"Buggy Pirates? Are they bad guys?"
When Luffy saw the villagers scatter in terror the instant Buggy's name was mentioned, he couldn't help but think of Colonel Morgan back in Shells Town.
"Who knows?" Zoro shrugged.
Although he'd once been a pirate hunter, he had never heard of the Buggy Pirates before.
That wasn't surprising. When Buggy had gone to Wano to meet Kaoru Tsubasa, he'd left his two crewmates — Mochi and Kabaji — behind in the East Blue. Originally, Buggy only intended to collect the treasure Kaoru had promised him, then return for his men.
But things hadn't gone according to plan. Kaoru hadn't just given him the Grace of the Sun — he'd also instructed Buggy to stay in Wano and study the Three Colors of Haki under Kaido himself. That had taken time — a lot of time.
A year ago, Buggy had finally left Wano. With his newly awakened power and haki, he was confident he could handle anything the New World threw at him. He'd planned to bring Mochi and Kabaji along.
However, when he found them again, they'd already gathered a ragtag band of pirates under their name.
Most of them were weaklings — ordinary folk who'd picked up swords for the first time. Buggy had considered abandoning them, but his pride as "Captain Buggy" wouldn't allow it. The title had a nice ring to it.
So he'd decided: he would stay a little longer in the East Blue, strengthen his new crew, and then set sail for the New World.
"Move it! Captain Buggy's coming through!"
A pirate at the front of the procession shouted, clearing the way.
"Is that him? The one with the red nose?" Luffy asked, pointing directly at the clownish man sitting in a red armchair with his eyes closed.
The moment the Buggy Pirates heard those words, they froze in horror. Every man among them knew their captain despised that nickname more than anything.
"Who just called me red nose?!" Buggy snapped, his eyes flying open.
His face turned crimson with rage. The last time someone had called him that — Whitebeard, of all people — Buggy had tried to fight him on the spot. Of course, he'd been pummeled into the ground for his trouble, but he still held that grudge.
Now, after all the training he'd undergone, he was determined to challenge Whitebeard again someday.
"Men!" Buggy roared. "Take that guy's head off!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The crew cheered and charged forward, swords raised high.
Luffy grinned in excitement, while Zoro casually reached for his blades.
Up above, Kaoru Tsubasa stood quietly on a nearby rooftop. He'd been there repairing a house with his spiritual techniques, so Buggy hadn't noticed him yet.
"Luffy, Zoro," Kaoru's voice echoed softly in their minds — his words carried by spiritual telepathy, one of his special arts. "Go easy on them. Don't kill anyone. I know their captain."
The two nodded faintly.
"Kill them!" the Buggy Pirates roared, rushing forward.
But it was over in seconds. With the combined might of Luffy and Zoro, the entire group was sent flying, unconscious before they even hit the ground.
Buggy wasn't surprised. His trained eye saw immediately that the two possessed serious power.
They're strong, he thought. Not enough to defeat me, maybe — but easily the strongest in all of East Blue.
"Hmm… Mochi, Kabaji. You two — your turn."
Buggy gestured forward.
Mochi and Kabaji exchanged a look, then nodded.
The first was a shirtless man with wild white hair, walking beside his loyal lion, Riki. The other, a performer in motley clothes, rode forward on a unicycle, balancing two curved swords.
"Ohhh, Zoro, look!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "That lion looks awesome!"
"And the white-haired guy… is that his hair, or part of his outfit?" Luffy wondered aloud, clearly fascinated.
Zoro cracked his neck and drew his swords. "That unicycle guy looks fun enough."
Kabaji sneered. "I'll take your head to Captain Buggy myself!"
"Try it," Zoro said with a smirk. "Let's see if you're even qualified."
Both lunged forward at once.
Meanwhile, Mochi lashed his whip. "Riki! Attack the straw hat!"
The lion roared and charged.
"Whoa!" Luffy stretched his rubber arms, grabbed Riki's mane, and vaulted onto his back with a laugh.
"What do you think you're doing, Straw Hat?!" Mochi shouted, veins popping on his forehead. "Get off Riki right now! Only I can ride him!"
He swung his whip again, striking Luffy — but it did nothing. The blow bounced harmlessly off his rubber skin.
"Yahoo! Let's go, Riki!" Luffy whooped, bouncing on the lion's back.
"Damn it!" Mochi cursed, realizing he'd completely lost control of his own beast.
On the other side, Zoro and Kabaji clashed. Kabaji's acrobatic swordsmanship was unorthodox — leaping, spinning, unpredictable. For a while, Zoro struggled to read his movements.
Then — BOOM!
Luffy, riding Riki, accidentally slammed into Zoro mid-battle, knocking him headfirst into a pile of debris.
"Sorry, Zoro!" Luffy shouted, though he didn't sound sorry at all.
Kabaji blinked in confusion. "What the—?"
A second later, Luffy came barreling toward him atop Riki.
"Don't come near me!" Kabaji yelped, rolling out of the way.
"Mochi, control your beast!" he shouted angrily.
"I can't!" Mochi yelled back. "The straw hat's on his back — Riki won't listen to me!"
Kaoru sighed from the rooftop. Still the same old Luffy — reckless as ever.
"Enough."
Zoro stood up, brushing off the dust, his eyes flashing. "I'm ending this."
He crossed his swords behind his back. "Three-Sword Style: Tiger Hunt!"
Three flashes of steel cut across the air. Riki froze mid-roar, three deep slashes marking his chest, before collapsing with a heavy thud.
Luffy was thrown skyward from the impact, tumbling through the air.
"Sorry, Luffy," Zoro said, smirking as he mimicked Luffy's earlier tone.
Kaoru nearly laughed aloud watching the scene unfold. Zoro, teasing someone? That's new.
"Riki!" Mochi cried, dropping to his knees beside his fallen companion. The lion wasn't dead — Zoro had held back, just as Kaoru had instructed — but the sight still broke his heart.
"It's your turn," Zoro said, pointing his blade at Kabaji.
Kabaji tightened his grip on his swords. "Then let's finish this in one move!"
"Fine by me." Zoro raised his swords. "Three-Sword Style — Oni Giri: Brave Claw!"
Kabaji crossed his blades in an X-shape. "Dual Sword Style — Acrobat Technique: Fire Tiger Leap!"
The two attacks collided. Sparks exploded between them — and then, with a sharp crack, Kabaji's swords shattered. A deep cross-shaped cut tore across his chest.
"Impossible…" he gasped, collapsing to his knees.
"That's enough," Buggy said at last, waving his hand. "Mochi, Kabaji — fall back."
The two staggered away, defeated but alive. Buggy didn't look angry; rather, he seemed oddly satisfied. He'd wanted his crew to get real combat experience — and they had.
At that moment, Luffy came running back, brushing dirt from his face. "Zoro! Why'd you knock Riki down?! I wanted to ride him again!"
"Sorry, Luffy," Zoro said, utterly unbothered.
"Okay, then I forgive you!" Luffy replied instantly.
Zoro blinked. So that's how he forgives so easily…
Kaoru chuckled quietly to himself.
"Alright, you little brats," Buggy boomed, floating into the air. "Let me, Captain Buggy, take care of you personally!"
He extended his arms — literally — as his body split apart, hovering through the air with eerie precision.
Kaoru jumped down from the roof before he could attack. "That's enough, Buggy."
Buggy froze midair. "K-Kaoru?!"
The instant he saw him, Buggy's limbs flew apart in panic. His face went pale. "You—you're here?!"
Kaoru crossed his arms. "If you try pinching my face again like last time, I'm throwing you into the ocean."
Buggy froze, remembering the incident back in Wano. His hand, halfway toward Kaoru's cheek, stopped dead in the air.
"Relax," Kaoru sighed, gesturing toward Luffy. "This is my captain."
"C-Captain?" Buggy blinked in disbelief. He stared at Luffy, then at Kaoru. "You're… following him?"
He had assumed Kaoru would one day form his own powerful crew — not serve under someone else.
"Wait a sec…" Buggy squinted at Luffy's hat. "That straw hat looks familiar…"
"This?" Luffy took it off, smiling. "It was given to me by Shanks. You know him?"
The mention of that name made Buggy's entire face twitch.
"Nani?! That straw hat belonged to that bastard Shanks?!" Buggy bellowed, veins popping out of his forehead.
"Alright, alright," Kaoru said, patting Buggy's head with a grin. "Let's not start another Shanks argument here."
Buggy's rage cooled instantly.
Thanks to Kaoru's presence, Buggy quickly warmed up to Luffy. Before long, the two were drinking together, laughing as though they'd been brothers for years.
"Brother Luffy!" Buggy slurred, throwing an arm around him. "How about we make it official — become sworn brothers?"
"Sure!" Luffy said cheerfully. "But I get to be the big brother!"
"No way!" Buggy snapped. "I'm the eldest! You can be the third!"
"The third? Why not second?" Luffy asked, confused.
"Because the second's already taken," Buggy muttered, thinking of Kaido. The two of them had argued countless times in Wano over who was senior. If Kaido ever heard Buggy calling himself the elder brother again, it would mean another fistfight — or ten.
"No, I wanna be the big brother!" Luffy said stubbornly, puffing his cheeks.
Buggy grinned slyly and took a sip of sake. "You sure about that? The eldest brother has to share his meat with the younger ones."
Luffy froze mid-protest.
Kaoru nearly choked on his drink, laughing. Buggy's gotten crafty… must've picked that up from Kaido.
"N-No way!" Luffy cried. "Then I don't wanna be the big brother anymore!"
"Good! Then it's settled," Buggy said proudly. "You're the third."
He tossed Luffy a jade pendant — a purple one engraved with a swirling symbol.
"This is yours," Buggy said. "A gift from your new brother."
He and Kaido both carried black versions of the same pendant — a bond forged back in Wano.
Luffy turned it over in his palm, eyes softening. "I've already got two older brothers… Ace and Sabo."
Buggy blinked.
"They'll always be my brothers," Luffy said quietly, smiling.
Buggy grinned. "Then that makes four of us now — me, Kaido, Ace, and Sabo."
Luffy laughed and raised his pendant high. "Heh… guess my family just got bigger!"