First Kenpachi and Strongest Kenpachi Start Snatching People?

"Captain Kenpachi is the captain of the Eleventh Division, while Yoru Machi is merely a fresh graduate from the Shino Academy. Given the disparity in your positions, a fight between you should be against protocol, shouldn't it?

If this were training within a division, a captain disciplining their own members would be normal drill. But as I recall, Yoru Machi is not a member of Captain Kenpachi's division, is he?"

Seeing Unohana Retsu smiling before him like a Yamato Nadeshiko, Kenpachi Zaraki wore an expression of genuine disgust.

It wasn't that Kenpachi Zaraki hated Unohana Retsu as a person; rather, he hated the Unohana Retsu of the present.

Many in the Seireitei might not know it, but Kenpachi Zaraki and Unohana Retsu were old acquaintances.

Kenpachi Zaraki hailed from Zaraki District, District 80 of the North Rukongai—the most lawless and squalid area. Originally a nameless commoner, he later took "Zaraki" as his surname.

When the first Captain of the Eleventh Division, Unohana Retsu, ventured to the outskirts of the Rukongai with her subordinates in search of a fierce warrior to her liking, the sight that greeted her was a mountain of corpses—commoners slain by Zaraki's blade.

Unohana Retsu moved closer to inspect, only for Kenpachi Zaraki to suddenly lunge out and stab her below the collarbone with his sword. The two then engaged in a fierce battle on the spot, ending with Zaraki slashed across the left cheek. Thus came Unohana Retsu's collarbone scar and Kenpachi Zaraki's left cheek scar.

In that fight, Kenpachi Zaraki experienced both fear and joy in battle for the first time. He dreaded losing such an "enemy," for that would rob him of the thrill of combat.

So, to match Unohana Retsu's strength, he subconsciously weakened himself to her level.

No one knows the true outcome of that battle, but by all accounts, Unohana Retsu likely lost, for Kenpachi Zaraki had been fighting while suppressing his power the entire time.

Of course, Unohana Retsu hadn't released her Zanpakuto then, fighting instead with an Asauchi.

Yet even so, Unohana Retsu was hailed as the strongest "First Kenpachi," a woman whose swordsmanship earned her the title "Yachiru." And yet, she needed a boy to hold back his strength just to achieve a stalemate!

It was after that, upon returning from the Rukongai, that Unohana Retsu voluntarily resigned as Captain of the Eleventh Division, deeming herself unworthy of the title "Kenpachi," the strongest swordsman. Her personality underwent a drastic change, and she became Captain of the Fourth Division, a post she has held ever since.

Kenpachi Zaraki didn't dislike Unohana Retsu; in fact, he admired her greatly. His very decision to become a Shinigami and come to the Seireitei was largely influenced by her.

But Kenpachi Zaraki hated the Unohana Retsu of now, because he knew she was always pretending. She was just like him—a wild beast dwelling within—yet she had locked that beast in a cage, facing the world with a "false" face.

"Tch, what a pain. That Yoru Machi kid—you haven't officially joined the Fourth Division yet, have you? Why not come to the Eleventh Division instead?

I heard from Ikkaku that you're from the North Rukongai too, and your strength's pretty decent.

You've got two choices. First, join the Eleventh Division, and we'll fight fair and square—saves us both a lot of trouble, and I won't have to listen to the old man's nagging.

The other choice is, even if you join the Fourth Division, I'll still come after you. As long as I make sure you're still alive, I'll just take a scolding from the old man. I don't give a damn."

Hearing Kenpachi Zaraki's words, which were barely a step away from a threat, Yoru Machi's expression froze on his face. He glanced sidelong at a certain bald head across from him.

That bald head in the opposing group, probably feeling guilty, didn't dare meet Yoru Machi's eyes and simply lowered his head, offering his shiny scalp in response.

"Captain Kenpachi, this Shinigami named Yoru Machi has already decided to join our Fourth Division. Your actions now are clearly overstepping.

Should I take your behavior as the Eleventh Division provoking the Fourth Division?"

Sister Hana appeared gentle and elegant on the surface, but she was never one with a good temper. With a beast dwelling in her heart, her occasional dark turns were par for the course.

She had tried to reason with him, but he ignored her. Now, he was threatening a prospective member of her division right in front of her. If Unohana Retsu remained unmoved, she wouldn't be the former strongest Kenpachi.

"Interesting. If you were to be my opponent in battle, wouldn't that be even more thrilling!

This powerful Reiatsu—it's been a while. I didn't come to the Seireitei to be some Shinigami in the first place. Looks like I'll get my wish after all!"

Jingle—jingle—jingle—jingle!

As Unohana Retsu's Reiatsu surged forth, the bells tied to Kenpachi Zaraki's hair ends began to jingle and sway.

Due to his unique Physical Prowess, Kenpachi Zaraki's own Reiatsu was immense, but he lacked the ability to sense it. So he had styled his hair into spiky tufts and tied bells to the ends.

The purpose was to gauge his opponent's Reiatsu intensity by the bells' swinging amplitude, determining how much strength he needed to bring for a satisfying fight.

Seeing the bells at his hair ends now wildly swinging as if caught in a gale, Kenpachi Zaraki's face lit up with fierce excitement and battle lust.

Clearly, the Reiatsu intensity Unohana Retsu had unleashed pleased him immensely, even making his blood boil for the first time in ages!

Without a moment's hesitation, Kenpachi Zaraki reached up and tore off the eyepatch on his right eye, which sealed his Reiatsu.

The moment the eyepatch was ripped away, Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu burst forth like a tidal wave, the tangible force condensing into a golden pillar that shot up from the Fourth Division's recruitment site!

Unohana Retsu had intended to avoid conflict with Kenpachi Zaraki, but the overwhelming Reiatsu he unleashed ignited her long-dormant battle spirit. By the time she realized it, she was startled to find her own Reiatsu erupting in a matching pillar.

The two powerful captain-level Reiatsu collided head-on, the immense pressure turning into a surging wave. Yoru Machi and the others were like small boats caught in the storm, on the verge of being capsized at any moment.

Caught in the clash of these two immense Reiatsu, Yoru Machi and Yachiru were still fine. Though affected, the pressure wasn't directed at them, and their own Reiatsu wasn't weak, so they managed to stay composed.

Ikkaku and Yumichika had decent Reiatsu, but as fresh graduates from the Shino Academy, they had never witnessed such a high-stakes confrontation. Now, they were bent over, faces flushed red as they struggled to straighten up.

As for Kotetsu Isane... the young lady had already given up resistance entirely, lying flat on the ground.