Dracule Marya Zaleska: Oni Phantom - Devil Fruit Origins

The Heart Pirates' camp nestled within the colossal bamboo grove felt like a hidden village woven into Zou's living tapestry. Bamboo platforms, polished smooth by weather and feet, were connected by swaying suspension bridges that creaked rhythmically with Zunesha's deep, seismic breaths. Lanterns fashioned from giant gourds cast warm, dappled light, illuminating hammocks slung between thick stalks and a central fire pit ringed with smooth stones. The air hummed with the island's unique frequency, mingling with the scent of roasting tubers and the faint musky tang of Bepo's fur.

Marya followed Penguin and Shachi across a final bridge, Jelly blooping excitedly beside her, his form reflecting the flickering firelight below. Her gaze swept the cozy, organized chaos – Hakuga meticulously cleaning tools, Clione sorting supplies, Uni sketching in a logbook. Her brow furrowed slightly as she scanned the faces illuminated by the bonfire. "Where's Law?" she asked, her voice cutting through the cheerful chatter settling around the fire.

Shachi plopped down on a woven mat, grabbing a skewer of roasting vegetables. "Captain? Oh, he's off doing Warlord stuff," he said around a mouthful, waving a dismissive hand. "You know how it is. Secret meetings, shady dealings, probably intimidating some poor schmuck for information."

Penguin nodded, handing Marya a steaming mug of herbal tea. "Yeah. Told us to stay put here. Said whatever he's got cooking is too hot right now, too conspicuous if the whole crew was hanging around." He shrugged. "Figured Zou was as good a place as any to lay low and wait."

Marya accepted the mug, her expression unreadable in the firelight, but a single, suspicious eyebrow arched high. "I see," she murmured, the words laced with unspoken questions. She took a sip, the warmth spreading through her. "And the Tang? Where's she berthed?"

Jean Bart, leaning against a massive bamboo stalk sharpening a harpoon point, grunted without looking up. "Tethered. To a leg." He gestured vaguely upwards, towards the unseen immensity of Zunesha far above the canopy. "Stable enough. Good camouflage."

Ikkaku, unable to contain herself any longer, slammed her mug down, eyes blazing with curiosity. "Alright, enough stalling! Spill it, Marya! Where the hell have you been? What crazy adventure landed you inside Zunisha's shower? And what," she pointed dramatically at Jelly, who was currently trying to balance a small pebble on his head, "is that?!"

Uni nodded vigorously beside her. "Yeah! Start talking! Last we saw you, you were heading off to 'finish something'. Looks like you finished it with a bang!" He gestured towards the distant, unseen submarine lodged in the tree.

High Above, Hidden in the Bamboo Canopy:

Atlas lay stretched out on a broad bamboo leaf, one leg dangling, his rust-red fur blending with the deepening twilight shadows. Beside him, Carrot perched like an excited bird, her fluffy white tail twitching as she peered down through a gap in the foliage. "Ooh, they're grilling her!" Carrot whispered, her ears swiveling to catch every word. "See? Told you pirates were interesting!"

Atlas smirked, a low rumble in his chest. "Grilling? She looks about as ruffled as a stone. Though that slime thing… interesting." His sapphire eyes, faintly luminescent in the gloom, tracked Marya's every subtle movement.

A shadow detached itself from a higher branch, landing silently beside them. Pedro, his imposing figure radiating calm authority, knelt, his gaze sharp. "What are you two doing up here? Lurking like thunder-foxes."

Carrot spun, beaming. "Pedro! We're on a secret spy mission! Wanda said we could! Atlas thinks the pirates are suspicious!"

Atlas shot her a glare. "I said cautious observation, furball. Not everyone who falls out of the sky deserves instant trust." He turned to Pedro. "Just keeping an eye on the newcomers. That one," he nodded towards Marya below, "crashed a metal whale into one of the sacred trees. Claims she's Heart Pirate crew."

Pedro's gaze followed Atlas's indication, settling on Marya. His eyes, used to scanning horizons and threats, narrowed. They swept over her familiar posture, the Heart insignia on her jacket… and then froze on the dark, elegantly curved hilt of the sword visible over her shoulder – Eternal Eclipse. His breath hitched audibly. A flicker of profound shock, then intense recognition, crossed his weathered features. "No…" he breathed, the word barely a whisper lost in the rustling bamboo. "That's… not possible."

Atlas and Carrot both snapped their heads towards him, confusion written plainly on their faces. Atlas's competitive smirk vanished, replaced by sharp curiosity. "What is it, Pedro? What do you see?"

But Pedro wasn't listening. His gaze remained locked on the sword, a torrent of memories and implications flooding his mind. Without a word of explanation, he pushed off from the branch. Instead of landing silently like a cat, he dropped with deliberate weight, a controlled plummet that landed him squarely in the center of the Heart Pirates' camp, right beside the crackling bonfire.

The cheerful interrogation stopped dead. Mugs froze halfway to lips. Ikkaku's demanding finger remained pointed but slackened. All eyes turned to the imposing Mink leader who had just materialized in their midst, his presence instantly commanding the clearing. The warm, jovial atmosphere vanished, replaced by a sudden, charged tension. Pedro's intense gaze was fixed solely on Marya, ignoring the startled pirates around her.

Marya met his stare, her own calm expression giving nothing away, though her grip tightened slightly on her mug. The bonfire crackled, the only sound besides Zunesha's eternal, grounding hum. Atlas and Carrot watched from above, wide-eyed, sensing the gravity of the moment their mentor's unexpected descent had created. The secret spy mission had just taken a sharp, unexpected turn. Pedro's whispered denial hung heavy in the air: That's not possible. The question now was, what did he know about Marya – or her sword – that made her presence here on Zou seem like an impossibility?

The crackling bonfire seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. Pedro, his gaze unwavering, took a slow, deliberate step towards Marya. The firelight cast long, dancing shadows across his weathered face, highlighting the intensity in his eyes. His posture wasn't overtly aggressive, but it radiated a focused, predatory energy that made the air crackle almost as much as the flames.

Bepo, sensing the shift, shuffled nervously, his large paws wringing together. "P-Pedro? What's wrong?" he stammered, his voice soft with concern. "Sh-she's one of us! Crew!"

Marya didn't flinch, but her knuckles whitened around the ceramic mug. Her calm eyes tracked Pedro's movement, her body coiled with the readiness of a spring. Jelly, sensing her tension, pulsed a low, anxious blue beside her leg.

Pedro stopped a few paces away, his imposing presence dominating the firelit circle. He ignored Bepo, his gaze locked on Marya. "Your name," he stated, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in the chest.

"Marya," she replied, her voice cool, measured.

"Your full name," Pedro pressed, his tone leaving no room for evasion.

Marya sighed, a soft exhalation that held a world of weary resignation. She knew this dance. "Dracule Marya Zaleska."

A ripple went through the Heart Pirates. Shachi, ever impulsive, blurted out, "Yeah! She's Mihawk's daughter!" He said it with a hint of pride, as if announcing a crew member had won a pie-eating contest.

In the canopy above, Atlas's ears pricked straight up. His lounging posture vanished, replaced by sharp alertness. "Mihawk?" he murmured, the name tasting like steel.

Carrot tilted her head, confused. "Ooo! Who's that? Is he famous?"

Atlas didn't take his eyes off the scene below, a competitive smirk playing on his lips despite the tension. "Only one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, furball. The 'Greatest Swordsman in the World'." He paused, his voice dropping lower. "And that… is his daughter." The implications seemed to settle on him, his gaze sharpening on Marya with renewed, calculating interest.

Pedro, however, barely reacted to Shachi's outburst. A slow, knowing smirk spread across his face. "You are their daughter," he stated, the emphasis heavy on the word "their."

Marya's eyes snapped to his, her calm facade cracking for a fraction of a second. "Their?" The word hung in the air, charged with unexpected weight. Her mother was rarely spoken of, a ghost in her past. This Mink knew something.

Pedro nodded, his gaze softening slightly, almost nostalgically, as he studied her features. "You look like them. The shape of your eyes… the set of your jaw… especially her."

Marya's grip on the mug eased slightly, replaced by a fierce, guarded curiosity. "You knew them?" she asked, her voice tight.

"I knew your mother," Pedro confirmed, his voice gaining a gravelly warmth. "A force of nature, that one. And I know of Mihawk." He chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. "Hard not to, when the man cuts mountains in half for practice. But yes, she spoke of him… fondly, despite everything." He waved a large hand dismissively. "That reputation of his precedes him."

"Yeah," Marya muttered, a flicker of something complex – acknowledgement, resignation, perhaps a sliver of dark amusement – crossing her face. "That sounds about right."

The tension in the camp eased. The Heart Pirates exchanged relieved glances. Jean Bart uncrossed his arms. Ikkaku leaned forward, fascinated.

Then Pedro dropped the bombshell. "She came to Zou once, your mother," he said, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. "Long ago. Seeking knowledge… about the Void Century. About weapons that could challenge the heavens themselves." His gaze drifted pointedly towards the dark hilt of Eternal Eclipse peeking over Marya's shoulder. "She was particularly interested in blades with… unique appetites."

Marya went very still. The crackle of the fire, Zunesha's deep hum, the distant calls of nocturnal creatures – it all seemed to fade. Her mother had been here? Seeking knowledge about the Void Century? About swords like hers? The pieces of her mother's fragmented past, a past shrouded in mystery even to her daughter, suddenly had a tangible location: Zou. The island beneath her feet wasn't just a refuge for the Heart Pirates or a giant elephant; it was a place connected to the woman whose absence had shaped her life, and possibly to the origins of the cursed sword bound to her soul.

In the canopy, Atlas whistled softly. "Void Century knowledge? Weapons that challenge heavens?" This was far more than just a Warlord's daughter crashing a sub. This was history walking into their grove.

Carrot, sensing the shift, whispered, "Is that bad?"

Below, Marya finally found her voice, low and intense. "Tell me." It wasn't a request; it was a demand, forged in the sudden, burning need to understand. The bonfire's light reflected in her eyes, not with its earlier warmth, but with the cold, sharp glint of a blade finally finding its true edge. The spy mission was forgotten. Pedro held the key to a door Marya hadn't even known existed.

The bonfire crackled like a nervous heartbeat, its warmth suddenly brittle against the weight of Pedro's revelation. Marya's demand hung in the humid air, sharp as the obsidian edge of Eternal Eclipse resting against her back. Her golden eyes, ringed like her father's but now reflecting the fire's cold, hungry light, never left Pedro's weathered face.

Pedro's gaze softened, a flicker of ancient sorrow passing through his single amber eye. "Your mother," he began, his voice a low rumble harmonizing with Zunesha's deep, grounding hum, "came seeking the source. The Primordial Current – the invisible river of power that flows beneath the seas, older than Poneglyphs, older than the Void Century itself. Legends whispered it touched Zou, carried by Zunesha's ancient steps."

He chuckled, a dry, rasping sound like bamboo stalks scraping together. "Found more than she bargained for, Elisabeta did. Knowledge has teeth, girl. Sharp ones. And she wasn't afraid to rattle the cage holding them." He leaned back slightly, the firelight catching the silver streaks in his mane. "Broke a few sacred rules prying those teeth open, I might add."

A ghost of a smirk touched Marya's lips. It wasn't warmth, but recognition – the echo of her own reckless pursuit. "I assume you were her accomplice in this… rule-breaking?" The question was laced with dry amusement.

Pedro's chuckle deepened into genuine laughter, a surprising sound that momentarily dispelled the tension. "Yeah," he admitted, a hint of nostalgia warming his tone. "You could say that. Zou guards its secrets fiercely, but Elisabeta… she had a way. A quiet ferocity, a mind like a honed blade cutting through obscurity. Reminds me of someone." His eyes lingered on Marya's sharp jawline, the determined set of her brows.

Marya's momentary smirk vanished, replaced by focused intensity. "What did she find? Specifically. About the Current. About…" Her gaze flickered almost imperceptibly towards the dark hilt over her shoulder.

Pedro's expression sobered instantly. His eyes swept the circle of Heart Pirates – Bepo wringing his paws nervously, Penguin and Shachi leaning forward with rapt attention, Jean Bart's stoic gaze, Ikkaku practically vibrating with curiosity, Uni sketching furiously, Hakuga meticulously cleaning tools, Clione sorting supplies. Then, deliberately, Pedro looked up into the dense canopy where moonlight barely penetrated the layers of broad bamboo leaves. His gaze seemed to pierce the shadows where Carrot and Atlas were concealed.

"Some secrets," Pedro stated, his voice dropping to a gravelly murmur that forced everyone to lean in, "are best left unknown until the world is ready to bear them. Speaking them aloud… even here, on Zunesha's back… risks awakening echoes best left sleeping." The air itself seemed to grow heavier, thick with the scent of damp earth, roasting tubers, and the faint, unsettling ozone tang radiating from Bepo's fur.

Marya rolled her eyes, a gesture so perfectly blending exasperation and familiarity it drew another soft chuckle from Pedro. "That," she stated flatly, "is a refrain I hear far too often." She took a slow sip of the herbal tea Penguin had given her, the warmth doing little to thaw the cold curiosity in her core.

Pedro studied her, the firelight dancing in his eyes. "I'm sure Elisabeta's daughter," he emphasized the lineage, "possesses the wit to piece together the fragments she left behind. She documented everything meticulously, even the dangerous parts."

Marya paused. The mug felt cool against her palm despite the tea within. Her mother's fragmented past, a puzzle she'd been chasing for years, suddenly had a tangible anchor point: Zou. Not just a refuge, but a crucible of her mother's dangerous research. Images, unbidden, flashed behind her golden eyes – not memories, but impressions gleaned from ancient sources she'd scoured:

Angkor'thal: Visions of the Temple of Dawn's Echo, its sandstone spires choked by serpentine roots. Bas-reliefs depicting the Sun God Nika, not in triumph, but in a desperate pact.

The Murals: Lunarians with wings of fire, Minks wreathed in Sulong lightning, Three-Eyed Tribe members channeling energy through their third eye – all converging in a ritual under a full moon, their combined power aimed at chains binding a starless sky.

Statues: Stone Nagas, guardians with Lunarian wings, their mouths frozen mid-roar, eternally vigilant against an unseen threat tied to the depths.

Connections sparked like Electro in the humid air. The Primordial Current… Void Century weapons… the unique "appetite" Pedro mentioned regarding blades… her own cursed sword. Zou wasn't just a stop; it was a key piece on her mother's board.

"Hmmmm…" Marya murmured, the sound low and thoughtful, resonating with the island's unique frequency. She met Pedro's gaze again, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "Yeah," she conceded, her voice regaining its usual measured calm, though a new intensity simmered beneath. "I probably can."

Pedro nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now," he shifted, his posture relaxing fractionally, "what brings Elisabeta's daughter crashing a metal whale into one of Zou's sacred trees? This seems an… unconventional arrival, even for a Heart Pirate."

Marya gestured dismissively towards the jungle canopy, vaguely indicating the unseen submarine lodged high above. "Unplanned detour. We were leaving Elbaph, got swept up by a pod of Island Whales having a particularly enthusiastic conversation. Zunesha decided it was bath time." A hint of dry annoyance colored her tone. "We got scooped up by the trunk and… well, sprayed onto its back like an afterthought. Currently en route to Sabaody, then Fishman Island."

"Fishman Island!" The words burst from Penguin and Shachi in perfect, starry-eyed unison. Their faces instantly flushed crimson, cartoonish hearts practically materializing in their eyes as they leaned towards Marya, forgetting Pedro entirely. "The mermaids!" Shachi sighed dreamily. "The coral palaces!" Penguin added, clasping his hands together.

Marya's lips twitched into a genuinely amused smirk, the cold intensity momentarily replaced by playful deviousness. "Yeah," she drawled, locking eyes with the lovestruck duo. "You want to come?"

Bepo, who had been nervously shuffling beside the fire, snapped to attention. His fur bristled, tiny blue sparks of Electro popping along his shoulders. "No!" he yelped, his voice high-pitched with alarm. He pointed a trembling, accusatory claw at Marya. "We have to wait for the Captain! We can't just leave without him! He told us to stay put!" The thought of abandoning their captain, even for mermaids, was clearly anathema to the loyal bear Mink.

Marya tilted her head, her smirk widening into something truly mischievous. "Why not?" she countered, her tone light, almost innocent. "Leave him a note. Tell him to come find us on Fishman Island. He'd manage." She enjoyed the way Bepo's eyes widened in pure horror, his fluffy ears flattening against his head.

"Stop it, Marya!" Bepo nearly wailed, stomping a large foot that sent a small tremor through the bamboo platform. "We aren't going to forget about the Captain! Don't tempt them!" He glared at Penguin and Shachi, who were now looking sheepish but still had a dazed, mermaid-induced glaze over their eyes.

Marya chuckled, the sound rich and genuine this time. "I know, Bepo," she said, the teasing edge softening into affection for the flustered navigator. "But it was fun to watch you squirm."

Suddenly, a deep, rumbling laugh erupted from Pedro. It wasn't just a chuckle; it was a full-bodied sound of pure amusement that seemed to shake the very air. It boomed across the campsite, startling everyone – the Heart Pirates, Marya, and undoubtedly the spies hidden above. Pedro threw his head back, his mane catching the firelight, tears of mirth glistening at the corners of his eyes. "Just like her!" he managed between laughs, wiping a tear away. "The look on your face, bear! Priceless! That sharp wit wrapped in calm… exactly like Elisabeta when she'd corner some stubborn elder into admitting she was right!"

The tension shattered completely. Jean Bart's stern expression cracked into a rare, small smile. Ikkaku burst out giggling. Uni grinned, adding a flustered Bepo to his sketch. Even Hakuga paused his cleaning, a hint of amusement in his usually impassive eyes. The warm, jovial atmosphere flooded back, amplified by Pedro's infectious laughter.

High above, nestled in the thick bamboo canopy, Carrot clapped a hand over her own mouth to stifle a giggle, her fluffy white tail twitching excitedly. Beside her, Atlas rolled his luminous sapphire eyes, but even his competitive smirk softened slightly. "Tch. Pirates," he muttered, though the usual disdain was absent. Below, the impossible daughter of Mihawk, bearer of a cursed sword tied to the Void, had just made the fearsome Pedro, Guardian of Zou, laugh like a cub. The secret spy mission had taken a turn, alright. A turn towards something far more unpredictable.