Transponder calls

Buggy stared at the Snail, frowning. It had been a week since he'd been reunited with his crew and (more importantly) his body-parts. They were currently on their way to Logue Town, chasing down Strawhat.

He didn't actually want to go to Logue Town. This would be the first time in almost twenty years that he'd actually stepped foot on that island, and for good reason. The last time he'd been there had been for his captain's execution, after all.

He sighed and stretched out his Observation Haki, sensing where everybody was, even Alvida. He'd started training with it again since being defeated by that brat, it was so embarrassing! He, a former New World pirate (and the King's apprentice at that!), being taken out by some snot-nosed little brat who'd only just set out to sea! He'd known that he slacked off on his training since his captain's death, but he hadn't realized just how much until that moment. It was pathetic how easily he was defeated.

He was going to have to step up his crew's training, too. Although he liked flashy moves and such, Cabaji's performance hadn't been good enough.

He sighed explosively and slammed his hand on the table before forcefully dialing a number he hadn't had a reason to dial in almost five years, not since that prank war they'd gotten into through the newspapers.

"This is the Red-Force. Who is this and how did you get our number?"

He rolled his eyes. "I want to talk to Shanks. It's Buggy." He didn't bother answering the question. Honestly, he hadn't even meant to memorize the number when Shanks practically shoved it in his hands the last time they saw each other ten years ago. Not long after that meeting, he'd heard that Shanks lost his dominant arm.

"Buggy!" He heard, and rolled his eyes again. Great, Shanks sounded drunk again. Why was he always drinking? Oh yeah... that was why. "It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"I've been just fine." He grunted. "I ran into that kid you were talking about." He said before Shanks could start rambling about something.

"Luffy? How was he? Did he start his journey yet?" Shanks immediately shot off in excitement. Buggy could hear members of Shanks crew in the background growing excited at the mention of Luffy as well. He snorted. 'Anchor', huh? Fitting for a hammer.

"The brat is just fine." He rolled his eyes and decided not to mention his humiliating defeat at the brats hands. Or how he tried to destroy that hat... he did regret that, but only because it used to belong to his captain. The brat had proven himself worthy of wearing it, though. "Last I saw he had a former pirate hunter and a sneak thief as his crew."

"A pirate hunter? Joining a pirate?" He heard Benn mutter in the background.

"That's Luffy for ya!" He thought that was Yasopp. It had been such a long time since he'd seen any of them, he didn't know their voices that well.

"Quiet!" Shanks barked, likely with rolled eyes. "He was good? How did he fight?"

"He fought well." Again he chose not to mention how the brat won in his fight. "But really, rubber?" He asked, the disdain clear in his voice, despite seeing for himself just what the boy had been able to accomplish with the power he'd been granted.

Shanks laughed. "That was an accident!" He defended himself, making it Buggy's turn to roll his eyes again. "He's a creative one, though, I'm sure he can go far with it."

Buggy grunted. "I'm sure he'll make it to the Grand Line soon enough." He said, choosing not to mention that he was going to do his best to make sure Luffy didn't make it there. He had to make sure the boy was worthy of the legacy Shanks had left him, he couldn't make the journey easy on the boy, even if it appeared he was terribly rusty in a real fight.

"But not before going through you, right?" Shanks asked knowingly. Buggy growled, annoyed by how well Shanks knew him even after all this time. Shanks laughed at his obvious annoyance before he sobered up. "That would mean going to Logue Town." He said quietly.

Buggy sighed after a moment. "Fitting." He said simply. Shanks chuckled.

"I suppose it is." They were both silent for a moment. "Oh?" Shanks suddenly murmured.

"What?"

"Mihawk just arrived. I'll have to call you back."

"Don't hurry." Buggy groused, and hung up on Shanks' laughter.

"Captain, we're coming up on Logue Town." He heard from outside his room. He took one last chance to stare at the picture on his desk before getting up and going outside to see the island where it all ended, and began again on the same day.

It was the only picture he had of his captain that wasn't on a bounty poster. Naturally, he and Shanks were fighting in the picture, and Roger was standing between them, a hand on both boys shoulder, clearly keeping them separated. Reyleigh was standing to the side, clearly exasperated with them all.

"Don't worry, captain. I'll make sure Shanks didn't give it to the wrong person." He muttered, and left to test the young rookie who'd been entrusted with the Roger Pirates legacy.