Chapter 30

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Yes, come in." I hear after knocking on the door, the same door I knocked on all those months ago before I was suddenly told to leave the orphanage. I had just walked all the way to the orphanage, and I just simply walked in through the front doors, no one really paying me any attention, and I walked straight up to Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee's office. However, it is really Mummy Mee's office since she takes care of most of the organisation and managerial tasks while Daddy Dee spends most of his time taking care of the children.

I gently opened the door and walked inside slowly, careful not to make any exaggerated movements which would make my body burn even more from stress. Looking inside, I can see Mummy Mee sitting behind her desk, writing on some papers, presumably doing some paperwork. She is so focused on her work that she doesn't even look up or talk to whoever just entered the room, instead waiting for me to start the chatting.

"Mummy Mee, I am back," I say, walking further into the room, leaving the door open behind me since I plan to do this quickly and get my money quickly before walking back out to go get some food since my stomach is rumbling. At my words, her head shoots up, and her eyes lock on to me, and then as fast as the wind, she bolts up and zips around her desk, kicking up the papers on her desk, to close in on me and pull me into a tight hug that hurts a lot.

Seemingly realising her own actions, which do not suit her normal behaviour, usually behaving as the tough persona while Daddy Dee was the affectionate one, she pulled back out of the hug. She straightens out her outfit before pinning me with an intense glare, making me awkwardly shift under her restricting stare.

"You silly boy, where have you been? You said you were only going to be gone a couple of weeks, but it has been months. I was sick to death, fearing the worst." Her harsh words ring out, a starch difference from her last act. The affectionate woman that just held me a moment ago was nowhere to be seen, but I could sense a hint of her care in her words. She tries to act like a strict woman for the sake of all the children, but she is genuinely kind and cares for each of them, including me.

"Sorry, Mummy, but there was nothing I could do about it. The ship I was on had some problems collecting the merchandise to sell from their suppliers, so I had to spend quite a lot of time on a few islands. I would have told you if I could, but I have no idea how to." So I say, easily ignoring having to call her mummy. It was weird at first since we were all orphans here, and the two people looking after us both had their first names as mummy and daddy, but I got used to it. It was their name; after all, I am not actually calling her my mother.

"Fine then, I suppose there is nothing you could do about it. But next time, prepare properly instead of just shooting off one morning. Well, I am glad to see you, Detoro-Kun, but I am quite busy right now. The marine captain from the nearby base is coming to check up on behalf of the World Government, which is the sponsor of this orphanage. So is there something that you need? Otherwise, I have a lot of paperwork to do, and you will have to leave before the marine captain arrives." So she says, and she must be really harried if she is trying to get rid of me. She would not usually o this, so this upcoming meeting must be important.

"Ah, well, you know how my job was unpaid work so that I could get work experience on a ship. Well, I have just returned yesterday, and I have no money. So I just came by to pick up the monthly stipends that you have been saving up for me while I was gone." So I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my head since it seems like I was just coming up here to get my money and nothing else, which I was. Quite a lot should have stacked up by now, considering the time I was gone, at least ฿20,000.

"Of course, Detoro-Kun. Here you are, ฿30,000. You were gone for nine weeks, and the new month just started." She says, walking back around to her desk and opening her desk drawer before bringing out a big fat stack of cash. My ฿30,000, which she goes to hand over, and I quickly reach out to take it, my hands grasping the money and-

"My my, that is a large amount of money to be giving to a child, Mummy Mee. How much did you say it was, thirty thousand? That is quite a lot, chi chi chi." Then, I hear a high-pitched annoying voice call out behind me, and I turn around to see just who has such an annoying laugh. My hand pulls the cash from Mummy Mee's frozen hand as I turn around, and I am confused by the person I see.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask, my polite tone completely disappearing since I am no longer talking to Mummy Mee, someone I actually like. Instead, I am now talking to a slim, dark-haired man with a solid mouse-like appearance. His eyes are narrowed, which I think is just how his eyes are, while his facial hair consists of a thin goatee and six long, wire-like whiskers on his upper lip, like a mouse. Just looking at him, I am rubbed the wrong way. I don't get a good feeling from this man.

Surprisingly the man appears o be a marine though his Marine uniform is heavily customised and different from all the others I have seen. Even Garp's wasn't this customised, and I am sure Garp is way higher than whatever rank this mouse guy is. He has clearly gone for a theme here and has gone way overboard on it. He wears the standard cap converted into a mouse-eared cowl, connected to a buttoned-up greatcoat that reaches to his feet, accessorised with a belt and blue epaulettes, and his coat carries a blueish-grey colour.

"Have some respect, brat. You are talking to Captain Nezumi, the captain of the 16th branch of the East Blue. Now explain what is going on here. I was just coming here for our meeting Mummy Mee, but I cannot overlook you handing over such a large amount of money to a child." The calm persona he had disappears for one second at my words, and he barks back before becoming quiet again and questioning Mummy Mee. I really don't like this guy. All the Marines I have met so far have been just great. Even when I shouted, swore and made fun of them, they didn't get bothered by it, but this guy got angry over a few words.

"Ah, Captain Nezumi, you are early. Well, Detoro-Kun here was away for a few weeks working for free on a ship, and I have been saving up his monthly stipend for him while he was gone. So I am just giving it to him now." Mummy Mee quickly says, and I am shocked to see that the strong woman I usually see has suddenly become a bit subdued.

"A stipend? Chi chi chi. Why would a child living under your care need a stipend? It would be best if you were using the money to provide all he needs. Chi chi chi." Captain Nezumi asks, and I defer to letting Mummy Mee handle this. I don't think he is the type of person to listen to a kid, even if my reasoning is sound.

"Ah, well, Detoro-Kun no longer lives at the orphanage. And he needs the-"

"If the boy does not live at the orphanage anymore, then he no longer gets the money given by the World Government, chi chi chi. So from now on, all the money sent for this boy, you will no longer give to him. Instead, I will come to collect it and give it to the people that it should actually be going to, chi chi chi. Including this!" Captain Nezumi suddenly lunges forward and rips the cash in my hand from my grasp, too quick for me to react. I clearly see him coming, his speed slows in comparison to the things Garp used to throw at me, but my body is so beat up and tired that I can do nothing to evade him.

"HEY! THAT IS MINE, YOU STUPID MOUS- UAGGGH!!" I immediately lunged for my cash, staving off the pain, but again I was too tired to react as Captain Nezumi slammed his foot into my stomach, forcing me to my hands and knees. Again, the attack wasn't anything I hadn't experienced way harder before, but my whole body was a big bruise, and the pain was too much.

"You have been taking advantage of The World Government, Mummy Mee, taking money that could be used elsewhere for someone The World Government is not responsible for, chi chi chi. If I were ever to see anything like this again, then I would have this orphanage shut down. Now, have a good day, chi chi chi." Saying so, the asshole turns around and walks out of the room with my cash in his hand. I look up to Mummy Mee, who simply looks resigned, and I am suddenly struck with the realisation that Garp and his crew are not the standards of the Marines. They are outliers.

I want to get up and go after that piece of shit, but with that last threat he made, I can't. If I do, he will shut down the orphanage, and Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee love this orphanage. I never before thought a marine could be so insidious, incompetent, yes, but not so evil.

I- I don't think I will ever be a marine if these are the types of people I would be forced to work with.

Fuck being a marine.