The Strongest Soul Reaper in a Thousand Years Was in the First Division

Iba moved over to Tokoyo Misao's side.

He parted his lips slightly and ran his tongue over them to moisten their dryness. "Looks like a monster's here," he said quietly.

Tokoyo Misao nodded.

Everyone's senses had been right. A wildly violent Reiatsu was gradually approaching the gate.

And he could clearly see the blood-red Spirit Ribbon.

Rei'i Grade 3, unmistakably Captain-level.

He wondered which captain had come looking for trouble with the 11th Division.

He lowered his head helplessly, glanced at the transfer order in his hand, then turned around and knocked on the door.

"Kenpachi Saki, sorry for the trouble, but could you sign my transfer order?"

With a clatter, the door opened.

Kenpachi Saki's lifeless eyes swept over the transfer order in Tokoyo Misao's hand. Then he walked past him, went straight to the center of the training ground, and stopped.

Tokoyo Misao sighed helplessly again.

Who was that guy at the gate?

Why couldn't he have come a little later?

As everyone watched, a familiar figure appeared first.

He was a Soul Reaper, the one who had brought the Rukongai thug Kiganjō here not long ago.

As soon as he entered, he shouted, "I'm just doing my job! This guy wants to issue a challenge!"

This time, he had no intention of staying to watch. As soon as he finished speaking, he ran straight back out the gate.

A moment later, a towering figure appeared.

The man had black hair, a face covered in scars, and eyes brimming with murderous intent.

He wore the ordinary, ragged hemp clothes of Rukongai, and his exposed arms and chest were covered in scars left by all kinds of weapons.

His sharp gaze swept over everyone on the training ground.

Everyone his gaze passed over felt a chill in their hearts, a cold sensation shooting straight to their heads.

Finally, his gaze settled on Kenpachi Saki, who stood in the center of the grounds wearing a white haori.

"Your clothes look familiar. Are you the strongest?"

In his hazy memories, he vaguely remembered having had a very enjoyable battle once.

His opponent had worn this same kind of white clothing. It had been distinctive.

Kenpachi Saki stood hunched over and answered listlessly, "I'm Kenpachi Saki, captain of the 11th Division. Are you here for a Kenpachi Duel?"

Zaraki grinned, baring a row of sharp teeth. "A Kenpachi Duel? What the hell do I care about that? I just want to fight the strongest person to the death."

"What a violent beast." Kenpachi Saki had already put his hand on the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist.

The man who had come this time was on a completely different level from Kiganjō, who had appeared last time.

The man before him was strong, exceptionally strong, like a violent beast.

He was no match for him at all.

When Kenpachi Saki thought of this, his formerly lifeless eyes instead grew utterly calm, and the corners of his mouth even lifted almost imperceptibly.

"That's not right." A clear, somewhat childish voice came from the beastlike man's direction, startling everyone.

Even Kenpachi Saki's pupils trembled twice, and he was utterly puzzled.

Suddenly, a pink figure popped up from Zaraki's shoulder.

It was a little girl with pink hair and white clothes.

Both hands gripping Zaraki's shoulder, she quickly swept her bright, watery eyes over the entire grounds before settling on Tokoyo Misao's face.

Keeping her left hand on Zaraki's shoulder, she extended her fair, delicate right hand and pointed at Tokoyo Misao. "He's the strongest," she said with a smile.

Zaraki followed her finger to Tokoyo Misao, but he sensed no threat from him at all. Frowning, he said:

"Yachiru, the one in white is obviously stronger, isn't he?"

"No, he's not! That one's the strongest!"

Yachiru Kusajishi pouted. Pushing down slightly with her left hand, she stood on Zaraki's shoulder and pointed both hands at Tokoyo Misao. "He's really strong!"

"Is that so?" Kenpachi Zaraki studied Tokoyo Misao suspiciously, but still felt he posed no threat.

Although the person in white standing in the center of the grounds didn't seem very dangerous either, at least the aura he gave off made Zaraki's skin tingle slightly.

But the person Yachiru was pointing at was no different from an ordinary person on the street.

"Hey, beast," Kenpachi Saki called, drawing Zaraki's attention back.

"I'm the captain of the Gotei 13's 11th Division, and the strongest person here.

"If you can defeat me, you'll become captain of the 11th Division and gain the name of Kenpachi."

As he spoke, Kenpachi Saki's left thumb nudged his sword free of its sheath. Rei'i at the peak of Fourth Class burst from him, and a powerful Reiatsu pressed down on Zaraki.

Zaraki immediately burst out laughing. "This guy's not bad! Step aside for now, Yachiru."

"Hmph!" Yachiru pushed lightly off Zaraki's shoulder with both feet. Her figure vanished, and the next moment she appeared beside Tokoyo Misao.

She reached out a fair little hand toward Tokoyo Misao and said in her childish voice:

"Can you go fight him? Fighting you would be more fun."

Tokoyo Misao's brow twitched several times.

A few days ago, he had told Isshin Shiba that he wasn't good at remembering names, and it was true.

Even after half a year, he still might not remember the names of people he smiled at and greeted at work every day.

Compared with those he met in everyday life, he remembered more characters from works of fiction.

He remembered the names, appearances, and abilities of the standout characters in the manga with perfect clarity.

The little girl before him was named Yachiru Kusajishi, and the guy who had barged in was called Zaraki.

If nothing unexpected happened, his name would soon become Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Please? Go fight him, please?" Yachiru pleaded in the wheedling tone of a child, grabbing Tokoyo Misao's pant leg and tugging at it repeatedly.

Tokoyo Misao crouched down with a smile and reached into his sleeve to take out a Reishi Orb.

"No, I can't. I'm not ready right now. Would you like some candy?"

Yachiru leaned close and sniffed the Reishi Orb, then opened her mouth and bit into it. A few gulps and crunches followed.

She suddenly turned her head and spat the orb out to the side. Opening her mouth, she said, "This tastes awful."

Tokoyo Misao was a little surprised.

He had thought someone like Yachiru would love an orb made from a modified Hollow, but he hadn't expected her to refuse to eat it.

But he didn't usually carry candy with him, so he was at a loss.

"Little girl, would you like some candy?" Iba's voice rang out.

He held a small bag out to Yachiru. "It's konpeitō from Junrinan. It's very sweet."

Yachiru opened the bag suspiciously, took out a piece of konpeitō, and popped it into her mouth. "It's good."

She smiled happily and thanked Iba. "Thanks, Little Mustache."

"L-Little Mustache!?" Iba repeated the nickname Yachiru had given him, his voice trembling. He immediately crouched down and said solemnly, "Little girl, please call me a man."

"Okay, Little Mustache." Yachiru paid him no mind and continued stuffing konpeitō into her mouth with a smile.

"Damn it! If you call me Little Mustache again, I won't give you any more candy!" Iba shouted.

Yachiru continued to ignore him. This time, she opened the bag all the way and poured its contents straight into her mouth.

She stuffed all the konpeitō into her mouth at once. Her little cheeks bulged as constant crunching sounds came from them.

"This brat!" Iba was furious, his fists clenched tight, but he couldn't possibly hit a child. He could only crouch there, gnashing his teeth.

Tokoyo Misao spoke softly. "Stop fooling around. They're fighting."

Iba immediately stood up and looked through his sunglasses toward the center of the training ground.

By now, Kenpachi Saki had gathered his aura to its peak, turning it into Reiatsu that crashed down in waves. Many squad members whose Rei'i Grades were too low were struggling to withstand it.

"Not bad." Zaraki stood where he was, holding a long sword in his right hand. It was covered in jagged notches, as though the blade of a Zanpakuto had chipped and curled from prolonged use.

He pulled his collar open with his left hand and shouted, "Come on, cut me here!"

"What? This guy's actually going to stand there and let Kenpachi Saki cut him?" Iba exclaimed under his breath. "Is he asking to die?"

The other squad members looked at Zaraki with much less fear, and instead regarded him as though he were an idiot.

But Kenpachi Saki, standing in the grounds, didn't think his opponent was insulting him.

His right foot slammed forward, and he charged at Zaraki.

He concentrated every bit of strength in his body into his blade and slashed down fiercely.

A spray of bright red blood burst out.

Kenpachi Saki's Zanpakuto cut across Zaraki's chest.

But Kenpachi Saki suddenly looked up, his pupils trembling.

His full-powered strike had only broken his opponent's skin.

And now his opponent had clamped the Zanpakuto tightly between his muscles, making it impossible to pull free.

"My turn."

In Kenpachi Saki's eyes, the battered-looking long sword drew closer and closer, growing larger.

The next moment, searing pain traveled from his left shoulder, across his chest, and down to his waist.

His hand instantly slipped free of the Zanpakuto's hilt, and his body fell backward. He saw the remaining half of his body.

Thank you for being so strong. This is wonderful.

His lips moved, but he didn't speak the words. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

Chapter 61: The Strongest Soul Reaper in a Thousand Years Was in the First Division

One slash. Just one slash.

The powerful lieutenant the 11th Division members knew, Saki, the current Kenpachi, had been cut in two and fallen dead.

The scene was utterly silent. All the squad members merely stared at the corpse in the center of the training ground, saying nothing.

"What? Is that all you've got? Is there anyone else in this 11th Division who can give me a better time?"

Zaraki looked around and spoke, sounding somewhat disappointed.

Then his gaze fell on Tokoyo Misao, who stood beside Yachiru Kusajishi.

Thinking that anything was fine as long as he got a fight, he pointed his long sword at him and said with a grin:

"You're next?"

Yachiru Kusajishi immediately reached out and tugged at Tokoyo Misao's pant leg. "Please go fight him."

She looked up, her pupils, which seemed to fill almost her entire eye sockets, flickering. She looked very cute.

But the words that came out of her mouth were no laughing matter.

Yachiru Kusajishi continued, "I think you have a chance of killing him."

Iba, standing beside them, could hardly hold back. "Aren't you with that big guy?"

"Why do you want someone to kill him?"

He simply couldn't understand why this brat wanted Tokoyo Misao to go fight that big guy, and even said he had a chance of killing him.

Could it be that the big guy had abducted her?

But judging by the way they interacted, that didn't seem likely.