The inherenter of jin mori

Chapter 12: The Sea Beckons The wind howled as Yuta and Varro ran, their feet pounding against the rough earth. Behind them, distant shouts echoed, but the guards were too slow.

The edge of the cliff loomed ahead, the dark waters of the ocean crashing against the jagged rocks below.

Varro grinned. "You ready for a swim, kid?"

Yuta barely had time to respond before Varro grabbed him and leapt.

The wind rushed past Yuta's ears as they plunged downward. His stomach lurched, and for a brief second, panic gripped him.

Then—impact.

The icy grip of the ocean swallowed him whole.

The cold stole his breath. His limbs flailed instinctively, but something was wrong. His body felt like lead. His strength—his movement—everything was… sluggish.

No.

No.

Realization hit him like a hammer.

The Devil Fruit.

Of course. How could he have forgotten? He had eaten a Devil Fruit. That meant—

He couldn't swim.

The water pulled at him, dragging him deeper. His lungs burned. His vision blurred.

No! Move!

A hand snatched his collar. Varro. The older man pulled Yuta up, kicking hard against the water. "Don't die on me now, kid!"

They broke the surface, Yuta gasping desperately for air.

Varro kept them both afloat, his powerful strokes carrying them away from the cliffs. In the distance, through the mist of the waves, Yuta spotted something—a ship.

A small pirate vessel.

Hope surged in his chest. "There!" he coughed, pointing.

Varro didn't hesitate. "Let's go."

With all his strength, he swam toward salvation, dragging Yuta with him.

And as Yuta gasped for breath, his exhausted body barely clinging to consciousness, one thought echoed in his mind.

What the hell did I eat?