Having said this, Kyoya looked up at Kyoraku: "Captain Kyoraku, I know that in this world, where there is light, there is also darkness. Some beings, in order to protect their own interests, will do things that violate public order, morality, and even challenge the moral bottom line of humanity. I hope such things never happen to the members of the 11th Division."
"Otherwise, when everyone realizes just what kind of things they've been protecting, a collapse of morale would be the least of it. If someone were to rally the troops and reenact Captain-Commander Yamamoto's story, that wouldn't be impossible either."
Hearing Kyoya's words, the three Captains around him fell silent.
They all understood the implications behind Kyoya's words.
Ukitake was a lower-ranking noble of Seireitei.
Kyoraku was an upper-ranking noble of Seireitei..
Ginrei was the head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Seireitei.
Because they were nobles, they knew all too well just how cruel some nobles could be, relying solely on their status.
If all the nobles were to be executed, there would undoubtedly be innocent casualties.
But if four out of every five nobles were killed, some would inevitably slip through the net.
Over a thousand years ago, the nobles of Seireitei were far more unrestrained than they are now… they didn't even bother putting on a facade.
Back then, non-nobles in Seireitei lived lives barely better than those in the Rukongai, while constantly suffering persecution from certain nobles.
It wasn't until Yamamoto, with his absolute strength, united the powerful warriors of Soul Society, formed a mercenary group, stormed Seireitei, and slaughtered the corrupt nobles that things changed.
If Yamamoto hadn't later realized he wasn't suited for governance, and if he hadn't prioritized maintaining Seireitei's stability by only taking control of its defenses while leaving its administration to the nobles, giving them room to recover… Seireitei today might very well have been ruled entirely by Shinigami, with no nobles left at all.
Clearly, Kyoya's words were meant to serve as a warning, delivered through them, to the nobles of Seireitei: if they didn't want a repeat of what happened a thousand years ago, they should keep their hands off the 11th Division.
Of course, the reason Kyoraku and the others fell silent was that Kyoya genuinely had the potential to grow to the same level as Yamamoto.
"Kyoya boy, I can't pretend I didn't hear that!"
Before Kyoraku and the others could respond, a deep, aged yet powerful voice rang out behind Kyoya.
It was Yamamoto himself!
The battles between the current crop of Shinigami, who couldn't even achieve Shikai, were little more than child's play in Yamamoto's eyes.
Still, as the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, he couldn't afford to crush their spirits. The fighting will displayed by the members of the 11th Division pleased him greatly.
This was how Shinigami should be… no matter the enemy, they should never retreat. They should simply draw their blades and fight.
But he never expected that Kyoya, a junior he held in such high regard, would harbor such radical thoughts.
True, back then, Yamamoto had wanted nothing more than to purge all the filth from Seireitei.
But his experiences over the centuries had taught him that sometimes, for the sake of the bigger picture, certain minor details had to be overlooked.
"Captain-Commander, you've been standing at the top for so long that you've forgotten the suffering of those below, haven't you?"
"But I'm different. Just last year, I was still rolling in the mud."
Kyoya didn't stand up. Instead, he leaned back and looked up at Yamamoto, "Matsumoto Rangiku is someone precious to me. Before I entered the Shin'o Academy, she was attacked by a Shinigami and nearly killed."
"Captain-Commander, this is something I will investigate to the end."
"Anyone who tries to stop me from uncovering the truth will be my enemy."
"That includes you, Captain-Commander."
"If you can give me a satisfactory answer, then I'll gladly fulfill my duties as Captain of the 11th Division, protecting the Seireitei where Rangiku and I live."
"But..."
"If I eventually uncover something, and you stand in my way..."
Though Kyoya knew that the one who had harmed Rangiku was Aizen, he also didn't believe that Aizen could have deceived the entire Gotei 13 for centuries all by himself.
Aizen undoubtedly had loyal followers by his side.
At the very least, the Shinigami who replaced him whenever he left to evade Tosen Kaname's surveillance was one of them.
After all, Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu, didn't create illusions… it manipulated the five senses.
He could make a mosquito appear as a dragon, feel like a dragon, and even radiate the Reiatsu of a dragon...
But there had to be a 'mosquito' to begin with.
Aizen couldn't create something out of nothing.
If anyone thought Aizen's only subordinates were Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname, they'd be a complete fool.
Aizen's growth to the limits of a Shinigami and his knowledge of Soul Society's secrets meant he had spent plenty of time in the Great Spirit Book Gallery.
But under normal circumstances, even the Captains of each division only get one opportunity to enter the Great Spirit Book Gallery, with strict time limits. Only the Tsunayashiro Clan, who manages the Great Spirit Book Gallery, has unrestricted access.
It could be said that the Tsunayashiro Clan might very well be one of the noble houses collaborating with Aizen.
Right now, Kyoya couldn't touch Aizen, but if the Tsunayashiro Clan gave him an opening, he wouldn't hold back.
Besides, if the nobles of Seireitei were analogous to the Celestial Dragons of the One Piece World under the One Piece Achievement System's logic, then killing these so-called 'World Nobles' should also trigger an achievement, right?
And at the very least, it would be a high-tier purple achievement!
The only question was… if he killed a noble, would the Central 46 issue a warrant for his arrest, branding him a 'pirate'? If so, could he unlock the Pirate Faction Path without even needing Hollowfication?
These thoughts flashed through Kyoya's mind in an instant.
Now that he had mastered his Zanpakuto's Bankai, even if Yamamoto decided to attack, Kyoya was confident he could escape with Rangiku. Of course, at the moment, he still lacked the means to open a Senkaimon.
If Kyoya had access to a Senkaimon, allowing him to freely travel between Soul Society and the human world, he would have no weaknesses left.
If he couldn't win, couldn't he just run?
As the tension between Kyoya and Yamamoto thickened, Kyoraku spoke up: "Now, now..."
"Old man, getting angry like this only proves Kyoya's point… that Seireitei isn't worth protecting, isn't it?"
"If there's something wrong with Seireitei, what we should do is work to change it, bit by bit."
"Didn't you do the same back then, and succeed?"
"Have a little faith in us, and in yourself."
"Honestly, Kyoya's words just reminded me of something."
"If the Seireitei I'm protecting is a place where those bastards can freely torment others, then maybe it's better off destroyed."
At this point, Kyoraku's voice grew noticeably darker.
He thought of what had happened to his elder brother and sister-in-law.
If the ones being protected were those kinds of people, what was even the point of this world's existence?
"Kyoraku..."
Ukitake's eyes flickered with concern.
As Kyoraku's closest friend, and the one who had witnessed his transformation from a reckless youth to the man he was today, he understood the pain behind those words.
The heads of the Kyoraku and Ise Clans had both died under mysterious circumstances. The Kyoraku Clan had managed to survive because Kyoraku, as Yamamoto's student, had hastily taken over as clan's head, preserving their status as a high-ranking noble house.
But the Ise family was a matriarchal clan. After Kyoraku's sister-in-law died, her daughter did not inherit the position, leading to the Ise Clan's eventual disappearance from Soul Society's history.
The behavior of the nobles was like that of hyenas.
And yet, the Central 46, the governing body of Seireitei, was made up of exactly those kinds of hyenas.
The Gotei 13, the protectors of Soul Society, had to answer to them...
While Kyoraku understood Yamamoto's obsession with protecting Seireitei,
but after all these years, how many atrocities had those nobles committed?
It was only because of Yamamoto's iron-fisted rule that none of them ever faced consequences.
Otherwise, Seireitei wouldn't just have rebellions breaking out every now and then… small-scale assassinations targeting nobles would become a regular occurrence.
"Kyoraku, are you defying me?"
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed, and Kyoraku could feel his teacher's fury simmering, ready to erupt at any moment-
"Captain-Commander..."
Just as Kyoya was about to stand and face Yamamoto alongside Kyoraku, Ginrei spoke.
"This is supposed to be a time for the Gotei 13 to exchange insights. Let's save other matters for after the tournament."
"The problems within Seireitei won't disappear just because we ignore them."
"As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, it is my failing that I have not done enough to guide the nobility and set a proper example."
"Captain Kyoya, if you do uncover something in your investigation, would you allow me to handle it?"
"I promise to give you a satisfactory resolution."
Ginrei's words immediately diffused the heavy atmosphere.
As the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, it was Ginrei's duty to uphold the nobility's honor and discipline those who strayed from it.
If evidence of a noble's crimes came to light, the Kuchiki Clan had the authority to punish them.
"Very well..."
Though Kyoya knew it was unlikely that the Kuchiki Clan could ever sanction the Tsunayashiro Clan, he was willing to give Ginrei face… for now.