One Piece:
WATERS THAT DROWNED THE SPIRITS
The stories from the Old World series
by Lucynda Raciak
A/N: this is a gift for "k" a guest reviewer from AO3 who requested Buggy angst so here it is.
| Waters that drowned the spirits |
Marco grimaced when another man bumped into him on the streets of Loguetown.
"Watch where you going, brat!" the man growled and Marco needed to force himself not to bark back. He wasn't supposed to be recognised. Sure, he knew how to take care of himself and as a New World Pirate, member of Whitebeard's crew, he would be able to beat the crap of any of the small fries.
That being said this was the Logue Town, currently the city with the highest level of high ranking marines on Four Blues. Ever since Roger's execution 2 years ago the place became the breeding ground for piracy. Sailors of all kinds came here to see the famous platform where the Pirate King was butchered and left his legacy. The place became crime-ridden and in a span of a few months, the beautiful city turned into a shithole. The Navy sent FIVE Paradise-Quality Vice Admirals to station here just to stop the chaos and Marco knew that in the worst-case scenario he could get captured.
He made sure that his hood was sitting firmly on his head and tried to make himself look smaller. Most Four Bluers weren't familiar with Grand Line wanted posters and only more or less recognised Emperors' flags, captains and maybe a few commanders not really bothering with individual crewmembers but it was better to be safe than sorry. Not to mention that Commander Vencia would kick his ass if Marco fucked up such an easy job.
This didn't help him much.
"Where do you think you're going, brat! Kids these days don't have any manners at all. When you bumped into someone you need to say sorry." Apparently, the jackass (who bummed into HIM not the other way around) expected Marco to grovel at his feet and apologise by kissing his piss-stinking boots.
Marco was about to UNO reverse the guy when he saw a marine patrol and cursed his luck. He allowed the group to push him into a dead-end alley. Crap, he was surrounded. He wasn't still at disadvantage, as he was still much stronger than all of them combined, but the fact that he allowed himself to get into this point was embarrassing.
"Didn't you hear the boss, brat?" said one of the lackeys. "On your knees!"
The thug on Marco's left laughed. The Phoenix glared at him and the man flinched. Some primal part of him must have recognised the danger because he took a step back.
"Hey, Tom, don't puss out! We need to show this kid not to piss off pirates!"
Marco couldn't help it. He laughed at the irony of the statement. And ok, it might have come out a bit creepy but they were seriously asking for it!
"This is some insane brat, get him!" yelled the leader. His gang was reluctant but they followed the command and charged at him. Marco was almost dancing as he dodged the angry thugs. At some point one of them impaled him on a sword... wow he allowed himself to get too relaxed, didn't he?
The thug screamed in pure horror as Marco's wound burned with blue-yellow fire.
"He's one of those Vegetable Demons!"
'It's Devil Fruit.' thought Marco.
"He's going to kill us!"
'I don't even care about you, guys. Why would I even bother with killing you?'
"Hey, where are you going?!" yelled the leader as he watched his crew running away.
'I wouldn't be loyal to the likes of you either.'
The leader guy turned again towards Marco, murder in his eyes.
"You fucking demon!" he growled, he looked Marco deep into the eyes… and ran away.
Marco snorted. He almost felt some pity towards the guy.
Suddenly he felt a pull and a garotte was on his throat and a familiar feeling of weakness came.
'Seastone!'
"You must be one of the big guys, huh?" asked his attacker. "I'm going to make sure the marines have your cold corpse."
Marco used all the strength he still had left to fight off the man. His fists went flying into the air in hopes to injure the opponent. He tried to kick the feet below but it was all for nothing. The wire was tightening on his throat and the air was running out. He was losing the battle against the thug. His vision was getting blurry.
'Fuck!' he cursed in his mind. Not only was he going one East Blue, of all places, killed by some no-name shit-for-face but he was going to die alone, far away from Pops and his family.
He felt a tongue on his ear and then heard a giggle whisper.
"But before that, I'll make sure it can rest in my arms. You're a pretty boy, I'm sure you'll feel nice and still nice!"
Oh great, not only was he going to die but he was going to be used as a pleasure device for some necrophilic creep!
Just before his legs lost any strength he heard the man behind him yelp in pain and suddenly the hold on his throat was gone. The seastone wire fell on the cobblestone and Marco almost with it. He turned around on his shaky legs.
He was scared. In this state, almost choked to death with the use of seastone he was extremely vulnerable. He put on his best furious expression. Even now, no bastard was going to-
He was greeted by a levitating hand holding a knife and a familiar voice.
"I cannot believe that you of all people get sloppy on East Blue of all places, Birdbrain."
Marco blinked as he saw a silhouette hidden in the darkest place of the alley.
"Clownboy? he asked, the shock was clear in his voice. Marco remembered. The two cabin boys were the first Roger Pirates he met. The three of them got into a lot of trouble and their captains were furious. Especially with Marco because he was 15 and should know better than drag two 9-year-olds to a Marine Base. This was actually how he got his wanted poster. During Kong's rule as the Marine Fleet Admiral, it was illegal to give out the wanted posters of children under 17 unless they did something really big. Marco stealing the Mythical Zoan Fruit and completely decimating their Base was probably one of those things.
He met Buggy (and Shanks by extension) a few other times. There was that one when Roger stole Oden from them and when Pops met with his rival for the last time. The young pirate was 14 at the time. The boy was hitting a growth spurt and finally reached Marco's collarbone. He wore that silly hat over his short blue hair.
"Sure, that's me." said the young man bitterly still sitting where he was. The hand flew past Whitebeard Pirate and reattached itself to the owner.
Marco went toward him on his shaky legs and kneeled in front of his friend to look better at him. It would be hard to recognise him if it weren't for his devil fruit ability... and a nose, but his face is well hidden under a spacious hood. His hair was longer, Marco noticed, but in a complete mess and very greasy. He was also taller. Probably a little shorter than the blonde. Definitely tall by standards of any regular-sized man. His clothes are just as dirty as the hair and for sure too small for post-puberty Clown.
"You should work on your Observation, Birdbrain" he said as he took a sip from a bottle that reeked of poor-quality alcohol.
"I guess, I should." Marco said quietly "You were always amazing at it, though."
For a few minutes he was silent.
"Clownboy, what happened to you?" he asked.
Buggy took a sip from the bottle again.
"That's what happens when you get attached to people and then they left you." Next, he laughed bitterly and it froze Marco's blood. He remembered always calling the two of Roger's cabin boys annoying but he actually really liked them, especially the more rational Buggy who seems to be a counterbalance to pure chaos that was represented by Shanks. The two, as different as they were, were inseparable. It was adorable when they were children. Shiki once said that he expected them to be great when they grew up. Both of them because they were supposed to be together. A co-captains of a new great crew that was going to take the world by storm.
But Buggy was alone.
"Where is Shanks?" he asked firmly.
"Not here." Buggy grunted out.
"Buggy." Marco dropped the nickname. "Where is-"
"Not here!" yelled the younger one "Can't you hear, you bloody turkey?! Or did the blood flow didn't return to your tiny Zoan brain?! Why do you even want to know where that disloyal bloodstained rat is?! And why is everything always about that bastard son of Kraken?! He left, okay?" With each word, his voice was becoming more hysterical and angry. He seemed to be in some sort of trace and finally Buggy's hand was in the air ready to hit the blonde but his fist was caught. Only now could Marco see how thin the boy was.
"Ocean dear, Buggy! You're smaller than Claus!" The young Whitebeard pirate might not have been a fully trained Doctor yet but he could see the malnutrition when he saw it!
"I'm alright, go away!" Buggy tried to get his fist away from the older man's hold but he was too weak.
"You definitely are not!" Marco disagreed. He stood up and pulled the younger with him. "You're going with me."
"Like hell!"
"Stop being a brat!"
Marco was really considering throwing Buggy on his back like a sack of potatoes but it would put them into a spotlight and he hoped to avoid that. Not only would it compromise his mission but also put Buggy in danger. He knew the younger didn't have a bounty poster yet but marines definitely had him on the list as any other Roger Pirate.
"Come on, we need to leave the city before-"
"I'm not going with you anywhere!"
"Oh, that's enough!"
A second later the unconscious boy was on the ground. He was about to take him on his back and go but he was stopped.
"What are you doing to that boy?"
In the entrance to the alley stood an elderly man. Marco could tell he was past his prime yet still strong.
"Get out of my way, old man, I don't want to hurt you." he said firmly.
The man took a better look at him and said.
"Oh, you are one of Whitebeard's boys."
"You know Pops?" Marco asked, surprised.
"I know of him. Rayleigh talked about him a bit when he left Roger's boys here."
If the guy knew Rayleigh he should be trustful, right? Marco shook his head, he still needed to be careful.
"Come on, boy, those thugs that just run away are going to return or they will rat you out to marines. They're new, have no bounty."
The man showed him the door just next to the entrance of the alley and they went inside. It was an old bar.
"Put Bug-boy on the booths on the left." the man said as he went to the bar. Marco sized the man up with a suspicious eye but finally do as he was told and went up to the bar himself and sat on the stool.
"I'm Raoul, what would you like to drink, devil-boy?"
"I'm Marco. I feel like whisky will be great."
After a few seconds, glass was in his hand.
"So… Rayleigh left Buggy and Shanks here?"
"They needed somewhere safe to hide and Roger and Rayleigh were sure the two would do everything to see the execution. Not to mention it's darkest under a candle. Roger's bunch thought it would be safer that way."
Marco didn't respond for a minute as he progressed the information. If it was Pops who would be executed, he would fly to Sphinx, and not even Rakuyo and Bay would be able to stop him.
"Where is the other one, then?" he finally asked.
"After Roger's execution Redhead wanted to leave. He asked Bug-boy to go with him. I don't believe he was ready. It was too early and he was in too much pain. They split up."
Buggy and Shanks? Splitting up? How was that possible? He felt anger overwhelming him. How could Shanks leave Buggy? Yes, he could understand that the other one was probably in mourning after his captain and father figure but… he left Buggy. After Marco saw what state clown boy was…
How could Shanks leave his brother like that?
"What are you going to do now?"
Marco blinked.
"Why are you asking me?"
"I can tell you want to take him with you."
"I do." he admitted, "But he needs to agree first."
The man laughed.
"Then go, finish your mission and ask him when you return."
"Right." Marco said dryly. "Commander Vencia will tear me a new one if I fail."
He finished his drink.
"I'll be back."
"I know."
The door closed behind him and Raoul looked at Buggy who sat quietly on the booth looking at his hands.
"You heard him. Are you going to go with him?"
"I don't know." he said truthfully "I really don't know."
He had time before Marco's return and he was going to spend it in a deep reverie.
A/N: So... a lot of depression. Btw, I'm not very salty at other Roger Pirates since I believe all of them had some serious issues after Roger died and each one of them was coping differently with it. Sure, they should have taken care of Shanks and Buggy. The two of them on the other hand should stay together not split up but not one of them was in good mental health so like I said I'm not super salty. Just a little.
I have this idea for a story where Buggy joins Whitebeard pirates, would you like to see it?
As always request welcomed, see you!
