After leaving the room, Marco and Vista found a cool spot to sit and chat.
"Marco, I heard you mention a problem with your development to Majima. What's going on?" Vista inquired, as he had been struggling with his own lately.
Ever since unlocking the Zanpakutō Nozarashi Shikai, Vista had hit a roadblock and was unsure of how to proceed with his Zanpakutō's Development.
Upon hearing this, Marco sighed and covered his forehead.
"Well, you know my phoenix bloodline has been activated up to the fifth level. If I can reach the sixth level, I can activate the characteristics of the phoenix tears," he explained.
"The tears of the phoenix?!" Vista exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
Vista naturally inquired about the characteristics of phoenix tears after hearing Marco mention them.
These tears possess magical healing powers that can instantly restore physical strength and energy. They are considered a super healing medicine and can heal any disease or injury, even if it involves missing limbs.
For the Whitebeard Pirate captains, their main desire for the tears of the Phoenix is to cure their beloved father's dark disease. This illness has been tormenting him for many years and has worsened in the past two years.
If they can activate this characteristic before their father returns, it can heal his hidden injuries and finally provide relief. This would be invaluable, especially considering the upcoming full-scale battle with the Naval Headquarters.
"Are you certain about this, Marco? That activating your phoenix bloodline to the sixth level can grant you access to the phoenix tears?" Vista asked eagerly, gripping Marco's arm.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure. But for some reason, the sixth level seems like a bottleneck. I can't seem to find any opportunity to activate it," replied Marco with a melancholic expression, worried that he might never be able to break through this level.
Even though there is a chance that his father's injury will be healed, Marco's own efforts seem insufficient. He has lost direction and is unsure of what to do next. The feeling is uncomfortable to say the least.
"A bottleneck?" Vista frowned as he placed his hand on his Zanpakutō's hilt. "I seem to be experiencing a similar problem."
Marco looked up and said sternly, "Let's wait for Majima to arrive. We must ask for his advice and see if there's a solution."
"Sure," replied Vista.
As they continued their conversation, more than an hour passed by without them noticing.
Majima: "Well, Ulti, I must say I was impressed with your ability to withstand the spanking and endure the medical treatment."
Ulti: "You think that was impressive? You have no idea what I'm capable of!"
Majima: "Oh, I'm sure you're quite formidable. But let's be honest, even your violent temper was no match for my method of treatment."
Ulti: "You mean spanking me like a child? I can't believe I let you get away with that. first spanking me, then curing me with a medical ninjutsu, then spanking again, and then treating the swelling...it's brutal."
Majima: "Hey, it was the most effective way to reduce the swelling and speed up the healing process. And look at you now, you're walking just fine."
Ulti: "That may be true, but I still can't believe I allowed myself to be treated like that. It's so degrading."
Majima: "Well, that's the price you pay for being a headache."
Ulti: "I understand that, but couldn't you have come up with a less humiliating way to treat me?"
Majima: "Perhaps. But you have to admit, it was effective."
Majima came out, looking energized.
"It's done?" Vista asked with a smile.
"Yes, it's all taken care of," Majima replied, nodding.
Something seems off about this conversation, though.
Ulti also came out shortly after, her face a bit flushed and not looking very comfortable.
It's clear that Majima's family-style just now had quite an impact on her. It's a wonder she can even walk properly now!
As for her expression, it seems to be a mix of shame and annoyance, which is understandable considering how she was just spanked.
Ulti stood next to Majima, gritting her teeth.
Majima established a strict rule for Ulti to follow as a maid, which included always being ready to assist her master and maintaining a proper maid appearance.
Although Ulti was initially resistant, she complied with the rules after experiencing Majima's ruthless methods of discipline.
Marco and Vista observed Ulti's obedience and praised their captain for being able to handle her so effectively. Later, they discussed their own personal problems with Majima.
After Marco and Vista brought up their concerns to Majima, Ulti was curious about what was going on, but didn't dare to ask due to Majima's intimidating presence.
Majima thought about the issue for a while, but couldn't come up with a solution, and only lowered his head to avoid the awkwardness of the situation.
He then changed the subject by asking about the crew's overall improvement in strength.
Marco and Vista were a bit surprised by the sudden change of topic, but they quickly responded.
"Well, thanks to your guidance and training, Captain, everyone's strength has improved significantly. We've also recruited some new members who are quite promising," Marco said.
Vista nodded in agreement. "Yes, and we've been able to take on tougher missions and challenges because of it."
Majima nodded in satisfaction. "Good, good. Keep up the good work. We need to keep getting stronger if we want to protect our family and our territory."
With that, the conversation shifted to discussing their plans for the future and how to continue improving their strength as a crew. Ulti listened quietly, still feeling a bit sore from the earlier punishment.
After answering Majima's question, Marco and Vista were surprised when the captain suddenly shifted the topic to the strength of their crew. However, they dutifully responded that their crew members are now capable of facing weaker Tobiroppo members thanks to the training they received in the "Ninja Academy" that Majima established.
Majima, who was struggling to come up with a solution to Marco and Vista's problem, suddenly had an idea.
"Majima, can you help us solve our problem?" Marco asked, noticing Majima's silence.
Majima paused for a moment before responding, "I think there might be a solution. But first, I need you guys to come back in a few days to pick up some comics from me."
Marco and Vista exchanged a confused look. "Comics?" Vista asked.
Majima nodded. "Yes, comics. Trust me, it's part of the solution to your problem."
Marco and Vista shrugged and agreed to come back in a few days to collect the comics. They trusted Majima, after all, and were curious to see what he had in store for them.
Majima went back to his studio and contemplated on how to solve Marco and Vista's problems. He realized that the comics every ordinary crew members have read, such as "Cloud Shinobi Legend", "Konoha Legend", and "Sand Shinobi Legend", were all set in a larger comic world. With the introduction of "Ninja Academy", this world became unified. The pirates who learned the escape technique were able to improve their strength further in this unified world.
Majima came up with an idea to draw the unified comic world that the branch comics read by Marco and Vista originally belonged to. This would provide them with a higher chance of improving their strength on the basis of their talent. He decided to combine the two branch comics, "The Phenex Clan of Highschool DxD" and "Zanpakutō Nozarashi", into a single unified comic. By doing so, he hoped that both Marco and Vista would gain unexpected benefits from it. Majima began to work on combining the two comics.