Cabaji can still remember his first time meeting the infamous swordsmen and withholds a shiver at the phantom feeling of being pinned under such a stare.
He's thankful that his captain has someone so scary protective of him, but boy is it scary being on the receiving end.
It had been after his captain had rang to inform them of the new development of Garp of all people having offered him and the little Ike sanctuary. Honestly, Cabaji should be used to just how lucky his captain is, but still it's things like this that bring in just how favored Buggy is by the sea.
Getting back to the aforementioned monster in the form of a swordsman, Cabaji isn't ashamed to say it's terrifying sitting alone with the hawk-like man whose sword stands tall and his presence even more.
He withheld a whine of nerves as his captain and the fucking traitor, Mohji used Richie as an opportunity to escape the terrifying man. Buggy none the wiser to the underhand way of his animal tamer betrayed Cabaji, the furry asshole dared to smirk as he guided their captain and Ace for a walk leaving them two alone.
Alone in the small confined space of the mini top, the smaller version of the Big Top and more suitable for quick traveling. It had just been big enough to hold Richie who is still getting bigger by the day.
He withholds the urge to fidget as he sits alone with a monster whose only leach is walking further and further away.
"So," he drawled, trying in vain to lighten the awkward silence, "How-" Whatever he was gonna say is interrupted by Mihawk, whose voice cuts through the air like a knife.
"Will you die for him?" Mihawk asks him his tone displaying the seriousness of his question.
That throws him off.
'Would he die for?'
"I- what?!" He yelps withholding the urge to reach for his treasure for comfort, it's a specialized compact unicycle Buggy personally constructed for him, of course, it's his treasure.
Mihawk simply stares at him, while the pressure in the room increases tenfold. "Buggy, would you die for him?" The other man asks as if the sky is blue, leaning forward and Cabaji feels indignant, who is this newbie to ask him about his devotion to His captain?
There is no one who deserves the blind loyalty that the crew and him give other than Buggy.
"I don't know what your game is," he starts feeling his arms shake, but despite the fear that seeps in his veins he holds his ground, for all the times his captain has saved them, the least he can do is defend his character.
"But if you think I'll sit here and let you ask such a ridiculous question about my captain then you've been mistaken." He says standing up feeling his legs almost give out when the other follows suit.
"My captain is the best, no one deserves the loyalty of a crew more than him. If he asked me to kill a civvy then I'd do it in a heartbeat, if he asked me to throw my life away I would with no hesitation!" He says feeling his heart burst in his chest at the declaration.
"But if you think buggy would ask us about that then you don't know him at all." He says with no doubt in his mind.
"Because Captain Buggy doesn't ask us to die for him, he asks us to Live for him, to enjoy the currents of the ocean and the treasures of the sea. He shows that there is more to piracy than petty squabbles and stupid ambitions. He is a true pirate, free." He ends softly.
"That is the true meaning of being a pirate, buggy taught us that." He ends with a watery grin, his love for his captain on full display.
"So yes, to answer your question, I would die for my captain, but I know he'd never ask me of that."
The other simply chuckles laugh of someone who already knows just how precious Buggy is, and that makes him feel a smidge of respect. Anyone who can see Captain Buggy's true glory has a point in favor of him.
The tone in Minawk's voice is one that he clings to when he's scared for his captain because the tone is close to how the crew speaks of their captain, full of disbelief and reverence.
Disbelief that there is truly someone out there who lives for the adventure of piracy and not the glory and reverence that there is someone who genuinely cares for their scummy selves.
Cabaji can tell when one's a fellow street rat, and street rats are very protective of what little comforts they have.
"No, no he wouldn't."
——
When Buggy and Mohji come back from their Impromptu walk curtsy of a curious Richie, he doesn't expect to see Mihawk lazily parlaying with his crew mate and swordsman of his crew. If it wasn't for the fact that he could sense they weren't truly going at it it still makes his heart leap in his throat, while Cabaji is a fantastic swordsman he is nowhere near Mihawk's level.
The only reason Buggy himself can last as long as he does is because of his devil powers, and the teaching from his Captain.
Unlike most Captains, Buggy never truly cared about one's strength when they joined his crew. It's not like he has no ambition or grandeur of going back to the grand line, or even in the new world.
Been there and done that (and he wasn't even a fully-fledged pirate then)
He watches in fascination mohji himself dumbfounded and transfixed watching his best friend get lessons from Mihawk. His friend's clothing is in disarray and his cheek is cut with a trail of blood, Mihawk's voice travels through the air in that same dull disinterested tone he seems to have, "My final assessment, You rely too much on your acrobatics, while agility is good, not having the ability to hit your target just means you waste energy.
"You just need to learn to stop hesitating and strike." Mihawk ends, before dropping the stick he used to counter Cabaji's swords.
Buggy watches with a captain's pride as Cabaji stares at Mihawk with only a slight tremble and a sense of determination. His scarf is tattered a little as he bows at the waist. "I'll work on that, it's been an honor to be taught by one such as yourself."
What exactly happened while they were gone? It was only thirty minutes!
Setting Ace down on Richie who immediately curls around the sleeping tot.
He waits until he's some distance before he shouts with mock irritation as he walks over towards them snarking with mock irritation.
"Oui!" The two look over, Cabaji himself startles and straightens before relaxing when he registers his captain addressing them, while Mihawk already knew they were there.
Buggy stops before them, Richie wisely staying back and cooing at their captain's son in all but blood. The only one who denies it is Buggy himself.
Buggy gives Mihawk a look before fretting over Cabaji, a swap, and a bandage appearing out of nowhere, "I leave for five minutes and you've already started to torture my crew!"
"It's bad enough I have to endure it" he mutters the last part.
——-
Makino just finishes swiping the counter of the bar as the door chimes open.
She lifts her gaze and is mildly startled to see a clown-like man and a scary swordsman shadowing behind. The blue-haired clown walks in like he owns the place and she can admit if she had such an imitating person following her she'd be just as confident in any situation, though it's the baby strapped to the clown's chest that draws hers along with everyone's else's eyes.
Makino tries for a pleasant smile, her gaze welcoming, but cautious as they near her.
The clown gives her a disarming smile while catching the baby chew toy the toddler drops, he gives her a sheepish smile as he speaks, "Excuse me miss, but would you happen to have any milk? We've been in the
The clown voice is of an accent from someone who has traveled many places in their youth and has adopted tilts from different dialects.
"Ah, oh!" She blinks out of the trance unknowingly getting lost in his voice, something that Buggy unconsciously uses passively.
Shaking her head she gives a bright smile, "Yeah! Hold on." She says, before going into the back where they keep the fridge. They are rare, but her boss is lucky enough to be in the good graces of Garp, the giant man dropped it in front of her with a loud laugh and walked off.
As she returns she hands the bottle over, watching in fascination as the clown reaches into his satchel, pulls out a baby bottle, and proceeds to pour the drink into the bottle, as he is doing that she gives them an assessing look, "so what brings you here?"
She hopes they aren't here to cause trouble because the one behind him looks like he could cause some serious damage.
"Ah! Oh!" The clown flails, patting his body as if looking for something, only for his silent shadow to hold a slip of paper over blue hair's shoulder, said man pauses looking over with a grateful smile, "thanks Miha'" the clown murmurs, causing the swordsman to turn his head with a cough.
The other tries to regain his dignity, "Well you're hopeless with anything that isn't treasure or Ace."
"What's the difference?" The clown quips and Makino may faint at the sweetness of it all.
The clown turns back to her with an unsure smile, "You wouldn't happen to know a Makino." Those simple words changed her life, for in another she would have just been a simple bar maiden, but now, in this life she'll become an advisor to the first Emperor of the New Era and scion of the King of Pirates.
A/n:
We are finally at dawn island.
Sorry it's so short.
And yes Makino is gonna be a bamf,
I'm thinking of having buggy take her under his wing in arts of trickery and sabotage.
And yes buggy has conquerors, I always felt that buggy was the spirit of Rogger while Shanks has the will or strength of Roger.
Buggy draws people in evidence by the prison arc, and I'm playing into that, but more intense since he's actively improving his overall strengths.
I'd say people of Mihawk and Shanks caliber will feel calmer but other than that it has no effect. but regular people will feel enamored or more subjective to his wishes, with Makino it's more of a "I'll protect this innocent dilf"