One Piece: Buggy the Great King of the Sea

After sitting down, Rayleigh and Shakky quickly dove into their private world, chatting as if no one else was present. Laughing, smiling, eyes locked on each other, they completely ignored Buggy and Shanks.

The two boys sat there awkwardly, clearly out of place, not daring to interrupt. They felt like invisible background props.

Rayleigh and Shakky had seemingly endless topics to discuss, chatting from midday into the evening. Meanwhile, Buggy and Shanks were starving, exhausted, and barely staying awake. They looked like they might collapse at any moment.

Finally, as the sky grew completely dark, the couple snapped out of their bubble and noticed the two boys still sitting there, pitiful and drooping from hunger. After digesting an entire day's worth of second-hand romance, the boys were now one step away from passing out.

"Buggy, Shanks—you two must be starving. Let big sis make you something to eat," Shakky said warmly, having learned their names through the conversation.

"Thank you, sis. Please make a lot… and make sure there's meat," both boys replied in unison. Only a big, meaty meal could soothe their mentally and physically wounded souls.

"Of course, of course! Besides booze, the thing I have the most of around here is meat. You'll eat to your heart's content."

With that, Shakky turned and headed into the back room behind the bar.

"Thanks, sis!" the two chimed again in perfect sync.

Rayleigh chuckled. "Huh. Didn't think you two brats could be so polite. Never saw this side of you back on the ship."

Rayleigh was amused—this was a far cry from their usual antics.

"Uncle Rayleigh, what's the big deal? Sis is beautiful—it's only right to be respectful." Buggy, of course, was laying it on a little thick. But given their current situation—living under someone else's roof and probably depending on her for food for a while—being polite was just smart. Besides, Shakky was stunning. His words weren't entirely flattering.

"Good kid," Rayleigh said with a grin, patting Buggy's shoulder approvingly. "Keep that attitude up."

Soon, Shakky returned with several enormous platters of grilled meat. She was a former pirate—she knew their appetite well. The portions were massive. By the time they finished eating, both Buggy and Shanks were so full they couldn't move.

Rayleigh, of course, was the exception. Normally, his appetite was several times theirs, and his eating style was nothing short of wild. But tonight, he ate slowly and elegantly, like a refined noble. He didn't even eat as much as the boys.

Shanks noticed and was puzzled. He wanted to ask if Rayleigh was sick or had lost his appetite, but before he could open his mouth, Buggy gave him a sharp look to stop him.

Buggy knew exactly what was going on.

Men, after all, understood these things.

Rayleigh was just trying to look perfect in front of the woman he loved. And judging by the way Shakky was watching him—eyes glowing with affection—it was working.

The meal ended peacefully in this strange, affectionate atmosphere, and the boys spent the night at the bar.

Over the next few days, Rayleigh and Shakky disappeared together to explore all over the Sabaody Archipelago. While they were off enjoying themselves, Buggy and Shanks were left to run the bar like unpaid interns. Neither Rayleigh nor Shakky seemed to care about the boys' mood, or the fact that they hadn't started any training yet.

Thankfully, there weren't many customers. If there had been, Buggy wasn't sure how they would've handled it. Every day, they cooked their meals and prepared food for the lovebirds when they got back. It was the opposite of what Buggy had imagined. He thought they'd be mooching off Shakky for a while. Instead, they ended up as full-time staff.

A week passed.

Then one morning, Rayleigh finally didn't leave to go sightseeing. Instead, he came to find Buggy and Shanks directly.

"Uncle Rayleigh, not going out with Sis Shakky today?" Shanks asked, his voice thick with resentment.

Rayleigh grinned. "Your 'sis' has things to take care of. And if I leave the bar in your hands for much longer, it's bound to go out of business."

With that out of the way, he got to the real point.

"Alright, brats—training starts today. From this moment on, you're officially beginning a one-year hell training regimen. Are you ready?"

Buggy and Shanks immediately straightened up. They'd been waiting for this.

"Yes! We're ready!" they shouted in unison, their voices full of excitement.

They were here to get stronger, not to wait tables. Hearing that training was finally starting was the best news they could've asked for.

"Good. Then let's go," Rayleigh said, turning to lead them toward the port.

At the harbor, Rayleigh found a small boat and motioned for them to get in.

The boat was extremely simple—just a bunch of wooden planks nailed together, with no paint. It did have a small power unit, so they didn't need to row manually, but the speed was nothing impressive.

As they drifted over the sea, Buggy started to get a feeling—he guessed where they were headed.

It had to be the island where Rayleigh would one day train Luffy.

That island's wild terrain and vicious beasts made it the perfect training ground. Choosing that location made total sense.

After sailing for most of the day, they finally arrived. The island was lush and vibrant, with ancient trees towering overhead and dense forests everywhere. It had a wild, untamed beauty. And it was anything but quiet—the roars and howls of wild animals echoed constantly from the jungle.

"You'll be training here for the next year. Food and water? That's on you. I'm just here to train you, not to babysit."

Rayleigh wasn't about to cook for them. He wasn't their mom. But he knew these two wouldn't have trouble surviving—the island was rich in resources, and the animals weren't in short supply.

"Understood, Uncle Rayleigh!" both shouted.

They hadn't expected handouts anyway. With so many wild creatures around, food wouldn't be a problem. Hunting and cooking for themselves? Doable.

"Alright, then let's begin."

And just like that, their year-long training began.

The first task:

Rayleigh told them to run 50 laps around the island's outer perimeter.

He figured they could handle it. With their physical conditioning, it might be tiring, but not impossible.

That prediction turned out to be... half right.

Shanks managed to finish all 50 laps, though he was utterly exhausted by the end.

Buggy, on the other hand, collapsed after just 20 laps. He lay sprawled on the ground, completely drained, unable to move a muscle, like his soul had been sucked out of him.