~ Support & Read 60 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
"Become a vice-captain or a captain?"
Shin considered it. He wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea, but it was a solid opportunity. He figured he might as well compete for a position.
"In about three days, we'll be departing for Hueco Mundo. You should prepare," Retsu Unohana informed him.
Shin nodded. The prospect of visiting Hueco Mundo genuinely interested him.
By now, Shin had a solid grasp on the powers of a Soul Reaper, though his Zanpakutō had yet to achieve Shikai.
But Shin suspected his Zanpakutō might never achieve Shikai, and honestly, he wasn't bothered. He could always just copy someone else's. Besides, he still had plenty of Replication Cards.
Shin had exchanged all his Common and Advanced Replication Cards for Divine ones. He now had five Divine Replication Cards, which meant he could copy five Zanpakutō.
And it wasn't just about copying the swords themselves—he could replicate the wielder's entire power set.
"When we head to Hueco Mundo, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto will be there, won't he?" Shin asked Unohana.
Unohana paused for a moment at his question, then nodded.
"Yes, Captain-Commander Yamamoto will be there."
Shin nodded knowingly. This was his chance to copy Yamamoto's power—to replicate everything he had.
Yamamoto's strength was at its absolute peak right now. In fact, by the time the main story began, the old man wasn't as strong as he was in this era. It wasn't because age had weakened him—he already looked like an old man. It was because extended periods without a real fight would cause even his strength to regress. Like a boat sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you fall back.
"You're not planning something, are you?" Unohana's expression turned serious as she watched him.
Yamamoto was not someone to be trifled with. She herself had been defeated by him in the past, and he hadn't even used his Bankai.
His Bankai—Zanka no Tachi—was incredibly powerful, but its sheer power was also its greatest drawback. Once activated, even if he stood perfectly still, it would cause the very matter of the Soul Society to evaporate and could ultimately destroy the world.
The Zanpakutō Shin wanted to copy most were Ryūjin Jakka and Kyōka Suigetsu. Both were completely overpowered.
Aizen was still hiding in some corner of the world, so for now, the only one he could copy was Ryūjin Jakka.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to fight Yamamoto. And even if I did, I wouldn't lose."
Shin said to the concerned Unohana.
Hearing his words, Unohana relaxed slightly. Based on her understanding of Shin, even if he faced the Captain-Commander, he wouldn't necessarily lose. At the very least, he could escape unharmed.
After spending some time in the 4th Division, Shin left and returned to the 2nd Division.
There, Kiyotaka Shihōin also spoke to him about the expedition to Hueco Mundo.
Shin looked at Kiyotaka and shook his head slightly. Unohana had suggested he covertly eliminate Kiyotaka and take over as the captain of the 2nd Division. But Shin wasn't that ruthless. His relationship with Kiyotaka was decent enough—he decided against it.
"Shin, you're coming on the expedition to Hueco Mundo. It's extremely dangerous, and I won't be able to protect you, so you must be careful," Kiyotaka Shihōin advised Shin.
The 2nd Division hadn't seen a true genius in a long time, so Kiyotaka had high hopes for Shin. He had even taught Shin the fundamentals of Shunpo (Flash Steps) and the Shihōin Clan's Utsusemi (Cicada Shell).
The four pillars of Soul Reaper combat were Zanjutsu (swordsmanship), Hohō (footwork), Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat), and Kidō (spells).
The Shihōin Clan were the undisputed masters of Shunpo, and his pointers were genuinely useful.
Of course, Shin wasn't particularly interested in Shunpo. It was no different from the Rokushiki's Soru or the Shunshin no Jutsu from the Naruto world—they were all just movement techniques. For someone like Shin, who could freely manipulate space, they were of little use.
As for Utsusemi, it was basically a high-speed Substitution Jutsu, leaving behind clothing or another object at the last second to evade an attack. A decent trick, but nothing special.
Shin paid no mind to Kiyotaka's offer of protection. He certainly didn't need it.
————————
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The search for the intruder who had broken into the Great Spirit Book Gallery was still ongoing. Since Shin was the culprit, they were never going to catch him.
Today was the day of departure for Hueco Mundo, and Shin finally laid eyes on Yamamoto.
"System, copy Yamamoto's power."
[Consuming one Divine Replication Card. Power of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto replication complete.]
In an instant, Shin obtained all of Yamamoto's power. Besides the Zanpakutō Ryūjin Jakka, he also gained Yamamoto's Hakuda, Reiatsu, Kidō, and even his centuries of honed combat techniques.
The strength Yamamoto had spent countless years developing was replicated by Shin in a single moment.
However, Shin noticed something unique about the copied Ryūjin Jakka. For him, it felt more like an inherent ability. He hadn't received the physical Zanpakutō, but its powers had become his own. This meant he could use Ryūjin Jakka and its Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, without even needing a sword, relying solely on his own body.
He could even use his own Asauchi (blank Zanpakutō) to perform the Shikai and unleash its power.
Gripping the Asauchi in his hand, Shin noticed a slight change—faint red patterns had appeared on the blade.
He then listened to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's speech.
Yamamoto gave a few words of encouragement, didn't drag it on, and then opened the Garganta to Hueco Mundo.
All thirteen squads of the Gotei 13, including the 1st Division, would be heading to Hueco Mundo. However, Yamamoto would not be going. He needed to remain in the Soul Society.
The 1st Division would be led by its Vice-Captain, Chōjirō Sasakibe, on this expedition.
Two thousand years ago, Chōjirō Sasakibe had become Yamamoto's right-hand man. Though only a vice-captain, his strength was immense. Even some of the other squad captains might not be able to guarantee a victory against him.
"Hueco Mundo... I wonder if I'll run into a Vasto Lorde."
The only beings Shin considered a real challenge were the Vasto Lorde, whose power surpassed that of a captain. He just didn't know if he'd be lucky enough to encounter one. After all, Vasto Lorde were a rarity even in Hueco Mundo—finding one wasn't easy.
"I'd rather we don't. Shin, you probably don't know how strong a Vasto Lorde is. A Hollow that terrifying can only be handled by the Captain-Commander himself."
Kiyotaka Shihōin said to Shin, hearing his words. If they really did encounter a Vasto Lorde, it would be a complete disaster.
❁❁❁❁
~ 60 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)