Chapter 116

Taste of Starfish (ヒトデの) is the 116th Chapter of the Chainsaw Man manga and the 19th chapter of the Academy Saga.

Summary
With one of the club members watching them, Asa explains that most of the starfish in the aquarium aren't edible, and asks Denji if he's seriously going through with this idea. Denji points out how this is the only option since she can't eat fish, to which she relents. Asa notes however that raw starfish are toxic and need to be boiled. Denji leads her back to the common room and shows her a pot he found, and since he swiped the "glass licker", they now have a source of heat to boil them.

As they sit down to eat, Asa notes that there's a lot of school hats lying around, to which Denji reveals he planned on selling them. Asa asks why he seems so obsessed with money, causing Denji to reveal that he's saving up money so he could afford college tuition for a "sort of friend, sort of little sister" that's living with him, explaining that since he never had a normal life, he wanted her to grow up having one. Asa seems to have been moved by his words, and the two start to eat the starfish. Denji is repulsed by the taste, but Asa finishes hers and says that it isn't enough to satiate her hunger. She then notices the fish that Denji was preserving with salt, asking if she can try one, much to his confusion. Asa instantly gags, causing Denji to burst out laughing, saying that even though what she says bores the hell out of him, she’s fun to be around.

Inspired, she asks him to confirm what he said, to which Denji remarks that her newfound bravado reminds him of an old friend. Looking at the hats, Asa figures out a way out of the aquarium; by getting as much money as they can find. By walking through the hall, they manage to earn a total of a million yen. Asa asks Denji to hand it over, to which he initially refuses, but he relents the moment she offers him anything he wants in exchange. Remembering what Yoru said about how her powers work and what counts as "owning" something, Asa uses the million yen to "buy" the aquarium, so she can turn it into a spear.

Characters

 * Asa Mitaka
 * Denji
 * Nayuta
 * Power