The open sea was unusually calm. A soft, lazy breeze tugged at the patched sails of the Big Top as it drifted toward the Sabaody Archipelago. It was still far in the distance, only a week or two had passed, and they had at least a month left of the journey, maybe more.
Seagulls trailed behind, cawing over the wake. The sun glimmered on the surface like gold dust, too peaceful a scene for a crew that had "chaos" written into its job description.
Buggy stood on the main deck, arms folded, squinting at his reflection in a polished dagger. "Tch… This stupid mirror finish makes my nose look huge."
Cabaji didn't look up from his mopping. "Captain, your nose is huge."
"Shut up before I detach your head," Buggy snapped. He tossed the dagger aside and clapped his hands together. "Alright, you lazy lot! Time for a little something I like to call 'training.' Sound familiar?"
Groans erupted across the deck. Mohji flopped backward dramatically, clutching Richie like a pillow. "Training again? We just barely survived Water 7..."
"You barely survived, exactly why you need training ~" Buggy said, stretching his arms out. "But I also got some room for improvement. You think I'm satisfied with how that last fight went? That leopard freak nearly turned me into party confetti."
Urouge chuckled from where he sat cross-legged near the mast. "I'd say you cut quite the figure, Captain. Both literally and figuratively."
"Har har, monk boy," Buggy said, pointing at him. "You're up first. We're sparring. Everyone else better start sparring as well! Captain's order!"
Cabaji blinked. "Y'all heard the capt'n... Better get to it!"
Urouge smiled, rising to his full, broad height. "Ah, another chance to beat your red nose in... How can I refuse~"
Buggy grinned. "Perfect. I've been working on something new anyway."
The crew quickly cleared the deck, forming a rough circle around the two. Buggy cracked his knuckles, then… popped. His arms detached from his shoulders, spinning lazily above him like twin blades.
"Captain's coming apart again," Mohji muttered.
Buggy's hands snapped open in mock indignation. "Quiet, you mutt-lover! This-" he gestured at his floating limbs "-is science."
Urouge tilted his head. "Science?"
"Devil Fruit science, to be precise."
The monk smiled. "Care to educate me? I've seen it in action aplenty, but I don't quite know how it works..."
Buggy smirked and let his forearms split at the elbows. "See, back in the day, everyone thought the Bara Bara no Mi worked in one simple way, you chop me up, and I don't die. I can move my parts freely, so long as my feet stay planted. Simple, right?"
He snapped his fingers, and the floating arms shot upward, orbiting him. "But here's the thing: that's only half true. My parts can fly even when my legs aren't grounded. They're just more… stable when I'm connected to the floor, and reach further."
Urouge raised a brow. "So the range of your separation depends on your footing?"
"Exactly!" Buggy jabbed a finger toward the sky. "The range is something fixed, supposedly, at some point my parts either separate fully or get drawn back to me, depending on how forceful they leave that range. At least that's how the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia explained it in the records. But then reality is something else entirely..."
Cabaji whispered to Mohji, "He's going on a tangent again..."
Buggy ignored them. "Long story short: my 'Bara Bara field,' the range where I can freely control my limbs, has doubled. I can stretch out over two hundred meters now, easy. And the legs? They're more like… an anchor point. If I'm not touching ground, my control weakens, but it doesn't cut off completely."
He smirked. "So either I am so fabulous that my fruit evolved, or the Book just didn't have it all written down properly~"
Mohji coughed. "Probably the second one."
Buggy's floating fist punched him squarely in the head.
Urouge cracked his knuckles, muscles rippling. "Interesting enough... How about you show me this evolution, Captain?"
"Oh, gladly." Buggy's grin widened. "And I'll show you somethin' else while I'm at it."
He extended his right arm outward. This time, instead of splitting apart, it darkened. A black sheen crawled across his skin, like liquid steel coating the limb.
Cabaji's jaw dropped. "Captain! That's-!"
After spending so long around Buggy and Urouge training it, some of the crewmembers had gotten a feel for it as well, though they couldn't use it.
"Armament Haki, actual coating..." Buggy said proudly, admiring his hand. "Still only got one arm working, but hey, progress."
Urouge's expression brightened. "You've mastered it faster than I expected."
Buggy rolled his shoulder. "Tsk, stop bragging, muscle-monk. You didn't work for that talent~"
In answer, Urouge's fists darkened both at once, the black glow rising up his forearms. "Perhaps... Not going to use your lack of talent as an excuse though, right?"
The air thickened with pressure. Even Richie whined and crouched behind Mohji as the two combatants squared off.
Buggy's floating arms spread apart, forming a loose circle around Urouge. "Observation Haki is more my style..." Buggy said with a grin. "You might be big, monk, but I can see every muscle twitch before you move."
"Then read this," Urouge said, and vanished.
He seemed to mimic some form of Soru, as seen on the government agents they had fought prior.
But Buggy could still follow it.
His punch came from the right, impossibly fast for a man his size. Buggy's body twisted midair, his torso splitting apart just in time. Urouge's fist passed through empty space, creating a shockwave that rippled across the deck.
"Nice try!" Buggy's disembodied head jeered, spinning in midair. "I can see you~!"
"Can you?" Urouge's grin widened, and suddenly, he pivoted.
The muscles on his shoulders and back twitched, and Buggy prepared for a right hook. Only for Urouge to send a quick jab with his left.
Buggy's smirk faltered as the monk's fist slammed into his detached midsection, sending the floating pieces scattering like balloons. The crew gasped.
But the clown only laughed. "Not bad! You're learning to fake me out."
As the pieces reassembled, Buggy darted in, his coated right hand slamming against Urouge's Haki-armored guard. The impact cracked the air like thunder.
The two held the clash for a second, muscles straining, the deck groaning underfoot.
Then they both broke away, breathing hard but grinning.
They rushed in again; a dance and torrent of shockwaves rattled the ship, making the new shipwrights almost faint at the amount of extra work.
Urouge tried using feints a few more times, but after the initial strike, Buggy could see them coming properly, so they were no longer effective.
The brawl ended in somewhat of a draw. With Urouge growing stronger but still susceptible to Buggy's externalized chopping.
With armament haki combined, it was even deadlier, so Urouge didn't feel like continuing the fight, especially after Buggy left a small cut over his shoulder in a playful manner.
He needed direct contact with his palms to cut, sure, but with that chaotic fighting style, even Urouge struggled to keep track of where those palms were.
Buggy flexed his fingers, letting the Armament fade. "Hoo… Can't keep it on for too long yet. Burns through stamina faster than this circus burns through booze."
Urouge chuckled. "You're improving quickly, though. Especially when it comes to Mantra, or Observation as you've called it..."
Buggy tilted his head. "Yeah, it's weird. Feels like I can see the movement before it happens. Like a half-second glimpse of the future, but not quite there yet."
Urouge nodded sagely. "The older monks used to call that the 'Whisper of Divinity'. It's more-so the stuff of legends. Allowing mortals to catch a glimpse of the future."
"Eh, it's nothing like actual future sight... Maybe just a primitive version of it." Buggy said. "I ain't complaining though; it's useful."
The monk laughed heartily, shaking his head.
From the sidelines, Cabaji whispered, "They're both monsters now."
Mohji nodded. "At least the captain's our monster, and the monk ain't half-bad either..."
Buggy clapped his hands, floating limbs returning to their sockets. "Alright! That's enough enlightenment for today. Any more and my head'll pop off, literally."
He looked around, satisfied. "Good work, everyone. Training over. Next time, we'll add explosions!"
"Please don't," Mohji begged.
The day stretched lazily onward as the ship sailed deeper into the Grand Line. Clouds gathered, streaking the horizon like silver threads. Buggy leaned against the railing, arms crossed, looking… almost thoughtful.
Urouge joined him. "You're thinking again, Captain."
"Yeah. Dangerous, I know." Buggy glanced at the sky. "I was just wondering how far we've come. A few months back, we were juggling pies for pocket change and looting small villages. Now we're the most notorious pirates this part of the Grand Line, circus has grown too..."
Urouge smiled. "Quite the divine comedy indeed."
Buggy snorted. "You're not funny, but it's fine, you're still a newcomer to this circus~"
They both laughed anyway.
Later that evening, the sea turned strange. The calm water shifted, rippling unnaturally. Cabaji was the first to notice. "Uh… Captain?"
Buggy glanced up, squinting. "What now?"
A shadow loomed over the Big Top, massive, elegant, and unmistakably menacing. A pink-feathered coat fluttered in the wind, and a tall man stood above them on invisible threads, casting his shadow upon them and smiling like a predator who'd found new toys.
Doflamingo.
Buggy's jaw slackened. "…Well. Shit."
Urouge's expression darkened, his muscles tensing. "He feels... menacing..."
The Warlord's laugh echoed across the sea, high and cruel. "Fuffuffuffuffu~… What do we have here? The infamous Buggy the Clown. I've been hearing some very amusing stories about you lately."
Buggy forced a grin. "Doffy! Ol' buddy, ol' pal! What brings a distinguished gentleman like yourself out here to bully a humble entertainer?"
Doflamingo tilted his head, his grin widening. "Entertainment, of course. I heard you've been cutting things up lately, government dogs, even. I wanted to see if the rumors were true."
Strings glinted in the sun, stretching out like spider silk.
Buggy sighed and muttered under his breath, "Every damn time I think things are calm for five minutes…"