to be replaced at some point. 

In those cracked rooms, countless marines lay stark awake, unable to close their eyes for fear of what they might see. Rooms once shared by two or more people were now occupied by lone, empty soldiers. The hallways were quiet, but the hearts of the marines were not. And that was only those marines healthy enough to return to their quarters. 

Most had suffered some injuries, lesser or greater, and they filled up the hospitals to the point where injured people had to be sent home and dying people could not be afforded a bed to take their last breath in. It was chaos, but it was nothing compared to the plague of insomnia that had taken a hold of the battered city.

None fared worse than Usopp.

The sky was black, and even after two full days, the heavy clouds had refused to leave the island, forcing the entire base into imposed darkness. There were no stars to be seen and no moon to alight the streets with silver, but Usopp wouldn’t have been able to know even if there were. 

The training grounds outside the Marineford base had gone mostly undamaged, and at this time, Usopp took great advantage of it. 

In the endless darkness of the moonlit sky, he stood broad legged, chest heaving. On the other side of the grounds, a simple strawman stood tied in a T form. The only aspect that differentiated it from any other strawman was the ripe tomato stuck to the face of it, slightly off-kilter. 

Usopp lifted his slingshot, ignored the pain throbbing from his face and eyes, tried to contain his breathing, and loosened a shot. The little steel ball flew through the air and hit a sandstone wall on the far side of the training grounds, embedding itself therein, alongside a few hundred others. But unlike the wall, the strawman remained completely unscathed.

Silently, Usopp removed another shot and loaded it into his slingshot. 

He didn’t see as a light approached from behind, but he did feel it. Without turning around, he said, “Kizaru. What are you doing out here?”

The admiral approached. Usopp had never noticed it before, but just as his powers suggested, the man’s presence held a strange sort of light to it that brightened up everything around it. A strange bit of humour that Usopp now found himself envying. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Borsalinooooo?”

Usopp released the band on his slingshot and heard how the shot banged into the wall on the far side. Another miss. “Yeah, you did.” He loaded another shot. “I’ll ask again. Why are you here?” 

“Myyyyyy, you’re being pretty chilly, huh?” Borsalino said, and going by the way his presence brightened a little bit, Usopp could only assume he was smiling, as always. Considering what the admiral had done - the pain he had inflicted - Usopp almost wanted to treat him even worse. “As for why I’m heeeeeeere, isn’t it enough that you’re making a bunch of noise in the middle of the nighhhhht?”

Usopp loosened the shot and heard distinctly how it crashed into the wall. “It isn’t that loud.” He frowned. “Uh, is it?...”

The admiral leaned against something and his presence took on a teasing spirit. “Maybeeeee. But I wouldn’t know, right?” A grin. “I’d bet you’ve got some sort of super-hearing now that you don’t have to focus on looking around so muuuuuch.”

“I don’t,” Usopp grit out. His grip on the slingshot tightened and he was pretty sure his knuckles were turning white. But he didn’t know. He couldn’t know. Not anything. “I don’t have anything , Borsalino.”

“Well, that’s not trueeeee.” Before Usopp could shoot back something harsh, the admiral continued, “You’ve got good Haki, don’t you?”

Usopp lowered his slingshot. “I don’t know . ”

“Yeah, you did!” Borsalino said with surprising cheer. “Most people only awaken it after they’ve found out about Haki, and when they do, they can’t really do much of anything with it. Newbies always go around proud of it, but then they have to actively turn it on to use it.” Something in his presence stabilised, turning cool and serious for just a second. “Since you started using it, have you ever stoppeeeeeed?”

Raising his slingshot again, Usopp released a shot, listening to how it flew through the air. He knew it wouldn’t hit even before it struck the wall. “No.”

“It’s unconscious. That’s what they call geniuuuuus.”

“I don’t want this, I want to be able to see ! Like this, I can barely even walk in a straight line! It’s over, you know. I’ll never be a sniper again, much less a marine. All those talks about chasing after what I want is-,”

Something dark and freezing petrified Usopp in place and he couldn’t even move. His feet were stuck to the floor and even though he couldn’t see anything, he felt the compulsive need to turn towards Borsalino.

“Wooooow, you felt that, huh?”

Usopp forced himself to speak, “F-, felt what ?...”

“My killing intent.” Usopp felt his breath hitch. “I tried to hide it as best as I could, but I guess nothing sneaks by you, huhhhhhh? If you worked at it, I’m sure you could become a human lie detector~.”

“Why would I want to-,”

“If you’re anyways giving up on chasing after your dream and catching that person you’ve always wanted, you might as well make yourself useful some other way, nooooo? I guess I took you for a more willful person, but after what you’ve been through, it wouldn’t be too unusual to give up and wallow in self-pity. Nobody will fault you.” There it was again - an edge to both his voice and presence that wasn’t usually there. “Nobody but yourself. ”

Usopp felt his face darken. “But there’s nothing I can do. I want to continue! I want to chase after him, to the ends of the seas, and-, and…”

“Woooooow, I didn’t know you were so passionate about it! Shame you’ll have some steeeeeep competition facing you.”

“Wh-, what?”

“Oh, yeah, you were asleep, so you didn’t hear about it, huh? Weeeeeell, since everything’s so topsy-turvy, us officer guys decided to hold a strategy meeting for our future moments. We talked about looooads of things, but I was kinda tired, so I didn’t listen all that much, but I remember them saying a few things, like how Buggy was too public a target to have a mere Commodore strut after.” His presence waived in a cryptic manner. “The decision on who to replace you will be postponed until a later date, but for now, consider yourself in traaaaaansit.”

Usopp felt his heart drop. “I’m… being replaced?”

“Well, yeaaaaah. His bounty got raised all the way up to four-hundred and twenty million, you know? It’s a looooot!” His presence sharpened. “What are you going to do about it, Usopp?”

“I…” Instinctually, acting more on the memory of the action than anything, Usopp turned his face towards the ground, even though it was just as nothing to him as the blank sky or the target so far away. He clenched his eyes shut. This wasn’t a time to be thinking about what he’d lost! He still had so much more to do, so many things to say! Lifting his face, Usopp turned towards where he knew Borsalio stood, and he raised his white eyes toward him. He knew he couldn’t make eye contact, but he had to show his determination somehow. “I will work hard to become my own replacement, sir!”

The admiral’s presence turned from gravely serious to elated and whimsical in a matter of moments. “Heeeeey, no need to call me sir! Didn’t I tell you to treat me as an equaaaaaal?”

“Y-, yessir! No, wait, uh…”

Borsalino gave a laugh.

The night was young, and since they were both already awake, Borsalino decided to teach the young marine a thing or two about Haki. First and foremost, although Observation Haki was mostly known for recognising the presences of people and animals, it could be used to make out objects as well, though with a lesser degree of certainty. He wouldn’t be able to see colour or read reports on his own, but he could tell where things were and how to circumvent them.

As far as Borsalino explained it, Usopp had already overcome the difficult part of Haki, namely obtaining it in the first place. All he had to do was learn how to properly make use of it and he’d be golden.

And so, all throughout the night, Borsalino taught Usopp how to find the things that had no voice. By the time the sun began to drag itself across the cloudy sky, turning black to dark grey, the tomato-clad strawman was filled with several little holes, and Usopp was starting to feel some form of hope for the future. 

“Have you written your report on the Summit War yeeeeet?”

Usopp scratched the back of his head. “Ah, uh, no, I mean… It’s not like I can actually write, you know?”

By focusing on not just Borsalino’s presence, but also his physical body, Usopp was able to understand that he was nodding. “Ahhh, in that caaaaase, you just need some guy to write it for you, right?”

Usopp sputtered. “I-, I can’t do that! I’d lose all my pride as a marine, you know?”

“Mmmmm, is that so…” Going by the rumple of paper and the movements Borsalino was making, Usopp understood that he was removing a small notepad from inside his justice coat. “Alright, go ahead. Say what you went doing and I’ll write it dooooown.”

“Wh-, what?” The admiral’s presence didn’t waver in the least. “S-, si-, erm, Borsalino, I can’t let my own superior write down my report! You have to understand-,”

“Alriiiight, start at the beginning, okaaaay?”

Sighing, Usopp brought up his hands to massage his temples. “Uh, alright, well… When I first arrived, I brought out the prisoner to the scaffold…

…Had I not done so, I would surely have lost even more than just my sight.”

“Mhm, mhm. Very gooood, alright, I’ll have that sent over to one of your boys later todaaaaay.”

Usopp was suddenly struck by a thought. “Has anybody else turned in their reports already?”

Borsalino thumbed his lower lip. “Hmmmm… Ohhh, yeah! Zuki-chan’s a real stickler for these kinds of things, so he had it all finished the very day of the battleeeeee. Said it helped to ‘ensure the validity of the report’ or something. Sometimes I think he works waaaaay too much. I tried reading the thing, but it was soooooo boring, nothing interesting, you know? Just a bunch of ‘The pirate was engaged’ and ‘the pirate was dispatched’ and stuff. Real dreadful. I haven’t written mine yeeeeet, but it’s sure to be fun!”

“Fun might be the least important aspect of a report on the war… No, wait, who’s Zuki-chan?!”

Borsalino tilted his head like a confused puppy. “Hmm? Ahh, Zuki-chan is what I call Sakazuki. You know, Akainu? He hates it when I call him that~.”

“...I can’t imagine why.” Usopp focused on Borsalino’s presence for a few seconds, eventually picking up the faint rustle of paper. “You wouldn’t happen to have his report on you, would you?”

“Ah, yeah, I do!” The admiral fished a chunk of paper from within his coat, and if Usopp’s Haki wasn’t going bad, the thing had to weigh at least a kilo or two, resembling less an arc of paper and more a giant brick. “Would you like me to read it for youuuuu? It’ll take hours, but I haven’t got anything better to do~.”

Usopp nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

The four hundred (four hundred and fifty-three) pages of stale, dreadful report might have been a bit easier to listen to if it hadn’t been for the fact that the one reading it was a man who spoke as slowly as a sloth crawled. It only took a few dozen pages for Usopp to feel just about ready to doze off and let the whole not-having-slept-all-night deal become too much to handle.

And then, from out of nowhere, he heard something. A report of a simple pirate’s demise. A short section in the Dispatched Commanders part of the report.

“-Repeat that,” Usopp said abruptly.

“...Repeat whaaaaat?”

“That last bit. A-, about…”

Something in Borsalino’s presence shifted, like a snake coiling and uncoiling. “Following a battle wherein First Commander Benn Beckman, unfortunately, escaped with his life, the Fourth Commander of the Red-Hair Pirates was discovered and dispatched. Details of the event can be found on page five-hundred-seventy-oneeeeee…”

Usopp collapsed backwards and he was lucky there was a wall there, because for just a moment, he hadn’t been able to feel anything. Not the wind, not the presences all around him, and certainly not his own heart.

For a moment, just a single moment, the entire world shook.

There, without knowing why or how or what to do about it, Usopp cried. Tears fell from blind eyes and slid down the tracks of open but gently healing wounds.

The dawn rose, but Usopp felt lower than he ever had.

Chapter Text

“Sir, we’ve received reports that Buggy the Clown and his followers have been spotted on Sabaody Archipelago!”

Usopp didn’t turn his attention from the seas. Or, rather, where he was pretty sure where the seas were. He stood with his hands on the railing, smelling the salty breeze and focusing on the life that dwelled just below the surface - a kind of practice Borsalino had recommended to him. Right now, he couldn’t say he was entirely happy having to split his attention between the creatures below and the recruit saying the obvious. “We already knew that. That’s why we’re out here to begin with, Seaman.”

He felt how the presence of the recruit wavered. Something bothered him. “That isn’t it, Commodore, he…” A pause. Usopp was about to snap something at him before he continued.  “Erm, he has reportedly assaulted a Celestial Dragon.” That shut Usopp up good.

“A-, a Celestial Dragon?! How - why?” 

The recruit took a few steps back at the accusatory tone in Usopp’s voice. “The details are uncertain, but it seems that it was in relation to the fact that the Celestial Dragon attempted to kill one of the pirate’s fishmen companions.”

Usopp gulped. “Yeah, uh, that’d do it.” A thought struck him and he turned towards the recruit, if only for the sake of showing he was listening. “How does this change-,”

“Hey, Usooooooopp~!” 

Shamefully, Usopp hadn’t noticed him arriving, probably because he was supposed to be on a different ship. Trying feebly to stretch out his haki, he realised that the ship Borsalino was on appeared to be ridiculously close to the poor little Merry. The problem here was mostly that if Borsalino’s warship so much as touched the small caravan, it would probably explode. “Borsalino?”

Focusing on the admiral’s shining presence, Usopp found that he was waving, and so he reluctantly waved back at him. In the next moment, the admiral had practically teleported from the warship in order to stand on the railing of the Going Merry. Usopp stumbled back in surprise. “Usopp, have you ever done a buster caaaaaaall?”

Alarm bells rang out in Usopp’s head. “...No, I haven’t. Um, how so-?”

The admiral grinned. “Than I guess it’s about timeeeeeeee!” He glanced down at his wrist. “We’ll be at Sabaody in around an hour, so you’d better get ready~.”

“R-, right!”

Seemingly happy with the response, Borsalino skipped back onto his own ship, leaving Usopp in a state of mental disarray. Usopp was by no means daft, and so it only took him around a minute of anxious pacing for him to connect the two tidbits of information (Celestial Dragon got decked + Buster Call) and form an unhappy picture. The moment everything clicked into place was harsh enough for Usopp to completely freeze in place.

…Damn it, Buggy!

• - -

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

“It was an accident , I swear!!” But, of course, the marines wouldn’t listen. 

Around him, his gaggle of newly-gained followers all swooned like lovelorn high school girls. 

“I can’t believe he punched a Celestial Dragon!” 

“All to protect one of ours…” A sob. “He’s so chivalrous!”

“To think our captain would stand against the Gods themselves!”

And so on and so forth. It really had just been a stupid misunderstanding. How was he supposed to know that fat guy was supposed to be a Celestial Dragon? All the stories the government told painted the guys as gorgeous hotties who could daze you with a look! Damn it, he just stumbled on the stairs, he didn’t even know Chuu was about to get brain-blasted until they were already running!

Jinbe seemed proud of him, though. For some reason, that made Buggy feel a little better.

-But he had just wanted to sneak through the city and get to the New World! All this marine-chasing business was wearing on his injuries. Maybe he should count himself lucky that no big shots had shown up yet, but knowing Celestial Dragons, they wouldn’t settle for anything less than a Commodore.

Buggy sniffled. Quietly, he compartmentalised that in its own little box, never to be opened. Probably.

A cannonball whizzed past Buggy’s head and he remembered that he was currently running for his life. Considering the forces currently in play on the archipelago, Buggy technically wouldn’t have had to run at all. They could have faced them, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the Celestial Dragon had apparently decided to kill them even if it meant destroying the entire island. Buggy really wasn’t sure what that was about, but he knew that his best bet was to just keep running until he couldn’t anymore. 

For the past hour or so, that had been their main strategy. 

And then there was an explosion. There had been many explosions until that moment, but this was something else. This was a massive crest of light that rocked the archipelago down to its very roots, and everything shook and Buggy would probably have fallen to the ground like his many cohorts if he hadn’t been floating in the air, detached from his wheeling feet. 

Buggy only barely had time to turn back and stare slack jawed as one of the massive towering trees staggered and collapsed to the ground with a “THOOOOM” almost as massive as the explosion that had hit it. The thing that made Buggy’s eyes widen in distress wasn’t the loss of a cultural landmark, but rather the nature of the explosion that had brought it down.

He knew exactly who could make those kinds of blasts.

“R-, run! Men, flee, damn it!” Struck by a sudden by very reasonable panic, Buggy utilised every limb he had to pull his fallen crewmates to their feet. He couldn’t leave a single man behind, because then the marines might know which direction they went.

Unfortunately enough, the whole light-explosions-deal kept going on, and if Buggy’s brain wasn’t starting to become mush, he was pretty sure it was getting closer. Or maybe he was hallucinating. That’d be nice. Maybe this whole island was an illusion and Buggy was still on the Big Top, partying with all his commanders and officers. It wasn’t often that all the division commanders got together, so it had been nice. Lots of good food, and Jinbe had been so happy to meet his old friends. Good times.

“Buggy-sama, to think you could be relaxed enough to grin while pursued by an Admiral…!”

Buggy snapped out of it just in time to notice that a marine had apparently circled around them to now stand in front of them. It must have been a new player, because Buggy didn’t recognise him at first. It was the nose that gave it away, because everything else was so different. For one, he wore a coat. And not just his regular coat of justice, but a full knee-length double-breasted overcoat, perfect for dealing with the harsh weather of the Drum islands or similar. Then, as if to really lay it on thick, he had this huge scarf wrapped around his neck and a large part of his lower face, so you couldn’t even see his lips. 

It might have been better if his hair hadn’t been fully let down to completely cover his eyes. As far as Buggy could tell, the kid usually kept it somewhat tied up - not that it was all that long, mostly because it was pretty wild - but now it was just fully let down, to the point where the only visible part of his face was his nose. Buggy wondered for a moment how the greenhorn could even see at all.

Buggy ground to a stop and so did his numerous followers. 

Usopp said nothing, and Buggy didn’t need to see his face to know that the kid wasn’t smiling. Without speaking a word of greeting, Usopp drew his slingshot - a slingshot Buggy knew could kill.

He froze where he stood. Maybe he should have known to move, but he couldn’t. Maybe he was in shock, but that didn’t really change what came after.

Mutely, Usopp aimed and without showing any mercy, he fired. 

The shot leapt through the air, whistled past and exploded a house just behind them. Buggy blinked, unable to really understand what had happened. His first thoughts were pretty self-explanatory - he shot at me?! Indignation. And then, more hesitantly, a little more reluctantly, he missed ?...

And he had.

It was difficult to see with his expressions so shrouded, but his face seemed to scrunch together in some form of frustration. 

Unable to fathom why Usopp would make such an expression, Buggy chose to take it as a form of mercy. The pieces of the puzzle slipped into place and Buggy understood why Usopp was here. They may not have left off on all that good of a note last time, but Usopp was here to let them escape. He would let them go, and that shot was just a warning, or maybe to write in his reports that he tried. Something like that. In the end, Usopp would never do anything against them. 

At least, that was what Buggy thought until Usopp pulled back the band of his slingshot and Chuu - deciding that letting their enemy attack one-sided would be a mistake - tried to rush him and got ruthlessly beaten up in a matter of seconds. It happened so fast Buggy was barely able to make sense of it. One second Chuu had run in with a fist raised, and the next he was on the ground, beaten to a bloody pulp.  

“H-, hey, greenhorn!” Buggy moved before he could think, approaching the younger marine on stumbling feet. “You don’t need to-,” And he could say nothing more before Usopp drew back his slingshot and fired again. But the shot whizzed by again, missing him narrowly and instead crashing into a patch of dirt, blasting it to bits. Something was wrong. Maybe Buggy should have realised it the moment he saw Usopp, but as though acting on some feeble hope that everything was just as it had ever been, he continued approaching. “Listen, greenhorn, we don’t have to do this, just-,”

An explosion rocked the ground again and Buggy stumbled.

“Captain, we need to go!” one of his men shouted, clearly asking for permission to either retreat or engage the young marine. Most of them didn’t know what Usopp could do. Now that Buggy thought about it, none of them did. Not really. 

One of them tried to take a step forward but Buggy held out a hand. “Stay back.” He affixed his eyes on the marine. For some reason, even though it was Buggy who had every reason to tremble, Usopp seemed like the nervous one between them. 

Trying to read Usopp’s intentions, Buggy gave a measured proposal. “Uh, look, this is between you and me, right? This hasn’t got anything to do with them.” Behind them, another explosion rocked the archipelago. “If you just let them go, I’ll stay. We can have a go. One on one.”

Usopp didn’t say anything, but he slowly lowered his slingshot. All the better. That thing could sink ships in three shots. 

For a few seconds, nobody moved. Then, Buggy gave a tentative wave to his group. “The hell are you standing around for? Go, you flashy idiots! And that’s an order !”

“””Y-, yes, Captain Buggy-sama!”””

With the rush of frantic feet, the pirates scrambled away, leaving the two standing there, staring at each other. At least, Buggy was pretty sure Usopp was staring at him. It was hard to tell with the black curls covering his eyes, but Buggy could instinctively feel Usopp’s attention lock onto him. 

Once everyone had left, Buggy felt a certain wave of awkwardness roil over him, like he didn’t know exactly how to handle this. Should they talk, or should they fight? Maybe if he pleaded nicely enough, Usopp might let him go. He couldn’t possibly want to capture Buggy again after what happened only days ago. “Hey, uh, greenhorn-,”

The kid flew on him before he could say anything else. Fist raised and slingshot mercifully lowered, he advanced, flinging his body at him. Normally, with Usopp’s speed and strength, such an attack would’ve been unavoidable, but Buggy was able to deftly dodge out of the way by separating his upper body from his lower one. But this did tell him that the current situation was one of combat. “If you want to dance, then let’s tango!”

No knives. Maybe he was being arrogant, but he didn’t draw his typical weapons. If Usopp wanted to fight bare-fisted, Buggy would do the same. But the same did not apply to his devil fruit.

With a single thought, his body chopped itself into several dozen individual pieces, all floating in a massive swarm. Buggy grinned instinctually as he began to circle around Usopp, going ever-faster. 

If he’d been in a better state of mind, if he’d been a bit more observant, he might have noticed how Usopp seemed confused by his many pieces, how his attention could never settle on one, his face snapping up and down and left and right in a feeble attempt to keep his focus on Buggy’s face. But he couldn’t. There was too much. 

Buggy threw a punch at Usopp’s back and was startled when it connected, sending Usopp flying and crashing to the ground. He was so startled by it that he forgot to follow it up with an attack. Slowly blinking, he watched as Usopp grit his teeth and pulled himself back to his feet, swaying slightly. His scarf was loosening with the effort and a peek of tan skin was visible. Buggy felt weird.

Usopp tried to attack one of Buggy’s many pieces, but it was a part of his arm and he could easily make it move out of the way. Again, he watched numbly as Usopp stumbled, suddenly stopping and turning about as if he could no longer make sense of what was up or down or where Buggy was. 

Buggy swallowed.

Another explosion, now close enough to make Buggy’s eyes hurt. Then and there, Buggy decided not to show mercy. If Usopp was going to dawdle about, Buggy wasn’t going to do it with him. He had to run, and if Usopp wanted to stop him, then he should actually try.

Buggy threw himself back into movement, letting his limbs move like a storm, flying around Usopp in erratic and unpredictable patterns. Like a malevolent force, Buggy let his fist fly at Usopp, connecting with his face and making him fly, and before he could hit the ground, he punched him again, keeping him on his feet. Again and again, he let his limbs hit the boy who now acted more like an organic punching bag than the kind of skilled warrior he’d been before.

It was perverse. Wasn’t Usopp supposed to be strong? Hadn’t he been able to sink a battleship with only his fists? What the hell was this?

Buggy grit his teeth. 

As he grew less and less wary of the marine in front of him, he collected his limbs, let them coalesce until he was a full person again, simply punching on the boy, one blow after another, on and on. By this point, Usopp had stopped even trying to fight back. 

Then the boy lifted his hand in some feeble attempt to fight back and Buggy simply clicked his tongue and kicked Usopp’s legs out from under him before catching him by the cuff of his coat. He held him in the air, breathing shallowly with the effort of the one-sided beating. 

The scarf was now only barely covering his face, large parts of it blotched with the blood running from Usopp’s nose. 

A simple heave of the chest made the scarf’s final constraints loosen and the piece of cloth fluttered to the ground. 

Buggy should have expected it, but he hadn’t. But now he saw it. The upper part of his face was still hidden by his hair, but arching down from his eyes, in three straight lines, were deep gashes, running all the way down his throat and only ending once they hit his collar. Buggy stared at them, only realised that he was the one who had made them after staring at them for a minute or so. And then he had a thought. A horrible terrible thought that made his stomach lurch and his heart stop.

With intense dread bordering on panic, Buggy brought his bloodied hand to Usopp’s face and pushed up the hair covering his face. 

There, a pair of blank, white eyes stared back at him. Or, rather, they stared beyond him. It was all too obvious that they couldn’t see anymore. The triplet of scars striking through them like vipers made that clear. 

Buggy felt sick. 

His grip on Usopp’s collar loosened and the kid fell to the ground. There, he sat, chest heaving and face bloodied. A million thoughts were running through Buggy’s head and he had never hated himself more than he did that moment. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He wanted Usopp to stand up and draw his slingshot and shoot him right in his miserable little shrivelled heart.

But that didn’t happen.

Instead, the kid simply looked up at him, his milk-white eyes staring just a little to the right of him, not quite seeing him, and he said, in a small voice, like that of a kid asking for their parent, “Buggy? Are you there?”

Buggy’s chest burnt with black freezing ice and he bolted off. 

He was a coward. He was a coward and a traitor and an absolute piece of shit and Usopp was everything he wasn’t. Buggy knew what Usopp was. The kid was a sniper, and a damn good one at that. Buggy had never seen a finer marksman in his life, and now that was gone. 

All because of a strike done in the heat of the moment. All because he’d been angry and hurt and thought that everything was Usopp’s fault.

Buggy grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. The world only moved beneath his feet because he was too much of a coward to stop and face his own sins. But he was a coward. A pathetic, weak little coward who did nothing but drag down those close to him. 

Damn it. Damn it. Damn i-,

A boom. The ground beneath Buggy gave away and he fell ass-over-teakettle to the ground, but the ground was all destroyed and so Buggy found himself instead laying in a small crater.

“Woooooooow, you sure can run, huh~?” 

The man that stood him was not only freakishly tall, but also freakishly powerful. Buggy knew that at a glance. And not just because he’d seen him in the war or because he’d heard of him, but rather, he could feel it deep within himself. Some small sense that the man that stood before him could kill him in the blink of an eye. And then, a little whisper that told him that he wouldn’t, because he wanted to toy with him. His half-lidded eyes and stupid, predatory smile said it all. 

Normally, Buggy would have been able to muster some form of quip, but not now. Not after what he’d experienced the past couple of days.

He tried to crawl back, to flee, but a kick to the side prevented that. It crashed into him like a tackling sea king and he went flying, crashing into a building with his back first and his breath pressed out of him. Once he fell to the ground and the dust settled he chanced a cough, and going by the rattle in his lungs, that kick had definitely broken a rib or two. Buggy clutched at his side. 

He didn’t want to die. 

Not before he could apologise to Usopp.

The admiral approached with light steps and a hum on his lips. “I thought a pirate like you might be a little more interesting to fight. Can’t you do any fun tricks~?”

Buggy scowled. His entire body hurt but he couldn’t bring himself to stay down. He jumped to his feet and split himself into as many pieces as he could, hoping it might help, hoping it might distract the admiral.

“Woooooow!” the admiral drew out. Behind his sunglasses, an amused glint in his eye took on a sadistic glee. “So many targets to hit~.”

“...Eh?”

A kick to his floating torso took the air out of him and he fell down, his entire breathing apparatus seizing up and collapsing in on itself at the same time. He gasped and he sputtered but no air would reach his lungs. All focus lost, the rest of the pieces of his body fell to the ground as well. 

Kizaru didn’t mind as he tramped over them to reach where Usopp’s connected torso and head lay attempting to breathe.

“Neat power, but it’s kind of a waste, you knoooooow?” He smiled a truly cruel smile. “More of a cheap parlour trick than anything you could fight with, riiiiiight?”

“Sh-, shut up…!” Buggy grit out. It took him everything to say those mere two words, but Kizaru only seemed more entertained. In only a few broad steps, he stood above Buggy. So high up, Buggy could no longer see his face, but there was no doubt in his mind that the marine officer was grinning. 

Slowly, the admiral raised a leg. It began to glow with light, and he carefully situated the heel right above Buggy’s forehead. “Bye bye, Buggyyyyyyy~.”

Buggy squeezed his eyes shut. He told himself that in the next life, he’d try to find Usopp so he could make it up to him. He wished he hadn’t left the straw hat on the boat. If he was going to die, he wanted Shanks with him.

…

…Huh?

Tentatively, he peeked open one eye. There, blocking Kizaru’s leg, stood a man Buggy recognised all too well. “R-, Rayleigh?!”

The old pirate grinned. “I really thought you would have known not to get into trouble by now, Buggy.” With his throat aching, Buggy couldn’t answer with anything but a wide-eyed stare. “Though, I suppose, you ‘D’’s never do know when to give up.”

Buggy blinked up at him. “...The hell’s that supposed to mean?” His voice was raspy and it hurt to speak, but this had to be said. “What the fuck are you talking about, geezer?”

An enigmatic smile was all that met him. 

From that point on, things became sort of a blur of activity. But they got off the island. Once Buggy was back on the Big Top, it didn’t take Rayleigh long to join them. And of all things, he just had to offer the thing Buggy wanted least. 

“It’s about time you took your place on the main stage, Buggy,” he’d said. “Isn’t it about time you stopped being weak?”

The old Buggy would have shouted at him that he wasn’t weak, but now, he knew better.

“If you want to continue into the New World, you can do that. But you wouldn’t survive the week. They’d eat you alive and use your skull as a goblet. It wouldn’t even be a fight. But you have potential - I know you do. When you were young, you were much too proud to fulfil it, but Roger always saw it in you. He knew those kinds of things.” A smile. “It is no coincidence that the one who now bears that crown is you, Buggy.”

“The road ahead of you is not an easy one, and it never was. You need to accept that. There are embers of something great in you and unless you kindle them, they will be blown out by the strong storms coming.”

And then he offered to train him. It would take years, but when he was done with him, everything Buggy was would be greater. It was no promise, but it was a deal.

And so, with great apprehension, Buggy accepted to train under Rayleigh. 

After all, how hard could it be?

Chapter Text

When Usopp returned to Marineford, he did so in a mood that could spoil milk at a glance. Not even his own crew had dared to approach him, with the vegetable trio making the rational choice to let Usopp cool down for a bit before they haphazardly approached.

Garp the Fist felt no such inhibitions. 

He welcomed the lot of them as they stepped onto the harbour by living up to his name and clocking Usopp square in the jaw, sending him flying as his crewmates shouted “ CAPTAIN !!” at his soaring form. Acting more on instinct and undying loyalty than rationality, the crew threw themselves at the Vice-Admiral, only to be met with equal force.

A fair bit away, Usopp pulled himself to his feet, trying to make sense of what was happening. One moment he’d been considering his chances of success as a line cook, and the next he’d been knocked off the ground. A ringing in his ears and a slobber of blood running down his nose told him it was far from emotional trauma. More so blunt-force. Lying spread-eagled on the wooden harbour, Usopp touched a hand to his jaw before drawing it back with a small, “Ow.”

Only once the sound of his men giving cries of battle and pain did he have the rational sense to try to reach out and figure out what had actually happened, at which point he came to the rather unhappy realisation that his men were being beaten up by Garp the Fist.

Usopp leapt to his feet and rushed to the scene of battle, inserting himself between his crewmates and the Vice-Admiral. “H-, hey! There’s no need for-,”

Another fist to the face sent him flying again, only barely comprehending the words Garp was shouting at him. “That’s strike two for having an ugly mug!”

Usopp’s head started spinning with more than just inertia, and the thing that allowed him to land with a backwards roll that brought him back to his feet was not a conscious decision, but rather combat instinct.

Alright, okay, to summarise: he was being attacked by Garp the Fist, he didn’t know why, and his only solace was that it wasn’t actually a serious bout, since otherwise, Usopp wouldn’t have a head anymore. Drawing his features into a serious mask of battle readiness, he drew his slingshot, trying his damndest to make out where Garp’s voice had gone to.

“That’s better,” a voice said from behind and Usopp spun around only to realise the man was right behind him.

Usopp only barely kept himself from impulsive firing on the high-ranked officer. “Wh-, what is?”

Garp reached out one hand towards Usopp’s face, pointing his big finger at it. “From now on, anytime you look like a moping twat, I’m hitting you.”

“Moping twat? Wh-,”

Another fist connected with Usopp’s face, now sending him flying across the pier and out into the water just by the harbour. Struck by the abrupt cold of the water, it took Usopp a second or so before he was able to muster the strength to swim back to the surface, emerging with a gasp. His hair was clinging to his face and for once he was happy he didn’t need to see. 

Swimming back to the pier, he couldn’t help but feel a strange dread that he might get hit as soon as he stepped up onto it. In order to avoid such a future, he stretched out his haki, placing his attention firmly on Garp.

Carefully, he crawled back onto the deck and was only barely able to avoid a punch by the skin of his teeth, rolling away from it with immense deftness.

“Not bad, pipsqueak!” 

Usopp got no further before another punch connected to his right temple and he promptly passed out. 

When he woke up, he found himself in the nurse’s office. It seemed that even though several weeks had passed since the war, the place still remained a hubbub of activity, with countless patients and a crippling lack of doctors. Going just by their presences, Usopp could sense many in pain and many who were dying. Compared to them, his injuries were insultingly mild, and Usopp quickly felt the need to leave the quarters so that someone who needed it more could use the bed he occupied.

He could only barely get his (aching) back off the bed before someone harshly grabbed his collar and Usopp finally realised that Garp had been sitting next to him (for some reason), with his fist now raised. “H-, hiiii!” Usopp cried.

“Hey!” someone shouted from across the room. “If you wanna beat him up even worse, take it outside!”

The grip on Usopp’s collar loosened, letting him collapse back onto the bed. “Ah, yeah, sorry about that, Doc.” His mind filled with question-marks, Usopp wondered very reasonably what the hell was happening. That is, until someone grabbed a hold of his midsection and he was slung over Garp’s shoulder like a clutch of firewood. “Alright kid, let’s get to it!”

“Get to what? Where the heck are you bringing me?!” Usopp logically rebutted, actively suppressing the urge to kick and scream like the hostage he very clearly was. 

“Hmmm?” Garp hummed. “Didn’t I tell you? You’re in need of some damn training!”

Usopp sputtered. “I-, I’m not! I’m just fine like I am, and besides,”  picture of recent defeat passed through his mind, making him frown unhappily, “it’s not like I’ll ever be a real marine aga-,”

A smack to the face left him reeling for several seconds. Something wet dripped down his face and he no longer had any idea where he was.

“Bzzt, you made a pathetic face again.” Usopp didn’t need to use haki to know the Vice-Admiral was grinning. “That blow made you lose focus, right? You couldn’t tell I was here, or anything else for that matter.”

Usopp shook his head, mostly to get rid of the ringing in his ears. “Of course! Can’t you see I’m blind?!”

“Nope. Can’t see it at all, gahahahaa! If you were blind, you’d be dead by this point. But you’re not. And that’s because you’ve awakened something very useful.”

Usopp almost rolled his eyes, but at realising it’d probably just earn him another knuckle sandwich, he restrained his face to a neutral expression. “Yeah, I know. Haki. Borsalino told me about it, so-,”

“Kizaru told you about it and you’re still shit at it? Incredible! You’re a regular prodigy!”

“I-, I’m not! It’s-, look, I’ve had this for two weeks tops, what do you expect from me? It’s not like I’ll ever be at the level I used to be.” He huffed. “Not that that was much-” A punch in the face almost made him stop talking, but clinging onto some strange stubbornness, he kept his haki going, though it did waver. “Ow! What the hell was that for? Am I not allowed to express my damn emotions?!”

“Kid, if you’re gonna mope and cry, I might as well drop you right here.” Focusing on Garp’s voice, Usopp could sense that his conviction didn’t waver in the least. There was no pity there. “You awakened Observation Haki, for free, while on the battlefield, without having to train for years to do it. And you have the gall to complain just because you happened to lose your fucking eyeballs in exchange for it?”

“Well, um, technically I still have my eyeballs, I just-,”

“Shut it! When I heard about you, I thought you’d have some damn spunk in there, but if all you’re going to do is harp on about how sad and pathetic your life is, then even going so far as to beat you up is too much.” To that, Usopp could say nothing. Below, he felt Garp’s heart beat rhythmically and evenly. Although he seemed to speak with passion, deep inside, there was nothing but an earnest, cold logic. “Now, tell me one thing so I’ll know whether to throw you out the window as birdfeed or to forge you into a real man. ” For a moment, just a moment, he stopped in his tracks, letting his words gain the gravitas they required. “Do you want to become strong?”

Usopp opened his mouth before quickly closing it again. The Vice-Admiral’s words echoed through his head on repeat, throwing his inner world into disorder.

Did he want to become strong?

To Usopp, strength had always been a byproduct of his only tangentially related pursuits. He watched to catch Buggy. To do that, he had to be strong. He couldn’t be weaker than Buggy. Buggy had drive and leadership, but something in Usopp, something deep within him, told him that with the war, Buggy would no longer sail through the grand line on an empty hope. He would pursue the crown actively, all the while growing stronger as well. His comrades would also be stronger, and so would the world.

Buggy was weak now, but he wouldn’t always be.

Could Usopp say the same for himself?

“...I want to be strong,” Usopp said. He shook his head. “No, I… I need to be strong. I need to be strong enough to pursue what I want and do what I want. I can’t afford to be weak. Not anymore.” 

Garp grinned. Usopp could feel it through his entire being. “Love to hear it!” He punched Usopp in the face again.

“Ow! The hell-,”

“You were sulking again, but it was to figure your shit out, so I had to let you think. Retroactive bzzt!” He held his thoughts for a few seconds, and Usopp could feel him looking at him. “Also, if you’re going to be my punching bag from now on, get that hair out of your face.”

“E-, eh? B, but-,” Usopp dodged Garp’s fist before he even really realised he did. His momentary feeling of elation was destroyed when Garp just punched him again.

“Bzzt.”

“I-, I look bad! My eyes are all white and I’ve got ugly scars and-,”

“Nobody gives a shit, kid. This is the marines! Every other guy’s got a scar or two, but it’s up to you whether it’s a mark of shame or a medal of honour. Best case scenario, you just accept that it isn’t going to change anytime soon. Being too insecure or prideful will lead you down roads you don’t wanna travel.” A shrug. Since Usopp was atop his shoulder, he had a sudden fear of being thrown clear off. “If it bothers you that much, just wear a pair of sunglasses or whatever.”

“Oh. Uh, okay?”

A few seconds of silence. “Was that all, or-,”

“Jus’ checking to see if you’ll start moping again.”

“I-, I won’t. Um. Promise.”

A pause. “...Right. We’ll see about that.”

And so began Usopp’s delightful and light-hearted training with Garp the Fist. It was so pleasant and fun that Usopp could no longer feel his limbs after his first day. As it was quickly revealed, he was far more used to moping than he might have liked himself, and so, anytime he descended into worrying, unhappy thoughts, that damn harpy of a man punched on him, striking him with swift and decisive blows.

Not that he was spared while not-sulking, either. Apparently, Garp’s idea of training involved a whole lot of one-sided beatings and hide-and-seek of the worst kind. 

Any will Usopp might have had to begin with (“Let’s spar.” “Wh-, what? Why would-,” “Here I come!”) was quickly rendered useless as every hit he doled out, be it an explosive round or a cannonsmall or a close-quarters blow was rendered ineffective at best. At worst, Garp simply laughed it off. 

Day in, day out.

But boy did he get good at running away. Even at moments he was not in combat, he learnt to keep his Haki trained and ready, focusing not just on the people he was interacting with, but also on everything else around him. And after an incident where Garp threw a cannonball at him from across the base, Usopp learned to always keep the radar at max radius. Always trying to know exactly where Garp was, what his emotional state was, and where his attention lay.

Those first few weeks, his crew hadn’t had any idea of what was going on. He’d return to the ship black-and-blue, barely able to breathe, with arms and legs only barely on the edge of not-broken. Obviously, they were worried. 

At first, he took an amount of solace in their care. And then, when Garp figured out he was using them as an emotional crutch, he demanded that he send them away to do missions, just to make sure Usopp was as miserable as possible. Probably. That was the only explanation Usopp could come up with, at least. Bon Clay had been the most reluctant to leave, demanding that Usopp let him train with him and Garp. 

But Usopp knew that he had no better man to lead the crew, and so asked that he keep the others in check. 

Like this, they would be able to improve as well. 

For Usopp, this only meant that he entered into a new circle of hell. The first weeks were quite literally, just a matter of him getting beat up every single day, during every single hour. And that included night-time. He had been foolish to assume that going to sleep would grant him some measure of rest. If he had a nightmare, he’d be sure to wake up to a fist in the face. If he woke up in a sour mood, he had a knuckle sandwich for breakfast. Not even nighttime was safe. And so, although it made him sleep more uneasily (not that his sleep had ever been easy), he kept his haki trained and ready even at nighttime. 

In the mornings, it no longer felt like he’d been asleep at all, but that was his new lot in life.

And then, after a few weeks, Garp changed the regiment. No longer was it just a game of cat-and-mouse. Strength and constitution training of all kinds were presented for him. Lunges with a 300-kilo rod. Swimming with a pair of cement boots. Running while dragging an elephant behind him. Usopp wasn’t sure where Garp got the elephant from, but he wasn’t about to ask. 

Of course, this new training hardly took away from his regular regiment. Sparring with Garp (or, rather - Garp’s Punching Bag: The Movie) was still a regular item on the menu, one that Usopp had no choice but to eat. His only solace was that as his haki improved, he was able to more and more dodge and avoid the old Vice-Admiral, though not always because he was fast enough to react.

The second that Garp realised that Usopp’s observation allowed him to see a moment into the future, his attitude changed markedly, and not for the better. His attacks were more ruthless, came far more suddenly, and hit even harder. Failing to avoid a blow awarded Usopp with a blow that could shatter bones. 

If his constitution hadn’t improved, he would not have been able to handle it for long. But he did.

A year passed.

During the time, Usopp had spent every moment available to scan newspapers for any mention of Buggy, but it was to no avail. Ever since their meeting on Sabaody Archipelago, the man had gone completely radio silent, although sources revealed that his many ships and fleets remained at large. 

But Buggy was gone. It felt off, but it made Usopp happy to know that the man had chosen to isolate himself as well, likely to train. 

There was no doubt in Usopp’s mind that Buggy remained alive. If he had passed, Usopp would know. He didn’t know how, but he would. 

At the moment, he was sailing together with Garp. It hadn’t really been a choice on his part, but he couldn’t help but admit that it was a nice change of scenery. He always did prefer being on a boat to being on land. It felt more natural. 

Oh, did he say he was aboard the ship? No, rather, he was sailing beside it. Or, well, not sailing either. Swimming .

He was swimming beside the boat, and he had been for the past two days. In that time, his only source of food had been a pair of stray fish he caught in his mouth. Keeping pace with the boat was no longer the hard part, not since the first time Garp had forced him to swim. No, nowadays, he hated the whole swimming-until-you-can’t part much more. Whether the thing that made him collapse was dehydration or starvation or exhaustion was unimportant, and Garp didn’t show any interest in caring, either. 

But he knew whether Usopp was at his last straw or not. 

If Usopp collapsed without being completely and fully depleted, Garp would just let the ship ride on by. It was as simple as that, and the short pause would force Usopp to have to increase his tempo just to keep up. It was hellish, but it meant he didn’t have to worry about Garp’s sudden punches anymore. Ah, unless he decided to arbitrarily toss cannonballs at him instead. That was always a possibility. 

At least Usopp didn’t need to swim once they reached an island (or the day on which he collapsed fully - he could never recall eating with more vigour than he did the first time he collapsed), but that was usually just an excuse for Garp to train him in other ways. At one time, he tied Usopp’s hands behind his back and sent him onto an island controlled by a gang of notorious pirates, and told him to “deal with it.” It hadn’t been the first time Garp sent the boy unarmed into combat, and it likely wouldn’t be the last either.

Usopp had noticed fairly quickly into his tutelage under Garp that he was becoming more and more of a melee fighter than a sniper. And so, just to remind himself of his heritage, anytime he had the time to, he spent some effort keeping his sniping alive. 

He no longer missed.

At Garp’s side, Usopp slowly grew into a strong combatant and an even stronger swimmer. 

One and a half years into his training, Usopp found himself on the deck of the warship, trying to understand what was, or rather was not, around them. He couldn’t hear anything for miles around. Everything apart from the warship was silent, and the utter lack of wind felt eerie. The ship no longer moved due to the wind no longer ruffling its sails. They were still. It was, in a word, calm. “Is this…?”

“The Calm Belt,” Garp said confidently, finishing Usopp’s sentence for him. “Ever been here?”

“Um, no, but I’ve heard there are loads of sea kings lurking about?”

“Gahahahah! There sure are. How ‘bout you take a look down there and see for yourself?”

Perking an eyebrow, Usopp felt a sudden sense of suspicion towards the Vice-Admiral. But his curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned over the railing, trying to get a sense of what was down there. Like an echo passing through, he sensed the various presences of countless massive beasts roaming just below the surface, warded off only by the pieces of seastone stuck to the bottom of the warship. But that wasn’t the only thing down there.

Furrowing his brows, Usopp gently wondered what a simple rowboat was doing down there, not even connected to the ship or anything.

He noticed Garp inching closer to him just a little bit too late, and a push to the back made him sidle off the edge and plummet down the side of the warship and smack-dab right into the little rowboat. “Ow! What the hell-,”

He reached out to the right, but the warship was no longer there. Somehow, in only a few seconds since his fall, it had moved almost a hundred metres away. And still, despite the distance, he could hear Garp’s words with crystal-clear accuracy: “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back to Marineford! Try not to get too lost, gahahahahah !”

Usopp felt his jaw drop open, and for a few seconds, he couldn’t come up with anything witty to respond with.

And then something bumped into the bottom of his rowboat and Usopp realised that he was completely and utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, fucked.

Chapter Text

“Why did you send them away? They haven’t had a break for like, months!” Buggy cried at his old vice-captain. 

Rayleigh looked him up and down, from tip to toe. “They would have been distractions.” In response, Buggy sputtered, but before he could come up with a coherent excuse that wasn’t but I want someone to talk to besides you and all these damn beasts , Rayleigh spoke again, “As a matter of fact, so will almost everything else.” He brought up his hand, and as he listed them, he brought down his fingers one by one, “No newspapers, no fancy gadgets, and no meeting with anyone else.”

“Y-, you tyrant! Do I really seem like the kind of guy who’d work less just because of what the news were saying?! I need to get strong !” He stomped his foot onto the sandy beach. “See that? If that greenhorn went and tried, he’d have kicked up one hell of a cloud. Because he’s strong.” Something clutched his heart with claws of steel. “... Was. ”

Quietly, without really seeming to care all that much, Rayleigh crossed the beach. “You said so, yes.” Before he fully entered the thicket of the jungle before them, he glanced back at Buggy. “If that boy is a fifth of what you’ve made him out to be, he’ll be back.”

Buggy ground his teeth. It was the only way he could restrain himself from smiling. “Yeah, he will. That kid would chase me to the ends of the seas.”

“But until then, until you’re ready , I can’t have you running off simply because you read about how he was doing this or that. Your crew will keep strengthening themselves, but until then, you can’t know anything. They may get sunk or defeated, but you’ll be of no help as you are now.”

“I know,” Buggy said. He paused for a few seconds, glancing down at his feet. “So… no Buggy balls?”

Rayleigh chuckled and turned away. “Absolutely not.”

Knowing he’d get left behind if he remained there, Buggy jogged up from behind and followed Rayleigh into the jungles of Rusukaina. As they walked deeper into the jungle, Rayleigh casually explained the conditions, being so generous as to warn Buggy about the temperamental weather. In conclusion, he added, “Among all species on this island, insects included, your current form can defeat around two hundred.”

“Wh-, why the hell did you bring me here, then?! Are you just going to let me die? Oi, there are easier ways to carry out an assassination!”

“I wouldn’t doubt that.”

They reached a tree that looked more like an overgrown Japanese radish than anything arboreal. “The hell is this thing? Lunch?”

Rayleigh gently padded the stem of the tree. “This,” he said carefully, “is the only safe spot on the island. The tree repels all creatures that roam here. Of course, if you want to eat properly, you’ll need to leave its shade.” He grinned. “Now, what do you say we begin your training?”

Buggy realised within his first day on Rusakaina that Rayleigh had only gotten more evil with age, and that furthermore, his training there for two years was about as hopeful as him ascending to godhood for no particular reason. For crying out loud, there were ants on the island that could take him out in one bite!

Of course, had he only had his beloved Buggy balls, every single beast on that island would’ve become toast within minutes!

But, no, if he wanted to take them out in one hit, he would need to learn to tame his so-called ‘Conqueror’s Haki’. A theoretical and practical example by Rayleigh made Buggy understand exactly why that was both useful and necessary. (“You’re telling me I’ll be able to defeat people just by looking at them?!” “Yes.” “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this years ago?? Do you know what I’ve been through-?!”)

And so began Buggy’s training. 

He would have liked to say that the toughest part of his training was the whole wildlife-survival-on-a-deadly-island deal, but Rayleigh might have been just a tad deadlier. Even though Buggy’s diet subsisted of mostly bugs and small mammals, the old pirate pushed him to his limits, and then just a bit further. It would have been nice if survival and Haki was his only training, but at some point the old croon decided to bug Buggy about his devil fruit, too.

“How many pieces can you slice yourself into?” he had asked, right out of nowhere, just as Buggy tried his best to avoid one of his many beatings. One of many strategies to unlock Observation Haki, and by now - a week or so into his training - he still couldn’t say he was used to it. 

“Uh, I dunno? I’ve never really tried, I gue-,” a blow connected to his lower jaw, sending him flying. Just as the past two thousand times, he hadn’t seen it coming in the least. “Asshole, if you’re asking something, at least let me finish talking!” Buggy angrily peeked out from under his blindfold to find Rayleigh thoughtfully rubbing his chin. 

“Split as much as you can.”

“Uh… Okay?” One chop, two chop. After he had split himself into around forty pieces, he could no longer really pay enough attention to any individual piece to keep it floating. His mind was on the edge of breaking. “Um…”

Then, while he floated there in a cluster, unsure what Rayleigh was trying to do, the man approached him, a knife suddenly materialising in his hand. Buggy gulped, but while split into so many pieces, there was little he could do to stop the older man. With intense focus, Rayleigh took hold of a piece of his ankle and poked the knife through it, watching how it split once more, both parted pieces now trembling and uncertain. It was like flexing a muscle for too long. 

“H-, hnnrrhhgghh…!” Buggy grunted with exertion. 

Either Rayleigh didn’t notice or he didn’t care, because with a deft flick of the wrist, he transformed the two pieces of ankle in his hand into a dozen or so even smaller slices. 

He nodded to himself. “Alright, you can reform yourself again.”

Buggy collapsed to his knees. “-Gaaahh…! Why would you-,”

“From now on, every day, you’ll chop yourself into one smaller piece.” He passed the knife over Buggy’s midsection, turning him into two pieces. “Tomorrow, you’ll chop yourself into three pieces, and the day after, you’ll be four.” He smiled strangely. “You catch that?”

“Shitty…?! Why the hell would I-,”

Another slice of the knife disconnected Buggy’s left arm from his torso. “Scratch that, you’ll be four pieces tomorrow.”

“You…!” Wisely, Buggy restrained himself from explaining what Rayleigh was supposed to be. After all, it wasn’t as though he disdained using his fruit. It was just that using it constantly for hours on end made his muscles ache. It was a constant physical exertion, and as the days passed and he became less man and more limb-cloud, it became a mental one as well. 

Days passed. 

“Hey, Buggy.”

“Hmm?”

Buggy only barely noticed quickly enough that the knife Rayleigh was holding against one of his chopped up pieces was black, coated from sheet to tip with Haki. “Th-, the hell are you-!?”

Slice.

Chop! 

Luckily, Buggy split himself before Rayleigh could do it in a more permanent matter. “Shithead, what’s the deal?! Why the hell would you-,”

“From now on, you will surely meet many swordsmen capable of using Haki. Against them, you can’t just let your body split for you. Act first, splitting your body before they finish their attack.”

“Uh…” Buggy gulped. “Okay?...”

As he soon came to understand, the “split-before-they-hit-you” tactic could actually work with almost any attack. If he split before a bullet hit him, it would go straight through him. If he split and made the affected area fly back and not take the hit at all, even a punch wouldn’t actually damage him. As long as he was fast enough, and as long as he kept his wits about, he could likely get through a battle without a single scratch. 

And with his daily opponent being none but Dark King Rayleigh, dodging was certainly his best bet.

But that wasn’t the same with the animals and beasts that populated the island. He was tired of eating squirrels, damn it! But with no Buggy balls and knives that couldn’t get through any real hide, and an innate Haki that just didn’t want to come out, he had to improvise. 

That was how Buggy first improved the weapon known as Snake Charmer . Simply put, if he split his arm into enough small pieces, each no larger than a marble, then he could use it as a makeshift rope - or, more specifically, a noose. It was mega effective so long as he was strong enough to physically overpower the creaure he wanted to defeat. At first, using Snake Charmer on anything was more of a pipe dream than anything, but as his physical strength grew and his control over his own body followed the same steps, he soon found himself using his body as a weapon more and more often.

Especially so once he made a small breakthrough.

“...This is Armament Haki?” Buggy turned over his hand, looking at the black, metallic sheen shimmer and shine in the brazen light. The current season was a sweltering summer, the same as they had had a few months back. The first time, he had opted to strip completely, but a bad case of sunburn made him choose to instead dress as insulating as possible this time. His hand, now dressed in armament, was covered in calluses and now-healed wounds. He’d cracked his knuckles a fair few times, but it had been worth it. Probably. His hand was trembling.

Rayleigh jerked his thumb at a nearby boulder. “Try it out, won’t you?”

In all honestly, Buggy didn’t want to punch a boulder. But he knew what armament was supposed to do, so even though upkeeping the armament made his whole body tremble and ache, he approached, held out his hand, and punched.

It split into four even pieces.

“...Holy shit.”

But this opened up for more opportunities than just punching. 

For a while, Buggy had been considering something a little new. Usually, when he split his body, he did so into sliced segments, like one would do a really big bologna. But he didn’t have to do it that way. If he really tried, he could split himself into star-shapes, small rubber duckies, or even more complex designs, though they were harder to make, requiring much more concentration.

That brought him to the eventuality of truly weaponizing his own body. After all, he could apply Armament Haki to any part of his body, no? Then, if he simply sliced himself thinly enough, these could hypothetically serve as small homing weapons.

Doing this without Haki would not have worked in the least, but if he made a flesh shuriken and coated it with Haki…

He could fell trees in moments. Coating several was tough at first, but it was possible. He’d need to train, but he could easily see a bright future wherein he turned himself into a hundred haki-covered projectiles. Nobody would be able to avoid him, not even that bastard Kizaru! Logia or not, he’d be practically invincible !

But there was more to it than that. If he segmented his forearms like an orange, he could create impromptu blades. Even better, since he had full control over how they split, he could even ensure that the tips were sharp down to the molecule!

With that simple idea, Buggy’s attitude and lifestyle turned completely on its head. 

From eating only the smallest creatures on the island, having become a half-vegetarian, Buggy now went on a small rampage, stabbing anything he came into contact with using Haki-infused body parts of his own design. Decapitation, disembowelment, destruction!

All the way until he ran right into the biggest damn elephant he had ever seen. Slicing its feet and trunk did nothing but anger it, and it didn’t take long for Buggy to find himself screaming and running again. 

Not to even speak of Rayleigh.

The trick with the homing flesh shurikens and daggers had worked a total of once, and after that, he just made sure to always approach close in before he beat him up. 

Growing ever-desperate, Buggy sought after a weapon, something useful that might finally give him the edge in close-quarters, because going at it from a distance obviously wasn’t working.

That’s where the Fightin’ Femurs came into play. 

What the hell are the Fightin’ Femurs, you ask? Well, that’s really quite simple. Rayleigh explained, purely in passing, how Haki made hard things harder than it made soft things harder. A normal person putting haki in a sword would, assuming the other person had the same quantity and quality of haki, always beat a normal person putting haki purely in their fists. 

Adding to the fact that Buggy had always been more used to using weapons of some sort, he quickly surmised that using weapons would be good. But losing his knives would be an immense loss, so if he could use something in his own body - something he couldn’t lose - he’d always have a weapon at hand. And with the femur being the largest and strongest bone in the body, it was an obvious choice.

And so, the Fightin’ Femurs were born. 

The psychological warfare added by watching Buggy remove his own Femurs definitely added another layer of usefulness to the weapon. 

Months passed. By the time Buggy was able to sustain how body in over a hundred pieces for days, Rayleigh helpfully told him that he didn’t need to do it anymore. When he reformed himself fully, his body was almost unrecognisable. Where had all this muscle come from?

But there was one thing Buggy had come to realise.

He didn’t need his feet. As long as he left them by the safe tree, he could fly anywhere he wanted to, which included going up into the air to flee beasts. As long as he made sure to remain within a few hundred metres, he simply didn’t need to walk. He still used his muscles to keep in flight, but it allowed him to leave one of his biggest weak points behind. 

A year and nine months into his training, Buggy found himself staring out at the sea. Or, rather, at the calm belt, as this was. Endless blue skies. 

It always did feel a little strange that despite how chaotic the weather on Rusukaina could get, the skies just out to sea always remained that same cloudless blue. At first it just made him long to be anywhere but on the island, but by now, Buggy found himself appreciating the simplicity in it. Despite what happened on the island, despite what he did and the pains he went through, the world was still the same just outside.

Rayleigh had left a few months back, but Buggy hadn’t spent a single day in relaxation.

He smiled a little to himself. Just a day or so back, he finally conquered the last, strongest beast of the island. His original strategy of beating the shit of it had worked for a while, but to truly subjugate it, he had to develop his Conqueror’s. Which he did. 

Now, the only thing separating him and his crew was a promise to himself that he just had to get a bit stronger. But, soon…

Staring out at the sea, Buggy found himself suddenly squinting. Was it his imagination, or was there something out there?...

An explosion suddenly rocked the sea and Buggy stumbled back, more so in surprise than anything. He blinked at the strange and unusual sight. Way out there, beyond the blue, there was clearly a massive bout of combat. With ever-widening eyes, he watched how a sea king as large as an island rose into the air with a great arch of the back, only to be struck with such staggering force that it crashed back into the seas, rousing such intense waves that they reached all the way to Rusukaina. 

“What the hell is-,”

Another explosion of water, and then several massive sea kings, large enough to be called sea emperors rose from the seas, and with the smack of a fin, something small crashed from the air and into the sea with a boom that rocked the air and reached even Buggy’s ears.

And then, silence. The waves calmed down, but Buggy kept staring.

After all, that hadn’t just been some sort of battle. That silhouette, so small it was almost ant-like compared to the sea kings, had been human-shaped .

Had it been a sea monster of some sort, the creatures would have been fighting beneath the seas. But it wasn’t. This was a human, and it wasn’t moving anymore. 

Buggy’s knees were shaking but with a sharp slap to his thighs, he was able to bring himself out of it. Snap back to reality, Buggy! Someone just got smacked by a sea king and you’re just standing around like a snivelling idiot! 

Separating from his feet, Buggy flew out across the seas, heading for the little silhouette. Deep in his rational, paranoid mind he should have known that it could easily be a marine, or some rival pirate, or even a revolutionary. Very few people would be happy to see him, but he didn’t care. Right now, someone was drowning, and he might just be able to save him. Maybe. As long as they hadn’t gone beneath the seas, at least.

Wide, frantic eyes scanning the seas, he searched desperately for a sign from the person he had seen before.

There wasn’t a single thought in his mind about how if the sea kings could beat a man like that, Buggy would be gone before he could blink. But he didn’t care. If anyone knew what it felt like to drown, it was Buggy, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

…There!

Bobbing with his face down, looking remarkably dead, was a small form. Swooping down, Buggy hooked his arms around the man’s chest, dragging him up into the air, trying to ignore the woozy sense that came from being just a little too far away from his feet, not to mention the salty sea-water soaking the man’s white shirt and dark blue pants. 

Something about him smelled strangely familiar in an odd way, but Buggy wouldn’t let himself think about that. Clearly scenting human flesh above air, sea kings had already begun striking, rising into the air with their mighty bodies, snapping after his tiny, fly-like form. Why the hell did they care so much about him?! Compared to them, he was practically an insect! Damn it all!

Cursing inwardly, Buggy rose as high and fast into the air as he could, despite the overwhelming feeling that his feet could only barely reach.

With a twist and a turn, he barrel-rolled back towards his island, trying not to look at all the sea kings biting after his heels. The island was soon close enough, and with near-exhaustion, he collapsed back onto the beach, feeling really good when his feet connected back to his legs. Panting, he placed the poor sea wrecked fighter on the ground.

And promptly staggered back as his breath hitched and he knew exactly who he had just saved.

There on the beach, his hair all in disarray, laid Usopp.

Chapter Text

He wasn’t breathing.

His chest didn’t rise and his face was blank and oh god was he bleeding? All he was wearing was a slightly pinkish shirt and a pair of pants but some parts of the shirt were less pink and more red and Buggy really hoped he’d simply put it in the washer together with a pair of red socks. But he wasn’t breathing. His eyes were slacked close and his mouth was slightly ajar and he wasn’t breathing.

He wasn’t breathing.

With frantic, absolutely wild abandon, Buggy threw himself onto Usopp, his fingers groping after the proper place to put his hands. How did he do this again? What if he did it wrong? He’d heard that sometimes doing this would only worsen the state of someone, but what if it was already too late? What if he was already-,

Biting his tongue, Buggy knit his fingers and placed them on Usopp's chest, kneeling beside him, and then he heaved his body and pressed down. One, two. One, two. Stay alive, damn it!

Up, down. Up, down. 

Buggy felt Usopp’s ribs groan under his exertion, but what was a broken rib compared to actual death?

He grit his teeth. After twenty or so compressions, he briefly stopped to grab hold of Usopp’s chin and drew a deep breath and pressed his lips against his, into which he exhaled a deep breath. Not really thinking much about it, he leaned back out and pumped his hands into Usopp’s chest again. Then back to mouth-to-mouth, and then compressions again. 

And still, he got no response. Had he been too late? At what point should he accept fact? How could he know when it was-,

A spasm from below ripped him from his thoughts and back into the present and he stumbled back, falling on his behind as he watched how Usopp jerked before rising into a sitting position, eyes white and blank, before turning around and kneeling to cough and sputter up a lung-full of water and phlegm. 

And then he collapsed again, face-planting the sand. 

Buggy stared at him for a few seconds, half-expecting the runt to hop back to his feet and pull a gun on him or something. But he didn’t. Just as Buggy started to fear he might have actually died this time, a soft, if somewhat muted snoring reached his ears and he breathed a sigh of relief. Right. Okay. He was alright. Usopp had survived. That was…

What the hell is he doing out here, anyways?

Buggy felt his mind start spinning with questions, but considering that Usopp looked more shipwrecked than anything, it was unlikely that this was a ploy or anything.

…But he was okay. Usopp was alright, and that was all that really mattered.

— 

When Usopp awoke, he was alive, surprisingly. He was also decidedly not soaked to the bone, as he had been almost every day of the past three months, and he considered it a very nice change of pace. But he couldn’t really understand why. The number of inhabited islands in the Calm Belt could be counted on one hand, and half of those were Amazon Lily. He was lucky he had recognised the outline of the island, or he might have gotten barbecued. 

In that case, this had to be… No, that wasn’t possible. That island was on the other side of the Grand Line, and despite how horribly lost Usopp had gotten a few months back, he knew he was far from there.

Then, this is…

Without so much as sitting up, Usopp sent out a pulse of Haki to cover the entire island. Or, well, he had tried to, but the second he got a taste of that One Voice, he completely lost his bearing and got no further.

“...You awake?”

Usopp went stock still. It had almost been two years. The past months, he’d even been beginning to think that his feelings might have been getting to a more sensible level, but now it all came rushing back and just the sound of his voice made Usopp’s heart skip a beat. Not sure in what capacity to react, Usopp tried to get to his feet, but found himself wincing and lying back down again.

“I, uh, wouldn’t do that. There’s a pretty nasty wound in your side, guess you got bit by a big sea king or something.” He seemed a bit awkward. Usopp would under most circumstances know such emotional things for a fact since his Observation was very well-developed, but at the moment, he couldn’t focus on Buggy at all. Nothing except for his slightly uncertain voice. “I tried to fix it up, but I’m not much of an, uh, medic.”

Silently, Usopp touched his hand to his side. A little pulse of haki told him that it was indeed sewn together using what appeared to be some sort of organic rope. Alongside it, his entire midsection was wrapped in soft leaves that tingled to the touch.

“That would be, um, pain re-leave-ers. It’s a stupid name, but I couldn’t come up with anything better, and I had to use it pretty often, so…”

“Where is this?” Usopp croaked. His voice cracked like a bad recording and going an entire month without speaking was apparently starting to take its toll.

“You don’t-, okay, uh, if you asked me I wouldn’t be able to say much about its history or anything, but,” he gave a short pause, “it’s a jungle, I guess? Lots of beasts all around and thick vines and everything like that. You’re lying right next to this big tree that looks like a beetroot, and…”

Usopp didn’t need Buggy to tell him any of that, but he listened anyway. Simply put, he liked hearing Buggy’s voice.

Absently, he put one finger to his lips. There was a strange texture there. Pulling it away, he rubbed his fingers against each other. Waxy. 

“Rayleigh wouldn’t let me bring any of my pencils or anything like that, so I had to, erm, improvise . You know.” He cleared his throat. “It’s pretty amazing what crushed beetles and some waxy leaves can make if you do it right.”

Facts connected into ideas that created deductions drawn from said facts.

Flying to his feet, fully ignoring the pain in his side, Usopp pointed a shaking finger at Buggy, “Y-, YOU-,, THERE’S DEAD BUG ON MY LIPS?!!”

“Hey, I had no choice! Some live’s gotta be saved and do you seriously think I can go a day without looking my best?! Whether it’s beetles or blood, I need my lips to kill on sight!”

Usopp felt a tremble grip him and his face was heating up but he couldn’t focus on that. He wanted so badly to wipe the bug remains off of his face, but at the same time… He touched his lips. “You don’t need to kill innocent bugs in the pursuit of fashion!! There have to be better ways to do things!”

Buggy crossed his arms and shrugged. “Like what, Mr I-know-all-about-cosmetics?”

“Uh…” Usopp thumbed his lower lip. “Beetroot? Cherries? There are like a million things out there that don’t include bringing insects closer to death.”

“Beetroot is way too purple-ish, and cherries simply can’t produce the kind of strength of pigment I need to compliment the compositions I use!”

Usopp threw his arms in the air. “Look, okay, listen. If the shade isn’t right for the composition, all you need to do is change your other stuff, right? Beetroot might not be right if you’re trying to go for a brighter face, but what about other shades of blue or purple? It would look great! Not that I’d know or anything.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s…” Buggy scratched the back of his head and looked away. “Uh, sorry about that. I…”

Usopp shook his head. It had been close to two years. Although his time training under Garp could best be described as ‘hell’, it didn’t mean any of that could be attributed to what Buggy did to him. “You don’t have anything to apologise for. What happened during the War…” He frowned and turned to Buggy, trying to make it at least seem like he was looking at him. “I don’t hold any of it against you.”

Bravely, Usopp focused his haki on Buggy, on what he was feeling, and how he felt it, and his entire presence. It felt wrong and intrusive but through that little glimpse, he felt closely how Buggy calmed down, his heart beating slower and slower. “...Thank you,” he mumbled.

And then neither of them would say anything. It wasn’t that they didn’t have anything to say, rather, neither of them wanted to break the silence and say something wrong.

Something in Buggy’s presence felt uncertain and wavering. 

It took a second before Usopp was struck with the reason. Mutely, he slid his slingshot from his pocket. He pointed at the beetroot tree. “I’m going to hit the sixteenth stripe from the top, right where it segments into two pieces.”

“...The hell are you-,”

Usopp drew back the band, aimed with a small rock he’d picked from the ground, and released. Twang!

He didn’t need his haki to know that he hit exactly right.

“Wh-, what the hell was-,”

“Haki,” Usopp said simply. “I awakened it during the, uh, war. So…” He smiled strangely. “Our fight is far from over!”

It took a second before Buggy’s face changed from stunned surprise to his characteristic cocksure grin. “-I never thought it was!”

Smiling at each other, they measured themselves up against one another.

Then, Buggy said, “I’ve gotta say, I really want to spar, but not with you in that condition.”

Usopp scratched his neck. “Yeah, I… In due time, I’ll be sure to beat you again!”

Buggy cackled. “Oh, I wouldn’t think so, greenhorn. I don’t know what you’ve been doing, but the great captain Buggy-sama has been training! This entire island is under my command now! From smallest beetle to greatest beast, they all bow before me! Gyahahahah!!”

“Whoa! That’s impressive!”

“Hehe, of course it is!” A grin. “The Buggy you may have once known was but a powerless fool. I, on the other hand, have perfect control of all forms of Haki! Why, if I wasn’t feeling especially merciful, I would easily have rendered you defeated within seconds!”

“Well, uh, assuming you saved me, you wouldn’t even have had to lift a finger, right?”

Buggy frowned. “Saving someone in trouble is only common knowledge. What was I supposed to do, let you drown? Hah! Doubt it.”

That confirmed it, then. This was, in a certain way, the second time Buggy had saved Usopp’s life. The first time being when Buggy took him from the path of the comfortable onto the path of the dreamer. A bit silly, maybe, but Usopp wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even more so, this confirmed the reason as to why Buggy’s lipstick was on Usopp’s lips. 

He smiled to himself. 

“Wh-, what? You don’t believe me?”

Usopp blinked. “No, no! Of course, you’ve been training for almost two years, so I’m sure you’re very strong. Absolutely.”

He could almost taste the suspicion in Buggy’s presence. “I’d bet you’ve been doing the same thing. Training haki and all that.” The pirate squinted. “How good is your Observation?”

“Huh?” Kind of random, but… “I can cover a small island or so, but I’m not all that great in making out really small details. B-, but I can spot a human presence from several kilometres away!”

“Bullshit,” Buggy breathed. “A small island? You’re pulling my leg!”

“I’m no-,” some far-off memory pulled at Usopp's mind and he turned his attention to his hand just in time to notice how Buggy’s disembodied leg attempted to squeeze in-between his fingers. Grabbing the leg, Usopp threw it to the ground. “-Gotcha, damn it!”

“Aw, come on, don’t be a bore!” 

Ignoring Buggy’s obvious attempt to rile him up, Usopp let his haki spread out once more, trying the waters of the island that Buggy had apparently spent the past two years on. What met him was an island populated almost entirely but deadly creatures, poisonous flora and beasts easily strong enough to wreck entire islands should they attempt it. Usopp suppressed a shiver.

…And Buggy was supposed to be the master of these things?

Okay. Alright. Great! That was just-,

Something hit Usopp and he turned towards a certain little presence. A small, scared little thing he couldn’t bear to ignore. Buggy was talking, saying something about how he could probably beat anyone without even touching them, but Usopp was entirely and completely focused on that small little presence. Moving past Buggy, he entered the thickets.

“H-, hey! Where are you going?”

Usopp, far too focused to respond, said nothing.

“Wait up, damn it!” And like that, Buggy joined him. 

Through the jungle, Usopp moved with single-minded focus, until all of a sudden that small little presence wasn’t alone anymore, and something big and ferocious was sneaking up on it. Usopp broke into a sprint, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side.

He emerged from the thickets just in time to plant his fist in the jaw of a massive tiger. The huge feline went flying, soon crashing into a nearby tree before going straight through it. The little presence, now close enough to touch, turned to look up at him. Usopp bent down and grabbed a hold of it. It was fluffy, but it had a beak. It was a bit larger than a cat, and Usopp had no idea what to think of it, other than that it needed protection.

“Is that a pelican?” Buggy asked with more astoundment than genuine confusion. “I can’t see any other pelicans around, but…”

“Hwok!”

Buggy’s jaw dropped open. “That was… The stupidest noise I’ve ever heard. What does-,”

“Hwok, hwok!”

“Don’t say that to Pelly, he can’t control what he sounds like!” Usopp scolded, holding the little thing closer to him. “Besides, since I can’t sense any other pelicans on the island, he’s all alone. He’s a little orphan, Buggy! Would you make fun of an orphan, too?” Usopp melodramatically turned away from the pirate, dramatically clutching the baby pelican to his chest like a poor Victorian widow. “To think you were this cruel…”

“Th-, that’s slander!” Buggy cried. “What the hell do you care?! That thing’s ugly! It looks like a gangly coat-hanger!”

Usopp gasped. “How dare you?!”

“Hwok…”

“Look, you made Pelly cry!” Turning the poor bird’s face towards Buggy, the pirate was forced to look into a pair of sad, watering eyes. “First you make fun of his voice, and now his looks? Next, you’ll say he’ll never get himself a bird girlie!”

“He’s like, a week old! Why would he get a girlfriend at this age?!”

A shrug. “You’re the one who seems to want to get him out of your hair as soon as possible. Marrying him off as a child bride seems to be our best bet…”

Buggy groaned. “Urgh, fine ! We’ll care for the thing, I guess. But if it poops on me-,”

“Hwok!”

“...Also, I don’t know if you can tell, but that thing is like, way too big. It’s gonna be the size of a small ship once it's an adult, you know?”

Usopp cooed at the little thing. “You’re going to eat people, aren’t you, Pelly-chan? Maybe one day you can even eat a whole house! Wouldn’t that be neat, huh?”

“Hwok~!”

Chapter Text

“So, uh,” Buggy glanced over at Usopp, “you never did tell me what you were doing all the way out here.” The younger man stiffened up in response, his arms half-way stretched up to make sure Pelly didn’t fall off his head. 

“Um,” Usopp said. “Training?”

“Oh, same,” Buggy replied nonchalantly before he understood what Usopp had actually said. “WAIT A MINUTE, YOU DON’T TRAIN IN THE CALM BELT?!”

Surprisingly, Usopp turned to him, face scrunching up in agreement and unhappiness. “Yeah, exactly! I mean, if this was anyone else than me, I would’ve died immediately, Garp ! You can’t just throw people off your boat and tell them to swim home, it’s inhuman! And cruel!” And with that piece said, Usopp threw his arms into the air, making his torn sleeves bellow slightly as he walked.

Buggy nodded in response. “Well, yeah, I mean, it’s practically a feeding frenzy out there, I don’t imagine-,” A bell rung inside his head. “...You almost did die immediately though. You’re lucky I was there or you would’ve drowned straight away!”

Usopp probably couldn’t tell it himself, but he made a face, furrowing his eyebrows and giving a hell of a frown. “Um, no? This was…” He thumbed his lip for a moment, and Buggy felt a strange emotion swell in his chest as he noticed how there were still a few traces of his lipstick on there. But he couldn’t tell Usopp. Never could. “I think maybe three months ago or so? I tried to keep track at first, but then my rowboat sank so I couldn’t do that. Heh, I was lucky I was able to tame this one sea king or I never would’ve made it out of the Calm Belt.”

Buggy felt his jaw slowly slack open. “Let me get this right, you got out of the Calm Belt on the back of a sea king.”

Usopp nodded. “Right.”

“...Why the fuck did you come back here?!”

Usopp’s face lit up in a small, adorable blush. “Heh, uh, that’s…” He scratched behind his head, strategically avoiding Pelly’s dangling foot. “Garp wanted me to return to Marineford, right? Well, uh, I kind of went the wrong way.”

“You… How?”

“H-, hey! For one, I’m blind, and secondly, how was I supposed to know Garp would intentionally go the wrong way to throw me off?!” Taking a deep breath, Usopp pulled himself together. “So I got out of the Calm Belt, and I found this little island, and the people there were very nice, and they gave me food and offered new clothes but if I took the clothes they’d just get ripped again, because, well… I came out the wrong side.”

Buggy really wasn’t sure what to say to that. “...And then?”

“Well, obviously, I made Pine turn around so we could get to the Grand Line, but then we got attacked, and I tried to avenge him, but…” A shrug. “At least it let me meet you again?” Buggy felt his face grow a little hot. And maybe it took a second for Usopp to realise what he just said, because a moment or so later he sputtered and grew beet red and flailed his arms wildly. “N-, not that it’s nice to meet you!! I-, I totally haven’t missed you at all, uh, erm, I actually dreaded our meeting! Yeah, that’s it! Um - pirate scum!”

An opportunity presented itself, and Buggy drew on all of his acting talents to silently deflate, letting his face drop in mock hurt. “You… didn’t miss me? Not at all…?”

Usopp froze, his face torn between an objection and a confirmation. “I… Um…” He drew back slightly, cheeks red and flustered. “It… it isn’t like didn’t miss you, I just…”

In terms of fucking-around, Buggy knew that this was the perfect moment to double down on the teasing. But he didn’t. Because when he heard Usopp say that he had actually missed him, something small and momentous in his chest clicked and he just felt so incredibly and immensely relieved to know that Buggy hadn’t hated him that he couldn’t muster anything but a small, tiny little “Th-, that’s good to hear. Um. Thanks.”

Somehow, Usopp seemed just as surprised at his response as Buggy felt. “You’re welcome?”

“I missed you too .” He said the words before he had any idea that they had ever lingered inside his heart. The world ground to a stop and Buggy felt his body turn to stone. He looked at Usopp and found a blank, almost neutral look on his face. Buggy’s face caught on fire and for once he was thankful Usopp couldn’t see how red he was. “Hahaha-, uh, I missed beating you up , yeah, that’s it! N-, not a lot of people to beat up on this island, you know, um, like, the only one who was around earlier was Rayleigh, but he’s just a whole barrel of asspulls power-wise, so it’s not like I can get anything done there. Y-, you know?”

Usopp wasn’t buying it. A single look at his slack-jawed face was enough to tell him that, but Buggy deluded himself into believing otherwise. 

The marine turned away, returned his jaw to its proper place, and quietly said, “Yeah, uh, I know.”

Silence. Awkward, horrible, all-encompassing silence that apparently not even Pelly could stand. “Hwok-?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right!” Buggy said, quickly changing the subject. “How are you planning on getting to Marineford?”

Usopp very clearly pulled a blank at that question. “I… Hadn’t really thought about it? I mean-, I could always try taming another Sea King, but I’m not very good at it, so it’ll probably just bite me again.”

“I could help you, if you want,” Buggy said so clearly and conclusively that he couldn’t explain it away once he realised he hadn’t meant to say that. His mouth was just speaking on its own today, wasn’t it?

“Y-, you’d do that?” Usopp asked, before breaking out into a face-splitting grin that made Buggy’s heart jump. “Hey, thanks, Buggy!” In two broad steps, Usopp had crossed the distance between them and before Buggy was able to get over the fact that Usopp had both smiled and thanked him, a pair of young and surprisingly muscular arms snaked around his chest and held him close. A hug. That’s what it was. Buggy couldn’t move, and not because he was being held in place.

…When had someone last hugged him?

His mind brought up an empty list. Or, not quite empty. Not anymore.

With trembling uncertainty, Buggy placed his hands on Usopp’s back. Where should he put his arms? How tightly shut he hug? How long should it las-,

Usopp drew back, “Alright, if you’re helping me, then I think we’ve got a pretty good chance of getting where we need to go,” and all of a sudden Buggy felt very, very cold.

Still reeling from the experience, Buggy tentatively asked, “Where are we going?...”

Pacing up and down the jungle path with Pelly bobbing atop his head, Usopp mumbled aloud, “Well, if my memory serves right, there should be a marine base on an island just beside the Calm Belt… I think that would be Marine Base G-4…” Noticing that Buggy was staring, Buggy elaborated without looking up, “They made us learn the positions and names of all marine bases. Like, all of them. Damn, that test was really hard…”

“S-, so, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get there?”

“Assuming we go in a straight path and actually find it, we should get there in, hmmm…” Poking his long nose into the air, Usopp gave a hum of consideration for a moment before finally saying, “It should only take a week or so, I think. Th-, that shouldn’t be too much, right…? I mean, I know you’ve got a lot of training to do, so even talking to me might be a bit…”

“No, no!” Buggy said with a little more force than he meant to. “Having you here is… Well, I would have preferred a lot of other people, but it’s not like it isn’t not bad. So, you…” Buggy turned away. “You don’t need to apologise for stuff like that.”

A hopeful glint shone in pale, white eyes. “...You really mean that?”

“Of course!” Buggy answered confidently. He may be confused on many things, but not on this one simple little fact. “It’s only natural to help a friend in need, right?”

Not for the first time that day, Usopp’s mouth floundered open. “It-, you won’t take that back, will you?” Buggy shook his head. Then he realised that Usopp might not be able to see it. “You won’t, so…” Apparently, he had understood it. Usopp gave a thoughtful pause. “...We’re friends, right?”

Buggy pursed his lips. Considering the occupations as rivalling forces of judicial good and evil? No. Considering everything else? “Yeah, I’d say we’re friends.”

Usopp gave him a grin so big and wholehearted that Buggy couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Of-, of course, we’re friends! And being friends means I help you and you help me! Not because we’ll return the favour, but simply because being friends is the favour! That’s it, that’s right,” Usopp said, almost as if to convince himself, strangely enough. “So if-, if you ever need help, just call on me and I’ll be there in a jiffy! Whether you’re fighting a pirate or the marines or even the world government, I’ll be there!”

“...Runt, that’s a pretty big claim to make, don’t you think?”

“Heheh, you think so? I might not be able to help if you’re getting attacked by, like, Garp or something, but if you asked me to, I’d at least try !” And with that, Usopp gave an extravagant pose, pointing a finger at the sky.

Very boastful. Knowing the kid, he probably didn’t have any idea what he was trying to go up against. Buggy’s smile parted into a snicker that came from very deep. “If you’re so insistent, I guess I’ll promise to do the same for you.”

Usopp frose mid-pose. “F-, for realises?”

Buggy nodded.

“No take-backsies?”

“I’d never do you dirty like that! What do you take me for, a criminal ?!” Buggy roared back at him.

“Okay, okay, fine!” Usopp cracked out into a grin. “You help me, I help you… It’s a promise, then?” There was something so naive and innocent about the way Usopp seemed to propose an alliance that it only made Buggy smile wider. The kid really had no idea how the world worked. Even after close to two years, he hadn’t changed in the least. And that was exactly how Buggy liked it.

Buggy stretched out a hand towards Usopp. The marine turned his face towards it. “Um…?”

“Shake on it,” Buggy clarified. “So neither of us can pull any pirate-marine shenanigans. How’s that sound?”

Usopp gulped. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it just as quickly. Leaving his piece unsaid, he reached out and grasped Buggy’s hand. The boy’s hand was calloused and scarred. Buggy imagined his own must have had a similar feel to it. And still, Usopp’s hand was smaller than his, almost dainty. One shake, two shakes, and then…

Neither of them let go. Buggy stared into Usopp’s white eyes and Usopp seemed unable to focus on anything except for them. For a second or two they just stood there, hand in one another's, feeling what the other had become - what they had forged themselves into.

Then they undocked and Buggy turned away. “S-, so, uh, whaddya say we make a raft or something?”

“I, uh, was thinking more that we might tame, like, a sea king or something. I heard that’s something people with Conqueror’s can do, so… You wouldn’t mind, would you? If-, if we really wanted to, we could always make a saddle or something for it. Then it might be, I dunno, more comfortable?”

Buggy gave a stiff nod. “Yeah, yeah. That… Yeah. Sounds great.”

Usopp went quiet. “Making a saddle might take a little longer. Maybe even a week extra.”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Buggy replied softly.

Usopp said, “I wouldn’t mind it, either.”

And so, they decided to make a saddle before taming a sea king or another.