Shanks sat on the deck of the Oro Jackson soaking in the morning Sun. He couldn't help but think about what Buggy had said to him the night before about carrying on the torch that great men like his Captain held.

Speaking of Buggy, "I wonder if he knows how much he's changed. A few years ago Buggy and I were polar opposites. Now, he's shaping up to be a not so bad guy." Shanks had the belief that if two people held vastly contrasting beliefs, then those two people should go their own ways.

And for a while it felt as though him and Buggy were destined to do so, but now that he's grown as a person, maybe they didn't need to.

Despite the arguments and the fights that they had between them, Shanks had always thought of Buggy as a brother, or something like that. Even in the beginning when they were the only two fresh apprentices on the ship. And since then they've only grown closer, at least they have in his own opinion.

As he was laying on the deck and thinking, he heard his two Captains talking and heading off the ship and into the town. They'd been discussing Buggy and how he was now at the lady's house, whose name he now knows to be Rouge. 'What's Buggy doing there?'

Letting his curiosity get the better of him he jumped down from his spot on the railing and onto the docks. 'Let's go find out?' he thought to himself as he trailed the two knowing men.

Rouge's House

Buggy stood in the doorway to see two figures towering over him. Both giving him smiles that he could only hope meant that he wouldn't be killed. He wasn't sure how much they'd heard, but it honestly didn't matter as Buggy suddenly found himself being pat on the shoulder.

This was not what he expected them to do. Rouge, it seems, wasn't as lost. "Roger, don't tell me you agree with him? I've said before how I feel about this. I won't leave and that's that!"

"Buggy" he looked at Roger "Why don't you go back to the ship with Shanks." It wasn't a suggestion. "We'll meet you there later.". He nodded his head and moved past them in a hurry. As he got outside he paused before walking to a tree across the street.

"Let's go get something to eat. I'm feeling hungry again." Anything to delay going back to the ship. Shanks jumped down from the tree branch and walked with Buggy to the restaurant that he ate breakfast before. The food was good there. Shanks broke the silence as they walked together. "So what happened in there?"

Buggy was quiet for a while until just before they got to their table. He told him a summarized version of his thoughts and plans. To sum up, "You and I are very different people in some ways, and very similar in others. We both want to make it as great pirates and we both want to be known as great men." Shanks agreed.

"But how we go about it will be what separates us. I can tell you right now that your path to your dream is one where you will openly challenge the obstacles that stand in your way. You'll be loud and known throughout the world for your triumphs. That much is already there." Both smiled at this prospect.

"But me…I'm not like you in that sense… and I'll admit to this only once." Taking a breath "I'm terrified of being known like that. You know me, whether I want you to or not, and how I fear having the world coming after me. You may be able to brave that storm, but I can't."

"So instead of doing that, I'm going to lay low for a few years. Gather my strength, some reliable crew members and then go for it. The way I see it, you and I will be of near equal strength by the time I make my appearance."

Shanks agreed with Buggy's way of thinking. The two of them were very different people in those aspects. But he was still confused as to what this had to do with what happened at Rouge's house. "So what does this have to do with-"

"I'm getting there, don't rush me. You're always so damn impatient." He laughed at that. Teasing Buggy was great if only for his dramatic overreactions. "With her need to stay hidden and my plan to lay low I just thought it would be mutually beneficial if we travelled together for a few years."

Shanks gasped in mock surprise. "You mean you actually want to put your life in danger for the sake of somebody else? How sweet of you Buggy. You really have changed." Buggy would've made a scene if the food hadn't just gotten there.

"Shut up! I'm still looking out only for me. And I'll kick your ass if you say anything like that again." Sighing, he began to pick at his food. "So….what are your plans Shanks? Where do you think you'll start?"

A thoughtful look came over his face. "First I'll need a crew of my own. Then I suppose I'd start my adventure here in the South Blue. It's as good a place to start as any."

"Then if you stay here, I want to ask you to do me a favor. I'm going to see if the Vice-Captain will drop me off in the East Blue so I won't be here in case any…unfortunate…situations come up. Keep an eye on this island if you can. More specifically that woman. She may not be part of the crew, but if she's with the Captain, then…I guess…she's family." Shanks solemnly nodded his head in agreement.

After the bill was paid for, the two walked down to the docks and onto the ship. Roger and Rayleigh were already waiting for them. "Buggy" He look at Roger in trepidation. It was always hard to get a read on his voice. Now was no exception.

"Thank you." Not saying any more than that, he left for his office. Rayleigh smiled at both of the younger men. "Shanks. Buggy. As of now, the Roger Pirates are officially disbanded. It's time for us to go our separate ways."

As Rayleigh walked away Buggy called out to him. "Vice- Cap…Rayleigh." He'd have to get used to that. "Would it be possible for you to sail with me to the East Blue? I'll need some help getting through the Calm Belt. I may be amazing at fighting, but I'm not that amazing."

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Inwardly Rayleigh smiled at Buggy's humble attempt to lighten the mood, and so did Shanks. "I wouldn't mind. And you Shanks?"

Shanks smiled but shook his head. "I'm going to stay in the South Blue for a while and take in the sights." All three just stood on the deck for a little while longer until Buggy left to go find Roger and Rayleigh and Shank started packing up their belongings.

Buggy had already packed. The only thing left to do was to say his final goodbye to Roger. He would be leaving as soon as he could.

Knocking on the door and opening it, Buggy walked in to see Roger sitting at his desk and staring at the large map that lay on it.

It was a map of their journey, from beginning to end. Buggy took a moment to study the map, feeling nostalgic when he thought about where they've been these past few years.

Getting his fill, he looks up to see Roger looking at him. "Capt-…Roger." The man smiled. "Thank you. For everything. The time I've spent on this ship and with this crew has been great. And I'll never forget this…or you. Goodbye, Captain." Buggy smiled and turned to leave.

"Make sure to take good care of those fruits, Buggy." The red nosed man froze in his tracks. "Hahaha! Don't act so surprised. This is my ship. As Captain I have to know everything that goes on inside of it."

Nodding his head, he choked back a sob "I will, Captain….Goodbye." Leaving the room and heading straight to his he didn't look back. Calling his Captain anything other than just that...he couldn't do it. He just couldn't.

Back in the room Roger was smiling, proud that Buggy had grown into the expectations he had for the boy.

Logue Town

Their Captain was gone. Dead. Executed right in front of their own eyes. All around them people cheered and shouted in excitement at the idea of finding the now legendary treasure 'One Piece'. Everyone attending seemed to enjoy the chaos that Gold Roger's death brought.

The only ones not joining in on the celebration were two young men standing at the very front of the crowd. The two stood, side by side, from beginning to end watching as the greatest man they had ever known met his end. Shanks pulled Roger's straw hat down over his eyes as he cried. Buggy, however, couldn't cry. He had already wept all that he could before coming to Loguetown, knowing for months that Roger would turn himself in.

The World Government had planned to use Roger's death as an example. An example to warn those who dared to try their hands at piracy that there would be hell to pay should they choose to do so. But they had not expected their plan to fail so miserably.

Rather than instilling fear into the hearts of those would-be pirates, his death was the beginning of a new era. One where pirates took to the seas with a fervor like none before it. And not only did it inspire this 'Great Pirate Era', it created a chain reaction that would be felt around the world for years to come.

Buggy was one such example. His Captain's death had fanned a tiny spark of resentment that grew into an uncontrollable rage. Although its effects were immediate. He stood there taking it all in. The cheering crowds, the smug Government and Navy officials, and then the sight of his Captain's blood dripping off the sides of the execution platform.

It was overwhelmingly maddening. Buggy could almost feel something snap within him. In his peripheral vision, he noticed several people around him suddenly dropping to the floor.

Shanks watched in confusion as a few people next to him got knocked out, and then acted in haste to physically restrain Buggy in as subtle a manner as possible after realizing he's released a small wave of Conqueror's Haki.

He grabbed onto Buggy and pulled down on him in a way that made other people see them as if they were on the verge of fainting as well, only able to stand as they leaned against one another. There were several high level marines nearby, and attracting their attention was the last thing Shanks wanted.

Armament Haki was starting to creep down from Buggy's shoulders and onto his arms as if he was preparing to fight. It took a few minutes of holding his friend down near the ground and trying to talk sense into him before Shanks felt Buggy lose the tension in his body.

'How the hell did he manage to do that?' He knew that the Conqueror's Haki he let out was a rare ability initially brought out by high stress situations, but Shanks didn't manage to release anything. He didn't understand. He was just as distraught at the moment, wasn't he? He'd need to think about it later.

Looking back at Buggy, he was hoping he'd calmed down enough for them to make a move to leave the Haki afflicted area.

But the murderous rage was still ever present on his face. And even more so in his voice. "He's dead. They killed our Captain. I won't stand for this. They'll get what's coming to them, I'll be sure of that. Even if it takes me the rest of my life." Shanks had never seen Buggy so angry.

Taking advantage of the people working their way to see what the commotion was, Buggy dragged Shanks, who'd been more affected by his friend's Haki then he'd realized, towards the back end of the crowd and further into the townhouse areas.

They sat silently in an alleyway. Buggy wrapped up in his own thoughts, and Shanks unsure of how to approach him. This was a whole new side of Buggy. A side that he wasn't even sure existed before the execution.

Looking up at Buggy and tried to open his mouth several times before closing it and looking away. This did not escape Buggy's notice. "What?"

After a brief moment of hesitation Shanks came out with another offer for Buggy to join his crew. Something told him it was best to just not to say anything at all. If Buggy felt like talking about it, he would.

In response to his invitation, Buggy refused outright. "We can't both be Captains on the same ship, Shanks. It just isn't done, y'know?...But we can be rivals on the open sea. " He smiled at his friend. The somber atmosphere from before all but gone now. Shanks just nodded his head with a small smile of his own.

Outside the alley, the crowd had begun to shrink in size as people started to head back to their homes where civilians would celebrate the end of one man's 'reign of terror' as the Pirate King with the people they held dear.

It was at this moment that Buggy and Shanks felt their time together was now coming to an end. It was time to say goodbye.

"Well, Buggy, this is it." Buggy smiled wryly at the red head as he reached out to his extended his hand. "Yeah. It is. Time to start our own adventures." After a stiff goodbye, Buggy turned to leave but found himself stopping just after a few steps and walking back. 'Oh!'

"Here" Taking off his backpack, he opened it and retrieved a heavy looking sack and handed it to him. "For emergencies only. I can't come rescue you every time you find yourself in trouble." He said mockingly.

Shanks looked confused but nodded his head anyway. "Be careful out there, Shanks. We're no longer under the Captain's protection. There's bound to be some heavy hitters out there looking for anything resembling the old crew. Consider what's in that sack to be my calling card for when you find yourself at someone else's mercy."

Patting his friend on the shoulder one final time, Buggy turned at walked away once more. This time he didn't look back. What needed to be said was said, anything else was for another time.

Shanks looked in the sack and snorted. Inside was a large Transponder Snail with the words 'My Last Hope' written neatly on the side and a white Transponder Snail attachment. Tying the sack back up and hefting it over his shoulder, he smiled as he watched Buggy walking away before leaving as well in the opposite direction.

'I wonder where Benn's run off to.'