White Hollow and Hollowfication

The Soul Society also celebrated the New Year.

It's just that Gaoyu no longer had any family.

He used to spend the New Year alone, but this time he had a few more companions.

Kira and Renji also had no family, so they ended up spending the New Year at Gaoyu's place.

Hinamori and Tōshirō returned to RinAn to celebrate the New Year, as they still had family.

Rangiku and Shūhei also came to visit Gaoyu, but in the end, they returned to the Tenth Division and Ninth Division.

Aizen didn't come to find Gaoyu; instead, Gaoyu paid a visit to Aizen.

This year was also Gaoyu's first New Year since arriving in Seireitei.

He wondered if he could still have such a leisurely time in the future.

After the New Year, everything returned to normal.

In June, the Shino Academy graduated, and Kira, Hinamori, and Renji successfully joined the Fifth Division. Tōshirō did not graduate early but chose to continue staying at the Shino Academy.

Gaoyu acquired six more permanent Soul Abilities.

Kira's Bird Killer, Hinamori's Strongest Defense, Renji's Star Chaser, as well as Fireball Jutsu and Game Master among the Fifth Division Lieutenants, and Jidanbō's Gatekeeper.

He also acquired some more one-time-use abilities.

It could be said that he now possessed many means.

And during this period, he himself had grown much stronger.

Not long after Renji and the others joined the Fifth Division, Gaoyu, on his way home from work, received an order from Aizen.

"Damn it, why are you occupying my after-work time?"

Despite his reluctance, Gaoyu still went to Aizen's secret base.

Aizen had a secret laboratory in Seireitei, a place that was absolutely hidden, and no surveillance could monitor it.

Gaoyu had only been here once before, brought by Aizen himself. He hadn't done anything significant when he came.

As he walked in, he saw Aizen's group all there.

Aizen was sitting in front of a computer instrument, looking at lines of data. Kaname Tōsen guarded Aizen's side, while Gin Ichimaru sat on a huge computer desk, with his back to the other two.

When he entered, he saw Gin Ichimaru's ever-present squinting eyes.

"A rare visitor has arrived."

Gin Ichimaru squinted and smiled.

Kaname Tōsen also turned his head to look at Gaoyu but said nothing.

Gaoyu greeted the three of them.

"Captain Aizen, Captain Gin Ichimaru, Captain Tōsen, good evening."

"Gaoyu-kun, come and see our research results."

Research results?

Gaoyu walked over curiously and found a rather large cultivation tank in front. Inside the tank was the corpse of a Shinigami.

It's just...

What was strange was that there was a black hole in the Shinigami's chest, its skin was pale, and he didn't know how long it had been dead.

"This is...?"

"A soul that has transformed from a Shinigami into a Hollow," Kaname Tōsen said proudly. "Currently, this is the only successful case."

Gaoyu was stunned. A Shinigami turned into a Hollow? It sounded absurd, but there was indeed such an example in the manga.

White Hollow!

The Hollow inside Ichigo Kurosaki was also created by Aizen!

Why was White Hollow created so early?

Gaoyu looked closely at the Shinigami Hollow and couldn't help but say, "This is too crude, isn't it? Captain Aizen, you can't present a product like this."

"!" Kaname Tōsen frowned and immediately said coldly, "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to Lord Aizen like this!"

"Alright, Tōsen," Aizen said, not angry. He stood up and walked to the cultivation tank, looking at the Shinigami Hollow.

Without turning his head, he said, "Gaoyu-kun is right, this kind of thing is indeed not presentable."

"He has only just transformed into a Hollow. It might take some time for the transformation to be complete."

Aizen smiled and said, "However, although it's not a complete product yet, it already represents a breakthrough in technology."

"Gaoyu-kun, do you know how I accomplished this?"

You're asking me? How would I know? The manga didn't say how you did it either?

"Captain Aizen, just tell me directly. I have plans to go drinking with Captain Kyōraku tonight."

Aizen turned around and smiled, "Gaoyu-kun is indeed very busy."

With that, he placed one hand on the cultivation tank, and a light flickered within the Hollow.

Gaoyu watched the light, finding it somewhat familiar.

He couldn't help but chuckle, "So, this guy is actually related to me in some way."

Looking at the light, combined with Aizen's question, he knew that the Great Replenishing Pill he had created in Hueco Mundo was inside the Hollow.

Back then, after creating the Great Replenishing Pill, he had given it to Aizen. He thought Aizen would use it himself or inject it into the Hogyoku, but he never expected it to be used in the White Hollow experiment.

Could this be the part where he influenced the plot the most?

Even the protagonist's cheat had been infiltrated by him.

His Great Replenishing Pill helped Aizen complete White Hollow ahead of schedule?

Thinking this, Gaoyu couldn't help but say again, "Captain Aizen, may I name it?"

Hearing this, Kaname Tōsen's killing intent surged once more.

He believed White Hollow was Aizen's creation, so naturally, Aizen should be the one to name it. Gaoyu's words were undoubtedly an overstep!

However, Aizen still smiled and said, "Such as?"

"White," Gaoyu said. "Look at how white its skin is, let's just call it White Hollow."

"White..." Hearing the name, Aizen looked at White Hollow again.

Then his smile deepened.

"This name is quite good."

Heh heh...

Gaoyu looked at White Hollow. While it was unlikely they could become friends, White Hollow did possess its own Soul Ability.

'Hollowfication: Grants a Shinigami's soul the properties of a Hollow, thereby gaining Hollow powers.'

He had already obtained the Quincy's training methods before, and now he had encountered a method to gain Hollow powers.

As expected of a Hollow made from a Shinigami as a base, and one whose blood allowed for Hollowfication, it was only natural for it to possess such an ability.

But there was one more thing that surprised Gaoyu.

It was White Hollow's astonishingly high initial affinity towards him!

It didn't even have a complete sense of self yet, but its affinity for Gaoyu had already reached fifty-six!

Could it be because his Great Replenishing Pill was used?

Good heavens, looking at it this way, it wasn't entirely impossible for him to obtain the ability of Hollowfication from it.

Gaoyu's lips curved upwards, and he looked at Aizen again, saying, "Captain Aizen, if White Hollow can move, could you allow me to come observe and interact with it multiple times? You know, I'm most interested in existences like this."

"Of course," Aizen pushed up his glasses. "After all, it was created using your Soul fragments. You naturally have the right to decide its fate."