The inherenter of jin mori

Chapter 11: The Weight of a Name Yuta's breath came in quick, uneven bursts as he locked eyes with Charlotte Smoothie. The battlefield around them felt frozen, every guard hesitating, waiting for her next move.

She took a single step forward, the ground seeming to press beneath her weight despite her effortless grace. Her towering frame cast a long shadow over Yuta, and he could feel the power radiating off her.

"You move well for a nobody," she said, her voice calm but probing. "And that little trick just now…" Her eyes flicked to the officer still reeling from Yuta's strike. "That wasn't normal, was it?"

Yuta swallowed, his heart pounding. Did she know?

Does she know what I ate?

Because he didn't. He had consumed the Devil Fruit in desperation, its taste still haunting him, but he had no idea what it was. The speed, the instincts, the strange force rippling through his strikes—it was all unfamiliar, yet somehow natural.

Smoothie tilted her head. "What's your name, prisoner?"

Yuta hesitated. He didn't want to give her anything, but at the same time… did he even have a choice?

He clenched his fists and lifted his chin. "Yuta," he said firmly. "Yuta Takahashi."

Smoothie hummed, as if tasting the name in her mouth. Then she smiled—a small, unreadable smirk.

"Interesting."

Yuta braced himself, expecting her to attack. To capture him. To do something.

But instead, she… turned away.

"You lot," she said to the guards, waving a lazy hand, "clean this up."

The guards gawked. Even the injured officer turned in shock.

"M-Minister Smoothie! They're prisoners! They—"

Smoothie's gaze snapped back, sharp as a blade. "Did I ask for your opinion?"

The guard swallowed hard and backed down instantly.

Smoothie didn't even look at Yuta again. She simply started walking away, her long strides carrying her into the shadows of the prison courtyard.

Yuta stared after her, confused.

Why?

Why let him go?

Varro, still crouched a few feet away, hissed, "Kid, are you insane?! We need to run!"

Yuta shook himself out of his daze. Right. They weren't free yet.

The remaining guards still hesitated, clearly unsure whether they should listen to Smoothie or chase after them. That hesitation was all Yuta and Varro needed.

Without another word, they bolted.