The Roger Pirates

On the deck of the Oro Jackson, beneath its huge red sails.

The terrifying rising current made the hull pitch and sway, as if it might fall apart at any moment, but that was not enough to affect some of the people aboard—such as the captain, Gol D. Roger; the vice-captain, Dark King Rayleigh; the navigator, Scopper Gaban; the Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet; the swordsman, Kozuki Oden; and so on.

But there were also some who were so frightened that tears streamed down their faces. One example was our very own Buggy the Clown, who was now clinging tightly to the mast as if it were his life itself.

After a while, the force of the rising current gradually weakened, and the ship finally steadied a little. Only then did everyone have the leisure to admire the beautiful sight before them.

Even the members of the Roger Pirates were all extraordinary people with remarkable backgrounds, and they had followed Roger all over the world, making them quite well-traveled and knowledgeable. But at this moment, as they gazed at the sky island before them, beautiful as heaven itself, everyone could not help but marvel.

"I never thought sky islands really existed..."

As the vice-captain, Rayleigh looked at Roger, who was standing at the bow with his eyes full of light, and spoke.

"Yeah, Rayleigh. This really is something like a miracle."

"But is what you want really up here?"

"No mistake."

Roger's eyes were confident and firm, and his voice was filled with domineering force.

"I've already heard it. It's calling to me..."

"Then it looks like we won't have made this trip for nothing..."

At this moment, Gaban, the navigator, walked over with a cigarette in his mouth and said.

"The situation isn't good, Roger. The hull's pretty badly damaged. There's not much I can do about it."

Gaban's words made Roger's brows furrow, but they soon relaxed as he asked.

"Can it hold out until we reach the Grand Line?"

Gaban thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll do my best. Shouldn't be a problem."

"Then that's fine. We'll deal with the ship once we get to Water 7. For now..."

As Roger spoke, he turned to face all his crew.

"Partners, let's go search for the legendary City of Gold Shandora and begin our adventure..."

"Yeah!!!!"

Excited howls rang through heaven and earth...

The arrival of the Roger Pirates caused far too much of a stir. As the Oro Jackson slowly pulled up to the shore, the sky island's God's Guard noticed them at a glance, and countless residents of Angel Island were drawn over as well.

"Oh, are those angels!!!"

"This place is basically heaven..."

"Ah, my heart has already been stolen..."

Seeing the Angel Island girls with twin wings on their backs and graceful figures, countless members of the Roger Pirates let out excited roars. Even the young Red-Haired Shanks and Buggy, whose mind was usually only on treasure, could not help a faint blush rising to their cheeks.

"Hello... guests from the Blue Sea. May I ask what brings you here?"

After the ship docked, the captain of God's Guard walked over, his tone extremely polite.

He could hardly be blamed for suddenly acting so meek.

Just standing in front of these people, he could feel that terrifying aura, let alone speak to them.

"Hahaha..."

Seeing this, Roger burst into loud laughter, jumped down from the ship, came before the guard captain, and said in a booming voice.

"My name is Gol D. Roger, captain of the Roger Pirates. We've come to the sky island this time only to look for something. We won't disturb you..."

"Well..."

The guard captain was a little hesitant. Strictly speaking, as the captain of God's Guard, anyone visiting the sky island ought to be subject to his control and surveillance. But in front of this man, he really could not bring himself to say that, so he could only ask.

"May I ask what you're looking for!?"

"The legendary City of Gold Shandora, of course!"

Roger did not hide it at all and spoke with great boldness.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the guard captain's expression turned troubled.

Perhaps no one else knew where the place Roger mentioned was, but as the captain of God's Guard, he naturally knew that place.

After all, they were the ones who had taken the City of Gold from the former Shandians. And precisely because of that, it was the most secret and precious place in the entire sky island. If these strangers were allowed to reach that place, it would absolutely be his dereliction of duty.

But under the oppressive aura of the people before him, he did not know how to refuse either, and could only stand there hemming and hawing.

Fortunately, just then, an aged voice sounded.

"Greetings, guests who have come from afar!"

Hearing this voice, the guard captain seemed to have seen his savior. He turned around and respectfully spoke to Gan Fall, who was walking out from the crowd in ornate clothing.

"Lord God..."

The surrounding residents of Angel Island also bowed respectfully.

"God..."

That form of address from the Guard captain and the people around him caught the attention of the Roger Pirates.

"Hey, I didn't hear that wrong, did I? This old man was called God, right..."

"He looks so weak..."

"Quit making noise. It might be a unique honorific on Skypiea."

A flicker of embarrassment was visible on Gan Fall's face. After all, no one knew his own situation better than he did. Having lived so many years, Gan Fall's experience was naturally not something ordinary Sky Island residents could compare to. In front of these common civilians, they might call themselves gods, but before those terrifying people from the Blue Sea below, the title was utterly laughable.

In some ways, Roger was also an extremely simple and sincere man. Looking at Gan Fall as he walked over, he gave him plenty of face and said, "Hello, God of Skypiea. I am Gol D. Roger from the Blue Sea, and they are my companions. Our purpose in coming to Skypiea this time is to see the legendary City of Gold Shandora."

"I understand. Please come with me. I'll take you there."

After Gan Fall finished speaking, he also said to the Guard captain, "Prepare several Wavers!"

A few minutes later, more than twenty Wavers were brought over.

"Please follow me. I'll take you there..."

Seeing this, Roger also gave the order.

"Leave a few people to watch the ship. Everyone else, come with me to see the legendary City of Gold..."

"Yeah!!!"

Amid Skypiea's rising cloud currents, more than twenty Wavers sped like the wind, traveling across a sea of clouds formed by vines.

Everyone in the Roger Pirates was amazed by this novel means of transportation. Seeing this, Gan Fall acted like a tour guide, explaining the principles behind it to the members of the Roger Pirates, including the uses of various Dials, leaving them astonished again and again.

"It really is an island of miracles!!!"

Standing on the Waver at the very front, Roger felt the clouds rushing past him and could not help saying it.

Gan Fall hurriedly replied, "You flatter us. The Blue Sea beneath our feet is what's truly vast and boundless!"

Before long, the Wavers brought everyone to the edge of God's Island Apayado.

Pointing at the beautiful island, Gan Fall said, "This island was carried up to Skypiea by the Knock Up Stream four hundred years ago. The City of Gold Shandora that you are looking for is at the center of the island. For certain special reasons, God's Guard patrols everywhere here, so to avoid trouble, I'll take you there myself..."

Unexpectedly, Roger suddenly waved his hand and pointed into the distance.

"This God's Guard you mentioned shouldn't include those two children, right?"

"Children!?"

Gan Fall was stunned. What children!?

He looked in the direction of Roger's finger and saw that, at some unknown point, two very young-looking children had appeared at the edge of the island, in the middle of the forest, right in front of everyone...