Hidden in the Shadows -One Piece-

I don't own One Piece

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Prologue

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Life is screwed up. That's what I say to people when they ask, 'what do you think about life?'. Why wouldn't be? Sure you learn stuff, but a lot of it is just lies.

There were many things I learned early on in my childhood and throughout my life. I learned that everyone is classified into different groups. And each group is very different, and some are higher than others on the social scale, and the higher up the scale you are, the more 'good' you are.

On the top are the Celestial Dragons and the Royals. They are the rich and privileged, and whatever they do is 'right' because of their blood and money. I have also learned that they are pig-headed and do not care for anyone but themselves. They see everyone that is lower than them as dirt that is under their over polished shoes.

The next on the list are the marines. Now they are tricky to classify, because they themselves have so many classes within in them. But there's a common knowledge of them, and that is that they protect and enforce the laws of the land and sea. They are the people that children look up too and want to grow up to be, because they too want to be strong and but all the 'bad guys' away. The Marines live in the light.

The people next on the 'good' list are more settled on the neutral zone. Some are good, and some are bad. They are called the normal people. The villagers. Even though they in a whole aren't that scary, you should never underestimate them. I've come to know a lot of people that are in no way 'normal'. It would be more sufficient to call them 'monstrous'.

Under the villagers are the people who the 'good' hate. The bandits, the thiefs, the pirates. These are the people who are called 'bad' and many live up and embrace that word. They steal, kill, lie, use every bad trick in the book and obey no rules or laws. They get a thrill out of seeing blood being spilt, of gleaming gleams, of sparkling gold, of innocent people scream and cry as they ruin their lives. They crave treasure, whatever the treasure may be. It changes from person to person. These people live in the dark.

And while the line between good and bad may seem so clear cut when people are grouped like so, that's not true. The line blurs between the two. Marines who enforce the law beating helpless children, choosing the terrifying darkness over the light. Pirates meant to pillage villages helping out the people in need, seeking escape to the light from the dark. You see? The line blurs.

There is one more group of people that I failed to mention, but for them, there is no line. They are both neither good nor bad. They are the informants. The people who sneak around in the dark, gathering information on the bad and selling it to the good. The people who walk head high in the sunlight, and then tell the bad of a rival had docked on 'their' island, effectively starting a war just because they were asked to 'watch' the rivals. But they don't care about what happens after they sell their information. It's not important. They are job seekers; that is all. Find an employer, get the job, finish the job, and find a new employer. It's a never-ending cycle.

Now, there is one thing that seems to be true for all groups. If you are one of the 'greats' or the 'powerful' you are noticed, and receive a new name. I just so happen to receive such a new name, but my 'greatness' has nothing to do with physical strength. People who know me call me the 'Shadow Informant.' The reason for being called a shadow? You know what it looks like, but you don't have any descriptive details. A shadow is everywhere. You know it's there, but you can never catch it. How to do catch something that disappears the moment you shine a light it? It's just not possible, it will slip away before you get a hold to it, but it's still always there.

But for me, being called a Shadow means more than my skills of being illusive. To me it means that I can stay hidden. Why hide in shadows? Even though it's the first place everyone looks? That's because no matter how hard someone looks they always miss something in the inky depth. It is the perfect place stay hidden in, where as in the light there is nowhere, nowhere to run when the people who are out for your head find you, or worse, when your past slowly catches up with you. The shadows are safer than the light, and so I choose to stay in them.

I am neither good nor bad.

I live in the shadows to hide from the light.

I walk in the light and show no signs of ever being in the shadows.

I seek out jobs and employers.

I evade the law when it comes after me.

I help enforce the law when it asks for my help.

I am called the 'Shadow Informant'.

And I am hidden in the shadows.