Arrival in the Pirate World

Kenma walked up to the Senkaimon, his Zanpakuto already drawn and held at his side.

He softly recited the Zanpakuto's Release Command.

"Sever them, Kiritsugu!"

A crystalline clear light shone from the blade, carrying a chilling coldness.

The world before him suddenly changed. When Kenma opened his eyes again, he found himself standing atop a lake, with a massive compass placed at its center.

He himself stood at the exact center of the compass.

Several points of light glowed before him.

One of them bore the large Han character [Fire].

Beside [Fire] was another point of light, marked [Sea].

Kenma looked around at the familiar surroundings, his expression remaining calm.

He had expected this.

"The world of my Zanpakuto..."

"That's right."

An unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Kenma turned to look. A man clad in black armor stood there.

The man wore a red scarf around his neck. His skin was dark brown, his hair short and white, and his face utterly indifferent, devoid of any expression.

"Kenma, it seems you're crossing worlds again..."

The man's voice was low, carrying a distinctly cold quality.

Kenma nodded. "Long time no see, Kiritsugu."

This man was the manifested form of Kenma's Zanpakuto.

—Kiritsugu!

"Just as you said, I'm opening a spatial passage between two worlds."

"..."

Kiritsugu fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Although I oppose your going to another world... since it is your decision, I cannot dissuade you, nor will I stop you."

"All I can do now is offer you my heartfelt blessings."

"May victory follow your blade."

Kenma smiled, then turned to look at the point of light marked [Sea].

He raised his Zanpakuto and slashed toward the character [Sea].

The position of [Sea] was the coordinates of that world of oceans.

In reality, Kenma's Zanpakuto also swung down toward the void within the Senkaimon.

A silver-white crescent slash flew out and struck the space before it, instantly cutting open a pitch-black fissure.

Crack!

Crack, crack, crack!

Sounds like shattering glass rang out in succession.

The upper and lower ends of the spatial rift were jagged, like the open maw of some indescribable beast, exposing its razor-sharp teeth.

And this beast was continuously opening its mouth wider.

The spatial rift grew larger and larger until it filled the entire Senkaimon.

At that moment, the inside of the gate was completely dark. Looking within, one could see only a faint point of light at the deepest end—the exit of the Senkaimon.

As long as they entered the gate and reached its end, they would arrive in that other world filled with oceans.

Having opened a spatial passage between two worlds with a single slash, Kenma nodded to himself, his expression relaxing.

If he truly had to break through the spatial barrier between two worlds, his current Third-Class Spiritual Might would require nearly an entire day.

But this strike had succeeded because he had already opened the path long ago. He merely needed to slice through the surface space now, so it naturally did not require much power.

"My lord's mighty power is truly awe-inspiring. To witness it with my own eyes is a blessing earned over three lifetimes."

Seeing Kenma sheath his blade after finishing, Shisui could not help voicing his heartfelt admiration.

"It truly is a godlike ability!"

"As expected of the lord we serve. His strength is beyond comparison."

"Strong and powerful, truly strong and powerful."

The Uchihas beside him also chimed in with sincere agreement.

Even though they had witnessed it before, seeing Kenma's abilities again still filled every Uchiha with a soul-deep shock.

No matter the world, spatial abilities were always nearly impossible to contend with. The vast gulf they created could even drive people to despair.

And this was only one part of their Master's abilities.

As the Uchiha Clan's exclamations and praises subsided, Kenma remained expressionless upon hearing them, though he did not stop them.

At that moment, Fugaku arrived in the courtyard with the elite fighters he had selected.

"My lord, the Uchiha elite have assembled. Please inspect them."

Fugaku led the group before Kenma and dropped to one knee. The Uchihas behind him did the same.

Kenma swept his gaze over them. There were roughly a dozen people, all dressed in the Uchiha Clan's distinctive high-collared garments, with the Uchiha fan emblem embroidered on their collars and backs.

Yashiro, Tekka, and the others were among them.

They all possessed decent Spiritual Pressure. Their faces were cold and filled with killing intent, and they had clearly been informed of the purpose of this journey.

Their murderous bearing matched Kenma's ingrained impression of the Uchiha Clan.

Now this feels right.

"Not bad."

Kenma looked at Fugaku and saw that he too had a Zanpakuto hanging at his waist, his face filled with killing intent.

"Fugaku, you're going too? What about the clan?"

"My lord, your safety is of utmost importance."

Fugaku's expression was incomparably solemn.

"Shisui and I are the strongest within the clan. Naturally, we must remain at your side."

"Now that the Uchiha Clan has successfully established itself in the Soul Society, the elders can handle clan affairs. My temporary absence will not cause any delays."

There was one more thing Fugaku did not say.

Because of Itachi's actions, he was truly not well regarded within the Uchiha Clan.

When they had first arrived in the Soul Society, the clan had been facing a matter of life and death, leaving them no time to dwell on it.

Now that they had adapted to life in the Soul Society, the clansmen's dissatisfaction had surged forth. Fugaku's governance merely suppressed it temporarily through the authority he had once held.

Together with Kenma's orders, the clansmen had no choice but to comply.

Strictly speaking, the clansmen were merely dissatisfied.

Though they were dead now, their lives were hardly different from before.

In fact, free from Konoha's exclusion and oppression, the clansmen were living more comfortably than they ever had.

But Fugaku could not get past it in his own heart.

In the end, it was Itachi's fault, and as Itachi's father, he naturally bore a grave guilt as well.

This was a good chance to go out, see the world, and calm his mind. Perhaps he might gain some other insight.

Hearing Fugaku say this, Kenma nodded and turned toward the darkness within the Senkaimon.

"Fine. Follow me."

As his words fell, the Uchihas rose. With Shisui and Fugaku at the lead, they followed behind Kenma.

As they walked along the dark passage, the light ahead grew increasingly bright in their eyes.

When they reached the end, the sliding Wooden Door that had appeared when they traveled from the Ninja World to the Soul Society stood before them.

Some unknown source of light illuminated the area around the Wooden Door as brightly as day.

Whoosh!

The Wooden Door slid open. Kenma stepped through, and the Uchihas streamed out behind him.

Soft sand lay beneath their feet. Before them was a junkyard piled high with abandoned warships and scrap steel.

Farther ahead stretched an endless expanse of azure sea.

The sun hung high overhead beneath a clear, cloudless sky.

A gentle breeze blew as sunlight spilled down, making the seawater shimmer with rippling light.

The salty, damp scent of the ocean rushed over them, invigorating everyone.

"The sea..."

"So this is... another world!"

"The extraordinarily wondrous world the lord spoke of."