*Hey guys, just wanted to thank all of you who are still here for this story, and I am so sorry for such a prolonged hiatus. I really hope you enjoy this next part, so please let me know your thoughts on it. Thanks so much for your patience, I really appreciate it 🫶💫☠️🤡*

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*Buggy's POV*

Days had since passed aboard the Miss Love Duck and things between Amby and Buggy hadn't improved at all. In actual fact, the tense atmosphere between them had only heightened; placing further strain on their already fragile civility. Of course, he would've been willing to put the somewhat heated exchange behind them but the damn girl was clearly nursing a grudge now, which in turn was souring his mood more and more with each passing day.

She also seemed to have sunk into a dark mood of her own. She'd withdrawn and barely muttered more than a few words to him, even when he'd tried to assure her he would see to it personally that she wouldn't be forced to climb any rigging again without proper training. What thanks did he get in return for his consideration? Nothing. Nada. Zilch! All he had received in acknowledgment was a curt nod of the head.

Well, that was fine. He got it.

She was obviously mad at him for the things he had said regarding her long lost love. Replaying it over in his head, he was inclined to agree that perhaps he'd been just a little harsh, she was after all, suffering with a severe case of first-love, which pretty much always made a fool of the poor soul who was inflicted with it. However, who was he to pour scorn on her dreams?

The rightful owner of the map, that's who.

But....she had been born with it as a birthmark. Now that had most definitely thrown him for a loop. Of all the rarest, most unbelievable things the flashy fool had experienced and encountered during his lifetime, this had to be the most unusual, most unbelievable yet. A girl born with a miniature map of the grand line - the map HE himself had found at the age of twelve - the map that Shanks had caused him to lose.

It was all very perplexing.

If Amby's tattoo was the result of her mother eating an angel fruit, then what could it possibly mean? He would have to make it his business to find out, and that would be a problem whilst he was stuck on board this damn ship. He knew he would have a greater chance once ashore, at least there he could make inquiries.

But in order to stay on course they would have to keep sailing in a north-easterly direction for the next two weeks, and if Alvida had enough provisions on board then finding land wouldn't be something she'd consider doing. And what excuse could he come up with for stopping? Not to mention with every day that passed by, Luffy the wannabe-pirate and his crew of losers would be getting further away from him.

To make matters worse, Alvida was watching him like a hawk. She appeared to have noticed Amby's frostiness towards him and was taking great relish in trying to push his buttons for some reason.

"Trouble in paradise, clown? Your little pet seems to have grown tired of you already" she jeered, as they stood at the helm together.

With great effort he stretched his mouth into something that resembled a tight grin, but even without a mirror he knew it was more of a grimace. To say Alvida was beginning to get on his last nerve was the understatement of the century.

"Not that it's any of your business, Vida, but she's definitely more than happy with me."

"Is that so? Hm. Funny....because the pair of you were having words the other night I believe"

Buggy's head snapped up, his tattooed brows drawing together in an anxious frown. So somebody had overheard their little exchange that night. But how much exactly had they heard? His mind quickly tried to replay the conversation over in his memory, as he fought to keep his expression from wavering. He wouldn't allow Alvida to know that he was inwardly panicking.

"Now, Alvida baby....you ought to know that I really dislike eavesdroppers"

"Pfft, says you.....the most infamous eavesdropper of them all!"

"I do it when it's necessary. As a means to an end. What could you possibly have to gain from listening-in on Amby and me? All you're likely to hear are the sounds of us having a good time, if you know what I mean"

The female pirate shot him a look that suggested she wasn't buying it for a second, which was concerning. If she was growing suspicious that really didn't bode well for the rest of the trip. He decided to change tactics, by diverting the topic of conversation to what was certainly a more pressing matter.

"If I were you, Vida - and, thank the stars I'm not - but, shouldn't we be discussing the weather right now" he nodded in the general direction of the darkening clouds that were gathering in the distance "looks like a storm's coming up on the horizon"

She begrudgingly grumbled her agreement. There was most definitely a storm brewing; the waves were rolling higher and the wind had picked up considerably within the past few minutes. And experience had taught Buggy that when storms hit at sea - they hit fast.

"Keep us steady and I'll give the order to lower the sails half-mast" Buggy said and turned to descend the wooden stairs from the top deck, but then Alvida called out haltingly...

"I'm the captain here, clown! That's not your decision to make"

He affixed her with the most scornful gaze he could muster, which in all fairness wasn't difficult "I know that. How could I possibly forget when you keep reminding me at every available opportunity! But we don't have time for this, CAPTAIN. We need to take down the smaller sails to make this old tub more stable—"

"OLD TUB!!" She bellowed in outrage, "oh you think that three-mast floating circus of yours is better than the Miss Love Duck, do you?!"

"Frankly, yes. The Big Top is better, but hey.... every pirate worth their salt believes their own ship to be the best. So now isn't really the time to get into a debate over it. If you want your precious wooden duck to not capsize....." he sucked in a deep breath, fighting hard to quell his rising temper, ".... may I give the order to lower the damn sails?"

Her dark eyes narrowed, her lips pinched in annoyance, but she thankfully relented "fine. See to it, first-mate."

Without hesitation Buggy set about overseeing all the necessary orders were given in preparation for when the storm hit.

"Listen up you bunch of losers, this is a STORM WARNING! All hands to work! All loose items to be stowed away. Get everything tied down and well secured. Storm ahead!"

As all decks became a frenzy of activity, Buggy continued to bark out orders to the crew as he paraded the lower decks, "Get all crates and barrels doubly tied down. Stow the cannons away below deck and be sure to distribute the weight so they don't pull the ship too far to one side!"

He was sure they should know all of this, but you could never afford to take any chances.

His eyes then settled on the familiar figure of Amby, who seemed to be flailing slightly; unsure of what to do as no one was offering her the necessary guidance. By chance at the exact same moment he started in her direction purposefully, she looked up and their eyes just so happened to accidentally lock. To his inexplicable vexation she broke the eye contact almost immediately and began busying herself with double-checking a barrel that had already just been secured by one of the crew.

"It's secured enough" he said by way of greeting.

Grudgingly she threw him a dismissive look over her shoulder, then had the audacity to turn her attention back to the same barrel as she flippantly asked, "Captain, is there something you want?"

Yes goddammit! He wanted her to look at him and leave the fucking barrel alone!

Instead he found himself grasping her shoulders and roughly spinning her to face him as he growled "Yes! I want you to stop sulking and show me a little......"

Attention

"......respect!" He supplied after faltering briefly, ignoring his intrusive thoughts. His voice then dropped to a harsh whisper, "Alvida is growing suspicious because of your pouting...." without giving himself time to reconsider, he pulled her closer and lowered his head, ignoring the flash of panic in her eyes when he ordered, ".....kiss me!"

Her eyes rounded, looking almost comical as they bulged in surprise, and quite possibly, horror, "w-what?!"

"Do you have seawater in your ears or something? I said kiss me....or I'm going to kiss you! But it has to look convincing"

He saw her swallow hard, her eyes darting down to his lips, yet she remained maddeningly immobile. Buggy growled his annoyance which prompted her finally to take some form of action. She puckered her lips slightly and craned upwards; standing on her tiptoes in order to administer a quick peck to his stubbly cheek which he had turned towards her, waiting patiently for her kiss.

But that wouldn't suffice. He'd already anticipated her trying to appease him with little more than a chaste peck on the cheek. So as her lips came closer he suddenly jerked his head so that her lips landed on his instead. Before she could pull away he brought a gloved hand up behind her head; like a steel clamp and he trapped her against him, forcing her lips to remain on his own insistent ones.

Imprisoned by his surpsingly heavy hand and arm, Amby sucked in a stifled inhale of breath and tried to pull away. But he persisted and moved his lips against hers; demanding a response. A response he knew she was reluctant to give, and yet he was unrelenting. He couldn't understand it other than he felt driven by some desperate need that burned through him like a formidable force of nature. Her stiff lips however, her rigid posture, served to dampen his resolve considerably and his demanding lips began to give up the fight. His hold on her slackened; admitting defeat, when suddenly something strange happened. Once she sensed him giving up and his lips softened against hers, she brought both of her hands up to cradle his face and he felt her soft lips finally begin to move.

Well, shit. She was...kissing him back.

The realization, her actions, gave him pause and he faltered for a split second. But this is what he wanted, wasn't it? To put on a good show for the benefit of Alvida and her motley crew. It was important to keep up the pretense after all.

He stilled only momentarily, then slanted his mouth over hers again and began kissing her fiercely; as if his lips had a mind of their own. Buggy's brain had ceased working and in that moment all he cared about was the delicious sensations that pulsed through him and the sweet taste of her lips. He was kissing her in earnest now; his hungry, searching mouth, demanding even more of a response from her.
His gloved hand slid into her hair at the nape of her neck and a shudder ran through him as she willingly returned his heated kisses and gave a sudden moan of total surrender.

Suddenly the unmistakable sound of Alvida's voice thundered in his ears and the spell was instantly broken, bringing him back down to earth with an unforgiving thud.

"Now is not the time for smooching! Where's the sudden urgency regarding the approaching storm, clown!?" She grated, "Are you going to get on with your duties or continue to annoy me!?"

"I can do both, I'm an excellent multitasker" he smirked. Releasing Amby, Buggy took a step away from her; shaking off his desire as easily as shrugging out of a coat. Similarly, as if having just realized who she'd actually been kissing with such fervor, Amby jerked away from him and gasped.

"But as for the smooching, I mean, can you blame me, Vida? She's very distracting" he quipped, earning a growl of exasperation from the female pirate.

"Both of you, get back to work!" she ordered, before stomping away. Her anger visceral.

Bingo. Mission accomplished.

When he glanced back to Amby he noticed the color that was creeping into her cheeks. The humiliation and embarrassment now setting in after them having locked lips like that in full view of everyone. But she also looked noticeably dazed, no doubt as a result of her having just been thoroughly kissed.

She glanced at him then, almost shyly, and he felt his mouth kick upwards at the corner, grinning at her like a reptile that had just made a meal out of a tiny mouse. And shit, the way she looked right now ~ rosy cheeked, her full lips all kiss swollen, he could eat her right up!

"W-was that really necessary?" she exhaled shakily, a noticeable tremor in her voice.

He arched a painted brow and bit his tongue, resisting the urge to challenge her by reminding her that she'd unarguably kissed him back in such an enthusiastic manner.

"Of course it was.We gotta keep up appearances. And from where I was standing you really didn't seem to mind, baby"

Damn it. Why couldn't he resist teasing her? Truth be told, he enjoyed sparring with her.

"You....you hardly gave me much choice—"

"True, but you didn't have to participate quite so enthusiastically"

She affixed him with the type of fiery glare whereby if looks could kill, he'd have instantly been reduced to a flaming pile of ashes

"You told me it had to look convincing!"

"Convincing, you certainly had me fooled. Hell, why be a pirate when you could pursue a successful career as an actor!?"

"Much like yourself" she leveled at him.

"Excuse me?!"

She folded her arms defensively across her chest, and Buggy had to fight the impulse to follow the movement with his eyes, in case his traitorous gaze dropped to linger on her breasts.

"Well that performance of yours was pretty damn convincing too, captain"

"Impertinent little shit, performing is what I do. I'm a showman!" He proclaimed with an air of grandiose, topped off with a theatrical flourish of his arms, "Now anyhoo, I'm bored of this conversation. You better skedaddle below deck, there's a nasty storm rolling in"

Her pretty face hardened and just like that, any hint of sassiness was gone, and the hidden feistiness she possessed came racing to the surface

"Excuse me, captain....but you did say all hands to work. It can't have escaped your notice that I do have hands, however clumsy they might be"

He was more than aware of her hands. The hands that had been cradling his face only a few minutes ago, and that he was certain he could find many other - even more pleasurable - uses for. But he quickly pushed away the startlingly sexual thoughts.

"Forget it. You don't have the expertise or experience. Storms can be extremely fucking dangerous at sea"

"And how will I ever gain the expertise and experience if you won't allow me to help out? I want to pull my weight, captain"

"And you can. Go below deck and make sure all the portholes and windows are closed"

The wind was now picking up; whipping her hair around her face as she steeled herself, her gaze unfaltering as she attempted to stare him down.

God, she had a fire in her that he found irritatingly endearing. She challenged him and he was fast discovering that he kind of liked it.

"You and I both know that the windows and portholes will already have been taken care of. Because I don't know what I'm doing I'm always a step behind. I don't want preferential treatment, captain Buggy. I want to be a pirate, you have to start treating me like one of the crew!"

He made a noise of annoyance; the sound half groan, half growl, as he pulled off his gloves and grasped her hands roughly "Fine, little Miss independent! If you want to earn your place as part of the crew, then you can go help
secure the rigging....that doesn't mean you're to climb it though, understand? You obstinate little shit!"

She nodded her compliance, seemingly now more preoccupied by the act of him slipping his large gloves onto her small hands.

"They'll protect your skin from rope burn" he explained, "and don't argue! It's not preferential treatment, it's for purely selfish reasons. I don't want you touching me with rough, gnarly, weather-worn hands"

Amby's pretty little mouth fell open and he couldn't refrain from throwing his head back and laughing hard at her reaction.

"You're welcome" he stated once he recovered from his genuine mirth. Holding her gaze with a slow blink, he absently then brushed the loose hair away from her eyes and mouth; gathering all the strands in one hand as he pulled a spare bandana from his pocket.

"Uh, I-I got it, thank you" she breathed unevenly as she quickly took the bandana from him. Almost as if the action of him tying her hair back from the wind was too intimate a gesture, despite having just recently kissed him almost senseless.

He nodded and reluctantly walked away from her, having to return to his duties.

"Come on you sorry excuse for a crew! All riggers to your posts. Bring down the sails! No one is to climb the mast without a secure line, you know the drill, people!"

Soon the wind became frenzied, and Alvida wrestled with the helm as Buggy ordered all unnecessary crew below decks. He sorely wanted to search Amby out, telling her that order applied to her also, but he knew she would argue and there wasn't time for that. Besides, she did seem hellbent on proving her worth as part of the crew, and against his better judgment, he wanted to allow her the pursuit of her dreams.

Shit. Maybe he was in danger of going soft after all.

The main sails flapped frantically due to the blustering weather and Buggy feared they'd be ripped to shreds if it continued to get any worse. The ship had to constantly be turned into the waves to keep it from capsizing. The vessel began to roll precariously from side to side and the temperature dipped all of a sudden. Dark thunderclouds obscured the sunlight; threatening rain. They churned grimly in the sky, until suddenly then it came. Just as he'd predicted. The heavens opened and cold sheets of rain hit them with such force it stung Buggy's face as he walked the decks, overseeing that everything was being done properly.

He wasn't a control freak as such, he just needed things to be done a certain way. Besides, he didn't trust Alvida's crew as much as his own. From what he'd witnessed so far their competency left an awful lot to be desired. He repeatedly had to tell several of the so-called riggers to attach ropes to their waists; the opposite ends having to be tied to notches at the base of the masts. This was simple basic safety. Ok so he shouldn't care if the fools fell overboard as a result of their own stupidity, it was nature's way of culling idiots in his opinion. But he had a duty of care as quartermaster, plus they couldn't afford to lose crew members, not when all hands were needed in order to run a tight ship.

Just then a brutal gust of wind struck the ship and a loud crack sliced the air. Buggy presumed it to be thunder, but then he felt the ship begin to tip. A quick glance up confirmed his fears; the main mast had snapped just below the second sail. It collapsed like a felled tree against the side of the ship; slicing through the railing and putting a gaping hole through the deck.

"ALL HANDS TO PORTSIDE!"  He yelled, his voice competing to be heard above the downpour and billowing gale. In order to save time his torso separated from his lower body; defying gravity as it left the rest of him running behind, "Come on you scurvy shit bags! Let's lose this dead weight before it pulls us under!"

Producing all four of his knives he commenced slicing the ropes and hacking at the wood to cut the broken mast free. His bottom half now reattached to the rest of his body, and fury began to swirl in his stomach when he noticed the nearest members of the crew cease mid-task just to gawk at the sight.

"D'you want a photograph or something?! KEEP CUTTING!"

Needless to say, they didn't need telling twice, as hastily they resumed work on the ropes and the fallen mast.

Shit, this kind of toiling in these weather conditions was always so hard on the hands. If only he had his gloves.

Wait. His gloves.

Amby...

It was only then the thought occurred to him. Was she ok? What if she'd been injured when the mast had fallen?

It took enormous presence of mind just for him to hastily tuck his knives back into his coat and not drop them where he stood, as he whirled around on the spot. Suddenly feeling blindsided by panic. His vision was somewhat obscured by the relentless rain, but his keen eyesight quickly scanned the numerous people surrounding him.

He couldn't see her. Why couldn't he see her!?

An icy chill suddenly skittered down his spine and settled in his gut like a lead weight. The feeling of trepidation. He knew that gut instinct only too well, and just like that the sense of foreboding upgraded to immediate alarm.

She was in trouble. He could sense it.