The inherenter of jin mori

Chapter 14: The Golden Shadow

Yuta Takahashi

I should be relieved.

I should be grateful that I'm not rotting in Big Mom's prison, that I'm not sinking to the bottom of the sea like a forgotten corpse.

But I can't shake this feeling.

That something is still inside me. Watching. Waiting.

I sit up slowly, my body aching all over. My clothes are still soaked, clinging to my skin, but at least I can breathe. Around me, a dozen pirates eye me warily, hands on their weapons, as if I might suddenly lash out.

Varro leans against a crate, arms crossed, looking like he's been through hell. His usual smirk is gone, replaced with something unreadable.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," he mutters.

I swallow hard, my throat raw. "Where are we?"

One of the pirates steps forward, a burly man with a jagged scar down his cheek. "That depends. Who the hell are you, and why were you floatin' in our waters?"

I don't answer immediately. My mind is still racing, trying to piece everything together.

The prison. The escape. The fruit.

What did I eat?

Why can't I remember?

Varro gives me a look, as if reading my thoughts. "He's with me," he says gruffly. "Just another unlucky bastard trying to stay alive in this world."

The pirate leader eyes us both for a long moment before scoffing. "Hmph. You're lucky we fished you out." He gestures to his crew. "Keep an eye on 'em. If they cause trouble, throw 'em overboard."

The tension lingers, but for now, we're not being tossed into the sea. That's good enough.

As the pirates disperse, Varro crouches next to me. "You okay, kid?"

I shake my head. "Something's… wrong."

Varro raises an eyebrow. "You're breathing. You're not in chains. Could be worse."

"No, I mean—" I clench my fists, trying to find the words. "Back in the water… I saw something. Felt something."

Varro frowns. "Your Devil Fruit?"

I exhale sharply. "I don't know what I ate, Varro." The admission burns in my throat. "I just grabbed it and ate it in the heat of the moment. I don't even know what powers I have."

Varro studies me, his gaze sharp. "What did you feel?"

I hesitate.

Golden clouds. A massive tree. Laughter.

I rub my temples. "Like… something was there with me. A presence. And when I was drowning, I saw—"

A blur of gold.

It wasn't a hallucination. I know what I saw.

Varro doesn't speak for a moment, then lets out a slow breath. "Kid… I've heard stories. Some Devil Fruits are just powers. But some…" He leans in slightly. "Some have a will of their own."

A cold shiver runs down my spine.

A Devil Fruit with a will?

I glance down at my hands. They look the same. But something deep inside feels different.

"Whatever you ate," Varro mutters, "you need to figure it out. Fast."

He's right. If I don't understand what's inside me—what I've become—I might not survive what comes next.

And judging by the way the pirate crew is eyeing us, I have a feeling we won't be safe for long.