Ama no Murakumo!
This was the name Kyoya needed to call out to use his Partial Shikai when he only has 8th-class Reiryoku.
But for the current Kyoya, this was merely an application of the Pika Pika no Mi's abilities.
After manifesting Ama no Murakumo, an aura entirely distinct from spiritual pressure suddenly erupted from Kyoya's body.
"Ah…"
At this moment, every Shinigami who turned their gaze toward Kyoya couldn't help but let out a stifled groan.
In their eyes, Kyoya seemed to have transformed into a 'sword' radiating boundless sharpness. Just looking at him felt like their eyes were being pierced by the razor-sharp aura emanating from his body.
A Master Swordsman!
The 'sword intent' of a Master Swordsman from the One Piece World manifested an even more profound and mysterious presence in the Bleach World.
Of course, this was merely the sword intent Kyoya inadvertently released. Once the observing Shinigami used their Reiatsu to shield their eyes, they were no longer harmed by it.
Kyoya raised his head and lightly swung Ama no Murakumo toward the sky-
A golden slash dozens of meters long was unleashed, instantly colliding with the descending fireball.
In that moment, the space within a hundred-meter radius seemed to tremble.
Then, the light in the sky dimmed briefly. At the point where the slash met the massive hammer, the surrounding air seemed to vanish instantly, creating a vacuum that sucked the nearby atmosphere inward.
And then- it exploded.
Boom!
A second sun seemed to appear in the sky. By the time the light began to fade, the sound of the explosion and the shockwave finally reached the ears of the Shinigami.
"Everyone, run!"
Feeling the terrifying force of the shockwave, the seated officers of the 11th Division who were watching paled and immediately drew their Zanpakuto, unleashing their Reiatsu to stand at the front and shield the others, buying time for the weaker Shinigami to retreat.
In the 11th Division, there were undoubtedly those who bullied the weak.
But when faced with a crisis, the strong of the 11th Division truly stepped up!
Just like this moment!
Meanwhile, the other division's members quickly assessed their own strength and positioned themselves accordingly, using Shunpo to carry away those who were slower or weaker.
Seeing this, Kyoya paused for a moment before ultimately deciding not to intervene.
The aftermath of this clash with Kiganjo might injure some Shinigami, but it wouldn't claim any lives.
In Kyoya's opinion, before he officially became the Ccaptain of the 11th Division, having the division experience a crisis where they had to unite and resist would help foster mutual understanding.
This would make it easier for him to reform the 11th Division's atmosphere later.
As for Kiganjo…
Ignoring the struggling squad members, Kyoya turned his gaze back to the sky.
Once the flames from the explosion dissipated, Kiganjo's figure reappeared before everyone.
However, compared to the arrogant and violent Kiganjo from before, the current one looked rather miserable.
Most of his Shihakusho were torn, and his Captain's haori had been reduced to tattered rags, with only a few shredded strips still clinging to his waist.
A massive wound ran across his chest and abdomen, blood gushing out and drenching him in crimson.
Under the combined might of thirtyfold strength and Master Swordsman's technique, Kyoya's slash had already reached the level of an Admiral.
Or in the Bleach World, Captain-level.
Kiganjo had only used his Shikai, so how could he possibly block Kyoya's strike?
Thus, his ultimate Shikai technique was sliced apart by Kyoya's slash, and the remaining force shattered Kiganjo's defenses, leaving him grievously wounded.
"Damn it!"
Feeling his life slipping away, Kiganjo's eyes filled with endless regret… and fear of death.
He regretted his arrogance, thinking that Shikai alone would be enough to deal with Kyoya.
Had he used Bankai, even if he still lost, he wouldn't have been defeated so thoroughly.
As for his fear of death, that went without saying.
There were many in this world who did not fear death… but Kiganjo was absolutely not one of them!
He was bloodthirsty, cruel, and would kill his own division's members in fits of rage.
He had even abused his authority to torment and murder many female Shinigami in the 11th Division, driving so many away that the 11th became the only squad in the Gotei 13 without a single female member.
However, that didn't mean he wasn't afraid to die.
He simply knew that as long as he remained the strongest in the 11th Division, as long as he was its Captain, he was its King!
When Kyoya appeared, Kiganjo really wanted to kill him.
But recently, Yamamoto had warned Kiganjo to restrain himself.
At the same time, Kyoya is the most talked-about Shinigami of the year.
Therefore, after knowing that Kyoya joined the 11th Division, Kiganjo could only use some means to make Kyoya take the initiative to challenge him.
However, he never expected that in just two days, he would be defeated by Kyoya.
Seeing Kyoya raise his Zanpakuto again, Kiganjo's face twisted in panic.
"Wait, wait-!"
"I surrender!"
Fearing that Kyoya would slash him again, Kiganjo hastily descended and outright admitted defeat.
To show his sincerity, he even released his Zanpakuto's Shikai.
With the battle's aftermath settled, the watching members of the 11th Division naturally heard Kiganjo's words, and also saw his actions.
Instantly, countless Shinigami stared at Kiganjo in disbelief.
"Kiganjo-sama… how could you?!"
"Kiganjo-sama, this isn't a spar… this is a challenge for the title of Kenpachi, the Strongest Shinigami! How can you just surrender?"
All of a sudden, all the Shinigami of the 11th Division erupted in outrage.
The title of Kenpachi held special meaning for the 11th Division.
It signified the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society… though, of course, the Captain-Commander was excluded.
Even the first Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru, had only joined the Gotei 13 and founded the 11th Division after being defeated by Yamamoto.
So rather than calling it the Strongest Shinigami, it was more accurate to say Kenpachi is the title of the Strongest Zanjutsu Master in Soul Society.
There could only be one strongest in each era.
Thus, in every Kenpachi challenge, the new Kenpachi stood atop the corpse of the last.