Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

" Damn Clown's a no show again." Crocodile grumbled as he lit his first cigar of the say.

" This makes it the third consecutive day he's been absent." Mihawk said flatly.

The two former Warlords of the Sea and current 'executives' of Cross Guild were currently seated inside the tent that they usually held their morning meetings in. They were both immaculately dressed and put together. Mihawk was in his iconic red and black long coat and black hat with it's great white plume while Crocodile was dressed in a black button up shirt with Prussian blue waistcoat with a silver criss-cross pattern on top of it. Around his neck was a silky silver cravat. Black pants and his own signature black coat with the white fur trim finished out the look. Mihawk's great sword Yoru rested against the back of the baroque style chair he was sitting in, ever faithfully by his side, while Crocodile's golden hook glinted at the end of his left arm while he exhaled a huge plume of thick white smoke.

The two of them were in attendance, but their 'Chairman' remained telling nowhere to be seen. Buggy D. Clown, the face of Cross Guild, the figurehead they themselves had placed into such a seat of power to keep the heat off of their own backs had just mysteriously secluded himself for the last couple of days without any rhyme or reason.

"Alvida sent word the day before yesterday that the Clown was under the weather but we've seen him show up to meetings with a fever so high he could barely hold his own limbs together, so what gives?" Crocodile asked as he took a huge drag from his cigar and then blew it out to further shroud himself in smoke.

" Even Mohji and Cabaji have made themselves scarce. If it were anything seriously contagious Dr. Jungo would have informed us by now." Mihawk said as he rubbed at his bearded chin thoughtfully.

There was a beat of silence before Crocodile lightly thumped his bejeweled fist against the meeting table and swiftly stood up.

" That's it, we're gonna go see what the hold up is for ourselves." Crocodile declared as he looked to Mihawk and jerked his head towards the entrance to the tent.

Mihawk tilted his head, his striking yellow eyes boring into the sand wielder as he spoke.

" Come to care for our 'dear chairman' have you?" Mihawk all but purred with the barest hint of amusement in his golden eyes.

" Heck no, just invested in the fool to keep things running smoothly for Cross Guild. He's got the loyalty of the men, be hard pressed to find a replacement." Crocodile said with a scoff.

When Mihawk just continued to stare at him in that unnerving way of his, Crocodile found himself deflating a little as he spoke.

" Alright fine, I'll admit that I am the tiniest, and I mean microscopically, bit concerned about what's going on with that blue haired buffoon." Crocodile grumbled in mild defeat.

" No shame in your concern Crocodile." Mihawk said lightly before his own expression turned downward.

" Something's going on with him, I don't need my haki to tell me that. Let's go." Mihawk said before he rose from his seat, picked up Yoru, and sheathed the giant black blade in one single, graceful motion before he started striding towards the tent.

Crocodile didn't need to be told twice as he simply stepped through the meeting table in a soft swirl of golden sand, reforming and then following after the yellow eyed swordsman.

As the two of them made their way towards the main big top, the people they passed all paused and bowed, such was the respect they commanded without uttering a word. Mihawk and Crocodile gave the barest of nods and blinks of acknowledgment to the gestures before they stepped over the threshold into the main big top.

The arena was bustling and busy with workers milling about and acrobats practicing hard at their incredible craft. Fire breathers and fire twirlers worked expertly with their flames while the aerial artists soared high above with the safety net in place. Of course the clowns were hard at work horsing around as they should. Only thing was, the main clown and ringmaster was absent from his usual place up at the balcony overlooking the whole arena or on the silk trapeze which was his favorite stunt. As Mihawk and Crocodile made their way across the arena, everyone pausing to bow or greet them respectfully as they wisely cleared at path for the two powerful pirates, Crocodile frowned to himself as he realized that in the last month he hadn't seen Buggy partake in the aerial trapeze or any of the other circus acts at all. Instead the Clown would just stay at the balcony and bark order or pointers to his troupe as Crocodile had observed in passing.

As he and Mihawk crossed the arena and ducked down the corridor that let to their separate private quarters, Crocodile turned to Mihawk.

" Hey Hawk?" Crocodile asked, waiting for the swordsman to look up at him before he continued.

" It just dawned on me that for the last month, the Clown hasn't done any of his fancy aerial shit, or even any clowning for that matter. He just stays at the balcony and observes." Crocodile explained.

Mihawk blinked slowly and pondered Crocodile's words as they walked along the corridor. He turned back to Crocodile as his mind brought some of his own memories to the forefront.

" Now that you mention it, there were some mornings I observed him coming into the meetings with us looking rather tired and pale, even a little green around the gills. In that month you are speaking of he started avoiding breakfast with us in the dining hall, but then he would nearly out consume the rest of us at both lunch and dinner." Mihawk said with a slight frown.

" Freakin' oddball, no wonder he's out sick, probably ate too many things that don't agree with him and landed himself with a right case of food poisoning." Crocodile said with a snort.

" Perhaps, but we shouldn't make assumptions. We really don't know what we'll find once we actually set eyes on Buggy." Mihawk said sagely.

" Hmm." Crocodile hummed, knowing that his friend and fellow executive raised a valid point.

The two of them continued down the corridor until they reached the three way divide. If they went to their left, Crocodile's giant green and black tent would be at the end. If they went to their right, Mihawk's fortress style dwelling would be standing ready to receive them, not that many people were brave enough to go to his residence. Going straight ahead would lead to Mihawk and Crocodile's intended destination. The pair made their way forward, the corridor dimly illuminated by the light from outside passing through the light blue fabric that comprised Buggy's corridor. When they caught sight of the door to Buggy's own bright blue square tent, Mihawk and Crocodile were a little surprised to see a familiar blue and white checker scarf clad figure seemingly standing guard in front of said door.

When Cabaji caught sight of their approach, a complicated myriad of emotions crossed his face. There was alarm for a split second, that turned into reluctance, which then became resignation, and finally settled on quiet relief.

" Sir Mihawk, Sir Crocodile." The unicycle rider said as he stepped forward and bowed deeply to the two former warlords.

" Mornin' Cabaji, is our intrepid Chairman in?" Crocodile asked in a deceptively light tone, he was equal parts annoyed and concerned about said chairman.

" Y-Yes sir, Captain Buggy is in but he just... he hasn't been well." Cabaji explained, trying his best not to squirm under the intense gazes that were leveled right at him.

" What ailment is he suffering from?" Mihawk asked with a tilt of his head.

At this he and Crocodile watched as a light flush came to Cabaji's tan cheeks as he shook his head.

" To be honest I am not sure, something happened two nights ago, but by the time me, Mohji, and Richie got here Buggy was already being seen by Dr. Jungo and when she came out from behind the curtains she wouldn't tell us anything. The only one who probably knows what's going on is Alvida since she was here before any of us but she hasn't come out of Captain Buggy's bedroom area either." The unicycle swordsman explained with a helpless shrug and a billion questions of his own unanswered.

Mihawk and Crocodile shared a look, alarm bells going off for them both. Cabaji was one of Buggy's closest and most trusted confidants, his right hand man. If he had been left out of the loop like this, then whatever was happening with Buggy had to be no small matter. The pair looked up when Cabaji turned and pushed the sky blue and white star covered door open for them without any prompting.

They wordlessly stepped over the threshold, pausing as Cabaji stood at the door and spoke.

" I am under orders from Alvida not to allow anyone in, but you guys aren't just anyone. If there is anybody who can get to the bottom of what's going on with Captain Buggy, it's the two of you. Please help him sirs." He said quietly, looking up at them with sad, pleading eyes.

Mihawk and Crocodile looked at him with unreadable expressions on their faces before Crocodile looked away without a word and Mihawk offered Cabaji a curt nod before the two of them proceeded further into Buggy's private residence.

Buggy's residence was a reflection of him, bold flashy colors everywhere, but as they both observed, everything was still somehow tastefully decorated and immaculately in order. It was rather unexpected considering the amount of chaos the Clown was capable of causing. Mihawk and Crocodile couldn't dwell on the thought for long though as they caught voices up ahead. When they neared the back of Buggy's tent the saw the area cordoned off with these thick red velvet curtains, and there standing in front of them were Alvida and Mohji with a white cloth covered serving cart between them that was still had full plates of food.

" He didn't touch a single thing, he can't go on like this Alvida. What are we gonna do?" Mohji asked as he looked sadly down at the untouched breakfast between them. It wasn't even that much, just a plate of golden toast with butter and jam, a bowl of oatmeal, a small plate of breakfast meats, and a glass of orange juice. Alvida was about to reply when movement out the corner of her eye had her turning and then startling slightly when she caught sight of Mihawk and Crocodile walking towards them. Mohji caught sight of them too and immediately went wide eyed and started sputtering nervously as he and Alvida stepped forward.

" G-Good morning sirs." Mohji said tentatively as he and Alvida both bowed, rather stiffly at the intimidating pair.

" Morning back at you, now tell us what the hell's going on with the Clown." Crocodile said, not beating around the bush.

Mihawk glanced at Crocodile, understanding that the sand wielder wanted answers like yesterday, but he decided to be a little more diplomatic about it as he stepped forward and spoke.

" Cabaji let us in, he's most concerned and desiring of answers and so are we. Can you tell us what is ailing our Chairman?" Mihawk asked firmly, but not unkindly.

At this, Mihawk and Crocodile watched as both Alvida and Mohji deflated complete.

" That's the thing Mihawk sama, we honestly don't fully know what happened either." Alvida explained as she held up her hands helplessly, Mohji nodding beside her.

" Please share what you do know then." Mihawk encouraged.

Sharing a look, Alvida and Mohji began to explain the very strange events surrounding Buggy's sudden medical issue and subsequent withdrawal from everything.

Alvida explained how a couple of nights ago, just after midnight she had received a call from Dr. Jungo asking her to come here to Buggy's residence. When she got here, Dr. Jungo was already packing up, looking grave while Buggy was tucked firmly in bed, laying wide awake and unresponsive, paler than sheet. The doctor wouldn't tell Alvida what specifically was wrong with him, that it was a very private issue that Buggy hadn't given his permission for her to divulge to anyone. Alvida had taken one look at Buggy and called in the cavalry consisting of Cabaji, Mohji, and Richie. They had been caring for him as best they could since.

" We took turns staying with him these last two days. He won't move except to go to the bathroom, he barely speaks, and he won't eat and his tears haven't stopped." Alvida said quietly as she gestured to the serving cart.

" Something really bad happened, I just know it." Mohji said ominously.

" He's got Richie laying with him in bed right now, and that lion is the only one he's allowed to even touch him this whole time, he wouldn't even let any of us help him go to the bathroom." Alvida explained, allowing her worry to show through in full.

Mihawk and Crocodile both tried to keep their faces as neutral as possible but the revelations from Alvida and Mohji left the both of the deeply unsettled, actual dread pooling in both of their stomachs.

Without saying anything, Crocodile and Mihawk stepped forward past Alvida and Mohji towards the heavy red curtains that separated them from Buggy. They passed through the rich red velvet and stepped into Buggy's bedroom at last.

The place was flashy and full of bright, garish colors like the rest of the place, but well organized and quiet, almost eerily so. Mihawk and Crocodile's eyes immediately went to the center of the room where a large white and red striped canopy bed stood, bearing two occupants. One was a lavender maned lion with red eyes, while the other was a blue haired man with a red nose, and skin that had grown so pallid that he seemed only a couple of shades darker than his own pristine white bed sheets.

" What the shit Clown?" Crocodile said under his breath, completely taken aback by the state that Buggy was in.

Mihawk had to silently agree with him. It was one thing to hear others describe the way a person was in such a bad state, it was a totally different and far more jarring thing to see it for themselves as they drew closer to the bed.

Buggy lay on his back with the sheets pulled up to his chest. He had on a plain white sleeping shirt. His hair was a tangled mess of blue hallowed about the pillows under his head, his face was devoid of make up and colorless, and his eyes, leaking steady streams of tears were half lidded, grey and dull instead of their usual vibrant pale blue.

Before Mihawk could stop him, Crocodile strode forward and came to loom over Buggy and Richie. Richie raised his head from where he was curled up next to Buggy and gave a low rumble, clearly in warning, but Crocodile being Crocodile he didn't heed the lion's warning as he spoke.

" You just gonna lay in bed all day and leak like this Clown? We don't see hide or hair of you for two straight days and you don't even look sick, so what the hell gives?" He asked roughly.

Mihawk barely bit back a wince at Crocodile's rather unruly approach while Richie's own heckles rose as he let out another growl in warning, for once showing no fear or deference to the two former warlords like he usually did. Mihawk's attention immediately went to Buggy when the blue haired Yonko actually moved.

Moved might have been too generous a term though as all Buggy did was slowly turn his listless and grayed eyes to Crocodile, looking up at him through the tears that seemed endlessly flowing.

Buggy said nothing, nothing at all, he just started at Crocodile with an utterly blank look on his tear stained face. As the seconds passed, Crocodile felt his earlier annoyance slowly slide away, his earlier, secret concern growing tenfold because in all his life, no one had ever stared at him the way Buggy was staring at him, with such empty eyes from someone still alive and breathing.

" Clown I-" Crocodile began to say, far more quieter now, when Buggy blinked slowly and then turned his head to look away.

Mihawk and Crocodile both caught the wince that crossed Buggy's face as the blue haired man actually turned over onto his side the rest of the way, showing his back to them in blatant dismissal.

" Hey man, I am talking to you!" Crocodile nearly shouted, his anxiety over Buggy's behavior coming across as anger, because anger was far more easier than what Crocodile's every instinct was telling him to do.

His every instinct was screaming at him to stop being such an ass, to apologize and just take Buggy D. Clown into his arms and never let go, to shield him for anything and everything from this moment forward. Crocodile ignored his better sense, because anger was easier and far less scary than showing the depths of his caring for the blue haired Yonko.

" Crocodile that is enough!" Mihawk said sharply, his words like a whip cracking through the air.

Crocodile fell silent but sent Mihawk a mutinous look. A soft gasp from behind them had Mihawk, Crocodile, and Richie turning sharply to see Alvida, Mohji, and Cabaji standing by the seam of the curtains, most likely having just stepped through themselves.

Throughout this, Buggy lay utterly silent with his back to Mihawk and Crocodile, and even completely ignoring Richie who was beside him, mewling and nudging him with his muzzle trying to get his attention. Movement of someone approaching had Richie instantly raising his head and baring his teeth when he saw Mihawk step forward, taking Crocodile's place.

When Richie was about to snarl in full, he abruptly fell silent in shock as Mihawk reached out and gently cupped his chin and looked him directly in the eye with those arresting yellow orbs. Richie knew that Mihawk could simply rip his jaw clean from his head with a flick of his wrist, but instead the man was holding him with untold care as he spoke.

" Peace Richie, pardon Crocodile, he sounds angry but he's actually been worried these last two days just as I have." Mihawk explained, his baritone voice soothing to the lion who had his guard up.

Mihawk's words had Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji all gawking in astonishment, even more so when Crocodile didn't vehemently deny them immediately like they expected him to. Instead the sand wielder crossed his arms and looked to the side, appearing distinctly uncomfortable but staying right by Mihawk and Buggy. Richie let out a low rumble and seemed to sigh as he relaxed and pulled his ears back in a sign of acceptance before he finally stood down. He pressed his chin into Mihawk's hands and looked up at him with sad red eyes before he nodded and pulled away.

" Thank you Richie." Mihawk said sincerely before he turned his yellow eyes to Buggy himself.

The blue haired Yonko was slightly curled in on himself and looking far too small in his own bed. As he silently observed the red nosed man, Mihawk felt a small jolt go through him when a very distinct and troubling scent caught his acute senses.

Blood.

It tinged the air, and it came off of Buggy in waves. Silently alarmed, now more than ever, Mihawk finally moved. Everyone else in the bedroom watched with wide eyes and baited breath as Mihawk slowly sank down onto the edge of Buggy's bed and reaching out to gently grip Buggy's shoulder as he spoke.

" Buggy?" Mihawk called quietly.

Buggy's whole body seemed to shudder before he slowly turned over to face Mihawk fully, the flow if his tears having increased further as he looked up at the swordsman with pained eyes.

Golden eyes gazed into tearful blue as Mihawk spoke.

" What's going on Buggy? Why are you like this?... Why are you bleeding?" Mihawk asked as delicately as he could.

A jolt went through everyone else at this question, safe for Richie who as an animal had already been able to sense just what was wrong with Buggy, though he couldn't ever convey it.

" What do you mean he's bleeding Hawk-Eye?" Crocodile asked as he stepped forward, looking over Buggy for himself and finding no visible wounds as far as he could tell.

Before Mihawk could think of a response to what his own keen observations had told him when he had scanned their Chairman for himself, Buggy groaned softly as he slowly began pushing himself up. Without any prompting, Mihawk reached out and steadied him as the blue haired man sat up. His whole body was shaking and he was clearly in a great deal of pain as he looked Mihawk right in the face and finally spoke.

" I... I had a miscarriage two days ago H-Hawky." Buggy croaked out, the words seeming like glass against his vocal cords.

The moment Buggy's words registered it was like all of the air got sucked out of the entire room. Out of every possible ailment they all thought Buggy might be suffering from, this was the farthest possibility for them all, and yet this was the sad truth, the cold hard slap of reality to all of them. It was Crocodile who broke the silence as he gazed at Buggy with wide eyes, his cigar falling out of his mouth completely and bouncing on the wooden floor.

" You were... pregnant?... When?... How?" He asked, utterly stunned as he stared at the red nosed man.

Buggy sniffled and looked up at Crocodile with pained eyes as he spoke.

" Yeah, I was carrying a... little future Yonko. I made it to about two months and then a couple of days ago I... I lost it. As to how, well... It was the regular way since I am a carrier, I was seeing s-someone on the down low, and one of the times we got together I guess the protection failed and one of his little swimmers managed to make it." Buggy said with a throaty little chuckle that soon turned into full blown sobbing.

Crocodile could only gawk as Mihawk immediately dove into action, deftly unsheathing Yoru from his back and setting her against Buggy's bedside table before swiftly taking the distressed man into his arms with unheard of tenderness. As he glanced about the room, Crocodile saw that he was not the only one left absolutely gobsmacked by the sight before him. Alvida looked stunned with tears streaming down her face, while Cabaji looked ready to pass out. Mohji had his hands covering his mouth, his eyes wide in horror, no doubt at the awful revelation Buggy had made, and Richie sat beside Buggy and Mihawk, his fanged jaws hanging open in astonishment.

This was Dracule Mihawk after all. He was the World's Greatest Swordsman, a former Warlord of the Seas, and the man known as The Marine Hunter before all that. He was someone feared and revered the world over. Even here on Karai Bari he was untouchable, aloof and terrifying to all who crossed his path. He wanted to be left alone and that is what everyone did. Mihawk was Mihawk, he just didn't do this, what he was doing now, holding someone who had just shared the devastating loss they had gone through all alone. He should have done any other thing as far as his reputation and demeanor dictated, like rolling his eyes, scoffing in indifference, or even berating Buggy for being so irresponsible as fall pregnant while serving as the head of their entire organization and not breathing a word of it to them, instead he said nothing and just held Buggy like he was the most precious person Mihawk had in his entire life as he cupped the back of Buggy's head with a pale, calloused hand.

Buggy let out a low, broken sound as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Mihawk, soaking up the comfort that was being freely given and in turn squeezing Mihawk hard enough to nearly bend even the yellow eyed man's inordinately strong bones, his trembling fingers twisting hard into the fabric of the swordsman's coat, clinging to anything and everything he could just to hang on as every horrid emotion he had been valiantly holding in for two straight days just came pouring out of him.

Mihawk was unwavering as he held Buggy, looking up at Crocodile with open sadness in his golden eyes. This seemed to snap Crocodile out of his stupor as he looked over at Buggy's nakama.

" Well don't just stand there." Crocodile said sternly but not unkindly as he gestured for Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji to get closer.

Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji all shook themselves of the paralysis that gripped them and immediately rushed forward just as Crocodile ordered. Richie himself leaned in and pressed his head to Buggy's heaving back, nuzzling at him in an effort to comfort while Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji all surrounded the three of them.

Buggy's sobs became wails of despair, but knowing that his crew was there was silent assurance in and of itself. Crocodile stepped forward and loomed over all of them, a silent tower standing guard over all of them. It was all he could think to do for everything that was happening was well beyond his purview.

Bugy wept for all his worth, his tears ceaseless along with his grip around Mihawk. It took a good forty-five minutes for Buggy to literally exhaust himself before he let go of Mihawk and sank boneless and pale back onto his bed. Mihawk pulled back, grabbing up and restoring Yoru to his back as he allowed for Buggy's crew crowd around him in comfort. It was clear now that Buggy had not disclosed his devastation to anyone, not even his immediate crew. They were just as blindsided at Mihawk and Crocodile, and no less distraught as their captain.

Mihawk made his way over to Crocodile and the pair watched as Alvida, Mohji, Cabaji, and Richie did their best to comfort a now silently crying Buggy, who just stared up at the ceiling and didn't respond to any of them.

" This is bad, we gotta do something." Crocodile said quietly as he turned to Mihawk.

The swordsman said nothing but looked thoughtfully up at the sand wielder. Then as one they were both struck by individual ideas.

As one, the two of them nodded to each other in silent agreement before they turned they attention back to the crowded bed in the center of the room.

Buggy turned his eyes way from the ceiling when he caught movement out the corner of his eye. He blinked and looked to the side to see Crocodile and Mihawk looming over Alvida's shoulder.

" C-Croco?... Hawky?" Buggy croaked out in askance, his voice raw and tired as he gazed at his lieutenants and called them by their nicknames.

" Crocodile and I need to step away for a moment, I assure you that we won't be gone long." Mihawk said cryptically.

Buggy looked like he wanted to protest with everything in his body, only the problem was there was barely anything left in his body to protest with. Letting out an unhappy sigh and sniffling, Buggy slowly nodded his head in acquiescence. Mihawk and Crocodile both nodded and turned to leave, they were halfway to the red curtains when Crocodile paused and looked back over his shoulder. Somber pale violet eyes met those of tearful pale blue as the sand wielder spoke.

" Sorry for your loss, Buggy." Crocodile said quickly, feeling his face heat up a little at the way Buggy's eyes widened a little in pure disbelief that such words had actually come out of his mouth. Alvida, Mohji, Cabaji, and Richie all gaped at Crocodile in shock too. Crocodile averted his gaze, not wanting to show them how uncomfortable he felt under their eyes as Mihawk spoke took.

" I am sorry for your loss as well Buggy, I am sure we are all wishing you weren't going through any of this at all." The swordsman added quietly.

Mihawk and Crocodile watched as Buggy's stunned face rapidly crumbled, fresh tears filling his eyes as he took in a deep, shuddering breath and spoke.

" Th-Thank you." Buggy choked out softly.

Mihawk and Crocodile both nodded and turned to leave when Buggy spoke again.

" Please hurry back." He croaked out shakily as his emotions rose up inside him to once again shatter his already threadbare composure.

" We will, just lay back and try to rest, your nakama can help you sort yourself out some if you are up to it." Mihawk suggested before he forced himself to turn away and walk out of Buggy's bedroom, Crocodile right behind him.

The two former warlords strode towards the door to Buggy's tent with purpose, determination shared as they exited Buggy's residence and made quick work of getting through the corridors into the main big top. It was there that they split up, Crocodile striding across the big top and disappearing out of the tent entirely into the late morning sun, while Mihawk stalked across the arena with his black coat billowing about him as he ducked into the corridor that led to the dining tent that was attached to the big top, where the main kitchens were located.

A little while later...

" Thanks Vida." Buggy said with a sigh and a wane smile as Alvida finished brushing his long blue hair and tying it into a half ponytail to keep it out of his face.

" Don't mention it Buggy." Alvida said as she smiled back at her friend, her own eyes red and raw from the tears she had shed for Buggy and his unimaginable loss.

Mohji, Richie, and Cabaji milled about his room tidying things up where they could. When they all heard the sound of approaching footsteps, they turned their gazes to the red velvet curtains that cordoned off Buggy's bedroom. From behind the curtain, a figure emerged through the seam and Buggy was immediately arrested by a pair of striking golden eyes.

Mihawk stepped through the curtains, Yoru faithfully at his back and not a single part of him out of place, but it was what he was carrying in his hands that had Buggy's mouth falling open. A bed tray table, laden with food. Mihawk made his way over to Buggy's bedside, Alvida wisely getting out of the way. The swordsman loomed over the blue haired Yonko, their eyes never leaving each other until Buggy's stomach decided to but in with an almighty rumble. In an instant the tension eased a little as Buggy ducked his head, feeling his face blush furiously. Then the tray was coming back into his line of sight as Mihawk carefully set it down over his lap.

Buggy felt his eyes grow wide as he gazed at the absolutely sumptuous looking meal set before him. There was a plate with a steak that was perfectly grilled to perfection and sliced with untold precision, with a side of buttery looking grilled vegetables. Next to it was tall glass with a striking magenta hued drink in it that looked thick and creamy, perhaps a smoothie of some kind. Rounding out the meal was a small pudding topped with a rich looking raspberry compote. It was perhaps the best meal he had ever laid eyes on, but it also left him slightly confused because it was clearly not Chef Dongo or Chef Dizzy as he was affectionately known for's cooking. With a small jolt, Buggy looked back up at Mihawk with wide blue eyes as he spoke.

" H-Hi Mihawk." Buggy greeted politely, earning a nod from Mihawk before he looked between the swordsman and the meal set out before him.

" Y-You made all this?" He asked softly.

" Yes." Mihawk answered simply without missing a beat before his eyes bored right into Buggy's soul as he continued.

" Alvida informed me that you have barely eaten in these last two days and while it is understandable given the circumstances, it is entirely unacceptable for you to continue." Mihawk said with a steely edge to his voice as he crossed his arms.

" While I would prefer it if you finished everything on this tray, it's not about what I want, it's about what you can handle. You need to regain your strength, so please eat what you can and do so carefully. There is no need for you to force yourself." He finished, far less harshly.

Buggy felt his heart flutter inside him in a way he didn't think it ever could again, still stunned that it was Dracule Mihawk himself who had actually cooked lunch for him today.

" Y-Yes Mihawk. Thank you for this." Buggy said with a genuine smile, nowhere near one of his mega-watt grins, but a smile none the less.

" You're welcome Buggy." Mihawk said with a guarded expression over his sharp featured.

The pair stared at each other for what felt like a life age before Buggy's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the moment between them. Blushing furiously, Buggy picked up the knife and fork Mihawk had provided him with and sought out a piece of steak, cutting the morsel in half and then bringing it to his mouth. The moment Buggy tasted the steak he let out a low groan of pleasure and started to eat with gusto. Mihawk watched as Buggy slowly started to devour his cooking, inwardly rejoicing but outwardly remaining as cool and collected as ever. Satisfied that Buggy was eating without running the risk of choking in his renewed vigor, Mihawk turned to see Alvida, Mohji, Cabaji, and Richie all looking at him with gratitude and maybe a little bit of wonder shining in their eyes.

They couldn't be blamed though, it wasn't everyday that one found out that the World's Greatest Swordsman was also one hell of a fantastic cook if the aroma of that steak alone had Richie licking at his own chops, and his human companions subtly glancing at the meal and remembering that it was close to lunch time after all. They stood to full attention when Mihawk started asking them about how Buggy had been in their absence. Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji were all glad to report that Buggy had improved some. He's managed to compose himself for the most part and allowed Alvida to brush his hair for him. Though they warned that Buggy was teetering on the edge of breaking down every second, everything too fresh, too raw. They still couldn't believe that Buggy was even going through what he was going through. Their Captain had not only been in a clandestine relationship, it had been serious enough to result in a pregnancy that had now unfortunately been lost.

Mihawk turned back to Buggy and was pleasantly surprised to see that the blue haired Yonko had actually polished off everything from the steak, to the vegetables, to the pudding and was now gulping down the smoothie with as much gusto as he had started the meal.

The swordsman knew that raspberries were Buggy's favorite so he had been sure to put extra in the smoothie along with the beets and other greens and fruits he had blended together with homemade yogurt and fresh coconut water. Mihawk allowed himself the barest upturn of the corner of his whiskered lips as he recalled the sensation he had caused when he had walked into Cross Guild's bustling kitchens and asked Chef Dizzy for his permission to cook Buggy's lunch for him. Chef Dizzy had given his consent looking slightly dazed at the request, and then he and several of his chefs had gathered at a safe distance and watched him as he had showcased his own dizzying cooking skills. It was as he was chopping up the vegetables he was meaning to grill that he had turned his golden eyes to his audience. Without looking at the cutting board, he had expertly chopped up the rest of the vegetables and then had nonchalantly asked Chef Dizzy and his staff if they had a lunch service to get busy with or not. That question had sent Chef Dizzy and his crew scrambling to get back to work with all due haste, leaving a silently amused Mihawk to cook in peace without any further audience.

Mihawk was broken from his musings as the sound of approaching footsteps caught his ear and had him turning towards the red velvet curtains. Buggy had just finished his smoothie when a tall, familiar figure emerged from the other side of the curtains.

" Crocodile." Buggy said with another small, genuine smile as the sand wielder came into view.

Like Mihawk he was still immaculately put together and his hand and hook were not empty. The sand wielder stepped forward, bearing a white box that was brimming with several items.

" Hey Clown, went and consulted with Dr. Jungo at length about how to make things a little more easy for you since your body got put through the wringer and is still going through it according to her." Crocodile said bluntly before he stepped forward and made his way around to the other side of Buggy's bed and set the box down on it.

Mihawk wordlessly stepped forward and picked up the now empty tray, quietly stunning everyone again before Mohji gestured to him that he wanted to take the item. Mihawk nodded and handed the tray off to the lion tamer before stepping forward to Buggy's side, just as curious as the blue haired man was about what Crocodile had brought him.

Crocodile pushed the box over to Buggy and started rapidly explaining that it was filled with Dr. Jungo's suggested care items like a heating pad for the cramps and lingering pain, boxes of vitamin c drink mix and other supplements, high protein snack bars to supplement his diet, and even more of the special thickly padded boxer briefs Dr. Jungo had initially provided him with when he had gone to her with his medical emergency, specially designed for male carriers. There were ever books, several stress balls, and even folded maps in the box too.

Mihawk, Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, and Richie all watched as Buggy's pale blue eyes grew steadily wider and wider as Crocodile listed all the things he had brought for him and all of Dr. Jungo's strict instructions for him to take it easy and turn his mind to other things as he slowly processed his loss. By the time the sand wielder was finished, Buggy had an absolutely awed look on his face.

There was a beat of silence, and then a soft click as Buggy chop chopped himself just below his ribs and floated up and across the bed towards Crocodile.

" Hey wha-" Crocodile began to say only to fall silent as he found himself being hugged with near bruising force.

Feeling ten different kinds of awkward and way out of his depth, Crocodile reached up and tentatively patted Buggy on the back with his bejeweled hand. Any other time it would have been absolutely ridiculous, Buggy hugging Sir Crocodile of all people. These were not those times, and this whole situation was absolutely topsy turvy on top of being tragic as Buggy finally forced himself to let go and floated at arms length in front of the sand weilder. Neither man wanted to admit just how cold they felt after they let each other go. Composing himself, Buggy finally spoke.

" Thank you for all of this Crocodile I just... You didn't have to do a damn thing for me man. Why are you being so good to me?" The blue haired man croaked out.

Crocodile was stunned by Buggy's words, but he quickly shook his head as he spoke.

" First thing's first, reattach yourself and lay back. Dr. Jungo told you to rest remember?" Crocodile ordered sternly.

Buggy deflated and gave a jerky nod before he floated back to the other side of the bed and rejoined himself to his lower half with a soft click and laid back against the mountain of pillows his crew had made for him before he turned his attention fully back to Crocodile as the violet eyed man spoke.

" You're right Buggy, I didn't have to lift a damn finger, but I wanted to and that's that." Crocodile said simply before he let out a small huff.

" I was also being a total ass before you told us what was going on with you and that might be my default setting but even I got the common sense to try and be less of an ass in a situation like this at least. Don't make such a big deal out of it Clown." He grumbled grouchily, feeling his cheeks grow a little hot with embarrassment at the warm looks he was getting from Buggy's crew, even Mihawk's normally cold eyes holding the barest hint of warmth for him.

Crocodile watched as Buggy's whole body seemed to sigh, a warm, genuine smile coming to his face that brought light back to it despite how haggard the clown currently was.

" Alright Croco, no big deal, just like you want. Thank you though, I really appreciate all this." Buggy said earnestly as his eyes went to the care box Crocodile had put together for him. He reached out and ran a reverent hand over some of the items that were jutting out.

They could all see Buggy's eyes start to droop. Mihawk stepped forward and leaned over Buggy, reaching for the box and picking it up to set it on the blue haired Yonko's bedside table to keep it close before he turned his attention to Buggy himself.

" Sleep Buggy." He ordered gently.

Buggy's whole body seemed to sigh even further at his words as his eyes went to half mast and he started to drift off.

" Okay Hawky." Buggy said with his voice slightly slurred as the sirens call of sleep pulled him away from the waking word.

He slowly turned his head to gaze blearily up at Mihawk as he spoke.

" Make sure you all... have lunch too, please." He insisted before his eyes fell shut and he finally drifted off completely.

There was a beat of utter silence, and then Crocodile spoke.

" Such a considerate clown." He said with a quieter version of his distinct chuckle.

About an hour and a half later...

Pale blue eyes shot open as their owner abruptly returned to consciousness with a sharp gasp.

" Ahhow!" Buggy cried as he sat up in bed and his hands immediately went to his lower stomach.

" Buggy?" a familiar soft baritone asked at the same time a deeper voice called out to him as well.

Buggy looked up to see Mihawk and Crocodile both looming over him, instantly on alert.

" My guts are just.. cramping really bad." Buggy gritted out as he rode out the waves of sharp, pulsating pain.

Without any prompting, Mihawk was suddenly right there next to Buggy, his hand seeking out the distressed man's lower back. Buggy gasped and then groaned softly as Mihawk gently massaged the base of his spine for him. It immediately alleviated some of the pressure. Crocodile looked through the drawer of Buggy's bedside table, seeking out the vials of pain medication from Dr. Jungo that Alvida had said she had placed there for safe keeping. She and the rest of the crew had yet to return after Crocodile had sent then to get lunch and freshen up. Crocodile found the one vial that was half full of clear liquid and grabbed it up before stepping over to Buggy.

" Here finish this, it should help." He rumbled.

" Th-Thanks Croco." Buggy said as he sent the sand wielder a grateful look and took the vial from him.

Under both Mihawk and Crocodile's watchful gazes, Buggy downed the remaining contents of the vial, wincing at the rather sharp and vile taste but it was a small price to pay for the pleasant numbing effect that spread through his aching innards as the medicine started to work. The Yonko didn't lay back down though as he looked up at his lieutenants and spoke.

" I need to change my underwear." He said quietly, his cheeks flushing lightly though he didn't look away.

Mihawk and Crocodile shared a look before they turned back to Buggy.

" Do you require assistance Buggy?" Mihawk asked.

" Nah, I'll manage. Thank you though." Buggy said with a tired smile before he pulled the covers away from himself.

Mihawk and Crocodile could see the outline of the padded briefs Buggy had on under the thin grey sleeping pants he was wearing. They both internally winced, reminded that Buggy would need to wear these special briefs for at least a full week, until his body had... expelled everything that had formed to nurture a life in the process of being. Buggy winced a little as he swung his feet over the side of his bed. Then with a soft click he chop chopped his legs at the ankles, leaving his feet on the floor while the rest of his body floated up.

" I'll be alright guys." Buggy assured as he floated over to Crocodile's care box and pulled out one of the plastic wrapped sanitary briefs the sand wielder had brought him.

" Just holler if you need anything Clown." Crocodile rumbled.

Buggy nodded and sent Crocodile and Mihawk a final, tired smile before he floated off towards the back of his bedroom where his bathroom door stood slightly ajar. Mihawk and Crocodile watched him with all vigilance until the blue haired man shut the door behind him and disappeared from view.

" How do you wanna address the ten ton polka dot elephant in the room?" Crocodile asked as he turned to Mihawk.

" We'll press him regarding the identity of the man he was involved with and why he isn't here now in due course, he still seems a bit too unsteady. I am curious as to why this man isn't here now, given the circumstance and the loss of what would have been his child too, I would have thought Buggy's lover would be by his side." Mihawk said with a slight frown.

" Maybe he doesn't know? With how out of it the Clown was these last couple of days and with no one else knowing about him being in a relationship, the other father probably doesn't know, maybe isn't here on the island all together?" Crocodile suggested.

" It still seems a bit odd to me that it's been three days, and there's been no sign of the man Buggy was seeing. I am not one to say much regarding romantic relations but even I am a bit perturbed by this telling absence of the other father." Mihawk murmured.

" Hmm." Crocodile hummed, a troubled feeling washing over him too.

There were still so many questions, but Mihawk was right in that they needed to wait and couldn't just bulldoze their way to the answers.

Inside the bathroom, Buggy sniffled softly as he pulled off the padded briefs he was wearing and sank onto the toilet, the dark red staining the inside standing out harshly against the white material of the undergarment. Buggy quickly wadded up the soiled brief, putting it in the discarded wrapper of his fresh pair before he tossed it into the waste bin. He then cleaned himself a little with fresh toilet paper, wincing at the tenderness to his sensitive flesh before he quickly donned the fresh sanitary brief. Once he flushed, Buggy floated up from the toilet and pulled his pants up, but as he turned in the air his eyes caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

With a shaky exhale and his eyes filling with fresh tears, Buggy floated closer to the bathroom sink and gazed at himself. He was still so very pale from all the blood he had lost and the heartache that gripped him, but the bathroom light washed him out even further. Clenching his jaw tight to hold in the wails he wanted to let out, Buggy slowly lifted up the hem of the shirt he was wearing so he could see his stomach... and the pair of large, circular bruises that adorned his lower abdomen. Buggy allowed himself a few sobs as he stared at his injured stomach and remembered the hellish events that had left him bruised and bereft of the baby he was carrying.

A couple of tears fell free over his pale cheeks before Buggy wiped them away and composed himself through sheer force of will. He had to pull himself together with Crocodile and Mihawk, two of the most observant people he knew, waiting for him on the other side of the bathroom door. He dropped the hem of his shirt, hiding away his bruised up belly. He wiped at his cheeks and then turned on the faucet and washed his face. He felt a little better freshening up but his heart sank when his eyes fell on his now shirt covered stomach in the mirror. Buggy quickly turned away and grabbed up a towel from the rack to dry his face before he steadied his raw nerves and headed out of the bathroom.

When he emerged, Buggy was relieved to see that Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, and Richie had all returned to him and brought Galdino and Daz along with them.

Mihawk and Crocodile watched quietly as Galdino hurried over to Buggy once he caught sight of him, waiting for the Yonko to reattach himself to his disembodied feet before the wax wielder urged him to sit down before giving him a careful but lingering hug, whispering his condolences to his friend. Daz stepped up, stoic as ever but with the slightest slump to his shoulders are he told Buggy that he was sorry for his loss before he ducked away and stood off to the side a few feet away from Crocodile. He was who he was, he didn't do the touchy emotional stuff, but it was clear that he felt bad in his own way. Buggy appreciated it all none the less as his crew surrounded him.

Crocodile and Mihawk were glad to see a tired but genuine smile on Buggy's face as Galdino regaled him on the happenings around the island in his absence, but inwardly they frowned for there was still much they needed to sort out.

" His nakama won't want to leave him, but we can have it so that they all congregate in the living room area while we stay with Buggy here in his bedroom ourselves. We can breach the subject then with minimal interference." Mihawk said lightly so that only Crocodile could hear him.

" Sounds like a plan, I know his crew are just as in the dark as we are and want answers too." Crocodile said with a nod.

With a course of action agreed to, Mihawk and Crocodile turned their attention back to keeping watching over Buggy while they waited for the right moment to seek their answers.

Hours passed without incident or a real chance for Mihawk and Crocodile to breach the topic. When dinner time arrived, Crocodile sent Buggy's crew off to dinner in the main dining hall, they were reluctant to leave but reassured when they saw Mihawk already hard at work cooking up a storm in Buggy's little kitchen area with the fresh ingredients he had brought a little while ago, including the vegetables from his personal garden on the island that no one was allowed near. Crocodile had found it quite amusing when he had seen the way Buggy's nakama were unashamedly fascinated by the sight of the World's Greatest Swordsman doing something so mundane as cooking dinner, but they quickly took their leave before they annoyed said swordsman.

Within half an hour, Mihawk was bringing Buggy another tray, this time bearing a plate of perfected grilled herb and buttered chicken breast with a side of mashed potatoes, a mini cheese and tomato board, a small chocolate mousse, and a tall glass of green smoothie this time around. For Crocodile, Mihawk made a juicy roast beef sandwich and for himself, a quick and easy pasta dish. Mihawk and Crocodile would have been resigned to just eat in Buggy's little dining room and leave the Clown to eat peacefully, but Buggy shyly asked them to stay and eat with him. Mihawk and Crocodile more that willing to acquiesce to their Chairman's request as they had brought their plates and pulled up their chairs to Buggy's bedside.

He talked to them, asking about the happenings of Cross Guild in his unexpected absence and Mihawk and Crocodile were happy to fill him in on the latest deals that were being struck, possible contracts to write up, and the regular happenings about the island. Buggy hung on to every word while he enjoyed Mihawk's wonderful cooking, silently pleasing the swordsman when he finished everything once again. Crocodile felt some quiet triumph himself when he got Buggy to chuckle as he regaled him with tales about the antics of the newest batch of bananawani's that had hatched and immediately tried to make a daring escape from the fruitwani breeding tent Crocodile kept towards the edge of Buggy Town by the marshlands and the beach. Even Mihawk allowed some mirth to show in his golden eyes as Crocodile recounted that thankfully the keepers in the tent had been able to wrangle the crafty little cuties before they could make it out.

The plates were all cleared away after they were done with dinner, the three of them were content to enjoy each other's company while it lasted, knowing that Buggy's crew mates were bound to hurry back to him as soon as they had wolfed down dinner. Mihawk was sitting beside Buggy when the blue haired Yonko looked over to the care box from Crocodile. The swordsman watched as those pale blue eyes, far more lively than then had been this morning, raked over the contents of the box before settling on one of the books Crocodile had brought him. Before Mihawk could say anything to dissuade Buggy, the blue haired man reached out towards the box to get the book himself. As he did so, Buggy's shirt rode up slightly, exposing just a sliver of his bare stomach right in Mihawk's line of sight.

Mihawk's eyes immediately zeroed in on the purplish red hue that peaked out from under the fabric, alarm bells going off inside his head as he spoke.

" Buggy why does your stomach look like that?" He asked with feigned lightness.

In an instant Buggy froze, the book he had picked up falling back into the box from his numb fingers. With a shaky breath Buggy looked down and saw that his stomach was showing before he looked up a Mihawk with wide eyes.

" I-It's nothing Hawky!" He said as he tried in vain to pull his shirt down, but it was all for nought as a pair of warm and calloused hands gently covered his own and stopped him.

Buggy looked up to see not only Mihawk but a stonefaced Crocodile standing beside him.

" Let us see Buggy." Crocodile said in a tone brokering no room for argument.

With mortification crashing over him, a resigned look came over Buggy's face as he averted his gaze and nodded before he slowly started pulling his shirt up, Mihawk's hands never leaving his as he did so.

The moment Buggy's shirt fell away completely, Mihawk and Crocodile's expressions grew unashamedly horrified at the sight that greeted them.

Instead of pale, unmarked skin, Buggy's navel was a mottled mess of deep red and purple bruising. As Mihawk looked closer he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach when he observed that the bruising was not random, but centralized into two circular points right around his belly button area, a deep, grotesque purple surrounded by vivid red.

" Clown what the hell is this? What the fuck happened to you?" Crocodile asked.

Before Buggy could actually come up with a way to even respond, a sharp female gasp of horror had him, Mihawk, and Crocodile all turned to see a horrified Alvida standing by the red velvet curtain, Mohji, Cabaji, Richie, Galdino, and Daz all flanking her on either side, all of them just as gobsmacked and even Daz's eyes were wide.

As he felt all of these eyes on him, his nakama, his family, Buggy felt the last vestiges of his control shatter completely, releasing the flood gates as he told everyone everything, his terrible, gut-wrenching truth that he had been trying to keep from them.

Six months ago Buggy had met Reuben H. Falgo, a mineral tradesman from the nearby island of Corivai when the man had come to Karai Bari as part of a delegation hoping to form trade relations with Cross Guild. He was tall and handsome and seemed super interested in Buggy. Buggy of course hadn't paid him any attention until later than night at dinner, were they had struck up a conversation that simply had not ended. The delegation from Corivai had stayed on Karai Bari for a week and by the time they had left it was not just with a lucrative trade agreement for mineral resources, but one had left with the heart of Cross Guild's chairman heart all for himself.

For months Falgo would come to Karai Bari as part of the delivery fleet bearing minerals and other raw materials and met with Cross Guild's chairman to carry out their clandestine love affair. Everything was going well, they were together and they always, always used protection. Then a month and a half ago, Buggy started to feel weird.

His pallet changed, things he used to love started turning his stomach, he was tired all the time and even more emotional than usual, and his chest hurt like hell.

When he almost fainted in his workshop one day, he finally paid Dr. Jungo a visit. She checked him out and would have just diagnosed it as a simple stomach bug, but then she had looked at his medical file and come across the little known fact that he was a carrier, a male capable of bearing children. After that the good doctor had sent Buggy off to the bathroom to give her a urine sample and conducted the test on it to confirm the most unexpected of events, that Buggy D. Clown was pregnant. Buggy had sworn Dr. Jungo to secrecy, even from Mihawk and Crocodile, and as a doctor she was duty bound to oblige.

Buggy had been gobsmacked, for on top of always using protection and being careful, the blue haired Yonko had been under the impression that he simply was not capable of bearing at all. After that Buggy had stuck to having breakfast in the privacy of his residence to both deal with his awful morning sickness and avoid the questions that would surely arise had he interacted with his lieutenants and crew while feeling so nauseous. Buggy kept everything under wraps for weeks, waiting for his lover to come to Karai Bari on a trade run.

Falgo had come to Karai Bari two days ago.

In the dead silence, Buggy let out a pained laugh with tears streaming down his face as he spoke.

" Me and Falgo were so busy we couldn't meet up during the day so after dinner we met up here in my tent." Buggy said shakily before he pointed to the spot right in front of his bed as he continued.

" We were standing right there when I told him we were... h-having a baby. There was this moment where everything was still, and then he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and the next thing I knew he had b-buried his f-fist into my stomach as... as hard as he could. Before I could make sense of it, he p-punched me a second time and then I was on the floor and he was standing over me."

With a hitched sob, Buggy finished.

" He told me that one red nosed freak on this earth was more than enough and that he's... he's already got a wife to give him beautiful, normal looking children." The Yonko croaked out.

" The asshole thanked me for being such a good fuck and then just turned and walked away, he left me there while I could feel the blood coming out between my legs. After that I-I got up, called Dr. Jungo for help on my den den, and then I went to the bathroom because I didn't want to make a mess." He finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

A calloused hand wrapped around one of his own pale and trembling ones, squeezing it to the point of pain. Buggy turned and saw Mihawk, his face stony and his eyes blazing. Beside him Crocodile looked absolutely murderous, his bejeweled hand clenched hard at his side. Buggy them looked to his nakama and found them to be just as homicidal looking. Alvida radiated bright rage, her face bleached of all color. Cabaji already had his sword out, gritting his teeth with his chest heaving almost violently. Mohji and Richie were both snarling with open fury while Galdino stood with his fists clenched and his eyes watering hard behind his glasses as he seethed. Daz was stoic and unreadable as ever, but there was a silent promise of painful retribution in his pale grey eyes.

There was sure to be chaos, the raging roar as Buggy's nakama, including Dracule Mihawk and Sir Crocodile, all looked like they wanted to fall over themselves and get on the nearest boat to Corivai Island to get their hands on Reuben H. Falgo and tear him down to the molecular level with their combined efforts but that all came to a grinding halt as Buggy let out a shaky breath and then pulled the sheets away from his lap to reveal the nightmarish sight of his lower half covered in dark red blood.

Buggy looked down at his lap, and then back up at his family as he spoke.

" Guys, I think I need Dr. Jungo." Buggy said quietly before his whole body went limp like a marionette who's strings had been cut.

" Oi Buggy!" Crocodile cried in alarm as Mihawk immediately caught Buggy, who though limp still had his eyes open and was conscious but light headed as he lay in the swordsman's arms.

His cry was echoed by Buggy's crew mates as they all rushed forward to try and help. A different chaos reigned as an urgent call was made to Dr. Jungo in the medical tent.

About an hour later...

" This was clotted uterine lining that held up the flow of Chairman Buggy's bleeding. While it looked terrifying to be sure, it actually wasn't that bad I assure you. I've given him a mild anti-coagulant that should help the clots loosen." Dr. Jungo assured as Mihawk and Crocodile both loomed over her.

Lesser men might have cowered, but Dr. Jungo didn't so much as blink as she gazed up the two to former warlords.

" Have you any further suggestions for our Chairman's ongoing care?" Mihawk asked.

Dr. Jungo commended Mihawk for the iron rich meals he had provided Buggy today and encouraged him to continue his efforts before she reiterated that Buggy needed plenty of rest and as little stress as possible. That was nearly impossible considering the horrific circumstances surrounding how Buggy had actually lost his pregnancy, but the good doctor suggested that Mihawk and Crocodile find ways to keep Buggy's mind engaged, maybe even bring him some light paperwork to go over.

Mihawk and Crocodile nodded, looking to Buggy who was currently sitting on one of the sofas he kept in his bedroom, scratching Richie behind his ears while his crew mates we taking care of his soiled sheets for him.

There was plenty more the two former warlords wanted to ask Dr. Jungo regarding the blue haired Yonko they were now charged with watching over, but they stayed mum, knowing that it was not their place to ask these questions. They were meant to guard their chairman and support him through this difficult time so that is what they would do. For now at least.

After Dr. Jungo took her leave, Mihawk and Crocodile immediately returned to Buggy's side just as Alvida stepped forward with a grimace.

" Your blood got into the mattress Buggy." She said with a wince.

" Figures." Buggy sighed.

" Then you'll spend the night at my place while we get you a new mattress first thing tomorrow." Crocodile said as if it were a give in.

Buggy just looked up at Crocodile and blinked slowly, too flabbergasted for words.

That night Buggy went to sleep in Crocodile's ginormous four poster bed, comically dwarfed by it and just about every other piece of furniture the sand wielder owned, he wasn't in bad company though as Mihawk was right there with him. Not only did Buggy sleep in a fresh bed, he slept with both Mihawk and Crocodile flanking him on either side, the bed being spacious enough for all three of them. He never said it, but having Mihawk and Crocodile with him after he had dealt with everything that had happened to him all by himself did wonders to lift his spirits. Knowing that his crew mates were actually all camped out in Crocodile's living room on the other side of the reed screens the former warlord used to cordon off his bedroom helped further.

When Buggy woke up the next morning to find himself wrapped in the arms of both of his lieutenants, he knew that his relationships with these two dangerous and powerful men was forever changed. They had showed him the compassion they were capable of, especially Sir Crocodile, and he would cherish it and them for as long as he lived. Of course the three of them didn't say a word about waking up together like that. It simply was not the right time to breach the subject. Buggy needed comfort and support, and he was getting it from Mihawk and Crocodile, no matter how out of left field it was.

One week later...

" I am quite pleased with the progress of your healing Chairman Buggy. As long as you keep resting and Mihawk Sama keeps feeding you, the bleeding should cease by next week and you can start getting back on your feet with light duty." Dr. Jungo said with a smile as she packed away the instruments she had brought with her into his large black doctor's bag that nearly dwarfed the good doctor herself.

" Thanks Dr. Jungo." Buggy said as he lowered his shirt back down over his still bruised stomach.

The marks of Falgo's cruel violence against him and the child he was carrying had faded from the angry purplish red he had inadvertently revealed to Mihawk that fateful night. Crocodile himself going out of his way to rub the special bruise reducing cream Dr. Jungo had provided every night helped greatly.

Speaking of Mihawk, the swordsman was sitting right there by Buggy's side in his now obligatory chair by his bed, Crocodile standing beside him, Buggy's two unofficial sentries. Buggy turned to his two lieutenants and smiled at them warmly, Mihawk nodding wordlessly while Crocodile gave him a half smile around the cigar he had clenched between his inordinately white teeth. The rest of their crew was absent from Buggy's bedroom, all of them busy with the tasks Crocodile and Mihawk had assigned them while they themselves stayed by Buggy's side.

Cross Guild wasn't going to run itself after all.

A small sigh from Dr. Jungo had all three of them turning to see her looking at something inside her bag where she had set it at the foot of Buggy's bed before she turned to face them. At their looks of silent askance, Dr. Jungo grew somber and spoke.

" Chairman Buggy, there is something very important that I must return to you." She said softly, waiting for Buggy to nod in acceptance before she turned back to her bag and reached inside.

Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile all watched as Dr. Jungo pulled out a small, flat white box like the ones used for jewelry, holding it with care as she turned to face them.

" Chairman Buggy this is-" Dr. Jungo began gently before Buggy swiftly cut her off.

" My baby." He said steadily as he reached out with pale hands and took the little box from the doctor.

Mihawk felt his heart grind to a halt inside his chest, while Crocodile clenched his teeth around his cigar, both of their eyes zeroed in on the box Buggy was now holding.

" The ashes, yes." Dr. Jungo said as gently as she could.

Mihawk and Crocodile both looked sharply at Dr. Jungo once her words registered, before they both immediately turned back to Buggy.

They were expecting a completely shattered wreck of a clown breaking down fully, so it surprised them when instead they found Buggy gazing at the little white box in his hand, reverently running his fingers along the edge as tears trailed down his face. Letting out a shaky breath Buggy spoke.

" H-Hey little one, you're finally back with me." He said softly as he smiled down at the box. The smile soon melted off of his face, replaced by a look of abject misery.

" I miss you so much, I wanted you with all my heart." Buggy choked out before he brought the box up to his face.

" I love you." He croaked before he brought the box up to his colorless lips and pressed sweet kisses to it.

Mihawk and Crocodile both felt something inside their chests lurch rather painfully at the sight of Buggy's reunion with his lost little one. This was the personification of the desolation that came when beautiful, bright dreams were torn apart by cold dark malice and cruelty. They watched as Buggy then brought the box into his chest, pressing it to his heart as he doubled over, his long blue hair coming down like a curtain and obscuring his face entirely from them.

There was a beat of all encompassing silence. Mihawk and Crocodile both wanted to reach out, wanted to do something, anything, but what could they do in the face of Buggy's immeasurable loss? Before the swordsman and the sand wielder could dwell on the melancholic situation, a low, cloying growl radiated through the room. Mihawk and Crocodile immediately zeroed in on the source of the rather horrid sound.

Buggy.

The blue haired Yonko was still bent over, curled around the box that held the remains of his baby, but the air around him was now almost charged with a dangerous quality as Buggy spoke.

" Your sperm donor should have killed us both." Came a hard, icy voice that was so unlike Buggy's usually shrill or soft timbre. It had Mihawk and Crocodile immediately alert and subconsciously straightening their spines.

" He should have ended us both, because now I am going to make sure he regrets ever slipping out of his own mother's cunt." Buggy said bluntly as he slowly raised his head.

Dr. Jungo took an involuntary step back when Buggy's face came into view, while Mihawk and Crocodile were completely arrested by the sight of him.

Tear tracks still glistened over his pale and colorless cheek, but his eyes were themselves clear. These sad and often listless pale blue eyes dulled by untold grief were now almost bleached to pure white and radiated an unbridled, lively fury they had never, ever before seen from the red nosed man in all the time they had known him.

Buggy then slowly turned his head to face the both of them, still cradling the little white box in his hands. Mihawk and Crocodile watched as a slow, humorless grin spread across Buggy's pallid features. It made him look absolutely insane, a twisted malice and promise of unimaginable pain radiating off of him in waves. He looked horrific, he looked psychotic... he looked absolutely breathtaking.

" Magnificent." Mihawk declared, looking terrifying himself as he allowed the corners of his lips to curl up into a humorless grin of his own, nearly matching Buggy's in madness, promising to aid in vengeance to the Star Clown. Crocodile simply nodded and bared his own teeth around his cigar, a fresh fire lit in his very soul. Buggy had set off both of their blood lusts, and they wouldn't be satisfied until they got their hands on Reuben H. Falgo.

" Be that as it may, you're not setting a single foot out of bed, much less this island until I am sure you won't end up causing yourself to bleed to death. Understood Chairman Buggy?" Dr. Jungo said as she pushed aside her earlier recoiling at Buggy's change in mood and reaffirmed her own oath to look after her patient.

In an instant, all three men deflated. They were no match against the good doctor as she sternly dressed down Buggy for working himself up as he had and then whirled around on Mihawk and Crocodile for encouraging him.

" Yes Dr. Jungo." Was all they could say as the good doctor thoroughly laid down the law and exacted several promises out of all three of them to wait until Buggy was completely healed before they even thought about getting revenge.

After Dr. Jungo finally took her leave with a final stern look of warning over her shoulder, Mihawk rose from his chair and stepped over to Buggy, sinking down over the edge of the bed beside him. Buggy looked up, slightly started by the action, but Mihawk's eyes were focused entirely on the box the blue haired Yonko was cupping in his hands.

" Are you alright with opening it Buggy?" Mihawk finally asked quietly as he looked up at Buggy.

Sniffling slightly, Buggy took a deep breath and nodded wordlessly before he reached for the white box's lid and carefully pulled it off to finally reveal its sad contents. Mihawk and Crocodile both leaned in along with Buggy to gaze into the box, the blue haired Yonko barely holding back a sob.

Inside the box was a tiny plastic baggy filled with a light gray powder.

This was it, the contents of this little plastic baggy were the mortal remains of Buggy's child who could not be at the hands of their own sire.

" There's so little there." Crocodile rumbled with a frown.

" They were really little to begin with. At two months Dr. Jungo said my baby was the size of a raspberry." Buggy explained with a pained smile at the comparison to his favorite berry.

Mihawk sighed before he reached out and covered Buggy's hand that was still holding the lid on the box. Buggy put up no resistance as the swordsman pushed his hand down and resealed the box. With their joined hands resting over the remains of Buggy's child, Mihawk spoke.

" Your baby would have been beautiful Buggy." He said earnestly.

Buggy felt his mouth fall open at Mihawk's sweet words, utterly stunned that such sentiment actually came out of the mouth of the World's Greatest Swordsman. Buggy's astonishment only grew as Crocodile spoke then.

" Yeah Clown, Hawk-Eye's right, big red nose and all." He said simply, not quite looking Buggy in the eye.

There was a moment of absolute stillness before Buggy's whole face crumbled and he let out a pained groan as he bowed his head.

" Th-Thank you." He whispered as he allowed himself to break again, not in front of the World's Greatest Swordsman and the infamous Mr. 0 of Baroque Works, the two formidable powers for whom he served as a figurehead, but Hawky and Croco, the two newest additions to his nakama... two unapproachable men he could now somehow count among those he held most dear to him.

In the days that came after, Buggy's emotions were mercurial. He would go from crippling depression and self loathing, where Crocodile and Mihawk would find him curled up in his bed, cradling the box of his baby's ashes, weeping bitterly and endlessly apologizing to it to the point of making himself gag, to going into such a state of silent rage that he would just sit there in bed with one of his throwing knives in his hands, running his fingers over it and glaring mutely, hell shining bright in his pale blue eyes, so serious it would get to the point Mihawk felt it necessary to call in Dr. Jungo to give Buggy a sleeping medicine to knock him out completely and calm him as much as possible. The swordsman would go so far as to lay beside Buggy and wrap him in his arms both to quietly comfort and to keep the volatile man from trying to run off and do something rash. The ploy worked well as when Buggy would wake up, he would find himself in the arms of none other than Dracule Mihawk, and be too stunned to try and get away to get at the bastard that had hurt him so brutally and killed his baby.

Speaking of the bastard in question, Crocodile quietly tasked Daz to oversee keeping a clandestine eye on Reuben H. Falgo and report back to him on any and every detail about the murderer of Buggy's child. The dice dice wielder was diligent in his mission, sending some of Cross Guild's finest assassins to shadow Falgo's every single move without the idiot even knowing.

For Buggy those first few days after Dr. Jungo had returned his child's remains to him had been nearly impossible to bear, the despair so raw and overwhelming that he was constantly fighting with all his will not to let it drag him under, like the ocean would if he ever fell in it as a Devil Fruit wielder. Through it all, he had Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, and Galdino constantly checking on him and encouraging him, but it was Mihawk and Crocodile who were the pillars of strength he leaned on the most. The both of them were surprisingly caring and gentle to him, but never coddled him or let him cry for too long. While Crocodile did get frustrated with him at times, Mihawk with his endless reservoirs of patience was always on hand to defuse the situation and then feed Buggy something delicious to continue in rebuilding his strength.

Crocodile would then come and give him a new book or gadget meant to comfort, and then wordlessly help Buggy get to his feet so that he could walk around his tent like Dr. Jungo ordered, the sand wielder's own silent apology and reaffirmation that he was by Buggy's side. Mihawk and Crocodile would include him in their discussions of Cross Guild business, though they took care not to ever mention Corivai Island and how a certain bastard had wisely stopped joining the trade envoy that came from that island. Buggy's entire nakama all worked together to keep Cross Guild running and assure its denizens that while Chairman Buggy was indisposed with an unnamed illness, he was on the road to recovery and would return to full duty soon.

Mihawk and Crocodile did bring up the subject of Buggy's clandestine relationship that ended up going so horrifically bad. Instead of harsh rebukes, Mihawk and Crocodile had given Buggy understanding, sharing that they too understood the kind of sharp betrayal Buggy was feeling. They didn't begrudge Buggy for falling for someone, for wanting to be loved, it was Falgo's choice to be a two timing, violent dog... one they would put down with no compassion.

The days became weeks and after two weeks of resting and mourning, Buggy was strong enough to walk to the hospital tent with Mihawk and Crocodile flanking him, the three of them going during lunch time when there were less people around. The three of them ducked into the hospital tent without issue and Buggy was immediately swept off to one of the exam areas by Dr. Jungo. Mihawk and Crocodile were left to stand by the front desk, neither of them moving an inch and ignoring the many eyes of the staff and patients alike that were leveled on them.

That was the reaction they usually got anyway. Crocodile really wished he had a cigar right now but he knew better than to light one of those here in the medical tent and risk the awesome wrath of Dr. Jungo herself.

About ten minutes later a loud, familiar sob had both Mihawk and Crocodile rushing towards the cordoned off area Buggy and Dr. Jungo had disappeared behind. They immediately zeroed in on Buggy, who was sitting on the exam table with his face buried in his hands and sobs wracking his frame. They next eyed Dr. Jungo standing beside Buggy, a startled look on her face at the former warlords who had barged in. The moment it registered to Dr. Jungo that it was Mihawk and Crocodile, she immediately deflated and sent the two formidable men a warm smile as she gestured for them to come over. Mihawk and Crocodile did their best not to run, not wanting to cause any more of a scene than they already had as they made it to Buggy's side.

" Oi Buggy what's going on?" Crocodile asked as he and Mihawk loomed over the crying Yonko.

Buggy startled and looked up sharply, his pale blue eyes glittering with fresh tears as he gazed up at his lieutenants.

" Wha? O-Oh! Croco! Hawky!" Buggy said in realization before a shaky, absolutely beatific smile spread across his face as he continued.

" 'm so sorry! I didn't mean to worry you guys I just... I just got some really really good news!" The blue haired Yonko explained, his voice wavering a little at the end before he quickly shook it off and turned to Dr. Jungo. The good doctor nodded and began to explain.

" After the absolutely appalling way Buggy Sama's pregnancy was stolen from him." Dr. Jungo's usually warm and welcoming eyes hardening at the mention of Falgo's actions as she continued.

" There was severe trauma to his womb. Such injuries ran the risk of Buggy Sama losing his ability to bear children entirely." Dr. Jungo finished gravely.

There was a beat of silence before Mihawk finally spoke.

" Indeed doctor, I had my suspicions that this could be a possible outcome of Buggy's assault but I chose not to breach the topic with you, I didn't feel it was my place despite my concern." The swordsman said quietly as he turned his gaze to Buggy, who looked back at him a little bit stunned by the depth of Mihawk's caring.

" I have no doubt that you and Crocodile Sama would have been there for our chairman if that had unfortunately been the outcome, but I am most pleased to inform you that according to my scans, Buggy Sama's womb has completely healed, without even a trace of any scarring." Dr. Jungo said brightly.

Mihawk and Crocodile both brightened as well at the news, feeling an immense amount of relief as Crocodile reached out and almost covered the whole of Buggy's head with his large, bejeweled hand, earning a breathless chuckle from the blue haired Yonko as he leaned into the touch before they all turned back to Dr. Jungo as she explained just how Buggy's recovery was possible.

She surmised that it all had to do with Buggy being a Devil Fruit user, that the enhancements he gained from when he had accidentally swallowed the Chop Chop Fruit in his youth had lent itself to his body's resilience and regenerative capabilities. Mihawk couldn't help but smirk to himself as he remembered how Luffy had tossed half of Buggy right at him as a human shield at the battle of Marineford, and while he had literally sliced and diced the clown up into a billion pieces, Buggy had managed to completely pull himself back together and then mouthed off at him for good measure before trying to full on blow him up with one of his muggy ball. Hell the clown survived it when Mihawk had simply lobbed his bomb right back into his face with Yoru.

After that, Dr. Jungo was pleased to relay that the bleeding Buggy had suffered from his miscarriage had nearly ceased entirely and that she was giving him the all clear to return to light duties as Chairman. She did reiterate to him quite sternly that he was still meant to not over exert or stress himself out, to which both Crocodile and Mihawk assured her that they would not let him out of their sight anytime soon.

Buggy had looked mutinous for a couple of seconds, but wilted under the twin warning looks he got from his two powerful lieutenants.

After Dr. Jungo finished up her assessment, a much light Buggy D. Clown left the hospital tent with Mihawk and Crocodile right beside him, so much so that he warmly accepted the greetings and well wishes of anyone they cross paths with on their way back to his tent, despite the fact that he was not wearing his face paint of chairman's garb, just a plain white poet's shirt and dark blue pants and his curl toed boots with his hair tied back in a simple ponytail. He probably would have gotten mobbed by the denizens of Cross Guild who missed their chairman dearly had more of them known he had come out of seclusion, but Mihawk and Crocodile thankfully proved to be powerful deterrents.

Once they were back in Buggy's tent, Mihawk and Crocodile watched, not surprised at all as Buggy hurried back into his bedroom, no doubt to get back to the little white box. They stayed back, on the other side of the red velvet curtains, affording Buggy his privacy. When he reemerged several minutes later, though there was a telling redness to his pale blue eyes, his face was clear and he held his head up high as he came to stand before them.

" Tomorrow's my first day back, come help me pick out my outfit." He said firmly, a steely edge to his voice and his gaze.

Buggy didn't wait for a response as he turned away and headed back into his bedroom, disappearing back behind the red velvet curtain. Sharing a look, Mihawk and Crocodile wordlessly followed in their chairman's wake through the wall of red.

The next morning the denizens of Cross Guild all gathered in the main big top, expecting Alvida, Cabaji, or even Sir Crocodile himself to make the customary morning announcement as they had been doing for the last few weeks.

The arena that had been buzzing with hundreds if not thousands of voices fell completely silent in one fell swoop as the curtains at the balcony overlooking everyone were pulled back and Buggy D. Clown, Chairman of Cross Guild emerged at the railing, flanked by Dracule Mihawk and Sir Crocodile. The two former warlords were dressed in their usual refinement, but it was Buggy that snatched everyone's gaze as he flared himself out to tower even higher.

Dressed in a red and black harlequin diamond pattern covered version of that red onesie he usually wore to make himself look bigger, Buggy was absolutely resplendent with a large white fur light cape at his back, his blue hair loose and wavy about his shoulders with the light glinting of the lustrous blue hue with his white captain's hat on his head. His face paint was the same color scheme as he usually wore it, but under one eye he had a large, blood red teardrop instead of a blue triangle and the big red smile over his mouth was jagged instead of smooth, lending an unhinged quality to his over all look. It was his eyes though that had everyone feeling slightly uneasy. The pale blue orbs were nearly bleached white against the lights that were shined his way, a cool reserve to them that very nearly rivaled Mihawk's himself. Such reserve had not been there before the chairman's mysterious illness that had left him absent for weeks. Before anyone could really dwell on it, Chairman Buggy finally spoke.

" Good morning everyone." He greeted simply.

There was a beat of complete silence, and then Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile were all hit with this veritable wave of sound as the crowd below roared as one in pure elation. From where they stood behind a flared out Buggy, Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Galdino, and Daz all observed Buggy's triumphant return with a mixture of joy and heartache, or neutrality in Daz's case. They were just as joyful at Buggy's return to form, but they knew that he was still hurting deeply.

From where they stood on either side of him, Mihawk and Crocodile looked away from the crowd below that was going absolutely insane and up at the towering figure of their chairman. They too had mixed feelings about Buggy's return to his duties as chairman. While Dr. Jungo had given the all clear, she still tasked Mihawk and Crocodile with being extra vigilant. Now that Buggy had regained a good deal of his strength, getting back to work was one thing, but the main thing on his mind was clearly vengeance.

The two executives knew that beneath the calm exterior Buggy was exuding, there was a rage that only those who had lost children could understand, coiling and coiling tighter and tighter, waiting to burst open and raze everything in its path. They knew that Buggy was tormented by both his loss and the fact that the callous monster responsible for it was still roaming around freely, living his life, and loving his wife.

This could not stand, not for Buggy, and not for anyone else who was privy to the heinous matter. As Mihawk and Crocodile had eyes only for Buggy, they vowed that this would not stand. Return to work in the morning, machinations for the most fitting revenge they could think of before lunch, and sort out the finer details over dinner.

One week later...

The clouds were grey and ominous as they rolled in the skies over Corivai Island, a torrential downpour imminent. While most of the town's people had already headed inside for the evening, the door to the town watering hole flew open as one of it's denizen's was unceremoniously toss out on his ass.

" You are cut off for the whole year Falgo, go dry up at home or hang yourself by your ankles from a tree for all I care, just don't even think about showing your face here again anytime soon!" The green haired bartender yelled as he glared down at the crumpled, drunken form of Reuben H. Falgo with disgust. With a shake of his head the bar tender turned and headed back inside, muttering about how the bastard had become a bottomless pit for alcohol every since he came back from that trip to Karai Bari and how he had literally tried to smash the bar top in his unruliness.

" F-Fuck offfffff Chennnnnnnn!" Falga screamed loud and obnoxiously in the bar tender, Chen's wake before he pushed himself up onto his feet. In the next breath Falgo was standing tall and completely clear eyed, a tiny little smirk on his face as he walked away.

Suckers.

It was a wondrous thing being able to fool everyone anytime and any way that he wanted. Chen the bartender and the other bar patrons thought he had ebibed too much, and while he had nearly polished off an entire bottle of Holgan rum, it had been nowhere near enough to get him the level of drunk everyone thought he was as he had caused full blown havoc in the bar, trying to smash up everything in sight before Chen had tossed him out.

So what if Chen had cut him off, a 'sincere' apology and biding his time for a bit would ensure that he'd be having some fresh fun at everyone else's expense soon enough. With a scoff, Falgo headed off down the road towards the hilltop where his house stood, a lecherous grin spreading across his face as he thought of his beautiful wife Eteena who was waiting for him. Hell even if she wasn't waiting for him, he'd just have his fun with her anyway, she didn't need to be awake for him to get his rocks off.

As he walked, Falgo's thoughts turned to a certain red nosed individual he had left bleeding on his own bedroom floor on Karai Bari almost two months ago and felt the slightest twinge, but he stomped it down with prejudice, for that clown freak was nothing more than a good lay. The tradesman smirked in triumph since there had been nothing from the clown, no call or warning, just silence. All for the better the freak probably hid everything to save his own ugly face from the humiliation. Falgo caught sight of his shining white house on the hill, a grin coming to his face at his own prosperity. He all but skipped up the stairs to his front door and pulled out his key.

" Oh Eteena my love!" He sang as he stepped into his darkened house and toed off his loafers.

When he received no reply, Falgo shrugged and then headed into the dark kitchen, assuming that his wife had gone to bed already. The tradesman made a b-line for his fridge and pulled out the milk bottle to drink from it directly. He had just taken a couple of gulps when there was a sudden, ear-shattering clap of thunder that had him almost dropping the glass bottle. Letting out a huff, Falgo turned with the intention of getting some cookies out of one of the cupboards, he took another mouthful of milk and then stopped dead in his tracks, the milk spilling out of his mouth as his jaw went slack and his beady black eyes grew wide in terror as he found himself facing a man with glowing yellow eyes and a gigantic sword at his back, while a violet eyed tower of a man with a cigar in his mouth and a wicked looking golden hook where his left hand should be stook beside him.

" M-M-Mihawk? S-S-Sir Cr-Crocodile?" Falgo asked incomprehensively as the bottle he was holding fell from his numb fingers.

" Reuben H. Falgo, our chairman would like to have a word." Mihawk said with a casual, almost pleasant tone as he and Crocodile stepped aside and looked to the kitchen table a few feet away.

There sitting at the head was Buggy D. Clown. He sat completely silent and shrowded in darkness until lightening flashed outside and illuminated him through the large windows Falgo had throughout his palacial home. What Falgo beheld in those brief moments of light was something straight out of th every beating heart of hell itself. Buggy's blue hair was loose and wild under his captain's hat and down his shoulders, every inch of his covered in black garb, but it was his face that had Falgo's heart seizing completely inside his chest.

Buggy's face was painted all white, his skull and cross bones and the triangles over his eyes jagged and unrefined while his mouth was basically a smear of bright, bloody red. His pale blue eyes were nearly glowing white against the darkness. His face seemed carved in stone as he stared right at his former lover and destroyer of his pregnancy with silent, ice cold fury radiating off of him.

Mihawk and Crocodile's lips both curled in disgust when they caught the acrid smell of Falgo pissing himself, but they both remained standing guard, preventing any chance of escape as an unexpected voice rang out.

" You heard our guests dear husband, come and have a seat." Came a hard, steely female voice as a pale hand emerged from the darkness and came to grip Buggy's shoulder. The hand was attached to a petite and slender woman dressed in a white empire waisted nightgown with a matching robe over it, her soft orange hair falling in a thick braid over her shoulder and her bright amber eyes alight with untold fury as she glared at Falgo.

" E-Eteena?" Falgo squeaked, which only made his wife's glare at him increase tenfold as Buggy wordlessly readed up and covered her hand at his shoulder with his own.

As he looked past his wife and his former male lover, Falgo could make out other figures waiting in the darkness, all of them glaring at him with the promise of pain.

When Falgo's beady black eyes went back to Buggy, he felt his bowels nearly loosen as a slow, psychotic gren spread across the clown's jaggedly painted mouth.

' O-Oh fuck." Falgo whispered.

Several hours later with the skies lightening with the oncoming dawn...

" I am so sorry Buggy Sama." Eteena said softly as she bowed deeply to Buggy.

They were standing at the private dock at the back of the Reuben residence, which now fully belonged to Eteena after Falgo had been 'persuaded' to sign over both the house and the trading business over to his wife.

" It's not your fault Eteena, he lied to us both and you didn't even know about me until tonight." Buggy said somberly as he gestured for her to rise.

Once Eteena straightened up, with her eyes swimming in fresh tears, she reached up and took Buggy's face, his paint smeared from tears and rage, into her hands and held him tenderly as she spoke.

" Thank you for liberating me and giving him what he deserves." Eteena said with deep gratitude.

Buggy nodded mutely as he reached up with pale hands, a bit of blood still linger under his fingernails and no doubt staining his black clothing, patting Eteena's hands at his cheeks before they reluctantly let go of each other. Buggy and Eteena both turned when a familiar deep voice sounded.

" Oi Clown, we gotta go." Crocodile called from where he and Mihawk were standing in wait at the gang plank that led up to the small merchant ship they had used to make the trip to Corivai. Behind them Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Galdino, and Daz all waited as well. They were all put together well enough, but the too had stains to their clothing and hands that they had not been able to wash off completely, lingering evidence of their earlier, violent actions.

Buggy smiled tiredly at his sand wielding lieutenant before nodding and turning back to Eteena.

" Take care of yourself Eteena, we're expecting you to take your business to high places." Buggy said with an encouraging grin.

" Oh I will." Eteena said with a smile and a steely resolve in her amber eyes as she turned to head back up to the house.

" Cross Guild gets a discount for life." She called over her shoulder, earning a bright grin from Buggy before they parted ways and Buggy hurried onto the waiting ship with his nakama.

They set sail for Karai Bari, leaving Corivai as quietly as they came. By the time the sun would come out, the denizens of the town would find local tradesman Reuben B. Falgo in quite a state, hanging by his ankles from a tree branch, beaten to a bloody pulp but alive, and for the most part whole... he just sported a manhood that looked like it had literally been put through a meat grinder and had lost his gonads entirely. Eteena would come running into town to put on an award worthy performance of the totally oblivious wife and Chen the bartender would attest to the fact that Falgo had been a drunken idiot the night before, which lent credence to the idea that Falgo had gona and been an ass and run afowl of someone bigger and stronger who wouldn't stand for his drunken bullshit. The fact that someone had literally split Falgo's very tongue with a blade clean down the middle, leaving him unable to speak also didn't help him refute everyone's understanding of what had happened to him.

Out on the open ocean, the sun was rising over the horizon by the time the ship carrying Buggy and his crew caught sight of Karai Bari. As the skies were painted in the rich and vibrant hues of sunrise, Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Daz, and Galdino only had eyes for the trio standing together at the stern of the ship.

Buggy stood tall and somber in the middle with Mihawk and Crocodile flanking him on either side, all three of them standing out in their shared dark garb against the oncoming morning. The salt laced sea breeze lightly swirled around them as the ship sailed forward towards home.

As Buggy's nakama watched him and his lieutenants, many eyes grew wide when they observed Crocodile reach up and wrap his arm around Buggy's waist, a moment later Mihawk wordlessly reached out and took hold of Buggy's hand, lacing their fingers together and holding firm. Buggy accepted both touches without protest, silent tears streaming down his face. Despite his tears, Buggy felt like he could breathe fully now.

He had exacted his revenge and it was quite poetic. Falgo's words to him after punching him in the gut not once, but twice, were that one red nosed freak was enough for this world, but now the tables had turned on the bastard. Buggy could go on to have as many beautiful red nosed babies as his body would allow him, while he had effectively ended Reuben H. Falgo's entire line when he had separated the bastard from his family jewels with his ever faithful knives. Said family jewels were now either resting at the bottom of the ocean or in the belly of whichever sea beast decided to gobble up the unexpected late night snack.

Buggy held his head high and banished any and all thoughts of the ex-lover he and his crew had left a mangled, ball-less freak and turned to look at his two lieutenants standing faithfully by his side. He said nothing, just sent them both a tired but warm smile as he squeezed Mihawk's hand back tightly and leaned against Crocodile's side.

Overhead the skies continued to be painted in brilliant hues with the new morning.

A few days later...

It was a warm and pleasant afternoon over Karai Bari with everyone in Buggy Town hard at work. There was a quietness over the whole island though, and everywhere one looked there were soft purple lilac flowers everywhere, even the toughest of Cross Guild's denizens were wearing the beautiful purple flower in their front pockets or as little garlands around their neck and even as bracelets around their wrists, all in respect and remembrance to Chairman Buggy's lost child.

The morning that Buggy had returned to Karai Bari with his crew from their important trip to Corivai Island, the blue haired Yonko, still looking a mess had then gone straight to the main big top to hold the obligatory meeting, where he had revealed the real reason why he had secluded himself, the horrifying ordeal he had gone through. The denizens of Cross Guild had groaned and growled in collective rage, wanting to declare all out war on Corivai Island, to raze the place right off the face of the earth in their own buster call. Buggy had nipped all of that in the bud with a sharp rebuke and the revelation that he had already exacted a fitting revenge upon the bastard that had hurt him. Now Buggy was focused solely on moving forward and strengthening and expanding Cross Guild even further.

The crowd had settled after that, and warning glares from Mihawk and Crocodile helped hasten such, but once out of the main big top, the denizens of the island put up black and purple banners and gathered the lilac flowers unbidden, going into mourning for their Chairman's loss. When Buggy had come out later that day and saw what his people had done, he had opening wept and thanked everyone through his tears.

Now was the quiet return to normal as the afternoon found Buggy in one of the meeting tents with Mihawk and Crocodile, the three of them going over important paperwork. Buggy was finally dressed up in his flashy, vibrant refinery with his face pristinely painted up. His hair was loose about his shoulders while he had purple lilacs braided into the long blue tresses. From where they both sat on either side of him, Mihawk and Crocodile kept taking clandestine glances at the Yonko, finding him to be absolutely striking in how he looked. Mihawk himself was dressed without a hair out of place and Yoru leaning against the back of the chair he was sitting in, and there pinned to the lapel of his black and red sleeves coat was a little boutonniere of lilacs. Crocodile too had a boutonniere of lilacs poking out of the pocket of the dark green waistcoat he was wearing for the day.

The two of them could have kept staring at Buggy all day but they caught each other's eye and shared a silent conversation about something special they had planned together for Buggy. With an almost imperceptable nod from Mihawk, Crocodile spoke.

" Hey Clown." The sand wielder called, Buggy starting slightly but quickly looking up from the contract he was reading over.

" Yes Croco?" Buggy asked with warm look to the violet eyed giant, a smile coming to his face without thinking.

" Me and Hawk-Eye had this idea we wanted to run by you." Crocodile explained.

Buggy looked between Crocodile and Mihawk with a small frown of confusion.

" Okay?" He asked curiously.

" Come with us Buggy." Mihawk said as he rose from his chair and gracefully picked up and sheathed Yoru to his back.

Buggy and Crocodile quickly rose from their seats too before they all headed out of the meeting tent. Mihawk and Crocodile led Buggy through the purple hued town towards the area dedicated to the blacksmiths and metal workers. They nodded and greeted anyone who greeted them before Buggy was led to the very back of the tent where Cross Guild's most skilled and senior smiths were stationed.

" What's going on you guys?" Buggy asked as the senior smiths all stood around a flat black velvet jewelry box.

" You got the little white box with you?" Crocodile rumbled, gesturing to Buggy's coat.

Buggy felt a jolt of protectiveness shoot through him as his hand went to the left breast of his coat, where he kept the box of his lost child's ashes close to his heart. Buggy nodded mutely before he reached inside and pulled the box out. Mihawk turned and wordlessly nodded to the smiths, the most senior of whom picked up the flat black velvet box and stepped forward.

" Chairman Buggy, Sir Crocodile and Sir Mihawk have commissioned something special for you." The white bearded man explained as he slowly pulled open the lid of the black velvet box and revealed it's contents to Buggy.

Buggy gasped, his blue eyes going wide as he beheld an absolutely magnificent medallion made of gold, onyx, and glittering white diamonds shaped like an eight point star on a chain of delicately braided gold.

" Croco, Hawky wha-? " Buggy began to asked as he looked between Mihawk and Crocodile in shock before the swordsman spoke.

" This is a locket Crocodile and I commissioned so that you could place your baby's ashes inside." He explained quietly.

Buggy gawked at his lieutenants, completely gobsmacked by this turn of events. He turned to the senior smith when the old man explained that Crocodile had been the one to personally supply the diamonds, while Mihawk had done the same with the onyx and gold. Buggy's mouth worked but not a sound came through as he dazedly stepped forward and presented his little white box to the smith.

The old smith smiled warmly and nodded to one of his collegues, who came forward and took the box from their chairman. Mihawk and Crocodile wordlessly stepped closer to Buggy, flanking him on either side as the three of them watched the smiths carry out their delicate and careful work. Buggy's eyes filled when the smiths opened the little white box and all collectively crumbled for a moment when the tiny little plastic bag full of grayish white powder was revealed to them. The smiths composed themselves quickly and with a hallowed reverence, set about opening the locket and sealing away the ashes inside it.

Once the smiths were finished with their task, they wiped and buffed the locket to a glittering shine before the head smith rearranged it back in the box and stepped forward to present it to Buggy once more. Buggy's eyes were swimming with tears, but there was a shaky smile on his face. Without any prompting, Mihawk stepped forward and carefully picked up the precious jewelry by its delicate chain, undoing the clasp and then turning to Buggy. Crocodile reached out and used his bejeweled right hand to sweep Buggy's long blue hair aside. Buggy stood up straight and still as mihawk adorned him with his and Crocodile's shared gift, doing the clasp at the back of his neck. The locket medallion came to rest right over the center of Buggy's heart, where his baby would forever be.

Buggy looked down as he reached up to reverently take the locket into his gloved palm, his tears finally slipping free as he gazed down lovingly at it.

The next thing both Mihawk and Crocodile knew, they were being pulled into a near bonecrushing enbrace as Buggy chop chopped his arms to fit them around the two of them.

" Thank you so much." Was all Buggy could whisper as he held his two pillars of strength to him with no intentions of letting go anytime soon.

" Don't mention it Clown." Crocodile rumbled as he and Mihawk both returned Buggy's embrace and actually shielded him from the view of the smiths still in attendance.

In the days that followed, Buggy was rarely without Mihawk and Crocodile with him in some way or form. If Mihawk wasn't cooking for him and the two of them getting into indepth discussions on ingredients, gardening, and cooking methods, then Crocodile was there with new potential tresure maps and trinkets for them to pour over together. Even when Buggy was off doing things on his own like making muggy balls in his workshop, Mihawk or Crocodile would stop by just to check in or bring Buggy a snack. Buggy in turn would seek out Mihawk and Crocodile often, like to gather them around with everyone else to see Richie perform a new trick, or to ask Mihawk and Crocodile their opinions on new tricks for the acrobats to try out in the main big top. The two former warlords were even on hand when Buggy had returned to performing himself on the silk trapeze, watching him. Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Galdino, and Daz could all see how close the ruling triumverate of Cross Guild was becoming, but wisely chose not to comment and let things unfold as they were meant to.

The true turning point in the relationship between these three unlikely souls came on a night when Buggy decided to treat Mihawk and Crocodile to a dinner he prepared all by himself. Mihawk and Crocodile were treated to the very same beef and vegetable stew that Pirate King Gol D. Roger himself adored, replicated perfectly by the blue haired Yonko who had started out as a mere cabin boy on the famed Oro Jackson.

Mihawk and Crocodile had devoured the entire meal, taking it all with great appreciation before they had stunned Buggy by then promptly taking him to bed.

He ended up being their dessert, although after they had thoroughly made love to each other, Buggy did go and get the special creamy chocolate cheesecake pudding he had made out of the fridge and brought it back to his new lovers for them to enjoy in bed.

After a blissful week of the three of them enjoying their newfound relationship, it was during lunch with the rest of their crew on the upper level of the main dining tent that Buggy brought up a somber topic to his lovers and their shared nakama.

" Guys, I think it's time we said a proper goodbye to my little one." Buggy said steadily as he gripped the medallion with his baby's ashes that never left his neck.

" What do you need from us Buggy?" Mihawk asked without hesitation as Crocodile and the others all nodded and sat to attention where they sat at the large round table.

Buggy smiled gratefully before he began to explain what he had in mind.

Three days later everyone on Karai Bari Island was gathered out on the beach, the ocean waters lapping gently at the shore with the sunset painting the skies in a vibrant array of colors that man could never replicate. Buggy stood by the ocean's edge, dressed not in his usual flashy attire as a Yonko and Chairman of Cross Guild. Instead he had on a simply white poet's shirt with billowy loose lantern sleeves and high waisted trousers. His face was bare of any makeup and around his neck was the locket holding his beloved baby's ashes. In his hand he held a paper lantern with words written across it in bold red letters.

The message read Shine bright with the stars forever, Hikari D.C. Buggy, beloved child of Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile.

Standing a few feet behind him were Mihawk and Crocodile, the both of them dressed down similarly to their beloved Yonko, Mihawk in one of his poet's shirt with Yoru faithfully at his back while Crocodile was dressed in only a white button up shirt and grey trousers with no waistcoat or fur lined coat. They too were holding unlit lanterns in their hands, smaller than the one Buggy had but bearing names as well. Behind them, Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Daz, and Galdino all stood with lanterns, dressed in their own respectful attire. Everyone gathered had a lantern with them, some even sharing one big one, all in a multitude of colors while Buggy's remained the only white one.

When the sun had just sunk below the horizon but beautiful orange light still emanated in its wake across the horizon, Buggy turned to Crocodile and held out his hand. Crocodile wordlessly stepped forward and pulled out his lighter. As he handed the gold plated lighter to his blue haired lover, Buggy grabbed onto Crocodile's hand and pressed a kiss to it as he sent the sand wielder a grateful look. Crocodile nodded wordlessly, pursing his lips against the powerful emotions that rose up inside him at the gesture as he and Mihawk somberly watched Buggy carefully light the base of the paper lantern and gave the lighter back to Crocodile before he patiently waited for the hot air from the flame to gather within the thin paper confines. This was everyone elses cue to light their own lanterns.

A few minutes later, Buggy released the lantern with a shaky sigh, watching it as it slowly floated up into the air.

" I love you Hikari baby! I'll look for you among the stars always!" Buggy called out as he watched the lantern ascend towards the heavens.

Mihawk and Crocodile released their own lanterns, Mihawk's hued a bright red while Crocodile's was a soft green, both of them bearing names they never mention to anyone else, but sorely missed.

As a sea of lanterns rose up from the beach to join the one for Buggy's child, Mihawk stepped forward and took a deep breath before he let his voice fly.

(Please Try listening to "E ti Eliz Iza Acoustic version" by Denez Prigent to get a sense of Mihawk singing)

Buggy and Crocodile both turned sharply to Mihawk as the swordsman began to full on sing, his voice rich and deep. He sang in a language no one had ever heard before, the song ancient sounding and resonating through the air. Buggy and Crocodile shared a look before he reached for each others' hand, intwining their fingers hard as they stood and listened to Mihawk.

This was a morsel of Mihawk's past that he was willing to share with them, the language and song of wherever he had come from, a homeland he either could not go back to or had lost completely. Both mournful and hopeful, it was a song that seemed to surround all of them and go with the sea of lanterns floating up to the heavens above them. Without letting go of Crocodile's hand, Buggy reached out with his other hand and took hold of one of Mihawk's. Without pausing in his song, Mihawk squeezed Buggy's hand back hard, almost to the point of pain. A few feet away, Alvida sighed as tears streamed from her eyes, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, and Galdino no better off than her. A long tear even carved a trail down Daz's cheek, which he quickly wiped away, remaining as stoic as ever.

When Mihawk's voice finally quieted, Buggy rushed forward and seized him in a crushing hug.

" Thank you Dracule." Was all his could say as Mihawk wordlessly hugged him back just as tightly and allowed himself a few tears, not just for Buggy's child, now christened Hikari, but to the ones he himself had lost, the family and people that now only existed in his memory and heart. Crocodile wrapped his arm around his lovers and looked to the lantern filled skies with violet eyes that were overbright, but from which he refused to let tears fall.

It was a beautiful night to send a new little star to its eternal home in the skies over Karai Bari and remember those who were long gone.

Time moved forever foreward, the black banners and lilacs of mourning came down eventually, flashy banners and flowers of all hues replacing them. Cross Guild continued its expansion into other territories and proved a right thorn in the side of the World Government. When the Navy actually tried to buster call Karai Bari, instead of triumph there was terror as Dracule Mihawk himself faced them head on and decimated half of the enemy fleet before the Cross Guild fleet backing him up could even get a single shot off. The swordsman protected his home with such a singular, previously unheard of ferocity that it had the Marine vice admirals turning tail and leaving before they lost everything that they come with.

As for Mihawk, Buggy, and Crocodile, their relationships as both partners and lovers continued to deepen and evolve. This was not to say that everything was smooth sailing. Sometimes they would bicker so much they would end up avoiding each other the entire day before reuniting at night and making up. Buggy and Mihawk quietly moved into Crocodile's tent a few months into their relationship since his was naturally the biggest out of the three of them, which had brought its own blessings and further bickering.

At one point the trio had gotten so twisted up that they were on the verge of actually breaking up when they each stubbornly refused to bend. It was Richie lion who actually managed to trap them in a room so they could finally work things out and come out the better for it. Mihawk himself constantly treated Richie to a variety of roasted meats as a show of eternal gratitude.

Buggy was damn near insatiable after getting to feel both Mihawk and Crocodile, the two of them proving over and over again that what Rueben H. Falgo had given Buggy was absolutely nothing compared to the true love he had gained from the two former warlords. Hell their combined prowess in the bedroom ruined Buggy for anyone and everyone else on earth and had Buggy wishing he had separated Falgo from his rather pathetic little pee pee completely and not just his balls.

Before they knew it, they were celebrating their one year anniversary with all the flashy style Buggy loved and Crocodile and Mihawk were willing to indulge, leading to a wild three day party extravaganza.

Now was a blissfully mundane afternoon with the three rulers of Cross Guild back inside the tent they were working, having just returned from lunch.

" I just don't get it, I love Chef Dizzy's garlic pesto chicken so why did I almost hurl at the smell of it when they brought it out to me?" Buggy asked as the three of them made their way back to the large map table in the center of the tent.

" Beats me Clown, maybe he changed up the seasonings?" Crocodile suggested with a light shrug.

" Could be." Buggy agreed as he once again adjusted the blue and orange trousers he was wearing.

" What's wrong with your pants Buggy, that's the fourteenth time I have seen you adjust them around your waist." Mihawk asked with a tilt of his head.

" First off, the fact that you are keeping count is equal parts sweet and slightly creepy." Buggy said with a teasing tone to his yellow eyed lover before he continued, looking down at said pants with a frown.

" Secondly, these pants are starting to feel a little tight is all." Buggy finished as he brought a hand to his stomach area and huffed at the slight pudginess he felt under his gloved palm.

" Looks like you're really fattening up our Yonko with all your cooking there Hawky." Crocodile teased with a toothy grin around the cigar in his mouth as he used Buggy's nickname for the swordsman.

" Oh like you don't constantly bring him his favorite snacks every chance you get Croco-baby." Mihawk shot back without missing a beat, and using Buggy's moniker for the sand wielder in turn.

" Yeah, you got me there Hawky-Chan." Crocodile conceded.

Buggy chuckled as he watched Mihawk and Crocodile square off against each other only to relax and come together in a deep, lingering peck before they turned their attention to him, kissing him soundly each before they all went back to work.

About half an hour later Buggy stood up straight from where he had been leaning over the map table and felt this strong wave of dizziness wash over him.

" Woah." Buggy breathed as his hand went to his temple and he shook his head in an effort to clear it.

" Buggy are you alright?" Mihawk asked with a frown.

" Yeah Clown, you're looking a little unsteady there." Crocodile added.

" Wha? Oh I am alright, probably just stood up too fast, head rush is all." Buggy said with a shake of his head before he turned away to get some papers from the meeting table.

He could feel Mihawk and Crocodile's ever watchful gazes boring holes into his back, but just halfway to the table, a low buzzing suddenly filled Buggy's whole head, his vision tunneled, and his knees buckled under him. He distantly heared Mihawk and Crocodile yelling out his name, and felt hands grabbing onto him to distrupt the pull of gravity yanking him down. Then both Mihawk and Crocodile's concerned faces were coming into his bleary line of sight, looming over him as he gasped softly.

" Haw-Hawky... Crocooooo..." Buggy slurred before his eyes rolled up completely into the back of his head and he knew no more.

" Buggy? Buggy!" Crocodile yelled as Mihawk cradled their unconscious lover in his arms. The sand wielder reached out and lightly tapped at Buggy's painted cheek in a vain attempt to get him back to consciousness.

" Let's get him to the hospital tent!" Mihawk said sharply as he hooked his arm under Buggy's knees and tucked Buggy's head against his shoulder before he carefully and quickly rose to his feet.

Crocodile led the way, acting as a battering ram against anyone and anything that obscured their path to the medical tent as the two Cross Guild executives rushed their unconscious lover to the medical tent.

A few minutes later a pair of pale blue eyes were shooting wide open as consciousness abruptly returned like a cannon ball right to the face.

" Wha? Ah!" Buggy said as he tried to immediately sit up only for a hand to materialize over the center of his chest and gently pushed him back down onto the bed he was laying in.

" Welcome back to the waking world Chairman Buggy." Came the pleasant voice of Dr. Jungo as she and Mihawk came into view.

" Settle Clown." Came a familiar deep voice that had Buggy turning to see Crocodile on his other side with his large hand still pressed to the center of Buggy's chest.

Buggy let out a shaky breath and licked at his lips as he forced himself to relax. As his mind cleared up, Buggy understood that he was currently in the hospital tent with his lovers flanking him on either side and Dr. Jungo presiding.

" You gave us all quite the scare." Dr. Jungo said with a warm smile as she looked from Buggy to his quietly anxious partners.

" I just got really dizzy and then it was just lights out." Buggy explained, smiling when Mihawk reached out and stroked his hand over the top of his blue haired head.

Dr. Jungo started peppering Buggy with questions, getting as much information out of him as she could.

" You've been feeling weird all day with no rhyme or reason, even one of your favorite dishes left you nauseous." Mihawk added as he continued to stroke Buggy's blue haired crown.

This immediately caught Dr. Jungo's attention. The good doctor seemed to make some calculations in her head before she spoke.

" Chairman Buggy, have you noticed any changes to your body that seem odd or out of place?" She asked.

Buggy contemplated the question and shrugged as he replied.

" Some things that I used to like to eat now curdle my stomach like Mihawk said, my back hurts sometimes for no reason, sometimes I can't sleep, and I think Mihawk's delicious cooking has given me an extra tire." Buggy said as his hand want to pat his stomach area.

At the gesture, something seemed to click in Dr. Jungo's mind as with a warm smile she excused herself to go and get something.

" Sorry you guys." Buggy mumbled, his face heating up with embarrassment at having fainted so suddenly.

" Just try to relax Clown, Dr. Jungo will figure out what's going on with you." Crocodile said as he reached for Buggy's star locket and gave it a quick squeeze, earning a warm smile from Buggy just as Dr. Jungo returned, wheeling in a machine with her.

Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile all frowned slightly as they recognized what machine it was.

It was a sonogram machine.

" Alright Buggy Sama, please lift up your shirt for me." Dr. Jungo said as she pulled the machine up next to the bed and started to prepare the wand.

Buggy nodded mutely, his heart pounding against his sternum in nervousness as he looked to Mihawk and Crocodile who both gave him reassuring looks. Swallowing thickly, Buggy lifted up the blue and white striped t-shirt he was wearing to reveal his not so flat stomach. He went ahead and undid the button to his pants as well to free his stomach completely.

The three of them watched as a small smile came to Dr. Jungo's face as she reached out and gently assessed Buggy's stomach with a gloved hand before she reached for the tube of special clear ultrasound gel. She squeezed a generous amoung over Buggy's pale, slight rounded stomach, the blue haired Yonko hissing softly at how cold the gel was but otherwise not complaining. She then pressed a couple of buttons on the machine and the large screen activated.

" Alright Chairman Buggy, let's have a look." Dr. Jungo declared before she finally pressed the transducer to Buggy's stomach.

Mihawk, Buggy, and Crocodile shared gazes kept bouncing between the wand at Buggy's stomach, the expression on Dr. Jungo's face, and the large screen on the machine. Dr. Jungo frowned with intense conscentration as she moved the wand around Buggy's stomach and looked at the screen. She came to a stop just to the left of Buggy's bellybutton, the black and white image on the screen turning a distinct solid white oval shape that was pulsating in the middle.

Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile all watched as Dr. Jungo's face lit up completely as she turned to them with a bright grin.

" My dear Chairman Buggy, you've got a little passenger!" The good doctor declared joyfully.

There was a moment of utterly stunned silence before Buggy pushed himself up onto his elbows and gaped at his doctor.

" P-Passenger... Pre-Pregnant? I-I am pregnant?" Buggy croaked out dazedly as he looked down at his own stomach.

" Yes Buggy Sama, you have conceived." Dr. Jungo confirmed warmly.

He then looked up to see Mihawk with his yellow eyes nearly bugging out of his head as they were focused completely on the screen where the image of Buggy's revealed to be not so empty womb was on display. Crocodile's jaw was hanging wide open like a broken hinge as he gawked at Dr. Jungo like she was from another planet.

" D-Dracule? Crocodile?" Buggy asked shakily.

Mihawk and Crocodile both turned and looked down at Buggy when their names were called, their expressions still stunned.

Buggy felt his eyes start to burn, not knowing what to do, scarcely believing what was happening. Then the tension finally snapped. Buggy let out a sharp yelp as Mihawk and Crocodile both converged on him at once.

" Mmph!" Buggy grunted as a pair of lips all but smashed against his own in a deep, eager kiss with whiskers tickling his skin.

Buggy's whole body sighed as he realized Mihawk was kissing him fervently and unashamedly. When the yellow eyed man drew back, it was with this wonderous smile on his face and his yellow eyes shining in open joy.

" Thank you Buggy. I love you so much." He whispered before he leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Buggy's forehead.

Before Buggy could say anything, Mihawk was drawing back and Crocodile was taking his place.

" Holy shit Clown." Crocodile laughed almost hysterically before he leaned in and gave Buggy his own sound kiss.

When he drew back, both his and Mihawk's lips were tinted red from Buggy's painted smile.

Buggy looked between his overjoyed lovers and felt his eyes fill as a shaky grin spread across his face. He then turned to Dr. Jungo to ask her if everything was alright but paused when he caught sight of her frowning at something on the screen.

" What is it Dr. Jungo? What's wrong?" Buggy asked as Mihawk immediately grabbed one of his hands and squeezed it hard while Crocodile did the same as he reached over and grasped Buggy's shoulder.

" Oh it's nothing wrong I just... hmm." Dr. Jungo trailed off as she stepped closer to the screen and actually pulled her glasses down for a second to get a better look at whatever it was that got her attention.

" Please doctor, tell us what you see." Mihawk urged quietly.

" Oh everything is just fine but... I see two heartbeats." Dr. Jungo finally said as she turned back to the trio of unexpectantly expecting fathers.

" It's got double hearts?" Crocodile said with his voice actually squeaking as his violet eyes widened further.

" No but Buggy Sama's carrying double babies." Dr. Jungo replied with a grin.

" Twins." Mihawk whispered as comprehension dawned on him.

Buggy and Crocodile looked to their swordsman sharply, then all three of them looked down at Buggy's rounded stomach, then Buggy was yelping as Crocodile's violet eyes promptly rolled up into the back of his head and he full on disintegrated before everyone's eyes into a pile of golden sand on the floor by Buggy's bed, his giant golden hook falling onto the pile of sand instead of clanking onto the floor.

" What the hell?!" Dr. Jungo exclaimed as Buggy gasped in shock.

Mihawk however stayed moderately composed, forgetting his own shock at being double wammied as he tilted his head and looked curiously at the pile of sand that had moments ago been his eight foot tall lover.

" Huh, he's never done that before. Interesting." Mihawk quipped as he brought Buggy's hand to his lips and pressed a sweet kiss to the back of it. Buggy and Dr. Jungo both turned to him and sent him twin incredulous looks.

Hours later, with the night skies clear over Karai Bari...

Buggy let out a muffled giggle as warm, thankfully solid lips kissed his own as Crocodile showered him with affection and whispered his love in his ear. The pair lay in the center of their gigantic bed, tangled up in each other but with Crocodile carefully laying beside Buggy rather than over him, his bejewled right hand gently pressed to Buggy's stomach, where two very special someones had taken up residence for the next seven months.

Dr. Jungo confirmed that Buggy was two months pregnant with twins, though it was still too early to tell their gender. Much to Buggy's embarrassment and Mihawk and Crocodile's quiet amusement, they surmised that their new little ones had been conceived during their rather enthusiastic celebration of their one year anniversary just about two months ago. Buggy had freaked out about all the things he had done while not knowing he was pregnant and not even having morning sickness to tip him off like drinking and doing his acrobatics and knife fighting. Dr. Jungo had thoroughly checked him over, finding him and the babies he was carrying to be in perfect health, though now Buggy was effectively restricted from a whole lot. He didn't mind though, small sacrifice in the face of what he, Mihawk, and Crocodile would be gaining by all of them being careful. 

A family.

The trio had headed into seclusion right after Crocodile came back to consciousness and thankfully pulled himself together and Dr. Jungo released Buggy with strict instructions to rest for the rest of the day and come back to her immediately should he feel sick or faint againt. Mihawk had been quick to call up Alvida to inform her that they were not to be disturbed and for everyone to hold things down in their absense. At the green eyed woman's inquiry as to what had happened, Mihawk had simply said that something Buggy had eaten just hadn't agreed with him and that any further explanations would come later. Alvida had wished them all well and so Cross Guild's ruling triumverate left their operation in the capable hands of their nakama so they could devote themselves entirely to each other.

They had just enjoyed dinner together, Mihawk catering to Buggy's every whim and constantly asking him what smelled good and what was offputting. Mihawk didn't leave Crocodile out as he cooked him his favorite shrimp dish. Crocodile was good-naturedly teased for literally turning to dust at the discovery of his impending double fatherhood, but he took it all in stride and showered Mihawk with just as much affection before whisking Buggy off to bed where they were now after the swordsman insisted on clearning everything from dinner up himself.

Mihawk rejoined them eagerly a few minutes later and helped Crocodile shower Buggy in further affection.

Once Buggy was thoroughly kissed and incredibly happy, a quiet thoughtfulness came over Mihawk and Crocodile.

" Come Buggy." Mihawk said suddenly as he and Crocodile both got up from their bed and held their hands out to Buggy.

Tilting his head curiously, Buggy took his lovers' offered hands and rose to his feet. Without letting do of Buggy's hands, Mihawk and Crocodile let him to one of the large windows in their residence. Wrapping Buggy up in their arms and each tenderly cradling his rounded but still small belly, Mihawk and Crocodile looked out the windows to the clear skies and spoke as one.

" Hey Hikari, you're gonna be a big brother or sister." The sand wielder and the swordsman said together with bright, excited grins and the barest hint of sadness in their eyes.

" Aww hell." Buggy squeaked as his throat closed up on him and his eyes immediately filled.

" Twice over my darling." Mihawk added with the barest sheen to his own eyes as he looked at Buggy with pride and then leaned in to press a kiss to his blue haired temple.

" Beautiful twin babies, hopefully with noses red as roses." Crocodile added with a signature chuckle.

Buggy let out a watery laugh that ended in a little sob, looking between Mihawk and Crocodile with the purest gratitude as with one hand he covered Mihawk and Crocodile's hands on his stomach with one of his own and reached up take hold of his locket with the other before he too turned his tearful eyes to the window and gazed up at the star filled skies.

" I miss you so much Hikari, I promise you they will always know that you existed, that you came before but got taken away. You will always be just as loved as they are." Buggy vowed steadily even as the tears flowed free and Mihawk and Crocodile held him tight.

" Hey look." Crocodile said as he pointed at something in the sky.

Mihawk and Buggy both looked in the direction he was pointing, their eyes widening and Buggy actually gasping softly as all three of them observed this one star that suddenly flared up and twinkled far brighter than all the others.

" Looks like Hikari heard us, looks like our little star's quite pleased with the news." Mihawk said with a truly loving look up at the heavens that had Buggy and Crocodile awed.

As the three of them watched on with a quiet joy that was very hard won, whispering 'Love yous' and sharing their excitement for what lay ahead, the little star in the heavens twinkled radiantly, outshining its fellows, clearly the happiest a star could be if a star could get happy.

The End