Tangerine!

I awoke to the sight of a wooden ceiling and a rolling tummy.

A ship. I was on a ship!

Looking around it became abundantly clear it was a marine one.

How did I know?

Well, for one, the cross and circle logo on the drawer knobs, for another, the angry man in a coat that was worn in a horribly inefficient manner.

Only the marines are stupid enough to do that.

"Good. You're awake. What do you remember boy? Do you remember what happened in the darkness? What did you see? Did you meet someone? Did you make any deals?" He asked spitting questions like a machine gun.

"Uh....what?" I stuttered, confused.

I looked at the nurse by the door and raised an eyebrow.

"Is he an idiot? What am I supposed to see in that otherworldly darkness?

I couldn't even move, much less meet someone! Also, what kind of question is that to ask of an 11 year old?!

Have you no compassion old man?!"

"Why you.... you cocky brat! I oughta teach you a le- kyakh!" He cried out as the nurse delivered him nutcracker.

The nurse sighed.

"I'm sorry! The captain gets a bit coned about things relating to the darkness. After the thrashing that guy gave him...well, that's not important.

Tell me, how do you feel? Do you feel any pain? Headaches? Tummyaches?" She asked.

"No, I ...I'm fine. Surprisingly fine..almost as if I hadn't spent an eternity in the darkness clinging onto a rock for dear life?" I muttered.

"That's a very common experience for the survivors of the blight. Nausea, madness, mild psychosis, death, the typical stuff."

"Hold on a bit! Didn't that escalate a bit too quickly!?" I cried.

"Hihihihihi! Aren't you energetic! Looks like there really is nothing wrong with you." The nurse said, chuckling.

"No no. There's clearly something wrong with him! What 11 year old behaves that calmly while talking to a marine captain? Much less after surviving that nightmare, without a scratch might I add!" The captain tsukkomi'd.

"Are you the doctor here, captain? Leave dealing with the patients to me." The burse said with a vaguely threatening tone, digging her heels into the floorboards.

The captain instinctively covered his groin in fear.

"That's better." The nurse said.

"Fine. But kid! You're not off my shit list yet! You'll be joining the marines when you recover! And that's non negotiable!" The captain shouted before dashing out, poking a tongue out at the nurse, before she could deliver another nutcracker to him.

The nurse sighed in defeat.

"He's so childish!" She muttered, turning to me.

"Don't mind him. He means well. Now, here. Have a tangerine, and rest. You need to recover for now. I'll have a talk with the captain later." She said, clicking her heels.

Ugh! I almost felt sorry for the captain and his likely non existant children!

But that's none of my problem!

I happily peeled the tangerine, humming take on me, happily.

"What's that song? I've never heard it before." The nurse asked.

"It's a folk song from my town~" I answered in tune with with the theme, singing along.

"I see. Now, just a couple of routine questions before I leave you be." She asked.

"Only if you answer some of mine!" I replied, flirtatiously.

"Sure. Ask away!" She said, putting down her note board.

"What's this darkness thing?" I asked.

"The days of darkness? They're just something that's been happening every so often for the past hundred years. This last one was the third of them.

All of them last about 3 days and more andmore of the world is chipped away everytime.

Thankfully, the scientists over at the marine research institute say this was the final one. So silver linings, I guess?" She answered.

I nodded.

"Then it's my turn now. Do you have any family that can take care of you?" She asked.

I thought for a moment going through the boy's memory or was it mine now?

Nope. No. Ille!

Can't be having an identity crisis here.

It's me! Always has been!

Yep! That's a good enough patch for that!

With that I answered her question.

"No. All of them lived in Sandberg, before it, you know.." I made a poofing gesture with the tangerine in hand, dropping a slice onto the floor.

My face went aghast!

"My tangerine!" I cried, beating my fist on the mattress in grief.

The nurse began to giggle cutely, something I only noticed now.

Taking a good look at her now, she was smoking hot!

But then again, this being the world of One Piece, most all nurses were bound to be hot!

And most women for that matter.

I let out a perverted smile, clenching my fist, and crying tears of joy.

What a beautiful world!

"You certainly are something special. Maybe the captain was right after all." She said.

"Nononono!" I said, waving my hand, "The captain is definitely cuckoo for cocopuffs. Who would look at a kid and think 'that's prime child soldier material'?!"

"See! You just proved him right. And besides, service in the marines isn't that bad. We have a program for orphans and we take care of our own! You'll be well looked after!" She said pumping her fist.

I still looked at her deadpan, unconvinced.

"I'll get the captain to recommemd you on a fast track officership program. It's decent pay and after ten years of service you can just leave. It's a win-win for you." The nurse said, adding honey to the pot.

I considered the offer.

Not only would I get food and shelter, I'll also get a years long training in official badassery. And maybe, I'll even get my hands on some Rokushiki techniques!

And, well, it's not like I was cut out to be a street urchin. Even in my past life I was a middle class programmer working a dead end job all my life. Or at least, all 30 years of it.

"All right. But I can leave if it gets too hard right?" I asked.

"Of course!" She said, smiling in a manner I should've known was deceptive, as I'd soon find out, on my first day in bootcamp.

But that was a ways from now. And today I could relax and eat what's left of my tangerine.

That's when I noticed.

The tangerine I'd left on my bed had rolled off, getting squashed onto the floor.

"My tangerine!"