In the original records of Soul Society, there have been eleven generations of Kenpachi up to the time of Zaraki Kenpachi.
Zaraki Kenpachi is the eleventh generation, while the captain of the Fourth Division, Unohana Retsu, was the very first.
Unohana Retsu (Yachiru) — Gosuke Shigure remembered her clearly from his previous life.
For reasons he could not completely explain, he had met her many times during that distant era. They had even crossed blades more than once, and in some strange twist of fate, he had once been her instructor in swordsmanship.
As the First Generation Kenpachi, Unohana's strength and reputation were self-evident.
From the Second Generation up to the Sixth Generation Kenpachi after her, their names were lost to time.
Most died in battle, others fell to challengers seeking the title. Either way, turnover was frequent. Since the formation of the Gotei 13, few captains had survived for more than a century, and only a handful had ever lived beyond two hundred years.
The Seventh Generation Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki, had been a true powerhouse—his strength recognized even by Squad Zero. He was once invited to join them, though only verbally, and in truth, that invitation had been little more than a jest.
There had never been a formal nomination towards him.
After all, the criteria for joining Squad Zero were very different. To be accepted, one had to create something new—something that advanced the very civilization of the Soul Society.
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, though strong beyond measure, was not the type to invent. Strength alone was not enough.
The Eighth Generation Kenpachi—the controversial Azashiro Soya who now led the Eleventh Division—was another story entirely. Anyone capable of defeating Kuruyashiki in fair combat could not be taken lightly.
Yet, if one followed the sequence described in the records, the next two generations of Kenpachi would become the shame of Seireitei.
The Ninth Generation Kenpachi bore a name that now sent shivers down Gosuke Shigure's spine.
Gosuke Kenpachi.
According to the records, Gosuke Kenpachi had once been the deputy captain under Azashiro. When Azashiro was imprisoned for committing a grave crime, Gosuke inherited the position by default—not through the traditional captain's assessment, nor by challenging and defeating the previous Kenpachi.
By all standards, it was an irregular promotion.
Thus, in the official chronicles, the Ninth Kenpachi was regarded as one of the weakest in history. His tenure was short, humiliating, and ended in defeat.
Before long, he was bested by a barbarian from Rukongai named Kiganjo—a man whose raw brutality was unmatched, yet whose technique was crude and unrefined.
That would have been excusable, perhaps, if Kiganjo had been extraordinary.
But fate was cruel. Later, that same Kiganjo was slain by Zaraki Kenpachi himself in a single slash—meaning even he had not been a true titan, merely another flawed contender.
Compared to that, Gosuke Kenpachi's legacy was worse.
'A parallel import among parallel imports', Shigure thought bitterly.
Now, realizing that his identity in this life was that of the infamous "Gosuke Kenpachi", the so-called weakest Kenpachi in history, Shigure found himself contemplating a ridiculous idea.
'If I just change my name… maybe I won't end up nailed to the pillar of shame?'
The thought was fleeting. He let out a dry laugh and shook his head.
'No. Forget it. That's something for the future. Right now, I just need to live.'
Compared to the age of chaos a thousand years ago, this era was remarkably stable.
Though Hueco Mundo still caused disturbances, the establishment of Gotei 13 had brought order and unity to the Soul Society. It was, without question, a better time to exist.
'This time,' Shigure thought, 'I'll live differently. I've fought and died once already. No need to repeat the same mistake. I'll just be… an ordinary shinigami.'
He sighed softly. Unfortunately, fate had placed him in the Eleventh Division—not exactly the best place for a man who wanted peace. If he had been in the Fourth Division, he could have spent his days pretending to be busy while actually doing nothing. But the Eleventh Division in this era wasn't bad either. It was known for its liveliness—and, surprisingly, for its women.
In fact, it even had another nickname: the "Hana no Samurai Group".
Of course, that pleasant atmosphere depended on one condition—
that the captain of the Eleventh Division was not Kiganjo.
And for Kiganjo not to become captain, the one who would have to rise before him was…
'Me. Gosuke Kenpachi.'
Shigure groaned. 'Even when I try to avoid trouble, it circles back to me.'
"No… maybe there's another way."
As that thought struck him, Shigure's eyes sharpened.
There was one person—someone who had just defeated Kenpachi Kuruyashiki—someone who would soon be known as the Eighth Kenpachi.
Azashiro Soya.
In the records, Azashiro's story ended in tragedy. He had been imprisoned deep beneath the Soul Society for committing an unforgivable crime, his sentence lasting ten thousand years.
Yet, even Shigure had to admit: when Azashiro had been captain, he had truly fulfilled the duties of Kenpachi. He had led the charge against hollows, risked his life countless times, and fought to protect the Soul Society.
Perhaps it was his disillusionment with the stagnation of the shinigami—and the growing threat of Hueco Mundo—that had eventually driven him to rebellion.
'If I could stop him before he falls,' Shigure thought, 'maybe… I could change everything.'
If he could convince Azashiro to walk a different path, perhaps the entire future of the Eleventh Division would shift away from disgrace.
In the quiet barracks, Gosuke Shigure sat alone, deep in thought.
Because he was still recovering from his fainting episode, no one disturbed him.
None of the Eleventh Division's members would ever have guessed that the young man they thought was unconscious was, in truth, sitting up and planning the future of their entire division.
He was far too busy to rest.
…
Shigure didn't remain in bed long.
After all, he had been placed here not because of injury sustained in battle, but because his body had been too weak to endure Kenpachi's overwhelming reiatsu. It wasn't a wound that needed weeks to heal—just time to stabilize his spiritual flow.
After a few days of quiet recovery, he felt his strength return. He stood, stretched his arms, and sought a mirror to see himself clearly.
A stranger's reflection looked back at him.
He was about one meter eighty tall—average by shinigami standards. Neither tall nor short, neither frail nor particularly muscular.
'At least I'm not built like a beanpole.' he thought.
His features were ordinary. Not handsome, not ugly—just a young man with clear eyes and the look of someone in his twenties. The kind of face no one would remember twice.
Combining his memories, Shigure pieced together the truth of this body's past.
He was an lonely orphan from Rukongai, rescued long ago by Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.
Out of gratitude, the boy had sworn loyalty to his savior, joining the Eleventh Division as soon as he was able. From that day forward, his dream had been to follow Kenpachi wherever he went.
And, in a way, he had achieved that dream.
But from Shigure's current perspective, it was clear that Kuruyashiki had cared for this boy more like a younger brother than a disciple. The young man's actual combat skill had been… unspeakably poor.
'No wonder the original was cut down by trash like Kiganjo.' he muttered dryly.
Still, as his gaze lingered on his reflection, something about the black Shinigami uniform stirred a sense of pride within him.
He smiled faintly.
"Whatever else, shinigami really do look best in their shihakushō."
He couldn't help but sigh with a little admiration.
After all, in his previous incarnation—before the Gotei 13 even existed—there had been no such uniforms. Every shinigami had worn something different, from robes to armor, without unity or design.
The standard shihakushō had been introduced much later, after the Gotei 13 was founded.
And its creator was none other than Shutara Senjumaru—a member of Squad Zero herself.
*****
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