Buggy Pirates

The Buggy Pirates are a crew captained by Buggy, who once served as an apprentice aboard Gol D. Roger's ship. They started as an unremarkable if dreaded presence in the East Blue, then chased the Straw Hat Pirates into the Grand Line after a humiliating defeat. A circus theme runs throughout: Buggy plays the clown, his first mate Mohji the beast tamer, and Cabaji the acrobat. Their flag sports a comic skull marked with a big red nose and painted crosses over the eyes, echoing Buggy's own face.

Buggy's fortunes spun wildly, and each turn reshaped the crew. They drove the conflict of the Orange Town Arc, starred in the Buggy's Crew Adventure Chronicles, and shared antagonist duty in the Loguetown Arc. The band's biggest break came inside Impel Down, where Buggy's old ties to Shanks and Roger were mistaken for proof of power, drawing throngs of convicts who worshipped him despite his open cowardice. Many of these recruits actually outclassed and outranked their idol in bounty. After the Marineford war, the crew merged back together, swelled in status, and saw Buggy invited into the Seven Warlords. Across the timeskip it became the mercenary outfit Buggy's Delivery, and eventually the Cross Guild, while Buggy himself rose to the rank of Emperor.

Buggy leads, with Mohji as first mate, Cabaji as chief of staff, and the lion Richie as the crew's pet who once briefly held the captaincy. Small trios such as the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros, the Superhuman Domingos, and the Acrobatic Fuwas fill out the lower ranks, all cocky and easily handled by Zoro. The Impel Down convicts joined en masse, mostly mightier than Buggy yet blinded by his legend, and Mr. 3 alone saw through the act. Alvida allied with the band and even captained their ship, the Big Top, during one of Buggy's absences. Later the giant Hajrudin and others signed on as mercenaries before departing to reform the Giant Warrior Pirates.