Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #1082 of One PieceOne Piece just surprised its fans by completely rewriting Buggy the Clown, one of the series’ earliest and most popular villains and the current leader of the Cross Guild group. Buggy has always been portrayed as a cowardly opportunist who, by mere luck, managed to climb the ladder all the way to the top, as Buggy has recently earned the coveted title of Yonko (Emperor of the Seas). However, the latest chapter proves that Buggy has a much more heroic side, and he shares the same huge dream as the protagonist of the story, Luffy.
In chapter #1082 of One Piece, readers catch up with the latest developments within Cross Guild, the organization created by Mihawk and Crocodile that uses Buggy as a charismatic forefront. The poor clown is once again beaten up and bullied by the other two powerful pirates, who are discussing ways to acquire more wealth and power to turn their group into a strong military state. However, Buggy is fed up, and he tells them that they forgot what the true dream of each pirate should be. Seizing a speaker, Buggy talks to all the men in Cross Guild (who venerate him), telling them that it’s time to fulfill the dream that drove all of them to the sea: claim the One Piece and become the King of Pirates.
Buggy Isn’t Afraid To Pursue His Real Dream: Becoming The Pirate King
One Piece readers know that Buggy began his career as an apprentice on the ship of the legendary Gol D. Roger, the first and only King of Pirates. Buggy shared that part of his life with Shanks (who is now also an Emperor), but the two did not accompany Roger on his final trip to Laugh Tale. This chapter reveals that the reason why Buggy hates Shanks so much is not – as it was implied until now – that he is jealous of his strength and accomplishments. Buggy actually hoped that, after Roger’s death, Shanks would follow in Roger’s footsteps and immediately go after the One Piece, but Red Hair refused, saying that he wasn’t ready yet. This left Buggy disappointed and heartbroken, setting him up on his solo career as a pirate.
Chapter #1082 really subverts fans’ perception of Buggy. Here, Mihawk and Crocodile are the cunning manipulators who, despite their strength, prefer scheming rather than going all-out for the ultimate prize. The beaten-up, bloodied, and crying Buggy is not afraid to say what his real dream is: becoming the King of Pirates. It’s outrageous that a weakling and notorious coward like Buggy could even think about that, but at that moment, he is a lot braver than Mihawk and Crocodile, who are afraid of picking a fight with Luffy, Blackbeard, and Shanks, who are all going after the One Piece. In fact, the reason why Buggy finally finds his courage is that he learned that Red-Haired Shanks is making his move.
Buggy’s Transformation Is The Perfect Development For A Fan-Favorite Character
This chapter reveals that Buggy originally let go of his dream of becoming the King of Pirates due to his admiration of Shanks, which he saw as ‘the next generation’s king’. Shanks’ refusal to go after the prize broke Buggy, who was then left without a purpose and became the infamous, evil, but also hilarious pirate that readers grew to love. Now that, by luck or fate, Buggy finds himself to be Shanks’ equal again, he recovers his true pirate spirit, putting two much scarier characters such as Mihawk and Crocodile to shame. It’s a huge change for one of the earliest villains in the series, who became incredibly popular due to his ridiculous antics and absurd luck. Buggy‘s transformation will surely strike a chord in fans’ hearts, and it proves that, after twenty-five years, One Piece still has the ability to develop its characters and surprise its readers.
The latest chapter of One Piece is available from Viz Media.
