The Truth About Kenpachi and the Origin of Arrancar

The morning sunlight streamed through the broken windows of the Visored base, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Liu Ziyun awoke from his light meditation, feeling the still-low Reiatsu within him, and sighed helplessly. The cost of reviving Kaien Shiba and his wife this time was far greater than he had imagined, and it would probably take a considerable amount of time to fully recover.

He stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff body, and then walked towards the Underground Training Ground.

The moment the door was pushed open, the sounds of intense fighting rushed out. In the center of the training ground, Kensei Muguruma and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi were engaged in a fierce battle; at the edge, Love Aikawa sat cross-legged, seemingly trying Blade Zen; further away, Hiyori Sarugaki and Mashiro Kuna were arguing about something, their voices rising and falling.

Shinji Hirako noticed Liu Ziyun's arrival, sheathed his sword, stepped back, and greeted him, "Have you rested well?"

Liu Ziyun nodded, glancing around at the busy group in the training ground, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, "You all train hard. Sometimes, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with your Zanpakuto and Hollows; you don't always have to fight."

He paused, a hint of reluctance in his voice, "I'm going back."

Shinji Hirako frowned slightly. "If you go back this time, when will you come again?"

Liu Ziyun thought for a moment and slowly said, "I'm not sure. But next time I come, I should be with Isshin Shiba of the Tenth Division to fight Aizen's experiment in the World of the Living."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Shinji Hirako's eyes. "Can't you come more often? We've found that the cultivation methods you proposed are indeed quite effective. Everyone's progress these past few days has been faster than in the previous months."

Liu Ziyun shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "If I come too often, Aizen might notice. So, I try to come when he's not looking. Anyway, you'll all be returning to Soul Society eventually, so we can hang out together then."

Hearing the conversation, Hiyori Sarugaki jumped over and said with a disdainful look, "We're not going back! What's so great about Soul Society?"

Liu Ziyun looked at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, "Then, when the time comes, I'll let you set up Soul Society outpost in the World of the Living and manage it yourself. How about it, 'Captain-Commander' of Hiyori?"

Hiyori Sarugaki rolled her eyes. "Tch, as if you can make that decision."

Liu Ziyun's smile widened, "By then, the Central 46 will be wiped out. If that Old Man Yama disagrees, I'll pin him to the ground and beat him until he agrees."

Hiyori Sarugaki paused for a moment, then looked at him with disbelief. "You? Don't get burned to a crisp. Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka is no joke."

Kensei Muguruma walked over at that moment and, upon hearing this, interjected, "I'll help you beat up that Old Man Yama."

Liu Ziyun glanced at him, a hint of pity in his eyes. "You should focus on your training. Your current combat strength will become a unit of combat strength in the future."

This piqued everyone's curiosity. Mashiro Kuna tilted her head and asked innocently, "What is a unit of combat strength?"

Everyone else turned their heads and looked at Liu Ziyun.

Liu Ziyun cleared his throat and explained seriously, "It's the weakest one among the captains. Then everyone says 'I have the strength of several cars'—'several cars' means several Kensei Muguruma."

Kensei Muguruma's face instantly darkened. "You're talking nonsense!!"

Mashiro Kuna paused for a second, then burst out laughing, doubled over with laughter. Hiyori Sarugaki also laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up, "Haha! So Kensei is this weak? 'Unit of combat power,' haha!"

Although the others were trying to suppress their laughter, the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Looking at the laughing Mashiro Kuna and Hiyori Sarugaki, Liu Ziyun added another jab, "Hiyori, you don't even have enough combat power for a truckload, what are you so happy about?"

Hiyori Sarugaki's laughter abruptly stopped. Her eyes widened, and her expression shifted from ecstatic joy to fury in astonishing speed. "You bastard! You bald man, are you trying to test my strength? Watch out, or I'll kill you!"

Liu Ziyun glanced at her as if she were an idiot. "Are you sure you want me to test your strength? I'm afraid I might accidentally fart and kill you."

Upon hearing this, everyone could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. Even the usually serious Lisa Yadōmaru covered her mouth and laughed out loud.

Enraged, Hiyori Sarugaki jumped up and down, her face flushed red. "Let's go! Let's go! Let me see how strong you really are!"

Liu Ziyun quickly waved his hand, a fawning smile plastered on his face, "Alright, alright, Rishili, I was wrong. I'm no match for your little finger; you can just press it and I'm done for."

Upon hearing this, Hiyori Sarugaki's anger vanished instantly, replaced by a smug expression. "Alright, I'm magnanimous. You know what's good for you."

Liu Ziyun looked at her and shook his head helplessly. "Thank you, Lord Rishiri, for letting me go."

The others watching the two bickering smiled knowingly. They hadn't felt this relaxed atmosphere in a long time since they escaped Soul Society.

Liu Ziyun's smile faded. He looked around at everyone, his tone becoming serious. "I'm going back now. Good luck to you all."

He paused, then added, "Remember, the path of cultivation is long; don't rush for quick results. Take it slow and steady, and you'll go further."

Shinji Hirako stepped forward. "Well, then we won't see you off."

Liu Ziyun waved his hand. "No need to see me off. I still need to buy something for our captain."

He turned and walked towards the door, then stopped after a few steps, turning back to "look" at the crowd. "I'm leaving."

After saying that, he waved and disappeared out the door.

After leaving the Visored's base, Liu Ziyun did not return directly to Soul Society. He put on Black Cloak and walked through the streets of Karakura Town, eventually arriving at the most bustling commercial district.

Although he couldn't see, his spiritual sense clearly captured everything around him—the bustling crowds, the dazzling array of goods, and the unique scents of various items wafting in the air.

He walked into a women's goods store and, with the enthusiastic recommendations of the shop assistants and his intuitive senses, selected a whole bunch of things—skincare products, cosmetics, hair accessories, clothes... Each item was carefully chosen and beautifully packaged.

[Women need to be pampered.] Liu Ziyun thought to himself with glee, [Hehe, once Aizen and the others leave, I can openly start building my harem. One captain, one Isane... Hmm, should I add others?]

Carrying large and small bags, he found a secluded corner, put on Black Cloak, and activated the Senkaimon Badge. A dark blue vortex unfolded in the darkness, and on the other side of the gate was the North District 80 of Soul Society.

Liu Ziyun a deep breath and stepped into the vortex.

Fourth Division, dormitory.

Liu Ziyun quietly returned to his room and carefully put away the things he had bought. Then, under the cover of night, he put on Black Cloak and sneaked towards the Captain's Office.

Captain's Office, the lights were on. Retsu Unohana sat at the tea table, holding a cup of tea, seemingly waiting for something.

The door was gently pushed open, and Liu Ziyun's figure flashed in.

"Captain, I'm back." He closed the door and took off his cloak.

Retsu Unohana put down her teacup and looked at him. "Why are you back so soon this time? I thought you would stay in the World of the Living for a few more days."

Liu Ziyun sat down opposite her, took a small box from his pocket, and placed it on the table. "This trip is to see two people off, so my stay will be short."

Retsu Unohana picked up the box, opened it, and glanced inside—it contained an exquisite hairpin. Unlike the previous hairpin, this one was carved with a phoenix spreading its wings.

She put the box down and looked at Liu Ziyun: "Are you going to hide again from now on?"

Liu Ziyun nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Yes, we definitely need to continue to play it safe. Our Reiatsu hasn't recovered yet, so we need to keep a low profile even more."

Retsu Unohana was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "By the way, something happened during the two days you were gone."

Liu Ziyun raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Retsu Unohana's expression became subtle. "The 11th Division Captain, Kenpachi Kiganjō, was defeated by Kenpachi Zaraki. You should know what that means."

Liu Ziyun paused for a moment, then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, "Oh, so the boy who used to please you has grown up and is coming to play with you?"

Retsu Unohana frowned slightly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "What did you say?"

Liu Ziyun waved his hand, but his smile grew even brighter, "Believe it or not, I'll go and kill him one day! Let him know that not just anyone can get close to my Xiao Lielie."

Retsu Unohana looked at him coldly and said, "Heh, are you sure you can kill him?"

Liu Ziyun's smile faded slightly, and his tone became serious. "Even if he were completely unsealed and merged his Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi into his body, I could still kill him."

Retsu Unohana's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're quite confident, aren't you?"

She paused, then asked, "But what about Yachiru Kusajishi merging into your body? What do you know about that?"

Liu Ziyun looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "This all started with a special being in Hueco Mundo."

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and continued, "In Hueco Mundo, there is a very special Hollow. His power has reached the end of the Vasto Lorde. His power is so great that any Hollow that gets close to him is naturally weakened, or even killed. He exists in Hueco Mundo like a plague, without any companions, forever alone."

A thoughtful glint flashed in Retsu Unohana's eyes. "Loneliness... and then what?"

Liu Ziyun continued, "Later, this Hollow grew to the point of autonomously becoming Arrancar. But it wasn't used to this loneliness, so it automatically split its soul in two, becoming two Arrancars, to resolve this loneliness."

Retsu Unohana nodded thoughtfully. "You mean... Kenpachi Zaraki's situation is similar to that Hollow's?"

Liu Ziyun: "That's right. After fighting you, Kenpachi Zaraki sealed away his power, hoping to always encounter someone like you who could rival him. However, because he hasn't found anyone who can give him the same joy in battle as you, he hopes someone can inherit your name."

He paused, his tone growing deeper. "So, unconsciously, he leaked a portion of his primordial power, giving birth to a baby girl in the Kusajishi District. When he met that baby girl, he took 'Kusajishi' as his surname and named her 'Yachiru.'"

Retsu Unohana's pupils contracted slightly. "You mean, Yachiru Kusajishi is the embodiment of Kenpachi Zaraki's power?"

Liu Ziyun nodded. "That's right. In the future, if Kenpachi Zaraki is fully unsealed, it's not a big deal if he doesn't release his Zanpakuto. But once he releases his Zanpakuto, Yachiru Kusajishi will disappear and return to his body."

Retsu Unohana fell silent. She remembered the little girl with the innocent smile who always sat on Kenpachi Zaraki's shoulders, and the indescribable bond between them.

"I see..." she said softly.

She looked at Liu Ziyun and asked again, "By the way, what is this 'Arrancar' you mentioned earlier? Is it a Hollow above Vasto Lorde?"

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "No. Any Hollow can potentially Arrancar, but to Arrancar on its own, one generally needs to reach the level of Vasto Lorde."

He explained, "Arrancars are Hollows who, after reaching their limit, break the boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollows, removing part of their Hollow masks and gaining Soul Reaper power from the Hollow level. In reality, it's a natural evolution."

He paused, then continued, "Hirako and his group of unlucky fellows are the opposite of Arrancars —they gained Hollow powers from the Soul Reaper level. That's why they're called 'Visored'."

A glint flashed in Retsu Unohana's eyes. "You mean, if someone intervenes, it's possible to make Hollows who haven't reached their full potential gain Soul Reaper powers and thus Arrancar?"

Liu Ziyun nodded. "Yes. But those are all trash. It won't be difficult to take them down."

Retsu Unohana nodded thoughtfully. As the First Kenpachi, she had a profound understanding of the nature of power. Liu Ziyun's words opened up a completely new perspective for her.

She then asked, "Is the Hollowfication of Soul Reaper something that can happen when Soul Reaper reaches its limit of power?"

Liu Ziyun gently shook his head. "No."

His tone became serious. "In fact, Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto is a Hollow within a soul."

Seeing Retsu Unohana's surprised expression, he continued to explain, "However, this Hollow hasn't lost its 'heart,' which is why it won't go berserk. It's a part of your soul, your partner, your other half."

He paused, then said, "The way Hollows obtain the power of Soul Reaper is actually by learning the Soul Reaper's methods and sealing their core power into the form of a sword. This sealed sword is also called a 'Zanpakuto'."