Moderating Manners // One Piece Various x Female Oc

Wounded Worry

Picture: ???

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Keys:-

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Emphasis/Emphasis

Flashback -- if it is more than two words.

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Wounded Worry

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"HIRIKO!"

Hiriko wasn't quite sure who had shouted out her name. The water flooding into her ears muddled her hearing. Despite that, she could clearly sense the panic and terror on their voice, it was almost tangible. Even underwater, with her head pounding from the pressure, she could almost feel the vibrations of fists meeting metal. Undoubtedly, the crew was beating against the bars of the cage. It was futile. Hiriko didn't doubt that the crew was aware of that fact, yet they still did it. It warmed her heart and drove her forward. The thing driving them to uselessly beat against the bars of their cage was the same thing driving her to swim with all her might towards the key.

Her heart beat erratically against her chest, with a ferocity she didn't possess. For a minute, Hiriko worried that it would break out of her ribcage. Her head throbbed painfully, the lack of oxygen and high pressure too much for her fragile human body. Her throat also constricted painfully and her eyes stung from the salty water. Yet, her pace never faltered.

The key was in sight. It was floating centimeters above a wooden table.

She'll make sure they're out of that cage soon, even if it meant receiving a beating and a scolding as soon they stepped out of it -- most likely from Nami. In fact, Hiriko found herself looking forward to it.

The chamber she was in was vast, but in her tired state that was all Hiriko could bring herself to observe. The brunette had completely shattered her boundaries. Every single muscle and joint in her body was beyond sore. Her body had braved through a lot today. She swam across the large river twice, ran around town widely, carried and got rid of piles of military gear and ulterery, lead a bunch of horses and camels through the desert and to an oasis faraway, and she had even fought a warlord and received a beating from said warlord.

Hiriko attempted to distract herself from the pain by looking around the room as she kicked, but found her vision too bleary to make out much. She nearly froze in fear as she heard a terrifying growl. Without a doubt it was one of the crocodiles lurking in the waters she was swimming in but she dared no look. Instead, she pushed forward. She convinced herself that halting even a second before the key was safely in her grasp would be unacceptable.

When Hiriko was close enough to the table (above which floated the key) she twisted her body, pushing herself onto the table and letting her feet hit the marble of the table softly on landing. She quickly snatched the key before it could be repelled by the sudden disturbance of the water. With the key in her hand, Hiriko allowed a smile to grace her lips despite the immense exhaustion weighing down on her.

Her ears twitched slightly as she picked up on an increase of volume from the outside world. The straw hats were still shouting -- now louder, in fact. She couldn't even begin to make out what the group was saying, but she could sense the panic in their muffled voices. They must still be worried, she thought.