The Roger Pirates' Two Youngsters

The New World sea route.

The Oro Jackson.

The sun shone brightly and the sea breeze blew gently, but the deck was far livelier than that of a pirate ship sailing through the New World had any right to be.

Two small figures stood surrounded by crew members, their shouts rising over one another.

One of them—

His vivid red hair stood out beneath the sun. A broad, pale-yellow straw hat sat low on his head, revealing a pair of lively eyes.

The sea breeze billowed his loose white shirt, and he moved with the agility and confidence of a boy his age.

—was eleven-year-old Shanks.

Across from him stood a boy in a red-and-pink striped knit cap that covered almost all his hair;

he wore a yellow-and-red striped short-sleeved shirt, with purple cloth wrapped around his waist;

most striking of all was his round, red nose.

His eyes were wide, his mouth drawn tight around two little fangs, and defiance was written all over his face.

—eleven-year-old Buggy.

The two had each other by the collar and kicked wildly, neither willing to back down.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!"

Buggy's face flushed with anger. "Of course the North Pole is colder!"

"Huh?!"

Shanks shot back, indignant. "You've never even been to the South Pole, have you?!"

"The South Pole is obviously colder!"

"You redhead! You don't know anything!"

"You're the one who doesn't know anything!"

The next second—

they rolled into a tangled heap.

The deck erupted with cheers.

"Come on! Place your bets!"

"I'm betting on Shanks!"

"Buggy's fired up this time! A hundred thousand Berry on Buggy!"

For the Roger Pirates, this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Some threw back drinks while laughing so hard they doubled over. Others used barrels as