Netflix's One Piece: Why Does Buggy Hate Shanks?

When Netflix's "One Piece" introduces the clown-themed captain Buggy (Jeff Ward), he reveals he and Shanks (Peter Gadoit) served together on a pirate crew, but the red-haired captain betrayed him. The show makes it clear that Buggy still resents Shanks to this day, but what exactly happened between them?

The drama between Buggy and Shanks dates back to their apprenticeship on the Roger Pirates, captained by the legendary Gol D. Roger. The two blossoming pirates spent much of their time together, developing a brotherly bond as they constantly challenged each other. However, when the Roger Pirates went to Laugh Tale, the location of Roger's legendary treasure, Shanks elected to stay behind, choosing to take care of Buggy, who had fallen ill. Buggy took offense to Shank's decision, feeling it betrayed what Roger stood for, as he had viewed his red-haired friend as a worthy successor to their captain's title of King of the Pirates.

Buggy prioritizes finding treasure over almost everything, so when Shanks refuses to go to Laugh Tale, where he could have claimed the One Piece for himself, Buggy takes offense and never forgives him. On top of that, Shanks played a role in Buggy losing another treasure map and accidentally swallowing the Bara Bara no Mi Devil Fruit, further fueling his grudge against Shanks.

Buggy and Shanks have a relationship that's prominent in countless Shonen animes, a rivalry featuring mutual respect fueled by competitiveness. It's similar to Naruto and Sasuke's dynamic in "Naruto," though the pirate duo aren't the main characters of "One Piece."

As kids, they constantly argued, with Buggy calling Shanks soft, convinced he'd never make it as a pirate. As they grew up, Shanks eventually became one of the strongest pirates around, eventually assuming the title of one of the Four Emperors of the New World. However, even then, Buggy wouldn't see him as an equal, even when he became one of the Emperors himself, although he reached the title through sheer luck. When Shanks is finally ready to travel to Laugh Tale and claim the One Piece, Buggy's competitiveness drives him to set a similar goal, trying to beat Shanks to the famed treasure even though he recognizes his former friend as a worthy successor to Gol D. Roger.

Assuming that Netflix's "One Piece" continues for multiple seasons, the live-action adaptation may make Buggy and Shanks' relationship more prominent earlier than the source material. After their initial introductions in the anime, it's a couple hundred episodes later when Buggy and Shanks return, and even more before fans finally get their backstory. However, given that the live-action characters quickly became fan favorites — even if it was through thirst traps — it would make sense for the Netflix series to feature Buggy and Shanks more than the anime, exploring their relationship much more quickly.