In the end, Gosuke Shigure did not open a tavern.
Leaving aside the fact that taverns were already a fiercely competitive business in Seireitei, the constant flow of people alone was enough to make him lose interest.
He had always preferred quiet over bustle.
After all, he had never intended to open one for profit.
As for what he would do next
He had already thought it through.
Once Urahara Kisuke had firmly established himself in the Human World, Gosuke Shigure intended to open a small general shop of his own.
The source of its goods would, naturally, come from Urahara Kisuke.
In truth, Urahara's shop in the Human World did not generate much revenue in the manga timeline.
Yet that hardly mattered. his endless stream of inventions alone proved that he was not someone who could tolerate stagnation.
Rather than inventing alone, why not profit together?
Because of his status as a wanted criminal, Urahara Kisuke could not openly sell many of his creations within Soul Society.
Gosuke Shigure, however, carried no such restriction.
Acting as an intermediary quietly circulating Kisuke's inventions within Soul Society was not only feasible, but efficient.
As for the risks?
Those were problems for the future.
For now, Gosuke Shigure's resignation had left Gotei Thirteen facing a far more urgent issue:
Too many vacant captain positions.
The Eleventh Division required no attention.
Though Gosuke Shigure had stepped down, everything had been arranged in advance.
Zaraki Kenpachi possessed overwhelming Reiatsu, ferocious combat instincts, and absolute dominance in battle.
He fully deserved the title of Kenpachi.
No objections could stand.
The real problems lay elsewhere.
The Second Division
The Second Division was unique.
It was not merely a combat unit, but the core of the Onmitsukidō, responsible for assassination, intelligence, and covert operations.
For generations, it had been commanded by the Shihōin Clan.
The former captain, Shihōin Yoruichi, was widely known as the Flash Goddess one of the fastest Shinigami in Soul Society's history.
Now, she had vanished.
The question was unavoidable:
Who could possibly replace her?
Yoruichi did have a younger brother, Shihōin Yūshirō, but he was still far too young.
His spiritual power, experience, and authority were nowhere near the level required of a captain.
Leaving the Second Division vacant indefinitely was not an option.
At this critical juncture, Shihōin Yoruichi's predecessor, who had long since retired from active duty, submitted a proposal to Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
The solution was unconventional but practical.
Select a suitable candidate from among the noble houses allied with the Shihōin Clan, and appoint them as an acting captain.
At first glance, it seemed unthinkable.
Yet on closer inspection, it made sense.
For centuries, these lesser noble families had formed the backbone of the Onmitsukidō.
Their loyalty to the Shihōin Clan was absolute.
Once Shihōin Yūshirō matured, the position could be formally returned to the Shihōin family.
Thus, the Second Division's crisis had at least temporarily a path forward.
The Third Division
The Third Division faced a far more difficult situation.
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō had only become captain a few years before the Hollowfication incident, following the retirement of his predecessor.
Finding a suitable candidate for that role had already taken considerable time.
Now, with Rōjūrō gone, the Third Division was once again without leadership.
And this time, the pool of eligible candidates was far thinner.
The Fifth Division
The Fifth Division, by contrast, appeared deceptively simple.
Hirako Shinji had been captain for many years.
Under his leadership, the Fifth Division had flourished.
Within the division, there were multiple officers with sufficient experience and strength to step up.
Yet the name that Central 46 and Yamamoto himself could not ignore was Aizen Sōsuke.
Previously, Urahara Kisuke had accused Aizen of orchestrating the Hollowfication incident.
Central 46's investigation, however, had declared Aizen innocent.
And yet
The mere fact that Kisuke had accused him was not meaningless.
Aizen's spiritual pressure, composure, and intellect were undeniably captain-class.
In a time when filling vacancies had become urgent, Captain Yamamoto authorized a formal captaincy evaluation for Aizen Sōsuke.
The decision weighed heavily on his mind.
The Seventh Division
The Seventh Division bore the responsibility of internal security and suppressing rebellion alongside the First Division.
Its captain had to embody unwavering loyalty to Soul Society.
Love Aikawa, the former captain, had possessed both strength and conviction.
Now that he was gone, the question remained:
Who could shoulder that burden?
This, too, required careful deliberation.
The Eighth Division
The Eighth Division, while wounded, was stable.
Though Yadōmaru Lisa had vanished, Kyōraku Shunsui remained.
Captain Yamamoto trusted Kyōraku's ability absolutely.
The Eighth Division could wait.
The Ninth Division
The Ninth Division was, by far, the most tragic case.
Originally tasked with investigating the disappearance of souls in Rukongai, nearly the entire division's elite had been annihilated.
Captain Muguruma Kensei — Hollowfied
Vice-Captain Mashiro Kuna — Hollowfied
Multiple seated officers — lost
The division was effectively decapitated.
At present, the highest-ranking surviving officer was the Fifth Seat, Tōsen Kaname.
That Tōsen had survived was pure coincidence.
On the day of the incident, he had remained behind due to illness.
That absence saved his life.
To most, this was simply another tragedy.
To Gosuke Shigure, it was something else entirely.
Tōsen Kaname…
So the path hasn't changed.
Even after everything I said back then…
You're still walking toward Aizen.
His expression darkened.
Those who cling to obsession and call it justice…
Are the hardest to save.
If fate truly remains unchanged…
Then I'll cut you down myself in the future.
The words were calm
But beneath them lay a deep frustration.
A bitterness born from watching someone walk knowingly toward ruin.
And beneath all of it
The undercurrents of a far greater storm continued to gather, unseen.