Nia

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ernest Nia (妮娅) 31
Alias(es)	Catwoman; Catwoman Nia 2 3
Gender	Female 2
Affiliation	Rod Pirates 31 57
Occupation/Role	Pirate; close-quarters combatant 17 110
Devil Fruit	Mythical Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Nekomata; initially believed to be the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Black Cat 8 111 143
Bounty condition	“ONLY ALIVE” 31
Status	Active 284
First Appearance	Chapter 2 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Black Cat hybrid form	7 8	Gains cat ears, tail, claws, and a major physical boost; initially becomes bloodthirsty and cruel toward enemies while transformed.
Improved Devil Fruit control	49	Learns to use her transformed power without the earlier loss of control and begins focusing on integrating it with the Marine Six Powers.
Observation Haki awakening	100	Anticipates Tanaka’s intended reappearance points, allowing her to catch him despite his Pierce-Pierce Fruit mobility.
Nekomata awakening and Black Flames	111	Reveals her true Nekomata form and manifests black flames after enduring Lucci’s attacks, overwhelming him with increased speed and strength.
Armament Haki application	203	Uses Haki hardening in direct clashes with Ulti; neither combatant initially overpowers the other.

Background / History

Nia is the eldest daughter of the Ernest Family, the noble house that controls the Dawson Kingdom’s Military Intelligence Department. Though raised as an heir, she despised the family’s work of espionage, infiltration, betrayal, and assassination. 31

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, she fled the family using a Devil Fruit she had accidentally eaten, transforming into a black cat to leave undetected. Her departure also rejected a proposed marriage alliance with King Dawson Bourbon, whom she considered an unacceptable threat to her freedom. She spent more than two years wandering the sea afterward. 31

Her younger brother, Neo, secretly assumed her duties within the family’s intelligence network and covered for her absence. Her father, Marine Vice Admiral Ernest Cooler, eventually located her through intelligence reports, though he later accepted her choices. 31 35 54

Nia first encountered Rod and Nerl at a tavern, where she recognized their strength and hired them to escort the scientist Grey to Minion Island for five million Berry. During the resulting conflict with the Felke Family, she used her Devil Fruit form to kill the family boss Kyle and insisted on collecting her promised payment. 4 7 8

Appearance

Nia is a tall, athletic woman with wheat-colored skin, purple hair worn in a high ponytail, and yellow slit pupils. At her debut, she wore orange skin-tight sportswear. 2

• In her hybrid form, she develops black cat ears, a black tail, sharper teeth, elongated claws, and patches of black fur. 7 17 110
• Her awakened Nekomata form can manifest two tails and black flames around her body. 111 284
• Her feline features react visibly to powerful opponents, with her ears twitching and pupils narrowing when her battle instincts are stirred. 76

Personality

Nia is fiercely independent and refuses to let either her family or the Dawson Kingdom dictate her future. Her escape from the Ernest Family was driven not only by opposition to the family business, but by her conviction that marriage and personal choices belong to her alone. 31

She is confrontational toward arrogant or cruel people, quickly dismissing empty boasts and responding violently when provoked. Her attraction to strong opponents is equally pronounced: difficult battles excite her rather than intimidate her. 3 76 110

Although she can appear mature and composed, she is impulsive in private, easily bored, fond of shopping and gambling, and prone to childish jealousy. She is also compassionate toward people she considers lonely or vulnerable, as shown by her attempts to befriend and later comfort Lilika. 92 106 178 197

Abilities & Skills

Mythical Zoan: Nekomata

Nia’s Devil Fruit was initially identified as the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Black Cat. Its true form is the Mythical Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Nekomata. 8 111 143

• Her hybrid form greatly improves her speed, stamina, strength, reflexes, and claw-based offense. 17 110
• Her awakening further increases her physical power, allowing her to overwhelm Rob Lucci after surviving severe internal injuries. 111
• She can manifest multiple tails, using them to restrain an opponent’s arms while attacking at close range. 284
• Her early transformations made her uncontrollably violent and inclined to torture enemies; she later learned to control this impulse. 8 49
• Prolonged high-level combat can exhaust her to the point of collapse. 213

Black Flames

Nia’s Nekomata form produces ominous black flames with the ability to burn souls. 111 143

• The flames can harm Perona’s normally intangible ghosts, making Nia a direct counter to the Spirit-Spirit Fruit user’s Ghost Bombs and Negative Ghosts. 142 143
• She can scatter flame across multiple targets by releasing it from her body. 143
• She can coat her body and attacks in black flames during battle. 203 257
• She uses the flames as a threat when dealing with enemies, warning that they can burn a victim down to bones. 191

Marine Six Powers

After seeing Neo’s mastery of Rokushiki and receiving a training manual from him, Nia incorporated Marine Six Powers techniques into her fighting style. 43 57

• Soru — Uses burst movement; later develops a silent version that suppresses the usual sound of the technique. 32 110
• Geppo — Moves through the air to pursue or evade opponents. 43 156
• Rankyaku — Launches cutting shockwaves, including Rankyaku: Neko Ashi and Rankyaku: Tornado. 110 111
• Tekkai Kenpo: Collapse — Releases a shockwave through a fist strike to disperse surrounding material. 156
• Moon Shadow Cat Step — Her own technique combining Soru, Geppo, close-combat skill, and Devil Fruit-enhanced movement; it is designed to be difficult to predict. 111
• Shigan: Shadow Cat Claws — Fires several invisible air bullets at an opponent. 111

Haki and Battle Instinct

Nia possesses Observation Haki and later demonstrates Armament Haki hardening. 100 203

• Her Observation Haki allows her to predict movements and intercept opponents who rely on rapid repositioning. 100
• During her battle with Lucci, her still-developing Observation Haki could not be sustained indefinitely under constant pressure. 110
• Even when Observation Haki cannot locate a target precisely, her instincts can detect malicious intent, as when she sensed the invisible Absalom. 141
• Her Armament Haki allows her to exchange hardened blows with Ulti. 203

Close-Quarters Combat

Nia is an agile hand-to-hand fighter even outside her Devil Fruit transformations. 3 10

• She defeated a Marine major with a shoulder throw after he attempted to assault her. 3
• She relies on kicks, claws, rapid movement, and improvised tactics in combat. 7 17 19
• She has used Black Bars to enhance her attack power against Marines. 24

Relationships

• Rod — Captain and crewmate. Nia hired him for Grey’s escort mission, later accepted his protection against the Ernest Family, and regularly trains and fights alongside him. 4 31 32
• Nerl — Crewmate and frequent companion. Nerl helps correct her Soru technique and often endures her gambling schemes. 32 92
• Neo Ernest — Younger brother. He concealed her escape, later fought her to force her to recognize the gap in their strength, and supplied a Marine Six Powers manual for her crew. 31 43 57
• Ernest Cooler — Father and Marine Vice Admiral. He initially pursued Nia after locating her, but later acknowledged and supported her choices. 35 42 54
• Genos — Crewmate and regular sparring partner. They trained together for months and later cooperated against Ulti and Jack. 132 213
• Baccarat — Crewmate and frequent partner in shopping, gambling, and information gathering. The two worked together against Tanaka and sought information about Skypiea on Jaya. 97 167 178
• Lilika — Crewmate whom Nia tries to help move beyond her dependence on dolls, offering friendship and companionship instead. 197
• Rob Lucci — Rival Cat-Cat Fruit user. Their battle pushed Nia to develop new Rokushiki techniques and awaken her Nekomata power. 110 111
• Perona — Devil Fruit adversary whose ghosts are directly countered by Nia’s Black Flames. 142 143

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Felke Family conflict — Hires Rod and Nerl to escort Grey, then defeats Kyle after the Felke Family betrays the group. 4 7 8
• Tiger Shark Island — Is confronted by Neo and Cooler; Neo’s overwhelming Rokushiki and Haki force her to confront her lack of progress. 42 43
• Lavish incident — Pursues Tanaka alongside Baccarat and awakens Observation Haki during the battle. 97 100
• CP0 battle — Faces Rob Lucci, develops techniques inspired by his Rokushiki, and awakens her Nekomata power to defeat him. 107 110 111
• Devil’s Triangle — Identifies Perona’s ghosts as vulnerable to her Black Flames and drives Perona into retreat. 141 143
• Dressrosa conflict — Fights Ulti and later teams with Genos against Jack, collapsing from exhaustion after the battle. 203 213
• World Government conflict — Accompanies Rod to Mary Geoise, clashes with Kizaru, and later battles Saint Nusjuro with her Nekomata flames and tails. 251 257 284

Notable Quotes

“I am free! Whether I want to get married, and who I want to marry, is up to me!” 31

“You know nothing about a cat’s speed.” 17

“Sorry, looks like I’m your bane!” 143

Trivia

• Her “Catwoman” nickname reflects her catlike and unpredictable temperament, not merely her Devil Fruit. 3
• Nia follows the daily newspaper updates of Sea Warrior Sora, despite mocking others for reading the manga. 42
• She entered Lavish’s largest casino declaring herself the “God of Gamblers Nia” and exchanged five million Belly in chips. 92
• She is especially interested in treasure, and Robin can easily motivate her by suggesting the possibility of ancient ruins or a treasure map. 147