BOOOOM!!!
A terrifying surge erupted.
Suspended in midair, Bai Chen's Zanpakutō—Wood Dragon—shot upward in an instant, bursting with a blinding emerald radiance!
Along with it came his hoarse, all-out shout.
A brand-new Wood-Release secret art—used for the very first time—
"Descend!!!"
"Giant Wood Golem!!!"
The moment the words fell, emerald reiatsu detonated outward—vast as an ocean.
It spread across the sky like a tide.
In only a few breaths, it forcibly seized control of the entire firmament, staining the clouds and even the air itself with a green halo.
The visual impact was overwhelming.
"What kind of ability is that…?"
"Summoning a giant wood golem—are you kidding me?!"
"Other than Bai Chen and his Zanpakutō Wood Dragon…"
"Who else could even force something that massive to take shape with reiatsu…?"
Far away in the safe zone, the purification unit stared up at the sky—most of them squinting hard, nearly unable to open their eyes under the glare.
Right then, Yachiru's bright, cute laugh broke the stunned silence, clear as a bell.
"See? I told you!"
"A-White had his counterattack ready from the start!"
It only made them feel even more unreal.
"This is absurd…"
"He has dual Zanpakutō—and each one is this strong?!"
Watching Bai Chen's towering silhouette, Ikkaku fell into a daze.
Deep in his eyes, something hot and hungry stirred—the pure craving for power.
Then he looked down at the weapon in his own hands.
That long spear-shaped hunk of metal that suddenly felt… pathetic.
"Damn…"
"They're both weapons for fighting…"
"So how is the gap this huge?!"
He couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Compared to Bai Chen's Zanpakutō, the weapon he'd relied on for years felt like scrap iron—instantly worthless.
"Ikkaku…"
"Back when you fought Bai Chen, Boss Zaraki actually had that moment…"
"That split-second impulse to become a Shinigami."
Yumichika's emotions were just as stirred.
His expression was complicated—yet full of yearning as he spoke:
"After this mess is over…"
"The three of us should go to Seireitei together."
In that moment, Yumichika truly made up his mind.
No matter what, once this was done, they would leave the past behind and join the Gotei 13—become Shinigami with real Zanpakutō.
Because compared to ordinary blade work…
Yumichika wanted what Bai Chen had.
The ability to lift a hand and command the sky.
In the Sky—The Birth of a Godlike Giant
Under countless awestruck stares, all that green reiatsu—guided by Bai Chen's will—began compressing with perfect order.
Yammy and Ulquiorra watched with open hostility.
Then, piece by piece, the mass condensed into a humanoid outline—
A titanic shape taking form.
"What… is that?!"
Cold sweat beaded on Yammy's forehead.
His savage, ground-shattering steps abruptly stopped.
An inexplicable dread rose in his chest, choking him.
For the first time since transforming, he hesitated—afraid to move forward.
Behind him, Ulquiorra still wore a blank expression—
But his emerald eyes narrowed sharply.
As if he'd just seen something truly terrifying.
Yes.
Even the Black-Winged Demon felt shock—
and fear—
at what Wood Dragon was shaping into.
BOOOOM—!!
A heavy impact slammed into the earth.
The ground heaved.
A deafening sonic blast rippled outward, like dimensional shockwaves detonating every reishi in the air.
And within the towering emerald glow—
A colossal wooden colossus descended.
Hundreds of meters tall.
Its head punched through the clouds.
Its body rose like a pillar holding up the heavens.
It stood—vast, solemn, and crushingly immense.
Under the sun, the shadow it cast alone swallowed Yammy whole.
Yammy's own already-ridiculous size suddenly looked… small.
Not threatening.
Not imposing.
More like a toddler standing before a two-meter adult.
A violent contrast.
"A Giant Wood Golem…!"
"Bigger than Wrath-Beast Yammy by several times?!"
"This is insane!!!"
The Shinigami turned to stone.
Their eyes widened until they almost couldn't contain the colossus in their vision.
If the released Wrath Beast brought despair…
Then this truly sky-bracing wooden deity brought something else entirely:
The feeling of witnessing a god.
A pressure so absolute it made you want to kneel and worship on instinct.
The Wood Dragon… as an "Accessory"
"Wood Dragon…"
"That sky-piercing wood dragon from the First Division courtyard…"
"The one that intimidated every Captain…"
"It's wrapped around one of the golem's arms?!"
"Is this 'Wood Golem' really not a Bankai?!"
Yachiru Unohana's lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, looked like she'd seen a ghost.
She clapped both hands over her mouth.
The shock nearly made her faint on the spot.
"Lieutenant Isane… you're right."
"Bai Chen's Wood Dragon is getting more outrageous by the minute…"
"This giant wooden deity…"
"Is this seriously just a Shikai technique…?!"
"That's not fair!!!"
Even Chōjirō Sasakibe broke.
He cursed under his breath—completely losing his composure, jealousy burning through him.
He'd always known Wood Dragon was a Zanpakutō whose Shikai rivaled others' Bankai…
But he genuinely believed raising forests and dragons was already the limit of a wood-type blade.
And now?
That wood dragon that once terrified Captains was literally an ornament on the golem's arm.
It was so absurd that even seeing it with his own eyes, Sasakibe felt like he was going insane.
Even if Bai Chen was an ally…
Even if he was their savior…
Sasakibe couldn't stop the envy.
He was practically drooling.
Seireitei — 5th Division Underground Chamber
BANG—!!
BANG!!
BANG—!!
The instant the Giant Wood Golem descended—
The hidden surveillance devices planted near the Zaraki District, used to record data in secret, all spiked beyond their maximum load.
Every screen blew out.
Every instrument shattered.
They couldn't record anything.
They simply exploded.
"?!"
"What… is going on?!"
"All the monitoring equipment just detonated?!"
"What the hell happened in the Zaraki District…?"
"What kind of phenomenon could cause something like this?!"
Amid flying glass and crackling sparks, the three figures observing from the shadows—
Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen—
all cried out in alarm.
"Aizen-taichō…"
Gin's smile finally faltered.
"Looks like the situation's… not good."
For once, the fox-eyed man looked lost—genuinely unsure how to react.
And Aizen?
The man who always controlled everything—
was no longer calm.
His brows knit tight.
"Something that obvious…"
"I don't need you to point it out."
Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed, staring at the broken glass littering the floor.
"Aizen-sama…"
"Could it be Yammy or Ulquiorra released…?"
"And their pressure overload destroyed the devices?"
Tōsen asked urgently, fighting down panic.
But Aizen shut him down immediately.
"Impossible."
He spoke with cold certainty—and clear disdain.
"Tōsen, you're overestimating the power of an Espada's release."
"Even if Ulquiorra released…"
"The pressure at that moment wouldn't reach Seireitei from the Zaraki District."
"Only reiatsu so great that even space can't bear it…"
"could produce something this abnormal."
At that moment, something stirred inside Aizen.
A rare impulse.
He wanted to go there himself.
Not because he wanted to contradict his own plan—
But because…
He was starting to worry.
What if something truly unpredictable happened?
What if Ulquiorra was killed?
Then it wouldn't just be the loss of his most loyal subordinate—
It would be worse.
Ulquiorra's Shared Vision would vanish with him.
The footage.
The truth.
All gone.
Aizen could tolerate many things.
But he could not tolerate losing control of the board.
And right now—
He could feel the invasion drifting away from his expectations.
Back to the Zaraki District — A One-Sided Crush Begins
"Shunpō—!!"
Bai Chen vanished from the air.
When he reappeared, he stood atop the Giant Wood Golem's head.
Left hand: the scythe-shaped Wood Dragon.
Right hand: the massive crimson Great Fire Extinguishing Fan.
High above, the freezing wind battered him.
His black hair danced.
His Shihakushō snapped like a banner.
He looked glorious—overwhelming—like a god gazing down on the world.
Bai Chen smiled.
"Now I finally understand…"
"Why, during the Shinobi War…"
"Uchiha Madara—and that second-pillar Sasuke…"
"Loved summoning the complete Susanoo."
He looked down at Yammy—who was staring up at him, trembling with fear.
Then Bai Chen said, satisfied—almost delighted:
"This 'piloting a Gundam' feeling…"
"It's basically unbeatable."
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