Warning: rated K+ for character death, violence, gore, drama and language. "Supernatural" occurrences.
Author's notes: Well, sorry I didn't apologize for the length of chapter two, agh... But, if you have any questions, you can leave them in a REVIEW, as many other people might have that same question, and I'd rather not answer a thousand private messages of the same question. xD Oh, and people DO have more than one shadow if there is more than one object of light. In this case, lanterns & lights & the sun/moon.
Disclaimer: All mentioned arcs are really in One Piece. Jango's Dance Party is a filler arc. Look it up on You-Tube if you don't know it.
One Piece & friends - Eiichiro "The Man" Oda
"Ready!" Folder Five (5) The song that made Luffy mention Jango's Dance Party.
Translation notes:
Nakama: "Nakama" (Japanese) has no direct translation into the English language, and is often related to "friends" who are more around the lines of "family" to that person. So, I am leaving the word, "nakama," in the story without a direct translation.
Mugiwara Kaizoku: "Mugiwara" (Japanese) mean, non-directly, "straw hat(s)." "Kaizoku" (Japanese) means, directly, "pirate."
Marimo: "Marimo" (Japanese) is a ball of algae, or just algae in general. Since Zoro's hair is green, Sanji calls him marimo as a tease.
Oi: "Oi" basically means "yes." When they are calling out to each other to say hello, they say "oi" as in "yes," or as in what we say today, "what."
-Ossan: a nickname or add-on with respect for someone older than you or someone over thirty.
-Kun: a nickname or add-on with respect for a male or tomboy.
-Chan: a nickname or add-on with respect for a female.

Chapter Three
"A Story To Tell In Your Absence"

His hair was long, black and hidden under a black ten-gallon hat, a black collared shirt on over a pair of dark red cargo pants. He sat on his bed, his long black hair brushing the wall. He sighed in the darkness, not thinking. He had given that up years ago. The only thing he knew now was no light, no shadows. But that shadows still came. He had tried to forget. But they were still there. They were always there. But in the darkness he had no shadows, and so he sat along in that dark room, on the bed, in solitude. He rarely left the room, and if he did, it was to move around the house or roam outside on a dark, cloudy night. He didn't know many people now, except for Miho-ossan, who came occasionally to tell him when it was night, because she knew that if she didn't tell him, he'd never go outside. A knock came at the door and he looked up quickly as Miho stepped into the room and stood in the doorway, peeking in. "Luffy-kun…" Miho said, but he did not respond. "Luffy, my son…" Miho opened the door as she stepped in, shutting it behind her. "You must go outside, Luffy," she said as she sat down next to him. "It's time to face your fears. You're strong, I know you can do it, Luffy." She put a hand on his back and gave a gentle squeeze as he looked away. He hadn't changed since he had came, afraid to go outside, afraid to see his shadows. "I know you are trying to forget them, but you have to move on. They want you to move on, maybe that's why they're here… or maybe they're here to protect you, my son…" He simply glanced up at her. He was sixteen when he came to her, and now he was twenty-one. Five years of living in fear, five years of living in the dark. "Luffy…"

"I'll do it, Miho-ossan."

Miho was shocked she had inspired him. But she hid her anxiety and shock. "Really… Luffy?"

"I promise, Miho-ossan."

"That's the spirit, Luffy. They want you to see the sun, to see it will be alright." She cheered him and bounced upward to stand. She stood in the doorway as Luffy molded his fingers together on his lap and leaned his elbows onto his knees. "I'll be here, Luffy. You know I am, if you need me."

Luffy smiled, but he said, "It's okay, Miho-ossan. I can do it." Miho had disappeared and left the door open, the sunlight flooding in with a mixture of lantern light. Luffy glanced at the wall without turning his head. He swallowed as the two familiar shadows lounged on the wall. One with short hair, the other with semi-long hair that used to cover his left eye. They both looked back at him, even though they had no eyes in their black profiles, even though they were in the same posture as him. He tried to smile.
Smile like you mean it.

He looked at the wall. Did his shadows just talk to him…? He though, he swore, he did. But maybe it was just all this time cooped in the room, maybe he had cabin fever.

He stood and stretched his arms, his shadows following him, unnerving him. He reached for the door and closed it as he stepped into the brightly lit hallway, slowly lifting his head to remove the haze from his eyes as they adjusted to the light. "I'm ready."

- - -

"And that's how I came to be who I am now," He finished, sitting up. The little crowd clapped and cheered and cat-called to him, and she smiled simply. They had stopped after he finished bowing and he chuckled to himself. A little boy walked up to him, smiling up at him. He was up too his waist and tugged on his shirt. He had a bamboo katana at his waist. He smiled brightly when he looked down at him.

"Luffy-ossan," he said. "Can you tell me more about Zoro? I like Zoro. Can you tell me a new story? I've heard them all so far."

"Tell you a new one, you say?"

"Yes, a new one! Make another one up, Luffy-ossan!"

"Yeah, yeah, Luffy-ossan!" Another little boy said, rushing up to him. He was the other boy's size, with bright blond hair and blue-blue eyes. "I'd like to hear one about Sanji-kun!"

"Oh, and about Nami?" An orange-haired girl giggled loudly as he tugged his white shirt.

"Or Chopper?" Another boy hollered. He was short with brown hair and a little red top-hat.

"Or maybe Usopp?" A boy in overalls called, his short, looping hair curling over his eyes.

"How about Robin-chan?" A dark-haired girl called, dancing up to the orange-haired girl.

"Or Luffy?" A black haired boy called, waving a straw hat as he ran up with a big smile on his face. "He's my hero!"

He let out a big, loud chuckle and the kids stared up at him, smiling brightly for a new story. "You all look just like the Mugiwara Kaizoku!" He laughed and the kids all gave little giggles.

"Do I look like Luffy?" The boy with the straw hat called out.

"Yes! You all look like your heroes!" He laughed loudly and the kids cheered among themselves.

"Well, we are the famous, world-renown Mugiwara Kaizoku!" The boy in the overalls called aloud. "And I am famous celebrity, Captain Usopp!"

"That's a lie." The rest of the kids, including Luffy himself, said flatly together.

"Well, I want to be!"

Luffy let out a laugh again and the kids all looked to him. "Tell you what guys, how about I tell you about Skypiea, the Island in the Sky?" The kids cheered.

"Oh, that's my favorite!"

"But I also like Water Seven!"

"Oh, me too! But I love Alabasta!"

"Oh, definitely!"

"Then again, I like it when the Mugiwara were all fighting against the World Government, when Zoro totally kicked Kaku's can!"

"But I like Drum Island!"

"Yeah, well I like them all!" Luffy laughed and they cheered as he sat down to begin with his story. Luffy took in a deep breath as somewhere a song began to play, a song he recognized. "Actually, how about instead of Skypiea, we do a little dance? I call it, 'Jango's Dance Party!' How about it guys?" The kids cheered and hooted and sat around him in a little circle as he began his tale. Behind him on the wall sat his shadows, the short-haired one and the long-haired one. They smiled, even from their black profiles, giving Luffy confidence in himself.

- -

"I think we did good." A blond-haired man said, the collar on his shirt waving gently in the breeze.

"Me too." Another man said, looking over his sunglasses, riding a hand through his green hair. The two men looked out across the sea, the gentle waves washing over their feet. "He'll be here one day, you know."

"I know, and that makes me happy. Do you think he'll look different?"

"Who knows? It's our captain you're talking about."

"Haha, I take that as a maybe."

"Good."

"Hey, guys!" An orange-haired girl called from a distance, waving, who stood next to a little reindeer and a tall, dark-haired woman.

"Come on you too, let's keep going!" The little reindeer called out to them.

"Okay, we will!"

The blond man started off running, but the green-haired man stood there, watching at the sun set over the far-out ocean. "Good luck in life, Luffy. We'll be waiting here in Paradise for you."

"Hey, marimo!" The blond man called out, halfway between the green headed man and the rest of the crew. "Come on!"

"I'm comin', I'm comin!" He shouted back and began off after one last glance at the sun on the rippling waves.