"Although the credit for the Senzu Beans goes to Pryce, I've been working tirelessly to gather the funds for the first batch of our Zanpakuto. It's been almost non-stop!" Marco emerged from the golden light, speaking with a hint of pride.
Indeed, ever since witnessing the power of Pryce Zanpakuto, Marco had been determined to lend a hand, hoping to get his hands on one to wield and master.
"Marco, hold on with that. You'll get your share!" Whitebeard walked over, patting Marco on the shoulder with a resigned expression.
Whitebeard had seen Marco hard work over this period and naturally wouldn't criticize him.
Moreover, it was only logical that the Zanpakuto would first be distributed to the division commanders, followed by the stronger fighters under their command.
After all, they had the capability to protect the Zanpakuto from being seized by rival pirate crews or the Marines.
Caesar, seeing that everyone had arrived, cleared his throat.
"Everyone, follow me into the lab now!"
With that, he opened the door to the laboratory, and the group filed in with curiosity.
"Hey, where's Pryce?" asked a division commander who was on good terms with Pryce.
"Yeah, where's Pryce?" Marco also asked, puzzled.
Logically, today was the day for the first distribution of Zanpakuto and Pryce, as the inventor, should have been present to witness this moment.
"Pryce has been training in the Time Chamber for the past few days and hasn't come out yet" Caesar said with a smile.
"That brat! He told us not to stay in the Time Chamber for too long, yet he's been in there for ages!" Whitebeard grumbled, his mustache twitching in annoyance.
"Caesar, tell us honestly, does staying in the Time Chamber for extended periods harm the body?" Marco stepped forward, his voice tinged with concern.
"From my observations and research, some fighters who disobey orders try to extend their training time in the Time Chamber. Afterwards, their bodies do suffer varying degrees of damage, but thankfully, with Pryce Senzu Beans, the harm isn't severe" Caesar explained seriously.
As a scientist, Caesar was confident in understanding the potential risks of his inventions.
The group nodded thoughtfully.
"In that case, I'll go pull Pryce out of the Time Chamber! He shouldn't risk his health just for training" Marco said with concern, ready to take action.
"Absolutely not!" Whitebeard grabbed the impulsive Marco.
"Why not, Pops?" Marco asked, confused.
"Training is a delicate matter. What if he's at a critical stage? You barging in could do more harm than good" Whitebeard said with a serious frown.
Caesar also nodded in agreement. That was indeed the case.
Sometimes, when I'm stuck on a research problem and can't figure it out, I shut myself away. During those times, I absolutely cannot be disturbed by anyone!
Marco nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, we'll talk to him properly once he comes out of there!" Whitebeard waved his hand dismissively.
"Caesar, let's begin!" Whitebeard turned to Caesar.
Caesar nodded and walked to the center of the room, pulling away a large blue cloth that covered the middle.
In an instant, the room was filled with a terrifying gleam of blades!
Fifty Zanpakuto, each exuding a chilling aura!
"Holy cow!"
"So many Zanpakuto!"
"This is insane, absolutely insane!"
The division commanders exclaimed in shock as they looked at the neatly arranged fifty Zanpakuto.
Even Whitebeard was somewhat stunned!
If only they had this many Zanpakuto a few days ago.
A single Zanpakuto had made that bastard Kaido cry for mercy.
With fifty of them slashing down together, they could've turned Kaido into mincemeat by now!
"Hahaha, this is fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" Whitebeard laughed heartily.
Whitebeard looked at the large number of Zanpakuto before him and patted Caesar on the shoulder with satisfaction.
"Captain, I'm just the one who put in the hard work. All the credit goes to Pryce!" Caesar blushed and scratched his head.
"Everyone deserves credit, everyone!" Whitebeard said with a smile.
With this many Zanpakuto, every division commanders could have one and even dual-wielders like Vista could turn into three swords style users!
This would undoubtedly boost the combat power of his division commanders significantly.
Soon, under Whitebeard fair distribution, each division commanders received a Zanpakuto, and Vista even replaced both of his swords with Zanpakuto.
"Since everyone's here, why don't we charge all the Zanpakuto with our energy now?" Marco said excitedly, playing with the Zanpakuto in his hand.
Whitebeard nodded in agreement.
After all, they were about to face the Marines in a decisive battle.
If they could distribute these fully charged Zanpakuto to their elite fighters, it would definitely catch the Marines off guard!
"Alright, let's have each person charge three Zanpakuto at the same time!"
"If anyone gets tired or runs out of energy, we've got Senzu Beans. Our task this afternoon is to fully charge all fifty Zanpakuto!" Whitebeard declared with a wave of his hand.
The division commanders immediately shouted their agreement.
Soon, everyone began channeling various energies, elements and even Armament Haki into the Zanpakuto in their hands!
Whitebeard personally oversaw each Zanpakuto, as aside from Pryce, he was the only one in the entire pirate crew who possessed Conqueror's Haki.
According to Pryce analysis, no matter what type of energy was infused into the Zanpakuto, as long as it merged with Conqueror's Haki, its power would be significantly amplified.
Jozu unleashed his Devil Fruit power, his massive frame and terrifying strength repeatedly slamming into the Zanpakuto in his hands.
After more than a dozen attempts, Jozu was utterly exhausted, plopping down on the ground, drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through.
"This thing seems impossible to satisfy!" Jozu said, shaking the still-unfilled Zanpakuto in his hand.