If the conflict with Kyoya could potentially destroy the Seireitei, and Kyoya still had room for negotiation, then it was highly unlikely that Yamamoto would engage in a confrontation with Kyoya within the Seireitei.
This was similar to when Aizen, Gin, and Tosen defected from the Soul Society… Yamamoto did not intervene.
True, the [Negacion] created by hundreds of Menos Grande could isolate the inside and outside into two separate worlds, making it impossible for any attack to reach those enveloped within it.
However, the [Negacion Prison] that Aizen created based on this principle was shattered by the Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.
Although Ulquiorra only broke out of the Negacion Prison after the battle between Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Ichigo had concluded, given that he responded to Aizen's call to become the final line of defense for Las Noches, it was clear that he could break the Negacion Prison at any time.
There was no way Ulquiorra could accomplish something that Yamamoto couldn't.
Even if the true Negacion was stronger than Aizen's Negacion Prison, Kyoya refused to believe that Yamamoto, if he used Bankai, would be unable to shatter the Negacion Prison and stop Aizen and the other two.
What truly made Yamamoto hesitate was the fear that his Bankai might cause catastrophic damage to the Seireitei.
Of course, there was also Yamamoto's arrogance… he believed that as long as he was around, Aizen wouldn't be able to cause any real trouble.
Well, it could be said that before the Thousand-Year Blood War, Yamamoto's few failures were all due to him never truly revealing his full power.
Perhaps this was Yamamoto's way of testing how the Gotei 13 would respond to external threats without his direct intervention.
Otherwise, Kyoya found it hard to believe that Yamamoto could be defeated by Inaba Kageroza or be forced to seal his own heart by a Zanpakuto that had lost its master…
What kind of joke was that?
Even after merging with Nozomi Kujo to become the complete form of Inaba Kageroza, he was ultimately defeated by an Ichigo who had already exhausted most of his power.
There was no way Yamamoto was weaker than Ichigo at that point.
The situation with Muramasa was even more absurd.
Didn't everyone see how, after Yamamoto's memories were read by Muramasa and even Ryujin Jakka was turned against him, the old man, after lifting the mental barrier, utterly crushed Ryujin Jakka with just his Hakuda, forcing it to break free from Muramasa's control?
Kuchiki Koga's Zanpakuto's ability was indeed terrifying.
Its Shikai could amplify a Zanpakuto's dissatisfaction with its wielder, driving a wedge between them and making the Zanpakuto refuse to obey its master's commands… or even turn against them.
As for its Bankai, it could materialize Zanpakuto's Spirits and amplify their bloodlust. Until they were defeated, the Zanpakuto's Spirits would remain in a state of peak killing intent toward their Shinigami.
This was extremely troublesome for Shinigami who hadn't yet mastered their Zanpakuto's release, as well as those who had only achieved Shikai.
Without their Zanpakuto's cooperation, their combat power would drop by at least half.
As for the Captains, even though they had fully mastered their Zanpakuto's abilities, losing their connection would still force them to spend time readjusting to reclaim their Shikai.
Bankai, which required the Zanpakuto's Spirit to merge with the Shinigami, couldn't be used.
However, even without Bankai, the Captains wouldn't have much trouble defeating their own Zanpakuto.
After all, during their Bankai training, they had already gone through the process of subduing their Zanpakuto's Spirit. This was just like repeating that training.
A disobedient child would behave after a few beatings, and the Bankai would naturally return.
Setting aside Ginrei's complicated emotions, Kyoya was now eager to return.
When he killed the head of the Kasumioji Clan, Kyoya heard the familiar 'ding' sound once again.
This was the notification from the One Piece Achievement System, signaling the completion of an achievement!
To be honest, in the past few years, after Kyoya had collected all the remaining achievement rewards, he hadn't completed any new ones.
After all, Kyoya had already reached the pinnacle of his career as a Marine.
As for achievements related to killing Hollows, Kyoya hadn't entered Hueco Mundo. The few Hollows that had invaded the Soul Society over the years weren't even enough for the other members of the 11th Division to kill.
The handful Kyoya managed to pick off weren't enough to complete the [Massacre of Pirates] achievement.
Kyoya had even considered whether he needed to change professions to unlock new achievements.
But now, he had finally obtained another achievement.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing a Celestial Dragon, a World Noble. You have unlocked the top-level achievement: [Godslayer].]
[Would you like to claim the achievement reward?]
Upon returning to the 11th Division's barracks, Kyoya dismissed the alert status and went to the courtyard to check what achievement he had obtained.
'Killing a Celestial Dragon definitely qualifies as a top-level achievement.'
Kyoya nodded in agreement.
In the One Piece World, the status of Celestial Dragons was supreme.
To the World Nobles, everyone who wasn't a Celestial Dragon was their slave.
For entertainment, they could select an island each year to conduct a so-called [Native Hunting Competition], slaughtering every last person on it.
The Marines, who claimed to uphold 'justice', had become nothing more than the Celestial Dragons' lapdogs, acting as an impenetrable barrier to prevent the island's civilians from escaping.
To cover up the Celestial Dragons' atrocities, the World Government would erase these islands from the world map…
Over eight hundred years, the World Government had successfully engraved the idea that Celestial Dragons were 'Gods' into the minds of people across the world, creating an unshakable mental imprint that made even the thought of defying them unthinkable.
Whether they were pirates, revolutionaries, or slaves tortured by the Celestial Dragons, even when they rebelled, not a single one dared to kill a Celestial Dragon.
The most extreme thing they ever did was knock one unconscious.
The so-called [D] clan was the Celestial Dragons' way of labeling those who might break free from this 'mental imprint'.
Why did Queen Otohime of Fish-Man Island die?
Aside from betrayal, Kyoya suspected it was because she had changed the mind of Donquixote Mjosgard, making her a threat that the Celestial Dragons deemed necessary to eliminate.
If this were the One Piece World, Kyoya would indeed be the first to accomplish the feat of killing a Celestial Dragon… an achievement on par with defeating an Admiral or an Emperor.
After all, even Marine Admirals and the Four Emperors had never killed a Celestial Dragon!
'Claim it!'
Without hesitation, Kyoya chose to claim the achievement reward.
[Congratulations, Host! You have claimed the [Godslayer] achievement and obtained the [Steel Balloon] Physique!"
'What? The Steel Balloon Physique?'
Hearing the system's notification, Kyoya felt his breath hitch for a moment.
In the One Piece World, if there was one person who could be called a natural-born monster, it was Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin.
Her physical constitution was undoubtedly the strongest in the entire world.
At just five years old, she had shattered the ribs of a giant soldier with nothing more than the force of swatting a mosquito.
And raw strength was merely a secondary trait of her Steel Balloon Physique.
True to its name, Big Mom's Steel Balloon was primarily defined by its near-impenetrable defense.
When giant soldiers swung their massive weapons at her, not only did they fail to harm her, but their weapons shattered upon impact.
Looking across the countless powerhouses in One Piece World, which of them didn't bear scars from battle?
Yet Big Mom had roamed the seas for decades without so much as a scratch.
Other top-tier powerhouses spent their lives training relentlessly, their blood and sweat paving the way to their strength.
But what about Big Mom?
She is a natural-born destroyer.
While others honed their skills, she was either giving birth or on her way to do so… thirty-nine daughters, forty-six sons, eighty-five children in total.
And despite this, she remained one of the most formidable forces in the world.
Had she not squandered her talent… had she put in even a fraction of the effort others did, she might have reached the same realm as Imu, the [Moon God], or Nika, the [Sun God].
In short, Charlotte Linlin's physique was one of the most coveted treasures in One Piece World.
And now, Kyoya had just obtained it?
Humm-
As golden light representing the Steel Balloon Physique dispersed and merged into Kyoya's body, he felt an immediate, fundamental enhancement in his physical strength.
Opening his eyes, Kyoya flexed his fingers.
To him, it felt no different from usual, just a casual movement.
Yet now, he could distinctly sense the resistance of the air against his fingertips.
It was as if the entire world was pressing down on him, restricting even his slightest motion.
With just a little more force, his fingers tore through the air, creating a sharp 'boom'… a sonic crack.
Much like Armament Haki, while the [Steel Balloon] was renowned for its defense, the sheer density of its power also translated into overwhelming offensive potential.
Curling his right hand, Kyoya flicked his left forearm.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
Despite the force, which is enough to shatter mountains, his skin didn't even show a faint mark.
'So strong!'
'Who in this world could possibly kill me now?'
For a moment, an overwhelming surge of confidence flooded Kyoya's heart.
And with it, his Conqueror's Haki grew stronger.
Conqueror's Haki could be refined through training to improve control.
But its true strength was a reflection of one's indomitable will.
Without sufficient ambition, even mastering Conqueror's Haki Infusion wouldn't make it much stronger than Armament Haki.