I do not own One Piece.
Prompt: Sponge
Length: 747
Soap in Your Eye
Her white tank top sticking to her torso with sweat, Tashigi wiped her brow with the back of her hand. Her glasses were balanced on top of her head, relocated after she grew frustrated of continuously pushing them up the ridge of her nose when they refused to stay in place because of her damp skin.
"I thought my chore days were over," she lamented, bending down briefly to dunk her yellow sponge into the metal bucket of warm water.
It wasn't unusual for Petty Officers to take up odd jobs around the base, but those tasks were reserved for the Chore Boys. But with the violent storm they had the previous night, it was an all-hands on deck for the lower ranked Marines to clean up the area. Thick tree branches were being dragged off the paths, split trees were being chopped down and removed, and debris was being swept up and trashed. Marines were swarming around the base in a coordinated fashion, armed with supplies to do their work.
Last night's pounding rain and howling wind resulted in patches of mud covering the wall-to-ceiling windows of the base. Tashigi received the assignment of washing the windows on the south side, which she supposed was not the worst job she could've been handed.
The scent of the lavender dish soap clung to her skin as she moved the sponge across the glass, streaks of bubbles and water making trails. She moved her arm in a back-and-forth rhythm, pursing her lips in concentration as she scrubbed away at hunks of mud.
After a few minutes of work, the sound of heavy footsteps coming in her direction caused her to pause. Tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, she squinted at the blurry figure who approached her. Unable to make out the person, she asked hesitantly, "Yes?"
"Put your glasses on, Tashigi."
The girl hastily reached up and slipped on her red-framed glasses. "Smoker-san."
"How long have you been doing this job?"
Tashigi blinked, confused. "I've been with you for a few years now."
"I meant the windows."
"Oh." Glancing down at her watch, and still not entirely sure what her boss was getting at, Tashigi replied, "About two hours, sir."
"How long have you been washing the windows without your glasses?"
Confusion increasing, Tashigi stared at the glass panes she was working on. Realization replaced her puzzlement as she discovered uneven streaks of filth and flecks of mud that hadn't been properly scrubbed away. Her impaired vision had caused her to miss the flaws as she cleaned. Craning her neck, she took a quick look at the other windows she thought she had finished, heart sinking when she noticed they too were not up to standards.
"One hour and fifty minutes," she muttered.
"There's no room for wasted time in the Marines," scolded Smoker. "Start over. I want every inch of glass to sparkle. Keep your glasses on."
Tashigi groaned quietly at the idea of having to do everything all over again. "I don't suppose you would be gracious enough to assist me?"
"I didn't rise to the ranks of Captain to continue to do menial and mindless chores like this," returned Smoker. He thought for a moment, regarding his charge, and added, "Though apparently it's not mindless enough for you to be able to do it."
Cheeks flushing, Tashigi acted before she thought, a trait Smoker was trying to eliminate from her personality. The soapy, soaking, mud-encrusted sponge flew from her hand and landed directly in Smoker's face, slowly sliding down his cheek before plopping into the grass.
For a second there was silence. Tashigi pressed her pruned hands against her mouth, torn between laughing out loud and whimpering in terror. Smoker stood still, staring at her weapon of choice, eye twitching.
"I ought to reassign you to collecting the deceased sea life that washed up on shore during the storm, you insolent whelp," he growled.
"I'm sorry," she managed to squeak, trying desperately not to laugh as his priceless expression replayed through her mind.
"Like hell you are," Smoker returned. "You've got one hour to finish. After that, you better rest well, because you have a personal training session with me tomorrow at o-five hundred."
"Hai!"
Smoker stalked off, grumbling under his breath. Tashigi caught sight of him trying to scrub something from his eye, brow creased with irritation, and she dissolved into helpless laughter when he was out of her vicinity.