"Gin, what do you think of Captain Kyoya?"
After leaving the 11th Division, Aizen asked Gin.
"Ara ara, Lieutenant Aizen, are you suggesting that Captain Kyoya might pose a threat to you?"
At this moment, Gin, unlike his silence in front of Kyoya and Rangiku, instead teased Aizen in response, "I remember that you also asked me this question back then."
"It seems this is the first time you have asked me the same question twice, Lieutenant Aizen."
Gin's hands were tucked into his sleeves, his grin stretching almost to his ears.
Gin had been following Aizen Sousuke for over a year now.
Yet, the more he interacted with Aizen, the more he realized the gap between them.
Just based on what he knew of Aizen's Zanpakuto's abilities alone, it felt overwhelming.
If things continued like this, even after decades, or perhaps centuries, he might never be able to kill Aizen and take back what Aizen had stolen from Rangiku.
Aizen's wariness of Kyoya gave Gin some relief.
At the very least, it showed that Aizen wasn't flawless.
He was wary of Kyoya!
"Ah, I recall last time you said Kyoya was even more of a genius than you..."
"So this time, what's your take on Captain Kyoya?"
Aizen sensed the faint delight in Gin's tone but merely smiled.
To him, Gin was still too inexperienced.
Whether in strength or emotions, he could see through him at a glance.
However, Gin was growing quickly.
Compared to the barely suppressed killing intent when they first met, Gin had learned to conceal it much better.
This gave Aizen a sense of satisfaction… like nurturing something.
He never feared being surpassed.
To him, the world was too dull.
If no one could stand as his equal, then nurturing an opponent himself would be an entertaining endeavor.
"My apologies, Aizen-sama."
Gin shook his head, "I don't understand."
This wasn't Gin brushing Aizen off.
He genuinely couldn't figure Kyoya out.
During their battle over ten days ago, Gin had sensed that Kyoya had given it his all.
The 8th-class Reiryoku allowing him to release his Zanpakuto… that had been Kyoya's greatest trump card at the time.
Yet, in such a short time, Kyoya's spiritual pressure had caught up to, or even surpassed his own.
Based on Gin's Reikaku, Kyoya's current Reiryoku had already reached 4th-class.
Even a genius like Gin believed it would take him at least a year or two to reach that level.
"I'm pleased you recognize this, Gin."
Aizen continued walking as he explained to Gin: "Captain Kyoya's control over Reishi is remarkably refined. Despite appearing to only have 4th-class Reiryoku."
"But I estimate his true Reiryoku is at Captain-level… or even beyond!"
At this point, Aizen's lips curled slightly upward.
"Gin, sometimes you have to admit… this world is very unfair."
"We must train step by step to reach our limits."
"To go even further, we must pay countless prices just for a sliver of hope to break through those boundaries."
"But there are those who, from the moment they are born, stand at the pinnacle of all Shinigami."
When Aizen said this, the image of a man with hair as prickly as sea urchins flashed through his mind.
When he first began his Hollowfication Experiments, Aizen had conducted them in the back alleys of Rukongai to avoid drawing the attention of Seireitei, using the people there as test subjects.
One day, the Reiatsu of one of his experiments attracted that man.
Though they never directly confronted each other, Aizen had to admit that aside from Yamamoto, that man was the only one who had ever made him feel his life was in danger.
Not even Unohana of the 4th Division had given him such a sense of impending threat.
Though the man's displayed power was only on par with an average Captain-level Shinigami-
Through the raw, untamed Reishi, Aizen sensed the terrifying Reiatsu hidden deep within his soul.
In some ways, Kyoya reminded him of that man.
But compared to him, Kyoya was far weaker.
That man's surface Reiryoku was already 3rd-class.
What he concealed was 1st-class Reiryoku, no less than Yamamoto's.
Kyoya, on the other hand, displayed 4th-class Reiryoku outwardly, with 3rd-class hidden beneath.
Gin's heart stirred.
He sensed that Aizen had encountered someone similar to Kyoya before.
That was why he evaluated Kyoya this way.
But Gin knew the truth… Kyoya wasn't someone born with overwhelming Reiryoku.
Though he didn't know how Kyoya's Reiryoku had skyrocketed to Captain-level 3rd-class in such a short time-
During their last battle, Gin had been certain Kyoya wasn't holding back at all.
In other words, all of Aizen's speculations about Kyoya were wrong.
But of course, Gin wouldn't point that out.
Instead, he nodded in agreement: "Indeed... it's both enviable and frustrating..."
"Let's go, Gin."
"In the future, you may not necessarily be inferior to him..."
…
The news that the 5th and 11th Divisions would hold an exchange match in three months quickly spread throughout the Gotei 13.
Before this, each division had its own duties, operating independently with little interference.
Even lower-ranked Shinigami rarely clashed with those from other divisions.
As a result, most hadn't given much thought to how their division compared to others.
Well, in truth, every division had a rough understanding of the Gotei 13's overall strength hierarchy.
The 1st Division, of course, was the headquarters of the Gotei 13, led by Captain-Commander Yamamoto. With Vice-Captain Sasakibe Chojiro, 3rd Seat Okikiba Genshiro, and other powerful figures, it was undeniably the strongest division.
Next was the combat-focused 11th Division.
The captain of the 11th Division held the title of [Kenpachi], the Strongest Shinigami in Seireitei.
Previously, everyone had only a vague awareness that the 11th Division was strong. But now, with the news of the exchange between the 5th Division and 11th Division, curiosity surged. People wanted to see just how big the gap between these two divisions really was.
Some even went so far as to urge their own captains to have their own division participate in similar exchanges, eager to compete and prove their division's strength. For a time, Seireitei buzzed with excitement.
As for the 11th Division, the ones who had sparked this wave of competition… aside from those out on missions, nearly every member gathered in the training grounds day and night. They absorbed Kyoya's Zanjutsu teachings while honing the techniques he demonstrated in live combat.
Even Rangiku, who had been focusing primarily on Shunpo, found her Zanjutsu improving significantly just from being immersed in the environment.
…
"It's about time."
That night, Kyoya sat cross-legged on his bed, immersing his consciousness into his soul space once more.
A month had passed since he last absorbed the purple-tier achievement reward.
After half a month of adjustment, he felt ready for another bout of 'seclusion'.
The loneliness and isolation of over a decade of solitary training had nearly driven him mad the first time.
Yet, the addictive rush of growing stronger was undeniable.
The most terrifying thing about training was putting in ten, a hundred times the effort… only to see no results.
But with the rewards from the One Piece Achievement System, every bit of effort yielded tangible progress. Even the bottleneck between Great Swordsman and Master Swordsman posed no obstacle.
After all, how many Great Swordsmen in the One Piece World ever reached the level of Master Swordsman?
Every single one was a legendary figure on the seas.
And if they comprehends the two Haki, they will definitely be an Admiral Candidate or even the Emperor's Right-Hand Man.
Now, before Kyoya's eyes floated one advanced purple-tier achievement, which is tinged with gold, and three top-level gold-tier achievements.
[Ding!]
[Do you want to claim the advanced achievement 'Admiral Candidate]?]
'Yes!'
Following Kyoya's thoughts, the purple-gold orb shattered into countless motes of light, merging into his soul.
"Huh?"
Kyoya's heart leaped with joy.
This wasn't the first time an achievement reward had fused directly into his soul without system prompts.
The first instance had been his very first gold-tier achievement, the Marine Faction Starter Pack, which granted him Observation Haki.
'Could it be...'
Sure enough, as the light merged into his soul, Kyoya suddenly sensed a new ability… a means to materialize his will and unleash it outwardly.
'This is… Conqueror's Haki!'
Even without any system explanation, Kyoya instantly recognized what he had gained.
Among the three types of Haki, Conqueror's Haki was the rarest… a symbol of 'kings' in the One Piece World.
Every wielder of this power had, at the very least, become a dominant force on the seas!
For example, Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, and Donquixote Doflamingo are considered to be the weaker ones.
Then there were the true legends, Silvers Rayleigh, Douglas Bullet, Golden Lion Shiki, the Four Emperors, Gol D. Roger… each a titan standing at the apex of the world?
'What an incredible luck!'
Kyoya couldn't help but rejoice.
Among the three Haki types, only top-level gold-tier achievements could unlock them. Yet here he was, obtaining Conqueror's Haki from a mere purple-gold advanced achievement… effectively netting himself an extra golden-tier reward!