Arriving at the studio on the eastern cliffs, Marco was astonished at the sight: "No wonder Majima have been so elusive since they joined our pirate crew. he have been busy creating comics here all along."
In the past, there were many speculations about Majima since he had not made an appearance for more than a decade. Some speculated that he did not exist at all, while others believed that he was sent as an undercover agent to another pirate group by Whitebeard. Some even thought that he had joined the Marines. However, now that Marco had seen his studio, all those absurd speculations were proven to be false.
"Brother Marco, let's hurry. If you can't learn the Eight Inner Gates maybe you can find an even more powerful one in the other manga collections!" Jozu nudges Marco with his elbow
It seems that Jozu has developed a strong admiration for Majima and sees him as a role model.
"Sure, I'll start reading now," Marco said as he approached the bookshelf and took a comic book.
Although "Zanpakuto no Senbonzakura" sounded like a good name, Marco didn't open that comic book right away. Instead, he picked up another one from the bookshelf.
The name of a certain comic book caught Marco's attention as he was browsing through the shelves. It was " 'Ice Boy' Gray of Fairy Tail" Marco didn't open this comic either
As Marco perused the bookshelf, he wasn't immediately drawn to the first two comic books he picked up, which he found dull and tasteless. But then he stumbled upon a title that caught his eye and piqued his interest.
"The Phenex Clan of Highschool DxD" The name of a comic book caught Marco's attention and sparked his interest as he browsed the comic he realized that The Phenex Clan have inherent powers that are equivalent to that of the legendary creature, the firebird Phoenix This was a name that resonated deeply with him, given that his Devil Fruit was the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix, allowing him to transform into a phoenix.
Within a few moments, Marco became engrossed in the story of the comic.
He was fascinated by the depiction of the Phoenix, which held a high status among the seventy-two pillars of the demon gods.
"Even among the seventy-two pillars of the demon gods, the Phenex family is still in the top position! It is indeed the legendary Phoenix!"
He was also surprised to find that the Phoenix in the comic seemed to be even more powerful than his own Phoenix form.
"However, it seems like this phoenix is much more powerful than mine! What? The Phoenix's flames can also be used for attack?"
As he continued to read, he discovered that the Phoenix had the ability to use its flames to attack, which he found to be quite amazing.
"Hell Fire? This is insane! It's burning me! The way this Phoenix flame is used is incredible!"
As Marco kept reading, he became increasingly engrossed and delighted with his choice of comic book. It was as if this comic world was made just for him. Several hours flew by without his noticing, and he finally finished reading "The Phenex Clan of Highschool DxD".
"So, the Phoenix is actually originated from the Demon God." Marco was stunned.
Witnessing the magnificence of the illustrious Phenex clan left Marco even more stunned by the might of the Phoenix. As someone with the Zoan-type Devil Fruit ability to transform into a phoenix, Marco had believed that he had already achieved a high level of mastery in the development of his Devil Fruit.
He had focused on developing the phoenix flame into a shield, whereas the phoenix flame was actually meant to be a spear. While his forced development had been successful, it was limited compared to the true potential of the phoenix.
The self-healing effect of the phoenix flame made Marco nearly invincible against ordinary pirates, but against the world's top powerhouses, the self-healing effect would be greatly reduced once his damage accumulated.
"Compared to the true phoenix ability of being reborn from ashes, my abilities are lacking."
Marco is envious of Phenex Riser's ability to heal, not just his attack abilities. Unlike Marco's "self-healing" ability, which only works on himself, Riser's ability can heal others. While Marco can act as a makeshift doctor on the ship, his ability to cure others is quite limited.
In the comic book, Marco discovers two miraculous substances called "Tears of the Phoenix" and "Blood of the Phoenix". The Tears of the Phoenix have the power to instantly restore physical conditions and cure all injuries, while the Blood of the Phoenix grants immortality. Marco is amazed by these abilities.
Suddenly, a sentence popped into Marco's mind.
"The descendants of the demon god Phenex, even those with a diluted bloodline, are still considered glorious, as naughty children existed in ancient times and poets searched for demon descendants in the cracks of glory."
"The Phoenix's descendants, returning to their ancestors!"
As soon as the voice echoed in his mind, Marco felt a surge of powerful energy enveloping him, as if a force of law had imprisoned him in place. He felt something stirring in his blood, and then suddenly, he was overcome with intense pain as if his body was on fire.
"I'm a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit user that allows me to transform into a phoenix, and yet I'm still suffering from the burning flames? Damnnn!!!"
Marco's face twisted in pain as memories of the demon god Phenex's origin and family glory flashed through his mind like a movie.
"This is..." Just as Marco was excited to speculate.
The voice in his mind spoke once again: "As the heir of the Phoenix, I, Phenex the Great Marquis of Hell, the ancient Demon God, hereby activate your bloodline. Fight for the glory of the Phenex family!"
After the activation of his bloodline by Phenex the Great Marquis of hell, Marco could feel the presence of the phoenix blood flowing through his body, leaving him completely stunned.