The inherenter of jin mori

Chapter 8: The Awakening BeginsYuta's breath came in sharp bursts as he stood over the unconscious guards, his hands trembling. Not from fear—but from the raw energy coursing through his body.

He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle shift in his muscles, the strange lightness in his step. It wasn't overwhelming power—not yet—but it was something new. Something different.

He didn't have time to marvel. More guards would come soon.

Grabbing the fallen guard's keyring, Yuta bolted for the exit. His movements felt faster, smoother—like his body was moving before he told it to. As he reached the hallway, he spotted Varro up ahead, already slipping through a passage toward the outer courtyard.

"Did you get it?" Varro hissed.

Yuta nodded, still feeling the lingering burn of the Devil Fruit in his stomach. "Yeah… but something's off."

Varro shot him a look. "What do you mean?"

Yuta opened his mouth to answer—then stopped.

Something deep within him stirred.

A presence.

A flicker of something ancient and powerful—distant, yet impossibly close. He felt as if another mind had brushed against his, just for an instant. A whisper in his soul.

He shuddered. What the hell was that?

"Oi! Kid, stay with me!" Varro grabbed his arm, shaking him. "We need to move!"

Yuta forced himself to snap back to reality. The sensation—whatever it was—was gone, leaving only a dull ache in his chest.

Not now. He couldn't deal with this now.

He pushed forward, forcing his body into motion, and together they sprinted into the open night air.

The prison courtyard was eerily silent. Too silent.

Yuta barely had time to process what was happening before a massive figure stepped into their path.

A tall woman, her long, flowing hair framing an elegant yet deadly face. A massive sword rested against her shoulder, glistening under the moonlight.

Charlotte Smoothie.

Yuta felt his stomach drop.

One of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders. A monster among monsters.

Smoothie's sharp eyes locked onto him, then flicked to the stolen Devil Fruit crate still clutched in his hands.

She sighed. "You idiots never learn, do you?"

Yuta tensed, his body screaming at him to run. But Smoothie barely moved. She simply swiped a hand through the air—too fast for him to react.

A sudden pressure crashed down on him, like an invisible weight pressing against his chest.

His vision blurred. His knees hit the ground.

He couldn't breathe.

Conqueror's Haki.

His whole body trembled under the sheer force of it. He gritted his teeth, fighting to stay conscious.

But then—something in him pushed back.

A flicker of resistance.

A surge of heat spread through his veins, burning away the pressure. His muscles tensed, his mind sharpened.

And then, without thinking—he moved.

One second, he was on the ground. The next, he was behind Smoothie, his body twisting with unnatural agility.

It wasn't speed. It wasn't strength. It was… something else.

A glimpse of the power that lay dormant within him.

Smoothie's head turned slightly. For the first time, she looked interested.

"Well now," she murmured. "That's new."

Yuta didn't wait for her to attack again. He bolted, grabbing Varro and sprinting toward the outer walls.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

But for the first time, he felt it—just a sliver of it.

The power of whatever Devil Fruit he had just consumed.

And he had no idea what it was.