This instructor had been instructing at the Shin'o Academy for over a hundred years and naturally knew a thing or two about Zanpakuto.
Kyoya's talent in Zanjutsu might very well have a connection to the 'Strongest Zanjutsu-Type Zanpakuto'.
Even if there wasn't currently a so-called 'Strongest Zanjutsu-Type Zanpakuto', the Asauchi Kyoya selected now could potentially be nurtured into one in the future.
Kyoya paced back and forth in the Asauchi storage room, closing his eyes and trying to sense whether he could resonate with any of the blades.
However, to his disappointment, after circling the warehouse three times, he still hadn't felt any connection with a single Zanpakuto.
Outside the warehouse door, the instructor also observed Kyoya's actions, and the hope in his eyes gradually faded.
'It made sense, after all.'
'For a Shinigami, the most important attribute was Reiatsu.'
With insufficient Reiatsu, the speed of mastering Zanzen would naturally be much slower.
In some cases, many Shinigami didn't even possess enough Reiatsu to nurture the Spirit within their Asauchi to the point where it could communicate with them.
The ability to achieve Shikai was a clear dividing line in a Shinigami's combat strength.
Setting aside the unique abilities granted by a Zanpakuto's Shikai, even the sheer boost in Reiatsu could create an overwhelming gap between opponents.
"Sigh…"
Kyoya shook his head.
Failing to sense a Zanpakuto that resonated with him was still disappointing.
It meant that Kyoya hadn't been acknowledged by any of the [Strongest] Zanpakuto.
However, fortunately, Kyoya hadn't pinned all his hopes on the Zanpakuto.
So far, what had brought him the most significant improvements wasn't his training in the four fundamental Shinigami combat arts but rather the achievement rewards from the One Piece Achievement System.
"Should I just pick one randomly?"
Glancing at the Asauchi around him, Kyoya muttered to himself and was about to reach for the nearest Asauchi.
Since he hadn't found an Asauchi that resonated with him, any one of them would be the same to him.
Just as Kyoya's hand was about to grasp the sword in front of him, his body suddenly froze.
'Wait a minute… Observation Haki can sense auras, right?'
Observation Haki was one of the three Haki in the One Piece World.
While it didn't enhance offense or defense like Armament Haki, nor could it intimidate enemies or deal real damage like Conqueror's Haki, that didn't mean Observation Haki was weak.
In some ways, Observation Haki was even more important than Armament Haki.
When trained to its peak, Observation Haki could even allow the user to see into the future.
Those with special talents could go further… listening to the [Voice of All Things], reading minds, or even accessing memories.
Figures like Queen Otohime could even distort people's consciousness.
Kyoya even speculated that if his Observation Haki possessed such abilities, he might be able to instantly release any Zanpakuto he picked up, regardless of its original owner.
Of course, Kyoya's Observation Haki hadn't yet reached such an advanced stage.
However, sensing the strength of the Spirits within these Asauchi should still be possible.
With that in mind, a faint red light flickered in Kyoya's eyes as he expanded his Observation Haki.
In the next moment, he felt countless auras of varying intensity around him.
Most of the Asauchi emitted weak auras, like flickering flames the size of a fingertip… so faint they could be extinguished with a single breath.
A few stronger auras were slightly larger, about the size of a ping-pong ball, scattered sporadically throughout the warehouse.
Among them, the most powerful aura was roughly the size of a fist. Moreover, compared to the other Asauchi, this particular aura seemed unusually active.
Outside the door, the fifth-grade instructor had initially felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw Kyoya reaching for a random Asauchi.
But soon, he noticed that Kyoya seemed to sense something and began walking straight toward a specific direction.
"This is?"
Seeing this, the instructor's heart skipped a beat.
"Is a Zanpakuto calling out to Kyoya?"
"Or has Kyoya sensed an Asauchi that resonates with him?"
If it was the former, it would mean Kyoya might become the new master of the [Strongest] Zanpakuto, and reaching Captain-level, or even becoming one of the strongest among Captains, would be no issue at all.
If it was the latter, it would at least prove that Kyoya possessed the ability to fully nurture the Spirit of a Zanpakuto, ensuring his future as at least a high-ranking seated officer, if not a Lieutenant or higher.
Click…
As Kyoya reached out and took the Asauchi from the shelf, a notification suddenly rang in his mind.
However, since he heard the instructor's footsteps approaching from behind, Kyoya decided not to check what achievement he had unlocked just yet.
After all, as long as the Achievement System acknowledged his accomplishments in the Bleach World, he could claim the rewards anytime.
"Excellent, Kyoya."
"You truly haven't disappointed me."
Though it was still unclear whether the Asauchi that resonated with Kyoya was one of the famed [Strongest] Zanpakuto or just an ordinary sword that required him to nurture its Spirit, either scenario meant that Kyoya's future far surpassed that of an average Shinigami.
"Now, let's return to the classroom. I'll teach you how to train in Zanzen."
"Yes, sensei."
Unlike the lower grades, which focused on combat training, the most crucial task for fifth-grade students at the Shin'o Academy was establishing a connection with their Asauchi and using their own souls to nurture its Spirit.
Thus, most fifth-grade students spent their time in the classroom practicing Zanzen.
Of course, not all students remained in the classroom.
Those who had already established a connection with their Asauchi's Spirit and begun nurturing it could perform Zanzen anywhere, so they didn't need to attend class regularly.
Conversely, the students in the classroom were the ones struggling with their Zanzen Training.
This way, if they encountered any difficulties, they could immediately seek guidance from the instructor.
After returning to the classroom, Kyoya sat cross-legged like the other students, placing his Asauchi horizontally across his lap.
"Kyoya, before learning Zanzen, you must first achieve a state of complete focus… calm as still water."
"I believe you can do this."
"After all, every time you swing your sword, there's already a hint of this feeling in your movements."
Kyoya nodded slightly.
He understood what the instructor meant.
Observation Haki itself required the user to remain calm to function properly.
If one's emotions were too turbulent, their Observation Haki would become unreliable, sometimes working and sometimes not… or, in severe cases, failing altogether.