'I wonder how strong my Conqueror's Haki is now.'
After unlocking one of the top-level abilities, Kyoya instantly felt an overwhelming restlessness.
It was like when he was a child and suddenly picked up a perfectly straight stick with a natural handguard… he couldn't resist swinging it at the wild grass and flowers to test the 'sword's' sharpness.
Now that Kyoya had abruptly gained such a cool ability as Conqueror's Haki, how could he not want to test it out?
However, Kyoya was also aware that far too many eyes were already focused on him.
If the members of 11th Division around him were to show any more abnormalities, wouldn't that be an obvious signal to others that something was off about him?
Of course, if that were the only concern, Kyoya wouldn't care.
To become a 'King', one must possess the capacity to bear the [Will of the King].
A true King never worries about their secrets being exposed.
Because they have absolute confidence in themselves.
But the current Kyoya, who knew too many of the Bleach World's hidden truths, hadn't yet developed that level of confidence.
However, Kyoya also didn't believe that just because others knew about his abilities, he would be at a disadvantage.
Whether it was Observation Haki or the Logia intangibility of the Pika Pika no Mi, both could help Kyoya evade most dangers.
What held Kyoya back from acting impulsively was the nature of Conqueror's Haki itself.
In the One Piece World, Conqueror's Haki was the aura of a King… its wielder could unleash this aura in a 360-degree shockwave around them, instantly knocking out those with weak wills.
As the user's willpower grew stronger, the range and intensity of this shockwave would also increase.
Once the user's will reached a certain level, Conqueror's Haki could undergo a qualitative transformation, allowing it to cause physical destruction to the real world.
The Bleach World was different from the One Piece World.
The people of the Soul Society were 'spirits', souls without physical bodies.
Without the protection of a physical body, the impact of Conqueror's Haki on Shinigami might be far more severe than Kyoya imagined.
If they were enemies, Kyoya wouldn't hesitate.
But right now, the people around Kyoya were either Matsumoto Rangiku or members of 11th Division… how could he possibly test his Conqueror's Haki on them?
'After gaining Conqueror's Haki, I can feel that my soul has become much more resilient.'
'If before I could endure twenty years of solitary training, now I could endure at least fifty!'
Indeed, after receiving so many training rewards, Kyoya had realized that claiming these rewards also came with hidden conditions.
If his willpower was insufficient, suddenly gaining ten or even decades of hard-earned experience could cause severe shock to his soul… even leading to a mental breakdown wasn't out of the question.
'In that case, let's claim another achievement reward!'
With that thought, Kyoya turned his gaze to one of the golden orbs.
[Ding!]
[Do you want to claim the top achievement [Admiral Killer]?]
'Open!'
[Congratulations, Host, for unlocking the advanced achievement, [Admiral Killer], Reward: Observation Haki's derivative skill… Observation Killing, plus thirty years of training results.] (T/N: The raw stated Observation Haki's derivative skill, but from my other Novel, I learned that Observation Killing is Conqueror's Haki's derivative skill, not Observation Haki's.)
[Please select a training focus-]
[1. Physical Combat.]
[2. Swordsmanship.]
[3. Devil Fruit Ability.]
[4. Haki.]
'Oh?'
Hearing the system's prompt, Kyoya raised an eyebrow.
This was the first time he'd learned that a single achievement could grant two rewards.
However, after seeing these two rewards, he understood.
Observation Killing was an advanced derivative application of Observation Haki… it could completely erase an enemy's ability to perceive.
If Kyoya had possessed this skill earlier, no matter how sharp Aizen's Reikaku were, he wouldn't have been able to detect Kyoya's presence.
Of course, the more important thing was that Observation Killing was a prerequisite for an even stronger ability… [Observation-Conqueror's Haki Fusion].
Pure Observation Killing alone wasn't enough to qualify as a top-tier achievement reward.
Based on Kyoya's speculation, the training results from a golden achievement should exceed fifty years.
Since the second reward was only thirty years, combining the two made it a complete top-level achievement reward.
'I choose four… Haki training!'
Without hesitation, Kyoya quickly made his decision.
Now that he had acquired Conqueror's Haki, what he wanted most was training results.
Though he still lacked Armament Haki, for Kyoya at this stage, his Reiatsu could serve a similar auxiliary function.
The priority was to elevate his mastery of Conqueror's Haki… at least to the point where he could control it freely, precisely deciding who to target without affecting bystanders.
The golden orb dispersed, merging into Kyoya's soul.
Compared to the previous golden orb that transformed Kyoya's soul and awakened his Conqueror's Haki, this golden orb merged into his soul far more smoothly.
When Kyoya opened his eyes, a faint red glow flashed through them, and his entire aura suddenly became overwhelmingly domineering… even his gaze turned imperious.
However, this aura quickly receded after briefly expanding outward, allowing Kyoya to return to his usual demeanor.
'As expected, after awakening Conqueror's Haki, the burden on my soul from the memories carried by the training rewards had lessened significantly.'
In fact, thanks to this round of training, Kyoya's Conqueror's Haki had improved considerably, causing another qualitative evolution in his soul. He barely felt any adverse effects at all.
After glancing at the two remaining golden orbs in his soul space, Kyoya ultimately resisted the temptation and chose not to open any more achievement rewards for now.
Conqueror's Haki inherently enhanced its wielder's innate potential.
Moreover, after gaining thirty years of Haki training results, Kyoya's mastery and strength in Conqueror's Haki had risen dramatically.
As a result, Kyoya's Reiryoku also increased significantly in intensity.
Though he hadn't yet reached the level of 2nd-class Reiryoku, compared to before, his Reiatsu had at least tripled!
Drawing the Zanpakuto at his waist, Kyoya ran his fingers along its blade.
'Among the achievement rewards from the One Piece Achievement System, one of them is training for Devil Fruit Ability.'
'If nothing unexpected happens, this is the training option that will allow me to complete the Devil Fruit's awakening.'
'If this were the One Piece World, this would absolutely be a must-pick choice.'
'After all, whether a Devil Fruit is awakened or not makes a massive difference in the user's strength.'
'But this isn't actually the One Piece World… it's the Bleach World.'
'The Pika Pika no Mi has become my Zanpakuto.'
'Based on the One Piece Achievement System's judgment of Devil Fruit Ability, Bankai in the Bleach World corresponds to Devil Fruit's awakening in the One Piece World.'
'And in the Bleach World, to achieve Bankai, one must materialize their Zanpakuto, force it to submit, and make it willingly offer its full power.'
'With my current abilities, I should be able to attempt to defeat Borsalino and complete my Bankai Training.'
In the past, even if Kyoya had such an idea, he would have waited until he was in peak condition before challenging his Zanpakuto for Bankai Training.
However, after awakening Conqueror's Haki, Kyoya's decisiveness had greatly improved.
Once an idea formed in his mind, he acted immediately… without the slightest hesitation.
Without delay, Kyoya placed his Zanpakuto across his knees and immersed his consciousness into the Zanpakuto's Inner World.
Once again, he found himself in the vast Marineford.
The sky was clear, and the weather was pleasant.
Kyoya's figure appeared on the execution platform, while Borsalino sat lazily atop the highest seat in the spectator stands.
"Maa~ maa~, Kyoya boy, can't you show some consideration for the struggles of an empty-nest old man?"
Since a Zanpakuto shared its soul with its Shinigami wielder, Borsalino naturally knew why Kyoya had entered the Inner World this time.
"Now, now, Uncle Borsalino."
Kyoya said, looking up at him with a smirk.
This was his first time seeing Borsalino again after his massive power boost.
"Isn't it precisely because I understand your struggles that I've come to see you?"
"I know you've always wanted to slack off and avoid work, Uncle Borsalino."
"So why not just hand over all your power to me?"
"That way, you can retire and laze around whenever you want."
"Yare yare, it seems you've become quite the sharp-tongued brat after not seeing you for a while."
Borsalino leaned forward slightly, his usual sluggish and somewhat sleazy demeanor making it hard to believe he had any motivation at all.
"However, you've got one thing wrong, Kyoya boy."
"Though I do enjoy slacking off at work, ever since I joined the Marines, I've never failed a single mission!"
"Otherwise, how do you think I became an Admiral?"
"Unfortunately for you, one of my missions is to go all out whenever you try to force my submission."
"So, Kyoya boy, while I haven't made my move yet, you still have a chance to back out."
"Otherwise..."
"Once I start, I might not be able to hold back, and killing you isn't out of the question!"
Bankai Training varied depending on the Zanpakuto and its wielder.
No Captain's journey to achieving Bankai had ever been smooth.
Without sufficient strength, recklessly attempting Bankai Training could cause irreversible damage to a Shinigami.
Just like Kuchiki Sojun, the former Lieutenant of 6th Division… he rashly attempted Bankai Training before his Reiryoku had even reached 3rd-class, failed, suffered severe backlash, and was left heavily injured.
Even the Captain of the 4th Division, Unohana, had been powerless to heal him completely.