Chapter 178

Bariete rang the bell frantically from atop the Welcome Gate. A massive, ancient iron archway to the rear of Zou's stone wall. From here, one could see the vast expanse of Zunesha's "back," the dense jungle canopy stretching towards the distant, mist-shrouded edges of Zunesha's sides. The frantic bellringer, Bariete, a wiry monkey Mink with keen eyes and an anxious twitch, perched high on the arch's framework.

Marya landed with a soft thud on the sun-warmed stone platform, Atlas touching down beside her a heartbeat later, a faint tang of power lingering from his Electro-infused leap. He glanced at her, a flicker of surprise and respect in his sapphire eyes. "Huh. You kept up."

Marya adjusted the collar of her leather jacket, barely winded. "Didn't want to hurt your feelings by arriving first," she replied, her voice dry but a faint smirk playing on her lips.

Atlas chuckled, a low rumble. "Confident, Pirate. We'll see—"

"LAND!" Bariete shrieked, scrambling down the vines with simian agility, his finger jabbing towards the horizon beyond Zou's edge. "I see LAND! Clear as day! An island! Gara, land gara!"

Atlas's competitive smirk vanished, replaced by stark disbelief. He strode to the edge, peering intently. "That... that's not possible," he breathed, his voice tight.

Marya joined him, her golden eyes narrowing. The distant smudge on the horizon did look like land – a low, dark shape against the shimmering sea. "Why not? Islands exist."

"Zunesha doesn't wander near land, Pirate," Atlas explained, his tone grim, eyes never leaving the horizon. "Zou is a lost island, perpetually wandering the deepest, emptiest stretches of the New World. For centuries. Getting close to shore... it's unheard of. It shouldn't be possible."

"THERE!" Bariete insisted, hopping with agitation. "See! Look!"

Before Marya could press further, swift footsteps approached. Inuarashi, Wanda, and Raizo emerged onto the platform, drawn by the bell. The Dog-Storm's expression was grave, his fur slightly ruffled. "Report, gara!" he commanded, his voice a low growl.

"Land, Lord Inuarashi!" Bariete practically vibrated. "An island! Dead ahead!"

Inuarashi's ears flattened. He and Wanda moved swiftly to the edge, Raizo a silent shadow beside them. The Dog-Storm peered out, his muzzle tightening. "Raizo... confirm this, gara."

Raizo focused, his ninja senses honing his vision. After a tense moment, he gave a curt nod. "He speaks true, Lord. Landmass confirmed."

Wanda's brow furrowed deeply, a rare crack in her serene composure. "This... this defies understanding. Zunesha has never strayed near land. The legends... they speak of him being bound to wander the seas until the New Dawn arrives. It is far too soon, gara." Her voice held a note of profound unease.

Marya watched their reactions, the pieces clicking. "What binds him?" she asked, cutting through the tension. "What guides Zunesha, or keeps him from land? You speak of legends and bonds, but what is the mechanism?"

The Minks looked at her, then at each other, confusion evident. Inuarashi frowned. "It is the ancient pact, gara. The sin, the waiting..."

Marya sighed, a soft sound of exasperation. "Legends are stories. Mechanisms are facts. There are seven major ocean currents, the pole star, the Grand Line's madness, and the Red Line's barrier. Something must be guiding this elephant so precisely that it avoids islands for centuries. Navigation doesn't happen by wishful thinking." Her gaze swept across the platform, then lifted to the towering stone structures overlooking Kurau City – the spires, the angles of the massive bamboo stalks against the sky. Images flashed in her mind: the Angkor'thal murals, the Minks depicted not just in ritual, but gazing upwards, towards celestial patterns. Moons... currents represented as star paths... the centrality of observation towers...

Her brow furrowed. Crossing her arms, she stroked her chin, deep in thought. "Hmmm... Minks... always looking skyward..." She tilted her head back, tracing the lines from the Welcome Gate arch to the distant, sacred Whale Tree, then to specific high points in the city architecture. A slow, understanding smirk spread across her face. "Ahhh... Seven."

Raizo, overwhelmed by her cryptic deductions, stepped forward, his voice sharp. "What are you talking about? Speak plainly, outsider!"

Marya ignored him, her focus now entirely on the distant silhouette of the colossal Whale Tree, the heart of Zou's sacred grove. "Oh, I get it," she murmured, more to herself.

"ANSWER ME!" Raizo demanded, his composure slipping.

Inuarashi held up a paw. "Enough, Raizo, gara." His keen eyes studied Marya. "Explain your meaning, Dracule Marya. Enlighten us, gara."

Marya lowered her gaze back to them, her smirk now confident. "It's an astrolabe. The whole island. Zou itself is a giant, living astrolabe."

Blank stares met her declaration. Wanda tilted her head. "An... astrolabe?"

"A star chart," Marya elaborated, her tone shifting to one of academic precision, honed by her Consortium training. "A physical model of the visible sky, built into the landscape. The towers, the angles of the great trees, the position of the Whale Tree at the center... they're calibrated. It can be used to measure the altitude of stars, tell time, predict celestial events. Primarily, for navigation. Especially for something as massive as Zunisha, traversing the chaotic seas. That's how he stays on course, avoids landmasses. It's not magic. It's engineering. Ancient, brilliant engineering."

She pointed emphatically towards the Whale Tree, its silhouette stark against the afternoon sky. "The central mechanism, the reference point... I believe it's there. In or around the Whale Tree. That's where the damage or misalignment must be." Her brow furrowed again with concern. "Something's broken the calibration."

"The Whale Tree?" Inuarashi rumbled, his voice thick with shock and reluctance. He took a step back, his posture defensive. "Gara... that is the most sacred site on Zou! The heart of our history, our connection to Zunesha!"

Wanda stepped in smoothly, her voice gentle but firm. "She speaks of its function, Lord, not its sanctity. But access... it is deeply restricted. Only the Dukes and the Guardians enter its inner sanctum."

Marya met Inuarashi's conflicted gaze, her expression unreadable. She shrugged, the movement casual but final. "If that's what you want." Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked towards the edge of the platform overlooking the path back towards the Heart Pirate camp. "Then we'll leave Zunisha to wander into that island, or wherever its broken path leads. Good luck." She didn't jump down immediately, pausing as if waiting.

Atlas stared at her retreating back, then at the distant, impossible island, then at Inuarashi's troubled face. A spark of understanding, or perhaps just the pragmatism of a warrior facing an unknown threat, ignited in him. "Marya, wait!" he called, rushing after her, leaving the leaders of Zou grappling with the impossible choice between sacred tradition and the very real danger looming on the horizon. The mystery of the malfunctioning Rain-Ruption paled in comparison to the colossal elephant drifting catastrophically off course. The solution lay in the forbidden heart of their home, proposed by the daughter of legends.

The jungle air thickened with the scent of damp earth and salty humidity as Marya moved through Zou's emerald labyrinth. Sunlight fractured through the canopy, dappling her leather jacket—the Jolly Roger of the Heart Pirates stark on her back—as she navigated knotted roots and bioluminescent ferns. Behind her, Atlas's voice cut through the humid stillness: 

"Marya! Wait!" 

She paused, glancing over her shoulder. Golden eyes, cool as polished amber, fixed on the Mink warrior. Rust-red fur bristled at his neck, sapphire eyes flashing. "So, that's it?" he challenged, closing the distance. "You know how to fix this, but you'll just walk away?" 

Marya furrowed her brow, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing her face. "Fix what? Your elephant's navigation system?" She shrugged, turning back toward the path. "It isn't my place to interfere with sacred traditions." 

Atlas lunged ahead, blocking her path. "What about everyone else? The cubs in Kurau City? The elders? They don't know the Whale Tree's a damned compass! Zunesha crashes into that island—" he jabbed a clawed finger toward the horizon—"and we're all crushed!" 

Marya raised a calm brow. "Maybe it's time your people evolved. Find a new island. Start fresh." 

"A thousand years of history isn't luggage!" Atlas snarled, fur bristling. The air crackled with suppressed Electro, raising the hairs on Marya's arms. 

She sighed, the sound like wind through dry reeds. "Fine. Be nostalgic somewhere else for another millennium." 

Atlas's fists clenched. "What do you want me to do? Beg? Grovel?" 

"What exactly do you imagine I should do?" Marya's voice remained level, but a razor's edge lay beneath. 

"I can take you to the Whale Tree," Atlas urged, lowering his voice. "We find proof—show Inuarashi-gara and Nekomamushi it's mechanical, not mystical. Then they have to listen." 

Marya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Desecrating their holiest site? That will not be well received." She stepped around him, boots crunching on luminous moss. 

"So… that's a yes?" Atlas called after her. 

She didn't turn. "It's not a no." 

"Then why are you heading away from the sacred grove? Whale Tree's northeast!" 

"We need Bepo," Marya stated flatly, pushing aside a curtain of hanging vines. 

"Bepo?" Atlas recoiled as if stung. "The bear? What's he got to do with celestial mechanics?" 

Marya finally stopped, fixing him with a look of weary exasperation. "He's the navigator, genius. Knows currents, star charts, tidal anomalies—things my training didn't cover. I can't recalibrate an astrolabe the size of a country without him." She resumed walking. "Unless you can calculate stellar declination while dodging sacred guardians?" 

Atlas muttered a string of Mink curses, kicking a glowing mushroom into blue sparks. "Fine. But he better not slow us down." 

The jungle symphony deepened as Marya and Atlas approached the Heart Pirates camp – the rhythmic clang of metal on metal replacing birdsong, underscored by the sharp tang of smolder from welding sparks. The giant bamboo hollow buzzed like a wounded hive. Shachi and Penguin wrestled with a tangled hydro-line, Hakuga meticulously labeled salvaged parts, and Uni monitored pressure gauges with Clione, their faces smudged with engine grease.

"Oi! Atlas! Marya!" Penguin called, wiping sweat with a greasy rag. "Seen Jean Bart or Ikkaku? We need muscle for the starboard thruster housing."

Atlas scanned the clearing, fur bristling impatiently. "City. With Carrot. Getting parts, apparently." His tone suggested he found the errand frivolous.

Marya's golden eyes swept past the activity, landing on Penguin. "Bepo?"

Shachi jabbed a thumb towards a sturdy bamboo platform woven high into the canopy. "Think he's up in the comms hut. On a call. Sounded tense, even for him." He mimicked Bepo's worried wringing of paws.

Before Atlas could grumble about delays, a familiar figure emerged from the dappled shadows beneath a colossal fern. Pedro, the lynx Mink mentor, leaned against a mossy trunk, a thin cigarette glowing ember-red between his claws. His single eye, sharp as obsidian, fixed on Atlas. "The bell at the Welcome Gate, Atlas. What stirred Bariete into such a frenzy? Sounded like invasion bells."

Atlas stiffened, his earlier urgency returning. "Land, Pedro. Bariete spotted land dead ahead."

Pedro's cigarette paused halfway to his lips. A slow plume of smoke escaped. "Land?" His voice was dangerously calm. "Zunesha hasn't neared land in recorded history, gara. You're certain?"

"Certain," Atlas confirmed, his sapphire eyes grim. "And we missed the Rain-Ruption entirely. It sprayed its side, Pedro. Not it's back. Something's… wrong."

Marya, already moving towards the bamboo ladder leading to the comms hut, seemed only peripherally aware of the intense exchange. The sacred panic of the Minks was background noise to the immediate task.

Pedro's gaze followed her, thoughtful. "Land… and malfunctioning Ruption…" He took a long drag, the ember flaring. "Trouble walks on silent feet."

Ignoring the ladder, Marya dissolved into a swirl of cool, damp mist – the signature sign of her Logia power. She reformed silently on the small balcony of the comms hut, the scent of ozone and damp bamboo stronger here. Through the open doorway, she saw Bepo hunched over a large Den Den Mushi, its shell mimicking Law's characteristic spotted hat and perpetually tired eyes. Bepo's ears were flat against his head, his voice a worried whisper.

"...and the Rain-Ruption malfunctioned, Captain! Sprayed its side! And the Island Whales, they just appeared out of nowhere! I'm sorry, I should have …"

Marya stepped inside, the bamboo floor creaking softly under her boots. "Bepo."

The Den Den Mushi's eyes snapped wider, Law's voice crackling through with immediate recognition. "Marya? Is that you?"

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Marya's lips as she sat beside the anxious bear. "Yeah. It's me."

"Back with the crew?" Law's Den Den voice was carefully neutral, but Marya could imagine the calculating lift of his brow.

She sighed, leaning back slightly. "Not quite. Just… washed ashore. Literally. Zunesha's trunk scooped up my sub after a pod of Island Whales decided to play bumper cars."

"I see." A pause. The Den Den Mushi's expression seemed to narrow.

"Penguin mentioned you were on some 'secret Warlord mission'." Marya chuckled dryly.

"Did he? Typical. No, just… following a lead. Ended up here by chance."

She glanced out the balcony at the bustling camp below. "The crew says you're on Punk Hazard. Sounds… toxic."

"It is," Law confirmed tersely. "I have to go. Situation developing."

"Be careful," Marya said, the casualness belying the weight of the words. She knew the dangers of that frozen hellscape. "Stay safe."

"You too." The Den Den Mushi's eyes softened fractionally. "Don't get crushed by a walking elephant." The connection fizzed and died.

Bepo wilted, his massive shoulders slumping. "I'm… I'm sorry, Marya."

She turned her golden gaze on him, genuinely puzzled. "For what?"

"For telling the Captain you were here! I know you said you weren't back back, and I didn't mean to make it sound like—"

Marya reached out, her usually guarded expression softening as her fingers gently ruffled the thick, snowy fur between Bepo's ears. He instinctively leaned into the touch with a soft, relieved "Mmmph." "Don't fret over that, silly bear," she murmured, a warmth in her voice reserved only for him and Jelly. "It's okay that Law knows I was here." She gave his ear a final, affectionate pat. "We are family, right?"

Bepo's head snapped up, his eyes wide and suddenly shining. "Really? You mean it?"

"Really, really," Marya affirmed, a genuine chuckle escaping her. "Silly bear." Her gaze turned more serious, though still gentle. "Actually, there might be something I need your help with later. Something… big."

Bepo cocked his head, curiosity replacing anxiety. "My help? With what?"

The bamboo door slammed open. Atlas stood framed in the doorway, his rust-red fur bristling with impatience, the scent of ozone and jungle earth rolling off him. "Enough cozy chat! The island isn't getting any farther away! We need to move!"

Marya's softness vanished like mist in sunlight, replaced by her customary stoic calm. She rose smoothly. "Later, Bepo," she said, her voice cool and decisive. She met Atlas's impatient glare without flinching. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, we have an astrolabe to figure out." She gestured towards the door. "After you, Atlas. Try not to knock any sacred relics over on your way out.

Atlas grunted, shooting a final, annoyed look at Bepo before turning on his heel. As Marya followed, she gave Bepo's fluffy shoulder one last, reassuring squeeze – a silent promise in the midst of looming chaos and sacred trespass.

The humid air crackled with tension thicker than the haze clinging to the Heart Pirates' salvaged equipment. Marya and Atlas descended from the comms hut to find Pedro, Penguin, Shachi, Uni, Clione, and Hakuga gathered near the fire pit. Pedro leaned against a giant bamboo shoot, the ember of his cigarette a single, watchful eye in the dappled shade. He exhaled a plume of smoke that curled like a question mark.

"Atlas filled me in, gara," Pedro rumbled, his feline gaze sharp as obsidian shards as it settled on Marya. "You know how to fix Zunesha?"

Marya's golden eyes slid towards Atlas, a flicker of dry annoyance in their depths. "I don't know how to fix it," she corrected, her voice cool and precise. She gestured towards the towering structures of Mokomo Dukedom visible through the jungle canopy. "I observe. Based on the angles of the towers, the alignment of the sacred groves, and the central positioning of the Whale Tree relative to known celestial markers… Zou isn't just an island. It's a physical star chart. An astrolabe carved from jungle and stone. The Whale Tree is its central pivot point – the gnomon casting the shadow, the reference for calibrating Zunesha's course across the chaotic New World."

Bepo, who had followed Marya down, shuffled his massive paws. "I'm sorry," he mumbled automatically, ears flattening.

Shachi spun around, grease smeared across his cheek. "What are you sorry for this time, Bepo? Stop apologizing!"

"No! I just… I don't know what's going on!" Bepo stammered, wringing his paws. "Land? Astrolabes? Whale Trees?"

Atlas scoffed, crossing his arms, his rust-red fur seeming to bristle with impatience. "Land spotted ahead. Zunesha never goes near land. Rain-Ruption malfunctioned, spraying his side. Pirate here thinks the sacred Whale Tree is a broken compass needle. We need to sneak in and see."

Bepo's eyes widened, darting to the distant silhouette of the colossal tree. "But the Whale Tree is… we can't just…" His voice trailed off into a distressed whisper. "It's forbidden! The Guardians…"

"Which is why we're sneaking, bear," Atlas snapped, his fur bristling. "Or did you miss that part?"

Bepo looked desperately at Pedro. The older Mink took a slow drag, the smoke wreathing his scarred face. "Nekomamushi is still deep in his daytime slumber," Pedro stated, his voice a low growl. "Cannot consult the Cat Viper on this… unconventional approach." His single eye held a complex mix of pragmatism and profound unease as he gazed towards the sacred grove. "But if there is a chance… even a slim one… to avert Zunesha driving us all onto the rocks of that unknown shore… we must consider it. The pact demands protection, even if the method challenges tradition." He tapped ash onto the moss. "The risk of inaction may be greater."

Marya turned her full attention to Bepo. Her usual stoic mask was in place, but a subtle intensity burned in her golden eyes. "What do you say, Navigator? You on board?" She tilted her head, a ghost of a smirk playing on her lips. "I need your expertise. Star declination, tidal forces on a continental scale, compensating for atmospheric refraction… unless," she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a teasing murmur only Bepo could fully hear, "you'd rather come sightseeing with me to Fishman Island instead? Otherwise, you might be swimming with the minnows when this island-sized elephant meets that landmass or something else head-on."

Bepo's fur literally puffed out, making him look twice his size. "Stop it, Marya!" he yelped, his voice cracking. "You know we aren't leaving without the Captain! And… and everyone else! Fine!" He drew himself up, puffing out his chest, though his paws still trembled slightly. "I'm in! For the crew! And… and Zou!"

A genuine chuckle escaped Marya, low and warm. She reached out and gave Bepo's fluffy arm a quick, reassuring squeeze – a gesture Atlas watched with barely concealed bafflement. "Okay then," Marya said, her amusement fading into focused calm as she turned to the impatient lynx Mink. "Atlas. Lead the way. And try to remember we're aiming for stealth, not a stampede."

Atlas shot Bepo one last withering look but gave a sharp nod. "Stay close. Stay quiet. The Guardians patrol the inner grove like clockwork, but their senses are sharp." He glanced at Pedro. "You coming, old man?"

Pedro stubbed out his cigarette on the bamboo trunk. "Someone needs to ensure you cubs don't get yourselves skewered on sacred spears," he said dryly, falling into step beside Atlas. "And to witness this 'astrolabe' theory firsthand." His gaze swept over the Heart Pirates – Penguin wiping his hands, Shachi grabbing a compact toolkit, Uni and Clione exchanging determined nods, Hakuga carefully closing his sketchbook. "The rest of you… keep fixing that metal beast. If this goes wrong, we might need a swift exit."

As Atlas melted into the luminous undergrowth, Pedro a silent shadow beside him, Marya fell into step. Bepo took a deep, steadying breath, adjusted his navigator's satchel, and followed, his white fur a stark beacon in the emerald gloom. Marya paused for a second, looking back at the Heart Pirates. "If Jean Bart and Ikkaku get back with parts… tell them we're checking a navigational anomaly. Nothing alarming." Her gaze lingered on the sub, then on her crewmates, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes before she turned and vanished after the Minks, leaving the camp humming with unspoken tension and the scent of grease, and the ancient, watchful jungle. The forbidden heart of Zou awaited.