One Piece: Buggy the Great King of the Sea

Shanks finally gave up trying to convince Buggy to join his crew.

"So… where do you two plan to start your journey?

Do you want me to see you off one more time?" Rayleigh asked.

"No need, Uncle Rayleigh. I'm setting sail from Loguetown," Shanks replied without hesitation.

He'd already made up his mind before coming here. Even if he wasn't departing from this exact spot, he never planned to trouble Rayleigh for help.

"Same here, Uncle Rayleigh. I won't trouble you either," Buggy added.

But Buggy's plan was different from Shanks'.

He had no intention of heading out to sea just yet.

Instead, he intended to hide his identity and spend the next year as a bounty hunter. He wanted real combat experience, to confront life-and-death situations, and grow through battle. He needed to become even stronger—and more importantly, integrate into this world and feel its cruelty firsthand.

This step was necessary.

In his previous life, Buggy had lived as an ordinary man during a time of peace. He had no experience with killing, nor had he faced death head-on. But these traits—decisiveness, survival instinct, and experience under pressure—were essential for surviving in the ruthless seas of this world. Becoming a bounty hunter was the best way to gain them.

Bounty hunters never lacked for battles, nor the constant gamble between life and death. And as a bonus, there were bounties—money he could use later to buy a ship and other necessities for his journey.

Rayleigh smiled with satisfaction at their matching responses.

They'd both grown up.

They were now sailing toward their seas of freedom.

He couldn't have been prouder.

None of them wasted time with long goodbyes or sentimental partings.

Rayleigh turned around without hesitation and headed toward his small sailboat.

Shanks also turned to begin his voyage to find his future crewmates and chase his dreams across the sea.

Only Buggy remained, watching the two figures grow smaller in the distance.

His eyes were filled with reluctant emotion.

Even though he had only spent a year or so with them, the bond of friendship and the gratitude for their guidance and teachings had left a deep mark on his heart. Parting ways wasn't easy.

After one final glance, Buggy turned and left as well.

He would now embark on his journey—a path to power, carved by his own hands.

He would shake this sea to its very core.

One Year Later – Loguetown, East Blue

"Hey, did you hear? That bounty hunter called 'Clown'—he wiped out the entire Giant Blade Pirates, rulers of the East Blue!"

"Seriously?! But that pirate had a bounty of 30 million Berries! No way someone took him down alone!"

"That's nothing. I heard this Clown guy even fought one of the Supernovas from the New World recently—and didn't lose!"

"Yeah, I heard that too. They say the fight was so intense, the whole sky felt like it was splitting apart. Neither side could finish the other."

A group of civilians stood by the roadside, excitedly gossiping about the now-famous bounty hunter known only by his code name: Clown.

"Hey—look over there! Isn't that him?!"

One man suddenly stood up, pointing excitedly toward a figure in the distance.

Everyone turned to look.

Walking toward them was a young man, around 1.7 meters tall. He wasn't especially bulky, but something about him—his posture, his presence—radiated raw strength.

He carried a cloth sack soaked in blood, clearly containing something heavy.

His physique was nothing particularly special by One Piece standards.

But his face—now that was unmistakable.

His bright red nose stood out like a beacon.

And his entire face was painted like a clown, in a style reminiscent of Gotham's Jerome—the kind of face that would stick in anyone's memory.

"Shh! Keep it down! I heard he hates being called 'Clown'—if he hears you, you're in for a serious beating."

"Okay, okay, I got it!"

The man walking down the street was none other than Buggy.

His clown appearance wasn't by choice—it was the result of necessity.

Originally, Buggy had planned to wear a mask to conceal his identity.

But no matter what he tried, his red nose stuck out too much. Even half-masks didn't help; they made him look even more ridiculous and drew more attention.

Left with no other option—and wanting something that looked a bit more 'intentional'—Buggy chose to recreate the look of Gotham's Jerome. The style was striking but acceptable in the world of pirates.

It covered his red nose well, and most assumed he was just someone who liked the clown aesthetic.

And so, he became known by the codename: "Clown."

One Year as a Bounty Hunter

Buggy's past year had been vibrant and action-packed.

After Roger's execution, some pirates who had come to witness it hadn't immediately left the East Blue.

Among them were Gekko Moriah, Crocodile, and even Dracule Mihawk.

Upon learning that these infamous names were still in the area, Buggy carefully made his move, intending to challenge each of them.

In the case of Moriah and Crocodile, Buggy even hoped to capture them for bounties, provided he had the upper hand.

Though things didn't go exactly as planned, Buggy wasn't disappointed.

He got to see firsthand just how dangerous these people were when they were young, long before they became easier to defeat in the later parts of the series.

His first target was Gekko Moriah.

At this point, Moriah wasn't the bloated figure people would see decades later.

He was tall, lean, and exuded a dangerous aura.

His physique wasn't overly muscular, but his presence—his energy—commanded caution.

His crew also looked formidable—not the type you'd pick a fight with lightly.

Buggy didn't rush into combat.

Facing off against Moriah and his crew without a solid plan could have easily gotten him killed.

So he approached Moriah directly and formally issued a challenge.

To his surprise, Moriah accepted willingly and even enthusiastically.

Twenty years from now, Moriah might not have even listened before striking first. But this younger version was different.

The duel lasted more than a full day.

Both were exhausted by the end, and the fight ended in a draw.

Buggy couldn't defeat Moriah.

Back then, Moriah already had access to most of the powers he would eventually master.

His stamina was solid, and his control over his Devil Fruit was sharp. He had already awakened both Observation Haki and Armament Haki, with his Kenbunshoku (Observation) being especially refined.

At that point, Moriah was rapidly rising in strength and reputation, even if he hadn't hit his peak yet.

Buggy's current strength simply wasn't enough to take him down.

It was only by combining his Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit), Rokushiki techniques, swordsmanship, and his growing control over dual Haki that Buggy managed to force a draw.

If Moriah's crew had intervened at any point, Buggy would have had no choice but to retreat.