With so many big players making their move, the Crossguild has its eyes set on the One Piece.
Things are heating up in One Piece as all the frontrunners are trying to claim the legendary treasure for themselves. With Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law suffering crushing defeats at the hands of Shanks and Blackbeard, respectively, there are only a handful of pirates remaining who are in the race to claim the One Piece.
Monkey D. Luffy is among the main contenders, along with Shanks and Blackbeard. All three Emperors have previously expressed their desire to claim the legendary treasure. In One Piece Chapter 1082, a surprising candidate was revealed, and it was none other than Buggy, the fourth Emperor. Buggy was named one of the Four Emperors after the events of the Wano Country arc. The World Government was tricked by Buggy’s reputation. The organization believed that Buggy was a dangerous pirate who had knowledge about the One Piece and had connections to Gol D. Roger and Shanks. However, Buggy was mainly focused on solidifying his business and gaining wealth. He did not care about the legendary treasure left behind by his late captain. So, what caused him to change his motive?
Why Did Buggy Make A Decision Now
Buggy and Shanks used to be apprentices on the ship of Gol D. Roger. The two of them traveled and fought alongside the rest of the members. When the time came for the Roger Pirates to go to Laugh Tale, Buggy fell ill. He could not travel in his condition, so he had to stay behind. Shanks could not leave behind his best friend, so he stayed with him while the others traveled to Laugh Tale.
On the day of Roger’s execution, Buggy was surprised to find out that Shanks wasn’t going to claim the One Piece for himself.
Buggy held Shanks in high regard, and he believed that his friend had tremendous potential. Buggy felt that Shanks had forgotten about his goal, so he ran away. Fast-forward to the current timeline and Shanks has finally made his move to claim the One Piece. This stirred dormant feelings inside Buggy, and the Emperor stated that he also wanted to become the King of the Pirates. Buggy gave an emotional speech about how the words of Gol D. Roger inspire people to this day. Despite being badly beaten up, Buggy told his men that the One Piece was theirs for the taking.
The Opposition
Buggy’s decision did not go down well with Dracule Mihawk and Crocodile, who are the actual leaders of the Cross Guild. They started the organization in an attempt to curb the power of the Marines. They slapped bounties on the heads of the Marines, causing pirates and other criminals to hunt them down. The two characters were pleased with the support that the organization had received around the world, and they wanted things to continue in the same manner.
When Buggy began to tell them about his dream, Crocodile and Mihawk were taken aback as their plan for the organization differed from his. The two characters tried their best to stop Buggy from riling up his underlings. They even thrashed Buggy in an attempt to stop him, but Buggy’s spirits weren’t going to be crushed so easily.
Will They Act On It?
After Buggy successfully got his message across to his followers, they were ready to go and claim the legendary treasure. Their reactions were hardly surprising considering they have been following Buggy since the Impel Down arc. They consider him their savior, and they will follow his orders to their last breath. Mihawk and Crocodile have already tried using force to change Buggy’s mind, and since they failed, they only have very limited options left. They can either kill him or go along with his plan.
If they decide to kill him, they will lose the support of Buggy’s underlings, as they will not follow the killers of their beloved chairman. The only remaining option is to go along with Buggy’s decision and join the race for the One Piece. The Cross Guild actually has more manpower than most of the other contenders, but they do not have enough top fighters to challenge the other three crews. By making the Cross Guild join the fray, Oda may be trying to ensure that Zoro fights Mihawk before the series’ conclusion. Until now, the Straw Hats had no reason to fight the Cross Guild, but they will have no other choice once the organization starts hunting people with the Road Poneglyphs.
It has been stated multiple times that without the Road Poneglyphs, it is almost impossible to reach Laugh Tale. However, the Cross Guild could potentially benefit from Buggy’s experience with the Roger Pirates. Bearing in mind that he sailed with them to many places, he must have some idea where the Road Poneglyphs are located. If Buggy still has any recollection of where they are or if he knows of some other way of reaching Laugh Tale, the Cross Guild can avoid going after the other three Emperors. This would make things a lot easier. But it all depends on Buggy and whether he still has some idea about how to reach Laugh Tale.
