Cross my Heart | a Buggy fan fiction

s I x

* Buggy's POV *

Day-to-day life on board a ship, pirate or otherwise, was never all that easy. To many - who didn't know any better - it all looked like fun and games, but it really wasn't. Buggy had learnt this from a young age; since the tender age of nine in fact, back when he became an apprentice with the crew of the Roger pirates. Although prone to regular outbursts due to his short temper, he had worked hard and been a fast learner. Ok so part of him had craved some form of validation, but he had always felt at home when at sea; almost as if the ocean itself was part of his life-blood. A cruel irony, considering he had lost his ability to swim once accidentally eating the devil fruit.
The worst part was, prior to that he had been an excellent swimmer. But of course he had, he'd been taught by the best in almost all things.....Gold Roger himself.
The legendary pirate king had taught him what was required of all good seafarers; pirate or even none-pirates. To be a skilled mariner required talent, toughness, and quite a lot of knowledge.

An able sea captain would ideally have to have years of experience in order to hand, reef, and steer - that is, manage the sails and act as a helmsman to direct the ship. They would also be able to knot and splice the rigging aloft, keep lookout, use the lead which was a means of sounding the depth of the ocean, work on a gun crew, manage the machinery of the deck, and on top of all that.....probably sew moderately well in their spare time too!

But still, all of which, Buggy had learned to do. From his humble beginnings; learning to tie knots and sew, he had progressed and eventually even mastered the specialist, indispensable abilities required by a first mate or captain, such as when and how to order the setting of the sails, stand watch, and in some cases even perform difficult mathematics of celestial navigation using a sextant.

It had been damn hard, grueling work. But he had persisted and mastered it all by the age of seventeen. However, he hadn't been able to reach his full potential thanks to a certain red-haired shipmate who somehow always managed to overshadow and upstage him.

Shanks.

Shanks had always been Gold Roger's favorite, and the one who always gained the most praise whilst Buggy himself was overlooked and seen as nothing more than an oddity. Like the ship's jester, he was the brunt of everyone's jokes, and his large red nose didn't exactly help matters either. It was as if the fates had conspired cruelly against him, for him to literally have been born a clown.

Had he let the cruel hand of fate beat him down though? Nope. Hell no. On the contrary it had simply spurred him on, making him more determined than ever to make a name for himself. To be the flashiest, most flamboyant pirate ever to have appeared on a bounty poster. And so, he had set out on his own, even choosing to embrace his physical deformity by adopting the persona of a clown.

Sure he'd shed a few silent tears when he had attended the public execution of his former captain and mentor. But he'd never regretted his decision to leave and form his own crew; providing a somewhat safe haven for fellow outcasts and misfits. Even if life had provided him with the opportunity to be a marine rather than a pirate, he never would've been accepted. His appearance alone wouldn't enable him to fit in. Some of the differences and divergences that made piratical life more preferable to legal seafaring anyway was the danger, adventure, and the less strict rules to abide by. But above all else, piracy in the most part was more appealing for the profit potential. Amongst other, unique incentives. Such as the recognition, fame and notoriety.

Did he enjoy being bad?

Eh. Kind of.

Life had made him embittered and somewhat callous, that was true. He thrived on the fierce reputation he'd built for himself. Because for Buggy, he craved respect, and as he'd never been respected by anyone other than his own crew, he had to settle for fear instead. If people wouldn't respect him, then they would have to fear him. It was the next best thing.