The Zanpakuto's Ability

Hearing Liu Hao's words, Kaien Shiba felt slightly relieved, but still asked with some unease, "So what do we do next?"

"Us?" Liu Hao raised an eyebrow. "No, it should be, what are you going to do next? After all, you're already being watched. You'll either be used as a guinea pig, or they'll be keeping a close eye on your every move."

These words were spoken lightly, but their underlying meaning made Kaien Shiba's heart sink. He smiled wryly and said, "Um... then what do you suggest I do?"

"How would I know?" Liu Hao shrugged, acting as if it were none of his business. "Let's go, let's go to Kisuke Urahara first and ask for his opinion. If all else fails, you can just disappear into the World of the Living like your uncle, find a wife, and continue the Shiba Clan line."

These words left Kaien Shiba speechless. "I have a wife, and we have a very good relationship."

"I know," Liu Hao said with a mischievous smile, "It's about having many children, so you have to find a few. By the way, don't follow your uncle's example and marry into another family; otherwise, the children you have will belong to someone else."

"Damn it, don't joke about something like this!" Kaien Shiba said angrily. "I'm completely Isshin to Miyako. And you should think about your harem. I think Captain Unohana will definitely kill you."

The two bickered as they walked through the night. The streets of Karakura Town were sparsely populated, with only a few taxis passing by occasionally. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the front of Urahara Shop.

This was an ordinary-looking general store, its signboard swaying gently in the night breeze. The lights were still on inside, and through the windows, one could see shelves filled with all sorts of strange items.

Before they could even knock, the door opened by itself. Kisuke Urahara stood in the doorway, a familiar, slightly sly smile on his face, "Yo, you two look quite energetic. May I ask what brings you here?"

Kaien Shiba greeted him somewhat awkwardly. Liu Hao, however, said without any hesitation, "I need to talk to you."

He pulled the bag containing the black insects from his pocket. "Kaien was being monitored. This was taken from his body. We came here to give it to you so you can study it and maybe give Kaien some advice."

Kisuke Urahara's gaze fell on the bag, and he immediately became focused. He reached out to take it, but Liu Hao quickly withdrew his hand.

"You'd better get a jamming device," Liu Hao warned. "I've currently blocked this thing with my abilities. If it leaves my control, it will transmit the captured information back, and our information will be exposed."

Kisuke Urahara nodded. "Alright, come in with me."

The three entered the shop. The shop was much larger than it appeared from the outside, with all sorts of strange and wonderful goods filling the shelves—from ordinary daily necessities to items that clearly contained Reishi technology.

Kisuke Urahara walked behind the counter, opened a hidden drawer, and took out a metal box. The box was covered with intricate Reishi patterns, clearly indicating that it was not an ordinary item.

"Mr. Liu Hao, you can just put this here," Kisuke Urahara said.

Following his instructions, Liu Hao placed the bag containing the insects into the box. When the box was closed, a slight mechanical sound could be heard, and several Reishi barriers flickered on the surface of the box, forming multiple layers of seal.

Kisuke Urahara put the box aside and then turned to the two of them. "So, could you two tell me what happened?"

Liu Hao glanced at Kaien Shiba, signaling for him to speak. Kaien Shiba took a deep breath and began to recount in detail—from obtaining the information from Soul Society to meeting Liu Hao in the World of the Living, and then to how Liu Hao extracted the insect from his body, leaving out every detail.

Kisuke Urahara listened intently, nodding or frowning occasionally. After Kaien Shiba finished speaking, he turned to Liu Hao, his eyes gleaming with inquiry. "What kind of technique is that?"

Liu Hao glanced at him. "It's not a technique, it's the ability of my Zanpakuto. I originally thought the insect was integrated into Kaien's spirit, so I used my healing ability to forcibly intervene in his spirit, performing a procedure similar to tumor removal. However, when I retrieved the insect, I realized it wasn't, so I simply removed it from his body."

He paused, then continued, "And since my ability involves surgery, it naturally has a way to heal quickly. So it looks like I put my hand inside his body, but it's actually like I made a hole and then let it heal, that's it."

Kisuke Urahara nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder he can become a Medical Guard Team Lieutenant. His Zanpakuto's abilities are not only in combat, but also in medicine."

"Stop being sarcastic, just say what you want to say." Liu Hao waved his hand impatiently.

Kisuke Urahara smiled, then his expression turned serious. "As far as I know, Zanpakuto abilities are fixed. But your Zanpakuto can use fire, water, space, and those blades, and now it can even heal. I want to know what your Zanpakuto's abilities are, that it can use so many different abilities?"

This question made the atmosphere in the room somewhat subtle. Kaien Shiba also looked at Liu Hao curiously, equally interested in the question— Liu Hao's abilities displayed in battle were far too diverse, completely unlike those of an ordinary Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto.

Liu Hao was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "This? It's very simple."

Kisuke Urahara pressed further, "How is it simple?"

"That is..." Liu Hao deliberately dragged out his words, "I'm not telling you."

"Uh..." Kisuke Urahara was momentarily speechless, then chuckled wryly, "What a twisted sense of humor."

"Tch, don't you do that all the time?" Liu Hao retorted dismissively.

Kisuke Urahara was speechless. At that moment, Yoruichi Shihōin came down from upstairs. She had returned to human form, wearing a loose kimono, with her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders.

"What's all the noise about in the middle of Yoruichi night?" Yoruichi yawned, raising an eyebrow when she saw Kaien Shiba. "Oh, Kaien's here too. Are you having a tea party?"

"Miss Yoruichi," Kaien Shiba greeted respectfully.

Yoruichi waved her hand, walked over and sat down next to Kisuke Urahara, looking at Liu Hao: "I overheard you discussing the abilities of your Zanpakuto. So, Liu Hao, are you finally willing to reveal a little of your secret?"

Seeing the three men's curious gazes, Liu Hao knew he had to reveal something today. He sighed and said, "Alright, I can tell you. But you have to promise that this information absolutely cannot be leaked."

All three nodded solemnly.

Liu Hao took a deep breath and Shikai, "My Zanpakuto's power is the World."

"The world?" Kisuke Urahara repeated the word, his brow furrowed.

Liu Hao nodded. "Since the ability is the world, it naturally allows me to control all the matter that exists in the world. That's why I can use many different abilities."

Kisuke Urahara fell into deep thought, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. After a long while, he suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming. "No, your ability isn't about the world; your ability should be that of a king who controls the world. That's why your Zanpakuto's release is called the Imperial Sword, and a king can command everything in this world, which is why you can use so many abilities."

These words surprised Liu Hao, who glanced at Kisuke Urahara in astonishment. "Damn, you could even guess that. Ah, no wonder you're the smartest guy in Soul Society history."

He paused, then continued, "Alright, to tell you the truth, my Zanpakuto. Within the domain of my Zanpakuto, I exist as Emperor, able to control everything within its range."

Upon hearing this, Kaien Shiba was completely stunned. He thought to himself, "[So that's how it is. No wonder Liu Hao can use so many abilities in every battle; it turns out it's a domain-type Zanpakuto. Within its domain, he's a king.]"

Kisuke Urahara pressed on, "So, how wide is your domain?"

"Oh, I don't know either. I've never actually used it." Liu Hao shrugged, looking helpless.

"Isn't the domain defined by the range of Reiatsu?" Kisuke Urahara asked.

Liu Hao shook his head. "No. If it's based on the range of Reiatsu, then wouldn't I be invincible? And even within the domain, I can't suppress anyone whose Reiatsu surpasses mine. After all, the stronger the ability, the more limitations there are."

These words plunged Kisuke Urahara into deeper thought. He stood up, paced around the room, and muttered to himself, "A domain-type Zanpakuto, existing as a king, controlling everything within its domain... This is indeed an unprecedented power system."

He suddenly stopped, turned to look at Liu Hao, and asked an unexpected question, "So, do you have any ambitions to become king?"

Liu Hao paused for a moment, then scoffed, "The idea of becoming king? Pshaw, that's Aizen's idea. I have no interest in that kind of stabilizing force in the Three Worlds."

These words caused the air in the room to freeze instantly. Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Kaien Shiba stared at Liu Hao in shock—he not only knew about the Soul King, but he even knew the Soul King's specific state!

Kisuke Urahara's voice deepened. "You know about the Soul King! You even know about the Soul King's condition!"

"Judging from what you're saying, shouldn't you have known all this already?" Liu Hao retorted, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Kisuke Urahara said in a deep voice, "Yes, you did say that. I just overlooked it. Since you're not interested in that position, what are you after?"

Liu Hao leaned back in his chair, his gaze deepening. "What could I possibly want? As a king, I naturally have to possess the benevolence of a king. So, since I'm part of this story, I naturally want to minimize the tragedy."

These words sounded somewhat esoteric, but Kisuke Urahara seemed to understand their meaning. He nodded, but then asked, "But even a king has dignity."

"Majesty," Liu Hao's lips curled slightly upward, a sharp glint in his eyes, "That's what brings down the person responsible for all this tragedy. So, does this explanation satisfy you?"

He stared at Kisuke Urahara, their gazes meeting in mid-air, as if engaged in a silent contest. A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall.