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TWELVE PROMISES, OCEANS DEEP
(BUT NEVER TO KEEP)
⚓️
KEELI WOKE UP WITH HER LIMBS feeling stiff, her neck at an uncomfortable angle as her head rested on Usopp's head, which was resting on her shoulder. She slowly sat up straighter, pain shooting through her spine, her bones and muscles hurting from sleeping leaning against the hard wooden wall of the storage room. Well, except for her shoulder — her shoulder felt numb. The smell of bile had gotten better by now — or maybe she had simply gotten used to it. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes—
Usopp stirred.
Keeli stopped moving immediately; she didn't want to wake him up. But she also didn't want to keep sitting here — she needed to move.
As it turned out, luck was on her side (for once), because Usopp, still sleeping, sat up and laid down on his other side, curling into a ball on the floor. Keeli had to smile; she was glad he'd found some rest after the night he'd had. She was also grateful she got a few hours of sleep herself (it had been an exhausting few days). Trying not to make any noise, Keeli heaved herself off the floor and stretched her back, cracking her spine back into place. Then she left the room.
She had no idea how late — or early — it was, but it couldn't be too long until dawn when Zoro and Mihawk's duel would take place. A queasy feeling made her gut feel heavy. Waves of worry crashed over her, fear that Zoro wouldn't make it out alive. Maybe she should've asked Mihawk to go easy on him— No. No, she'd had her reasons. Duels were honorable; her intervening in some way would take that away, and that wouldn't be fair to either of them.
Sighing, she walked into the kitchen — and saw Zoro sitting at the table. His three swords were displayed on the table before him, his black bandana was wrapped around his head, and his arms were crossed in front of his chest, pronouncing his muscles. His eyes were closed in concentration or prayer. Though Keeli didn't think he was the religious type. Either way, he was gathering his strength.
