'Believe in your own power?'
After understanding the essence of Ichigo's Bankai Training, Kyoya couldn't help but sigh.
Believing in one's own power was easy to say, but how many could actually do it?
Among them, Ichibe'e, the creator of the Zero Division, was one.
He possessed the ability to name all things in the world and bestow them characteristics, as well as control everything in the world that possessed the concept of [black].
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the 'invincible' being in the Bleach World, second only to the Soul King.
Because he believed in his own power, he didn't pay much attention when Yhwach appeared.
Even after being killed by Yhwach and resurrected from Ichigo's call, Ichibe'e wasn't worried at all.
Even knowing that the future world would be ruled by Yhwach, and the world suitable for Shinigami would be transformed into the primordial world of chaos between life and death, Ichibe'e wouldn't waver.
For Ichibe'e, it didn't matter who controlled this world… after all, he was the only one who could appoint a new [Soul King] by decree to stabilize the world.
Whether it was making Yhwach the Soul King or turning Ichigo into the Soul King, it made no difference to Ichibe'e.
The second was the Gotei 13's Captain-Commander, Yamamoto!
As the 'strongest Shinigami in a thousand years', Yamamoto had not been without failures.
Kyoya didn't know about those before he matured, so he skipped them.
A thousand years ago, Yhwach, before his eyes were sealed by Ichibe'e, was stronger than Yamamoto at that time. Otherwise, he couldn't have entered the Soul King Palace with his Schutzstaffel to negotiate with Ichibe'e.
Additionally, there was the ancient Menos outside Hueco Mundo who defeated Yamamoto before ascending to the Soul King Palace and was made into a Zanpakuto by Ichibe'e.
But these failures didn't make Yamamoto lose confidence in his own power.
In the Thousand-Year Blood War, Royd Lloyd, through his ability [The Yourself], transformed into a Yhwach whose strength was no less than Yhwach's from a thousand years ago.
Otherwise, Yamamoto wouldn't have been unable to tell the difference.
But while Yamamoto needed Sasakibe's sneak attack to finally kill Yhwach a thousand years ago, Royd Lloyd was easily killed by Yamamoto in a short time a thousand years later.
However, just as Sasakibe gave Yamamoto the chance to kill Yhwach a thousand years ago, Royd Lloyd also created the opportunity for the real Yhwach to kill Yamamoto.
Even Kyoya himself...
Thinking of himself, Kyoya's body paused slightly.
He also believed in his own power.
However, what he believed in was the power granted by the [Pirate Achievement System].
He was not a genius.
Kyoya knew this during his time going to the Seireitei with Rangiku.
Without the Pirate Achievement System, his limit would probably be at the seated officer-level.
Moreover, reaching 5th-class Spiritual Power and completing his Zanpakuto's Shikai would take at least two hundred years.
It was only after activating the [Pirate Achievement System] upon entering the Shin'o Academy that Kyoya step by step reached where he was today.
Although, even if Kyoya lost the Pirate Achievement System now, the abilities he gained wouldn't weaken in the slightest.
For Kyoya, the Pirate Achievement System was still his greatest and strongest confidence.
Kyoya clenched his right hand tightly, feeling the foundation that had solidified slightly after realizing his own reliance, and felt quite enlightened.
At his level of strength, he had almost reached the limit below the Soul King. Every bit of improvement represented a deeper foundation for Kyoya, and naturally, so did the increase in strength.
Often, being just a bit higher meant being immeasurably superior!
Just like Yhwach with his eyes open and Ichibe'e, the two were almost at the same level.
But judging from their battle performance, it was almost a crushing victory for Yhwach.
Although he already understood the essence of Ichigo's Bankai Training, Kyoya didn't expose it.
'Belief' wasn't something that could be instilled just by someone saying something.
Although Ichigo was only sixteen, because he witnessed his mother's death before his eyes and had an unreliable father, Ichigo grew from a weak, bullied child into a reliable big brother whom people could depend on.
He had his own sense of right and wrong and knew what he wanted.
What Kyoya needed to do was, like the Quincy Zangetsu, not interfere and simply watch Ichigo's growth.
…
Whoosh, whoosh-
Kukaku's figure flickered in the night, secretly infiltrating towards the Repentance Cell.
Although the distance from the 13th Division to the Repentance Cell was far, for someone like Kukaku, even choosing to infiltrate stealthily to avoid attention wouldn't take half a day.
However, while Kukaku was heading from the 13th Division towards the Repentance Cell, she was intercepted by the 2nd Division's Captain Sui-Feng leading the Onmitsukido, which delayed her considerably.
If not for the black cat Yoruichi's appearance later, which made Sui-Feng abandon her subordinates to chase Yoruichi, Kukaku might not have been able to deal with the Onmitsukido pursuing her and continue towards the Repentance Cell.
Whoosh-
For Kukaku, the guards at the Repentance Cell were too weak.
If not for the risk of causing a commotion before successfully rescuing her sister-in-law, which could affect the rescue, Kukaku would have wanted to charge straight in.
Fortunately, although after joining the Revolutionary Army, Kukaku spent most of her energy practicing the Rokushiki, she hadn't neglected her previous Kido skills.
Bakudo #26, Kyokko woven into a transparent light screen enveloped her figure. When patrols approached, she would remain motionless.
After the patrols moved away, Kukaku would continue her search.
Although Ukitake told Kukaku that Miyako was imprisoned in the Repentance Cell, the entire Repentance Cell consisted of five hundred-meter-tall cylindrical buildings, each with thirty-three floors, with at most one prisoner per floor.
Even Ukitake didn't know which building and which floor Miyako was held in.
So, Kukaku had to search building by building, floor by floor.
Although troublesome, through Kukaku's efforts, she had searched two of the Repentance Cell buildings and hadn't found Miyako in them.
Following the stairs between the buildings, Kukaku prepared to search the third prison building.
But…
"Yare yare, this friend from Revolutionary Army, I've already let you search three prison buildings. If I let you continue with the remaining two, Captain Commander would say I'm neglecting my duty."
"3rd Division's Captain, Ichimaru Gin-"
On the suspension bridge, Kukaku saw the white-haired youth blocking her path ahead, her expression extremely grave.
The Revolutionary Army's higher-ups were quite familiar with the profiles of the Gotei 13's Captains.
After all, in Kyoya's plan, the Revolutionary Army's Army Commanders were considered to be on the same level as the Gotei 13's Captains.
However, no matter what, the Revolutionary Army was an organization founded only over twenty years ago.
Compared to the thousand-year-old Gotei 13, it was like a three-year-old child just learning to walk.
Kyoya's expectation for them wasn't to compete with the veteran Captains of over a hundred years, but to rival the younger Captains who became Captains within the last hundred years.
But even among the six Captains who became Captains within the last hundred years, Gin was considered top-notch in Kyoya's assessment.
Even Byakuya, who is acknowledged as Kyoya's disciple, was slightly inferior to Gin.
Kukaku naturally also knew that Kyoya divided the Gotei 13 Captains into four tiers.
Their Revolutionary Army's Army Commanders could only be compared to the Captains in the fourth tier.
And Gin was among the top even in the third tier.
Moreover, Kyoya even said that if Gin got serious, he could potentially rival the hundreds-years Captains of the second tier.
It must be known that in the second tier as defined by Kyoya, there were Yamamoto's proud disciples like Kyoraku and Ukitake, and even Unohana, the legendary great villain!
Perhaps Hitsugaya had the ability to fight desperately against powerhouses of this tier.
But Kukaku herself was still far from this tier.
More importantly, Gin was once Kyoya's Lieutenant. It was said that before Byakuya, Gin had received true imparting of swordsmanship from Kyoya.
From Gin's words, Kukaku could also tell that probably from the beginning, Gin had been watching her search the Repentance Cell.
The reason he appeared before her now to stop her had two possibilities.
One possibility was that Gin was somewhat leaning towards the Revolutionary Army, hence allowing her to search part of the Repentance Cell.
It was just her bad luck that she searched three prison buildings without finding her sister-in-law.
And the last two buildings were Gin's account to the Gotei 13's Captain-Commander.
As a Gotei 13's Captain, encountering Ryoka and letting them search five prison buildings of the Repentance Cell was a serious dereliction of duty.
So, whether for himself or for the Gotei 13's honor, Gin had to step up to stop her.
The other possibility was that Gin was treating her like a clown, watching her futile efforts and laughing secretly from the shadows.
As for why he appeared to stop her now, it was probably because her sister-in-law was imprisoned in the prison building behind him.
Once she entered, she could find her sister-in-law and rescue her.
But regardless of which possibility, since Gin had already appeared, Kukaku knew her search ended here!
What she needed to do now was escape from Gin's hands!
"Then, Captain Ichimaru, could you neglect your duty a bit more and pretend you didn't see me?"
Kukaku clenched her fists and suggested to Gin. "Don't worry, Captain Ichimaru, I'm not the talkative type. No one will know you saw me here."
"Such a headache."
The corners of Gin's mouth turned downward, his cold face taking on a dismayed look because of the change in his mouth.
"Personally, I really hate trouble. If possible, I'd rather pretend I didn't see you."
"But unfortunately..."
At this point, Gin shrugged and pointed at the gloomy-looking young man with light yellow hair following him. "My cute Lieutenant is watching nearby."
"As his senior, I don't want my junior to misunderstand me, so I'll have to trouble you a bit."
"Ah, such bad luck..."
Kukaku shook her head, knowing this battle was unavoidable.
After all, as Gin said, in front of their juniors, they had to set the 'right' example to prevent their juniors from going astray.
Usually, Kukaku was also carefree and unconcerned.
But in front of her younger brother, Shiba Ganju, Kukaku had never been sloppy when carrying out missions.
Because she wanted to subtly influence her brother to understand that in daily life, one could be however they wanted.
But once it involved Revolutionary Army's missions, it wasn't something to joke about.
Every Revolutionary Army's mission could potentially affect the lives and safety of several, dozens, or even hundreds of Rukongai's residents.
If problems occurred due to their missions, the harm these people suffered couldn't be compensated by anything done later.
Boom-
Since she decided to fight, Kukaku naturally wouldn't hold back.
Rather, if she thought about holding back in front of Gin, she might have to stay here today.
Then, perhaps the number of people the Revolutionary Army needed to rescue would increase by one!
Violent Reiatsu erupted from Kukaku's body but was then completely drawn back into her body like a vortex.
Having comprehended the Rokushiki's Secret Technique, Life Return, Kukaku could achieve 100% control over her body, and naturally, her Reiatsu as well.
Seeing this, Gin narrowed his eyes.
Although he hadn't learned the Rokushiki from Kyoya during his time in the 11th Division, just the fact that Kukaku could completely control her Reiatsu was enough to raise alertness.
Even Gin himself couldn't achieve 100% control over his Reiatsu.
When releasing Reiatsu, the leaked Reiatsu and absorbed Reishi would form blue-white Reiatsu glow on his body's surface.
This would amplify the Shinigami's attack range with Reishi, but in some aspects, it also represented the dissipation of the Shinigami's attack power.
This was a situation that occurred when Shinigami unleashed their limit strength.