The sea was eerily still, as if even the waves were afraid to move. The Big Top floated motionless, its patched sails hanging limp, caught in the suffocating silence that followed Doflamingo's arrival.
A pink-feathered silhouette hovered above the ship, grinning down from a web of invisible strings.
His laughter cut through the air, "Fuffuffuffuffu…" the kind that crawled under the skin and made grown men feel like ants.
Buggy the Clown stood on the deck, eyes narrowing under the shade of his hat. "Well… this is just great."
Beside him, Urouge's broad frame tensed, every muscle coiled and ready. "He carries himself like a god."
Buggy spat to the side. "Wouldn't be surprised if he thinks he is one."
Doflamingo tilted his head, his shades glinting. "Buggy the Clown… You've been causing quite the stir lately. Marines whisper your name, and pirates gossip about your little circus. I couldn't resist seeing it for myself."
Buggy forced a grin, arms spreading theatrically. "Can you blame them? I'm a star. A legend in the making. You want an autograph?"
The Warlord's fake smile didn't move. "Fufufu~ I do like your spirit... But you'd look better taken down a few pegs."
Then it hit, a wave of invisible pressure, slamming into the ship like a storm. The wood creaked, the sails rippled, and the world itself seemed to bow.
Conqueror's Haki.
Cabaji and Mohji dropped to their knees instantly, choking for air. The newly recruited shipwrights, as well as just about everyone else in their crew hit the floor like sacks of grain. Even Richie went silent and fell over.
Only Urouge remained upright, arms crossed, his teeth gritted.
Buggy also stood straight throughout, almost as if not even feeling the extra pressure. His grin remained on his face, undying and defiant. "Ha! Is that it? Think you have what it takes to make me kneel, you flamingo!?"
Doflamingo chuckled lowly. "Still standing, huh? I'll give you that. At least you've got a few men who don't faint at the first breeze." His gaze flicked toward Urouge. "Not bad… The Mad Monk, right? You the pious type?"
Urouge gave a slow nod, lightning crackling faintly along his shoulders. "You could say that."
The smile on Doflamingo's lips sharpened. "Good. I prefer breaking strong ones."
Strings shimmered in the air, glinting in the sun, dozens of threads stretching outward from Doflamingo's fingers, wrapping around the air itself. They slithered toward the ship like invisible blades.
Buggy's voice dropped. "Tch. So much for talking this out."
"Talking?" Doflamingo laughed. "Oh, I'm talking, Buggy. Here's my offer."
His voice grew cold. "You bring your circus under my flag. You'll represent the Donquixote Family in the first half of the Grand Line, the Marines won't bother you, but you also can't bother them... Or…"
Strings coiled around Buggy and Urouge, forming tightening halos around their throats.
"…you die here. Your bodies can serve as entertainment and catering for the sea."
Cabaji struggled to lift his head. "C-Captain…"
Buggy didn't look at him. He was staring straight at Doflamingo, his expression deadly serious for once. "You want us to join you?"
"I'm giving you the privilegeto live," Doflamingo said, spreading his arms. "The world's not kind to small-time jokers. But I could use a capable fool who knows how to stir the crowd."
Urouge couldn't help but scowl. He hated taking orders; he hated following others to begin with. Had he not lost a Davy Back Fight, he would've already departed from Buggy's crew as well.
Hell, had Buggy been too overbearing in his leadership, Urouge would've left.
Thankfully, the clown was as relaxed as could be. He didn't order people around, unless it was to make them clean the deck or train.
Urouge wasn't on cleaning duty, so he felt more like a sparring partner than a subordinate. His pride could bear it.
In fact, he had even grown to respect the clown and call him 'Captain' albeit playfully at times.
The real question was... 'Buggy... As crazy as he is, he is just as prideful as I am... Would he really consider such an offer?'
For a heartbeat, Buggy was silent. Then, with a small snort, he said: "…You ever hear of a head clown who played second fiddle in his own circus?"
Urouge chuckled under his breath. "Heh. Guess not."
Doflamingo's grin faltered slightly. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying-" Buggy spread his arms, strings digging into his coat, "That we don't serve anyone. You want to make this official? Then it's not subordination… It's an alliance, or a deal."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Even the waves dared not move.
Then Doflamingo's laughter boomed again, echoing across the sea. "Alliance? You? A clown with delusions of grandeur? Fuffuffuffu… You should be honored I haven't already cut you to ribbons."
Buggy's grin sharpened. "Ooh~ How scary~ But you of all people should know best... Even a dog, when cornered, bites back. And I swear, if we fight… even if I die here, I'll make sure to take one of your limbs as a souvenir."
That made Doflamingo pause, just for a second. There was a flicker, amusement? Annoyance? It was gone too fast to tell.
"Cute," he said finally. "But empty threats don't impress me."
The strings drew tight. "Let's end this circus act." They lashed forward, hundreds of them. The world turned silver.
Buggy exploded. Literally.
His body burst apart into a flurry of spinning pieces, arms, legs, torso, head, and boots all flying in different directions.
The strings sliced through empty air, cutting sails and wood but not flesh.
Doflamingo blinked once, amused. "He dismembered himself in the end, huh~ How fun."
"Captain!" Mohji shouted, barely conscious.
From above, Buggy's head zipped by, spinning wildly. "Don't panic! It's all part of the show!"
His floating hands grabbed anything they could, ropes, barrels, even Cabaji's mop, and hurled them like cannonballs at Doflamingo. The Warlord lazily flicked his fingers, slicing every projectile midair.
"You're irritating," Doflamingo said, smiling. "But I'll give you credit. You're harder to keep in one place than I expected."
Buggy's eyes darted wildly. "You don't say!"
A shadow fell over him. Doflamingo descended, his foot raised, coated black with Armament Haki. "Let's see if your head bounces."
Buggy spun, eyes wide. His floating head barely turned towards the kick, he bit down on something hard and directed it towards the Warlord's heel.
The impact seemed to be absorbed, but not entirely. Wind pressure from the strike split the deck in two.
Click.
"Hmm?" Doflamingo tilted his head, shades glinting in the sun. Curiosity was at the forefront of his mind.
The slightly cracked Reject Dial he'd held between Buggy's teeth had absorbed the full shock of Doflamingo's kick, glowing bright white.
"Too close!" Buggy muttered through gritted teeth. He spat the Dial out, straight toward Doflamingo's chest, and hit the trigger with his detached nose.
The explosion cracked the sky.
A thunderous BOOMsent both pirates flying apart, a wave of smoke and shattered planks erupting between them. The Big Top rocked violently, its hull screaming.
Buggy's head tumbled midair, his body reforming piece by piece, coughing. "I think… I lost a few teeth."
From the smoke, Doflamingo's laughter rang out again, deeper this time. "Fuffuffuffuffu… You actually hit me."
He landed lightly on the ruined deck, hand pressed against his abdomen where a faint scorch mark showed. His smile hadn't faded, annoyingly.
Urouge burst through the hanging threads, blood running down his arms. Each cut only made his muscles swell larger. "That was… impressive, Captain."
"Thanks," Buggy wheezed. "Remind me never to take that kick again."
The air shimmered. Strings danced once more, a deadly halo forming around Doflamingo as he rose slightly into the air. His tone dropped low, cold enough to freeze the sea.
"I was going to leave you alive, maybe just turn you in for that decent bounty... But now?" His fingers twitched. "You've annoyed me."
"Oh, sure, Mr. 'Join me or die'~" Buggy smirked weakly, though sweat ran down his temple. "I'm sure your intentions were nothing if not peaceful..."
Doflamingo moved faster than the eye could follow, a blur of feathers and threads. Urouge swung a massive Haki-coated fist, but the strings wrapped around his arm mid-punch, slicing into flesh.
He roared, forcing more willpower into his limbs. The black armament coating spread, dulling the strings' bite. "You'll… not break me so easily!"
Buggy's detached arm zipped between them, deflecting one of the threads just enough to give Urouge space. "Oi! Don't hog the spotlight, muscle-monk!"
"You want it?" Urouge growled. "Take it!"
Buggy laughed, though it was shaky. His pieces were scattering again, weaving between the webs like a chaotic storm. Barrels flew, smoke bombs burst, and debris rained.
But Doflamingo kept walking forward. Every string slice came closer, trimming the chaos away bit by bit.
One finally nicked Buggy's cheek, but no blood trickled. After all, his immunity to slashing or cutting stretched quite far.
Still, the impact was felt; it was almost like he had been whipped in the cheek.
"Tch…" Buggy hissed. "Persistent bastard."
He pulled another smoke bomb from his pocket with a floating hand and smashed it against the deck. Thick black fog engulfed the scene.
Doflamingo didn't stop. His Haki-wrapped leg tore through the haze and stomped the deck, causing the entire ship to shake, the sheer wind force dispersing it in an instant.
Buggy's form vanished completely until a faint whisper came from behind him.
"Chop Chop…"
Doflamingo turned. Too late.
A single floating palm brushed against his right arm, faint, almost harmless. But the grin on Buggy's distant face said otherwise.
"…Act Cutter."