A month later, Maki returned from his mission and burst into tears the moment he saw Zero. He also voluntarily changed his surname back to Ichinose. The Soul Reaper were registering the names were getting impatient. Who keeps changing their name like that?
Maki admitted that he only wanted to protect the family business for Zero, but he didn't expect that some people would disagree and choose to leave.
Zero didn't blame him; it was just that some evil spirits were causing trouble and had managed to take over his family's business while he was away.
Money no longer meant much to Zero, but he still came up with a few ideas, such as having someone open a shoe factory, mainly producing clogs and sandals, and wholesaling them to areas beyond the sixtieth district...
During their conversation, Maki suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Nangong, um... I heard you're pursuing Captain Unohana? Is that true?"
"Who told you that? Which guy is talking nonsense?"
Upon hearing this, Zero felt that the rumor was full of wicked humor. Putting everything else aside, Zero knew what kind of existence Unohana was— the First Kenpachi! Zero dared not be too presumptuous.
Those who don't know her think she's a gentle and kind elder, but those who know her a little will know that the sins she committed a thousand years ago are probably too numerous to count!
Zero had just talked to Kyōraku about Unohana, but Kyōraku said, "Don't make the old lady angry," and then smiled and let Zero guess, which means that Kyōraku knew about it too.
"I heard it from someone on the On the Road... and I think it's quite suitable..."
"Stop! I'm not listening! If there's nothing else, I'm going to cultivate!"
For the sake of the Nangong Family's prosperity and longevity, Maki, upon hearing that the truth was not so, even tried to persuade Zero to pursue Unohana, but Zero didn't give him a chance to speak.
There's a reason why the Five Great Noble Clans have produced so many experts over the generations. Their ancestors were powerful, second only to the Soul King, so the bloodline passed down to their descendants is naturally exceptional.
Furthermore, each generation of the Five Great Noble Clans has mated with a female Soul Reaper with powerful Reiryoku, so their descendants naturally inherit this Reiryoku talent; moreover, members of the branch families have also mated with various Rukongai individuals from Rukongai, maintaining the diversity of their bloodlines.
Even if the main family suddenly falls into decline, the branch family will have skilled individuals who can hold the line for a period of time...
Zero's First Division again, but Kisaragi Shingō tells Zero that Yama-jii is too busy to beat him up today and tells him to go back quickly. Zero is so angry he almost explodes. What does it mean that he's too busy to 'beat him up'?
Kisaragi Shingō had met him long before, after his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki. He was considered a top-tier fighter in the First Division. After the previous Third Seat of the First Division defected, he was promoted to First Division Third Seat and shared the position with another person.
Yama-jii was actually there, but he didn't come out. A month of continuous sparring was already more than enough; it was more like instruction than sparring.
'That brat Nangong is too impatient. His desire to avenge Kuruyashiki is too obvious. I'm afraid even Azashiro knows he's been coming to spar with him every day. We can't just help him blindly; that would be unfair.'
This is what Yama-jii is thinking right now. He appreciates ambitious people, but he also needs to consider the feelings of other Squad Members.
Even though Azashiro was a member of the Gotei 13, he was forgiven of all his sins after becoming Kenpachi.
Yama-jii plans to have Kisaragi Shingō tomorrow that he can only accept Ling's challenge on one day each month, and the ten-punch format will remain unchanged.
While Zero was frantically studying the Kaido, Azashiro spent more than a month completing his 'Complete Annihilation of the Void' plan. This plan, as the name suggests, was to completely eliminate the Void, and its concept was almost identical to that of the Quincy.
At this point, Azashiro had already entered Central 46. Already proud and somewhat disgusted with Central 46, he still chose to abide by the rules, applying before gradually beginning his plans and experiments...
"What? Transform ordinary souls from Rukongai into warriors to completely annihilate Hollows in Hueco Mundo?" The guy with the Number 16 exclaimed in astonishment.
"Haha, nonsense! Those lowly people don't even have Reiryoku, how could they possibly have that kind of combat strength!" Number 23 laughed.
"Heh, that's right. Even a soul with a little Reiryoku cannot defeat an ordinary Void without professional training," Number 39 sneered.
"Alright then! Go and try to modify them. I'll give you three years to modify three hundred guys who can defeat ordinary Hollows on their own."
"That's right, let's see if your plan is feasible."
"Agree..."
The old man with the Number 7 expressed his approval, and the others agreed to Azashiro's plan amidst their sneers. Even Azashiro's calm, old-fashioned eyes revealed a hint of anger.
"Then please wait and see!"
After suppressing his anger, Azashiro turned and left, ignoring the short-sighted and pedantic group. He wanted to amaze everyone with his own abilities.
Two years passed quickly, and we arrived at the time when Aizen was sealed away 246 years ago.
The six Vice-Captains traveled together, having set aside some time for cultivation. They said they were having Vice-Captains' gathering as the year-end approached, so everyone could get to know each other better.
At this moment, Azashiro walked over from the opposite side of the six people, followed by four guys dressed in coarse cloth. The five Vice-Captains greeted them one after another, but Zero stepped aside without saying a word.
The Captain and Vice-Captain didn't even greet each other. Zero showed no respect for the Captain, and Azashiro showed no concern for the adjutant. The two were like strangers.
Not only did Zero and Azashiro have a bad relationship, but almost everyone in the 11th Division also disapproved of him as their Captain. He never attended any of the team's gatherings or missions...
"Vice-Captain Nangong Ling, you're showing far too much disrespect to your own Captain! If this continues, the atmosphere in the 11th Division be..."
Shusuke Ihana expressed her concern, fearing that the 11th Division, under Zero's leadership, would break with Azashiro.
"It's not my fault. You should talk to him. He always has this Zombie face and hasn't done anything about team affairs."
Zero's words were overheard by an unseen beauty, who then ran over and repeated them to Azashiro.
"Vice-Captain Nangong Ling, do you dislike Captain Azashiro?"
Ginjiro, then the Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, raised a question. In fact, he also hated it; his family had been indiscriminately massacred by Azashiro more than twenty years ago...
"I have to hate him, you can't expect me to still love him! I even made sure the Ninth Division was vacant."
Zero glanced at the still young Ginjiro. Zero's story had spread to the Vice-Captains. Kuruyashiki had been kind to him, and the Azashiro killed Kuruyashiki had filled Zero with hatred.
"Hey, you bastard... don't just bring up our Ninth Division!"
Kasagi Heizō, then Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division, roared Kensei Muguruma hadn't taken over yet, and he hadn't been ousted by Mashiro Kuna. At the moment, he was still hating Zero because of Hideaki Tsunayashiro's death.
"So what if we mentioned it? I never expected that guy could be Captain. His Bankai Shikai. It's a disgrace to the Gotei 13. You all think so too, right?"
Ling's slightly upturned lips clearly showed his true colors, and he even managed to pull the Vice-Captains next to him into his camp.
The merciless mockery made Kasagi Heizō's eyes fierce, but the overwhelming Reiatsu emanating from Zero made him dare not continue.
"Don't say that, Vice-Captain Nangong Ling! We're all comrades!"
"That's right, that's right."
There's no need to make things awkward!
"That's right!"
Shusuke Ihana acted as a peacemaker, with Ginjiro chiming in. The other two Vice-Captains, Chitetsu Iba and Kiyōnosuke Yamada, exchanged a glance but did not interfere.
Chitetsu Iba asked, "What do you think of Nangong Ling?"
The energetic and Chitetsu Iba knew that her Captain didn't like Zero either and didn't want too much interaction with her outside of work.
Kiyōnosuke Yamada knew she was asking him, "Personality? Too easygoing... He has no respect for those inferior to him, regardless of status, but he is extremely respectful to those superior to him in certain aspects, regardless of ability."
Upon hearing this, Chitetsu Iba frowned and said, "Isn't this just normal human thinking? But I always feel that he's not that simple."
"Perhaps!"
Upon hearing Kiyonosuke remained noncommittal. He had witnessed Nangong Ling's docile demeanor in front of Captain Unohana, which indicated that Nangong Ling was also aware of Captain Unohana's strength.
Azashiro didn't even respond to the few Vice-Captains; his 'Rukongai Resident Modification Plan,' which was approved two years ago, had already yielded results.
He used his Bankai to turn residents who had no Reiryoku into warriors with Reiryoku.
Central 46 asked him to modify 300, but he modified 1,000 in one go. He also cooperated with the Kasumioji Clan, purchasing a large number of weapons to arm those people and sending them to hunt Void creatures in the wild.
Today, Azashiro, who obtained successful data, is bringing four somewhat powerful Successful Test Subjects over to show Central 46 his results...
"How is it? All four of them have the ability to kill Hollows, and one of them can even kill five Hollows on his own. This level of combat power has already reached the level of an ordinary Seated Officer. He can continue to grow and become even stronger."
"In just two short years, I've already modified a thousand people. Give me a hundred years, and I can easily create an army of hundreds of thousands. At that time, destroying Hueco Mundo will be just around the corner..."
Unlike his usual calm demeanor, Azashiro became increasingly excited as he spoke. He said that the more he modified the weapon, the easier it would be for him to operate, and hundreds of thousands would be a small matter. He might even be able to create a million-strong army to slaughter Hueco Mundo.
You must understand that if you don't Zanpakuto, their souls will not be purified and will become Reishi drifting in the world forever.
However, the fact that her own sister died in the Azashiro, a place of falsehood, was meant to prevent them from being purified and from ever finding liberation.
"So, wise men, when do you think it would be appropriate to begin mass modifications?"
"..."
The speech by the Azashiro ended, and the four prostrate, kneeling reformers remained silent, while the forty-six old dermatitis patients behind the memorial tablets went from silence to whispering.
"We are aware of the situation regarding the redevelopment of the Rukongai residents. Please go and wait for further instructions. We will discuss this further later."
Central 46 did not directly answer Azashiro's question, but instead sent him away, saying they would talk about it later.
Azashiro snapped out of his reverie, no longer lost in his beautiful dream. He realized that Central 46 might have some concerns.
He dismissed the four Modified Subjects, and then disappeared into thin air on his own.
Using his Bankai ability to merge everything, Azashiro had already merged the entire Seireitei several years ago; within the Seireitei, he could go wherever he wanted without being detected.
Central 46, Azashiro returned, but this time in the form of an invisible Reishi, hiding in the shadows...
"To have transformed a thousand people in just two years is to the standard of an entire army."
"Heh, it's all because you agreed to let him do that in the first place."
"Are we just going to ignore the demands of the Captain-level?"
"Stop arguing. Now we need to discuss how to get him to hand over this technology. If he harbors rebellious intentions, given this rate of innovation, we'll be in trouble in a few years."
"First, list the charges against him..."
"That's right. He was told to modify 300, but he modified 1000. That's wrong. If he obediently hands over the technology, he'll be given a lenient sentence. If he doesn't, then..."
The discussion in Central 46 lasted for more than an hour. Azashiro watched it from beginning to end, and his excitement plummeted to rock bottom.
In his eyes, Central 46 was nothing more than a group of old-fashioned relics who were afraid of new things and did whatever they wanted.
Those who initially approved his plan now feel that his modification program threatens their rule and demand that he hand over the modification technology.
But Azashiro himself knew where the technology was; it was all a modification completed by his own Bankai 'Urozakuro,' and there was no way he could hand over that kind of technology.
They faced only one fate: the judgment they spoke of...
When Azashiro left Central 46, it was in the morning. At 4 p. m., Central 46 summoned him back to receive his judgment.
Meanwhile, the Central 46 secretly relayed the situation to Yama-jii, explaining that the transformation plan for Azashiro was inhumane and instructing Yama-jii to mobilize the Gotei 13 to prevent Azashiro from resisting and harboring malicious intent to attack the Central 46.
Hell Butterfly had just notified the Captain and Vice-Captain, and Zero and his group had only just finished their gathering less than five minutes ago, when the second notification arrived: Azashiro had already been captured.
When Shiba Kūsei and Seigen Kyōshiba joined forces to detain Azashiro in the Central 46, the matter seemed to be coming to an end. However, Zero felt that things weren't so simple, and Kyōraku felt the same way...
"Forcibly modifying a soul and compelling it to fight is wrong in itself, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Azashiro, do you know what kind of crime this is?"
Faced with the questioning from Central 46, Azashiro retorted expressionlessly, "But wasn't it Central 46 that approved the plan?"
"It is true that we approved it, but we only gave you three years to reform three hundred people, yet you reformed over a thousand in two years. Do you perhaps harbor rebellious intentions?"
The guy at number twenty-nine is forcibly changing the subject and smearing Azashiro.
"If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. Think whatever you want!"
Azashiro had already let go of the past; he had already made up his mind.
"Hmph, so you admit it? Sinner Azashiro, you are now ordered to hand over the modification technology for destruction under the supervision of the First Division!"
"Destroy? I'm even less likely to hand it over to you then. Just wait! Since you won't agree, I'll modify it myself..."
"Disappeared?"
"Quickly, quickly, have the Gotei 13 apprehend this man and bring him to justice!"
Just when Central 46 thought Azashiro would obediently submit, Azashiro, who was being judged, suddenly transformed into blue Reishi and scattered in all directions.
This terrified the group of old men, who peeked out from behind the wooden sign, each one filled with fear.