Shifting blame is a natural human instinct. Sand Crocodile was forced into a corner and had no choice but to do so.
He was ruthless—when he acted, he did so decisively.
Worried that the World Government wouldn't accept the scapegoat, during the time Vivi left Whiskey Peak, he didn't stay idle. Across Alabasta and its surrounding regions, he vigorously publicized the identity of Clown Bucky, even going as far as beating gongs and distributing flyers.
He painted Bucky as more than a clown—he was once an intern on the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, a participant in the war against the Golden Lion, and though he didn't reach Raftel, he was involved in almost every major event of that era. Bucky, the clown, was once the close companion of the current Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks. Whether the information was true or embellished, Sand Crocodile released everything he knew.
"For a man of such importance, your World Government only gave him a 15 million bounty? Is this some kind of joke?"
Sand Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, claimed it was for justice—for the sake of the people of Alabasta—that he was now handing over Bucky to the government. He even presented it ceremoniously, acting as if he were offering justice on a silver platter.
Even though the truth was twisted, he had Bucky the Clown packaged like cargo and sent aboard a passing Navy warship. To ensure the world took notice, he paid out of his own pocket for two full pages of World Economy News coverage, for three consecutive days, pushing a global narrative.
The world of One Piece may seem technologically stunted in places, but communication can be swift where the right resources are in play. Though islands are isolated by vast seas, some factions have the power and influence to project their voices globally. The World Economy News Paper is just such a corporation.
From the East Blue to the West, North, and South Blues, and across the Grand Line, the newspapers reached every corner. And so, the world learned about the so-called "Alabasta Hero" and Clown Bucky nearly simultaneously.
The Five Elders couldn't ignore it anymore. They examined the situation repeatedly—what were they to do about Clown Bucky?
They weren't afraid of Shanks, per se, but provoking a global war over someone like Bucky wasn't worth it. War would devastate the already fragile balance of power that the World Government worked so hard to maintain.
But ignoring the matter entirely would tarnish their authority. Complicating matters, they weren't sure how Shanks felt about Bucky anymore. Intelligence suggested the two hadn't met in years. Could their old brotherhood still mean anything?
They had already wasted days pondering it—was all this just a game of mental chess with a ghost?
The Five Elders were infuriated with Sand Crocodile for stirring up trouble.
The World Government treated the Seven Warlords like dogs—tools to be used. Now, this dog wasn't cleaning up problems but creating more of them! What use was he?
Having failed to reach a solid decision, they pushed the burden onto the Navy. "Let them handle it," they concluded.
If the Navy wanted to escalate it, the World Government would assist. If the Navy chose to downplay it, then fine—less trouble all around. And if things went south, the Navy could take the blame.
After internal discussions, Marine HQ assessed that Red-Haired Shanks wouldn't interfere. The former Roger Pirates had lost their fire; there was nothing to worry about. Since the burden had been dumped on their doorstep, they might as well continue.
However, when it came to picking someone to handle the task, the blame-shifting began again.
The Fleet Admiral pushed it to an Admiral. The Admiral passed it to a Vice Admiral. The Vice Admiral passed it to a Rear Admiral. The Rear Admiral, in turn, kicked it down the chain.
It wasn't that nobody wanted to serve justice—but the risks and rewards didn't align. There were two possible outcomes: either Shanks ignored the whole thing, and Bucky ended up in jail—no big deal; or Shanks showed up, and things got extremely dangerous.
No Yonko could take on two Admirals at once—but facing one without backup was suicide.
The three Marine Admirals were not so easily mobilized. Was it really worth sacrificing elite naval forces over Clown Bucky?
Eventually, the blame landed squarely on the shoulders of Marine Captain Finbudi.
Despite the high-sounding rank, a captain at Marine HQ was basically a glorified foot soldier—especially compared to the Admiral-heavy upper ranks.
Finbudi, known as "Iron Fist," had just returned from vacation when he was abruptly assigned the task. Confused, he received custody of the prisoner from Alabasta and immediately set sail for Enies Lobby.
Alongside him was a representative from Baroque Works—a man with thick lips, wearing a long brown coat marked with the number 5 on his chest, sleeves, and coat hem. Even while entering the Judicial Court, he retained his cool, smug demeanor.
It was Mr. 5, a high-ranking Baroque Works agent and a user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit.
Unlike Aizen's Ten Blades in Bleach, Baroque Works suffered from uneven internal strength due to remote recruitment and loose structure.
Vivi and the Four Officers were barely competent. Mr. 8 wielded a shotgun, while Igaram could only manage a pair of iron rods. When one fell, replacements were ready within days.
But the top-tier agents—Mr. 1 through Mr. 5—were all Devil Fruit users. At least in Crocodile's eyes, they were temporarily indispensable elites.
Mr. 5 strutted arrogantly, despite only having a bounty of 10 million. He acted like a legendary warrior.
"Miss All Sunday, inform the employer that I've delivered the prisoner to Enies Lobby. The trial is about to begin," he said through a Den Den Mushi, speaking to Nicole Robin—his direct contact in Alabasta.
He knew Crocodile was the employer but didn't know Crocodile was Baroque Works' actual boss.
Upon hearing "Enies Lobby," Robin's expression changed subtly. She urged Mr. 5 to be cautious, then promptly cut the call.
Meanwhile, the Randolph Troupe—whose trial had been postponed—was still working on their appeal when Clown Bucky was escorted in.
Mr. 5 followed, strutting with the same swagger as someone worth 2.58 million berries, drawing more attention than necessary.
Vivi tensed. Even though her attire now differed from her look back in Whiskey Peak, and Mr. 5 arrogantly avoided eye contact, she feared being recognized.
Instinctively, she ducked behind the more flamboyant Bello Betty, using the revolutionary's red waistcoat as cover.
Betty glanced back in confusion, but Vivi lowered her head and pretended to count coins in her wallet.
The Navy, unwilling to let the news explode into a public mess, decided to push things along quickly. They would begin trial proceedings immediately and conclude things with quiet imprisonment. All unnecessary formalities were scrapped—the court would convene right as the prisoner arrived.