> "They said I was a joke. They laughed.
Now they bow… and I'm laughing louder."
— Buggy the Clown, Yonko (by accident, possibly divine intervention)
---
[Location: Grand Line – Mid-One Piece Timeline]
The sun was high.
The cannons were crooked.
And the banners fluttering above the Big Top Pirates' mobile base ship now read:
"ALL HAIL GOD BUGGY"
(in glitter paint, with a typo: "GOOD BUGGY" on the back)
At the center of this divine comedy stood Buggy D. Clown—former Roger crewmate, current Yonko (somehow), and eternal living accident.
He posed dramatically, foot on a barrel, cape flapping in the wind.
Buggy (shouting to his crew):
> "YOU FOOLS THOUGHT I WAS JUST A CLOWN! BUT I… AM A CLOWN WITH CLOUT!"
Alvida (flatly):
> "You tripped into it, Buggy."
Mr. 3 (gritting teeth):
> "You took credit for saving Impel Down. Then you ran away."
Buggy:
> "TACTICAL RETREAT IS A FORM OF LEADERSHIP!"
---
[Morning – Worship and Worry]
The Buggy cult (unironically growing) had started their day with a chant.
> "Honk honk, praise be! To Buggy's feet, we bend the knee!"
Buggy wore sunglasses and trembled behind a curtain.
Buggy (internally):
> "What if they figure it out? What if someone stronger shows up? What if the System tells them I can't read maps?!"
His Chat Ping went off.
---
[Chat Group – Buggy Check-In]
Buggy (typing in panic):
> "Hey guys, quick thing: am I allowed to decline divine worship? Asking for a friend."
Kazuma:
> "...How did you become a religion in a week?!"
Deadpool:
> "You're living my dream."
Esdeath:
> "You will kneel when I claim your empire."
Buggy:
> "I WILL TRIP YOU INTO A VOLCANO."
MC (calmly):
> "You're doing fine. Play the role. Be the clown. The world trusts the fool more than the hero."
Buggy:
> "...That's either profound or terrifying."
---
[Afternoon – "Blessing" a Village]
He was dragged into a village where people begged for his touch. He gave a girl a balloon. It cured her fever.
(Actually, it was a Devil Fruit side-effect. Unstable air pressure. Whatever.)
They called it a miracle.
Buggy walked away dazed, mumbling.
> "This… this is too much responsibility for a nose this red."
---
[Evening – Reflecting at the Mast]
He climbed up to the crow's nest.
No one saw the exhaustion in his eyes. The weight. The fear.
> "They expect me to save them…
What if I screw up again?
What if the joke ends?"
He looked at the sea.
And whispered:
> "Roger… am I actually doing something right?"
Then the sky shimmered with a faint flicker from the Chat Link.
---
[Private Ping – From Batman]
Bruce:
> "You're afraid of being the symbol. That's good. Means you'll treat it carefully."
Buggy:
> "Easy for you to say, Bats. You are the symbol."
Bruce:
> "Only because I never let anyone else take the fall."
Buggy:
> "...Huh."
He sat in silence for once.
Then struck a dramatic pose.
> "I'M STILL THE BEST ACCIDENT IN THE WORLD!"
Confetti exploded behind him.
No one knew where it came from.
---
End of Chapter 22: Buggy D. Clown