Kyoya wasn't surprised that Yamamoto had split his flying slash.
After all, his ten years of swordsmanship training had allowed him to reach the level of a Master Swordsman, but within this level, he hadn't yet advanced very far.
If compared to the Master Swordsmen in One Piece World, Kyoya's current level was roughly on par with Vista, the 5th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
While Vista was undoubtedly within the [Emperor's Commander] or [Admiral Candidate] level, but even so, he was at the lower end of that spectrum… still far from the true pinnacle of power like the Emperors or Admirals.
What gave Kyoya an edge over Vista was his Buccaneer bloodline, granting him monstrous physical strength that surpassed most and even reached the threshold of the top-tier fighters.
Even Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, had his slashes deflected before. So, the fact that Yamamoto had cleanly bisected Kyoya's attack wasn't something unacceptable.
"Continue."
Yamamoto spoke to Kyoya.
"Yes!"
Kyoya's figure flickered, vanishing and reappearing several times in rapid succession before materializing right in front of Yamamoto. His Zanpakuto descended toward the Captain-Commander!
From the moment Yamamoto effortlessly bisected his flying slash, Kyoya knew that relying on flying slashes to fight the old man would be utterly meaningless.
Yamamoto had asked him to attack because he wanted to gauge Kyoya's true strength.
And Kyoya, too, wanted to see just how wide the gap was between himself and the [Strongest Shinigami in the One Thousand Years].
Boom!
"Hmm?"
Yamamoto raised his sword to block, but the force transmitted from Kyoya's Zanpakuto was beyond his expectations.
This level of power was twice as strong as his previous slash.
Generally speaking, the Kenatsu unleashed by a Shinigami was weaker than the force of their direct swings.
After all, no matter what, Kenatsu was the result of channeling power through Zanjutsu into a ranged slash, so the farther it traveled, the weaker it became.
Yet, based on Yamamoto's senses, the force he was feeling now could already rival the attacks of some Captains after they released their Zanpakuto.
A single, small Zanpakuto had been wielded by Kyoya with the might typically reserved for heavy weapons.
Focusing his gaze, Yamamoto quickly noticed a faint white glow enveloping Kyoya's blade.
'Is that... Kenatsu?'
With Yamamoto's keen insight, he swiftly discerned the secret behind Kyoya's technique.
'What a stroke of genius.'
If Yamamoto had already been satisfied with Kyoya before, witnessing this move elevated his impression from 'satisfied' to 'extremely satisfied'.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Kyoya circled Yamamoto using a combination of Shunpo and Shave to create a spinning flash-step effect.
His Zanpakuto carved arcs of white slash-light as it clashed against Yamamoto's Zanpakuto. The shockwaves from their collisions erupted one after another, obliterating the ground, ceiling, and surroundings around them.
'Perfectly merging Kenatsu with the speed of his swings, ensuring every strike carries both his raw strength and the amplified force of a Kenatsu, doubling the power of his attacks-'
'This ingenuity, and the talent to turn it into reality, is remarkable!'
Boom!
Once he confirmed Kyoya had fully mastered this technique, Yamamoto unleashed his Reiatsu, forcibly repelling Kyoya away.
"That's enough."
Sheathing his Zanpakuto, the surrounding Reishi gathered, transforming the Zanpakuto back into a cane. Yamamoto addressed Kyoya, "Kyoya, boy, your strength has my approval."
"In the coming days, if you have time, you may come to the 1st Division to seek me out."
"While I may have little to teach you in Zanjutsu, sparing some time to train with you shouldn't be a problem."
Originally, Yamamoto had considered taking Kyoya as his disciple.
However, after their brief exchange, he abandoned the idea.
Kyoya had been wielding a sword for less than a full year, counting from the very beginning.
Moreover, while both were swordsmanship, Yamamoto could sense that Kyoya's swordplay was somewhat different from the Shinigami's traditional Zanjutsu.
Though Yamamoto wasn't as versed in every Zanjutsu style of Soul Society as Unohana, at his level of mastery, he could grasp the essence of any Zanjutsu style within a few exchanges.
The Zanjustu of Shinigami, designed for battling Hollows, emphasized the path of 'power', maximizing the advantages of one's Reiatsu.
The stronger the Reiatsu, the more devastating the Zanjustu became.
Kyoya's swordsmanship, however, followed the path of 'technique'… somewhat similar to Unohana's, yet even more refined.
This 'technique' seemed to amplify his physical strength several times over through sheer skill, compensating for any shortcomings in Reiatsu.
At the same time, while Reiatsu did enhance Kyoya's swordsmanship, the effect wasn't as pronounced as it was for Shinigami's Zanjustu.
Kyoya's swordsmanship was rooted in his own mastery, and the higher his swordsmanship level, the more destructive his slashes became.
Therefore, Yamamoto realized that aside from offering some combat experience, he had little to teach Kyoya.
After all, this was Kyoya's own 'path of the sword'. If Yamamoto carelessly imposed his own understanding, he might end up warping Kyoya into something unrecognizable.
Since Kyoya had already reached this level on his own, Yamamoto decided to simply trust in him!
"Understood, Captain-Commander."
Kyoya didn't know Yamamoto's thoughts. Though he was slightly disappointed at not being taken as a disciple, having the opportunity to train with the Captain-Commander at any time was still a great privilege.
"I've already ordered the preparation of your Captain's haori."
"For now, wait here. Once it arrives, you'll attend the Captains' Meeting and meet the other Captains."
"Mm."
…
Clack-clack-clack…
The rhythmic sound of wooden clappers echoed throughout the Seireitei.
"That's… the signal summoning the Captains' Meeting."
In every division, Shinigami who heard the sound raised their heads, looking toward the 1st Division's direction.
"Did something major happen?"
"It's been over a decade since the last Captains' Meeting, hasn't it?"
Some of the Shinigami had solemn expressions on their faces.
Under normal circumstances, the Gotei 13 operated independently, with each division handling its own duties, rarely overlapping.
Every time a Captains' Meeting was called, it signified a major event… one that would have far-reaching consequences.