Yoriichi's heart clearly rippled.
Hikifune Kirio, with a large rice ladle on her back, smiled and said, "How about it? Isn't this gift I gave you quite good?"
"The moment I first saw you, I knew that Uta's spiritual pressure was relatively weak."
"Although she isn't a Shinigami, if her spiritual pressure is too weak, it's not very conducive to the birth of offspring."
"You two must already be married, right? If so, there's no need to be polite with me."
"You should know that the parents' spiritual pressure actually affects the talent of their offspring."
"There's still a lot of food. Let's raise Uta's spiritual pressure to Fifth Grade or higher first."
Fifth Grade is the standard spiritual pressure for a Vice-Captain, and currently, even Shiba Miyako hasn't reached that level.
Upon hearing this, Uta couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly, her face full of surprise.
As for surprise, there certainly was some, as she had always been worried about her spiritual pressure being too low.
If her spiritual pressure could be higher, Yoriichi wouldn't have to protect her everywhere.
Before this, she had been searching for ways to increase her spiritual pressure.
Unfortunately, regarding this aspect of research, even Kisuke Urahara couldn't provide any answers.
If spiritual pressure could be increased at will, it would mean that Captain-level strength could be created at will.
This was even more outrageous than Hollowfication.
Their technology was far from reaching such a level.
In fact, even a hundred years later, Hikifune Kirio's technique would still be unique.
Uta quickly said, "This is really too much trouble, Ms. Kirio, we..."
"Eh."
Hikifune Kirio interrupted Uta, "I already told you, this is a gift for you. No need to thank me."
"Besides, it doesn't affect me. On the contrary, I feel a bit lighter after losing weight."
"If you don't eat it, all this food and the spiritual pressure I've infused into it will go to waste."
Uta was momentarily speechless and could only take another bite, turning her gratitude into appetite.
One minute later, her spiritual pressure rose to Eighth Grade.
This was already comparable to a mid-level Seat Officer.
At this level, the speed of spiritual pressure increase gradually slowed down.
It wasn't until she finished a plate of food that her spiritual pressure barely remained at the Seventh Grade level.
And before her, there were at least thirty more plates of food.
Just then, Hikifune Kirio noticed that Yoriichi had only taken one bite and stopped using his chopsticks.
She asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Is the food not to your taste?"
Yoriichi was silent for a moment, then replied, "No, it tastes very good. It just has no effect."
"No effect?" Upon hearing this, Hikifune Kirio was instantly astonished.
One must know that the upper limit of spiritual pressure these foods could raise was determined by her own spiritual pressure's upper limit.
As long as the eater's spiritual pressure was below hers, there would be some degree of increase, more or less.
Before this, she was on the verge of First Grade, and after officially joining Squad Zero, she also obtained the Ōken, and her spiritual pressure even surpassed that of a Shinigami.
Yet Yoriichi said it had no effect.
Didn't this mean that his spiritual pressure was on the same level as hers?
This...
"Incredible."
Hikifune Kirio exclaimed sincerely, "Is this the talent of a top genius from another world?"
The Shinigami limit, which ordinary Shinigami might not be able to break through even after thousands of years, was easily broken by you.
"No wonder Uta said you were born extraordinary. I finally understand why the Monk holds you in such high regard now."
"If you had been born in this world, it's not impossible for you to possess talent comparable to the Soul King."
"What a pity..."
In Hikifune Kirio's view, everything Yoriichi currently possessed was likely an amplification of his talent during his human period, scaled proportionally.
According to Uta, that world was extremely ordinary, and before Yoriichi appeared, the strongest person there only had the combat power to destroy a single street.
However, it was such an ordinary and weak world that gave birth to a figure like Yoriichi.
If Yoriichi had been born in this world, his talent might have been even more dazzling...
After all, the evil in the Three Realms was much stronger than that fellow named Kibutsuji Muzan.
It was a pity, though, that he was a human soul reincarnated... But even so, his talent already surpassed that of most Shinigami.
If age and other conditions were also taken into account, even the Monk probably couldn't compare to him.
Sighing softly, Hikifune Kirio's mind was filled with myriad thoughts. Then, she raised her eyes:
"If there's no effect, then there's no effect. Uta might not be able to finish all of this, but it shouldn't go to waste."
"I don't know how long you two can stay here. If you could stay longer, I could make some more for you to take back."
"But for the food currently here, if it's left for too long, the spiritual pressure inside will dissipate..."
"Try to eat as much as you can."
She gently shook her head. If they couldn't finish it, there was nothing she could do.
Fortunately, it only consumed her fat, so even if it went to waste, there would be no loss.
At worst, she could just give it to the residents on the streets near the Soul King Palace; like Rukongai, this place was also inhabited.
Uta silently ate the food. She wasn't one to procrastinate.
Since it could help Yoriichi, she definitely had to do her best.
After eating a few plates of food, she didn't feel any fullness, as if all the food had turned into energy, continuously flowing into her body.
She only felt warm all over.
However, after eating ten plates of food, she subtly felt a bit full, as if her entire body had been roughly filled with that energy.
At this point, Uta's spiritual pressure had already risen to Fourth Grade.
Hikifune Kirio watched all of this and nodded slightly:
"Fourth Grade, huh? It seems your talent isn't bad; it was just held back by your age and human status."
"You can temporarily stop and digest. If nothing unexpected happens, after you leave here, your spiritual pressure should be able to increase to Third Grade."
"In the days to come, as long as you work hard, Second Grade isn't impossible either."
"Generally speaking, the stronger the spiritual pressure, the longer the lifespan. For the next two to three thousand years, you probably won't have to worry about the issue of lifespan anymore."
Uta nodded earnestly, "Is that so? Thank you very much, Ms. Kirio."
"I told you not to thank me."
Hikifune Kirio sighed. She looked at Yoriichi,
"You should eat some too. After all, this is a gift for you. Eating only one bite really doesn't do justice to my good intentions."
That was true.
Yoriichi was silent for a moment, then finally picked up his chopsticks again.
Although their spiritual pressures were equal, after a few plates of food, he also subtly felt a hint of warmth.
Regardless of how much spiritual pressure it raised, the taste of the food itself was indeed very good.
...
Not long after, Uta became a Captain... To be precise, she possessed Captain-level spiritual pressure.
Before arriving at Squad Zero, Yoriichi had never anticipated that an ordinary Shinigami could become a Captain so quickly.
Normally, Shinigami often had to strive for thousands of years to even have a minuscule chance of promotion.
Take Okikiba Genjirō, the Third Seat of the Gotei 13, for example; he only succeeded at the age of 1,500.
And Uta? Only twenty years old.
The gap between them was like a chasm, and the reason for such a huge difference was merely eating a meal...
If he knew this, if he had a poor mindset, he might just vomit two mouthfuls of blood.
But then again, such an opportunity was not something ordinary people could obtain.
Just the condition of reaching Squad Zero alone was enough to bar most Shinigami.
Moreover, one also had to gain Hikifune Kirio's favor; if the relationship wasn't strong enough, she wouldn't cook these foods.
Thinking of this,
Yoriichi looked at the excited expression on Uta's face and felt a bit happy himself.
"Congratulations."
Hikifune Kirio offered her congratulations. Although in her eyes, creating a Captain was not a big deal.
Because if the visitor was a Captain-level expert, eating this meal would make surpassing First Grade spiritual power not just a dream.
It was just a pity that Uta's strength wasn't strong... But fortunately, precisely because she wasn't strong, she was able to achieve such a significant improvement.
Going from Fifteenth Grade to Third Grade, in some people's eyes, was much more impressive than going from Third Grade to First Grade.
Of course, regarding this point, it was a matter of perspective.
In any case, it was good that nothing went to waste.
Thinking of this, Hikifune Kirio nodded slightly and said,
"It's getting late. You two should rest first. I'll take care of things here."
"The Monk might come tomorrow, remember to prepare in advance."
...
...
When the Monk arrived the next day, Uta had not yet woken up.
On a corridor eaves near the sky in the Buton Hall, Ichibei Hyosube sat quietly.
Yoriichi was beside him, holding a cup of hot tea.
Yoriichi took a small sip of tea, looking at the bustling, coming and going scene on the street below, his mind pondering something unknown.
The next moment, Ichibei Hyosube's voice suddenly rang out:
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, in your opinion, what is the duty of Squad Zero?"
Yoriichi's thoughts were pulled back. After a moment of thought, his answer was naturally to protect the Three Realms, as he didn't know much about Squad Zero.
The only existing records of Squad Zero before were in the books of the Spiritual Arts Academy, collectively referred to as the Royal Guard.
But after arriving at Squad Zero, he knew that Ichibei Hyosube was a Royal Guard, and the divine soldiers under the divine generals were also Royal Guards.
Any Shinigami living in the Soul King Palace with a certain level of combat power could be called by this name.
Thus, their duties naturally became clear.
Ichibei Hyosube nodded slightly, "Protecting the Three Realms? That answer is indeed correct."
"But what I want to tell you is that the duty of Squad Zero is not just that."
"We seemingly protect the Three Realms, but in reality, we protect the Soul King."
"As long as the Soul King does not die, the Three Realms will not be destroyed."
"I heard..."
He changed the subject, his eyes sharp, turning his head to look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni,
"You found parts of the Soul King's body in Hell?"
"Do you have any questions about that?"
The meaning behind his words was very obvious. One moment he said the Soul King was not dead, the next he asked about the Soul King's limbs, even though his internal organs were already damaged...
How could he say he wasn't dead?
Yoriichi thought for a moment and said,
"Of course, I do."
"Hyō—"
"Just call this old man Monk."
...
After a few seconds of pause, Yoriichi chose his words carefully and continued,
"Monk, what I want to ask is, how was the Soul King dismembered?"
"Also, since you say he isn't dead, but he has lost his organs and torso, is he truly a god?"
"This old man knew you would ask that."
Ichibei Hyosube smiled slightly, although these questions were originally ones he had deliberately led Yoriichi to ask.
He adjusted his sitting posture slightly and continued unhurriedly,
"There's still plenty of time. This old man can tell you slowly. As the master of Hell, you should know the truth of the past."
"This old man is not actually a Shinigami, because a million years ago, there was no such concept as Shinigami. This old man was the Soul King's butler..."
Ichibei Hyosube began to slowly recount the events of a million years ago.
In his opinion, Yoriichi, having control over Hell and possessing an immortal and indestructible status unaffected by the Three Realms like him, naturally held an equal position.
What did it matter if he was young? Over the span of time, looking back a million years from tens of millions of years in the future was merely equivalent to a ten-year difference for a human.
His voice was very slow, as if he was recalling and narrating at the same time.
Yoriichi hadn't listened for long before he frowned slightly. The Soul King was actually ambushed and killed by the Five Great Noble Families?
No… At that time, the Soul King must have already detected their intentions, after all, the Soul King possessed the power of The Almighty.
Yet, the Soul King did not resist. Does this mean the Soul King willingly sought death?
The truth seems somewhat convoluted, but one fact cannot be denied.
That is, everything the Shinigami possess today is built upon the sacrifice of the Soul King.
More precisely, the emergence of the Five Great Noble Families led to the glory of the Shinigami.
They are akin to rebels who usurped power… No wonder Kyōraku Shunsui showed such an expression back then.
Yoriichi finally understood everything.
"After the Soul King's hands were severed, his feet cut off, and his internal organs removed, I placed him in the Soul King Palace," Ichibei Hyosube continued.
"However, even after that, the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Families, remained unsatisfied."
"They feared that one day the Soul King would revive, regain all his power, and destroy them."
"So they sealed him in a contradictory spiral, where he was simultaneously alive and dead."
"Until now, a million years later, the future foreseen by the Soul King has still not arrived."
"And you, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, your appearance has brought about slight changes to the predetermined future. Only the Soul King's power can influence the future he has seen."
"You found the Soul King's organs and body; this is a variable."
"Logically, I should kill you, as the future seen by the Soul King is the correct future."
"However, your existence once reclaimed Hell, and because of that, I cannot make up my mind."
Yoriichi knew that Ichibei Hyosube wasn't just talking; in that very sentence, he had indeed felt a substantial killing intent.
Although that killing intent disappeared in an instant…
"So…"
After a moment of silence, Yoriichi continued, "Your purpose in finding me is to have me continue the future foreseen by the Soul King?"
…
Ichibei Hyosube gave Yoriichi Tsugikuni a meaningful look.
Then, he gently shook his head.
"Of course not."
"Only the Soul King himself knows the correct future; I am not the Soul King…"
"Even if I were to make you continue that so-called correct future, who could know what that 'correct' future truly looks like…"
"How much have you already changed this future…"
"From the moment you found the Soul King's body, the future had already changed."
"Therefore, what we need to do now is not to correct the future, but to continue forward according to the future after your appearance…"
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, are you interested in lending us a hand?"
…
"What should I do?" Although Ichibei Hyosube's words greatly surprised Yoriichi.
After some conversation, he had already learned the truth from a million years ago and understood the Soul King's current situation.
But no matter how he looked at it, he was just an ordinary Shinigami.
At most, he was stronger and had more Reiatsu, but Yoriichi knew in his heart that no matter how strong he was, he was no match for this monk.
Ichibei Hyosube's physique was simply extraordinary.
His body, transformed by the Soul King, had already reached an immortal state.
A million years of experience had also honed his various human skills to their peak…
Yoriichi had a premonition that even if Yamamoto Genryusai activated his Bankai, he would probably be punched into Hell by him.
The title of the strongest in the Three Realms was well-deserved.
Ichibei Hyosube pondered for a moment, then said, "Well, regarding that, I haven't quite figured it out yet."
"But I know that whether it's changing the future before or changing the future after, at a certain specific point in time, what is destined to happen will eventually happen."
"Because that is the ultimate future chosen by the Soul King."
"The Almighty is not the ability to see the future, but the ability to choose the future."
"Even if the Soul King's body contains a part of his power, as long as this power cannot reach the level of the complete Soul King, then the ultimate future cannot be changed."
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, I hope you can search for the Soul King's other body parts as much as possible before relevant events occur."
"Currently, it is known that the Soul King's right hand is in Soul Society, the Soul King's left hand is in the Wandenreich, and the Soul King's lungs and left foot are in your possession."
"Some fragments of the Soul King's organs formed Fullbringers, scattered throughout the Human World."
"Fragments aside, only complete organs can be effective."
"I hope you can find these."
"In return, I can grant you a portion of the Soul King Palace's authority."
…
The information contained in these words was a bit much, and Yoriichi uncharacteristically thought for a while.
After a moment, he slowly raised his eyes and asked,
"The Soul King's left hand is in the Wandenreich?"
"Monk, do you know the location of the Wandenreich?"
"I do not know," Ichibei Hyosube said, shaking his head. "Although I participated in that war back then, it was as a third party."
"In that war, I gave the Soul King's left hand to Yhwach, thereby sealing his The Almighty."
"If you ask why… it was the Soul King's will."
"The Soul King's left hand controls the power of advancement."
"Its ability is quite special; it can forcibly fix another person's state at a certain moment in the future… Of course, this was the situation a thousand years ago."
"And this ability could only be used when it was in my hands."
"After so long, its form may have changed."
"I don't expect you to retrieve it, but if you encounter it, please don't let it go."
Is it another ability similar to time control… It subtly has the effect of foresight.
Because forced constancy means the user needs to selectively screen the state of others.
Yhwach being sealed… was probably fixed at a moment when he couldn't use The Almighty.
If not for his long lifespan, he would probably age instantly…
Each body part represents a rule… This task is truly daunting, Yoriichi couldn't help but sigh:
"Monk, I can only say I'll do my best."
"Am I the only one?"
"You are the only one…" Speaking of this, Ichibei Hyosube suddenly seemed to remember something and immediately changed his tone,
"No, your wife can also participate."
"Not just your wife, but also the humans in your world can join the task of finding the Soul King's limbs."
"Each of you is a variable, an existence the Soul King did not foresee."
"If anyone in the Three Realms can find the Soul King's limbs, it can only be you all."
Upon hearing this, Yoriichi understood everything.
To change a stagnant pool, one can only introduce things from outside the stagnant pool.
The heavier the weight, the greater the quantity introduced, the more obvious the ripples will be.
Listening to the monk, Yoriichi suddenly realized that his impulsive actions before had, by chance, been the right ones.
Because if he hadn't connected the two worlds, the foreign objects introduced into the stagnant pool of the Three Realms would only be himself and Uta.
Even if his weight could cause large splashes in the stagnant water, without subsequent power, it would not be able to connect it to the nearby flowing water.
Yoriichi nodded thoughtfully:
"I understand, but the Three Realms are so vast, even if I wanted to find them, it would probably be decades or even centuries later."
"Monk…"
"No matter," Ichibei Hyosube waved his hand indifferently.
"Mere centuries, even a thousand years, are but a flick of a finger in my eyes."
"You are still young now; when you live to ten thousand years old, you will understand that time is just a string of numbers."
"You, who control Hell, you, who possess an immortal body, why should you care about these things."
That's true, but he hasn't reached ten thousand years old yet.
A thousand years already seemed out of reach to him.
Suddenly transforming from a short-lived species to a long-lived one, his mindset was bound to undergo a change.
He could only slowly adapt.
Yoriichi sighed slightly, and the two continued to talk about the Soul King for a while.
Yoriichi asked about the Fullbringers mentioned earlier by Ichibei Hyosube.
The Soul King's fragments… The words he had discussed with Kyōraku Shunsui back then were proving true again.
There were many of these people, truly many, at least double digits in the Human World.
Even if the power they possessed was only a tiny fraction of the Soul King's, if it was the power of rules, it would still be quite troublesome.
When searching for the Soul King's organs, he would inevitably have to deal with them.
…
After some time, Ichibei Hyosube left the Wotondai.
Although he had only chatted with him for less than an hour, in that short hour, Yoriichi learned everything that had happened in the past.
At the same time, he also understood the responsibilities he needed to fulfill in the future.
The task was arduous… But after all, he was an outsider; if he hadn't appeared, the future would not have changed.
Since it was caused by him, he naturally had to resolve it himself.
Yoriichi watched Ichibei Hyosube's retreating back. At this moment, Uta had appeared outside the room at some point, carefully peeking inside.
Only after Ichibei Hyosube had completely disappeared did she patter over to Yoriichi and ask,
"Yoriichi, what happened?"
Due to overeating yesterday, some energy had accumulated in her body and had not yet been digested. To lighten her body's burden while sleeping, her consciousness had fallen into a deep slumber.
When she woke up, it was already bright, seemingly late morning… No, the Soul King Palace itself had no distinction between day and night.
It was eternal day.
In any case, Yoriichi wasn't beside her, and she found that her Reiatsu had increased slightly again.
After searching for a while, she found Yoriichi talking with the Shinigami named Ichibei Hyosube.
So she had waited outside the door until now, only daring to show herself after Ichibei Hyosube left.
Yoriichi slowly stood up, his expression complex, and reached out to rub her head, sighing softly, "It's nothing, rest easy, Uta."
"You sighed, and you say it's nothing," Uta slightly raised her eyes, her tone full of complaint, "The Yoriichi I know wouldn't be frowning all day. What did that person tell you?"
"I have already reached Third-Grade Spiritual Power; I can help you now."
…
Yoriichi was silent for a moment. Then, he walked out of the house, his calm voice following him, "It's very complicated, Uta, I can't explain it in a short time…"
"Then make it short, or I can quietly listen to you tell everything, piece by piece. We have all the time in the world, Yoriichi."
Uta watched his back.
Yoriichi's steps paused for a moment, then resumed normally. He slowly said, "Alright, if you want to hear it, then come."
Upon hearing this, Uta's face re-bloomed with a smile. She quickly followed, linking her arm through Yoriichi's, her tone full of joy, seemingly happy to be able to help Yoriichi,
"That's right, Yoriichi, don't forget we are husband and wife. This relationship will last for at least a few thousand more years."
"I wonder when the things Yoruichi sent will take effect…"
"Yoriichi, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
…
…
Hueco Mundo.
Forest of Menos.
Gojoshibe Kenpachi felt that things had been very strange recently.
He didn't know how many years he had been here, but recently, some Menos Grande would run away as soon as they saw him.
They would also shout things like 'Shinigami are here!'
'We're going to die, we're going to die!' They looked as if they had seen a ghost.
They were Shinigami, and yet they weren't Shinigami.
Why were they so scared?
Gojoshibe Kenpachi once suspected that Ashido had done something behind his back, otherwise, it wouldn't have turned out this way.
But after some probing, he found that Ashido's behavior was completely normal.
Every day he was either killing Hollows or on his way to kill Hollows.
When killing Hollows, his movements were clean and precise. Given his limited strength, it was generally unlikely for him to cause widespread panic among Hollows.
Moreover, the Menos Grande showed the exact same expressions and spoke the same words when they saw Ashido as they did when they saw Gojoshibe Kenpachi.
This made the situation incredibly confusing.
These Menos Grande… no, what exactly is happening outside?
Gojoshibe Kenpachi desperately wanted to find out, but he had lost his Bankai and couldn't break through the upper surface of the Forest of Menos and Hueco Mundo.
That material looked fragile; Yoriichi and Ulquiorra, during their battles with Baraggan, could tear through it like paper.
But in reality, even an average Captain would struggle to penetrate it, and he couldn't ask Ashido for help; the strongest of the Shinigami he brought were only Seat Officer level.
They weren't even as powerful as an Adjuchas.
There was nothing he could do but wait passively, or, if he was lucky, find a section of the surface that had been previously broken through by a powerful individual.
Even if he found one, there was no guarantee that a Menos Grande would be willing to tell him the truth.
He hadn't eaten the Face-Face Fruit; once he encountered a Menos Grande, it usually turned into a fight to the death.
It was truly frustrating to think back; why had he, in a moment of recklessness, ventured so deep into the Forest of Menos that he had no way out?
Had the ten-year limit passed?
It shouldn't have yet.
Sighing deeply, Gojoshibe Kenpachi continued his search for Menos Grande that day, trying to understand the situation, and just as he found one—
Before he could even open his mouth to ask—
Boom!
The surface above instantly collapsed by one layer, and countless grains of sand rained down. Silver moonlight poured in, and Gojoshibe Kenpachi looked up, vaguely seeing some figures.
Due to the backlight, he couldn't see clearly, but they were close enough for him to hear voices.
"Found him! It's Vice-Captain Gojoshibe!"
"Those things developed by the Twelfth Division are really useful! Vice-Captain Gojoshibe, you're really not dead! Wait, we'll pull you up now."
"Besides you, are there any other Shinigami in the Forest of Menos?"
Gojoshibe Kenpachi couldn't help but inwardly complain, "No... when did I become Vice-Captain Gojoshibe?"
"Even when we conquered Hueco Mundo, I was still a Captain, right?"
"What, by staying in Hueco Mundo, has time flowed backward?"
"Have I returned to over a hundred years ago?"
At this moment, as time passed, the faces of the figures silhouetted above gradually became clear.
Gojoshibe recognized them; they were some of the former Seat Officers from the Eleventh Division who were his peers.
He also vaguely heard a few other words.
"Captain Kuruyashiki..."
"Aizen..."
These words.
This was bad.
Gojoshibe Kenpachi's expression changed. He wasn't very familiar with Aizen; he vaguely remembered him as the Vice-Captain of the Fifth Divsion.
But how could the term "Captain Kuruyashiki" come out of these people's mouths?
He had become a Vice-Captain...
So, he really had gone back over a hundred years?
When these individuals descended, Gojoshibe Kenpachi finally understood that what had changed was not his time, but Kuruyashiki's time.
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki—had been revived.
Upon hearing this.
Gojoshibe was first delighted, then immediately fell into deep worry.
He knew who he was, and he knew who Kenpachi Kuruyashiki had wanted him to be back then.
The direction he had deviated in now was not just completely opposite, but entirely irrelevant.
If Kenpachi Kuruyashiki were to notice this...
He was in trouble!
...
...
"I'm very disappointed, Gojoshibe."
As expected, the unexpected happened. Gojoshibe Kenpachi's little scheme could not be hidden from Kenpachi Kuruyashiki at all.
Because a slight comparison with what Ashido had said would reveal it.
During Gojoshibe Kenpachi's adventures in the Forest of Menos over the past few years, he had relied on nothing but his eloquent tongue.
Killed Szayelaporro?
Ashido's mind wasn't deranged; how could he easily believe such a claim?
Even tracing back to that year, over a hundred years ago, Szayelaporro's spiritual pressure was at an average second-class level.
A third-class Gojoshibe, even if he tried his best, probably couldn't even break through his Hierro...
A complex expression appeared on Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's face.
He looked at Gojoshibe Kenpachi, who stood before him with downcast eyes, as if trying to evade responsibility and reality through silence after making a mistake, and sighed softly:
"It's one thing to borrow others' prestige, but to even try to escape the duty of a Kenpachi through feigned death, Gojoshibe, you've truly disappointed me too much."
"It's only been a mere hundred years; how could you have become like this?"
"A hundred years isn't short," Gojoshibe Kenpachi muttered to himself.
The reason for his change in personality was because Kenpachi Azashiro fell too quickly.
Such a powerful person, yet he was imprisoned just like that, without any power to resist.
He thought that since he couldn't control his own fate anyway, he might as well just give up.
But the position of Kenpachi could only be passed on to someone else after his death.
In other words, no matter how much he slacked off during missions, he would ultimately die.
Having understood this, Gojoshibe Kenpachi once fell into anxiety, and his personality gradually became irritable.
Then one day, a mission to conquer Hueco Mundo suddenly appeared, and Gojoshibe Kenpachi thought his end was near...
But after entering Hueco Mundo and being rescued by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he realized...
This was clearly an opportunity... an opportunity to survive.
As long as he "died," the position of Kenpachi would be transferred to someone else.
By then, when he reappeared, he would be free of worries and could even receive a death benefit payment...
How could he miss such a win-win situation?
Moreover, this action didn't harm anyone; it was just a bit unethical in its methods.
Gojoshibe Kenpachi believed he hadn't done anything wrong. If any Shinigami who didn't want to die were in his shoes, they would surely make the same choice.
Vaguely hearing Gojoshibe's murmuring, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's expression slightly darkened. This kid was truly too out of line.
He had known he was afraid of death back then, but he hadn't expected him to be afraid to this extent.
If Yoriichi Tsugikuni hadn't revived him early and thus discovered Gojoshibe's scheme...
Then when Gojoshibe reappeared sometime in the future, his plan might actually have succeeded.
It's not that this behavior is bad; cherishing life is human nature, but what about the next Kenpachi?
Thinking of this, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki said solemnly:
"I will report this matter to the Captain-Commander, Gojoshibe. Prepare to face the punishment."
"Although I want to turn a blind eye, your actions have seriously crossed the line for a Shinigami."
"Claiming false credit, feigning death to avoid disaster, and I won't even mention the final fraud for the death benefits."
"Just the first two alone are enough to send you to Seretei's Prison for a thousand years."
"What?!" When Kenpachi Kuruyashiki mentioned Seretei's Prison, Gojoshibe instantly lost his composure.
Although Seretei's Prison wasn't as severe as Muken, being imprisoned for a thousand years in any place was an extremely difficult punishment.
"Captain, can't you give me a chance?" Gojoshibe pleaded, "I just wanted to retire peacefully. Is that wrong?"
"I never even thought of becoming a Kenpachi back then. If Kenpachi Azashiro hadn't suddenly been imprisoned, the Captain position of the Eleventh Division wouldn't have fallen to me."
"I've been so low-key, yet I still couldn't escape the Captain-Commander's assignment... Ultimately, it's all your fault, Captain."
Gojoshibe Kenpachi's voice suddenly rose a few octaves,
"If you hadn't suddenly passed away without a word back then and left me to Jigon, how would I have become like this?"
Without Kenpachi Azashiro, there would be no Gojoshibe Kenpachi today. If Kenpachi Kuruyashiki had resisted back then, none of this would have happened.
This was also something Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was currently regretting.
Hearing Gojoshibe bring this up, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Regarding this matter, I indeed did wrong, but that is absolutely no reason for you to neglect your duties and deceive your comrades."
"It's come to this; you don't need to say anything more."
"Gojoshibe, will you surrender willingly, or do you want me to do it myself?"
"..." Gojoshibe Kenpachi fell silent, and in the end, he chose the former.
Not being able to defeat Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was one thing; more importantly, he couldn't lay a hand on Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.
He was merely afraid of death, not trying to betray the Shinigami.
Seeing this, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki took him away.
Along the way, he confessed:
"Gojoshibe, don't say I didn't help you. The Forty-Six Chambers, which is now responsible for judging and sentencing Shinigami crimes, has undergone a major overhaul."
"That Yoriichi Tsugikuni you mentioned, Captain Tsugikuni, is also among them."
"Although I'm not sure if he knows about your actions, I suggest you confess everything to him yourself and admit your mistakes."
"This way, you might be able to get a chance for a reduced sentence."
"Otherwise, once your crimes are confirmed, if you're unlucky, you might be imprisoned in Muken."
Upon hearing the words "Muken," Gojoshibe's body noticeably trembled.
Other prisons at least offered a way out; whether it was Seretei's Prison or other prisons, after enduring a thousand years, one would emerge as a new person.
But Muken, there truly was no way out. Once inside, if nothing unexpected happened, the only outcome was to die of old age inside.
Just like the prisons for serious offenders in the Human World, sentences often started at several hundred years, some even lasting thousands or tens of thousands of years.
God knows why humans could live that long; it was clearly a life sentence... Thinking of this, Gojoshibe's face showed despair:
"I was wrong, Captain. I shouldn't have been ungrateful, nor should I have thought of escaping responsibility..."
"Do you think I still have a chance?"
...
...
On the other side.
"I was deceived?"
Upon learning that he had been deceived by Gojoshibe Kenpachi, Ashido's expression slightly changed.
He had thought Gojoshibe Kenpachi was truly strong, but he turned out to be all show and no substance.
It was bad enough that he borrowed others' prestige, but he even claimed others' achievements as his own...
If he hadn't encountered this group of Shinigami today, who knows when Gojoshibe's true nature would have been exposed.
He was simply too despicable. How could such a person be a Kenpachi?
Compared to the former Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, there was a world of difference in character.
Taking a deep breath, Ashido asked:
"Then, who exactly killed Szayelaporro?"
The Shinigami directly opposite him stammered in response, "It should be Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Vice-Captain Tsugikuni, right?"
"No," a Shinigami nearby who knew the truth retorted, "It's Captain Tsugikuni."
"During your time in Hueco Mundo, Vice-Captain Tsugikuni, who previously served in the Tenth Division, has become the Captain of the Ninth Division."
"Ashido, I recognize you; a Seat Officer from over a hundred years ago."
"If you want to express your gratitude, go find him in the Ninth Division. It was he who revived Captain Kuruyashiki back then."
"All of us in the Eleventh Division are very grateful to him."
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni?" Ashido murmured the name to himself. A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes as he learned the truth.
Reviving Kenpachi Kuruyashiki...
This was indeed a tremendous kindness, as he admired Kenpachi Kuruyashiki the most.
This was far more significant than Gojoshibe Kenpachi's falsely claimed achievements.
He wanted to meet this person.
However, the most pressing matter was to leave Hueco Mundo first. With Kuruyashiki having appeared, there was no longer any need to remain here.