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" These designs and the combined aesthetic look absolute amazing Buggy-Sama! You have outdone yourself sir!" The Head Builder for Karai Bari exclaimed with enthusiasm that was actually in no way forced or stemming from anything other than genuine enthusiasm.

The man's enthusiasm was equally shared by his veritable army of builders and craftsman that Buggy had called into service today.

Buggy D. Clown however did not beam at the praises being piled onto him like he normally would have. Buggy was Buggy, he never passed up an opportunity to preen before the scores of people who's loyalty he had gained through a basic comedy of error and failing upward into being named a full on Yonko of the Seas. Now was one of those delicate situations that left him with no time to preen, but plenty of time to fear for his very life.

The designs that he had just presented to his Head Builder and the man's team of skilled craftsmen and artisans were the blue prints and design elements for the shared quarters of the newly minted Cross Guild's two powerful executives. Buggy's "Left and Right Hand Men" after his followers had mistakenly thought that he was going to be president of this new criminal enterprise and piled even more prestige onto his shoulders for bringing these two legendary men under his authority.

Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk and Sir Crocodile.

Meanwhile, just across the hallway in his own quarters...

Two former Warlords of the Sea, current holder of the title of being the World's Strongest Swordsman and former Mr. 0, the golden hook wearing mastermind of Baroque Works respectively.

It had only been a few days since Crocodile and Mihawk had both arrived just as Karai Bari was seemingly doomed to destruction at the hands of the Navy fleet that was fast surrounding the island, and dispatched the Marines with all haste before setting up shop as Cross Guild, absorbing Buggy's thriving delivery business as the sand wielder had come to collect on the massive debt the Star Clown owed him for getting his successful business off the ground.

They had saved his ass and this whole island from certain doom, threatened him with death himself, and then shacked up together in a shared temporary tent behind the main Big Top tent that was large enough to accommodate a man of Crocodile's towering stature.

Buggy had both Crocodile and Mihawk's threats swirling about inside his head constantly, reminding him of the razor's edge he walked, and yet at the same time he absolutely hated that these two men he both feared and admired were having to live in a tent while the Big Top tent with his red strips and smiling clown skull figurehead actually hid a stone fortress underneath all the flashiness. The only problem was that there simply weren't apartments big enough for Crocodile in said fortress.

It was why Buggy had stayed up the entire previous night putting his anxious mind to better use than tossing and turning and dreaming of all the horrible ways Mihawk and Crocodile could end him. He had poured over the fortress schematics and then sectioned off the apartments directly across from his own to be renovated for Crocodile and Mihawk with all haste. He had poured over color schemes that would best reflect the personalities of both men. Heck he even added a tiny bit of his own whimsy to the mix but thankfully restrained himself from going full tilt flashy like he would for himself. He had already sent out the orders to the other smiths and artisans to get busy with the custom decor items he had come up with for the two former warlords and was now meeting with his builders to go over the necessary renovations.

Thankfully, after the initial terror and trouncing from Crocodile and Mihawk, especially after the whole flag ship debacle, Buggy had seen very little of his 'lieutenants'. It was both a blessing and a curse, for on the one hand it meant that he hadn't done anything to warrant either powerful and dangerous man's attention, and on the other it meant that he didn't have their attention, and he was back to being nothing to them and that actually hurt just as badly, of not more than any of the bruises and marks he was still healing from. Thanks to his Devil fruit, his injuries usually faded far more rapidly than any normal human.

Buggy sighed and shook himself of his rather melancholic musings and focused instead of further discussing the plans for Mihawk and Crocodile's shared apartments.

Buggy had it on good authority after seeing Mihawk and Crocodile share a quick but deep peck before disappearing into their temporary shared lodgings, the these two former Warlords most certainly wished to stay together.

The blue haired Yonko felt the barest twinge of yearning and envy lance through his heart before he again refocused on getting his builders started on this all important project.

He just hoped Mihawk and Crocodile liked what he came up with for their living arrangements and didn't leave him a bruised and bloodied mess chained up in battered pieces in the darkest recesses of the fortress.

Feeling both terror and excitement, Buggy set his builder to work with all haste.

Just one week later...

" This better be important Clown, because I don't have to tell you what's gonna happen if you're just wasting our time." Crocodile growled while Mihawk just glared at Buggy as the two of them followed him through the corridors of the fortress, Crocodile's right hand man Daz was no where to be found, having gone ahead at Buggy's request alongside the rest of his nakama. They walked a bit before reaching this large painting of a grinning harlequin that Buggy pulled away to reveal a hidden corridor. Buggy ushered them through first before pulling the hidden door shut and then trotting ahead of them to retake the lead.

Buggy looked over his shoulder and did his best not to shudder in abject terror at Crocodile's threat combined with Mihawk's piercing glare as he spoke.

" O-Oh n-no Cr-Croco-chan! I-It's something re-really important, something I've had the men working on all week to get it ready as fast as possible." Buggy assured, sending Crocodile and Mihawk what he hoped was a reassuring smile before quickly turned around and picking up the pace, his face flushing furiously and his heart pounding hard against his sternum as he continued to lead the two former Warlords through the fortress corridors until they reached the elevator that would take them up to the top floor.

Thankfully this elevator had also been retrofitted to be taller and wider to accommodate all eight feet and four inches of Sir Crocodile.

Buggy gestured for Mihawk and Crocodile to go in first with the lift doors slid open with a soft chime. Both Crocodile and Mihawk sent Buggy distrustful looks but complied with his request, stepping in first before he followed after them and stepped into the elevator. He could feel his body urging him to escape, to run for the hills or heaven itself as the elevator door shut in his wake and effectively trapped him in close quarters with these two very dangerous and very unforgiving men.

Crocodile and Mihawk both watched as Buggy fidgeted and squirmed, all but gluing himself to the corner of the elevator by the panel with the buttons to the various floors of the fortress. With a lightly trembling hand, Buggy pressed the button for the top floor. This elevator was one of only two that had access to the very top floor where Buggy and his immediately crew all resided along with hidden staircases as a security measure in case of the need to escape with haste from say a fire or an attack. Crocodile and Mihawk were silently and perhaps reluctantly curious as to why.

" I should hope that what your builders have created this time around is a far cry better than Cross Guild's flag ship at least." Mihawk commented with an air of lightness, but Buggy caught the underlying warning clear as day.

Despite the mortification that rose up inside him at the mention of the rather outlandish ship his men had come up with and that he himself had been punished rather harshly for, Buggy also felt a bit of righteous indignation on his builders' behalf.

" Oh come on Hawky please don't be so harsh! Yeah even I can admit the ship was a lot but if you think about it, it also has its advantages. Nobody will ever think either you or Croco would ever set foot on a ship like that, alls the more reason I can hide you away as our secret weapons or have the flag ship be our diversion while we go elsewhere." Buggy reasoned as he actually turned to face the swordsman and the sand wielder with his hands on his hips.

He was met with Mihawk and Crocodile both sporting thunderous looks on their face at his audacity before the blue haired man's words registered fully. Mihawk and Crocodile both actually grew thoughtful at Buggy's reasoning, seeing the truth in his words. It did nothing to diminish their intensity though as they both seemed to look Buggy right in his very soul.

Buggy's resolve immediately evaporated like dew on a hot summer morning as he shrunk in on himself and backed up a little into the corner.

" S-Sorry I just... my team of ship builders just really like me and they love what they do, you know?" He said softly, hoping Mihawk and Crocodile would understand.

Crocodile and Mihawk actually did get what Buggy was saying, but they weren't about to let him know that. They both just blinked and stared back at him, making Buggy squirm before thankfully the elevation came to a blessed stop at the top floor of the fortress.

" After you." Buggy said meekly as he gestured with a slightly trembling hand for his 'lieutenants' to disembark the lift first.

Still staring Buggy down, Mihawk and Crocodile filed out of the lift and Buggy scrambled after them, retaking the lead.

Buggy led them down the main corridor and then when they turned the corner to where Buggy's apartments were situated, Crocodile and Mihawk were greeted by a rather unexpected sight. There lining the hallway were the team of Cross Guild builder with their head man, and Crocodile and Buggy's combined nakama. Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Daz, and Galdino, all laden with what appeared to be wrapped presents of various sizes and shapes.

" What the hell is this Clown?" Crocodile growled around his cigar while Mihawk's full glare returned.

Buggy swallowed thickly and took a deep, steadying breath before he forced himself to stand up straight and look both rather irate former Warlords in the eye as he spoke.

" I know the whole flagship debacle pissed you both off a heck of a lot, but I just really didn't like the two of you having to make due with that tent behind the big top when there's literally an entire castle open to you. So I got the builders together to remedy that." Buggy said before he beckoned Mihawk and Crocodile to follow him just a little further.

Taken aback but also intrigued by Buggy's words, Mihawk and Crocodile continued to follow after the blue haired Yonko, nodding to the builders and their now shared crew mates as they passed. Crocodile frowned at Daz, who stared back just as non-pulsed as usual and gave his boss a light shrug while holding two plain white boxes.

So his right hand man was in on whatever new farce this was that the red nosed buffoon had come up with.

Crocodile swore inwardly that he was going to have a nice long chat with Daz about this later before he refocused his attention on Buggy. The blue haired Yonko, dressed in a ridiculous array of colors but thankfully not that over the top red onsie he used to present himself as larger than life, came to a stop at the end of the hallway where these thick red and dark green striped velvet curtains hung, seemingly at random for there was no window meant to be in this particular wall. Across from these curtains were similar curtains, only these were of a vibrant royal blue with white stars all over them. Mihawk and Crocodile's attention turned back sharply to Buggy as he suddenly turned with a flourish of captain's coat to face them with a grin so bright on his ridiculously painted face that it may as well have put the very sun to shame.

It certainly did the job of arresting both Crocodile and Mihawk, though they remained outwardly neutral, inwardly they were both feeling like they had been struck by lightening itself.

What business did Buggy D. Clown have smiling at them like that after what they put him through not even two weeks ago for all of his spectacular gaffs? Didn't he understand that whatever it is he commissioned for them was bound to be so garishly awful that it would bring him another beating for all intents and purposes? What the hell was going on here?

Crocodile and Mihawk couldn't dwell on their shared confusion though as Buggy reached into the breast pocket of the glaringly bright orange captain's coat he was wearing and pulled out a pair of large, ornate looking polished brass keys. With the flashy flamboyance he was known for, Buggy presented the keys to Mihawk and Crocodile.

The two former Warlords shared a look with each other before they both reached out and accepted Buggy's offerings. Shrewd eyes of gold and pale violet respectively inspected the keys with interest. Mihawk and Crocodile felt another almighty jolt go through them when they saw that the heads of the these gleaming, brand new brass keys were a delicate, gorgeous hand crafted filigree shaped like a fiercely snarling banawani and a majestic hawk with it's wings circling it in an embrace.

A key to represent them, and the very nature of their relationship.

Mihawk and Crocodile looked up sharply, first to each other and then to a still smiling Buggy.

" What the hell are these for Clown?" Crocodile growled gruffly, trying his best to ignore the pounding of his own heart against his sternum and the genuine emotions of gratitude a mere key he was holding in his bejeweled hand had caused to rise up inside him.

From the way Mihawk was subtly pursing his lips as he too gazed wordlessly at Buggy with his intense yellow eyes, Crocodile could surmise that his swordsman was feeling the same way.

At Crocodile's words, Buggy grew even more excited, his pale blue eyes nearly sparkling as he stepped towards the red and green velvet curtains and pulled on the cord. In an instant the curtains parted to finally reveal what they were hiding behind them.

Crocodile and Mihawk both blinked as they beheld a towering brass door with gothic spikes and swirling baroque style carvings, with both soaring hawks and snarling bananawani motifs all along the boarder.

Before Mihawk or Crocodile could say anything, Buggy spoke.

" I present to you both your new private residence here in the fortress! Please go right ahead inside!" Buggy said with flourish.

" Our residence?" Mihawk asked slowly, still a little stunned by this most unexpected turn of events.

He and Crocodile were absolutely not expecting this at all, especially not from Buggy D. Clown.

" Yup! This whole section was unoccupied and in the right place to be expanded and fortified to fit you Croco, so I came up with some designs and set the builders to work on them. They got it done in just a week while the craftsman took care of all the custom furnishings for you both." Buggy explained, not fully realizing the impact if his words.

" Custom furnishings for both of us?" Crocodile repeated, looking at Buggy like he had grown a second head.

" Well yeah, I mean no offense Croco, but you are a gazillion feet of raw sexy power so we had to make sure everything was big enough and sturdy enough for you. The same goes for you Hawky, you are one of the most devastatingly handsome and stylish people on the freaking planet, so you bet your ass we weren't going to be dumb enough to stick you with the chairs from the back room storage." Buggy said with an actual scoff at the very idea, making both Crocodile and Mihawk tilt their heads because there was no falsehood to be found in his tone, both highly observant men seeing only the sincerity of his complements to them and the genuine desire to do right by them radiating off of the Clown along with the perpetual nervousness they tended to bring out in just about everyone.

His words complimenting them did make the barest bit if heat spike up in them both. It was Mihawk who spoke, gazing at Buggy just as intensely, only now the annoyance and dislike of before was gone, replaced with an interest and intrigue that left the Clown wondering whether to be worried or relieved.

" I take it that everyone else who is gathered here are meant to be the housewarming party?" He asked knowingly as he slowly turned his head and looked over his shoulder with his piercing eyes, making everyone, even Daz avert their gaze, Buggy's immediately crew, Galdino, and the building team all fidgeting anxiously and clutching their gifts.

" If you guys aren't up for a gathering, I can have everyone leave their gifts out here and go." Buggy said without hesitation, everyone else standing up straight in acceptance.

" Nah, it's all good. Let's actually head inside." Crocodile said around his cigar. Mihawk's golden gaze softened just the tiniest fraction as he gave their combined crew and the builders a curt nod before turned to face Buggy, who gave both him and Crocodile this warm and gratitude filled look that actually had the two former Warlords feeling a little uncomfortable, not used to such a look and not expecting it from Buggy of all people.

Crocodile and Mihawk quickly shook themselves of the feeling and focused on the task at hand as they both stepped forward and nodded to Buggy before facing the towering door to their new residence.

" You do the honors Hawk." Crocodile rumbled as he gestured at the door with his golden hook and pocketed his own key, a small smirk coming to his lips when he noticed the rectangular black welcome mat in front of the door that read is crimson letters " No Wine or Treasure? No Entry". Crocodile and Mihawk both had to admit, if only to themselves that it was rather fitting for them both. The two of them reluctantly gave Buggy a couple more points in his favor, along with those for the keys to the place being rather gorgeous as well.

Mihawk nodded, his eyes glancing at a quietly eager and slightly unsure Buggy before he stepped forward before the massive arched bronze door and reached out with the large key in his hand, inserting it into the lock beneath the doorknob that was actually shaped like the precious blue stoned pommel of Yoru herself. Mihawk pursed his lips at the powerful and rather unexpected emotions the sight of a simple door knob had over him before he quickly shook himself out of it and turned the key to open the heavy lock on the door to his and Crocodile's residence.

The locked opened with a soft, metallic clank before Mihawk turned the key back to starting position and withdrew it. He placed it inside the inner pocket of his signature red sleeved long coat before reaching for the door knob and turning it. The door, unmovable for all who did not possess the inordinate strength of the the swordsman and the sandwielder, swung open with no sound at all, a feat unto itself since most doors that were so heavy usually groaned at any movement.

The entrance to Mihawk and Crocodile's apartments was dim as the two former Warlords finally stepped over the threshold inside, Buggy dutifully following after them while their crew and the builders all remained outside, hoping that Crocodile and Mihawk would like what they saw and invite them in for the proper house warming they were all hoping to give them.

Mihawk and Crocodile walked side my side through the small foyer with a sweeping, arched ceiling high enough to where Crocodile could stand to his full, imposing height without any trouble. Once they stepped into the main, still dimmed living room with light streaming in through these large, ornate looking arched windows with a combination of gothic and baroque grids and stained glass elements in deep reds, soft ambers, and various jewel tones, Buggy wordlessly stepped past them to get to the light panel situated in a nearby wall.

With a soft click, there was full illumination through the vast space meant to be the shared residence of Dracule Mihawk and Sir Crocodile. The moment their eyes adjusted to the light Crocodile and Mihawk actually felt the breath leave their lungs entirely.

Not out of horror and abject disdain as was the case with that rather horrendous clown and circus themed flagship the newly minted Cross Guild shipwrights had come up with, but pure and genuine awe at what they were beholding, what Buggy D. Clown had personally designed just for them.

The best way to describe it was that Buggy had taken both of their distinctive styles and combined them perfectly. Sweeping arched ceilings with intricate draping to make it look like an Alabasta tent. Three great chandeliers hued in rich onyx black in a gothic frame but with baroque accents in resplendent gold and brass, and all of them sporting motifs of Hawks and Fruitwanis. The light came from bulbs housed in Alabasta style glass fixtures, and everything was dripping in red and dark green glass crystals that sparkled brilliantly.

The furniture was all a tasteful mishmash of baroque and gothic style pieces in sizes meant to match both Crocodile's towering size, and Mihawk's no less impressive height. There was a great fireplace off to the side bearing the same motif of a hawk embracing a bananwani over the mantle. The walls had minimalist wallpaper designs in both baroque and gothic styles in tasteful greys that made the other, more vibrant designs about the area pop even more.

" This way my lords." Buggy said with flourish as he gestured for them to follow him further into the space.

Mihawk and Crocodile both nodded mutely and followed after the blue haired Yonko, neither trusting himself to speak, coming across as neutral and severe but in truth they were both just a little too stunned by Buggy's handy work, and how much they had fallen in love with it at first sight.

Buggy began to show them around, explaining how the builders gave fruition to his many design ideas, that he hoped everything was to their liking, and then led them further into the apartments. He showed them around the living room area, then opened the door in the far corner to reveal Crocodile and Mihawk's shared private office space complete with a custom made giant black wood baroque style desk with gold and ivory accents for the sand wielder and a sturdy, ornately carved gothic mahogany desk for Mihawk that actually resembled his castle back on Kuraigana Island.

Mihawk was actually struck by some powerful emotions at the sight of it, but stubbornly quashed it all down as he wordlessly nodded his acceptance to Buggy. The blue haired Yonko then explained that directly above Mihawk and Crocodile's shared private office was a guest bedroom that he figured they would like to have even though the chances of either of them having over night guests was slim to none. One should always be over prepared as Buggy explained. Directly beside the guest room upstairs was a vacant room that they could used for storage, such as a trophy or game room

After that Buggy guided them back across the living room to the other side to show Mihawk the special library alcove that was built under the second floor that housed the swordsman and Crocodile's bedroom area that overlooked the entire space and was cordoned off from view by thick dark red velvet curtains, the staircase to the space actually hidden behind one of the bookshelves. Everything was in polished dark cherry red wood with a glossy was a large black wood settee with vivid red velvet cushioning under which was a plush grey fur rug, perfect for just spreading one's legs out and relaxing with a good book. A warm glow permeated about the space despite the dark hues.

Mihawk and Crocodile actually smiled slightly when Buggy showcased the specific book on better business practices they would need to pull to actually open the bookshelf door to get access to their bedroom. It was the only book on that entire shelf with a completely golden cover amidst all the darker hues, making it easy to spot. Mihawk and Crocodile declined to go up the curved staircase to the bedroom, wanting to see the space privately for themselves after everything.

Mihawk's curiosity was peaked when he saw that there were already many books housed on the shelves but plenty of room left for him to add to this collection and make it his own. He caught sight of titles involving sword play, pirating, and even horticulture. There even appeared to be a few gothic romance novels in the mix as well. Mihawk had to commend Buggy for his boldness in his book selections for him.

On the other side of the mouth to the hallway that led to the kitchen and dining area, Buggy showed Crocodile the special treasure map room he had set up for him.

Crocodile almost lost his whole cigar out of his mouth when he beheld the room designed just for him. It was like Alabasta had been brought straight to him with a draped sand colored ceiling and carved brass lanterns of various and vibrant colors. There was a map table of seemingly the whole world and dozens of maps and chalk boards adorning the walls. The seating were these traditional Alabasta seat cushions meant for lounging and enjoying tea and coffee. Everything inside the space was warm and cozy under a golden glow that perfectly balanced the lighting of Mihawk's library.

Buggy rambled on and on, not really noticing the way Mihawk and Crocodile were both looking at him oddly, no longer with disdain, but not yet with fondness, just curiosity. Them being who they were, it had been a long time since anyone had done so much for their comfort, and did so willingly without any threats or demands from either of them.

Buggy guided them down the hallway between the two personal spaces, revealing the kitchen area which was a rich earthy brown color with black appliances that had soft copper accents with a small dining area for regular dining. There was a definite light in Mihawk's eyes as he took in the kitchen area, since he was an avid cook as well as the World's Strongest Swordsman. He and Crocodile both gave Buggy wordless nods of approval, to which the clown looked like they had practically given him the whole fucking world.

It left Mihawk and Crocodile both feeling a buzz beneath their skin, a sudden and sharp ache to have such a look directed at them both more often from those pale blue eyes that sparkled when they weren't filled with tears and fear. Further down the hallway was the formal dining room Buggy had designed, and when Mihawk and Crocodile finally gazed upon it they were stunned by it's simplicity.

For a man known for his flashy style who had gone all out throughout this entire residence for Mihawk and Crocodile, the dining room before them was resplendent without excess. The walls were a soft beige with golden baroque wallpaper but gothic accents in rich mahogany wood. The same went for the medium sized chandelier that hung from the center of the rich wood ceiling, made of white painted wood with baroque swirls and gothic spires, illuminating everything in soft white light from bulbs housed in crystal bowls shaped like peonies with tear drop crystals dangling from them all over.

The long dining table was an exquisite work of baroque artistry but the many chairs stationed around it were all gothic in style, all with accents of gold that were just flashy enough and not too overbearing.

What had Mihawk and Crocodile's full attention was the veritable feast that was laid out on the entire length of the table.

It looked fit for royalty, but it was all for them, and those waiting outside patiently for them if the two former Warlords allowed them to enter and partake in the meal.

" I know it's a lot for lunch, but Chef Dizzy really wanted to make your first meal here in this residence special." Buggy said shyly, fidgeting nervously as he looked between Mihawk and Crocodile.

" I should think he achieved his desire quite thoroughly." Mihawk said with his usual air of nonchalance, all the while making a not to personally thank Chef Dongo and his staff, for they had really outdone themselves.

" Yeah, it all looks really good." Crocodile grumbled gruffly, not wanting to let on how much this gesture from Cross Guild's head chef was affecting him.

They were Mihawk and Crocodile after all, they didn't do feelings.

They did have manners though as both men turned to Buggy. Buggy gulped thickly as he found himself with Mihawk and Crocodile towering over him and gazing at him intensely, much like they had done after the whole flagship debacle that was still fresh in his mind.

Buggy clenched his hands hard to keep them from trembling as he waited with bated breath to see what Mihawk and Crocodile were going to do.

" This residence that you and your builders have prepared for us are... more than adequate. I dare say they are more than we actually deserve." Mihawk said formally, the barest sliver of regret passing through those golden yellow depths before his eyes were hardening back into the passive stone they usually were before the swordsman did something that left Buggy completely gobsmacked.

The swordsman slowly raised his arm and held out his hand, his intention quite clear.

With wide eyes and a stammering heart, Buggy forced his own arm to rise and reached out with his gloved hand to return Mihawk's unexpected gesture. He felt a thrill go through him as the swordsman's large, elegant hand wrapped around his own and squeezed firmly as they shook. These same hands could bend steel without the aid of a Devil Fruit or the great black blade hanging dutifully from his back. Mihawk could end him with just a flick of his wrist, and yet right now, right now there was only this physical connection between them. Buggy wished he had taken his glove off so that he could feel Mihawk's actual skin and wonder if he had callouses from all his sword-swinging for so many years, but decided not to push his luck.

Time seemed to slow down and speed up, leaving Buggy torn between wanting this moment with Mihawk to last for the rest of his life, and wanting to let go and make a run for it so that he could spare the swordsman and the sand wielder from seeing him freak out spectacularly in from of them with all the force in his body.

Inevitably the moment ended, Buggy letting go of Mihawk's hand the moment the swordsman's hand loosened its grip around his.

Then Buggy was yet again plunged into that conundrum of time slowing down and speeding up when Crocodile stepped forward and held out his own gigantic, bejeweled hand for a shake as well.

Where Mihawk's hand had just about covered his own, Crocodile's hand engulfed Buggy's hand completely.

" You did good Clown." Crocodile rumbled, looking Buggy in the eye fleetingly before looking away and letting go.

Both Mihawk and Crocodile felt this odd bit of bereavement at the loose of contact with Buggy but immediately brushed it aside.

It was time for lunch, they were hungry, there was a delicious spread before them, and their nakama was waiting patiently to be invited him.

" Go and bring everyone in, we can't let all of Chef Dongo's hard work go to waste." Mihawk said with an air of sternness.

" Besides, they've got presents and we want 'em." Crocodile added with a little open enthusiasm and actual mirth in his pale violet eyes.

In an instant some of the tension dissipated as with a brilliant grin that once again imprinted itself in Mihawk and Crocodile's minds and a quick 'thank you', Buggy hurried off back up the hallway and disappeared around the corner to go and invite everyone in.

" What the fuck is happening Hawk?" Crocodile asked incredulously as he looked about the impressive dining room Buggy had presented them.

" He hated that were were in that tent in the back and decided to remedy it in spectacular fashion." Mihawk said simply before he looked up at Crocodile with those arresting yellow eyes.

" I am just as baffled by it as you are my love." He said with a shake of his head.

" Hmm." Crocodile hummed before he leaned down and shared a deep peck with Mihawk.

When they drew back they shared a silent look and a nod before turning to following in Buggy's not to distant footsteps back up the hallway to greet their new, combined nakama.

Their suspicions and new found interest in Buggy D. Clown would have to take a back seat to their unexpected duties as hosts to their impromptu house warming get together as they emerged from the mouth of the hallway to greet their crew and the builders, who had all gone so far as to take off and leave their shoes by the door and were in awe of the space that was now the home of the two former Warlords of the Sea.

Despite the large group, the house warming was a lively yet peaceful affair with those bearing gifts presenting them to Mihawk and Crocodile without much fanfare, mostly out of self-preservation and fear, though Crocodile and Mihawk could see that their congratulations to them on their new residence was genuinely sincere. All were reserved save for Richie who proudly presented his own house warming gift in the form of a basket of some of his most prized chewing bones to the two warlords and demanded ear scratches in return, leaving Mohji on the verge of a panic attack but Buggy and the others in stitches. Crocodile full on laughed and Mihawk even allowed himself a genuine smile at the lavender maned lion's ridiculous but perfect gift to them, and even obliged him his demands and scratched his ears heartily. Everyone else's gifts were wrapped or in boxes, and with everyone quite hungry, Mihawk and Crocodile simply accepted them and set them aside in the living room to open later, perhaps after the meal.

Once all of the gifts were accepted, Mihawk and Crocodile led the way to the formal dining room where Chef Dizzy's amazing lunch feast was waiting for them.

Mihawk stunned Alvida by actually pulling out her chair for her and everyone waiting for her to sit down like proper gentlemen before they all took their own seats. The grand dining table was wide enough from both Crocodile and Mihawk to sit side by said at the head, fitting since they were the newly minted masters of this residence. Buggy himself was a little stunned when Crocodile gestured for him to sit in the chair direct adjacent to him, with Daz taking the next seat beside the blue haired Yonko.

Crocodile and Mihawk both said some quick words of gratitude to everyone for all of the wonderful gifts they received, and then thanked Buggy and his team of builders for crafting a rather magnificent home for them before they officially declared the start to the lunch feast.

The meal was again lively but not raucous, pleasant even for Mihawk who usually abhorred group meals of any kind. He and Alvida poured each other wine and actually shared a toast while Buggy made Daz nearly spit out his own drink when he informed him that his own new quarters just one floor bellow were being readied for him as they spoke.

" Thank you Chairman Buggy, it was very kind of you to even consider such a thing for me." Daz said quietly, feeling all kinds of awkward.

" Don't mention it Daz. You're Croco's Mr. 2, it's common sense that you stay close by. Besides you're on the floor with the rest of the crew so you'll never want for company." Buggy said warmly.

" Indeed Mr. Bonez, Buggy Sama helped design the entire lay out of this fortress and left plenty of space for new residences to be renovated and claimed for anyone who joins the commanding crew." The head builder explained.

Crocodile resisted the urge to shake his head while Mihawk subtly glanced at Buggy, who was blushing faintly and trying to focus on his food.

This day was just full of surprises left and right.

Once the meal was devoured and thoroughly enjoyed, it was the head builder and his crew who insisted on cleaning up, and did so with a rather impressive degree of efficiency and practiced ease. They cleared away the dishes, packed away the leftover food into the stainless steel refrigerator, and washed every single plate, glass, and utensil like a well oiled machine. They even cleaned up after their own cleaning, leaving the kitchen and the dining room as spotless as they had presented to Mihawk and Crocodile.

Everyone migrated to the living room area where Mihawk and Crocodile set about opening the many gifts they received. The Builders and Buggy presented them with the actual blueprints of their residence that Buggy had drawn by hand and the builders had followed to the letter. These were showcased in a white and gold baroque frame and a black and copper gothic frame respectively, Buggy still thinking about their individual style. Mihawk and Crocodile thanked Buggy and the Builders formally, trying to stay composed.

From Alvida, Mihawk received a box of several new bottles of rare red wines from all over this part of the grand line. It got a half smile out of the swordsman who thanked her well and the subtle invitation to enjoy such good wine together if the opportunity arose. Alvida was more than happy to agree. Crocodile thanked her too, for she had gotten him bottles of various champagnes from Alabasta that he greatly appreciated. Cabaji presented them with a pair of lovely oversized brass candle holders that were a nice combination of both the gothic and baroque style that would go perfectly on the mantle above their great fireplace and fit seamless with the entire residence. Ironically, Galdino presented them the perfect complement to Cabaji's gift as with his wax wax abilities he had fashioned a whole box of custom, one of a kind candles shaped like soaring hawks and snarling fruitwanis. On top of that, Crocodile's Mr. 3 also presented his sand wielding boss with a box of his favorite cigars, fresh and ready to be enjoyed. Crocodile genuinely appreciated the whole gesture.

Mohji presented them with a very sweet gift in the form of a wonderful plaque that bore the plaster imprints of the paw and hoof prints of Richie and several other of the circus animals, welcoming them to Karai Bari and their circus. It actually had Crocodile pursing his lips against the powerful emotions such a gesture brought up inside him. Mihawk was a bit more composed as he thanked Mohji and Richie for their thoughtfulness and promised that he and Crocodile would go and see that other animals personally to extend their thanks at a later date.

Finally, from Daz they each received lovely gifts that would fit perfectly in their shared office space. Crocodile got a large, sparkling green crystal ash tray that was shaped like a roaring Guavawani while Mihawk got a crystal pen holder that was shaped like a majestic hawk emerging from a base of striking crimson peonies.

Inevitably it was time for the housewarming to come to a close. The builders were the first to take their leave, eager to get back to work and leave Mihawk and Crocodile to enjoy their new abode and also see how things were wrapping up at Daz's apartment one level down.

One by one the crew then started to take their leave. Mohji and Richie headed back down to the arena to resume their rehearsals with the other animals for an upcoming performance. Alvida headed off to the blacksmiths to oversee the latest batch of weapons they were building. Cabaji and Galdino headed back to the printing tents to see how the progress was going on the latest Marine bounty posters, and Daz took his leave to continue his mapping of the island to get a better sense of Karai Bari Island. He was a master assassin after all, he needed to be familiar with his new home turf.

This left Buggy alone with Mihawk and Crocodile, the three of them standing in the spacious living room as the blue haired Yonko spoke.

" Thanks for allowing us to give you a proper house warming. I know it really meant a lot to the building team and the crew." Buggy said quietly as he wrung his gloved hands nervously but smiling at Mihawk and Crocodile warmly.

" I think I speak for the both of us when I say that were are glad that we allowed such a gathering. It allowed us to get to know your crew and made this new residence seem even more pleasant than it would have been without you all." Mihawk said quietly, wanting to say many more things but fighting off the urge.

" You more than made up for the whole flag ship fiasco Clown." Crocodile rumbled.

" O-Oh! I am glad!" Buggy said with a smile before he let out a huff.

" Honestly I shoulda overseen things better. Our shipwrights are super talented but they can go a bit overboard with their enthusiasm." Buggy finished sheepishly.

Mihawk and Crocodile both nodded, agreeing with him. There was a beat of comfortable silence before Buggy spoke.

" I'll have the men take down the tent you guys have been staying in and bring up your belongings so you can put everything away just how you want and settle in." Buggy said quietly.

" We were gonna take it down ourselves but hey, have your men go ahead, just tell 'em to be careful with our stuff." Crocodile rumbled.

" I surely will and..." Buggy trailed off, looking unsure for a moment before he regathered his resolve and continued.

" I'll be right across the hallway if you need anything, feel free to call me on the den den or knock." He said quietly, feeling his own face heat up a little.

" I'll uh... I'll see you guys later at dinner I suppose." Buggy said final nod and feeling all kinds of awkward, Buggy turned to take his leave. He just got a couple of steps before Mihawk's soft baritone voice rang out.

" Before you go Buggy, there's a little something I was curious about." Mihawk said casually.

" Oh? What is it Hawky?" Buggy asked as he turned back around with eagerness.

" Have you any plans for that empty patch of land once our tent comes down?" Mihawk asked with casual curiosity.

" Oh well... I came up with a whole bunch of ideas but ultimately... a garden. I'd love a garden with veggies and flowers, especially a little cabbage patch. I love cabbages, especially red ones. All kinds of other plants are cool, just not tomatoes, bad enough that I always gotta walk around with one for a nose, I leave those to Chef Dizzy with his own gardens just outside the kitchens." Buggy rambled and actually looked pissed for a second at the mere mention of the round red fruit that closely resembled the distinct facial feature he was known the world over for, not seeing the way Mihawk's eyes widened with each word or how his subtly clenched his fists at his side in an effort to remain calm. The swordsman's heart was once again pounding against his sternum while Crocodile looked on at the exchange with a thoughtful and curious expression on his face.

Taking in a quick, calming breath Mihawk spoke.

" That is commendable Buggy, I was actually desiring to start a garden there as well." Mihawk said quietly before steeling himself as he opened up to the blue haired Yonko.

" Cabbages are one of my favorite things to grow too." He added quietly.

" Well then, that land is yours Hawky." Buggy said without hesitation and a shy smile.

" It's big enough for us both Buggy." Mihawk countered without missing a beat and before he could stop himself.

All three men froze for a second, wide pale blue eyes meeting those of golden yellow and pale violet as Mihawk's words registered to them. It was Buggy who spoke first, though his eyes stayed wide and he looked a bit dazed.

" O-Okay Hawky, we'll build it together." He said quietly.

Mihawk could only nod mutely, not trusting himself to speak and shatter what was happening between him and Buggy. It was the most fragile crystal, the thinnest thread, but somehow irrevocable in its importance to him, and to Buggy, and yes to Crocodile too.

" Two peas in a pod, literally." Crocodile rumbled, with pale violet eyes that shined with mirth and a quietly pleased expression on his face.

It snapped Buggy and Mihawk out of whatever it was they were lost in. With his face heating up profusely, Buggy spoke.

"I-I should go and tell the men about the tent and your stuff. I'm just gonna... I am gonna go now. O-Okay see you guys later. B-Bye." Buggy stammered out before he turned tale and all but fled, a still stunned Mihawk and a highly amused Crocodile watching him go until he disappeared out of the head front door to their residence.

When the door shut with a soft clank, Mihawk blinked his yellow eyes and slowly turned to face his lover as he spoke.

" What the hell was that?" Mihawk hissed at himself.

" That was you setting up a gardening date with our cabbage loving chairman my dove, and it was absolutely adorable." Crocodile replied without missing a beat and grinning down at his yellow eyed lover.

Mihawk actually sputtered uncharacteristically before Crocodile chuckled in that signature way of his and reached out with his bejeweled hand, hooking the back of his keen-eyed lover's neck and pulling Mihawk in closed as he leaned down and kissed the other man soundly.

Mihawk was tense for a few moments before he relaxed and kissed Crocodile back. When they drew back, Crocodile stayed close and looked Mihawk in the eye as he spoke.

" After all that he's given us today, you wanna get to know him, especially since you just found out he's a fellow cabbage canoodler." Crocodile said humorously.

" I do not canoodle with my cabbages Crocodile." Mihawk said in annoyance.

" Well you sure do love them and so does he it seems. Nice first step to trying to figure out just who the fuck he is, because everything around us sure tells us there is more to him than the foolishness that got him failing upwards into to becoming a fucking Yonko of the Seas." Crocodile rumbled.

" You're not angry?" Mihawk asked flatly.

" Nah, I know you're devoted to me just as I am to you. I am just as curious now as you are. He's our Chairman after all, we should know more about him than the bare basics." Crocodile replied.

Mihawk mulled over Crocodile's words before nodding in agreement.

" You're right, but enough about that. Let's go check out our bedroom before the men show up with out things from the tent." Mihawk said as he gestured towards his library alcove.

" Yeah, let's see how Buggy did designing the most important room in this whole place." Crocodile said with a leering grin that actually had Mihawk smirking back at him before the pair headed off towards the alcove and the hidden door to their bedroom.

Crocodile pulled on the golden book and the hidden door swung open smoothly to reveal the rich mahogany staircase. Crocodile gestured for Mihawk to go first with flourish, earning a long suffering eye roll from the yellow eyed man and the ghost of a smile as he stepped over the threshold and started climbing up the stairs, Crocodile following right after him.

When they reached the top of the stairs, both men came to a halt as their eyes widened unashamedly at the sight that greeted them.

Their bedroom area was fittingly massive to accommodate a man of Crocodile's size, and yet it all remained cozy and intimate. The lay out was gothic with shiny dark wood and deep crimson carpet. From the arched ceiling hung a magnificent Alabasta style glass and brass lantern that continued the hawk and fruitwani motif throughout their residence.

There were clothing wardrobes in the gothic and baroque styles respectively to match each man, along with larger than life baroque furniture and slightly smaller gothic style furniture, both sets with dark crimson and vibrant green striped upholstery to reflect the combined aesthetic of both men. The walls were a deep, almost blood red and left bare, a blank canvas ready to be filled with whatever struck Mihawk or Crocodile's fancy.

The most magnificent item however was set up against the back wall, facing the shrouded balcony that overlooked the entire residence.

There standing proud and seaming soaring to the ceiling was a magnificent four poster canopy bed made of the darken black wood with a matte finish that made all of the gold and copper accents stand out even more. The accents were a tasteful mix of flashy baroque swirls and gothic lines. The bed curtains were a wispy, transparent black to offset the many bright jewel tones pillows and striking emerald green sheets that were made to military precision. As Mihawk and Crocodile stepped closer to the bed, they were struck again by Buggy's attention to details about them. Amidst the flashy accents, there were carvings delicately engraved into the wood. Mihawk could see peonies and the floral pattern of his own coat sleeves gracing the wood, while Crocodile spied the images of his own favorite criss-cross pattern that he loved to wear in his waist coats, little smoking cigars, his hook, and even little swirling tornados to represent his sables attack where he would literally hold a sandstorm in his hand before releasing it to devastating effect.

" Buggy nailed it again. This whole place is the perfect combo of us." Crocodile said with a sort of bemused exasperation while Mihawk could only nod mutely before his yellow eyes caught something distinctive standing beside the bed that he would now share with Crocodile.

" He thought of a great deal." Mihawk said as he stepped towards what had caught his attention, Crocodile looking to him curiously before he deflated at what Mihawk was making his way towards.

There standing by the head of the bed was a custom made rack of black iron. It was minimalist but no less striking and fitting to the over all space, and from the two hooks that curved upward at its forefront, it didn't take Mihawk and Crocodile very long to figure out what the rack was specifically for.

Without saying a word, Mihawk reached behind his back and gripped the white leather bound grip of his ever faithful companion, unsheathing Yoru from her place at his back and then setting her within the waiting grip of the two hooks on the custom made rack.

Yoru hung exquisite and regal on the rack, the famed black blade nearly glittering in the soft light.

" She looks amazing Hawkeye." Crocodile rumbled as he came to stand beside Mihawk and admire the world renowned weapon.

" Indeed." Mihawk concurred quietly before he reached up and pulled his signature black had with it's massive white plume off his head and hung it on one of the smaller hooks on the rack near the top and behind Yoru's great golden cross guard.

Mihawk then turned to Crocodile and held out a hand as he spoke.

" Your coat sir." He said lightly, earning a rumbling chuckle from the sand wielder, who obliged his lover and shrugged off his signature black goat with the white fur trim from his broad shoulder. He handed the garment over to Mihawk, who hung it on the other side behind Yoru, completing the little motif of the iconic items that were synonymous with them among the world at large.

Without saying a word, Mihawk and Crocodile turned and stepped over to their new bed, both men sinking down onto it over the side. They sat in silence, each man lost deep in their thought, but the subject of said thoughts was one they shared.

A certain red nosed and blue haired individual who had managed to leave them both stunned again, this time without even physically being there.

It was Mihawk who made the first move as he turned his yellow eyes to his lover and reached out to gently take hold of Crocodile's large, bejeweled right hand. He interlaced their fingers as he spoke.

" Were we too harsh on him my love?" He asked quietly.

Crocodile turned his head and met Mihawk's golden gaze, letting out a small sigh as he used a tendril of his golden sand to pull his cigar out of his mouth and spoke.

" Maybe." He said simply, a sadness coming to his heart as he thought of the tears that had streamed like rivers from pale blue eyes to mingle with trickles of blood, the shrill voice laced with abject terror, and a disembodied head dangling by long blue hair from his hand while he had mercilessly stomped on the body the head belonged to where it lay helpless on the floor at his feet.

The sadness Crocodile was feeling was reflected in Mihawk's eyes as he squeezed his lover's large hand. Neither of them were the type to apologize for much, most of the time whoever they were not doing right by ended up deader than a door nail. Now was this rare conundrum they found themselves in where there was someone who they had barely tolerated just days ago and had beaten to a pulp for good measure, who in the span of a single day had gone from someone they openly loathed into someone they desperately wanted to know more about, some one they genuinely wanted to make amends to.

It was strange, it was alarming, it was something Mihawk and Crocodile never thought could ever be.

They wanted to apologize to Buggy D. Clown and genuinely get to known him for the man that he really was, foolishness and all.

Mihawk and Crocodile stayed in this thoughtful, contemplative silence until there was a knock at their door, signalling the arrival of the men tasked with bringing them their belonging from their temporary lodgings at the back of the big top tent and fortress combo they were now to call home.

The distraction was welcome and gave Mihawk and Crocodile a chance to make a couple of people sweat and stammer in their presence.

Once the men made their deliveries of the two former warlords' personal items and beat a hasty exit out of their combined perpetually intimidating presence, Mihawk and Crocodile decided to do what any new home owners did upon moving in. Which was to break in their new bed as they headed back to their bedroom and left their clothes strewn about the floor. But even as they made slow, deep love to each other in the warmth of the late afternoon, pale blue eyes and matching long sparkling cerulean hair, and a tomato nose were never far from their thoughts.

Meanwhile, just across the hallway in his own quarters...

Buggy went about cleaning some of the used beakers he had left in the sink of his workshop, still in a bit of a daze over what had transpired between him and his two new 'lieutenants'.

Dracule Mihawk wanted to build a garden with him in the back of the fortress. Dracule Mihawk wanted to build a garden with him.

Mihawk and him, him and Mihawk.

Buggy nearly dropped the beaker in his hands as they trembled a little at the very thought, and yet, his heart was pounding not out of fear, but excitement.

His presentation of the apartments he had designed for Mihawk and Crocodile had gone better than he could have possibly imagined.

They liked what he had come up with, had even allowed the crew and builders to have lunch and a housewarming with them.

Cabbages were Mihawk's favorite just like they were his.

Unbidden in his mind came images of the both of them together, tending to a shared patch with vibrant green and red cabbages, just the two of them working side by side, tending to their crop, and even Crocodile sitting off to the side watching them while he enjoyed a tall glass of pink lemonade.

Buggy was quick to snap out of such a thought, scoffing at the very idea of the three of them together like that. Knowing his rotten luck, anything he planted would either not sprout at all or wither away a die just after poking out of the ground, and Mihawk would see him as incompetent and nothing more. Buggy winced as memories of the trouncing he had received at the hands of Crocodile and Mihawk came to the forefront of his mind. Croco had every right to be pissed off, he had loaned out a massive chunk of change to him to get Buggy's Delivery off the ground, and he hadn't even begun to pay the sand wielder back, and after the poster debacle that led to his unintentional ascension to Chairman of Cross Guild, Croco and Hawky were again rightly displeased. Though he did owe Mihawk his life, for the swordsman had been the one to suggest that Buggy be the figurehead of Cross Guild to take the heat off of him and Crocodile.

With a sigh and a dull ache in his heart, Buggy shook his head and focused his attentions fully to cleaning his equipment, and not on his new neighbors right across the hall.

Buggy busied himself with the happenings of his workshop and going over important documents to present to Mihawk and Crocodile at the morning meeting tomorrow. Before he knew it the sun was starting to dip bellow the horizon, the skies over Karai Bari starting to turn the brilliant hues of sunset before the oncoming night.

Buggy freshened up and changed into a pair of deep eggplant trousers and a red and white striped t-shirt. Around his waist he tied a mulberry hued sash and over his shoulders he draped a red version of his captain's coat. His signature red curl toed boots adorned his feet while he tied his long blue hair up into a high ponytail and wrapped a red and white striped bandana over the crown of his head, forgoing is heavy captain's cat.

After giving himself a final once over in the mirror in his bedroom, Buggy headed out of his apartments.

Just as he was shutting his distinctive blue iron door, the sound of metal swinging away behind him had him turning to see the massive arched bronze door to Mihawk and Crocodile's quarters opening to reveal the men themselves. Buggy immediately stood up straight in their presence, feeling that all familiar spike of nervousness as the swordsman and the sand wielder emerged into the hallway.

Mihawk was wearing his usual iconic red and black outfit with Yoru at his back, while Crocodile had on back slack and a black waistcoat with a thin gold criss-cross pattern and a striking lime green cravat around his neck. His own iconic black coat with the white fur trim was draped over his broad shoulders.

" H-Hey Hawky, Croco!" Buggy said with a little wave.

" Good evening Buggy." Mihawk greeted, subtly giving Buggy a once over and feeling the barest rush of fondness for the Clown pirate and his always flashy style.

" Hey Clown." Crocodile greeted with a nod.

" Did the men bring all your stuff?" Buggy asked, immediately wanting to make sure Mihawk and Crocodile's belongs were presented to them safe and sound.

" Yeah Clown, they brought everything with no damage." Crocodile rumbled.

" You would've known immediately if they had." Mihawk said casually, but Buggy felt the bottom of his stomach dropping out, perceiving the swordsman's words as a veiled threat.

Mihawk seemed to sense this and shook his head.

" We would not have punished you Buggy, we would have just asked you to direct us to the best of the craftsman who could repair the damage, since you know them far better than we do at this point." The swordsman explain, still with an air of nonchalance but secretly wanting to put the blue haired Yonko at ease.

Buggy blinked and immediately relaxed a little at Mihawk's explanation.

" Oh yeah, yeah that makes sense since you guys are still new here." Buggy agreed, feeling like a ten-ton weight had just evaporated from his shoulders.

" Thankfully your guys were careful and we already packed away everything we came here with and still have plenty of room to spare, I mean you gave us two huge ass wardrobes for just our clothes alone. So let's all get to dinner already, I mean to find out what Chef Dizzy's menu is gonna be like tonight." Crocodile rumbled.

" Oh he's always innovating his meal plans that's for sure." Buggy said as the unlikely trio and newly minted neighbors started making their way to the elevator that would take them downstairs.

Mihawk and Crocodile peppered Buggy with questions about how he had come up with designs to fit them both so well, leaving Buggy blushing as he explained the research he had done and the multiple consultations he had with his team of builders for what was feasible in such a short time frame.

They reached the floor just above ground floor and exited the lift. They walked through another hidden corridor and emerged from behind a set of heavy red velvet curtains that brought them out onto the open hallway that overlooked the main arena and led to the private dining room where they were to have dinner with their main command crew.

When the three of them finally entered the room, they were greeted warmly by Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Galdino, and Daz who was as stoic as ever. Buggy made his way over to the balcony overlooking the main mess hall with Mihawk and Crocodile dutifully behind him. The three of them received a roaring welcome to dinner and Buggy gave a short speech commending everyone for another hard day's work and encouraged them all to enjoy the evening meal together. The three of them then sat at the head of the long dining table with their crew taking up the remaining seats on either side of them. Richie mozied right over to Mihawk and looked up at him expectantly. Without missing a beat, Mihawk set about scratching at the lavender lion's ears, earning a deep, happy rumble. Mihawk allowed the tiniest sliver of warmth to come to his usual cold eyes, it was Richie after all and the lion was one of the purest souls on the entire island. Not many on this earth ever took a genuine liking to Mihawk, what with his fierce reputation and deeply reserved nature, yet Richie liked him enough to gift him some of his prized chewing bones. Richie indulged in Mihawk's attention before he shuffled around to the other side table to demand Crocodile's attention, earning a distinctive chuckle out of the sand wielder. Mohji was nervous but also proud that at least Richie had the courage to ingratiate himself to both former warlords, just by being himself.

The night's menu featured Chef Dizzy's latest venture into new horizons of dining, grabbing Mihawk's interest with a red wine infused steak, Crocodile's with a sashimi platter that included sliced sea king meat with a sweet eel sauce, and Buggy rounded out the trio with an order for a beef and vegetable pot pie.

The conversation flowed easily enough, Buggy scratching Richie's ears as well while he spoke with Cabaji about that one time the two of them had gotten really drunk back in the East Blue and nearly ended up getting married to each other. While the two long time friends giggled at their drunken escapades, Buggy didn't notice the subtle sour looks that came across Mihawk and Crocodile's faces at the revelation. For some odd reason, Mihawk and Crocodile didn't quite like the idea, not at all.

Thankfully the food arrived, piping hot and looking absolutely divine. It all tasted even better, but the most astonishing thing was when Buggy gathered his courage and shared his pot pie with Mihawk and Crocodile, slicing off wedges for each of the two former Warlords. Mihawk and Crocodile had been quietly stunned by the gesture. It only got more unbelievable when Mihawk in turn cut Buggy a piece of his perfectly cooked steak and Crocodile shared some sashimi from his platter.

The steak and sashimi tasted amazing, made all the more wonderful by those who had shared it all with him.

Dessert was just as divine as the rest of the meal. The moan Buggy let out at the first bite of the slice of raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake he had ordered for himself had both Mihawk and Crocodile's eyes widening as something deep inside them unfurling, hot and bothered, while the blue haired buffoon was too enraptured to notice. Mihawk had picked a classic creme brule for himself while Crocodile had opted for a slice of tiramisu. Both men enjoyed their own desserts, but their eyes kept glancing at Buggy, more specifically his mouth as bits of cheesecake disappeared past his red painted lips or whenever he unthinkingly licked his spoon. What Mihawk and Crocodile didn't know was that that same deep feeling had taken hold of Buggy as he subtly watched the swordsman and the sand wielder eat their own desserts and had to keep himself from gawking in quiet awe at the unique masculine beauty on either side of him.

Overall dinner was a roaring success.

At the conclusion of the meal, Mihawk and Crocodile both took their leave, bidding everyone goodnight with their eyes lingering on Buggy who was going to stay and hang out with his Nakama for a bit. Buggy stammered out his own farewell, his hear subtly pounding and his mind scrambling to figure out what he could have done to piss Mihawk and Crocodile off with out intensely they were looking at him, completely missing that they were not angry with him at all.

The moment Mihawk and Crocodile were safely back inside their new residence, they were on each other again, finally releasing their mutual hot frustration as they reached the safety of their bedroom and tore each other's clothes off once Mihawk sheathed Yoru back on her special rack. Once again, sparkling blue eyes haunted their thoughts as they made love, but now they were also tormented by the sounds of pleasure that they now knew, and the sight of a pink tongue licking sugar from a spoon. The images spurred them further as they devoured each other, and yearned for the blue haired Yonko that had somehow managed to wheedle his way into their thoughts and desires in the span of just a single day.

Unbeknownst to them, hours after they themselves had fallen asleep in each other's arms, warm and sated post-coitus, in his own apartments, Buggy lay wide awake for a bit longer than them, his body thrumming with the full jubilation of having pleased Mihawk and Crocodile, but also with his heart aching for them. It was tormenting to have Mihawk and Crocodile physically just right across the hall from him, while emotionally they may as well have been on a completely different plane of existence. His own mind betrayed him, bombarding him with the faces of both former warlords. Mihawk with his golden eyes and shark features, Crocodile with his pale violet eyes and the scar across his face that added to the masculine vision the man was.

Buggy lay in the center of his king-sized bed, keenly feeling the unforgivingly sharp sting of loneliness and uncertainty. His bed felt far too big for him today when normally he loved the ability to just chop chop himself to pieces and stretch about the big bed to luxuriate to his heart's content. No, not tonight, tonight he just felt so small and cold all over. The only source of warmth was the memories of his triumph today regarding the residence he had gifted to Crocodile and Mihawk.

They liked what he had done with the place and that alone had had him soaring, only for it all to come crashing down now that it was the end of the day and he was all alone.

" You're still nothing to them, just a means to an end." Buggy whispered to himself with a sad sigh before he shook his head, curled up into a ball and closed his eyes against the tell-tale burn that had started behind them.

With this project for Mihawk and Crocodile done, Buggy drifted off trying to think of what next to do to occupy himself besides his duties as Chairman of Cross Guild. To occupy himself to ignore the dull ache of his yearning for two men who could never, ever see him as anything more than a bumbling fool and a scapegoat for all of their problems.

Hours later, just as the skies over Karai Bari had started to pale with the oncoming dawn...

Mihawk shut the heavy door behind him, dressed simply in in a white poet's shirt with a ruffled sleeve, black slacks and his signature calf length boots. At his back was Yoru on a strap over his shoulders and his head was bare of any hat, showing his perfectly styled spiky ebony hair.

His golden yellow eyes immediately went to the door across the hallway from his and Crocodile, the barest bit of disappointment lancing through him when he say the blue curtains on either side of it draw shut, indicating that the red nosed individual who lived in the residence behind them was still fast asleep much like the rest of the island, and his own sand wielding lover.

Mihawk turned away from the blue curtained door and made his way down the hallway towards the elevator to take him down to the ground level. From there he emerged from behind the harlequin painting and then turned a different corner to take him to the back of the fortress.

He made it to the heavy arched wooden door and pushed it open, stepping out into the pleasantly cool pre-dawn air. Everything was doused in a pale blue as he stepped out onto the grassy back of the fortress. The patch of land where he and Crocodile had pitched their temporary tent was just around the corner. Mihawk walked at a leisurely pace, breathing in the crisp, fresh morning air. When he finally turned the corner he came to a dead halt though when his eyes beheld the patch of land that was now meant to become a garden, and the person who was unexpectedly already there toiling away at it.

Golden eyes were slightly wide as they took in the form of a figure wearing dark blue denim overalls, a white t-shirt, and with his distinctive long cerulean blue hair cascading down his back in a loose ponytail as he used a hoe to tediously chip away at the grassy dirt, already having dug away one line across the empty patch of land.

Buggy.

Before he could stop himself, a small but genuine smile came to Mihawk's lips as he watched the blue haired Yonko grunt and snarl as he dug away at the border he was creating. Preparation of land for any garden no matter or big or small was always tedious. Even Mihawk with his inordinate strength found prepping land to be his least favorite part of the gardening process. Seeing a rare opportunity to be mischievous, Mihawk stealthily made his way across the grace to the blue hair farmer obliviously toiling away.

He came up right at Buggy's back before he spoke.

" Good morning." He said casually.

The result was instantaneous as Buggy let out a shrill shriek and then whirled around. Mihawk's eyes widened a fraction when he found himself faced not only with the business end of a garden hoe but also a throwing knife with a curved blade.

Lesser men would have been dead within seconds, but Mihawk was Mihawk and he had no problem dodging and disarming Buggy's surprisingly swift defense, catching and twirling the garden hoe so that it's blade ended up buried in the ground, while with a flick of his other wrist he snatched the knife out of Buggy's hand and tucked the blade safely away against his wrist.

Buggy had chop chopped himself to flare out and look bigger but the moment his eyes caught sight of who it was that had startled him, the blue haired Yonko immediately pulled himself together and reached out for Mihawk with wide, horrified eyes.

" Oh my! Hawky! Hawky are you okay? Are you okay?" Buggy asked as he unthinkingly cupped one of Mihawk's cheeks and used his other hand to paw at the swordsman to check him for any injuries.

Mihawk felt a small spark race through him at the feel of Buggy's warm hand at his cheek but he quickly dismissed it as he reached out and gripped both of Buggy's wrists to stop his frantic movements.

" Peace Buggy, I am quite alright. You were fast with the knife but not fast enough." Mihawk assured as Buggy immediately deflated in relief.

There was a moment where he stared up at Mihawk with one of his brilliant smiles, the swordsman staring back at him with more warmth in his golden eyes. They snapped out of it quickly though and withdrew from each other, immediately hating the keen feeling of loss that swept through them both.

" I am a bit surprised to see you out here so early in the morning." Mihawk said by way of changing the subject.

" O-Oh! W-Well I just... I wanted to get started on getting the garden ready f-for you, a-as a surprise." Buggy said while blushing furiously.

It was then that Mihawk noticed something rather important about Buggy now.

The man's face was bare of his usual flashy face paint. This was the first time Mihawk was gazing upon Buggy's true face. His pale blue eyes looked bigger, and there were these plump, perfectly shaped lips beneath all that red paint, high cheek bones and yes, Buggy's signature prominent red nose that actually didn't look garish against his pale complexion, but endearing. Mihawk quickly snapped himself out of his musing to focus on the present.

" Well consider me pleasantly surprised and appreciative of the gesture." He said smoothly with a little nod to Buggy that had the swordsman earning another bright grin and a silvery laugh.

" Let us get to it then." Mihawk said as he gave Buggy back his knife and gestured to the border the blue haired man had been digging all by himself.

Buggy happily agreed and they set to work together.

Getting the borders dug out were a breeze now that Mihawk was here. Buggy stood in awe as the man literally pulled Yoru from his back and showcased the precision with which he could wield the great black blade as he literally slashed lines into the dirt like it was butter and carved out a perfect square for them to work with.

Mihawk went even further, easily slashing up the dirt inside the border into an almost grid-like pattern to make it easier for them to dig up, much to Buggy's delight. Together he and Mihawk grabbed up the shovels Buggy had brought with him and got to work, side by side, and completely oblivious to the audience they had.

High above at the arched window that overlooked the back of the fortress where Mihawk and Buggy were preparing their shared garden, a pair of pale violet eyes watched them with unheard of warmth. Crocodile leaned against the window sill and allowed himself an unguarded smile at the sight of his beloved Mihawk and Buggy digging away together at the dirt. Even from how high up he was, Crocodile was captivated by the sight of them together, especially Buggy with his bare face that he never ever seen before.

It wasn't a bad face at all.

Crocodile would have loved to announce his presence and maybe even unleash his powerful stand to break up the dirt and churn it for Mihawk and Buggy, but he knew better than to interfere with Mihawk when it came to gardening, and half of the pay-off came from the toil that went into setting everything up.

For now Crocodile just watched on as his lover and their blue haired neighbor worked together on the garden they were meant to share, as the skies grew brighter and the first golden rays of the newly rising sun started to emerge from the horizon.

Down below, Mihawk himself paused in his digging when the morning light caught Buggy's cerulean hair and reflected off of it warmly and lent a warm glow to his pair skin as he turned to face the warm light, making the Yonko look like something straight out of a wonderful dream.

Mihawk caught himself and quickly refocused on his task. Together, they managed to get through clearing nearly all of the field before Buggy's stomach let out an almighty rumble.

" You didn't have breakfast before coming out here to work the land?" Mihawk asked flatly.

" Uh... well you see I just... wanted to get started on this for you first." Buggy said meekly, blushing furiously enough to nearly match his nose.

Mihawk felt his lips twitch for a moment at the sight but he kept his face stern as he spoke.

" Drop that and come with me." He ordered sternly as he sunk the blade of his own shovel into the soft dirt and gestured to the hoe Buggy was holding before turning smartly on his heels and heading back towards the fortress.

Buggy sputtered and immediately buried the business end of the hoe into the soft dirt next to Mihawk's shovel before he scrambled after the swordsman.

Buggy followed Mihawk back upstairs, where he led them back to his and Crocodile's residence across from Buggy's own. The sand wielder was on hand to open the door and greet them, looking refreshed and relaxed in a pair of sleeping pants and a giant baggy black t-shirt. Mihawk made Buggy and Crocodile park themselves at the smaller table inside the kitchen while he cooked them up breakfast using some of the leftovers from yesterday's wonderful house warming lunch.

Mihawk whipped up a delicious array of breakfast items including an everything in it breakfast frittata that both Crocodile and Buggy absolutely demolished together. Mihawk allowed himself to smile into his mug of freshly brewed coffee, straight black with sugar just the way he liked it as Buggy and Crocodile both heaped praise after praise on him for his cooking.

It was Mihawk and Crocodile's first ever breakfast in this kitchen, and they were tellingly having it with Buggy.

They might not have been aware of it all, but the relationship between the three of them had irrevocable changed, and would continue to change as time went on.

While Mihawk had the garden he was working on with Buggy, Crocodile ended up getting his own time with Buggy with his very own passion project.

About a month after Buggy had presented Mihawk and Crocodile with their residence, Crocodile finally got his fruitwani breeding tents up and running by the edge of Buggy Town.

Once the tents and equipment had been set up, the only things Crocodile needed were the actual Fruitwanis. He ordered eggs of various breeds, and also live animals.

To say that everyone was stunned when Crocodile sauntered in from the docks proudly flanked by two gigantic fruitwanis, one a classic green bananawani, the other a striking red hued strawberrywani, would be the understatement of the century.

The denizens of Cross Guild were in awe of the colossal and deadly animals.

While Crocodile was going for the intimidation factor and it appeared to be working if the healthy distance everyone was keeping was anything to go by, that all went up in smoke when Buggy and the crew arrived to see the fruitwanis for themselves. While the command crew themselves kept a safe distance and looked all kinds of nervous save for Daz who looked like he couldn't be bothered, as always, the moment Buggy caught sight of Crocodile's newest additions to Buggy Town, his entire face lit up with wonder and joy, like the Summer Festival had come early.

Before Crocodile could stop him, Buggy stepped forward before the giant green bananawani. Crocodile was about to intervene when the giant green bananawani let out a low rumble of warning at Buggy's approach, only to freeze when Buggy came before the wani and then bowed deeply to the creature. That seemed to make the bananawani pause too and look at Buggy with interest, its strawberrywani companion tilting its head in a thoughtful manner as well.

Then Buggy was straightening up and separating his upper have from his lower half with a soft click. Buggy floated up into the air and glided forward until he reached the banana shaped protrusion at the top of the wani's head.

" Oi Clown don't-" Crocodile began, only to fall silent in shock when Buggy full on planted a kiss to the fruitwani's banana-protrusion.

The result was instantaneous, everyone watching in awe as the giant bananawani's whole body seemed to sigh with a blushy, besotted look came over it's dinosaur-like face as it let out a deep, happy rumble of approval at Buggy's loving actions. Buggy wasted no time floating over to the eager looking strawberrywani and planting a big smooch on its fruit protrusion too, the red giant swaying it's tail happily and accepting Buggy's loving welcome.

Crocodile felt his heart pound deeply in his sternum as he watched Buggy effortlessly win over his giant fruitwanis who were meant to be tasked with acting as sentries for the island alongside the patrol units.

A familiar presence materializing beside him had Crocodile turning to see Mihawk, his lover's expression thoughtful and his golden eyes contemplative as they stared up at Buggy nuzzling the strawberrywani's cheek and babbling nonsense at the behemoth creature as if it were a puppy rather than a petrifying beast.

Mihawk turned his golden eyes to him and said nothing, he didn't need to for he and Crocodile understood without words, that once again they were being treated to the hidden depths of Buggy D. Clown, that the blue haired Yonko who had made a crack in both of their armors around their hearts had just burrowed his way in deeper without even meaning to. Buggy was just being Buggy, making friends with fruitwanis and eagerly asking if he could help Crocodile out with the breeding business.

Crocodile had not had the heart to deny him.

More such moments of Buggy burrowing himself deeper and deeper into the hearts of Dracule Mihawk and Sir Crocodile followed.

It was he and Mihawk ordering seedlings of all kinds, except tomatoes and planting them together, kneeling in the dirt with the warm sun shining down on them. It was he and Crocodile watching the first batch of fruitwani eggs hatching together and greeting the new babies warmly and giving them their first meals. It went even further than that, it was Buggy coming to his and Mihawk's shared garden one afternoon to find the yellow eyed man sitting alone on a nearby boulder, remembering a past he never spoke of and looking so sad and far away, that Buggy was immediately chop chopping himself at the ankles to float up in front of the swordsman and started twirling about before doing the one thing he hated, honking his big red nose to get the barest huff of laughter from the swordsman before Mihawk pulled himself back into his stoic self and they got to tending their garden. It was Buggy and Mihawk dropping everything when Crocodile groaned mid-sentence during a meeting and clutched at his hook, the stump where his left hand used to be flaring angrily with the old familiar ache of a lost limb. It was Buggy who ran to the hospital tent to get the specially concocted pain cream from Dr. Jungo while Mihawk helped Crocodile take his hook off to see the angry reddened skin and old scars over his lover's stump. Buggy returned swiftly with the jar of pale green cream, pulling off his own gloves and setting to work applying the cream for Crocodile before Mihawk could say anything. Crocodile and Mihawk were treated to the sight of Buggy's care, his singular focus being to ease Crocodile's pain and make sure the giant man who could crush him with just a simple squeeze was alright. Yet again, the blue haired buffoon made Crocodile and Mihawk feel such complicated emotions they dared not name, but they didn't drive Buggy away, not like they could have, not like they would have not too long ago.

They took in the serious determination and concern on Buggy's painted face, Crocodile found the sharp twinges of pain shooting through his stump fading and being soothed both by the cream and Buggy's gentle, practiced ministrations.

" I used to massage Captain Roger's hands sometimes whenever they started aching from all the sword fighting he enjoyed." Buggy said quietly without looking up at them, both Crocodile and Mihawk straightening a little at the mention of the fabled Pirate King.

A wistful little smile came to Buggy's lips as he gently pressed his thumbs into the angriest part of Crocodile's stump and gently rubbed them in circles to relieve the tension as he continued.

" He said I was far more patient than Shanks and had the right instincts to know when to press in hard and went to back off." He finished quietly, a sad nostalgia coming to his face as he thought of the extraordinary man who conquered the seas.

Mihawk and Crocodile said nothing, just stayed with Buggy in this unexpectedly hallowed moment.

More such moments followed where Crocodile and Mihawk saw the hidden depths of the man who became a Yonko simply by saying sorry and having equal parts the worst and best luck any man could ever have. Buggy was more than his bungling. He was a rather fit acrobat even without his Devil Fruit abilities, Mihawk and Crocodile both having to pause as they happened to walk by the arena where everyone was practicing for upcoming shows and caught sight of a shirtless Buggy warming up before he was set to go up on the aerial trapeze. The man had muscles and sinew beneath that ridiculous baggy red onsie he often wore to flare himself up and look bigger than he really was.

They lingered long enough to watch Buggy soar high above the arena on the long, deep red silk he was using for the trapeze act, looking the embodiment and power and grace and yet again burrowing deeper and deeper into Mihawk and Crocodile's minds, bodies, and souls.

When Buggy invited them to join him and his crew for afternoon tea in his apartments, they accepted and finally got to see the blue haired Yonko's residence for themselves. They were expecting a flashy, dazzling mess of everything circus under the sun, so they were pleasantly surprised by the tasteful elegance they stepped into instead. The color scheme of the place was bright white and various shades of blue with a little red here and there, and a recurring harlequin diamond pattern. Everything was brighter in Buggy's space but homey and inviting. The other decorations were flashy and eclectic but fit the man who lived in the space perfectly.

Mihawk and Crocodile were intrigued by Buggy's built in workshop were he created his famous explosives and other gadgets and weapons. What fascinated them further was finding out that Buggy was an avid painter, who had these lovely portraits of King Roger and his famed crew set up in a little alcove in the living room area. There was even a portrait of Shanks as a scrawny little red haired cabin boy with his all important straw hat that would one day belong to Monkey D. Luffy. The portrait was tellingly hung off to a corner while Buggy's own self portrait in his youth hung all the way on the other side. It was a marvelous tribute to the Pirate King and his crew. Buggy's residence was more circular in design and even had ceilings that looked like the red and white striped tent tops of a circus. His bedroom was surprisingly spartan compared to the rest of the space. It only reiterated that Mihawk and Crocodile should stop having so many preconceived notions about the blue haired accidental Yonko.

Tea time with Buggy and the crew turned out to be one of the best experiences Mihawk and Crocodile had so far on the island, getting to know that Buggy could make a pretty great sandwich and biscuit himself and took tea brewing very very seriously. It became a weekly event that Mihawk and Crocodile looked forward to.

Now this was not to say that everything was smooth sailing between the three of them. Some days Crocodile was so grouchy he alienated both Mihawk and Buggy who would then refuse to speak to him and spend the day with each other, leaving the sand wielder to stew before he and Mihawk would finally make up and then be normal around Buggy. Mihawk would sometimes get too deep in his head and brood, leaving him completely unavailable to both Crocodile and Buggy. So the unlikely pair would hang out together with the fruitwanis. Buggy rounded out the trio by actually getting into screaming matches with Crocodile over business dealings that would get the sand wielder and by proxy the swordsman so riled up that they wouldn't speak to him for days, but the one thing that was telling was that neither Crocodile nor Mihawk ever laid a hand on Buggy again, not since that trouncing they had given him over the flag ship fiasco. Now Buggy would have preferred the bruises over the cloying silence from both men, the way they ignored him even when he'd still garden with Mihawk or tend the fruitwani's with Crocodile. A few days would pass before he'd meekly apologize or calmly explain his reasoning and they would be back to their version of normal.

The most important thing, was that Crocodile and Mihawk actually listened, actually gave him the time of day, actually treated him as a partner rather than the scapegoat they had initially agreed to let him live to be.

Mihawk and Crocodile continued to learn about Buggy by casually asking his nakama about how he was as a captain. Besides the obligatory betrayals and underhandedness that came with being a pirate, Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji all recounted how they came to be part of Buggy's crew, how he treated them with dignity and gave them a home since they were a bunch of ragtag misfits everyone else had given up on. Richie was more focused on getting pets from them, but he was a giant cat after all.

Buggy in turn would ask Galdino about Crocodile, wisely choosing not to bother Daz. Mihawk himself still remained mysterious since he really didn't have anyone he had associated with before Cross Guild here on the island. Buggy only had the rumors and the man's fearsome reputation. He could have called Shanks since he was Mihawk one and only rival, but thought better of it. What he knew of Mihawk he gained by just being around him. The man was a talented horticulturalist if the way their shared cabbage patch and garden was anything to go by. He obviously loved his red wines, enjoyed curling up with a good book, was an animal lover if Richie, the fruitwanis, and even some of the other circus animals trundling right up to him whenever they caught sight of him were anything to go by, and one hell of a chef in his own right since Buggy himself had tasted his amazing cooking.

He was diligent in his duties and a strict teacher as he trained the men of Cross Guild to be better fighters. Buggy himself received impromptu lessons to improve his sword and knife fighting skills, ending up a little bit bruised but a lot more proficient under Mihawk's tutelage.

The days passed by like this, the three of them building up Cross Guild, racking in profits through lucrative deals and intimidation, racking in prominent Marines both dead and alive thanks to their own bounty system, and being a thorn in the World Government's side that would not go away easily. Their own bonds with each other continued to grow and strengthen,

The true turning point for the three rulers of Cross Guild came on a day that had started out as mundane as any other, but ended up with Buggy bruised and battered after showcasing how seriously he took the unwritten code among circus acrobats to have each others back come hell or high wire.

It was a slightly overcast afternoon over Karai Bari as everyone went about their day, carrying out their duties. Mihawk was overlooking the construction of some new watch towers by the docks while Crocodile was on the den dens by the black smiths, setting up meetings with nearby islands and placing orders for requisitions the island was in need of. Meanwhile, Buggy was in the arena having just finished his warm up routine before he was set to actual do some floor exercises. All around him the other acrobats and performers were honing their own routines.

Buggy chop chopped himself at the ankles and picked up his own disembodied feet before gracefully floating up in the air towards the high platform from where the high wire was suspended. When he got to the platform he reattached his feet to his ankles and mentally prepared himself for the walk across the wire.

Even with his Devil Fruit abilities, Buggy knew better than to be slack in his diligence. He needed to focus and be careful. With a deep breath, Buggy stepped forward and firmly set his foot on the thick wire. He slowly leaned forward to put all his weight on that first foot and then took his other foot off the platform completely. Everything else faded away far into the background as Buggy started to slowly walk on the wire.

He kept his arms half spread to maintain his balance, staying slow and patient as he put one foot in front of the other and started to make progress. He was in the zone, his heart racing with the exhilaration of his progress so high up. He was on top of the world almost, which was exactly when it all came crashing down as first there was a crackle and a flicker in the light and then a terrified yell cracked through the air, and sliced right through his concentration.

" MIKEY NOOOOOO!" Came an anguished scream off to the side.

Buggy turned sharply in time to see a body with light plums of smoke emanating from it plummeting from high up near the top of the tent where the metal scaffolding for the lighting was situated.

Everything slowed down in that moment as a horrifying realization dawned on Buggy. The only reason anyone would be up their in that high scaffolding would be to work the lights for the show, and with the way the body that was falling was smoking, Buggy was quick to understand that said worker had gotten zapped somehow, electrocuted mercilessly by the live current.

All rationality fled Buggy as instinct took over. He distantly heard the soft click of his body separating from his ankles before he was diving off the wire and hurtling himself towards the falling body as fast as he could. It was like he was swimming through cement, the seconds flowing by like centuries as he tried desperately to get to the worker who was falling to certain death, if he wasn't dead already. Buggy didn't care, he had to at least try.

After what felt like forever and far too soon all warped into one span of time, Buggy finally crashed into the falling man with a loud grunt, wrapping is arms around the limp form and expertly doing a barrel roll to try and avoid the whiplash.

Down below Cabaji watched, utterly stunned an helpless as Buggy and the electrocuted man tumbled violently through the air, the momentum of Buggy crashing into the worker making it almost impossible to stop, and to the swordsman unicycler's horror they were headed right for the small wooden tower that the high jumpers used for their diving act.

" Captain Buggy!" Cabaji screamed, several more performers joining him, all of them helpless as they watched Buggy and the worker crash into the platform, the blue haired Yonko taking the brunt of the impact across his back, cracking the heavy log he collided with but still not letting go of the worker before they both tumbled the rest of the way down, managing to at least land on the safety pillow that had been stationed right underneath the platform at the top of the wooden tower.

" Buggy Sama!" Mohji cried as he and Richie rushed forward alongside Cabaji to get to their fallen captain.

They found Buggy and Mikey the worker side by side on the sagged landing pillow, both unmoving. Mikey's clothes were still smoking and Buggy was utterly battered as there was deep red blood seeping into the back of the light blue singlet he was wearing. More worryingly was the blood that was seeping out the corner of his red painted mouth.

While Mikey's eyes were closed and his chest unmoving, Buggy's eyes were open, but glassy and unfocused as his chest heaved horrifically as his body desperately tried to regain all the air that had been knocked out of him completely. His right let had separated at the knee and lay disconnected from the rest of him just a few feet away on the landing pillow.

" Captain!" Cabaji cried in anguish.

" Buggy Sama!" Mohji yelled right along side him as the two of them rushed to their long time Captain's side, others scrambling onto the landing pillow to help.

Buggy gasped horrendously and coughed up more blood, his eyes starting to roll dangerously as his two oldest friends tried to tend to him. Mohji quickly grabbed Buggy's leg and and reattached it to the rest of him with a soft click. Together with several other workers and acrobats, Cabaji and Mohji carefully pulled a battered Buggy off of the landing pillow and draped him face down over a mewling Richie's back, the lavender maned lion carefully starting to walk towards the opening of the Big Top.

" M-Mikey... K-Kay?" Buggy croaked out as he looked about in confusion.

" We're taking you both to the hospital tent, Dr. Jungo will fix you right up!" Cabaji assured, even as he and Mohji both looked to the group carrying Mikey and could already see the grim faces.

" Kay..." Buggy wheezed out before with another painful cough and his grip on consciousness waning, Buggy spoke of what he really wanted right that moment.

" H-Hawky... Cr-Croco... wan'.. Haw-Hawy 'n Croc-Croco... wan' em.. wan' everyone." He groaned before his eyes closed and he went utterly limp over Richie's back.

With a low rumble, Richie picked up the pace into the gentlest trot he could manage, Cabaji, Mohji, and several others holding tight to Buggy as they got him out of the Big Top.

It was a whirlwind after that, Mohji and Cabaji leaving Buggy and Mikey in Dr. Jungo's care before they both rushed off as fast as their legs could carry them to get their nakama as Buggy had wanted, especially Mihawk and Crocodile.

They split off, Cabaji racing to the docks while Mohji hurried towards the blacksmiths, the both of them yelling for someone to tell Alvida to get to the hospital tent ASAP.

Cabaji ran until he caught sight of the tall, dark haired swordsman standing watch over the builders.

" Mihawk Sama! Mihawk Sama!" Cabaji screamed desperately.

Mihawk immediately whirled around when he caught sight of Buggy's right hand man racing towards him.

The swordsman didn't need his observation haki to tell him that something was terribly wrong and it had everything to do with a certain blue haired and red nosed individual. Without any preamble or hesitation, Mihawk took off running, first to meet Cabaji halfway and hear what the harried swordsman had to say and then off towards the Hospital tent back in town with Cabaji stumbling and panting after him.

Near the black smiths, Mohji all but dove into the tent as he screamed for Crocodile.

" Sir Crocodile! Sir Crocodile come quick!" He yelled desperately, the man himself looking up from the den den call he was making, Daz and Galdino flanking him.

Much like Mihawk, Crocodile took one look at Mohji with the tears in his eyes and the terror written across his whole face and immediately knew something horrific had happened.

" It's the Clown isn't it?" He asked ominously.

Mohji could only nod with a gut wrenching sob.

Crocodile immediately dropped the den den receiver, not even bothering to say goodby to whoever he had been talking to as he flew out of his chair and took off running, Mohji, Daz, and Galdino all scrambling after him.

When Crocodile got to the tent, Mihawk was already there listening to Cabaji as the unicycling swordsman tearfully recounted what had happened to leave the Chairman of Cross Guild in such dire straights, Richie curled up around Cabaji's legs in an effort to comfort the distressed man and Alvida beside them gripping Cabaji's upper arm, looking pale and worried. Crocodile immediately rushed to Mihawk's side, Mohji, Daz, and Galdino following after him. Together they all listened to Cabaji and Mohji as they recounted the devastating events that had transpired to bring them all here, where all they could do was wait for Dr. Jungo.

It was nearly two hours before Dr. Jungo, looking harried and exhausted came out of the emergency treatment area with a carefully neutral look on her face.

" Dr. Jungo, how are they?" Mihawk asked as they all stepped forward to greet the doctor, the swordsman and the sand wielder doing their best to remain stoic while Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, and Galdino all looked pale and fearful. Daz himself looked outwardly stoic as well but Crocodile could see the lines of tension to his shoulders and the way his hands were clenched into tight fists, the only signs the assassin allowed of his own deep worry to show through.

They all watched as Dr. Jungo took in a deep breath to steady herself, sadness shining in her green eyes as she spoke.

She informed them all with a heavy heart that while their Chairman would survive his injuries, there was nothing she and her team could do for Mikey the worker, the volts of electricity that had coursed through his body having been too much to bare for the young man.

Hours later in Mihawk and Crocodile's residence with the sun having just set outside...

If dispondency had a physical form, it would be the blue haired figure laying in the center of Mihawk and Crocodile's bed.

Buggy lay on his front on the two former warlords' massive bed, looking extra tiny. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose deep blue sleeping pants with stars and moons all over them, that Crocodile had retrieved from Buggy's apartment along with some more clothes and other essentials after he and Mihawk had brough him back to their place. The sandwielder had gone ahead and packed Buggy a whole week's worth of clothes just to be sure.

When they had all been allowed to finally see Buggy once he was moved to the recovery wing, Mihawk, Crocodile, and their nakama found him to be utterly despondent and silent.

The good doctor sadly explained that Buggy had snapped back into awareness just in time to see them call the time of death on Mikey who they had been trying to revive in the exam table right next to his and it had left the blue haired Yonko absolutely devastated.

While Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, and Galdino had all converged around Buggy to try and comfort him as gently as they could, Daz had stood guard leaving Mihawk and Crocodile free to speak with Dr. Jungo in depth.

She quietly explained Buggy's injuries, assuring them that they looked worse that they really were. Thanks to Buggy's Devil Fruit, he didn't get sliced up by the broken wood from the beam like a normal person would have, but the jarring impact with said heavy beam itself had split Buggy's skin in several places, hence the bleeding wounds to his back. He had thankfully avoided a concussion but had badly bruised his back and a couple of ribs. There had been some internal bleeding from the hit he had taken but thankfully that had stopped on its own without any medical intervention. Overall, Buggy would be physically healed completely in a couple of weeks.

Emotionally though, that was a whole other matter.

Buggy had barely made a sound, his eyes dulled with grief and defeat over the loss of Mikey. No amount of assurance and well wishing from his crew could pull him out of this state, the trauma too fresh, too severe. Through all of their coaxing, even from Mihawk and Crocodile, they were able to get Buggy to eat a light dinner of roast beef and mashed potatoes specially ordered from the kitchens and made by Chef Dizzy himself. There was no enjoyment from Buggy though, he ate mechanically and with no enjoyment.

Once they had gotten Buggy fed, Mihawk and Crocodile had gently but firmly ordered their combined nakama to go have dinner and turn in, that they would take Buggy with them to their residence and keep watch over him. Dr. Jungo was only a little hesitant about letting Buggy out of the hospital tent so soon after his injuries, but she agreed that perhaps getting out of the hospital and away from the traumatic events that had transpired would be better for Buggy since he was in such a fragile state.

Mihawk and Crocodile wasted no time after that. Crocodile went so far as to wrap his own coat around Buggy before Mihawk promptly picked him up in a gentle, bridal style carry and they left the hospital tent through the back exit. They had taken the more secluded path around to the back of the Big Top Fortress to avoid the denizens they ruled over, knowing the whole island was probably abuzz right now about what happened, and headed inside to take the private elevator to their residence.

Now here they were with Buggy laying silent and sad in Mihawk and Crocodile's bed while Mihawk sat in one of his gothic style chairs by the side of the bed dressed in black sleeping pants and one of his white poet's shirts, Yoru glittering where she hung on her special rack beside his hat, reading one of the books Buggy himself had gifted him and keeping a subtle golden eye on their utterly downcast guest while Crocodile was in the bathroom going through his own nightly routine.

Mihawk looked up when the door to the bathroom opened and Crocodile stepped out, gloriously shirtless wearing only a pair of expensive looking dark grey silk pajama bottoms.

He stepped into the soft golden light that permiated their bedroom, his pale violet eyes meeting those of golden yellow across the room. Without uttering a word, Mihawk closed his book and set it aside on the bedside table before he rose from his chair and reached for the hem of his poet's shirt.

Buggy didn't so much as twitch even as Mihawk took his own shirt off in front of him, and then he and Crocodile climbed into their bed and sat on either side of him. His mind was too lost in mercilessly replaying the horrific nightmare of an event he had gone through just a few hours earlier.

It was Crocodile who made the first move, slowly reaching out and using his long fingers to gently tuck away the thick and lustrous curtain of blue hair from Buggy's injured back. Mihawk and Crocodile absolutely loathed the sight of the patches of thick gauze that were tape over the wounds to Buggy's skin where the impact against the support beam and ruptured his skin, along with the angry, awful bruising that was forming across nearly the whole expanse of the man's pale back. His giant palm was cool against Buggy's blood enflamed skin.

Crocodile got Buggy's hair out of the way before with unheard of gentleness he splayed his hand over the clown's feverish back, eliciting a small gasp from Buggy who wasn't expecting the tender contact and looked up sharply, his tear reddened eyes darting between Mihawk and Crocodile.

Swallowing thickly Buggy shook his head and finally spoke.

" I failed." He croaked out brokenly.

Mihawk and Crocodile both shook their heads as the swordsman spoke.

" No you didn't, you did everything you could to save him Buggy." Mihawk said firmly before he smoothly reclined onto his side and lay down beside Buggy, reaching out and actually cupping the blue haired Yonko's pale cheek.

Buggy froze at yet one more unexpectedly gentle touch from a man who could cleave entire ships in half with a single blow, arrested by those golden yellow eyes that were actually gazing at him with a quiet, sad fondness as Mihawk spoke.

" Mikey was dead before you could even reach him Buggy, Dr. Jungo confirmed it." He said quietly, watching as Buggy inhaled sharply and shook his head in horror.

" It's true, Dr. Jungo examined Mikey with her scanners and she found that the electrocution caused an arrest of his heart that was so severe there was no chance for him to come back from it no matter what they did." Mihawk explained.

Crocodile chimed in and explained further how he and Mihawk had immediately ordered everyone out of the arena and cut the power to everything to allow Cross Guild's best engineers to head up to the scaffolds high above the arena where Mikey had been working. The team had been able to discover that this was thankfully not any kind of sabotage, but a freak power surge that had caught the young man unawares at precisely the right moment to claim his life in one spasm of white hot, dealy electricity.

" Give yourself some credit Clown, you nearly broke youself in half trying to save that poor kid. That's more than most could have done." Crocodile rumbled as he absentmindedly stroked his hand up and down Buggy's back in such a soothing manner it had the red nosed man sighing and subconsciously leaning into his touch.

Buggy looked between Mihawk and Crocodile and looked like he still wanted to protest, but then with a small huff Buggy deflated completely and nodded in acceptance.

" This still fucking sucks, he was just a kid." Buggy lamented.

Crocodile and Mihawk both nodded, understanding what Buggy meant. Mikey had only been in his twenties, had his whole like ahead of him, and loved being a light technician on top of pirating. In one fell swoop a promising lad was lost to the world of the living.

A thoughtful, if sad silence fell between the three leaders of Cross Guild until Mihawk's sharp eyes caught something at the corner of Buggy's bare mouth. Buggy immediately grew alert when Mihawk wordlessly reached out for him again. Buggy stayed absolutely still and Crocodile watched on with interest behind him as Mihawk sought out Buggy's mouth and gently ran a calloused thumb over the corner. When Mihawk pulled his hand back, they could all see the miniscule crusty dark red flakes of what they knew to be dried blood, no doubt a remnant of when Buggy had been coughing up blood after he had fallen with Mikey's body onto the landing pillow.

Mihawk was always an intense man, but the way he was staring at the flecks of Buggy's dried blood on the pad of his thumb made Buggy's heart skip a beat, for the swordsman looked more intense and unsettled than Buggy had ever seen him.

Then Buggy was freezing yet again as those golden yellow eyes, nearly glowing in the dimmed light of the bedroom suddenly turned to him and seemed to look directly into his very soul. There was a moment of absolute stillness, and then with the lightening fast speed he was known for, Mihawk all but lunged right at Buggy. Buggy had enough time to let out half a sharp, startled gasp before a pair of whiskered lips were crashing onto his in a deep, hungry kiss. At first Buggy was too stunned to do anything but lay there awkwardly on his stomach, Crocodile's hand still pressed to his back but with his head craned up as Mihawk kissed him.

The next moment his entire body seemed to sigh as with a low, broken groan Buggy slowly rolled onto his side and pulled Mihawk to him, wrapping his arms around the swordsman and kissing him back fervently. Crocodile smiled as he reclined onto his side and watched Mihawk and Buggy share their first kiss, patiently waiting for his own turn and internally saying that it was about damn time.

The circumstances were less than ideal, but such was life and the fact that they had nearly lost Buggy today was galvanizing enough for the both of them to claim that man they had fallen irrevocably in love with for themselves.

When Mihawk and Buggy finally broke apart with a soft gasp from Buggy, Crocodile wasted no time. Buggy let out a soft yelp as a large, bejeweled hand gently but firmly gripped his jaw and turned his head to the other side, still being mindful of his many unjuries before a pair of larger, thinner lips were covering his own in another deep, toe curling kiss. Buggy gasped softly into Crocodile's mouth as the sand wielder let go of his jaw and sensuously trailed his finger tips down the column of his neck, over his collar bone and then down to his chest to brazenly cup one of his pecs. Buggy's next gasp was completely muffled by Crocodile's kiss as he felt Mihawk's lips start to kiss at his collarbones and up and down his pale neck.

Crocodile let out a deep, low rumble, not so different from the content sounds his fruitwanis made whenever they were fed their favorite meal or got a good wire brushing all over their tough hydes. Now Mihawk lay back and admired the sight of Crocodile and Buggy's first kiss, the two people who mattered the most to him. He allowed himself a small, incredulous smile at the thought but quickly focused his attentions back on his lover and their blue haired beauty as Crocodile and Buggy finally came up for air so to speak.

Buggy's face was flushed, his expression stunned and besotted as he looked up at Crocodile, who grinned like the cat that caught the canary.

" Wh-What's happening?" Buggy whispered breathlessly as he laid his giddy head down and carefully rolled fully onto his back before he looked up between Crocodile and Mihawk.

" I should think that was obvious." Mihawk snarked as he and Crocodile loomed over Buggy.

" We kinda both caught these pesky, complicated feelings for you the day you surprised us with this place and everything after." Crocodile said as he gestured to the bedroom and beyond before he continued, growing serious.

" We coulda lost you today, so we aren't gonna waste a single second more without making you ours Buggy." He declared, meaning every single word.

Buggy's gasped softly, his pale blue eyes widening in wonder.

" What is it Buggy? What's wrong?" Mihawk asked as he and Crocodile frowned at Buggy in concern.

" N-Nothing just... say that again please Croco?" He asked softly, feeling his throat starting to close up with the raw emotions spiraling up inside him.

" Say what again? That we're not gonna waste a single second more?" Crocodile asked, slightly confused.

" N-No, not that I just... my name. You always call me Clown. I-I never heard you say my name before." Buggy said, growing more and more quieter and embarrassed with each word until he was blushing furiously.

Crocodile blinked, momentarily stunned while Mihawk's expression grew thoughtful as he looked between the sand wielder and the Yonko. Then all at once the tension was leaving them as Crocodile's lips turned up into a quiet, slightly sad grin before he leaned down, pressing a kiss right to Buggy's distinctive nose and getting a small, adorable yelp out of the blue haired man before he continued to Buggy's ear and spoke.

" Buggy, Buggy D. Clown, my Buggy." Crocodile rumbled against the shell of Buggy's ear.

" Mine too you know. The Genius Jester, the Star Clown, Yonko of the Seas, but most importantly, Buggy D. Clown, just Buggy. My Buggy." Mihawk said into Buggy's other ear before placing a sweet kiss to the blue haired man's temple and looking down at him with open love in his yellow eyes.

Buggy allowed himself one full sob before he managed to compose himself and reach up to cup Crocodile and Mihawk's cheeks as he spoke.

" Y-Your Buggy, and no one elses." He vowed with conviction before he surprised Crocodile and Mihawk by suddenly gripping them by their jaws and pulling them both in closer as he spoke.

" My Dracule Mihawk and my Sir Crocodile, mine." He declared in a tone that left no room for debate and his pale blue eyes like hardened aquamarine gems.

" Yours." Mihawk and Crocodile replied without hesitation, their own solemn vow.

Now one would think that after such highly charged declarations, the three of them would dissolve into an abyss of carnal connection, of claiming each other fully in every sense of the word and consumating their new found relationship. Well these three were nothing if not ones to flip the play book as instead, they shared a couple of chaste kisses and teasing caresses before Mihawk and Crocodile went about strictly following Dr. Jungo's instructions.

Crocodile got Buggy one of the vials of pain medication the good doctor had supplied them before they had left the hospital tent together, making sure Buggy drank the whole thing. Then Mihawk had him turn over onto his front to make sure that the bandages on his back were still intact before he got out the special green pain relieving cream Dr. Jungo had supplied, the same kind that Buggy himself had used to help ease Crocodile's phantom limb pain in his stump. Mihawk sat at Buggy's side and gently tended to his back, the bruises that had been forming now darker than before and would continue to darken as the hours passed. Mihawk and Crocodile absolutely hated the sight, and it made both of their guts twist as they remembered the bruises they themselves had left on Buggy all those months ago, when they had first arrived on Karai Bari.

They may not have laid a single hand on him since and he had accepted the apologies they both gave him, but the stain was still there.

Mihawk and Crocodile refocused on the present, making sure that Buggy's fresh injuries were taken care off before they got helped him to the bathroom and the waited outside for him to go through his own nightly rituals before they got him safe and snug under the covers once he came out. Mihawk used his haki to do his obligatory nightly sweep of not only their residence but the entire island itself to make sure all was well before he got under the covers with Buggy. Crocodile doused all the light, leaving only a couple on downstairs before he finally pulled off his hook and set it on his nightstand before he joined his lovers in bed.

Mihawk and Crocodile surrounded Buggy in their warmth, being mindful of his injuries but sandwiching him firmly betweem them. Buggy was falling asleep within seconds with one hand wrapped loosely around Mihawk's cross-dagger necklace and the other lacing his fingers with Crocodiles. He was out fast both from the exhaustion of the day catching up with him, and the contentment of being claimed by Mihawk and Crocodile. Now was the time to rest and recharge, for with the new morning would come their new reality.

Together.

When morning came, Buggy could barely move and his back was a complete and utter mess of mottled bruising that quietly devastated Mihawk and Crocodile. Dr. Jungo had warned them that it would be bad, but Mihawk and Crocodile were hoping it wouldn't be as bad as they were seeing it now. Buggy cried and clung to them, and they didn't blame him for it one bit. Thankfully Buggy had been able to separate his lower half from himself and go use the bathroom that way in an effort to keep from aggravating his injuries. Once Buggy had his lower half come back to him, Mihawk left him safe in Crocodile's arms while he went to go and make them breakfast.

The sand wielder distracted his brand new lover by talking about the latest happenings in the fruitwani tents, getting Buggy to laugh as he described the adorable and absolutely hilarious little rivalry that had started between a faction of newly hatched kiwiwanis versus a faction of new baby cherrywanis. In the midst of this little baby war, was a pair of star crossed little lovers, a female kiwiwani and a male cherrywani who immediately hit it off upon meeting and didn't give two shits about the "bad blood' between their many siblings.

The two of them were still chuckling at the fruitwani dramatics by the time Mihawk returned bearing an impressing breakfast spread for them.

Breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed and Buggy felt infinitely better than when he had woken up. Mihawk and Crocodile held down the fort for Cross Guild so to speak, communicating with the various departments over their den dens to keep operations running smoothly while not leaving Buggy's side. Buggy himself stayed busy looking over the paperwork Crocodile brought him.

When Buggy declared that he was in dire need of a bath, he was gobsmacked when Mihawk and Crocodile didn't hesitate to tell him they would be joining him to make sure he didn't slip and crack his head open. If he was expecting naughty times, Buggy was a bit disappointed when he got to see Mihawk and Crocodile in all of their wonderous male glory, but they kept it all rather tame, giving him plenty of kisses and carefull caresses, but going no further as they took all care of him. Crocodile carfully sponged his back for him once they got the bandages off his cuts, he and Mihawk both wincing at the sight but staying objective. Mihawk went so far as to shampoo Buggy's long, long hair for him, his hands gentle and practiced, sending delicious shivers through the blue haired Yonko. After they were finished with the bath, Crocodile dried them all up with just a swirl of his golden sand. Mihawk carefully rebandaged all of Buggy's cuts and reapplied the pain cream before they all got dressed for a casual day in.

Buggy healed both physically and mentally, even going to the funeral that was held for Mikey a couple of days after the incident. He was still in a great deal of pain, but he stood tall and even said a few words about the poor young man who had lost his life, Mihawk and Crocodile never leaving his side.

In the days that followed Buggy recovered from his injuries and his new found relationship with Mihawk and Crocodile continued to deepen. Both former Warlords staunchly refused to give in to their carnal desires, assuring Buggy that they would go all the way once he was fully healed. That didn't stop them from showering Buggy in unheard of affection, showcasing a playfulness with him that no one else ever got to experience.

It was Mihawk constantly undoing Buggy's buttons and zippers when the Yonko least expected it and then kissing and nipping at every bit of newly exposed skin he could reach, right before they had to go into an important meeting. It was Crocodile snaking tendrils of his warm golden sand up Buggy's pants legs in the middle of that same meeting, tickling him and leaving him barely able to hold back squeals of laughter and the urge to pounce on his sand wielder than actually getting any negotiating done. It was Crocodile sneaking up on Buggy and Mihawk while they were tending to their garden and splashing them both with water. When they hurried inside to get out of their wet clothes, Crocodile was right behind them ready to make sure they stay unclothed a little bit longer than necessary.

It was Mihawk regaling Buggy and Crocodile not only with tales of his epic battles as he had risen to the very apex of swordsmanship, but tales of some of his own blunders and mishaps out on the open sea, including this one time when he was just barely into his twenties where he encountered a gigantic octopus while he was sailing the North blue. Instead of trying to eat Mihawk like he had been expecting, the behemoth wanted to have a dance off and surprisingly enough, Mihawk had obliged the gentle giant, busting out some serious moves on the deck of his famous coffin shaped ship and delighting the ginormous cephalopod.

Just the thought of a young Dracule Mihawk dancing at all left Buggy and Crocodile in stitches, until the swordsman causally told them that they could forget all about the lap dance he had been planning for them once Buggy had recovered. Buggy and Crocodile were not ashamed to grovel for Mihawk's pardon upon hearing that.

Thanks to Buggy's Devil Fruit, he healed a little faster than the average person. So within about a week Dr. Jungo was happy come to Mihawk and Crocodile's residence to remove the bandages from Buggy's back after the special stitches that had been used to suture his wounds had melted away on their own. Now he just had a few thin red lines marring his pale skin that would fade away completely in a couple of months. Even the bruises across his back had faded from the angry blackish mess to a lighter redish yellow hue

The moment Dr. Jungo took her leave, Mihawk and Crocodile were on Buggy before he could even pick his shirt back up. Mihawk did give Buggy and Crocodile the promised lap dance that just about short circuited them both. The two former Warlords finally claimed their Yonko and let him know just how desperately they had been desiring him the entire time. Buggy lost all sense of time and space, there was only Crocodile and Mihawk, the rippling of their muscles beneath his palms, their lips against his own, the searing heat that created together, the love that connected the three of them irrevocably.

Mihawk and Crocodile were a little surprised at how good Buggy made them feel, that he gave as good as he got and made them understand that it was not all about them pleasuring him, but him taking care of them, him worshiping them, him loving them just as hard and just as desperately. Just as they had ruined him for all others on this earth, he had raised the bar too high for anyone else to reach. That first time, with the three of them together was enough to hook them all for the rest of their lives.

Despite their deep love, this was not to say the three of them got on the megaphone den dens and blasted it out for the whole Grand Line to hear that they were together.

For a man known for loving all things flashy, he was surprisingly all for keeping the changed nature of their relationship on the down low. They would steal kisses in private and get into fake spats with the people they led being none the wiser.

Their immediate nakama began to notice a change in the dynamic between their three leaders and suspected things were not as they appeared. Mihawk and Crocodile were a little less cold and unapproachable, even bordering on cordial some days, and the most telling thing was that they were far more lenient with Buggy, patient even and allowed the blue haired Yonko to take the lead on important matters.

They really started to suspect when Buggy and Mihawk's cabbages finally ripened and in a surprising show of thoughtfullness they presented the majority of their crop to Chef Dizzy and his crew, and did so together. Chef Dizzy was absolutely astounded and delighted by the size and wonderous quality of both Mihawk's standard green cabbages and Buggy's striking red cabbages. The good chef declared that he would cook the cabbages up for dinner that very night and Buggy beamed at Mihawk brighter than the sun almost. What had the crew a bit stunned way when Mihawk actually gave Buggy the tiniest smile back and actually looked shy at the complements he was getting for a split second before his mask of perpetual stoicism was firmly back in place.

Suspicions continued to grow as Daz would catch Crocodile subtly racking his eyes over not only Mihawk, but Buggy during meetings. Alvida noticed that Crocodile and Mihawk now walked far more closer behind Buggy, nearly looming over him almost protectively. Cabaji noticed that Yoru hung even more polished and pristine from Mihawk's back and was sporting a brand new white leather binding around her grip with an intricate braided pattern that no one had seen before but just added to the beauty of the famed black blade. Mohji and Richie were on hand to see Mihawk come to the arena while Buggy was practicing his knife throwing and immediately started to instruct him on his stance and how to focus on his target, standing almost pressed up against Buggy. There was a level of comfort between the two of them that had not been there before, where once Mihawk being so close would have left Buggy trembling and breaking out into a cold sweat. And finally, Galdino noticed that Crocodile's signature hook had somehow become even more resplendant. The gold gleamed, having been lovingly polished to an almost mirror shine, and now had an intricate band of carvings around the middle band in the form of florals and harlequin diamonds. Florals that looked an awful lot like the pattern on a certain swordsman's coat sleeves and harlequin diamonds like the ones littered throughout the living quarters of a certain Genius Jester.

Everyone noticed the way Buggy's eyes simply lit up like a thousand stars whenever they gazed upon Mihawk and Crocodile, and also that he sometimes wore waist coats much like a certain sand wielder and even wore no shirt at all like a certain swordsman. In addition, he now had a couple of distinctive pins that he wore on the lapels of his captain's coats. One pin shaped like a snarling bananawani, the other like a majestic hawk with it's wings spread proudly in flight.

It also didn't escape the crew's attention that Buggy seemed to have a standing invitation to Mihawk and Crocodile's residence, something no one else on the entire island had.

Even with the evidence that was slowly piling up, nobody dared mention it to their trio of leaders, both out of a desire for self preservation and out of respect for their privacy.

The true nature of Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile's relationship did eventually come out into the open in the most unexpected but fitting way, several months after Buggy's accident in the arena.

They had been in negotiations with a delegation from Megamo Island to the East of Karai Bari for several days now, in the hopes that the island would join Cross Guild's network and provide valuable minerals and raw materials in exchange for the criminal enterprise's protection and support.

While most of the delegation were nice and friendly, their leader, a tall green eyed man with orchid purple hair was perhaps a little too friendly. The man was super deferential to all three of Cross Guild's leaders, but it was Crocodile he just seemed to fixate on from the moment he laid eyes on the towering man. The man outright flirted with the purple haired sand wielder every chance he got. Crocodile reported that there had been several instances where the leader of the Megamo Island delegation "just happened" to bump into him out of the blue and then hold conversation with the executive of Cross Guild, heaping praises on him and even asking about his fruitwani breeding operation.

Crocodile found it all quite amusing, but both Buggy and Mihawk felt their hackles rise. It was one thing to flirt, and nice to be found attractive, it was another to be so doggedly pursued to the point of near harrassment.

Mihawk had full confidence that Crocodile could handle himself just fine and actually found the leader's constant flirtations with his and Buggy's man rather amusing, but he could see Buggy gritting his teeth during meetings with the Megamo Islanders. Mihawk knew that he was playing with fire by not intervening, but he decided to trust Buggy as well. He had full faith in his blue haired Yonko, that it would be Buggy who set this deluded flirter right in spectacular fashion.

Things finally came to a head after the trade deal with Megamo Island was finally closed and Cross Guild was holding a celebratory dinner the night before they would finally see the Megamo delegation off the following morning.

The party was in full swing in one of the large tents by the Cross Guild docks and yet again, the green eyed man from Megamo was at it, trying to butter up Crocodile with Mihawk and Buggy sitting right there beside their sand wielder. When Mihawk and Buggy both overheard the man extend an invitation to Crocodile to come and see Megamo's sparkling mineral caves, Mihawk and Buggy finally had enough of the man's bullcrap.

" Put him in his place Chairman." Mihawk said to Buggy beside him, his golden eyes glowing and hard with annoyance.

Buggy's own eyes were like chips of ice, and he wordlessly reached out and hooked his pinky around Mihawk's underneath the table, giving it a squeeze and allowing the corner of his painted lips to turn up into a devious little smirk before he slowly rose to his feet and straightened his red captain's coat before slowly turning to face Crocodile and the Megamo leader.

Crocodile had just taken a long drag of his cigar when said cigar was gently pulled away from his lips. The sand wielder looked up in confusion and hand enough time to see sparkling pale blue eyes before a pair of lips were sealing themselves over his own in a deep, sensuous kiss. Crocodile hummed and parted his lips. The smoke he was about to inhale passed into the mouth of the person who was kissing him. All too soon the lips were pulling away from his own, and he found himself staring into the smiling face of Buggy D. Clown.

Without saying a word, Buggy turned to face the leader of the Megamo delegation, exhaling the smoke from Crocodile out through his nostrils in two long, swirling plumes, almost like a dragon. The green eyed man actually sat back and swallowed nervously when he saw that Buggy's smile had a definite edge to it, a hint of annoyance and a clear warning as the blue haired Yonko spoke.

" Rest assured Mr. Kongya, we'll let you know when the three of us can stop by to visit these sparkling mineral caves you just mentioned." Buggy said casually enough, the last of the smoke swirling out past his lips.

Crocodile sat back and gave his Yonko a quietly proud look, amused to see his Buggy casually staking his claim over him and also revealing the true nature of their relationship to essentially everyone. From where he sat, Mihawk kept his face neutral as ever, but inwardly he chuckled at the utterly gobsmacked looks on the faces of everyone else in the tent. Mihawk had an inkling that Buggy was not quiet done shocking those in attendance. So shocked that even the live band that had been playing all stuttered to a stop.

" O-Of course Chairman Buggy, we at Megamo Island would love to have you, Crocodile Sama, and Mihawk Sama. My husband has just been dying to host another mountain excursion." Mr. Kongya stuttered out nervously.

Buggy and Mihawk both looked sharply to Crocodile, who simply shrugged and gave them a happy little smirk, not at all repentant for the jealousy he had caused in both of his lovers by accepting the attentions of one who turned out to be a happily married man just wanting to stay on their good side and earn the deal for his island.

" Sounds like a great idea. We'll definitely let you know when we plan to visit." Buggy said with a genuine smile that put Mr. Kongya a bit more at ease.

Buggy then sent Crocodile a mock glare before turning his pale blue eyes to his yellow eyed swordsman. With mischief and love sparkling in those pale blue depths, Buggy made his way over to Mihawk and wordlessly held out his hand to the swordsman. There was a collective gasp when Mihawk actually reached out and accepted the hand, rising to his feet and then full on twirling Buggy in one fluid and controlled motion out onto the dance floor.

" Do we pay you to just gawk or be an actual band and play?" Buggy asked loudly as he looked squarly at the stunned band with a stern look while reaching up and drapping his arms over Mihawk's shoulders, clasping his gloved hands at the back of the swordsman's neck while said swordsman's arms wrapped firmly around the clown pirate's waist and pulled him in nice and close.

At Buggy's words, the band snapped out of their collective stupor and scrambled back into being a band. They started playing a deep, slow song meant for couples as everyone watched Buggy D. Clown actually dance with Dracule fucking Mihawk or all people. The audience was mesmerized by how gracefully Mihawk and Buggy moved with each other, never missing a step, flowing like they had been dancing together for years. Besides each other, the only person they looked at as they danced was Crocodile.

The sand wielder sat back in his chair with an openly adoring look on his face and red still tinting his lips from Buggy's kiss, watching his lovers literally enchant the entire tent. Mihawk with his inherent grace and Buggy with his whimsy as he chop chopped himself here and there as he dance with his swordsman.

Mihawk and Buggy swept across the entire dance floor, coming to the center of the room where Mihawk spun Buggy around and around as the music reached it's crescendo. At the very end, Mihawk smoothly dipped a grinning Buggy before pulling him back up and right into a deep kiss that had the whole tent gasping again. Crocodile let out one of his signature chuckles, Mr. Kongya gawking at him in astonishment before the sand wielder got up and wolf whistled for his lovers. This set off the chain reaction of the crowd breaking into applause and cheers, the loudest being Crocodile, Mihawk, and Buggy's combined nakama. Alvida, Cabaji, Galdino, Richie, and Mohji were all stunned but ecstatic at the revelation that their captain had found love with not one, but two worthy men, while Daz just clapped lightly and remained his stoic self. Inwardly he was quite pleased for his boss too.

Mihawk and Buggy finally drew apart, Buggy's red lipstick tinting Mihawk's whiskered lips now too. The swordsman didn't bother to wipe it off, just looked at Buggy with his golden eyes actually shining. In the next instant he pulled Buggy into an almost crushing embrace, tucking his face into the side of Buggy's neck. Buggy just blushed and giggled as he hugged his swordsman back tightly, feeling like he was on top of the world.

The burden of hiding was finally lifted, and he could proudly show the whole world that Sir Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk were his and he theirs.

Any nay sayers could go straight to Davy Jones' Locker.

If one was expecting the whole world to shatter completely after the startling revelation of the true nature of Buggy's relationship with Crocodile and Mihawk, then they were in for disappointment because other than a bit of a buzz, nothing else really happened. Buggy tended his garden with Mihawk, he helped Crocodile with his fruitwani breeding venture, and Mihawk and Crocodile actually took the time to learn how to concoct bombs from Buggy in his workshop. They ruled Cross Guild and made amazing strides in collecting bounties on Navy personnel and extending their trade routes throughout the Grand Line.

Buggy's legend continued to grow, now with Mihawk and Crocodile as his lovers but he honestly didn't really heed that too much, more focused on the life he was building with the two former Warlords instead. Soon the whites and blues and harlequin diamond pattern in Buggy's apartmets were making their way into Mihawk and Crocodile's living space, seemlessly melding together with Crocodile's baroque tastes and Mihawk's austere gothic aesthetics. The special keys Mihawk and Crocodile had gotten from Buggy for their residence soon had a smiling clown face added to the fruitwani and hawk motif at the top, and Buggy now possessed such a key himself. Buggy's former residence was converted into a full workshop, leaving his old bed in place because he really didn't need it anymore.

Life was good, plain and simple, life on Karai Bari was good. However, if there was one thing about life that everyone knew, is that for all of it's smooth sailing it could be just as tempestuous and testing of one's strength and resolve.

Six months after Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile closed the deal with Megamo Island...

Chaos.

Fire, blood, and the bombardment of all out war as Cross Guild was in the full heat of battle against an attack by the World Government.

After Cross Guild had collected the bounties on several of the Navy's rear admirals and captains both dead and alive, the World Government had decided to do some damage right back to them. They took out several trade ships and arrested personnel who had traveled away from Karai Bari, and now an entire armada had arrived with their bellies full of Marine fighters rearing to destroy everything that Cross Guild had built.

The beach just outside of Buggy Town was smoking and exploding in canon fire from the enemy armade, but Cross Guilds own fleet and array of beach canons were giving just as good as they were getting.

Buggy was shooting muggy ball after muggy ball, throwing knives and not missing as he roared out commands and warnings in the heat of battle. A few feet from him Mihawk was dispatching scores of enemy marines with his signature green tinted slash, his face grim with annoyance while still maintaining the air of nonchalance he was famous for. A few yards away on Buggy's other side, Crocodile was sending sand blade and using his sables attack to blow back the waves of men trying to get at him and Cross Guild's fighters. Everywhere Buggy turned he could see his nakama fighting with everything that they had. Alvida was laughing like a mad woman as she smashed people left and right with her signature star shaped mace. Cabaji was holding his own with his sword, slashing his way through marine after marine. Galdino was making things a nightmare for the marines by sending thick wax everywhere he could, hindering and knocking out several men all at once. Daz was showcasing his amazing combat skills alongside his dice dice abilities, while Mohji was sicking Richie and several other lions on unsuspecting marines and using his whip to trip up and even disarm any marine he could get to.

Out on the open seas, while the smaller boats were able to disgorge some of their fighters, the bigger boats were being held back by an entire collective of Crocodile's gigantic Banana and strawbarrywanis who were wreaking plenty of havock on the Navy war ships.

It was complete bedlam, and through this chaos Buggy could see this big, burly red haired marine fighter with a large rifle in his hands and a determined focus in his eyes, all directed a Crocodile who was slashing at several attackers with his hook and sucking others down into a sandy death using the sand beneath his feet. Buggy's heart plummeted all the way to his feet as he saw the burly marine load his rifle with a bullet made of a dark gray material that was not lead, but Buggy instantly recognized from his time at Impel Down.

Seastone.

A seastone bullet that would be fatal to any Devil Fruit user, and the fucker was aiming straight for Crocodile.

Without thought, Buggy took of running as fast as his legs could carry him across the sands towards Crocodile.

Mihawk whirled around after sending another seismic wave of haki to drive back the marines, his sharp instincts screaming at him to turn and seek out Buggy and Crocodile.

The sight the he beheld would be burned in his memory for as long as he lived as with mounthing horror his saw Buggy racing across the sand towards Crocodile just as a Marine raised a high powered rifle and aimed for the sand wielder.

" Buggy no!" Mihawk yelled as he raised Yoru and sent a jarring slash right for the Marine.

Buggy couldn't hear Mihawk, his sole focus on reaching Crocodile eventhough it felt like he was running through concrete.

He distantly heared a pop go off and picked up his pace, even as he heard the sound of Mihawk's slash a moment later followed by an agonized death scream.

" CROCO!" Buggy screamed as he chop chopped himself at the ankles and used all the force in his body to propel himself up towards a much taller Crocodile'

" What?" Crocodile snapped, turning just in time to catch the body clad in reds and whites that crashed right into him and seized him in a death grip.

" Buggy!" Crocodile yelled just as Buggy's whole body jerked violently and he let out a sharp cry before immediately going silent.

Wide, utterly stunned pale blue eyes met those of equally stunned pale violet. Everything faded away around Buggy and Crocodile as they clung to each other. All was silent, all was still and then Buggy finally broke the horrific impasse.

" O-Ow, Cr-Croco 'm hit." Buggy choked out before a great geiser of dark red blood erupted from his mouth.

" Nooooo! Buggy noooo!" Crocodile roared as all at once he realized that his clown had literally taken a bullet for him, wetness from his back spilling out over his hand he had splayed across Buggy's back.

From where he stood, Mihawk was frozen in abject horror, having witnessed the entire thing.

With his superior speed he raced across the sand to his lovers, crashing onto his knees beside Crocodile as the man lowered their bleeding clown to the sands.

" H-Haw-Hawky." Buggy stuttered out, more blood spilling from his crimson lips.

" I am here Buggy, I am here! Just hold on! You're going to be alright!" Mihawk said as he cupped Buggy's pale cheek and focused his observation haki over Buggy to assess the situation.

The bullet had entered Buggy's back but had not gone all the way through, lodging just bellow his lung. It would have been a kill shot for Crocodile had Buggy not intervened, and with their size difference the bullet appeared to have thankfully not hit anything vital in the clown, but Mihawk was no doctor and they needed to get Buggy help ASAP.

" Crocodile get him to the medical tent, I'll send these bastards straight to Hell myself!" Mihawk said with deadly promise.

" Dr-Dracule." Buggy croaked out, using his waning strengthed to lash out and hook Mihawk by his neck to pull him down for a desperate, blood tinted kiss. Mihawk kissed Buggy back fervently before he forced himself away.

" You're going to be just fine Buggy." He said with conviction before he pulled Crocodile to him for another charged kiss before all but shoving the man away.

" NOW GO!" He roared before he picked up Yoru and rose to his feet, the flames of Hell itself dancing in his golden eyes.

" Fucking kill them all Hawk!" Crocodile roared before he took off running with a gasping and groaning Buggy in his arms, Daz coming up deside him and running ahead to literally cut a path for him.

News of Buggy being shot spread like wild fire and enraged Cross Guild's fighters as they unleashed renewed fury upon the Marines.

With all the chaos happening around him, Mihawk walked with measured steps, cutting down anyone who dared come at him before he was standing in the middle of the beach with his eyes focused on the lead ship of the armada.

The air around the swordsman started to buzz almost violently, those in his general vicinity pausing in their fighting to gawk at the yellow eyed man fearfully. Many Marines started to lose the nerve and made a run for it back to their ships, Cross Guild fighters chasing after them or falling back, instinctively knowing something big was about to go down and they best got the hell out of Mihawk's way.

There was a moment of stillness, and then Mihawk unleashed his fury and everything went RED.

People all over the beach who had not fled in time, Marine and Cross Guilder alike rapidly lost consciousness as Mihawk summoned forth not even an eighth of the force of his Conqueror's Haki. Wave after wave of awe inspiring power passed over the beach, leaving everyone on it crumpling to the sand. Those Marines on their ships were no better as many lost consciousness, including those piloting the vessels. Several of the enemy ships started going sideways as their drivers passed out.

Mihawk took in a deep breath before he raised Yoru high and unleashed a deadly barage of slashes, all infused with his fury and haki.

Those still standing watched in awe and fear as Mihawk singlehandedly laid waist to the Navy armada, literally cutting the lead ship to ribbons and making mince meat out of the surrounding smaller ships.

When the reddish black rage faded, Mihawk turned away not even bothering to watch the Navy ships as they sunk into the churning waters of the ocean, and the hungry jaws of the giant fruitwanis waiting beneath the surface.

Mihawk sheathed Yoru and took off running back towards Buggy Town as fast as his legs could carry him.

Just as he was about to reach the dark green hospital tent, a loud, anguished roar slammed through the air from within the tent.

Richie. Richie lion was letting the whole world know his despair, and it sent a fresh jolt of panick and denial through Mihawk as he closed the distance and crashed into the hospital tent.

The sight that greeted him was something straight out of a nightmare. Alvida was collapsed onto the floor, horrified tears streaming down her pale and dirt streaked face. Cabaji and Mohji were clinging to Richie, the three of them weeping. Galdino was keening inanely in utter despair, and even Daz looked utterly dazed as they were all gazing at the center of the tent, where a defeated looking Dr. Jungo and her team of other doctors surrounded a bloodied gurney upon which a blue haired figure dressed in red lay limp and unmoving, flopping about only as Crocodile loomed over him and shook him by his shoulders in an effort to wake him up.

" BUGGY! BUGGY COME ON! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES! YOU HAVE TO OPEN YOUR EYES! YOU CAN'T DO THIS CLOWN! YOU CAN'T FUCKING DO THIS! I WON'T FUCKING ALLOW IT! FUCK!" Crocodile roared desperately right into Buggy's pale and slack face as all the machines let out monotone beeps, indicating a full flatlining of Buggy's vital signs.

Buggy remained silent, his chest remained still.

" M-Mihawk sama." Dr. Jungo croaked out, shaking her head with her eyes overbright.

Mihawk said nothing as his legs carried him seemingly on autopilot to Buggy's side.

Crocodile looked up at Mihawk's approach and just gave him a desperate, pleading look that no one had ever seen come across the sand wielder's face.

Seeing such a look on his beloved Crocodile's face, coupled with it looking like they had lost Buggy for all intents and purposes caused something in Mihawk to snap like a rubberband pulled to tight.

" No." He breathed as he looked between a slowly shattering Crocodile and Buggy's pale, bloodied face.

" No." He said again, this time more firmly as a renewed rage slowly filled him.

" NO!" Mihawk roared before he reached across and grabbed Crocodile by the front of his shirt and seared him with a look as he spoke.

" Fucking pull yourself together and start giving him breaths now damnit!" He roared before he let go of the sand wielder and folded his hands over the center of Buggy's bare chest to start compressions.

Alvida sobbed as she and the rest of their crew, and the medical staff all watched in grief stricken silence as Crocodile started giving Buggy his breath and Mihawk pushed at his chest, the both of them desperately trying to resuscitate him.

The sight was devastating in both it's cloying despair and its desperate love.

Crocodile gave breath after breath, and Mihawk pushed again and again.

Nothing, nothing at all, just Buggy laying far too still.

Without making a sound Mihawk raised his fist and brought it down hard over Buggy's heart.

Nothing.

Crocodile blew another breath into Buggy's lungs.

Nothing.

Mihawk brought his fist down again.

Nothing.

Crocodile pushed another lung full of his own air through Buggy's slack lips.

Nothing.

Dr. Jungo, with tears streaming down her face stepped forward to try and stop them as with a sudden, gutwrenching roar, Mihawk brought his fist down over Buggy's heart once more.

Mihawk's fist made impact, the machines all started beeping and going crazy, and then a pair of pale blue eyes suddenly burst wide open as their owner inhaled a profound lung full of air and unexpectedly returned to the land of the living.

Buggy D. Clown arched up alive again as the world around him came back into sharp focus after he had lost all consciousness halfway through Crocodile carrying him to the hospital tent.

He had known nothing more until this moment when a jolt had coursed through him and yanked him back from whatever white nothingness he had been surrouned by.

Crocodile and Mihawk stood absolutely gobsmacked as they watched Buggy take in breath after breath before them.

Alive. He was alive. They had wrested him back from the jaws of death himself.

" C-Cro...co.. Haw-Haw...ky." Buggy whispered through blood stained lips, all that he could manage with his battered lungs.

That seemed to snap Crocodile and Mihawk out of their shared stupor as they both lunged for Buggy, nearly bashing each other in the head as they kissed him all over, desperate to feel how alive he was for themselves.

Dr. Jungo was stunned for several seconds but soon enough her instincts as a doctor took over and she and her team of doctors and nurses swarmed the trio and took over. In a flurry of activity, they rushed Buggy off to surgery, the blue haired Yonko weakly crying out for Crocodile and Mihawk as he was separated from them, the two former Warlords rushing after him only for some of the braver nurses and aids halting them and asking them to let Dr. Jungo and her team get the bullet out of Buggy so that all of their efforts to get their clown back from the brink of death would not be in vain.

Crocodile and Mihawk were left standing there, utterly stunned.

There was another moment of stillness, and then with a shuddering breath Crocodile's knees gave out from under him as he collapsed onto the hospital tent floor, sitting there and gasping for air himself as he hyperventilated. Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Daz, and Galdino all rushed forward to help him along with some of the nurses. Mihawk though just stayed where he was, his gaze towards the operating room that Buggy had been taken into but his golden yellow eyes glazed and unseeing.

The crew and the nurses all looked to him in concern while also trying to help Crocodile get his breathing under control.

Once he wasn't wheezing like he was the one dying, Crocodile looked up and blinked at the sight of Mihawk standing there like a statue.

" Dracule!" Crocodile called as he scrambled to his feet and rushed over to his swordsman.

The crew and medical staff watched as Crocodile summarily seized Mihawk, yanking the shorter man into a bone bending embrace, knocked the hat off his head to cup the back of it with his large hand. He crushed Mihawk to his chest tightly, pressing his own face into the top of his jet black hair and just breathing shakily.

Mihawk's face was smushed into Crocodile's chest, only his one eye visible against the sand wielder's green and gold striped waistcoat.

Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, Daz, and Galdino all watched with their own nerves threadbare and done as a single tear finally escaped this one golden eyes to carve a train down Mihawk's colorless cheek as the swordsman finally moved, lifting his arms to wrap them around Crocodile and fist his pale, lightly trembling hands into the back of his lover's waistcoat hard enough to tear the fabric.

It was this sight that finally broke the crew of their own collective paralysis as together they all rushed forward and surrounded their two remaining leaders in a crushing group hug of their own, save for Daz who still kept his reserve, but reached out to place his hands on both Crocodile and Mihawk's shoulders as a means to comfort them as best he could.

Several long and agonizingly torturous hours later...

The beach where once was war now stood silent and littered with the charred remnants of the battle that had been fought, bodies still being quietly cleared away, tears for their loss being shed.

The battle with the Marines had been won, and Cross Guild was battered but standing, but there was no joyous victory celebration, instead everyone was congregated around the hospital tent, waiting for even the slightest word on the fate of their Chairman. They didn't know the full details of what had happened after Buggy Sama took a bullet to the back and Mihawk ran off the field after obliterating the Navy armada with his Conqueror's Haki.

All they knew was that Chairman Buggy had succumbed to the seastone bullet and then somehow, someway, Crocodile Sama and Mihawk Sama revived him through their sheer force of will alone.

It just made the legend of these three grow even more, their love so strong that not even death could part them this day.

All around the hospital tent the denizens of Cross Guild, bruised and battered, but alive all prayed for their Chairman and his executives, praying for their victory today to not turn hollow and pyrrich. What was Crossguild without its ruling trio, for they knew that if Buggy didn't make it, there would be no point to any of it for Sir Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk.

Inside the tent, Crocodile and Mihawk stood side by side before the doors to the operating theater, their hands laced together tightly. They hadn't moved from that spot once since Mihawk had composed himself in Crocodile's death grib. Around them their crew sat and waited with them, medical staff milling about treating the many wounded that had been brought to the tent alongside and after Buggy.

It seemed like there would be no words for hours still when Mihawk suddenly grew alert and squeezed Crocodile's hand with near bruising force. Crocodile looked sharply to Mihawk before the yellow eyed man jerked his chin towards the curtains to the operating theater where a familiar figure emerged from behind them a moment later.

Dr. Jungo stepped out of the operating room in her surgical gear and looking decades older, but as she caught sight of Crocodile and Mihawk she stepped towards them quickly with her eyes lighting up as she spoke.

" Buggy Sama made it through surgery, we were able to successfully remove the seastone bullet. He's going to be alright." The good doctor declared before she was letting out a soft yelp as she was summarily swept right off her feet and into the long and well-built arms of Sir Crocodile as the grateful sand wielder he literally picked her up and hugged her.

" Thanks Doc! Thank you so much!" Crocodile croaked out in utter relief.

Warm hands taking one of her own had Dr. Jungo looking down to see Mihawk holding her hand between his own, a look of open gratitude on his face and his golden eyes overbright.

" Thank you Dr. Jungo." Mihawk all but whispered before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the back of Dr. Jungo's hand.

" I should be the one thanking you. It was the both of you who brought him back when everything else my team and I tried was all for naught." Dr. Jungo said as he patted Crocodile's shoulder and squeezed Mihawk's hands, her eyes warm with her own gratitude.

No sooner had Crocodile set Dr. Jungo down, she was set upon by a grateful Alvida, Cabaji, Mohji, Richie, and Galdino, while Daz just gave her a quick nod before he turned to go and make the announcement of Chairman Buggy's survival to those waiting outside.

Amidst the joyous roaring that sounded outside the tent a few moments later, Mihawk and Crocodile eagerly asked Dr. Jungo when they could see their Buggy. Dr. Jungo assured them that she would come and get them once Buggy was moved to the recovery wing before she hurried off to tend to the other wounded in the tent.

It was another agonizingly slow half hour before Dr. Jungo finally came to collect Mihawk and Crocodile to bring them to the recovery wing.

The moment they were in the back of the hospital tent in the private recovery wing reserved for Cross Guild's rulers and command crew, Mihawk and Crocodile immediately zeroed in on the one occupied bed in the middle of the ward, where a familiar blue haired figure lay.

Crocodile and Mihawk rushed forward to Buggy's bedside, surprised to find their Yonko was actually awake.

" Oi Clown!" Crocodile yelled as he closed the distance between him and Buggy, the still very groggy blue haired Yonko grinning up at him as he tried to raise his arms and reach out for the sand wielder, but he was too exhausted still.

Crocodile slowed himself down as he finally reached Buggy, the two of them coming together in a deep kiss, desperate noises emmanating from the both of them as they reunited.

Mihawk stood silent and off to the side through out this, not moving to join his lovers, simply drinking in the sight of the two of them together and alive. He would have continued to just stand their, too wrapped up in his own head and complicated feets when there was suddenly a disembodied hand swimming into his line of vision and wrapping around his cross-dagger necklace. Mihawk looked up to see Buggy and Crocodile looking at him expectantly. With a sigh and a nod, Mihawk went willingly as Buggy's hand lightly pulled on his cross-dagger necklace, persing his lips a little to hold back the wave of powerful emotions that surged up inside him.

Dr. Jungo watched the exchange with fondness before she made herself scarce, knowing Buggy was in safe hands.

Buggy pulled Mihawk down into a reunion kiss of his own, the swordsman's whole body seeming to sigh as he kissed Buggy and cupped his pale cheek. When they drew back from each other, Crocodile stepped around Buggy's bed to stand at his other side, so that he and Mihawk flanked their Yonko on either side. It was Crocodile who finally spoke.

" That bullet was meant for me Clown." Crocodile rumbled quietly.

" Well you belong to me... so I gotta guard what's mine." Buggy croaked out as he reached for Crocodile's hook and gripped it tight before he turned to Mihawk.

" Dr. Jungo says... I have you to thank for punching my heart... back into pumping." Buggy breathed as he reached out with his other hand to cup Mihawk's sharp cheek.

Mihawk said nothing, only leaned into Buggy's hand and savored the feel of his lover's hand, warm and alive against his own skin.

" Thanks for not... giving up on me you guys. I love you." Buggy said with his pale blue eyes shining with tears.

Mihawk reached up and covered Buggy's hand with his own before he and Crocodile leaned in closer to loom over their lover as the swordsman spoke.

" Thank you for not going, for coming back to us. We love you too." Mihawk said softly as his own eyes burned.

" Yeah Clown, thank you for staying. Love you." Crocodile rumbled quietly as he splayed his hand over the center of Buggy's tender chest while Mihawk wrapped some of Buggy's long blue hair around his fingers.

Buggy just let out a silvery chuckle before winced softly and he pulled Mihawk and Crocodile to his chest, the three of them being careful of Buggy's wounded body as the two former Warlords tucked their heads under Buggy's chin in a show of complete trust and vulnerability.

They were a complete mess, but they were the victors in this battle not only with the Marines, but with death itself.

There would be no bringing them or their island down, not ever.

The End.