I’ve seen a lot of people speculate on how Buggy has the funds to put all of these bounties on all of these Marines.
We can assume that would cost billions of berries. However personally I think Buggy hasn’t actually put up any bounties. He is simply naming the prices of different Marine heads. Buggy’s Cross Guild isn’t like the World Government who pays to get rid of people. Buggy’s Cross Guild is the one you pay to get rid of people. Let me explain.
The fact that Buggy’s organization is called a guild implies that you can put up quests as you often do to guilds in fantasy. Wouldn’t it make more sense that Buggy is actually just naming the prices for different Marines and people can pay them to take care of them if they want to.
Right now all over the sea there might be tons of Marines that are causing trouble to specific pirates. Those pirates might not be strong enough to take care of them on their own. The Marines have warships and reinforcements behind them. Taking over an island with treasure is incredibly difficult if there’s lets say a Vice Admiral patrolling there regularly. Marines standing in the way of other pirates is an advantage all pirates share. Weakening their hold would serve virtually no purpose. That’s why it makes way more sense to conduct the guild like a contract hit business.
Its not like Buggy has this overwhelming empathy for his fellow pirates and wants to help them by putting on bounties on Marines heads. Buggy is extremely calculating and smart and wouldn’t do that with no reason. Right now Buggy has filled a massive gap in the market. Now the pirate crew wanting to take that islands treasure can just check the Vice Admirals price, pay it, then Mihawk or Crocodile will come take care of it and after that they can get the treasure. They get rid of their problem and Buggy gets money.
The Cross Guild having the strongest swordsman in the world as their debt collector ensures that the pirates trust that the Cross Guild can actually kill their desired opponents and ensure that nobody tries to double cross them. There’s very few people in the One Piece World willing to knowingly make an enemy out of an Emperor and Mihawk.
Imagine how many pirates in One Piece have ended up in situations like Sabaody where an Admiral or some other really strong Marines pulled up and the only choice is to escape. Right now Buggy has offered everyone an alternative. Call the Cross Guild up, pay the price and Mihawk will come and take care of the Marines. I think this also fits in a lot better with Mihawk’s character because he wouldn’t join Buggy’s crew for no reason. He doesn’t need protection and he’s not interested in the One Piece or other Emperor stuff. Getting to hunt really strong Marines however and getting paid a lot for it… Mihawk said it himself that he felt some excitement over having the Marines hunting him. I wonder what hunting Marines would feel like.
*Theory by Markotus
