Chapter 1: The Awakening of a Clown
Year 1497 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
In the New World, the second half of the Grand Line, there was a beautiful island bathed in warm sunlight.
"Ow, my head... What happened to me?"
Wang Xuan, a young man from Huaxia on Earth, had binge-watched the latest episodes of One Piece late into the night. When he saw Buggy being named one of the Four Emperors, he got so excited that he blacked out on the spot.
When he woke up today, his head was throbbing with pain, his body felt completely drained, as if he'd just recovered from a major illness.
"Buggy! Buggy! Wake up! The captain made it to Laugh Tale! He's become the Pirate King!"
A red-haired boy stood over a blue-haired, red-nosed boy, shaking him vigorously with a newspaper clutched in his hand.
"Whose voice is that...? Buggy...? Is someone doing cosplay? Why is he pushing me? Why's he in my house?"
Wang Xuan struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as boulders. It took what seemed like forever before he could finally pry them open.
What he saw was a strange building, not his home. The architectural style looked just like something out of the One Piece world.
"What the hell... Where am I? Did someone kidnap me?"
A thousand questions swarmed through Wang Xuan's mind.
"No way... Who would kidnap me? All my worldly assets combined aren't even enough to cover someone's getaway expenses!"
"Buggy, are you okay? Is your body still not recovered?" the red-haired boy beside him asked with concern, looking at the vacant-eyed Buggy lying in bed.
He was worried because Buggy had fallen seriously ill not long ago and had only just started to recover. They'd stayed on this island for that very reason, instead of continuing on their journey with the captain.
Hearing the voice, Wang Xuan turned toward the worried redhead beside him.
"What the... Isn't that a young Shanks?! What's he doing here? Am I still dreaming?!"
He fell into deep doubt, suspecting that he was still asleep.
Just then, a torrent of images flashed through Wang Xuan's mind. Memories flooded in all at once, making his headache even worse, until he passed out again, completely unconscious.
"Buggy! Buggy, don't scare me! You better not die on me!"
Seeing Buggy convulsing on the bed, Shanks panicked and assumed the worst.
Without another word, he bolted out of the house and sprinted toward the doctor's hut on the island.
By the time Shanks returned with the doctor—both of them breathless—Buggy lay completely still. Dark thoughts crept into Shanks' mind, his eyes filled with worry.
"Doctor, please! Look at Buggy! He's not… he's not gonna die, right?!"
Realizing the urgency, the doctor quickly rushed to the bedside and began examining the boy.
After a thorough check-up, the doctor finally relaxed. He was certain—Buggy wasn't in any critical condition. He had just fainted, for reasons unknown.
The doctor turned to Shanks with a smile. "Your friend's fine. He just passed out. No need to panic."
Hearing this, Shanks let out a huge sigh of relief. Passed out was fine, as long as he wasn't dead.
Once things calmed down, the doctor asked Shanks a few questions and soon concluded.
"Your friend likely fainted because his body is still weak from his recent illness. You'll need to make sure he gets proper nutrition and rest over the next few days."
With his diagnosis and advice given, the doctor slung his medical bag over his shoulder and left, grateful for Shanks' sincere thanks.
Even though the doctor had reassured him, Shanks still looked at the unconscious Buggy with deep concern. The two had grown up together—not blood brothers, but close enough that it didn't matter. They argued all the time, sure, but their bond was real.
Shanks waited a little longer. Seeing that Buggy still wasn't waking up, he figured sitting around wouldn't help. Remembering the doctor's advice about nutrition and knowing they were low on food, he decided to go hunting.
After grabbing his sword, Shanks stepped out and headed into the forest-covered mountains.
When Buggy finally woke up from his coma, he fully understood his situation.
He was no longer on Earth. He had transmigrated into the world of One Piece.
More than that, he was now Buggy. The real Buggy. He'd fully inherited all of Buggy's memories.
And he knew exactly what year it was: the year Gol D. Roger became the Pirate King.
"What the hell?! I just watched a few episodes of a manga, and now I'm in it? And as Buggy of all people?!" he thought in disbelief.
Sure, he'd always liked Buggy as a character—but that nose? That red clown nose? That was hard to accept.
Instinctively, he reached up and touched it. Round. Squishy. Just as ridiculous as expected. He let out a long, defeated sigh.
"Buggy, you're awake! Here—eat this roast meat! The doctor said you need to eat well to recover quickly!"
Of course, it was Shanks again. He came in holding a heaping plate of roasted meat piled high like a mountain.
Just hearing his voice, Buggy immediately knew who it was—this was the future Yonko, the Emperor of the Sea, Red-Haired Shanks. The same guy who had grown up with Buggy as a brother-in-arms.
"Shanks... what happened to me?" Buggy asked. Of course, he already knew, but he had to play dumb. If he acted too out of character, it might raise suspicions.
"You scared the crap out of me! You passed out and wouldn't wake up. I thought you were gonna die!"
"Even if you drop dead, Shanks, I wouldn't die that easily. My body's just weak right now, that's all."
Buggy glared at Shanks angrily—a perfectly in-character reaction. The real Buggy would never let a comment like that slide.
"Hahaha! Well, as long as you're okay. Here—eat up and get your strength back!"
Shanks didn't argue like he usually did. He could see that Buggy's body wasn't in good shape, and didn't want to provoke him.
Buggy slowly felt his strength returning. His stomach growled loudly, and when he saw the roasted meat in Shanks' hands, he couldn't help but grab the plate and start devouring it.
In no time at all, the entire mountain of meat was gone.
When he finished, he sat back, still feeling like he hadn't eaten enough.
It hit him just how absurd his appetite had become. In his previous life, eating that much would've probably killed someone.
But now? He was living in the One Piece world.
Here, even average people could eat a ton without issue. Some, like Luffy, were bottomless pits.
Compared to that, what Buggy had eaten was barely a snack.
After the meal, Shanks picked up the empty plate and quietly left the room. Seeing Buggy recovering made him feel at ease.
He wanted to give Buggy some space to rest and get better.