Buggy cracked his fingers as he slowly walked out of his captain's quarters. By now, his body was already accustomed to the muscle soreness he kept putting it through.
Surprisingly, Buggy had discovered just how much his body could improve in such a short span of time.
Despite already being in his late thirties, Buggy had only ever relied on his natural strength, Devil Fruit, and trickery to stand above most in the East Blue.
But now, after weeks of disciplined training, his body had improved by leaps and bounds. Of course, that was also thanks to the protein-rich diet he'd devised for himself.
He had all the necessary knowledge when it came to building strength, and not just any strength, but functional strength.
It was thanks to all those factors combined that Buggy now had the power to easily win a tug-of-war against Richie, an actual overgrown lion.
Now, that might not have meant much, considering that Luffy outmatched that lion tenfold. But Buggy himself saw it as a huge improvement, since strength had always been his weakest point.
In the past, even Mohji could've been considered stronger than him, physically, at least. But now? Now, Buggy was easily the strongest in his crew when it came to raw power... and that opened up plenty of new possibilities.
His endurance had improved, he could use his fruit for longer, and his strikes were faster thanks to the explosive training methods he'd used. Techniques that likely weren't common in this world, given how oddly his crew looked at him.
Despite Buggy urging them to join him, most of his men were far too lazy to train. They'd become pirates for an easy life under his banner; that was their mantra. Few actually cared enough to better themselves.
Cabaji was one of those few. After losing badly to Zoro, his pride had taken a hit, and he'd begun following Buggy's routine. Mohji joined a day later, not wanting to be left behind.
They'd both shown some progress after a week, but they were still far off.
They improved slower than Buggy, though the clown figured talent might be a factor, or maybe his Devil Fruit had altered his physiology, putting him above ordinary people.
Buggy had also once been an apprentice on Roger's ship, and no one on that ship had ever been normal.
Regardless of the reason, the current Buggy was thankful to see the results of his effort.
But now, something else caught his eye... Cocoyasi Village, shimmering in the distance.
He recognized it, even though it looked different from how it did on screen. This time, he wasn't worried about running into the Straw Hats; he knew they'd take quite a few detours before ending up here.
Still, the Fishmen menace hanging over the villagers' heads was going to be a nuisance.
"Boss, Cocoyasi Village in sight! Shall we anchor nearby?"
"Nah," Buggy replied, cracking his neck. "Strut right up to those rickety docks. No point in hiding."
Buggy looked to the side. He could see some glinting from the woods in the forest, likely a scout looking through binoculars, rookies really.
Well, none of his men seemed to realize that, so maybe they weren't that bad... 'Nah, scouts that can get spotted this easily wouldn't be accepted in any self-respecting army...'
When the ship finally anchored, the villagers immediately scattered into their homes, all except for one man who stepped forward to meet him.
Buggy adjusted his hat and walked down the gangplank with the swagger of a man who owned the sea, the dock, and maybe the sky too. His boots hit the wood with a hollow thump, echoing down the eerily empty street.
Villagers peeked from behind shutters and half-closed doors, eyes wide, knuckles white. Buggy didn't blame them, a pirate ship docking in their quiet town was never a good sign.
Only one man had the guts to stand his ground.
Broad-shouldered, middle-aged, wearing a faded green shirt rolled up to the elbows, suspenders holding up his pants, and a thick mustache framing a permanent scowl. Most distinct of all was the little pinwheel spinning lazily atop his hat.
Buggy recognized him immediately, Genzo, the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village.
The man's hand rested near the holster at his hip, but it was obvious he wasn't reaching for it, not against a ship full of pirates.
"Captain of this vessel?" Genzo asked gruffly.
Buggy gave an exaggerated bow. "The one and only Buggy the Clown, terror of the East Blue, part-time entertainer for screaming audiences everywhere!"
Genzo's frown deepened. "Cute. Let me save you some trouble, clown. This village is under protection. You try anything, and you'll answer to the Arlong Pirates."
Buggy blinked, then grinned wide, teeth flashing. "Arlong, huh? The fish-faced freak himself. I was wondering when someone would bring him up."
He gestured lazily toward his ship. "Boys, turn her sideways on the dock. Let's get a better view of the place."
The crew moved quickly, ropes creaking as the ship shifted position. Genzo's expression tightened. "You'd better watch yourself, pirate. You don't want to start a war you can't finish."
Buggy chuckled. "War? Oh, sheriff, I'm not starting a war-"
He didn't get to finish.
From the end of the street, heavy footsteps and raucous laughter rolled in like thunder. Two tall shadows appeared, growing clearer with every step. Fishmen.
One was a hulking hammerhead brute with tattoos crawling up his neck; the other had a saw-nosed face and webbed hands that dripped seawater onto the dirt road.
"Well, well," one sneered. "What do we have here? New pirates sniffing around Arlong's turf?"
The other cracked his knuckles, grinning at Genzo. "Didn't think you'd be dumb enough to invite more trouble, old man. And would you look at that? You're late on your payment again. Guess we'll just collect double… or maybe let the clown freak have some fun first~"
Genzo paled. "W-we already pai-" But before he could finish, Buggy stepped forward, arms crossed and scowling.
"You know," Buggy said, voice dripping with disdain, "even for muscle-bound goons, you two really have no class. No character. No brains. No showmanship. How dare you interrupt me?!"
The Fishmen blinked. "The hell did you just say?"
Buggy pointed dramatically. "I said-"
He turned to his crew. "-light 'em up."
The deck exploded into motion. His men swung open the cannon ports and slammed bright red cannonballs into place.
The first Buggy Ball fired with a deafening roar. And one was really all it took.
The street vanished in smoke and fire. The two Fishmen didn't even have time to scream before they were blasted into oblivion, reduced from terrifying enforcers to smoldering fish fillets.
The shockwave flattened fences and shattered windows, sending villagers and chickens scattering in terror.
Genzo barely registered the blast before Buggy's gloved hand yanked him behind a stack of barrels.
The Clown Captain grinned as the smoke cleared, gesturing toward the destruction like a ringmaster unveiling his finale.
"Ta-daa! And that, my dear sheriff, is what we call problem-solving with style!"
Genzo stared, mouth open, the acrid stench of gunpowder thick in the air. "You… you just killed two of Arlong's men! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
Buggy looked mock-confused, then burst out laughing. "Of course I do! I redecorated your street!"
"That's not- you-!" Genzo sputtered, gesturing wildly. "Arlong's going to come here himself! He'll destroy everything!"
Buggy dusted off his gloves, smirking. "What? You think he's omniscient or something? You think he'd wipe out one of the few places that still pays him?"
Genzo grabbed his sleeve, voice shaking. "You can only say that because you don't know how he is! You've doomed us all!"
"Hah, so dramatic," Buggy muttered, clearly entertained. Then his grin widened again. "Tell you what, sheriff. How about a deal instead?"
He leaned in conspiratorially. "You give my crew all the alcohol and oil in this lovely little village and as much meat as you can haul, and I'll give your fish-faced oppressors something to keep them busy for a while. Fair trade, eh?"
Genzo's eyes narrowed. "You're serious?"
"Serious as a cannonball to the face," Buggy said, spreading his arms. "Think about it, sheriff. You've got nothing to lose except your liquor. And I promise, me and my men will put it to glorious use."
Behind him, Mohji and Cabaji nodded eagerly. The rest of the crew buzzed with nervous excitement, a mix of fear and thrill at the idea of fighting Fishmen.
Genzo looked torn. Around them, villagers were emerging cautiously from their homes. Some gasped when they saw the Fishmen's remains smeared across the cobblestones.
A woman whispered, "Those were Arlong's scouts… That means no one's watching us right now."
The village doctor, Nako, adjusted his glasses. "If there was ever a time to make a deal, it's now."
Genzo's jaw tightened. He turned to Buggy. "…Fine. You've got your deal. But if this brings Arlong's wrath down on us-"
Buggy clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Don't even worry that fuzzy head of yours. He'll be too busy to care~"
They shook hands.
Minutes later, the Buggy Pirates were hauling barrels of rum and slabs of salted meat onto the ship, laughing and singing as if they'd just pulled off a perfect heist.
Buggy stood on the dock, hands on his hips, watching with satisfaction. Genzo barked orders nearby, still glancing nervously toward the forest.
Buggy tilted his head, smiling faintly. "You know, for a moving circus, we sure are charitable. We're playing heroes~"
His crew laughed, too busy hauling barrels of oil, grog and mead, so much they had to tie extra supplies to the deck.
None of them felt like they were doing charity work.
"Alright, boys! Drink up, eat up, and get ready! Next stop-" He pointed dramatically toward the horizon. "-Arlong Park! Let's see if that shark bastard knows how to put on a show!"
The crew erupted in cheers. The sails unfurled. Buggy laughed into the wind, his grin wide and wild.
And somewhere beneath the waves… trouble was already stirring.