"So, Urahara brothers, may I ask, what action of mine led you to classify me as dangerous?"
Zero wanted to confirm his suspicions and see if his frequent trips to Hueco Mundo had been exposed, since even if the Garganta was hidden, spatial fluctuations would still be present when it was opened.
"Sorry, no comment! The game of hide-and-seek is over. May I leave now?"
Urahara, now serious, was utterly terrified of Zero. He didn't believe Zero would dare to defy the Seireitei and kill him to his face; that would only give the higher-ups an excuse.
Urahara glanced behind him and saw that the two who had been tricked had returned. Seeing Urahara there, Maki gritted his teeth, while Ashido's indifferent eyes showed a hint of competitiveness.
"Okay, you can go now!"
"Eh, really..."
Urahara raised his eyes in surprise, only to see the great red Greatsword slashing down at him. He quickly drew his Zanpakuto to parry, and completed his Shikai just as the Blood Drink was about to fall.
A deafening roar followed, and the Reiatsu surged. Two more booming sounds followed, and then the Reiatsu subsided...
"Team, Captain-level, also, also a sneak attack..."
Urahara lay on the ground, feeling extremely uncomfortable, panting heavily, and unable to speak clearly. He had exhausted himself trying to withstand the three sword strikes.
Urahara has not yet developed the Tenshintai, nor has he learned Bankai; he can only perform Shikai.
In Shikai against Shikai, Urahara, whose Reiatsu is only slightly more than one or two points, is no match for Zero, especially since he was ambushed. No matter how many tricks Urahara has up his sleeve, he can't use them.
The main issue was the element of surprise attack. Kenpachi never expected Urahara to ambush an unknown nobody like him, and he was caught off guard.
"Killing you is definitely out of the question; it might lead to some strange charge against you. But teaching you a lesson is still an option, isn't it?"
Zero Zanpakuto, turned to Maki, and said, "Take him with you, let's go back!"
Maki responded and carried Urahara on his back. Although Urahara wasn't injured, he had completely exhausted his strength after being beaten by Zero.
In Yama-jii's office, Zero was once again reprimanded; this time, not only Yama-jii was present, but also seven Captains and four Vice-Captains.
The Captains are Kirio Hikifune, Seigen, Kyōraku, Yoruichi, Kensei, and Kasumioji Yakumo.
Since Zero discovered Urahara's secret surveillance and taught him a lesson, Yama-jii stopped observing him and summoned him directly.
As for why it's not the Central 46, the reason is that the nature of Zero's actions is still uncertain. His motives may be malicious, but the possibility that they are for the Soul Society cannot be completely ruled out.
Captain-level figure cannot clearly define the specific circumstances, then there is no need to hand the case over to the Central 46 for judgment.
In fact, the problem is already quite serious. If it's not explained well, even if Zero is Kenpachi, he'll probably face imprisonment or be openly monitored... Yes, openly and legitimately.
"Captain Nangong, do you have a purpose in frequently going to Hueco Mundo? If it's just about defeating Hollows, there's no need to be so secretive, is there?"
The majestic voice of Yama-jii rang out, and the Captain who had joined in stood on his left and right sides, with only the composed Zero standing before them.
"Because I'm bored! Killing those trashy traitors in Soul Society would be incredibly easy, and while fighting the Captains would be a good option, there's still a sentiment involved, so it's hard to actually kill them!"
As Ling spoke, his gaze swept over the Captains standing to the left and right of Yama-jii. He felt no pressure at all; on the contrary, his piercing gaze and aggressive words made the Captains tense up.
Want to kill his teammate, the Captain? This guy must be insane!
This was the Captains ' first thought. Some of them initially thought that Nangong Kenpachi, who could develop the 'Healing Way,' was also well-intentioned, but one explanation exposed their true nature.
"Don't try to downplay the issue. I'm asking why you went secretly, not why you went in the first place. You could have gone openly and honestly, but you went secretly and made Garganta."
Yama-jii is trying to get to the bottom of this, trying to scare him with this kind of thing. Zero is still too green... Among everyone present, he is probably the only one who is not afraid of being challenged by Zero.
Unohana was an exception, because she didn't come.
"Going openly or secretly makes no difference, right? You'll investigate me no matter what... But since the Captain-Commander has already asked, I'll lay my cards on the table!"
Zero seemed slightly reluctant to speak, a perfectly legitimate excuse he had prepared beforehand. This time, facing Yama-jii's sharp gaze, he said, "Last time I went to Hueco Mundo, I heard the native inhabitants mention the Quincy. After repeatedly inquiring, I confirmed that the Quincy really exist, so I've been secretly looking for them."
Quincy appearing in Hueco Mundo? Didn't that prisoner named Chuānpǔ say the Quincy were hiding in Soul Society? What's going on...? This was the question that almost Captains had in common.
But the Captain remained composed. Although their eyes held surprise and curiosity, none of them took the initiative to ask questions, because it was not their turn to speak yet.
When Yama-jii met Ling's gaze, Ling's eyes remained unwavering, indicating that he was telling the truth. After a brief silence, he uttered only one sentence. "Why didn't you report it sooner?"
Zero's lips curled slightly as he chuckled, "Heh, what good is a report? Are you going to send those people down to investigate? If any unusual Reiatsu appears in Hueco Mundo, it'll easily be attacked by tens of thousands of Hollows."
"With advancements in technology, Expeditionary Force are typically teleported to the Hueco Mundo regions on the outskirts of Hueco Mundo. The Reishi concentration there is low, and there aren't many Menos Grande, so completing the mission is relatively easy, and the intelligence gathered is naturally limited."
"You've all heard that our Third Seats have lived there alone for over a hundred years, right? And in the heart of Las Noches, Adjuchas roam in droves."
"While Captain-level figures might be able to easily escape swarms of Ragged Hollows individuals or Gillian groups, what about these mid-level Menos Grande operating in groups..."
Zero paused for a moment, then his smile faded and he said in a serious tone, "Excuse my bluntness, but apart from myself, Kyōraku, and a certain Captain's hiding his true strength, I don't think anyone else can just roam freely in Hueco Mundo."
Upon hearing Zero's slightly disdainful words, the Captain reacted in various ways. Some remained expressionless but their eyes gleamed, some snorted coldly, and others fell into thought.
Without exception, they had all taken Zero's words to heart to some extent, which is why they became so emotional.
The information about the Quincy is indeed true. Zero has also been to areas where the Quincy are known to frequent. Those places have changed drastically and the Reishi is scarce, as if it had been forcibly taken away.
When Kyōraku heard that Zero thought highly of him, he gave a helpless smile, then stepped forward to bow to Yama-jii before turning to Zero and asking, "I'm very happy that Captain Nangong thinks so highly of me! But I still have a question for you."
"First, the original inhabitants of Hueco Mundo are presumably Hollows. Is the information they provide reliable? We are their enemy!"
After Kyōraku raised this question, all the Captains nodded in agreement. As enemies, they couldn't possibly tell the Soul Reaper information directly!
"It's not entirely certain, but all living things fear death. I forced them to take me to the location where I encountered the Quincy, and discovered that not only was the Reishi in that area sparse, but the surface desert was also nearly a hundred meters lower than other places, as if it had vanished into thin air..."
Zero's answer reminded some Captains with better memories of the intelligence that the captured Chuānpǔ had once revealed... that the Quincy were hiding in Soul Society, secretly absorbing Reishi from there to construct the Quincy World.
According to Zero, the disappearance of Reishi in parts of Hueco Mundo seems to be the work of the Quincy, and only they could have taken away such a massive amount of Reishi!
"Excuse me, I also have a question. Captain Nangong, why were you initially unwilling to share this information? Did you have other plans after investigating it on your own?"
Following Kyōraku, Kasumioji Yakumo also stepped forward, which was practically asking Zero, "Are you disloyal? Are you going to cooperate with the Quincy?"
Yama-jii's gaze sharpened again. He knew that Zero wanted to be the Captain-Commander, and if Zero wanted to seize this position by cooperating with the Quincy... not to mention succeeding, Yama-jii believed that they would not succeed.
However, given Zero's strength and status, he will definitely deal a heavy blow to the Seireitei. At that time, more than one or two Captains may die in battle. Yama-jii believes that no matter what, we must secretly guard against Zero for a period of time.
"Tch, you're such an idiot, can't you see something this obvious?" Zero grinned widely at Yagumo and continued, "Of course, it's to kill them all for one person!"
"Only by fighting against stronger opponents can you continue to improve. Woman, look at yourself. You're tormented by clan affairs and such every day. After hundreds of years of growth, your Reiatsu is only 1.8 chariots. You're pitifully weak..."
Kasumioji Yakumo stared wide-eyed, almost blurting out the words "fight Zero," but she knew she couldn't win, and for the sake of her family, she couldn't die yet.
Zero then began his Battle Speech, which was one of the pre-planned countermeasures. After revealing the information, he wanted to distract the Captains from focusing on his frequent trips to Hueco Mundo.
"And to everyone here, just leave the tasks to your subordinates. Go find more battles. After all, without power, how are you going to protect the court? With just words..."
Zero kept babbling on, which disturbed Yama-jii's thoughts, and he was immediately reprimanded. "Quiet down, that's enough for now! Disperse..."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Captains had barely nodded and hadn't even had time to use Shunpo to leave when a series of explosions began to occur in the Seireitei, causing it to tremble.
Through the panoramic window of Yama-jii's office, one can see explosions erupting in the Seireitei, raising clouds of dust.
"Hmm? Is it an enemy attack?" Seigen asked in confusion.
"While I was hoping it was an enemy attack, it doesn't seem like it! There's no enemy Reiatsu," Zero, whose perception was even stronger, answered him directly.
"It's at the Seireitei Research Institute. There happened to be a big project going on there today, and Captain Kuchiki and Captain Shiba were both there overseeing it. Something must have happened!"
After Kirio Hikifune explained, the group of Captains finally understood.
"Regardless of the reason, stop the explosion from spreading! Go!"
At Yama-jii's command, the Captain used Shunpo to rush towards the direction of the explosion.