The hype surrounding chapter 1053 of One Piece doesn’t seem to be dying down. In fact, it seems to be increasing. Oda more or less achieved peak fiction with his latest chapter, and like the cool guy that he is, he tied it in such a way that it is the last chapter before the 1-month hiatus. This move has left the fandom in a state of total chaos.
The greatest moment of chapter 1053 – the thing that has divided the fandom – is when Oda announces the 2 Yonkos that would replace Big Mom and Kaido. The new Four Emperors are “Straw Hat” Luffy, “Blackbeard” Teach, “Red-Haired” Shanks, and the one, the only, “The Bombastic Clown” Buggy.
Hol’ up. Buggy?! How on earth and sea did BUGGY of all people become one of the Four Emperors of the Sea?! I know. But there’s a plausible explanation.
How did Buggy Become a Yonko?
Buggy was made a Yonko because he is potentially as powerful as Shanks, has a notorious reputation, has a strong influence over people, is an ex-Warlord of the Sea, was part of Roger’s crew, and has fought and escaped the Marines.
Of course, there’s a tiny possibility that Oda is using Buggy being an Emperor as a ploy; I mean Buggy has been a gag character since the longest time. But that’s unlikely.
Here’s why it makes sense that Buggy is a Yonko:
1. Buggy is Shanks’s Equal
In an SBS interview, Oda reportedly admitted that Buggy could be as strong as Shanks, but he is too lazy to train.
Shanks and Buggy were apprentices together on Roger’s ship. They were set up as rivals in the same way Law and Kid were set up as Luffy’s rivals.
Sure, Shanks and Luffy are considered a higher threat because they have shown what they are capable of. But Buggy, like Law and Kid, are as experienced as their rivals and can cause equal havoc. I mean, Kid and Law defeated a Yonko. Why do people think Buggy cannot do something similar?
Fine, yes, Buggy ain’t the strongest pirate out there. He doesn’t have any Haki that we know of and he’d rather spend his time doing business than training.
But strength isn’t power. Buggy has other means of defeating people stronger than him.
2. Buggy, the Genius Jester
Buggy has always been used as comedic relief, but this is One Piece.
Our protagonist, Luffy, doesn’t have the strongest Devil Fruit but the most “ridiculous”. The greatest treasure in the world, the One Piece, made the Pirate King burst out in laughter. These are all signs that things and people we least expect to be powerful are often Oda’s aces.
Buggy may look like clown but he is anything but. He’s a genius, as the World Government quickly recognized. He’s actually kind of like DC Comics’ Joker, a villain in the guise of a clown who is the deadliest character in the franchise.
He uses his craftiness, his cleverness, to use objects and individuals stronger than himself, to amass more power. His intelligence and knowledge of the game is how he became a Yonko. The guy’s a massive player.
3. Buggy has Incredible Influence and Fame
We all know that to be a Yonko, a pirate must show that they have the capability to exert their will on other pirates as well the common public.
Buggy’s influence on other people is almost at par with Luffy – although the way in which they do it is poles apart.
4. Charismatic and Enterprising Businessman
Buggy, above everything, is a showman. It’s who he is and what he does. Buggy is well aware of his strengths and weaknesses and has a pristine understanding of the way the world around him works.
All his actions speak to making him more successful and powerful.
He created the Buggy’s Delivery or the Pirate Dispatch Organization that prescribes trained mercenaries to people that can pay for them.
After Doflamingo was defeated, Buggy monopolized the underworld to expand his business into the war market. He began arms dealing along with sending armed mercenaries for hire. He used his status as Shichibukai to influence the market and gain more powerful people to join his ranks.
I. Orchestrated the Impel Down Rebellion
It takes a certain kind of person to incite a rebellion. After he managed to get out of his cell at Impel Down, he became one of the main people to lead the mass breakout from the world’s biggest prison belonging the World Government.
He freed several hundred prisoners and was able to convince them to follow him and begin a full-blown riot. These same escaped prisoners, who are known to be insanely dangerous, joined his crew as blindly and fiercely loyal commanders.
II. Actively Increasing Followers
Buggy’s influence is not short-lived. He is constantly trying to recruit more and more followers. He knows how to advertise and promote himself as well.
He had his followers during the Marineford Summit War broadcast a list of his exploits through Den Den Mushi so the world knows what he’s capable of.
III. Has Strong Allies
A big part of Buggy’s fame and notoriety are his allies. Buggy has formed partnerships with not just Alvida, Mr. 3/Galdino, and Impel Down prisoners, but also temporary alliances with Whitebeard and Luffy. I also think he has made friends with other former Shichibukai. Buggy’s strong allies make him stronger.
Mihawk had once mentioned that the reason Luffy is so dangerous is because of his ability to turn those around him into his allies. Buggy has this same talent and this is what makes him formidable.
5. Buggy is Physically Strong as well
Some people keep saying that Buggy isn’t strong at all, but they’re wrong.
I. OP Devil Fruit
Buggy’s Devil Fruit was the first Paramecia-type Devil Fruit to be introduced in the series (considering Luffy’s is actually Zoan).
His Bara Bara no Mi allows him to split up his body into infinite pieces at will. This makes him immune to slashes – even the strongest swordsman in the world, i.e., Dracule Mihawk, cannot defeat Buggy.
He can levitate and control the different pieces of his body with his mind, and also use them for offensive attacks. He has used his Devil Fruit ability in the past to fight the Marine Admirals, Mihawk, as well as Shanks.
I think Buggy has Awakened his Devil Fruit and acquired the next stage of power while the Wano War was happening. This would definitely have gotten the World Government’s attention.
II. Escaped Impel Down Without Help
He was able to break out of his prison cell without Luffy’s help. He walked through the security of Level 4 and 5 – which is extreme heat and cold respectively – without succumbing.
He was the one of the most important characters along with Luffy, Mr. 2, and Mr. 3 to be able to make a break.
He then teamed up with a number of people to start a prison riot and attack the Marines.
III. Escaped the Marines
Nobody knows for sure how Buggy was able to escape the Marines. After the Shichibukai system was abolished, the Marines rounded up and directed an assault on the former Warlords.
Somehow, Buggy was able to escape or defeat them, after which he was made a Yonko.
IV. Weapons
Buggy wields a host of sharp knives which he himself is immune to. He can throw them with speed and accuracy and use his disjointed limbs in conjunction with them.
His Buggy and Muggy Balls are also really useful. They are basically cannonballs that are powerful enough to level a row of buildings.
The best part is that he can manipulate them depending on the situation – in Impel Down, for example, he makes sure he can defeat the Awakened Zoan prison guard with the explosive without damaging himself.
6. Crew, Fleet, and Territory
We all know that the main reason Kid and Law weren’t made Yonkos was because they lacked a consolidated territory and sizeable fleets.
With the number of people Buggy has converted over the years, I wouldn’t be surprised if Buggy has a huge-ass empire. I mean, he’s already the ruler of the underworld.
As for fleets, when Buggy was running his delivery business, he had quite a huge number of ships.
As for his crew, Buggy assimilated the Alvida Pirates, and then, after his membership as one of the 7 Warlords, he garnered even more powerful pirates to join him.
The escaped Impel Down Prisoners joined him too, and there’s a possibility he has new recruits in the time that we were in Wano.
Although most of his crew has a skewed perception of Buggy, it suits him just fine. They are stronger than him but believe that Buggy is a powerful and entirely honorable man, which just isn’t true.
Apart from the majority, Mr. 3, who stayed on with Buggy after Impel Down, knows the truth.
Additionally, I am convinced that Buggy used his charm to recruit at least one other ex-Warlord. Can you imagine if Buggy somehow tricked Mihawk into joining him?
He could convince Weevil by saying they could avenge Whitebeard together, or tell Boa Hancock to trust him since he’s pals with Luffy.
Buggy is a literal pro at forming alliances and then later assimilating them into his crew; so, maybe he held a meeting and told them that they should come together as ex-Warlords to balance the chaos the World Government has been causing.
If this is true, Buggy’s crew could suddenly become hella souped up.
7. Does Buggy being a Yonko make his crew a Yonko crew?
We all know the ramifications of being an Emperor. Let’s look at Kaido and the Beasts Pirates.
The power and infamy that Kaido holds is in part due to his sole strength, and in part, due to his crew full of “beasts”. He has the 7 Tobi Roppo and the 3 Calamities, who are incredibly strong and can defeat other powerful pirates.
What about Buggy’s crew? Sure, it has Impel Down prisoners and possibly other Shichibukai. But is Buggy’s first commander, Mr. 3, as strong as King?
Mr. 3 is not currently as strong as King or any other Yonko commander.
We don’t know under what circumstances Buggy came to be Yonko, but there is no one on his crew right now who’s anywhere near Kaido’s All Stars and Tobi Roppo, or Big Mom’s Sweet Commanders, or even other less stronger members on her crew.
8. Could Oda be playing us?
There is a possibility that Oda is using Buggy to send us a message. We know that Luffy legitimately deserves to be a Yonko but we also know that Luffy is going to topple the current world system.
The entire Yonko system itself might be replaced by something else – or by nothing at all.
Buggy might be exactly what we see at face value – a clown who somehow got lucky by first becoming a Warlord and then a Yonko.
Oda loves having fun with his readers so we definitely have to consider this option.
9. Conclusion
Buggy becoming Yonko was long foreshadowed by Oda. 20 years ago, Oda did a cover sketch for volume 25 that had Shanks, Blackbeard, Luffy, and Buggy. Sure, this could be a coincidence and have no meaning at all, but it’s still pretty exciting.
He was Luffy’s first villain with a Devil Fruit, a Paramecium no less. He was Shanks’s frenemy on Pirate King Roger’s ship, and has been deceptively “failing upwards” thus far.
I’m confident Oda has a perfectly sane explanation for Buggy’s rise to power. We’ll just have to wait and watch.
10. About One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.
The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!
Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.
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