In the original work, there are eleven generations of Kenpachi leading up to Zaraki Kenpachi.
Zaraki Kenpachi is the eleventh generation, while the Fourth Division Captain, Unohana Retsu, was the First Generation Kenpachi.
Unohana Retsu—Gosuke Shigure had been quite familiar with her in his previous life. For reasons tied to fate and conflict, he had many interactions with her. They had even crossed blades multiple times in battle. In fact, in a past life, he had taught her swordsmanship.
Unohana Retsu, as the First Generation Kenpachi, was unparalleled in strength.
From the Second to the Sixth Generations, the names of the Kenpachi are lost to history—either killed in battle or perishing due to ritual combat. It's no surprise. Since the founding of the Gotei 13, the changing of captains in the Eleventh Division has always been brutal. Very few captains lasted even a hundred years, and only a handful survived beyond two centuries.
The Seventh Generation Kenpachi, Tokiyashiki, was a true powerhouse. He was so exceptional that the Royal Guard—Squad Zero—once verbally invited him to join their ranks. But that invitation was never formalized. It remained a mere jest, unratified by Central 46.
The reason? To be promoted into the Royal Guard, one must create something of immense value that propels the Soul Society forward—something completely original. While Kenpachi was strong, innovation wasn't one of his strengths.
The Eighth Generation Kenpachi, currently serving, is the controversial Soya Mojo of the Eleventh Division. The one who defeated Tokiyashiki Kenpachi. His strength cannot be taken lightly.
However, according to the original timeline, the next two Kenpachi would bring shame to Seireitei.
The Ninth Generation Kenpachi—bearing the name "Gosuke Kenpachi"—was originally the vice-captain under Soya Mojo. After Soya was imprisoned for a grave offense, Gosuke was directly promoted to captain. He neither went through the formal captain's exam, nor claimed the title through ritual combat.
Thus, in the canon material, the Ninth Generation Kenpachi was notoriously weak. Shortly after assuming the title, he was defeated by a thug from Rukongai named Onikirimaru of Ghost Rock City.
If Onikirimaru had been powerful, that might have been forgivable.
But later on, Onikirimaru himself was defeated by Zaraki Kenpachi—demonstrating that he too was unremarkable.
So if Onikirimaru was mediocre, then Gosuke Kenpachi, who lost to him, was even more so.
Upon realizing that he now bore the same name—"Gosuke Kenpachi"—the worst Kenpachi in Soul Society's history, Gosuke Shigure seriously considered changing his name. Could he avoid that dark fate just by discarding the "Gosuke" surname?
But after some thought, he abandoned the idea.
Even if he does end up becoming Kenpachi again, that's still in the future.
What matters now is survival.
This era, compared to a thousand years ago, is far more stable. Hueco Mundo still invades occasionally, but Gotei 13 exists—a centralized, organized military force preserving order. Compared to the chaos of the pre-Gotei era, things were immeasurably better.
In this life, he vowed to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. This time, he would be a low-key, average Shinigami.
Granted, he wasn't in Squad 4—the haven for non-combatants and pacifists. He was in Squad 11, the most combat-oriented team. But even Squad 11 had its quirks. In this era, many female Shinigami had joined the Eleventh Division. Because the current captain enjoyed recruiting women, the Eleventh Division had gained a new nickname:
"The Flower Samurai Corps."
Of course, all this depended on the captain not being Onikirimaru from Ghost Rock City.
And if he wanted to prevent that from happening, he had to address the root of the issue—the disgraceful Ninth Generation Kenpachi: Gosuke Kenpachi.
"No… maybe there's another way," Gosuke Shigure murmured to himself.
A name came to mind—the man who had just defeated Kenpachi Tokiyashiki. The man about to be crowned the Eighth Kenpachi: Soya Mojo.
In the original story, Soya Mojo was eventually convicted of a heinous crime and sentenced to 10,000 years in the deepest prison of the underground.
He wasn't a good man.
But while he held the title of Kenpachi, he fulfilled his duties. He led charges into Hueco Mundo, fought Hollows on the front lines, and defended Soul Society with honor.
Perhaps it was because of the ever-escalating threats from Hueco Mundo—and the feeling of Shinigami helplessness—that Soya eventually broke and rebelled.
If he could reach him in time, maybe… just maybe… he could stop Soya Mojo from falling.
Could he change the future by convincing Soya to abandon the dark path?
Gosuke Shigure couldn't help but ponder the possibility.
Inside the squad barracks, Gosuke was the only one present.
Most of the Eleventh Division members had assumed he'd passed out from grief over the death of his father figure and captain. No one could have guessed that the moment he opened his eyes, his mind was already racing—planning the future of the Eleventh Division.
He had no time to waste.
---
Gosuke Shigure didn't rest long.
After all, the reason he was resting at all wasn't due to injuries sustained in battle. It was because he had collapsed from the pressure of Kenpachi Tokiyashiki's Reiatsu.
Now, with a bit of spiritual recalibration, he felt close to fully recovered.
The first thing he did was find a mirror.
He needed to see what his current self looked like.
Height-wise, he stood at around 1.8 meters—not tall by Soul Society standards, but certainly not short either.
Thankfully, this was the world of Shinigami. Here, combat strength wasn't bound by height or physique. It wasn't like One Piece, where characters stood stories tall.
As for his appearance—Gosuke Shigure had a rather average, youthful face. Not particularly handsome, but not unsightly either. He looked like an ordinary, sunny twenty-year-old.
Sifting through his memories, he confirmed his new identity.
He was an orphan from Rukongai, rescued by Kenpachi Tokiyashiki himself. That's how he ended up in Squad 11. He idolized Kenpachi and trained with the singular goal of standing beside him on the battlefield.
And, in the end, he succeeded.
But if he were honest, it felt more like Kenpachi had taken care of him than the other way around. The previous Gosuke's battle skills… left much to be desired.
No wonder someone like Onikirimaru had managed to kill him in the original timeline.
The part that held Gosuke Shigure's attention the most in the mirror wasn't his face or figure—but his Shinigami uniform.
"Despite everything… Shinigami still look coolest in these uniforms."
He said it with a sigh.
In his original timeline, these "death god" uniforms didn't even exist. They were a post-Gotei 13 invention.
Their designer?
Shutara Senjumaru—the Royal Guard's creator of the uniform and member of Squad Zero.