Chapter Text
1519
Buggy woke up with a lurch, bleary eyes scanning across the damp, decrepit room that she was in. She was confused, wasn’t she just in battle alongside the stupid Monkey D. kid? She grumbled but couldn’t help but feel as though Shanks was right, that he was the one all along to have retraced Roger’s footsteps in becoming the Pirate King no matter how she thought of him initially. She then threw the small, thin blanket that was covering her off and swung her legs off the side of the mattress.
“What the hell!” Buggy screamed as she realized the stupid bracelet Shanks got her as a birthday present on the last year they were aboard the Oro Jackson was still on her wrist, and not gone like how it was supposed to be after a battle that broke it when she was barely making her crew’s name stand out in the East Blue when she was 19.
Buggy rubbed her eyes and looked around the room more thoroughly, taking in the mildew scent that permeated throughout the space and the small window that looked ready to give in. She grabbed the newspaper that was haphazardly thrown across the desk as if it was done in a fit of anger.
‘HUNT FOR GOLD ROGER’S CHILD ENDED’
Buggy couldn’t breathe, she collapsed on the floor in a heap when it sunk in on what she was looking at. That newspaper only aired when she was 17, after the decimation of all the pregnant women and children killed in the South Blue and no one could prove that Roger had a kid. Buggy’s eyes grew, Roger did have a kid, Portgas D. Ace, who was killed in Marineford after Monkey D. Luffy had escaped from Impel Down with her and everyone else in order to save his ‘brother’. She mourned him, a little brother that she never knew existed, that she would have raised if she had known about, to let him know that he was loved and cherished. Buggy’s eyes darted to the date on the paper, Feburary 6th 1519.
“Oh fuck, oh FLASHY FUCK” Buggy dropped her head in her hands, shaking as the realization came crashing down on her, that she was in the past, before the big battle upon Laughtale, before she seen Shanks again, before her crew.
Buggy fell into a fit of hysterical laugher and crying, shaking as she realized that everything she worked for, becoming a Warlord and then Emperor of the Seas were gone just like that; however an idea snapped her head up and had her heart racing outside of her chest erratically.
“I can raise Ace, I can give up being a flashy pirate and everything else it entails” Buggy whispered, she didn’t know how to feel, all her life was on the seas, from the very moment Rayleigh seen her out on the streets and picked her up to go aboard the Oro Jackson after she tried to pick pocket him.
She, however, owed it to Roger, for caring for her, for seeing potential in her even when no one else though of her much, for Ace who was barely starting out in life when he was executed for nothing other than being Roger’s son, for Luffy who seen him as a brother and who she grew to care a tiny amount as he was all Shank’s boy, name be damned.
With heaviness in her heart Buggy stood up to get everything that she had of value packed up to sell, she knew that Garp had taken Ace to Dawn, his hometown, to live with mountain bandits in the few sparse clippings of conversations she overheard Shanks and Luffy have. She knew where she was, a small town called Star Valley off the Gecko Islands near Orange Town, however it would take a few weeks to get to Dawn. With dread settling deep in her stomach, Buggy marched off to the docks to find a passenger ship to buy a ticket to ferry her there.
Three Weeks Later
When Buggy stepped off the docks onto Foosha Village’s docks she let out a sigh of relief with a hint of dread, she was finally here. Buggy already resolved herself with giving up the pirate life in order to better care for Ace and Luffy when it came to it, even though she was meant for the seas she’ll rather give up her selfish desires in order to allow a better childhood for her captain’s and Shank’s kid. Thinking of Shanks made Buggy’s cheeks grow red, she hated him for so long because of his refusal of going after the One Piece with her, to follow in Roger’s shadow, for forcing her to eat a Devil Fruit and losing her precious treasure map, but after meeting Luffy she realized it was never her legacy to begin with, she never had that tenacity as he did.
Pushing Shanks out of her mind she wanted into the closest establishment she could find, called Party’s Bar, where she sat down and mulled over the next steps to her plan; first to find a place to live and work then go and get Ace. Buggy’s musings were soon cut short as a figure cast a shadow over her.
“Hello my name is Maiyu! Welcome to Party’s Bar, what can I get for you?” Maiyu, a green haired woman dressed in a homely dress and apron asked.
“Hello, I was wondering if you can give me some sort of information on any jobs around here or any accommodations. I just came from the Gecko Islands and plan on settling in with my baby” Buggy asked as her cheeks grew red with Maiyu’s eyes slightly widening at the mention of her having a child and quickly looking around for one near her.
“A baby? My, you’re so young though, barely look like you’re out of your teens ma’am. And where’s your baby?” Maiyu exclaimed
“A-ah well the baby’s father skipped out on us! When I found out I was pregnant with him, he didn’t want the flashy responsibility that came with it” Buggy rushed out, head swiveling to the side in order to not give away she was lying, instead looking just bashful “My baby is on the boat that I came on, with a friend I made while sailing here in order for me to have some peace while searching for jobs in order for us to get housing”
“Oh my! Of course I am sorry to hear about that sorry excuse for a man! Just your luck, my last bartender quit suddenly and I simply cannot do everything by myself here, it’s just my daughter and I right now so the extra help would be appreciated” Maiyu let out a little chuckle at the end “Makino! Come here, there’s someone I want you to meet”
A little girl’s green head popped out from the back, brown eyes flicking over to see Maiyu and Buggy at the table. She skipped on over and stared amazedly at Buggy’s face.
“Wow! Is your nose real? You look like a clown in the circus over in the other village!” Makino asked rapidly, eyes brightening as she spoke.
“Makino! You do not get to just say that. I apologize ma’am, she’s just twelve” Maiyu rushed, bowing a bit and taking Makino in a bow as well
“OH! It’s fine I know the nose makes it seem that way, it’s just apart of my flashy charm” Buggy laughed, knowing it wasn’t malicious and feeling relieved that she just got offered a job “My whole flashy aesthetic is to imitate a clown, it’s to make me feel me”
Makino’s eyes widened as she shot up from her bowed position, eyes sparkling to ask more questions about the other places this girl has been. Just as she opened her mouth, Maiyu interjected.
“I also have accommodations in the upstairs of the bar, it would just take from your pay a bit instead of full rent as it would need some fixing up, I couldn’t possibly bare with the fact of not helping such a young mother with no one to lean on” Maiyu stated as Makino’s eyes widened again
“A BABY!” Makino jumped near Buggy again, eyes searching for a baby in the other chairs around the table and becoming disappointed when she seen there wasn’t a baby near.
“Yes! My flashy baby, his name is Ace and he’s two months old. I had to leave him on the ship as I needed to find accommodations instead of dragging him everywhere” Buggy said with a smile at Makino’s excitedness “I can bring him later on when your mom and I are discussing about me starting to work here, maybe you can hold him if your mom says yes”
Makino frantically looked at her mom, widening as a plea to say yes that she can hold the pretty lady’s baby later. Maiyu let out a small huff at her daughters excitedness and nodded.
“Great! One more question, where are the mountains that the bandits live in here?” Buggy asked.
--
Buggy was regretting this, really really regretting it as she dodged another huge alligator’s jaws. Buggy should have listened to Maiyu and her warnings of the place and how treacherous the trek would be, but she was determined to get Ace and provide him a life without worries that he hadn’t had before. It would be worth all the dodging she had to endure to get up the mountain and get him. Her musings were soon cut short when she spotted the vague outline of the house in the distance, surrounded by trees with the chimney spewing out smoke. She walked the plowed path and knocked on the door, all movement inside had become quiet, with heavy footsteps approaching the door swung open and a muscular orange haired woman who loomed over here appeared.
“Who are you! What are you doing here you red nosed brat” The woman barked out, glowering at Buggy with such a ferocity that she shrank into herself a bit.
“Who am I? I’m the flashy Buggy! And I’m not a brat you gorilla” Buggy glowered at the nose comment “And you have something of mine, something that I need to protect”
“And what the hell is that you damned brat, we ain’t got nothing of yours and if we stole it then it’s ours after all” The orange haired woman exclaimed but what pierced it at the end was a cry, a baby’s cry.
“Ace!” Buggy’s eyes widened and she tried to push into the hut but she was blocked by the woman again, with more force than she had earlier.
“How do you know that name” The woman growled, inching to something at the side of the door in order to strike Buggy down
“He’s my captain’s kid, I know Garp left him with you but please I need to see him. He’s all I have left of him and I need to step up and raise him” Buggy cried as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes, her breath catching slightly.
The woman eyed her up, as if to see if she was a threat or not and after a passing moment she inched the door to widen up more.
“Come in, maybe you can see what’s wrong with the brat” The woman stated gruffly, turning her back in order to stalk off to where the crying was coming from.
Buggy tentatively took a step inside, eyes widening at the chaos of what was unfolding in front of her, bandits all across the room with their ears covered to stifle the shrieking coming from the baby in the middle of the room, laying on a thin blanket. Buggy rushed to pick him up, cradling his head and moving him up and down in order to lessen his cries.
“What the hell is wrong with you! You need to give him support, he is still developing and needs to be cushioned! Not on a hard floor with a thin blanket!” Buggy glowered at the now useless bandits in her eyes as they couldn’t even take care of a small baby and how they wept with relief at the now silent Ace.
“Relief!” was cheered throughout the hut and Ace’s eyes welled up, about to offset another crying fit.
“SHUT UP!” Buggy screamed, hitting a couple bandits and sending them flying “Ace is mine, he’s my son now I don’t give a crap what Garp says you can send him to me if he asks. I’m staying in Foosha Village in order to give this little guy a better life than if he was up here with you”
Buggy then marched out of the hut at the stunned silence of bandits and made her way back into town without any fanfare, maybe the vicious alligators could sense her terrible mood as they stood clear of her heavy footed trek down the mountain. Buggy then glanced at the baby clutched close too her chest, eyes shining with guilt and sorrow.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your mom Ace, but I’m going to be your new one. Damn what the government says, they might think Roger was evil but there’s no way that they could think he said hands on a then flashy fifteen year old girl that he raised from when she was a kid” Buggy softly said, stroking Ace’s tuffs of hair “ Your father was a good man, a man I one day hope you become like, pirate or not”.
With this last thought, Buggy moved to continue the trek down into Foosha, thoughts marinating within her mind about everything she would be giving up in order to do this. Buggy would be leaving everything she had ever known for the past thirty years to raise Ace, she wouldn’t start her own crew with Cabaji, Mohji, and Richie, she wouldn’t team up with Alvida nor create the Cross Guild with Mihawk and Crocodile. On that last thought Buggy let out a scoff, not like Mihawk nor Crocodile cared about her other than to torment her. She didn’t even want to think about Shanks, who despite not seeing each other for twenty years had carried her away to Karai Bari after Marineford, who was next to her at Laughtale, reaching out for her as she fell down from a targeted shot which pierced her neck, who she heard begging for her faintly as she struggled to get her eyes open before she woke on in her loft in Star Valley. Buggy’s musings finally got her to the edge of the forest where she could see the buildings of Foosha stand, making her way to Party’s Bar where Maiyu and Makino were surely waiting upon to see Ace.
“Maiyu! Makino! I have my fabulous baby here with me, I just got him from the boat and wanted to introduce you guys” Buggy exclaimed, making her way to the bar where Maiyu and Makino both were.
“A BABY!” Makino rushed to Buggy’s side hurriedly, eager to look at the baby before she was stopped by her mother.
“Shhh Makino, Ace is asleep and when baby’s get woken up suddenly they cry a lot”Maiyu whispered, taking in Ace’s dark hair and freckles and flicking her eyes up to Buggy’s blue hair and light blue eyes.
Buggy noticed her look, comparing both Ace and Buggy’s coloring and features in her mind, panicking and scrambling to create a reasonable solution for it.
“It’s a pain he didn’t get his flashy mother’s coloring, he looks exactly like his father” Buggy whispered, gently stroking Ace’s cheek with her finger, looking forlorn which Maiyu seemed to take as her reminiscing about the man who ‘supposedly’ left a young girl with an even younger baby.
“Well that man is just trouble, good riddance he is gone if he couldn’t even leg up to the responsibility of becoming a parent” Maiyu grumbled, tense face easing up a bit before gazing up at Buggy “You’ll be a great mother, no matter who the father is, all that matters is that you are raising the boy and Ace will grow into a fine young man”
Buggy smiled at her words, relaxing as now the explanation of Ace’s coloring was over and done with without having to explain that he in fact wasn’t Buggy’s biologically, which kept him safer to the world.
--
1522
Buggy came to terms with giving up the adventure and thrill that came with being a pirate in order to fully engrain herself for Ace, she waited tables at Party’s Bar with Maiyu and eventually took up learning how to cook in order to become more help to the woman who had took her in. Makino also was truly help in regards to looking after Ace when the bar became busy with sailors docking. Buggy remembered Ace’s first words and Makino’s put out expression.
“M-ma-a” Ace gurgled out, gummy mouth stretching into a wide grin as he giggled at Buggy’s surprised face.
“My Ace! Awe you know who your flashy mom is after all! I knew you could do it” Buggy nearly cried at Ace’s first word.
Makino giggled while Maiyu laughed at the display, a happy scene between mom and son they displayed.
“Ace! Aceeee! Say Ma-ki-no! Ma-ki-no!” Makino giggled as she bobbed Ace up and down her lap, trying to get him to say her name.
“Ma-maaa-ma” Ace giggled out upon seeing Makino’s offput expression that he wasn’t truly trying to say her name but his moms.
“No you silly boy! Ki-no! Ma-ki-no!” Makino sounded out, determined to have Ace say her name.
“Makino, dear he won’t be able to fully say your name, he’s much too small for that” Maiyu chuckled at her daughters pouting face.
Buggy chuckled again at the memory feeling a bit bittersweet when she heard a huge bang that reverberated throughout the whole bar from the front, she ran to the front to see what was making the noise. A huge imposing figure was cast in the front doorway of the bar, freezing her in her tracks.
“GUARARARA, where’s my grandson!” A man Buggy knew from when she was out on the sea on the Oro Jackson, Monkey D. Garp in all his 9’5 stature was in the bar, his eyes zeroed in on her as she stood shocked in the doorway leading out into the kitchen with a bundle in his hands.
“Garp!” Buggy exclaimed, nervously wringing her hands out on her apron “He’s with Makino playing outside”.
Garp sauntered over to her, where he eventually stood right in front of her, gazing down at her before bursting into laughter.
“Daughter! It’s been so long” Garp laughed at her shocked then incredulous expression “You never told me you were going to settle down here, in your old man’s village!”
“DAUGHTER!” Buggy screamed and then shoved Garp, who was still chortling, into the back so that they could have a more private conversation “What are you doing here!”.
“Can a father not come to see his wayward daughter that had given him a grandson without him knowing! I had to hear from Dadan about where my cute little grandson was after not finding him where I had left him 3 years ago!” Garp stated while digging into his ear and holding the bundle in his other arm.
“YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER! Roger was my father in everything that mattered! I took Ace from the bandits that you left him with because he deserves to be raised with love! I am his mother in every way that matters no matter what you say, everyone around here knows him you cannot take him from me” Buggy screamed, heart racing as she tried to calm herself down with deep breaths “ You’ve never bothered to check up before! It’s been 3 years since I came here and you are only just now coming to check!”.
“Ace would have been fine there! He’s going to be a great marine one day! I only let you keep him because you are able to give him a stable life and I know you wouldn’t do any harm, when he turns five he’s going to under training in order to become a marine” Garp bellowed out.
“What he becomes has nothing to do with what you say! He is going to be free to do whatever he wants to! You know what they would do to him if anyone found out!” Buggy cried out, face paling with worry “He’ll be executed just based on who his father is! That’s why I told everyone he’s my biological son! The world may think of Roger as a monster but there is no way that they would think he touched his then fifteen year old cabin girl”.
Garp paused for a moment considering this, and then belted out laughing after processing it, handing her what was in his hand all along. A baby wrapped in a deep blue swaddle was unceremoniously dropped into Buggy’s arms.
“Here, your brother is a good for nothing dead beat who rather be the Worlds Most Wanted Man than raise your nephew” Garp laughed again “His name is Monkey D. Luffy and he was born yesterday, I was going to leave him with Maiyu and Makino but you’re already here with my other grandson. You’re doing good so here is one more”.
Buggy blinked in shock and then turned the bundle around to get a better look, Monkey D. Luffy was a tiny baby with dark unruly hair and deep brown eyes. She snapped her head sharply at Garp, giving him a glare that could’ve sent even the late Pirate King into submission, hanging onto Rayleigh as he whined that his baby girl was being mean to him and wasn’t being her cute little self anymore.
“His name is Portgas D. Luffy, I took the Portgas name in order to honor Rouge for Ace. This way Luffy cannot be linked to the Monkey D. name in regards to his father. Luffy staying here means he is mine, Monkey D. Dragon has forfeited his right in being called his father as soon as you brought him to me to raise” Buggy whispered, blinking tears away rapidly and tightening the grip which held Luffy in her arms “They are my sons in everything but blood”.
Garp looked a bit thunderous at Buggy’s statement but soon softened as he viewed the way she held Luffy with such care and poise that only someone who was a mother could have.
“That is reasonable, his good for nothing father left him, for all intents and purposes I am adopting you as my daughter. Ace and Luffy are my grandchildren and I am not leaving them with someone who is not family” Garp stated seriously, before speaking again “When will you tell Ace and Luffy of their heritage? Or are you simply just let them going to be ignorant and make them believe that their father is a good for nothing pirate that left you”.
“They will be told at an appropriate age, Ace does not need to know that his father is the late Pirate King. He is a kind young boy who does not need that weighing down on him.” Buggy exclaimed harshly, eyes brimming with tears “Roger was everything to me, but he left a lot of hurt in the world, Ace should have nothing to do with that nor Luffy with Dragon being the only one who is willing to fight for freedom but the World Government deciding he was a threat”.
Garp stayed silent, a flash of emotions crossed his face before he settled on a contemplative look. He sighed before glancing out the window where Ace was with Makino, making pie’s out of the mud in the garden.
“I know you will do what is best for the boys, you’ve given up the only life you knew for Ace” Garp said quietly, head downcast “His name will be Portgas D. Luffy, thank you for making care of him my daughter, Portgas D. Buggy”.
With one last glace at Luffy, Garp turned around sharply headed towards the door to go back in the main dining area, only stopping to greet Maiyu who recieved him warmly and then turned her confused gaze towards Buggy as he left out the front doors.
“What did Garp-san say to you Buggy?” Maiyu questioned softly, eyes still looking at the door that the man walked out of.
Buggy tried to drag her hand up to slide down her face in exasperation but was stopped due to the not so foreign weight in her arms.
“He was dropping off my son with me, he’s my brothers but he is also mine. My brother did not want him so I will be raising him alongside Ace, his name is Portgas D. Luffy” Buggy stated tiredly, already doing the mental gymnastics of how she would introduce Luffy to everyone in town “I will raise him no differently than Ace”
Maiyu then peered to look at the bundle and cooed at how tiny Luffy was, rubbing her finger down his soft cheek.
“They look nearly the same, no one will see the difference until they grow up” Maiyu exclaimed “For Ace alone hardly looks like you, he did not inherit your blue hair nor pale skin. He’s gotten that from his no good pirate father”.
At that Maiyu’s nose morphed upwards, thinking of the man who left Buggy pregnant and barely yet seventeen, for whoever he was, he was not welcome into Foosha village, everyone who was local to the town agreed, becoming protective of the barely seventeen year old girl who came to their town after just giving birth. Buggy taking a look at her face sighed internally, praying to the gods above that she never meant to besmirch Roger’s name even if it was never explicitly stated on who Ace’s father was.
“Why did Garp personally give him to you anyways Buggy?” Maiyu questioned, just now realizing that Garpwas the one who brought Luffy.
“Oh, he’s my adopted father. He was the one who directed me here after giving birth to Ace” Buggy drooped, making her way outside in order to introduce Ace and Makino to Luffy.
“WHAT!” Maiyu yelled, having never known it was in fact Garp who led Buggy to Foosha, even if it was a little white lie.
Buggy, however, was already out of the door and making her way to the back of the bar with Luffy in her arms. Peering around the corner of the bar she spotted Ace and then Makino still making pies.
“Ace! Makino! Come here for a minute, I want to introduce someone to you” Buggy yelled, watching as Makino jumped up and ran over towards her while Ace slowly got up to toddle over to herself “This is Portgas D. Luffy, Ace he is your little brother now, Makino he is your youngest nephew just like how Ace is”
Makino and Ace peered down Buggy’s crouched figure, trying to get a better look at their new brother/nephew, becoming amazed as Luffy’s bright gummy grin was shone back at them.
“B-but why tiny!” Ace babbled, shoving his chubby fingers at Luffy, and then melted as Luffy grabbed onto his fingers with even tinier fingers.
“Ace! You were that tiny when Buggy first brought you here! Maybe he is tinier but he will get big like you” Makino said, stars in her eyes now that she could properly see Luffy, reaching out to poke him on the cheek.
“Shhh, don’t shout or you will upset him. He’s still small so he’ll only be able to eat and sleep for a while before he can play with you guys” Buggy stated softly, standing back up in order to go back inside to put Luffy down in Ace’s old crib.
Ace toddled after her, wanting to see more of his newly acquired brother, tugging Makino alongside him.
Buggy then proceeded with showing Ace how to care for Luffy just as she had showed Makino to care for Ace when they were first there. Ace was marveled at the idea of being a big brother and being able to care for Luffy, making it his mission in order to better care for him while Buggy was busy handling things in the bar when Makino and Maiyu weren’t around to help.
Buggy smiled at Ace’s antics, growing proud that he was being accustomed to Luffy being suddenly brought into their lives without notice. A thought crossed her mind, making her gentle smile turn downwards, she was supposed to have already picked up Mohji and Richie at this point in her life, then Cabaji afterwards and creating the Buggy pirates. A sense of melancholy drifted over Buggy before snapping out of her daze just in time to see Ace trying to feed Luffy a piece of meat.
1524
Buggy was exasperated, no matter how much she vehemently denied Garp showing up the month of Ace’s birthday in order to ‘train’ him to become a marine the old man still came and took him away to the jungle. Buggy was worried out of her mind, looking at the clock over and over again when it hit five in the afternoon and Ace was still not back. Some days were like this, where Ace wouldn’t come back until after five which wasn’t an appropriate time for someone of his age to be out. It had been like this for a couple of months now and while she didn’t agree with Garp’s intensive training she had to let it run it’s course, Ace had to be strong in order to survive and escape those who could possibly find out of his true heritage. Buggy hadn’t even known how Ace’s parentage had made it out last time in order to prepare for it, so she had to let Garp train her boy. With Luffy now toddling around as well Buggy had her hands full, a bang sounded out; reverberating throughout the room.
“Ace!” Buggy snapped her head up, taking in Ace’s dirty body that was tugging alongside a boy with dirtied noble clothes and blonde hair “Who is this? Why are you back so late! It’s almost five thirty!”
“Mama! This is Sabo, I found him in the trash. Can we keep him?” Ace stretched his face into a grin, running to Buggy with the newly named Sabo in his clutch.
“Sabo? Found him in the trash?” Buggy had a thousand questions that needed to be answered “Honey did you steal him? What about his parents?”
“NO!” Sabo screamed out, taking a step back looking ready to bolt at a moments notice, glancing at the door in order to make a run for it.
“Okay no parents, but where did you go that you found him in the ‘trash’ Ace! Don’t tell me you went to Grey Terminal all the way on your own! Damn Garp can’t even keep track of one child” Buggy muttered, before sighing and looking at Sabo again fully “Okay sweetie no parent’s but we need to get you out of those un-flashy clothes, anyone with eyes can see those are nobles clothes and we don’t want to attract attention”
Buggy then grabbed both of the boys hands to tug them up the stairs to the back, listening to the animated speaking of Ace who was telling Sabo that his mama was the best and that he could stay here with his other brother who was too tiny in order to play with him and that they would have lots of fun, this gave Buggy a warmth that curled slowly in her chest at the fact that Ace was truly happy with her as a mother. Buggy then opened the bathroom door and started taking off Ace’s clothes to put in the laundry basket, turning to look at Sabo.
“Need help little guy? You’re both dirty and need a bath before we begin even speaking about what to do with you” Buggy asked, motioning to the tub where Ace had hopped into, scooting closer in order to be able to scrub his head of the dirt and grime that came from his Gramps ‘marine’ training.
Sabo looked contemplative, only to shrug off his own clothes and go into the tub with Ace as Ace motioned for Sabo to join him in getting clean. Buggy could only sigh as she got to work scrubbing both boys bodies free of all the gunk they were somehow saturated in, rinsing them down and leaving themselves to dry as she left to go get Luffy for his own inevitable shower that would make him throw a fit and get some clothes for Ace and Sabo, who was similar in size to Ace. Placing a giggling Luffy into a play pen with various toys she turned to both the boys and proceeded to place both hands on her hips.
“Ace, honey how did you find Sabo? Did you go into Grey Terminal even after I told you to steer clear of that place?” Buggy looked at Ace inquisitively as Ace was looking everywhere but her.
“Don’t be mad! I got lost after the old man dropped me into a monkey pit and didn’t know where I was, then this sketchy guy tried to come grab me and I had to beat him up to show him who’s boss! Sabo was watching and came up to me so we could team up” Ace hurriedly explained, wilting a bit when Buggy fixed him with her patented flashy Mom look “He ran away from those stuffy nobles! He said they treated him bad and I offered him to come home with us because he had already been there for a couple months and you’re the best mama! You took Luffy in when Gramps came to give him to you!”
Buggy sighed internally and externally, mentally already trying to tweak on how much food they would need for an extra mouth at the dinner table before she turned to look at Sabo who had an extremely pitiful expression put on and then flickered her gaze to Ace’s best puppy dog expression.
“I-I’m sorry miss I didn’t know Ace had a mama, at Grey Terminal there wasn’t any families or nothing like that so I thought he had no one like me” Sabo stated softly, wringing his hands on the borrowed shirt tightly “I can go now, I needa be back before sunset to make sure my spots still there for me”.
Buggy widened at the softly spoke confession before being resolute in her decision to keep him with Buggy’s family, she knew about Luffy’s other brother but hadn’t seen a hair nor hide from him as he was busy working with the Revolutionaries, which irked her. Dragon had all but abandoned Luffy to stay with the Revolutionaries but he brought up a random kid he had saved from when he at Dawn, this is why she was raising Luffy and Dragon was no one to her boy, hers damnit.
“It’s okay sweetie, Sabo was it? You’re welcome to stay here, seas knows Ace needs someone his age to play with because Luffy is still too young, however if you stay here you have to promise me that you both won’t go near Grey Terminal. That place brings nothing good and if your parents are truly nobles they could still be looking for you” Buggy stated, noticing how Sabo’s shoulders slumped at her accepting of him staying with them “However you cannot stay with that flashy blonde hair, both my boys have black hair from their fathers so in order to make it believable that you’re mine we need to dye it and come up with a backstory so they can’t try and take you away. The villagers love the boys and I and are more than willing to treat you the same.”
Buggy then ushered both boys into Ace’s bedroom and left the door slightly open in order to keep an eye on Luffy before looking at Ace and Sabo again.
“I’m gonna call your Gramps and give him an earful for losing you but I’m also gonna tell him that if anyone ask’s that you’re Ace’s half brother, that you’re his fathers son and left you and your mom like he did with me and Ace” Buggy didn’t notice Sabo’s eyes widening at the fact that there wasn’t a father in the picture in the family “Your Gramps will say he brought you to me to raise because your good for nothing father couldn’t be found and Ace deserves to grow up with his brother. Now off to bed you two, I can’t have you outside before I tell your Gramps about this”
Leaving Ace’s room and grabbing Luffy while making her way towards the stairs down to go into the kitchen Buggy heard both boys excited talking, smiling to herself as she grabbed the Den-Den Mushi from the kitchen and dialed Garp’s office number.
Puruupurupurupuru
“GARP WHY DID YOU LEAVE ACE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SUPPOSED ‘MARINE TRAINING” Buggy screamed into the Den-Den, covering Luffy’s ears so that they wouldn’t hurt from her screaming.
“GUAHAHA DAUGHTER! Ace is back? I thought he would have taking a shorter amount of time” The Den-Den reiterated, morphing into Garp’s features where Buggy just knew he had his finger in his ear by the nonchalant expression that the Den-Den was making.
“Well he WOULD have been if he hadn’t accidentally went into Grey Terminal!” Buggy answered through gritted teeth, unamused that Ace had been in danger with those low level thugs.
“WHAT.” Garp yelled into the Den-Den before some shuffling was heard from the other line “What happened Buggy.”
“He apparently beat up some low level thugs that were threatening him and some other kid thought he was there by himself and offered up an alliance before Ace forcibly brought him back to the bar” Buggy answered, the situation earlier being recalled once again in her mind before continuing “I’m taking the boy in, he’s Ace’s so called fathers other child that you found and brought to me after the boys mother died and make sure to remember it.”
Gacha
Buggy hung up before Garp had anything to say, not willing to deal with the brand of nonsense the man seemed to exuberate even more so than Roger had done when he was alive. Her thoughts turned sour, Buggy still couldn’t believe him, to have raised both her from when she was seven and Shanks since he had found him in a treasure chest but still allowed for them to watch him die on the execution platform. To watch his head get cut off while his final words seemed to excite everyone around her, the world not caring that she just watched her father get his head cut off. Buggy was thankful that she had woken up after that, not knowing if she could take seeing that happen twice without breaking down. Thinking about Roger also made Buggy furious, thinking about how Rayleigh and Gabban had left Shanks and her as well, not even to check on them after Roger had died nor the years following. This, however, also made her wilt in the process, remembering the times where her crew had made her come out of her episodes in her previous life. She, however, had no crew this time, she was living an unflashy life in Foosha working as a barmaid with Maiyu and Makino while taking care of her two- wait now three boys. She was free before, a life on the seas fighting every day to that everyone could see that she wasn’t someone to be trifled with, a Warlord of the Seas and eventual Emperor of Seas after Eustass Kidd, Trafalgar Law, and Luffy took down Big Mom and Kaido. A faint buzzing sound however soon brought her out of her reminiscing.
“ma-, MAMA” a sharp yell from Ace had brought Buggy back into the world of living from her daze “Luffy’s crying Mama what happened”
Buggy glanced down at her arms where Luffy was held and the first thing she noticed were the huge tears that were brimming in his eyes, hurriedly she brought Luffy up to her chest in order to sooth him.
“Oh baby I’m sorry I was just lost in my thoughts sweetie” Buggy rubbed circles into Luffy’s back, making him settle down in his crying and turning around to deposit him into Sabo’s arms.
“I just called your Gramps, everything is fine now but Sabo you’ll have to learn how to watch Luffy, Ace helps out when Maiyu, Makino, and I are working at the bar” Buggy said, watching as Sabo’s grip tightened around Luffy before allowing Buggy to correct his grip on Luffy “I need to dye your hair now, Ace sweetie can you please get the white box underneath the sink, I need to do it before you’re able to see everyone tomorrow”.
Soon Buggy had Ace carrying Luffy as she set to work on dying Sabo’s hair for the upcoming morning which was no doubt about to be a mess to explain to Maiyu and Makino, the former already holding a deep hatred for Ace’s ‘father’ for leaving her and now she knew the older woman would be in more disbelief that she adopted the newly orphaned ‘son’ of that man. After finishing Sabo’s hair while he quietly sat on the stool and ushering him to the sink so he could wash his hair Buggy spoke.
“Sabo, I don’t know how life was like for you before us but now you’re apart of our family. You are brothers with Ace and Luffy while I am your mother from now on, your name will be Portgas D. Sabo, for you may not have been born from the Will of D. but you are to be raised among them” Buggy said softly, brushing the newly dyed black locks out of Sabo’s face “Now go to bed, I still have to take Luffy a bath after this”
With this both boys walked to Ace’s room, chattering in a low tone as to not disturb Buggy as she bathed Luffy. After getting Luffy out of the bath Buggy could still hear the low tones of speech as she went past Ace’s room, however not stopping them in order to tell them to head to bed so that they could acquaint themselves with one another as she knew that the had become brothers in some entirely different way in her past life. Humming as she went, Buggy sat down in the rocking chair in the small living room they had, rocking Luffy in order to get him to sleep while her thoughts went elsewhere.
Buggy knew that giving up her dreams of being out on the sea were long past regretting, while it may not have been the life she was hoping for, she couldn’t help but let the bitterness of it wash away as she stared down at Luffy’s prone form, knowing that he never grew up with any paternal nor maternal affection and neither had Ace.
“Roger, I wish I could have been as flashy as you, riding the waves with two young children being raised on board. To be able to still be a pirate while taking excellent care of your charges but I am too cowardly, too scared that someone will recognize Ace and kill him when he’s just a boy” Buggy whispered while tears began forming in the bottoms of her eyes before letting out a small chuckle “Well it is not all so bad, for now I have Sabo as well to curb Ace’s growing independence”.
With another wet chuckle Buggy stood up and glanced out the window, gazing upon the stary and moonlit night before heading back with Luffy in order to put him down in her room with her.
--
“YOUR WHAT?!” A loud scream rang out, startling Buggy and Luffy awake.
Buggy quickly got onto her feet to reach Luffy as he began tearing up at the sudden disturbance of his sleep, looking out the window Buggy deduced that it was barely around sun up, way before they would regularly open up the bar in order to cook breakfast. Throwing on a scratchy sweater Buggy bounded down the stairs and into the bar area where she seen Ace and Sabo in front of Maiyu, with a seemingly tired Makino barely walking into the bar from the front door. At the sound of the kitchen door opening everyone turned around to look at Buggy holding Luffy.
“Who’s this? Ace is saying this is his brother but you’ve never mentioned another child and he looks old enough to be Ace’s Twin!” Maiyu exclaimed, calming down slightly now that Buggy was there in order to answer her questions as both boys seemed as though they were both startled at the loudness this early in the morning.
Buggy sighed, already regretting how the morning came to bee before looking up to catch Maiyu’s eyes while she herded both Ace and Sabo outside before plopping Luffy in Makino’s arms for all four of them to go outside and play. Ace seemed a bit more reluctant to go outside because he knew that Maiyu held a great distain for his father, however gave up as Makino clutched his hand to lead him.
“Grap came yesterday to drop the boy off, he’s Ace’s half brother from his fathers side. His mother had died a bit ago and Garp thought that Ace needed another brother rather than let the boy continue staying at the orphanage that he was at” Buggy sighed, collapsing into the nearest chair available to regain some semblance of awareness as she had been woken up suddenly “I took him in, for no matter who’s father he is, Ace is still his brother and I would not allow him to not know the other. His name is now Portgas D. Sabo and he is Ace’s ‘twin’”.
Maiyu seemed to have a wide range of emotions filtering across her face; disbelief, anger, and then resignment. Maiyu sat on a chair across from Buggy for a moment before speaking again.
“That no good father again, it seems as though it cannot be helped; lest the boy goes to his father and then picks up his hedonistic ways. It is much better to be here with Ace and you in order to become a proper man” Maiyu stated, already knowing that Buggy in all her stubbornness had already made up her mind on keeping the boy with them “I wish you would tell me his name, so that if he ever came here we would absolutely refuse him the right to even step onto our docks”
“Maiyu you know I will not tell you his name, I loved him once and there is no way that he would ever come this far in the East Blue, all he ever dreamed for was to sail the Grand Line and be a care-free pirate” Buggy, eyes downturned as she briefly thought of who that description reminded her of, Shanks “Besides those boys are mine and no one else, no matter who their blood relation is to me they’re all to be treated fairly and without prejudice”
1527
Buggy never meant to hide her past as a pirate, honestly it was kind of un-flashy for no one to notice that she was so clearly flashy so she had to have been out on the seas, how else could she have met Ace’s ‘father’ if he was a pirate and was ‘in love’ with him, granted she could have just been one of the many flings that pirates have when going from island to island; which many of the townsfolk thought. Buggy didn’t shy away from the pitying glances when she turned down yet another merchant who offered to shower in riches and take her and her boys away from the backwater town they were in; everyone thought of her as still in love with her boy’s father, some naïve girl who thought her prince would come and sweep her away, why else would she have taken in a boy of not her own blood but only the blood of the man who left her and some other woman. This, however, didn’t make them mistreat the boy, they treated each boy of Buggy’s with the same amount of adoration that comes with cute children.
Buggy was snapped out of her musing when a tumble of boys had burst through the door, eagerly running to her in order to show her what they had brought back from playing outside.
“Mama mama! Look at this beetle, it’s like it’s a coin! All shiny mama” Luffy yelled, bouncing up and down before uncapping his hands to show Buggy the beetle within his grasp.
“No mama look! This rock is super pretty, it even looks kind of like your nose!” Ace exclaimed, pushing the rock which did in fact have a red tint to it, into Buggy’s face.
“My fossil is much cooler than whatever you have” Sabo stated, before holding up a piece of fossilized fish within a rock, for Buggy to examine.
“Boys, boys all three are interesting. Why don’t you put them upstairs so that we can add them too your collection” Buggy chortled, before grabbing Luffy with a disembodied hand as he too tried to go upstairs “No Luffy, you need to release the beetle back outside. You already have too many upstairs in your terrarium”.
Luffy huffed a bit before turning back around outside to let the beetle go, not before sending a final pleading glance towards Buggy’s direction that had her heart squeeze before doubling down with her stare. Buggy heard soft twin chuckling from her right, where she spotted Maiyu cleaning a glass while Makino swept around the bar.
“I still can’t believe you have a devil fruit, all I’ve heard about them before were that they were mysterious powers from the Grand Line and granted the user immense power” Maiyu stated, before putting the now dried glass onto the rack “I remember when you used it for the first time since you came, I was in such a fright from Higuma trying to ransack us that your powers didn’t even register until after you saved us”.
Buggy too remembered the moment Maiyu was talking about, having it not have happened around a year ago.
Buggy was having a terrible day, to start there was a persistent man, a sailor that had come in from the Marine ship that Garp had come in on, the man had taken both Ace and Sabo out into the forest so that they could get started on their ‘marine’ training. Buggy again didn’t stop them even more now that she wrangled out from Sabo a bit ago that he was from Goa Kingdom and was even the son of one of the higher ranking nobles there, no wonder he was a revolutionary from back in her past life. With just Luffy in the bar drinking an apple juice Buggy sighed before she heard a loud bang from the bar doors being slammed open.
“You, barmaid, get me all your liquor in stock fast” A tall, tanned man barked at her as he swaggered up to the front of the bar, speaking as sleazy as he looked.
“Yes, sir” Buggy stated through gritted teeth, already disliking the man based on how he spoke to her as she moved to grab the last box in stock that they had on hand “Here it is”.
The man looked up at her, raking his eyes over her silhouette before stopping at her chest area and glancing back down to the measly crate of liquor that was on the bar top.
“Are you stupid girl? I said ALL your liquor” He scoffed, before moving to get the sword that was on his side.
“I am sorry sir, we’ve been busy all week so we haven’t had time to restock our bar yet before the weekend” Buggy smiled, a bit smugly before turning into a frown “Now that you’ve got what you wanted it’s 50,000 berries”.
“Do you know who I am? I am Higuma,a mountain bandit, with a bounty of 8,000,000 million berries, I’ll take the liquor you stupid wretch” The man, Higuma shouted, before unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Buggy while Maiyu who had just come in from the kitchen to see what the noise was gasped “Maybe I’ll even take you for some fun”
“Don’t talk to my mama like that! I’ll get my big brothers to beat you up” Luffy yelled as he jumped down from his stool to wave his arms around.
Buggy’s frown deepened before turning downright nasty.
“You’re nothing, you’re talking all big but I’ve never heard of you around these parts” Buggy coldly stated, before snapping her hear toward Maiyu to signal her to get Luffy out of the way before anything else happened “Now move before I have to throw you out of this place”
Higuma laughed and then threw his sword at her, clearly expecting the sword to hit his mark and pierce her through her chest. The sword however clattered to the ground as Buggy’s midsection detached from her hips, rendering everyone in the bar speechless before Buggy picked the sword up and threw it back, cutting off a bit of hair that was standing up from Higuma’s head and imbedding itself in the wall behind him.
“Now scram” Buggy stated, eyes becoming a darker blue as she watched the man struggling to get his sword out before completely abandoning it to scurry away from the bar “Now Luffy your mama can hold her own, there’s no need to say that your brother will-”
Buggy stopped herself when she realized it was quiet within the bar, the sailor that she shoed away earlier to the table of his fellow crewmates becoming pale and everyone else who was in the bar was frozen. Buggy then looked down at herself and realized that she was still disembodied from the waist up and then reconnected herself before looking towards where Luffy and Maiyu were standing. Maiyu’s expression was slack-jawed, an expression Buggy only seen when she told Maiyu that she was adopting Sabo, the son of her former ‘lover’ and Ace’s father.
“I have an explaination?” Buggy said, scratching her cheek while managing to look a bit sheepish “I was a pirate before I had Ace, I stopped so I could give him a nice and stable life”
“A PIRATE!” Maiyu and Luffy screamed in unison, though Luffy’s seemed more out of excitement than Maiyu’s own scream of surprise.
Buggy laughed as she picked the crate of liquor up to put it back underneath the bar, seemingly right on time as both Ace and Sabo stumbled into the bar, making a bee-line towards Buggy.
“ACCEEEE! SAAAABOOO GUESS WHAT! Mama was a pirate! Mama said she gave up being a pirate for Ace cause he was a baby. She just totally beat up this slimey looking guy who threw a sword at her cause he wanted all of that gross grown up juice! AND then she split in two so it wouldn’t hit her and then it fell to the floor!” Luffy yelled at his brothers, who stopped in their tracks of to try and make sense of Luffy’s word vomit, however one thing stuck.
“A PIRATE??” Ace, Sabo, and Makino, who had just walked in through the door after having gone home to get more rags that were sorely needed.
“Mama why’d you never tell us you were a pirate! That’s so cool! So much cooler than Gramps wanting us to be shitty marines!” Ace cheered, excited to now know that his mama was even cooler than before, then grumbled as Buggy bonked his head.
“Ace! What have I told you about that language!” Buggy scolded, before rolling her eyes and resigning herself to answer everyone’s questions that she knew they would have “Okay come on out with it, I know everyone has something to ask. Everyone only gets one turn before you three go outside and play off your energy”.
“Why have you never told anyone about you being a pirate? Did that no good man force you to?” Maiyu asked in quick succession, hoping to get both answered while Buggy rolled her eyes at the jab about Ace’s father.
“I was a pirate since I was a little girl, a pirate took me in after I had tried to pick-pocket him on the island I was born on. He changed my life alongside the pirate captain who let me stay as a playmate for the boy who was already on thee ship since he was not yet one” Buggy answered, taking a deep breath before continuing on “I never told anyone because I left that life as soon as I knew Ace was here, nothing mattered to me more than raising my son to have a good childhood. Everything is behind me now, which I am grateful for because I got Luffy and Sabo who mean everything to me as well”.
Buggy then looked down at the three boys, Ace looked contemplative and Sabo was blushing at the reminder that he was now precious to her as well while Luffy looked as though he was going to burst from joy before asking his question.
“MAMA! What was that super cool trick that you did, the one where you were in two pieces! Can you teach me that? I wanna know how to do that!” Luffy yelled in unbridled excitement with stars in his eyes, jumping up and down at the prospect that he could potential do what Buggy had done.
“No sweetie you can’t be taught what I can do, I ate a devil fruit when I was younger, the Bara-Bara no Mi which allows me to split my body into several different pieces, making me difficult for anyone with a sword to fight against.” Buggy explained, then continued as she seen the stars in Luffy’s eyes dim then brighten up again before he spoke “Devil fruits are usually found in the Grand Line, however can spawn anywhere in the Blues, they can give you all sorts of powers based on which one you have. There’s three kinds: Paramecia’s which gives the users superhuman traits like mine, Zoan’s which have animal transformations, and Logias which control the various elements found in nature. These come at a cost of the user as they take away the users ability to swim, making them sink into the ocean with no ability to get up and are downright nasty to consume”.
Buggy was a bit winded at explaining everything, however Ace came next.
“Mama, do you miss being a pirate?” Ace stated softly, eyes downcast as if afraid of her answer.
“Sometimes sweetie, however I would never give up the life I have right now with everyone here for everything. I chose to have you and your brothers because you make me happy and are my family” Buggy said softly, patting Ace’s unruly hair down before continuing “The seas may have been my home first, but this is where my forever is going to be”.
“Mama, how old were you when you got taken to the ship you sailed on?” Sabo questioned, eager to see and know the answer.
“I was about seven at the time, I was an orphan and had no one else so when the pirate grabbed me I had nothing else to do but go with him. Don’t ever be like me and do that, they could have taken me in as a slave but I was fortunate that they weren’t like that” Buggy rushed to say, hoping that it wouldn’t encourage all three to go on an adventure before they were old enough to do so “I ended up very happy there but I would trade it and more just to be near you boys. Now go outside so that I can talk to Maiyu and Makino without you boys hovering near”
And with that said Buggy ushered the boys out of the back door, instructing them to not get too close to the forest as it was almost sun down and didn’t want them to get lost. Ace, surprisingly was the most reluctant to go and play but was soon taken out of his thoughts as Luffy grabbed onto him to tug him near the makeshift toddler house in the clearing with Sabo trailing behind him. With a sigh Buggy went back inside where Maiyu and Makino were closing up the bar after the hectic events that had transpired and sat on the closest stool towards the kitchen door in order to survive the upcoming onslot of questions surely to come.
“Seriously Bug, why’d you never say anything about your pirate past? You know we wouldn’t have cared, all we see is a young mother who is surviving with her rambunctious boys” Maiyu asked softly, sliding into the stool next to her as Makino made her way over to the bar front, leaning against it in order to take in everything.
“I wasn’t trying to hide it I swear Maiyu, it’s just that the pirate crew I was in ended badly. All the crew were like paternal figures to me besides the boy my age and they just left after the captain was executed, and when I asked the boy, the Red to my Blue, to stay and sail with me he left, he promised me he wouldn’t ever leave but he did just like everyone else from the crew. Like I was never good enough for him and then it just led to me spiraling and falling in love with the first guy that reminded me of him. I ended up with Ace and you know everything after that”Buggy started tearing up, not because what she said was true with falling in love with the wrong man but from all the pent up emotions she had inside of her “I regret nothing though, I love my kids and you guys with everything in my heart. I hate Ace’s father, there is no love left for me in that man nor do I have any for Red, all the men in my life disappoint me no matter what except for my boys”.
Maiyu and Makino shared a look at this, clearly seeing while Buggy certainly held no love for Ace’s father she was still grieving for the past crew she was in, probably even her first love based on what she had said about this supposed ‘Red’.
1529
Buggy could hear the tell tale laughter of her children in the bar as the front doors opened as she was in the back, gathering three cups for all the boys to drink some juice with their lunch. Straining her ears alittle she could hear Luffy talking.
“My mama’s the best ever! She’s the best at cooking, and cleaning, and helping me and my brothers out! She was even the best pirate ever before she stopped cause she had Ace!” Luffy yelled excitedly as Buggy blushed at his words, reminding herself to bonk Luffy on the head and explain that he can’t go telling everyone that she was a pirate.
Buggy then heard laughter, which was unusual given that it was mid-day, scratch that Luffy was usually with Ace and Sabo playing with the dementedly large animals in the forest at this time, so where wer-
“STUPID! Don’t go telling random pirates that our mama was a pirate! What if they know her and take her in for her bounty dummy!” Ace yelled, sounding like he hit Luffy for her as Luffy whined that his head heard and Sabo chuckling.
“Ace he’s just excited, there’s never anything going on in Foosha. Just let him have it so that he wastes some energy before lunch” Sabo chuckled, making Buggy smile that he finally had come out of his shell to tease Ace without being worried about Buggy sending him back with his biological parents.
“Tch, I just don’t want mom to wor-“ Was all Buggy could hear before loud laughter drowned Ace out.
“HAHA KID! Your mama was a pirate? What’s her name, maybe we’ll recognize her from her bounty. Not to take her in but to put a name to her ‘cool and awesome’ face” A man exclaimed, chuckling alongside the other laughter.
Hurrying to dry the last of the dishes Buggy stepped outside of the kitchen, back turned to push against the flap doors, whirling around to speak before catching a glimpse of the red red red hair, tanned skin, and scruffy beard. This was someone she knew, granted it had been over a decade since they last parted and he grew into an imposing 6’6 to her 5’8 frame, but this was still-
“Red?”
