Summary
One Piece’sBuggy is a beloved gag character with a strong penchant for failing upwards. From a small-fish East Blue pirate to his currentstatus as Emperor Of The Sea, he has certainly come a long way from when he was first introduced as a villain.
After his initial defeat, he was primarily delegated to the role of comic relief, but his relationship with Red-Haired Shanks and his public persona as the figurehead of the Cross Guild has placed him in a front-runner position in the race to reach Laughtale and become King of The Pirates.
Buggy almost met his fate at the hands ofOne Piecevillain Crocodile when he revealed he was unable to pay back a debt, but his perseverance and attachment to life led him to offer assistance to the Cross Guild project as repayment instead. Unfortunately for him, when tasked with printing the Cross Guild flyers, his subordinates’ overzealous admiration of him led them to make it appear that he was at the center of the organization. Before the mistake could be corrected,the World Economic Journalhad spread this news and the world was under the mistaken belief that he was in fact the leader of the organization.
Unsurprisingly, Mihawk and Crocodile didn’t take well to being considered Buggy’s subordinates, but the damage had already been done. The only remaining option was to let him maintain a puppet role as a figurehead. Both consistently abuse and harass Buggy, but his accidental status as leader keeps them from murdering him.
What is Buggy’s Relationship With Red-Haired Shanks?
When they were bothapprentices onOne Piecelegend Gol D. Roger’s ship, Buggy and Shanks had a relationship that much resembled the one between Zoro and Sanji. In Oden’s flashback, they are often seen fighting and picking on each other, though they also undoubtedly care for one another, as shown by Shanks’ decision to stay behind with Buggy when he contracted an illness that prevented him from going to Laughtale with the rest of the Roger pirates.
Their current relationship has now morphed into one of unilateral hatred, with Buggy accusing Shanks of having cost him great wealth when he rescued him from drowning and didn’t save his treasure map. Nonetheless, Shanks remains more neutral to him, going as far as to brotherly tease him and remark on how pleasant it is to see him whenthey meet at Marineford.
What is Buggy’s True Goal?
Whenthe Roger Pirates disbanded, Shanks extended an invitation to Buggy to stay together and join his crew. Buggy got angry and refused after learning that they would not immediately go towards Laughtale, accusing Shanks of being weak. Nonetheless, the recent panels where he declares he wants to chase after theOne Pieceshow that Buggy’s official reason for his hatred of Shanks may be no more than a front. Given this sentiment, it is more likely for him to be angry at him for being a disappointment in choosing not to chase after the role of King Of The Pirates. In fact, though Buggy presents himself as an extremely cynical character who cares only about wealth and power, this recent speech proves there is more to him than an endless pursuit of treasure.
By making this speech publicly, he successfully manipulated a reluctant Mihawk and Crocodile into entering the race for theOne Piece, much to their annoyance and dismay. This is an exciting development that brings these fan-favorite characters closer to the central events of the series in a way that is coherent with their setup and experiences, finally providing an explanation for Buggy’s way of being. As a great admirer of Gol D. Roger, it is evident that Buggy was much more upset at not being able to go to Laughtale than he let on, but with his statement to the Cross Guild, he has finally set himself on the path to fulfill his goal andfollow in Gol D. Rogers footsteps.
The race for theOne Pieceis shaping up to feature a collection of characters even greater than the Summit War Arc and fans are excited to see the pieces start fitting together as all the individual players start making their moves. Though the community expects Luffy to emerge victorious, it would be hilarious if Buggy were to stumble into the title of Pirate King as he did into that of Warlord, and now Yonko.
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