“well, buggy fans are willing to forgive much worse behavior from other characters they ship him with, so that hasn't stopped me!”

And that’s the thing I kinda don’t like about buggy ships tbh. I don’t think I like them just because most of them are…. Extremely mean to Buggy? I never had favourite character like this. That’s why I kinda want just one person who would really liked my blorbo? Like does Buggy even has one genuine relationship rn? I was naive because I did thought of his crew as a little more genuine, and after marine ford my stupid brain did thought at least mr3 is not gonna left him the minute buggy out of picture. And Oda destroyed my hopes every single time. He’s not that unlikable in canon :(

(context)

yeah, you know, that's fair! some people like for their fave to suffer, and some want to protect them from the cruelty of the world. i'm somewhere in between, myself; i can enjoy a bit of buggy schadenfreude, but only if i feel like he really earned it, reaping what he sowed and all that.

…and tbh, i think this lack of genuine relationships is another reaping/sowing situation.

like, buggy had genuine connections in his youth and they all abandoned him (save one, but let's not get distracted by shuggy rn). is it any wonder he was disillusioned, and sought out bonds based on self-interest and false images of his own greatness?

when buggy was a moderately-sized fish in a small pond, he must have felt just as sure as you, anon, that he'd found the best possible crew this way. who needs sincerity or personal loyalty?! all you need is a badass facade and a common goal!

the downside to such superficial bonds only makes itself known when the illusion breaks down, or when it's no longer in someone's self-interest to support buggy.