One Piece: Buggy the Great King of the Sea

Just like that, another six months passed. The one-year training deadline was nearly up—and so was the time until Roger's execution.

During these last six months, both Buggy and Shanks had made astonishing progress.

Their weighted suits were now set at 20,000 jin (~10,000 kg), and they carried an additional 15,000 jin (~7,500 kg) of stone on their backs.

That was a total of 35,000 jin, and they could still run 200 laps with ease.

Swordsmanship

Underneath the waterfall, they now wielded their massive, door-sized swords with the same ease as they once swung normal blades.

The destructive power was terrifying—during one training session, a single strike from Buggy split a small mountain in half.

Physical Combat

Now capable of fighting while carrying 20,000 jin, they had both gone far beyond basic Six Powers (Rokushiki) techniques.

They had even begun to develop their combat styles atop the foundations they'd built.

Haki

Both had awakened Armament and Observation Haki, though they were still at an early stage.

They understood the basics, but neither could yet apply Haki effectively in real combat.

That morning, the two stood silently before Rayleigh, who had arrived unusually early.

From their appearances alone, the difference was staggering.

Both had grown significantly—now standing over 1.7 meters, compared to barely 1.5 meters a year ago.

Their auras had changed completely. Just by standing still, they radiated an intimidating presence and powerful intent.

Rayleigh was pleased. The training had gone exactly as planned—if not better.

In just one year, they'd become strong enough to hold their own on the seas.

Even though their Haki wasn't battle-ready yet, it was only a matter of time.

But time… was the one thing they no longer had.

That morning, Rayleigh had read something in the paper—news that would shake the entire world:

The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, would be executed in Loguetown in one month.

Rayleigh had known this day would come. He understood what Roger was trying to do.

And he knew that Roger wouldn't survive it.

Rayleigh respected Roger's decision, and he had no intention of interfering.

But he would go to see him off, no matter what.

He looked at the two young men in front of him. They were more than just his students—they were Roger's children in spirit, men whose lives had been deeply shaped by that one legendary captain.

Rayleigh took a deep breath.

He knew it was time to tell them.

Buggy had already guessed something was coming.

He'd been keeping track of the timeline.

The Great Pirate Era was about to begin.

Rayleigh's voice grew heavy.

"There's something important I need to tell you. It concerns the Captain. But I need you to stay calm—this is his decision. Respect it. Don't be sad. Don't get angry. And most importantly, don't even think about interfering."

Shanks was already on edge.

"Rayleigh-san, what happened to the Captain?! Tell us!"

Buggy added quickly:

"Yeah, Rayleigh-san, please—what happened to him?!"

Though he already knew what the news was, he had to play the part. It would've felt unnatural if he didn't.

Rayleigh didn't delay any longer.

"The Captain… has surrendered himself to the Navy.

In one month, he will be executed in Loguetown."

"WHAT?!" Shanks shouted, his voice trembling.

"That's impossible! Why would he do that?! Are you lying to us?!"

"No way…" Buggy said in disbelief. "The Captain wouldn't do something so reckless…"

Rayleigh remained calm.

"You both know his body is reaching its limit.

He's made up his mind—and surrendering to the Navy is part of his plan.

There's something he needs to accomplish, and this execution… is a key piece of that plan.

I can't tell you more right now.

You'll have to come with me and see it for yourselves."

"No! This can't happen! Rayleigh-san, we have to save him! Please—don't let them kill the Captain!" Shanks pleaded.

"Shanks, listen to me." Rayleigh's voice turned stern.

"This is the Captain's choice. No one—not even us—can change it.

He's betting everything on this. You must understand that."

Buggy's voice cracked:

"Is there no other way? He's going to die just to carry out some plan?!"

"There's no other way, Buggy," Rayleigh said, his tone final.

"This plan… requires the Captain's life. There's no way around it."

Hearing this, both Buggy and Shanks fell silent.

They understood—this wasn't something they could stop.

Their Captain had made his decision.

He was going to sacrifice himself for something greater—and he wouldn't let anyone stop him.

Shanks lowered his head.

Tears fell silently from his eyes.

Buggy turned his face away, his vision blurring with tears of his own.

Rayleigh didn't say anything to comfort them.

This pain was something they needed to feel.

Bottling it up would only hurt them more in the future.

Crying wasn't shameful—it was human.

He gently placed one hand on each of their heads, waiting patiently as they let their grief out.

After a long while, Buggy finally spoke.

"Rayleigh-san… will you take us to see him?

We want to say goodbye."

"Yes," Rayleigh said, nodding. "That was my plan, too.

Taking you both… It's only right."

Shanks raised his head and looked at Rayleigh, his voice steadier now:

"When do we leave?"

"Right now. I came today to bring you with me.

Get your things—we're departing immediately."

Buggy and Shanks didn't need to pack much.

They grabbed the belongings they had brought to the island, including their weighted suits.

The giant, door-sized training sword was left behind.

Bringing it would draw far too much attention.

After all, Roger was the Pirate King—his execution would be a massive event.

Security would be tight.

If they stood out, the Marines might attack them before they could even say goodbye.

And against an army of soldiers—and high-ranking officers—none of them would walk away.

Once ready, the two followed Rayleigh to the shore, where a ship was waiting.

This time, it was a small sailboat, much sturdier than the wooden rowboat they'd taken when they first arrived.

The three of them climbed aboard.

Rayleigh adjusted the sails.

And quietly, they set course for Loguetown—to see their Captain one last time.