He shouldn’t be here. By all accounts, the red-nosed pirate who got beat up by a rookie Luffy in the earliest chapters of the East Blue should have faded into the background like Don Krieg or Captain Kuro. Instead, Buggy the Clown is a Yonko. He’s an Emperor of the Sea. He stands alongside Shanks, Blackbeard, and Luffy. It feels like a prank, honestly. But if you've been paying attention to Eiichiro Oda’s storytelling for the last quarter-century, you know that Buggy the Clown isn't just a comic relief character; he is the personification of how the world of One Piece actually functions.
Buggy is a genius. Not the tactical, "I have a plan for everything" kind of genius like Law or Sengoku. He is a genius of perception. He understands that in a world of monsters, looking like a monster is just as good as being one.
The Roger Connection: More Than Just a Cabin Boy
Most fans forget that Buggy was on the Oro Jackson. He saw the final island, Laugh Tale—well, he would have if he hadn't caught a conveniently timed fever. While Shanks represents the "will" of Roger, Buggy represents the "history" of the crew. He was there for the battles against Shiki and Whitebeard. He’s seen the peak of piracy.
That’s why he’s so terrified.
Buggy knows exactly how high the ceiling is. Unlike Luffy, who runs headfirst into a wall because he doesn't know it's there, Buggy knows the wall is made of reinforced steel and guarded by gods. His cowardice is the most realistic reaction in the entire series. Think about it. If you were a guy who could get chopped into bits but still die if your heart got poked, would you want to fight Kaido? Absolutely not.
The Power of the Bara Bara no Mi
Let’s talk about the fruit. The Bara Bara no Mi (Chop-Chop Fruit) is objectively broken. He is immune to slashing attacks. In a world where the strongest swordsmen like Mihawk can slice entire glaciers or mountains, Buggy just turns into confetti and laughs. During the Marineford War, Mihawk—the literal "Strongest Swordsman in the World"—sliced Buggy into ribbons. Buggy didn't even break a sweat.
He survived.
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There’s a long-standing theory among the power-scaling community that Buggy is a "failed" awakening candidate. If he could split things other than himself—atoms, for instance—he’d be the most dangerous person on the planet. But Oda doesn't give him that power because Buggy’s true strength isn't his fruit. It’s his charisma. It's his ability to fail upward so spectacularly that the World Government has no choice but to give him a title.
Impel Down and the Birth of a Legend
The turning point for Buggy was the breakout from the underwater prison, Impel Down. This is where the legend of Buggy the Clown shifted from a local nuisance to a global threat. He didn't do much. He basically rode Luffy’s coattails while screaming in terror. But the prisoners? The level 2 and level 3 inmates? They saw a man who was a former member of the Pirate King's crew talking down to a future Yonko.
They saw "the bravery."
They didn't see the sweat. They saw a leader. This is a recurring theme in One Piece: the gap between reality and reputation. The World Government intercepts a snail call, hears Buggy's history, sees his followers, and panics. They don't check his power levels. They check his resume. And his resume is terrifying.
Cross Guild: The Ultimate Power Move
Entering the final saga, Buggy is the head of Cross Guild. On paper, he has Crocodile and Mihawk working "under" him. We know the truth—they’re basically using him as a figurehead so they don't have to deal with the paperwork and the target on their backs. They beat him up in private. They threaten him constantly.
But to the world?
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Buggy the Clown is the man who put bounties on the Marines. He flipped the script. For 800 years, the Marines hunted pirates. Now, the hunters are the hunted. This is the most disruptive event in the series since the death of Whitebeard. And even though Buggy is doing it because he’s backed into a corner, he’s the one who finally vocalized the dream: "Let's go claim the One Piece!"
That speech he gave to his followers, crying and screaming that they shouldn't be satisfied with just "safety" while Shanks is on the move? That was the most "Captain" moment he’s ever had. It was raw. It was human.
Why Oda Loves This Clown
Eiichiro Oda has stated in multiple interviews and SBS corners that Buggy is one of his favorite characters to draw. It's easy to see why. Buggy allows Oda to play with the tropes of the Shonen genre. While Luffy is the "Chosen One" archetype, Buggy is the "Lucky One."
There's a specific nuance to his character design. The red nose isn't a prop—it's real. He’s sensitive about it. It’s a physical manifestation of his insecurity. He compensates for that insecurity by building a flashy, theatrical empire. Everything is a show.
Factual Breakdown: Buggy’s Rise to Power
- Orange Town: Defeated by Luffy and Nami.
- Loguetown: Nearly executes Luffy on the same platform where Roger died.
- Impel Down: Leads a mass breakout of high-level criminals.
- Marineford: Survives encounters with Akainu, Mihawk, and Kizaru. Accidentally broadcasts the war to the world.
- Post-War: Named a Shichibukai (Warlord of the Sea) due to his influence.
- Wano Aftermath: Named one of the Four Emperors (Yonko) after the fall of Kaido and Big Mom.
- Current Status: Leader of Cross Guild, commanding a bounty-hunting organization targeting the Navy.
The Misconception of "Weakness"
People call him weak. Is he? Compared to a Lunarian or a Haki master, sure. But Buggy has survived every major conflict in the series. He survived the Grand Line. He survived the New World. In a series where "the strong survive," the guy who is still standing at the end is, by definition, strong.
His durability is off the charts. His luck is a literal superpower. In the One Piece universe, luck is often framed as "fate" or "destiny." If the universe keeps conspiring to make Buggy more powerful, maybe he’s just as "destined" as Luffy is.
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What This Means for the Final Saga
We are heading toward a four-way battle for the One Piece. Luffy, Blackbeard, Shanks, and Buggy. It’s the three serious contenders and the clown. But don't count him out. Buggy has a way of being in the right place at the wrong time. It would be the most One Piece ending imaginable if, after all the Haki clashes and Gear 5 transformations, Buggy ends up stumbling over the treasure first.
He represents the "fun" of piracy that Roger talked about. He isn't trying to change the world or fulfill a 900-year-old prophecy. He wants treasure. He wants fame. He wants to be flashy. In a way, he’s the most "honest" pirate in the show.
Insights for the Final Stretch
If you're following the manga or the anime as it moves toward the climax, keep a close eye on Buggy’s interactions within Cross Guild. The power dynamic between him, Mihawk, and Crocodile is fragile.
- Watch the Bounties: The Marine bounties issued by Cross Guild are causing genuine chaos in the world. This is Buggy’s primary leverage.
- The Shanks Rivalry: Their relationship is the emotional core of Buggy’s story. He stayed behind because he was angry Shanks wouldn't go for the One Piece immediately after Roger’s death. Now that Shanks is moving, Buggy has to move too.
- The Awakening Theory: Keep an eye on his fruit usage. If he manages to "split" the environment, the joke is over.
Stop viewing Buggy as a mistake. He is the anchor that keeps the series grounded in its own absurdity. Without the clown, One Piece loses its soul. He is the reminder that in a world of destiny and gods, sometimes a guy with a big red nose and a lot of luck can change history.
Don't just watch for the fights. Watch for the spectacle. The "Buggy Delivery" service isn't just a business; it’s a precursor to the total mobilization of the pirate world. As the series moves into 2026, his role will only get more central. Pay attention to his dialogue—Oda often hides the truth of the world in Buggy's "accidental" rants.
Stay updated on the manga chapters, specifically the developments in the New World. The next time you see the clown on screen, remember: you’re looking at a man who saw the end of the world and decided to make a profit. That's the real pirate way.