"You're the current Kenpachi, aren't you?"
The voice came from a man with flowing long hair and features so refined that even women would envy them. Dressed in a captain's haori, he effortlessly stopped Zaraki Kenpachi's sword strike — calm and unshaken.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Why are you in my division?"
Zaraki's beastlike instincts screamed danger — not the kind that came from someone openly ferocious like Kiganjō, but a quiet, coiled threat, like a venomous serpent lurking in the dark, waiting to strike. Both kinds of danger shared one thing: they belonged to predators at the top of the food chain.
"Why?"
The man tilted his head slightly, revealing the division insignia on the back of his haori — Squad 11.
"Hey, Kenny! He's got the same insignia as you! Don't tell me he's a former captain of the Eleventh Squad?"
"Not just a former," the man corrected with a faint smile. "I'm the third one before you."
"The third before—!?"
Yachiru blinked in shock. That sounds really strong!
"So, what does a 'third-before-last Kenpachi' want with me?" Zaraki grinned, gripping his sword tighter.
"Nothing much… I just wanted to say hello. Since you're my successor, I figured I should check on you." His tone was soft, but his words carried a weight. "Try not to shame the title like the ones before you."
He slid his blade back into its sheath, and before Zaraki could respond, his body shimmered into bubbles — and vanished.
"…He ran away?" Zaraki snorted, visibly annoyed. "Weird guy."
"Ne, Ken-chan, what now?" Yachiru asked, still clinging to his back.
"What else?" Zaraki's grin widened. "We're going to Squad Two — to keep fighting!"
"Yay! More fighting!" Yachiru cheered as they raced off.
Members of Squad Eleven sighed collectively as their captain stormed out again.
"There he goes… again."
"Does he even remember he's our captain!?"
Meanwhile, in Squad Two—
"Level One alert! That monster's coming again!"
"Drop the gate!"
Guards panicked as Zaraki, towering and grinning wildly, charged straight for their headquarters.
"He's not stopping!?"
"No—he's speeding up!?"
"Brace for impact!!!"
A thunderous crash followed. Squad One of the patrol unit was wiped out in seconds.
"Quick, report to the Captain!"
"Captain's… visiting the Kuchiki Clan," came a trembling reply.
"Of course he is…" the lieutenant groaned, sweat pouring down his face.
"Don't worry, Kuga Third Seat went to intercept him."
That name brought instant relief — and dread.
At the lakeside behind Squad Two's barracks, Zaraki and Kuganjo Kenpachi now stood face-to-face.
"Ha ha ha! Let's go wild, big guy!" Zaraki roared.
Kuganjo sighed. "Didn't you just get beaten half to death by Sougo? And you're back already?"
Before they could clash again, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
"I hate to interrupt, but someone asked me to make sure you two don't destroy the barracks."
The long-haired man from before appeared once more.
"You again?" Zaraki frowned.
Kuganjo stiffened. "...You're still alive."
The man smiled faintly. "Good to see you too, senpai. I'm glad you survived."
"Seeing you brings back terrible memories," Kuganjo grunted, but he laughed anyway.
"Oh? You two know each other?" Zaraki smirked. "Good! Then both of you fight me at once!"
The elegant man's tone turned sharp. "Someone asked me to stop this fight. Don't make me draw my sword."
"Men's fights don't end just because someone asks," Kuganjo said quietly. "You should know that, Jisei."
"Don't make me do this," Jisei muttered. "I'm no longer Kenpachi. I don't want to fight either of you."
"Hey, princess," Zaraki spat. "Real men fight head-on — that's common sense!"
"There's no such 'common sense,'" Jisei shot back coldly.
"There is!" Yachiru chirped. "Kenny always says so!"
"Enough talk!" Zaraki roared, raising his blade.
Jisei sighed. "Seems I have no choice."
Kuganjo's grin turned feral. "A rematch after a hundred years… this time, I won't lose!"
Their reiatsu erupted simultaneously — three monstrous pressures tearing through the sky above Squad Two. The air itself screamed.
"Three Kenpachi…?" Harribel, left to guard the squad house, narrowed her eyes. "No — four."
From above, a massive bird descended — then dissolved into a blade as a dark-haired woman with sharp eyes and dangerous grace stepped down.
"Oh my~ I was just out collecting herbs," she said lightly. "Didn't expect to walk into such a fun gathering."
She smiled at the three men. "The seventh Kenpachi — Kuganjo. The eighth — Jisei. And hiding over there…"
Her gaze turned toward an empty space — where the air shimmered, revealing a man in robes.
"The ninth — Gojū Kenpachi, 'the Shame of the Kenpachi.'"
Gojū sighed. "Caught again. As expected of you, Captain Unohana."
Finally, she turned to Zaraki, her eyes gleaming.
"And the newest — the eleventh Kenpachi. The one who slew the tenth in a single strike… Zaraki Kenpachi."
Unohana Retsu's lips curled into a serene smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"So then, my dear Kenpachi—" she said sweetly, gripping her blade tighter, her aura trembling with excitement.
"Are we about to see… who truly deserves the title of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society?"
The five Kenpachi stood frozen.
Even Zaraki, ever the battle-mad beast, felt his instincts scream: this woman… is different.
For once, he didn't charge.
And under the dark sky above the Squad Two lake, five generations of Kenpachi faced each other — blades trembling with anticipation.