Picaro
"Great! That annoying guy Runuganka is dead."
"Did Silver-haired Big Brother kill him?"
"Silver-haired Big Brother is such a kind man."
"Let's play together, Big Brother."
"Hide and seek."
"No, I prefer to play burn and be burned."
"Hey, I want to play swallow and be swallowed."
A tender voice suddenly emerged from the sea of white sand, chirping like summer cicadas.
Shiraishi returned to his Bankai thoughts and scanned his surroundings. One, two, three—Arrancar appeared one after another, totaling about a hundred.
They were all small in size, many appearing like children of seven or eight, and some had non-human forms. But without exception, each had the number 102 engraved in black on their bodies.
Seeing that three-digit number, Shiraishi immediately thought of the Arrancar group described in the original official novel. They preferred to act in groups—seemingly hundreds, yet truly one. The Grand Hollows of Hueco Mundo called them the "Pranksters" (Picaro). Most importantly, they were all superior to the ordinary Grand Hollows.
When Bylergon was still King of Hueco Mundo, he kept them around for amusement. When Aizen arrived and became the new ruler, he briefly accepted the Picaro into the ranks of the Espada, recognizing their potential. However, Aizen quickly realized his mistake: the Picaro lacked the qualities necessary to serve as Espada members.
In Aizen's view, disloyalty or ambition was acceptable—but childish, reckless behavior without considering consequences was not. Unwilling to babysit them, Aizen expelled them, confining them to three-digit residences. To prevent their wandering, Runuganka was assigned to guard them, keeping them trapped in a perpetual sandstorm.
After Shiraishi defeated Runuganka, the sandstorm subsided, and the Picaro rushed out excitedly, eager to see who had saved them. A magnificent army of children now stood before him.
"Hey, Big Brother, let's play together!"
An Arrancar girl with pigtails shook the sleeve of Shiraishi's leather jacket with an innocent smile. Shiraishi felt helpless. He knew these Hollows were powerful, and killing them would grant him considerable experience—but their childlike faces, innocent smiles, and playful intentions made it impossible to draw his sword.
"Be good, I'm busy. Find someone else to play with," he said, patting the little girl's head.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Zaraki Souya, dissatisfied, chuckled and pierced the Arrancar girl's throat with his blade, splattering warm blood on Shiraishi's pants. She trembled, her wide eyes filled with confusion. Several more blades pierced her from inside out, killing her completely.
"In battle with Hollows, there shouldn't be any question of pleasure or sympathy," Zaraki Fuuya said. Another Picaro fell, and the white sand was dyed red. "There's no need for sympathy—just hunt them effectively." This was Zaraki Fuuya's philosophy.
Shiraishi frowned. He couldn't persuade Zaraki Fuuya to change, nor would he. "I advise you not to underestimate them," he warned.
Seeing the deaths of their companions, the other Picaro showed no surprise or panic. A little boy smiled and said, "Big Brother, so it's you who wants to play with us."
"Great! Let's try that. I saw Nelliel swallow someone's Hollow before, so I want to try it," another said. "Not bad." "Agreed."
Their childlike smiles belied the cruelty of their words. "Tear the black-haired big brother apart!"
A bespectacled Arrancar said apologetically, "Silver-haired big brother, we'll play with you later."
The Picaro began to use parts of their bodies to gather immense amounts of Reiatsu. Some fired Hollow Bullets faster than Hollows themselves, striking almost instantly. Zaraki Sou couldn't resist—the numbers were overwhelming. Hundreds of Hollow Bullets were wielded with superior precision.
Shiraishi had already slipped away. The Picaro fought like children—carefree, not considering the harm their attacks might cause their savior.
Boom! A flash erupted, and a deep, black crater appeared in the white sand, seemingly leading to the Great Hollow Forest below.
"Oh, is he dead?" "No, he's over there." "Keep going." "This time, I want to eat him." "I'm hungry." "Then eat him."
In the Picaro's mind, there were no distinctions between Shinigami or Hollows—only good guys and bad guys. They unanimously decided to devour Zaraki Souya and spare Shiraishi.
"Zaraki, open your black mouth!" Shiraishi urged. If the Picaro continued, Zaraki Souya would die, leaving Shiraishi to face hundreds alone.
Zaraki Souya's fused white sand was destroyed. Hundreds of more Hollow flashes would overwhelm his current space—the move against Nelliel could not be reused; all Technology Development Bureau bodies had been destroyed.
"Let's go," he sighed and summoned the Sheep-Headed Hollow, opening a black chamber leading to Soul Society.
Shiraishi leaped forward, slashing into it. The Picaro scattered, forming a wide circle over three kilometers. Suddenly, Zaraki Souya felt a chill he hadn't felt in a long time—he had met his natural enemy.
A pitch-black sphere appeared at the center, sucking all spirit particles within three kilometers. The fused spirit child was no exception; his vision went dark. His last thought before fainting was that Shiraishi would escape the Broken World.
"I'm full, let's keep playing."
"Huh? Where's the silver-haired big brother?"
"I don't know, let's go find him."
"Pikaro!"
"It's Nellielu~" The Picaro instantly forgot about saving Zaraki Souya and ran to Nellielu. "Let's play together."
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