With just a thought, the golden gift box floating in his mind seemed like it couldn't handle the pressure inside, exploding with a silent roar!
A wave of heat rushed from his brain through his arms and legs, filling every part of his body.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Character Template - Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach: Soul Society Arc ver.)]
[Current Unlocked Progress: 5%]
[Obtained Passive Skill: Beast Instinct (Beginner)]
[Obtained Item: Asauchi (Unreleased Zanpakuto, stored in System Space)]
'Kenpachi... Zaraki?' Zaraki's pupils shrank to tiny points.
'The battle freak who wore an eyepatch that ate spiritual energy and even hung bells on his hair, all just to get a kick out of fighting?'
A raw heat shot up his spine, marking the awakening of pure instinct!
His body had been asleep for fourteen years, but now every muscle fiber shook, itching to tear something to pieces.
With just 5% unlocked progress, the wild power pumping through him made it feel like his body was about to blow up!
Zaraki pressed his hand to his neck by habit, feeling the vein under his palm beating hard, like it was about to burst right through his skin.
'Is this what a cheat feels like? Damn, this is addictive.'
"Hey, Zaraki! Are you even listening to me?" Ace's pissed-off shouts snapped Zaraki out of his daze.
Portgas D. Ace stood in front of him, hefting a steel pipe with a loud clang, and even the freckles on his face seemed to glow with a smug attitude.
"Don't think you can get away with acting all edgy and mysterious, because I've been training a new move at the Grey Terminal just to break through your defenses for this fight today!"
Ace had been completely beaten down by Zaraki's crazy strength for years, so with their trip to the sea coming up so soon, he really needed this win to kick off his pirate career.
Zaraki let out a deep breath, pushing down the restless feeling stirring inside him.
His eyes swept over the pipe in Ace's hand, making him feel that such a blunt weapon was beneath him, because after turning on the Kenpachi template, even just a little bit, using fists or blunt tools in a fight would be a damn disgrace.
"If you're going to take this seriously, I can't hold back either."
Zaraki turned, letting his eyes sweep past rows of booze bottles before locking onto the wall next to the bar counter.
A wooden sword hung there, an old prop left over from a Kendo show held in Windmill Village a long time ago, its pretty rough and covered in a thin layer of dust.
"Makino, can I borrow this?" Zaraki asked, reaching out to pull the wooden sword from its spot.
The wooden sword felt super light in his hand, almost weightless, but the second his fingers wrapped around the grip, the muscle memory from the template kicked in, making his wrist drop into the perfect angle for a strike.
"Huh?" Ace's face froze right away, his eyes going wide.
"A wooden sword? Zaraki, have you lost your mind? I've never heard you knew any sword skills before! And..."
He pointed at the toy-like wooden sword, his voice dripping with anger.
"You're planning to fight me with this flimsy firewood stick? Are you mocking me, or do you think I'm just fucking around too?"
Luffy, clueless to the heavy mood, saw Zaraki holding a weapon and started cheering right away, his eyes shining with hype.
"Ooh! A swordsman! Is Zaraki becoming a swordsman? That's so coool!"
"Whether it's a joke or not, we'll find out soon enough."
Zaraki didn't bother to explain, just spinning the sword around as the rough wooden blade cut through the air with a dull whoosh, throwing some dust around.
Ignoring Ace's confused stare, Zaraki walked toward the door, the bottom of his black robe catching a light breeze.
He didn't even slow down as he passed Ace and said.
"Let's take this outside, because if we break Makino's things, even selling your ass wouldn't cover the bill."
"You bastard..." Ace gritted his teeth, squeezing the steel pipe tighter. "Fine! If you want to make a fool of yourself with that wooden stick, I'm down to help you out!"
...
The afternoon sun was blinding outside the tavern, the sea breeze blowing sand across the dirt.
Windmill Village was a small place, and Luffy's yelling from earlier, along with the two guys storming out, pulled in a crowd of villagers heading back from seeing off the ships.
"Oh man, what's going on? Are Garp-san's little monsters about to throw down again?"
"Isn't Ace setting sail today? Is this a farewell match?"
"That guy in black is Zaraki, right? What's he doing with that piece of wood?"
The crowd muttered as they formed a small circle around the open space, while Makino stood at the tavern door, twisting her apron with a worried frown.
She knew these two way too well, and their normal brawls were one thing, but today, Ace's eyes were burning with intensity, while Zaraki's new vibe sent a chill right down her spine.
Right in the middle of the clearing, the two boys stood facing each other, barely ten meters apart.
The sea breeze messed with Ace's hair as he dropped his center of gravity, holding the steel pipe flat in front of him in a fighting stance.
It was the stance he sharpened through countless fights and hunts, the setup that let him bring out his max power.
Zaraki stood there looking chill, his rough wooden sword pointing at the ground in one hand, his posture so relaxed it looked like he was just taking a walk in his own backyard.
But his eyes stayed locked on Ace's weak spots, like his neck, left shoulder, and chest, giving him the kind of look a butcher gives a piece of meat, just focused on finding the perfect place to cut!
Under that stare, the hairs on Ace's neck stood up, making him tighten his grip on his weapon.
Staring at the wooden sword that looked ready to snap at any second, Ace frowned hard, the feeling of being looked down on making his chest tight, until he couldn't hold back anymore.
"Zaraki, I'll say this one last time..." Ace's voice dropped low as he glared at the harmless-looking wooden stick.