The morning started like any other on the Grand Line, that is, peacefully for about twelve seconds before someone started screaming.
"CAPTAIN! NEWS COO INCOMING!"
A white blur dropped from the clouds, landing on the deck with military precision before squawking at Mohji until the tamer bribed it with a sardine. Buggy snatched the paper before it could flutter away.
"Alright, let's see what the idiots at Marine HQ are writing about me this week." He flipped the newspaper open, only to freeze mid-page.
Then his grin spread so wide it could've split his face in two.
"ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION BERRIES!" he bellowed, brandishing the bounty poster like a prize trophy. "Hah! I knew they couldn't keep ignoring me! The Great Buggy, feared, envied, admired! My glorious visage plastered across every Marine base in Paradise!"
Cabaji raised an eyebrow. "They did pick a flattering picture this time."
"They finally captured my good side!" Buggy said proudly. "The aura, the danger, the sheer magnetism of it all!"
Mohji blinked at the number. "That's… actually a lot, Captain."
Buggy turned, pointing dramatically at the crew. "You hear that, boys?! One hundred and fifty million berries! We're officially expensive enough to deserve a kidnapping!"
A cheer erupted across the deck, half awe, half disbelief.
Cabaji smirked. "Guess this makes us a real crew, huh?"
"Oh, it gets better!" Buggy said, snatching another sheet. "Look who else got noticed!"
Two smaller bounty posters fluttered in his hands.
'Cabaji the Acrobat - 15,000,000 Berries.'
'Mohji the Tamer - 15,000,000 Berries.'
The two men froze.
"W-we have bounties?" Mohji squeaked.
Cabaji puffed his chest out. "Took them long enough."
Buggy clapped their shoulders, teeth gleaming. "My boys! Finally climbing the ladder of infamy! It brings a tear to my clown eye!"
Then, lowering his voice mischievously, he added, "But remember, every rising star still shines under my banner. Don't start thinking you're famous without me."
Cabaji rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it, Captain."
Buggy smirked. "Good. Now stop standing around. We've got supplies to run out of."
By noon, the crew's celebratory mood was starting to fade with the last of their meat rations.
Mohji rummaged through the pantry. "We're out of beef. Out of rice. Out of rum!"
Buggy's eyes went wide. "No rum?! That's blasphemy!"
Cabaji leaned lazily on the railing. "We've been stuck in the Calm Belt for weeks, Captain. We can't fish, can't hunt, can't even move fast enough to chase a cloud."
"Well, that's about to change!" Buggy declared.
And, as if the sea itself feared his wrath, a strong gust rolled across the still waters. The sails rippled, then billowed with life.
The ship, their massive, stolen Marine warship, finally began to glide forward under real wind.
Buggy threw his arms out dramatically. "Finally! The universe remembers who's in charge!"
Cabaji muttered, "I think that's just the wind, Captain."
"Don't ruin my moment, Cabaji!"
With the Calm Belt behind them, the Grand Line once again revealed its true nature: unpredictable, wild, and slightly suicidal. Even so, their Marine vessel carved through the chaos like a tank through tofu.
Other pirates gave them a wide berth. Even the Sea Beasts thought twice about testing that many cannons.
"See, boys?" Buggy said, leaning against the railing with a satisfied grin. "Stealing a Marine ship wasn't just genius, it was visionary!"
Cabaji chuckled. "Or lucky."
"Visionary luck!" Buggy corrected. "The best kind!"
Two weeks later, the Log Pose locked onto their next destination, a small, crescent-shaped island surrounded by a sparkling lagoon. A sign on the dock read:"Kingdom of Laguna."
A simple, humble place. Too small to matter, too quiet to care.
The lagoon's shallow waters glimmered under the sun, beautiful, but treacherous for large ships. Their warship would've scraped the seabed if they tried to dock.
"So… what now?" Cabaji asked, eyeing the narrow inlet.
Buggy squinted, then grinned. "We park offshore. No way I'm letting my beautiful Marine prize get a scratch. You two-" he pointed at Mohji and Cabaji "-take some men, get supplies. I'll handle the… important part."
"Important?" Mohji asked.
Buggy smirked. "Something for our next destination, of course~"
-
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A few hours later, Buggy and a small escort rowed ashore, boots squelching against the coral sand.
Laguna's town center looked like something out of an old postcard: coral-paved streets, brightly painted shops, and kids playing with conch shells. It was almost nauseatingly peaceful.
It was neutral ground; even pirates were acting nice in there... Why?
Because the Kingdom of Laguna was the hub for a lot of merchant guilds, with a lot of money and connections.
Basically, pirates could either play nice or be blacklisted from even buying candy in the next town over.
Buggy walked down the market road, his coat flowing behind him like a cape, drawing stares from every corner. "What's everyone gawking at? Never seen a living legend before?"
"Probably wondering why a clown's wearing epaulettes," Cabaji murmured.
"They're golden epaulettes," Buggy hissed. "Very different vibe!"
He left them to their errands and strutted into a squat building near the harbor, marked with a polished brass sign:
'Paradise Enterprise - The Prime Merchant Union of the Grand Line.'
The interior smelled of ink, tobacco, and, most importantly, money.
Everywhere, traders argued over prices, maps, and contracts. A dozen different dialects bounced off the walls. Buggy fit in perfectly -loud, animated, and slightly dangerous.
He marched up to the counter at one of the terminals there. "I'm looking to purchase an Eternal Pose. Destination: Alabasta."
The clerk, a long-nosed man with a monocle, didn't even glance up from his ledger. "Fifteen million berries."
Buggy blinked. "…Excuse me?"
"Fifteen million," the man repeated. "While it is a low-demand route for a trade route, an Eternal Pose is still a rare item."
Buggy leaned forward. "Still, fifteen million for a glorified compass that points to a sandpit?!"
"But it is not just a sandpit to you, is it? Why else would you be buying an eternal pose to it..." the man said calmly. "And compasses that survive the Grand Line are anything but normal, but you already know that."
Buggy exhaled sharply. "You've got guts trying to rob me in daylight."
The merchant smirked. "You'd be surprised how often I hear that."
Buggy was about to slam his hands down, then paused. His grin turned slow, sly, and sharp.
"You know," he said, lowering his voice, "I might have something better than cash."
The merchant frowned. "We don't take circus coupons."
Buggy chuckled darkly. "Not coupons, friend. Information. About Alabasta."
That earned a look. The clerk leaned in, tone cautious. "What kind of information?"
"The kind that makes money. But it involves some rather interesting characters... So it may be worth speaking in private." Buggy's grin widened as he saw the slight interest flickering in the clerk's eye.
Without wasting any time, he pulled Buggy aside into one of the private rooms in their union.
Dealing with information was nothing new for the Paradise Enterprise; any merchant worth his salt knew the value of information.
Buggy sat down in that room and crossed his arms. He wasted no time either.
"You've heard of Crocodile, right? The big pirate running that kingdom like his own pet sandbox?"
"Yes," the man said. "One of the Seven Warlords. The people consider him a local hero..."
"Hero, my red nose," Buggy scoffed. "The guy's stirring up a rebellion, manipulating the whole kingdom from the shadows. In a few months, that desert's gonna burn hotter than hell. Civil war, famine, chaos… but also, opportunity."
The merchant's pen stilled mid-note. "Do you have any proof for this information...?"
"Nothing to actively back this; Crocodile covers his tracks well." Buggy leaned back with a smug grin. "I am aware that lack of proof will lower the value of this intel... But imagine what happens to trade routes when an entire kingdom implodes. Now imagine you already knew it was coming."
The clerk studied him for a long moment… then smiled. "The Paradise Enterprise rewards useful partners."
He reached beneath the counter, producing a sleek black case. Inside was a glass sphere, its needle frozen toward a single direction, unwavering and sure.
Buggy's eyes lit up. "That's…"
"Eternal Pose to Alabasta," the man said. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill. Your little tip may have given us a head start... We did hear of things stirring up over there for a while now; hearing that Crocodile is involved makes things even better..."
Buggy blinked, then grinned ear to ear. "Still, for free?"
The merchant nodded. "Let's call it an investment in our new relationship."
Buggy laughed, a full-bodied, triumphant laugh that turned every head in the room. "Now that's how you do business! You're alright, monocle-man. You've got style."
He tucked the Eternal Pose into his coat and turned to leave. "Next time I've got world-shaking intel, I'll know where to go."
"Paradise Enterprise will be waiting," the clerk said smoothly. "Try not to die in Alabasta, Mr. Buggy."
"Please," Buggy said, striking a pose in the doorway, "death runs away from me."
He stepped into the sunlight, the Eternal Pose gleaming in his palm, pointing straight toward destiny.
Alabasta.
A kingdom on the edge of a storm.
And a clown walking straight toward it with a grin.