"So exaggerated!"
"With just one swing!"
"That Adjuchas-class Arrancar was completely vaporized in its rage form!"
"Kenpachi's two-handed swordsmanship is absolutely terrifying!!!"
Inside the Sixth Division headquarters—
Renji Abarai's messy red hair bristled as he stared at the screen, eyes half-squinted from the sheer force of the spiritual pressure radiating through the video.
Honestly, after watching that battle…
He couldn't help but feel relieved.
Thank goodness he was on the same side as Kenpachi Zaraki—
and not his enemy.
Because if he ever had to face that monster in combat…
He couldn't cut him down.
He couldn't overpower him.
And even if, somehow, by a miracle, he managed to wound Kenpachi until he was on the verge of death—
the man would still grin, grab his sword with both hands, and unleash kendō—
ending the fight in one impossible strike.
Just the thought of it made Renji shudder.
Kenpachi's image in his mind had transformed into something far more terrifying than a demon.
"Indeed…"
"Though I've never approved of his savage, brute-force methods—"
"—which, frankly, run completely contrary to the dignity of a Shinigami—"
"Sometimes, violence must be met with violence."
"Especially when facing Hollows and Arrancar…"
At his desk, Byakuya Kuchiki's tone was cool and deliberate, yet there was a faint, complicated light in his eyes.
Ever since Kenpachi had joined the Gotei 13, Byakuya had found him crude, uncultured—utterly lacking in grace.
Someone unworthy of the title "Captain."
He'd always disdained him.
But after witnessing that one, overwhelming swing…
Even Byakuya felt his pride shake.
For the first time, he could not deny Zaraki's strength.
And deep down, he respected it.
He also found himself anticipating something else—
That sword, Nozarashi, which even after two full battle clips, had yet to awaken or be named.
Once it did—
Once it was released and its true power added to Zaraki's strength—
Byakuya was certain that his "wild, unrefined" strikes would become even more devastating.
Perhaps…
Even without using two-handed kendō, one swing alone might still be enough—
—to kill any foe in an instant.
Meanwhile—
Not long after the black screen had faded out,
the transparent projection flared again, light flickering across the Soul Society.
The next scene loaded.
This time, the location didn't change.
It was still that endless, pale desert of Hueco Mundo—
vast, barren, and silent.
But this time—
Kenpachi's opponent had changed.
"BOOM!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The sound of massive fists pounding into the ground echoed like thunder.
Each impact shook the air, the dunes trembling as if the desert itself were alive.
It looked like an earthquake—
only this one had a name.
The camera panned slowly toward the center of the desert—
and there, a gigantic figure came into view.
The moment the image appeared, the halls of Las Noches erupted.
"That's… the Giant Rage Beast!"
"Yammy Llargo—after his Resurrección!"
"No way! He's actually Kenpachi's next opponent?!"
The realization spread like wildfire.
All eyes turned toward Yammy, who sat in the corner, momentarily stunned.
Then—
he grinned.
A feral, triumphant grin split his face as he puffed out his chest.
"Heh… what's so surprising about that?"
"Don't forget—my true number outranks all of you!"
"HA HA HA HA HA!!"
Even though his arrogant laughter drew a chorus of groans and eye-rolls from the other Espada, he wasn't technically wrong.
When Aizen had created the ranking system, Yammy's number "10" would shift—
erasing the "1" entirely and transforming into "0" once he released his blade.
The true Zero Espada.
Theoretically, that meant his power surpassed everyone else's.
At least on paper.
Back in the Eleventh Division—
"Huh?"
"So that huge bastard's one of the Espada too?"
Kenpachi tilted his head at the screen.
For a moment, he seemed interested—
but then yawned, unimpressed.
"Tch."
"Big guy, sure. Looks scary enough…"
"But he moves like a damn slug. Clumsy as hell."
Frowning, Kenpachi snorted and shook his head, his tone laced with mockery.
"Honestly," he said, "just look at him. Slow, loud, all muscle, no brains."
As the video continued, Yammy's enraged roar filled the air:
"DIE, SHINIGAMI!!!"
"I'M THE TRUE ESPADA NUMBER ZERO!"
"I'M THE STRONGEST OF ALL TIME!!!"
Kenpachi's eyebrow twitched.
That line—
again.
"Zero this, strongest that…"
He rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed.
Even Yachiru, perched nearby, giggled at his expression.
"Just another loudmouth," Kenpachi growled.
He raised his sword, resting it lazily across his shoulder.
"That kind of trash isn't even worth sharpening my blade on."
He gave a short, sharp laugh.
"Honestly…"
"I'm starting to wonder if the idiot who ranked these Espada even knew how to count."
"Because whoever put that slug at number zero…"
"…must've just been picking numbers out of a hat."
The entire Eleventh Division burst into laughter—
half mocking, half excited—
as on the screen, the next impossible battle began.
(End of Chapter)
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