Shanks once again found himself sailing away from Dawn, except this time there was no Luffy waving from the shore, no tears to be had because Shanks had run out of them. He was angry, he was sad but mainly he was numb.

It hurt, by the blessed seas did it hurt.

But he felt so detached from it all. A faint thing, like feeling the fire in another room, or hearing a conversation behind closed doors. Muffled.

He couldn't bear to look at Dawn shrinking in the distance behind him, couldn't bear to watch as the others sailed off back to the Grand Line, Ace's Haki a ruin even though Sabo had stayed with him. His fingers brushed over the pocket that held the Dial his son had left him, it weighed heavily in his pocket just as the braided tiger tooth pendant hung heavy around his throat.

Ace and Sabo had found their old treasure stash back at the treehouse they slept in as kids, and had found everything Luffy had kept there for them all. In it was the necklace that he wore now, a matching one for Beck. Shanks wasn't too sure that they were really for him and Beck at first, not till he saw the one around Ace's neck.

"Captain, we need a heading." Limejuice's voice called from behind him, uncertain of breaking the tense silence that hung like a pall over the ship.

"Follow this." He replied, holding out the Virve card of Buggy, the small piece of paper gently bumping against the log pose casing he placed it in.

Limejuice nodded and took the Virve Pose and began to set course, sharing a look with Benn as he passed the First Mate. It had been a while since their Captain ordered them to follow the small slip of Virve card, the last meeting ending in their Captain locking himself away for two days in silent solitude.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Benn asked as he stepped to Shanks's side at the figurehead of The Red Force. "Last time was…"

"I know Benn," Shanks sighed and tore his gaze away from the sea, hand clenched tight on the rail, thumb brushing the spot where Luffy had carved his initials on his old ship that they imported to this one. "But Buggy is one of the best information gatherers I know. His informants are far and wide in every sea, he will be able to help me find what I want."

Benn knew that was the truth, hard not to when Benn had seen and experienced all that Buggy's scarily accurate information network could provide. He may play the coward, the clown but Benn knew how smart the man was, knew how grief-stricken Buggy was as well…

"Will he even help you find the information you need?" Benn asked carefully.

"For a price," Shanks replied with a tired sigh. "I have something I can give him, but I need him, I don't trust Dragon, nor do I trust anyone else… not with this."

"You want him to find out who discovered and told on Luffy?" Benn asked with raised brows.

Shanks shook his head. "No, I can trust them for that, Davy Jones curse whoever it was, and they better hope it's not me who finds them… no… I need Buggy to find Luffy's Devil Fruit. The government can't have it and… and I want the last piece of our boy with us Benn."

"Aye Cap'n," Benn replied, unable to say more, unsure of what to even say, all he could do was stand by his Captain's side like always.

X

Buggy felt anxious, more so than he usually felt, it was as if a sense of foreboding hung heavily in the air. Even as the show went on, as it finished, and his crew cleaned up the Big Top for tomorrow's performance he could see that they too seemed on edge.

His fingers tapped every blade he had on his person, counting each and every one as he eyed his surroundings, his observation Haki stretched over the small island he had claimed as his own. There was no unknown Haki signature, nothing that would explain this sense of… wrong… but still Buggy did not drop his guard.

"Boss," Cabaji's voice knocked him from his thoughts, drawing his entire focus immediately. His Chief of Staff was at the edge of the Big Top, spyglass in hand and nervous in a way that was unlike him.

"What is it?" He asked while stalking over, hands grasping the dagger at his hip.

Cabaji swallowed and looked at his captain nervously. "It's Red-Hair."

Buggy blinked and ripped the spyglass from his Chief of Staff and cast his gaze out towards where Cabaji was gesturing, heart hammering in his chest. It had been years since he had seen Shanks, years since he even spoken to him. His brother was a Yonko now, why was he here?

The first thing Buggy saw was red… Red sails that sent up an alarm… red sails like their fathers Captain's because all of them got sick of washing out the blood…

"Cabaji, send out everyone, tell the town to lock down immediately and wait to see if they need to evacuate the Village. Make sure the men who are staying behind are secure, I don't know what has happened, but Shanks is flying red sails. If you see Mohji tell him Code Red." Buggy ordered urgently, forcing down the panic in his chest.

Shanks was not one to wipe out towns, he was not one to bathe the ocean red. No, his brother was a free spirit, a partier very much like Roger was. But still, Buggy erred on the side of caution, it kept him and his men alive and it didn't matter if it was Shanks.

He waited on the main deck in preparation while his men ran off towards Millstone Village to secure it, to keep the villages safe or aid them in evacuating. The closer Shanks's ship got to The Big Top; the more Buggy could feel his brothers Haki.

It was a maelstrom of emotions, familiar to Buggy and something that he hadn't felt since they watched their Captains – father's – head roll. It was suffocating like a hand grasping his lungs like a vice and dragging him downdowndown into the depths of the sea.

What has happened?

The last Buggy had heard of his brother was him partying up in Paradise… but then again… he hadn't seen the newest reports lately, hadn't had the time. Didn't really want to know. Because he was still bitterbitterbitter…

Buggy waited as The Red Force docked against his own ship, the gangplank dropping loudly and breaking the tense silence.

"Permission to come aboard?" Beckman's voice called out, and it set the alarm riling hight once again. It was wrong, flat, and hollow.

"Granted."

If he thought Beckman's voice was wrong, it was nothing on the look of his brother. Shanks looked pallid, face gaunt and eyes bruised. His shoulders slumped heavily as if something weighed him down and his Haki was skittering out in uncontrolled flickers. Yet, even as he walked forward, not once did Shanks meet his eyes.

"What's happened?" Buggy demanded, fear and worry lodging in his throat. His hands came up ready to grab his brother, to check for injuries in what would cause this but froze as he finally caught his brother's gaze.

Those red eyes he grew up with were dark as blood, the whites a familiar pale pink that indicated his brother had been crying. But it was the hollow look within them, ten times worse than that fucking awful day in Loguetown.

"I need your help," Shanks stated brokenly. "Please Blue."

The sound of his nickname, the name he hadn't heard for a very long time with that inflection had Buggy grasping his brother tight, pulling him close and wrapping him tightly in a hug. They may have their differences, Buggy may resent and sometimes hate his brother and the circumstances behind well, everything… He may argue and insult, but he still loved his brother, and could never turn him away.

Buggy snapped his eyes to Beckman. "Tell your idiots that they can stay on land. I'll send out one of my men to alert the others that you're welcome."

Cabaji didn't need to be told twice, disappearing into the night while calling for Mohji who was making sure that Buggy's previous orders were carried out to the letter while he dealt with Shanks.

Nothing else was said while he led Shanks towards his cabin, taking in the slight tremble of his brothers' frame, the hitch in every second breath. Hell, there wasn't even a telltale sign of booze on him and that just made Buggy even more worried because a Sober Shanks was dangerous.

"Red what's happened?" He asked softly, letting his Flashy persona drop as he dropped to his knees and gazed up at his brother once seated. "I can't help you unless I know all the details."

Shanks swallowed and forced the tears at bay, shoved down the anger once again with iron control as he willed the numbness to take over once more… but it was a difficult task. His strength and will are a crumbling mess, his lack of sleep due to nightmares and grief weakening his control and here in the safety of his brothers' rooms… Shanks broke.

Broke in a way he hadn't since he was a kid.

Broke in a way that caused his brother to cry out and catch him as he toppled forward.

He screamed and cried, fingers digging into soft flesh that would bruise under a terrified voice's instructions because Shanks wanted to dig his nails into his own flesh, wanted to rip his hair until he bled. Self-destruct in a way he hadn't since he was a child.

Broken… he was broken. A failure.

Failure as a son. Because why else would they leave him, them?

Failure as a brother. His brother screamed in the rain, blamed him for all his woes, begged to never leave him and yet still doing so.

Failure as a captain and husband. Benn has had to step up and take control while Shanks just wastes.

But over everything… he was a failure of a father. If he wasn't so careless then the Marines would have taken him as leverage instead of… instead… he broke the vow the ocean used to bind them… and now Luffy is gonegonegone…

"… then Mohji had to send Sorena back to Hengford Village as she left Richie's favourite toy there by mistake. It was a nightmare, let me tell you Red."

Buggy's familiar voice brushed away the ringing in his ears and soothed over the ache in his heart till it was manageable.

"Blue," He croaked; voice ruined. "They took him from me… he's gone…"

"Who did they take?" Buggy asked slowly, warily as his mind clicked over every word and interaction since Cabaji spotted them in the distance. Who was the him that Shanks spoke of, who would cause his brother to break like this? Benn was still okay, broken just like Shanks but…

Shanks swallowed and covered his face with his hand, "I was blessed with a Son and the Marines killed him… he was nearly sixteen."

Oh, this was much worse, so much worse than what Buggy expected. Something he never truly expected though, Shanks wasn't one for children, didn't wish to cause the same fate as he growing up on a ship nor abandoning the poor child somewhere safe for this very reason. So, this child Shanks was blessed with must have been something to crack the thick walls of his brother's determined will.

Buggy was an uncle, and he never had the chance to meet the kid.

Both knew the world was cruel and terrible and knew the Marines didn't give a fuck about who they killed as long as it served a purpose. Ohara being one of the main examples… dread pooled up as he recalled an incident not long ago.

"How." The word strangled and pleading, Buggy didn't want the confirmation.

"He was on Dawn Island, the Goa Kingdom." Shanks trailed off needing not to say more. Buggy knew already what he was going to say, he read all about the Buster Call on Dawn Island because of some bullshit reason, like the blood son of a dangerous man was enough reason for execution. It was worse than Ohara and Baterilla.

Bitter laughter broke Buggy's train of thought and when he glanced down, Shanks's face was twisted. "His blood father was Dragon the Revolutionary, but they killed him because the fruit I stole, the fruit that he ate, was a Mythical Zoan… He was the one Captain was waiting for."

RageRageRage swarmed through Buggy, his fingers spasming, jaw clenching tight. He couldn't care less that his captain's last wish, his last dream and the prophecy they grew up with died with this kid but the fact that Shanks blamed himself? "It was not your fault!"

"How can it not be Blue?"

"It's the Marine's fault for killing a child in the first place because of blood, because of some fruit he would probably never awaken!" Buggy screeched furiously, hands flying up and smacking the roof with his fury. "it's whoever discovered this and reported it! There is a whole list of people before you if and I mean if you were even on the list of blame to begin with!"

Buggy would repeat that every day for the rest of their lives until it sank into his brothers' stupid skull.

Tears silently slipped down Shanks's cheek, following the ragged scars, but he didn't say a word back. He just stared at his brother and pushed away everything else, because he came here for a reason and this wasn't it. His hand shook as he pulled out the well worn and loved map, handing it over to Blue with slight reluctance.

"I need you to find the fruit Blue, please." Desperation was thick in the tone. "They can't have it… it's Luffy's and just… I can give you this as payment."

Buggy took the map wearily as he crushed the excitement and greed that always bubbled up within him at the mention of treasure with an iron fist. The map was old, well cared for and… oh… his heart ached as he took in the hand-drawn map of the East Blue, little riddles and indicators of treasure hidden on nearly every island from Dawn to Reverse Mountain.

This was a map made for a child, for one loved so dearly with how much care and planning Shanks had obviously put into it. It reminded him of the little maps Shanks would draw for him on his worst days. Not only that, Buggy could see that this was a way for a father to care for his son, to aid him in his quest to the sea.

Blue eyes met Red.

"I won't take the map and the treasure you set for your Son," He stated firmly, carefully rolling up the map and placing it back in Shanks's jacket. "He was your Ocean Blessed kid, right?"

Shanks nodded and held out the only photo he had of the two of them. In it Shanks was sitting on the steps of the Red Force a wide smile on his face, Luffy in his arms laughing, red hair bright against the white of Shanks's shirt. Luffy's head was tilted back against his chest, staring up at Shanks with wonder while Shanks looked at the Cameko.

"Tightly bound, gave my arm as the price." He explained softly, finger tracing the edges where it was beginning to wear. "His hair changed to a darker shade of mine, sometimes I swore I could feel the beat of his heart as an echo to mine. He was gonna be the King of the Pirates you know, swore to me, gave him my hat… he promised to return it to me when he became a great pirate… now it rests forever with him."

"I'll do all I can to find the information you want, make my men work hard for it," Buggy replied instantly, eyes taking in the small child in the photo with a pang. He had never seen his brother look so soft, so joyful and proud. "I won't rest till I find it and the person who caused it. He's my nephew by blessing, ours to avenge."

Closing his eyes briefly, Shanks snapped them open to stare at his brother. "Thank you, Blue."

XX

Months after this night he would stare at the wanted poster of the King Tamer, a kid sitting on top of a sea king with a wide mockery jagged smile mask covering the lower half of his face that cause a niggle in his mind.

It would be over a year later when Buggy would come face to face with a teen, dark red eyes glinting under a blood-red straw hat with the abilities of the Devil Fruit he's been looking tirelessly for.

It will be not long after that, when those eyes stared up from the gallows, his sword raised to end the wretch and pause… because there was a steady dripdripdrip of black washing from the kids' head, revealing dark red strands.

It will be months after that experience when the nightmare wakes Buggy from a dead sleep, the whispered words he barely caught in the wind as the brat fled. Goodbye, Uncle.

XX

But for now…

Now he will comfort his brother, get all the details, and listen to every story.

Because Shanks may have been Ocean Blessed and Blessed with a son in return, but he and Buggy were Earthbound, a bond forged together by the lands and together they could weather any storm, even if it was a maelstrom of grief.

Buggy will not fail. Not at this.

He won't fail his brother again.

Author Note: So much for being complete... So instead of writing singular one shots I'm going to add them here as I go with Ocean Blessed