Urahara Shop.
After returning, Kisuke Urahara kept replaying the fight with Chu Yang in his head.
It wasn't just that Chu Yang's raw power was frightening—his swordsmanship was downright stunning.
If you set aside Zanpakutō abilities like Shikai and Bankai…
Urahara honestly felt Chu Yang's skill alone could crush most captain-class Shinigami.
This wasn't about strength. It was pure technique—an overwhelming gap in craft.
"Where did a kid his age learn swordsmanship this refined?"
His curiosity burned so hard he lay sprawled on the tatami, restless and fidgeting.
Just then, Tessai Tsukabishi lifted the door curtain, revealing half his broad frame. "How was he? Any problems?"
Urahara nodded, his face collapsing. "Problems? This is a problem the size of the sky."
Tessai's expression tightened; even his mustache seemed to bristle. "Is it connected to Aizen?"
"No." Urahara shook his head.
Tessai frowned, more confused than relieved. "If it has nothing to do with Aizen, what could possibly be that serious?"
Urahara tapped the tatami with a finger, brows knotted. "He's too strong. Strong enough that I can't even place his origin. He's clearly an ordinary human, but when he faced me… he didn't fall behind."
Tessai went still, disbelief spreading across his face. "You lost?"
"Cough—cough—cough!"
Urahara immediately sat up, suddenly very dignified. "How can it be called losing if I didn't use Shikai or Bankai?"
Tessai stared at him with open contempt. "Using Shikai on a human? You've really degenerated after spending so long in the Human World."
"Like you know anything." Urahara could tell Tessai was deliberately needling him. Too lazy to argue, he rolled over and turned his back.
Tessai clicked his tongue and changed the topic. "It's hard to imagine what he'd become if he turned into a Shinigami."
That careless line made every hair on Urahara's body stand on end.
On the other side of town, Chu Yang was also replaying the fight.
He'd pulled back at the last moment partly because he didn't want to harm innocent neighbors—and partly because he'd recognized Kisuke Urahara and sensed no real malice.
Honestly, ever since he'd shown a portion of his power in front of Rukia, Chu Yang had expected this kind of thing.
The odds of clashing with Shinigami were never low. He just hadn't expected the first one to be Urahara.
And Urahara hadn't even used Shikai or Bankai. What he'd shown was, at most, a fraction—barely two-tenths of his real strength.
Chu Yang gaining a slight edge was only natural. There was nothing to brag about.
High-ranking Zanpakutō often had Shikai and Bankai abilities that bordered on the "rule" level—powers that simply rewrote the game.
Take Urahara's Zanpakutō, Benihime. Its Bankai—Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame.
Within that Bankai's domain, Urahara could reconstruct anything his blade touched. The target could be an enemy's body… or his own.
Compared to that, the only thing Chu Yang possessed that even approached that tier was Conqueror's Haki—and his Conqueror's still wasn't strong enough.
After that came Source Breathing, a path with terrifying potential, something that could keep rising without end… perhaps one day reaching rule-level as well.
Even Chu Yang hadn't expected it. The world with the lowest baseline—Demon Slayer—had ended up giving him his biggest surprise.
If Conqueror's Haki and Source Breathing both matured far enough, Chu Yang was confident he could defeat most of the captains of the Gotei 13.
Ever since becoming a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki's tardiness and absences had become more and more frequent.
To keep his schoolwork from collapsing—and to help Ichigo separate from his body without relying on anyone else—Rukia Kuchiki gave him a Gikon.
A Gikon was essentially a temporary soul meant to force a person's spirit out of their body.
But—
The Gikon Rukia obtained from Urahara Shop was defective. Inside wasn't a temporary soul at all, but a modified one.
The very next day after Ichigo received it, that Mod Soul caused a massive commotion at school.
Chu Yang watched it all unfold without a word.
It meant his timing was getting closer.
Closer… to entering Soul Society.
One Piece World.
Some island in the New World.
The sky was a clear, endless blue—until a flock of seabirds flew past and a bolt of black lightning snapped through them.
Two enormous storm fronts rose, black and oppressive, grinding against each other high above—split so cleanly it looked like the sky itself had been cut in half.
The pressure alone made every animal on the island tremble.
A moment later, the clouds dispersed.
On the island stood a red-haired man, lifting a jug as big as his head and gulping down liquor.
A frightening aura still rolled off him.
At the cliff's edge, Chu Yang sat in silence, recalling the sensation from his clash of Conqueror's Haki with Shanks.
Conqueror's didn't grow through quiet meditation.
It grew through collision—through pressure—through going head-to-head with something stronger.
With Shanks around, Chu Yang's progress after awakening Conqueror's Haki had been terrifyingly fast. It was like a wuxia master feeding him move after move, again and again, forcing him to adapt.
"Conqueror's training ends here," Shanks said, tossing the empty jug aside. He drew his sword, Gryphon, and looked at Chu Yang with a grin. "As usual… next is swordsmanship."
Ever since Chu Yang had used Sun Breathing sword techniques in a battle against enemy pirates, Shanks had repeatedly asked to spar.
As a swordsman of the highest caliber, Shanks simply couldn't resist.
What he hadn't expected was that after several matches… he'd been cleanly defeated on the level of pure sword skill, again and again.
At some point, Shanks stopped underestimating him.
Their rivalry sharpened into something else—mutual refinement.
Shanks taught Chu Yang how to apply Haki.
Chu Yang, in turn, honed Shanks's blade work.
Chu Yang rose from the cliff. A wooden sword appeared in his hand as if it had always been there.
When he turned toward Shanks, his eyes had changed—sharp, cold, focused.
Armament Haki wrapped around the wooden blade, turning it haki-blackened, like a black sword.
Shanks's Gryphon darkened the same way as Armament coated its edge. He gripped it with both hands.
In this world—where Shanks had never lost an arm to the Lord of the Coast—his swordsmanship had advanced at a frightening pace.
They swung at the same time.
Two flying slashes tore across the ground, carving massive trenches, then collided.
The impacts shattered into countless razor-thin gusts—an exploding storm of sword wind.
The wind blades sliced like steel, shaving the land down in an instant.
Only after the surroundings had been ravaged beyond recognition did they end that brief probing exchange—then both launched forward.
"Those two are going at it again?" Lucky Roux complained, chewing on a huge piece of roast meat. He sounded annoyed… but his eyes were glued to the fight.
"Can't be helped," Yasopp said, wiping down his rifle while glancing over again and again. "There aren't many on the ship who fight with swords. Only those two can really match each other."
Because Shanks and Chu Yang sparred so often, the crew had started betting on the outcomes. Lucky Roux and Yasopp had put down plenty. If they lost, they'd be broke for the month—forget roast meat, they'd be lucky to afford water.
"When the kid first came aboard, I only thought his physical skills were nasty—his Fish-Man Karate was practically indistinguishable from a real fish-man's," Hongo shouted, voice carrying across the deck. "But a few days later he picks up a sword, and now he's getting stronger by the day… he's almost caught up to the captain!"
Yasopp paused mid-wipe and shot him a look. "You've got it backwards. In swordsmanship, Yang's won several times already. If anything, it's the captain who's almost caught up to him."
Hongo glared like he wanted to bite Yasopp. "This time the captain's winning for sure!"
Yasopp gave a cold snort.
"If you two can't judge objectively, then stop yelling," Ben Beckman said, cigar in his mouth, smoke drifting lazily as he watched.
Yasopp and Hongo asked at the same time, "Who'd you bet on, Vice-Captain?"
Beckman answered without thinking. "Yang."
Hongo: "..."
While the crew argued noisily, the battle on the distant island surged into its final exchange.
Chu Yang's body entered the Demon Slayer Mark, and Source Breathing roared to full power.
Shanks felt the pressure hit him like a wall. Instinctively, he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
And without even realizing what he was doing—
He coated Gryphon with Conqueror's Haki… the same way one coated a blade with Armament.
The swords smashed together.
Black lightning erupted from Gryphon, colliding head-on with the luminous bands spilling off Chu Yang's Source Breathing.
Brilliant radiance swallowed both of them.
On the Red Force, countless pirates held their breath, eyes wide, not daring to blink.
When the light faded—
Chu Yang's wooden sword had snapped clean in two.
"Ahhh!!!"
"No way he lost?!"
"I bet my entire month's spending money!"
"Did Yang throw the match?!"
Beckman and Yasopp looked like they'd been struck by frost—wilted and silent—while Hongo, who'd bet on Shanks, grinned so wide it nearly split his face.
Lucky Roux patted Yasopp's shoulder with the same bitter, sympathetic look.
On the island, Shanks stared blankly down at Gryphon.
Conqueror's Haki coating meant his strength had truly stepped into the realm of an Emperor.
Chu Yang, meanwhile, closed his eyes and replayed that moment again and again.
If he could grasp Conqueror's coating too… his power would leap forward.
Shanks raised Gryphon and slashed again. Black lightning burst from the blade like a living storm.
"Hahahaha!!"
He threw his head back, laughing with unstoppable exhilaration.
He could feel it clearly—his Conqueror's Haki was growing stronger.
Chu Yang's eyes snapped open.
He clenched his fists.
And black lightning coiled around them as well.
Shanks's laughter stopped dead.
He stared, dumbfounded, at the Conqueror's Haki wrapped around Chu Yang's fists.
...
Bleach World.
Recently, a so-called spirit medium named Don Kanonji had been appearing on television, enjoying a surge of popularity. Classmates were all copying his signature poses—
to the point where it felt like some cult recruiting session.
Even Yasutora Sado, normally so steady and serious, was having a blast playing along.
Tonight, Don Kanonji was scheduled to livestream an exorcism at an abandoned hospital. Sado even asked Chu Yang if he wanted to go watch together, only to be flatly refused.
Chu Yang had no interest in that half-baked fraud.
What Chu Yang did want was to go to Urahara Shop and ask Kisuke Urahara about certain matters related to Shinigami. But no matter how he questioned Rukia Kuchiki, she stubbornly refused to tell him the shop's location.
Kisuke Urahara clearly seemed to be avoiding him.
But that was fine. Given the pace of the plot, Urahara wouldn't have anywhere left to hide for long.
With that thought, Chu Yang's gaze shifted toward a classmate named Uryū Ishida.
This one of the few remaining Quincy in the Human World would soon cause an enormous disturbance in Karakura Town.
So-called Quincy were a group capable of absorbing reishi from the surrounding environment, constructing it into weapons to exterminate Hollows.
Unlike Shinigami, Quincy completely erased Hollows from existence, while Shinigami purified their sins.
Once a Hollow was utterly destroyed, its reishi vanished entirely, no longer entering the cycle between the Human World and Soul Society, thereby disrupting the balance of souls.
Because of this, two hundred years ago, the Shinigami launched a massacre against the Quincy.
In the end, only a handful survived to the present day.
Uryū Ishida was said to be the last Quincy in the Human World.
That was the Shinigami's version of events.
But the truth of that claim was questionable.
After all, the progenitor of the Quincy, Yhwach, had led the Quincy to invade Soul Society a thousand years ago, triggering massive chaos.
His ambition ultimately failed. He fell beneath the Zanpakutō of the founder and first Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13—Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Otherwise, Soul Society today might very well belong to the Quincy.
Perhaps it was because the Quincy posed such a latent threat that the Shinigami chose to eradicate them without mercy.
The true reason was known only to those who gave the order.
As the surviving Quincy, Uryū Ishida was an extremely important figure.
Chu Yang had been quietly watching him all along.
The next day.
What Ichigo and the others had done at the abandoned hospital the night before made the news. They were summoned to the principal's office and given a harsh lecture.
For the entire day, Uryū Ishida's gaze lingered on Ichigo Kurosaki.
A few days later.
After school, Chu Yang remained seated in the classroom, waiting calmly.
Seeing him alone, Sado asked, "Yang, you're not on duty today. Why aren't you leaving?"
"I'll sit a bit longer," Chu Yang replied, shaking his head.
Sado nodded, puzzled, and turned to leave the classroom.
At that moment, Orihime Inoue tilted her head and glanced at Chu Yang. The semester was already more than halfway over, yet she still hadn't spoken to him even once.
"Orihime, what are you looking at? Hurry up," a friend called out.
After hesitating briefly, Orihime abandoned the idea of greeting Chu Yang and left the classroom.
Not long after she departed, Chu Yang sensed an unusual spiritual pressure appear within the school.
He didn't move. He merely circulated his breathing technique, keeping himself in a state of Total Concentration: Constant.
This Hollow that appeared at the school would ultimately be dealt with by Orihime Inoue after her Fullbring fully awakened. There was no need for him to intervene.
More importantly—
He had no interest.
Like the Hollow that had once been a murderer some time ago, this one simply wasn't sturdy enough to withstand testing the power of Source Breathing.
After a while—
Cracks suddenly appeared in the sky.
They spread and expanded like shattered glass.
Large numbers of Hollows poured out from the rift, descending upon Karakura Town.
The corners of Chu Yang's mouth lifted into an excited smile.
"So it's finally here."
To prove that Quincy were stronger than Shinigami—and that this world didn't need Shinigami—Uryū Ishida had deliberately drawn in countless Hollows.
But as their numbers continued to rise, he found himself overwhelmed.
Uryū Ishida realized his own power was insufficient.
Ichigo Kurosaki urged him to set aside his prejudice and work together to eliminate the Hollows.
Otherwise, all of Karakura Town would be in grave danger.
In the end, Uryū Ishida chose to cooperate with Ichigo.
Both were powerful, and their very first collaboration displayed remarkable coordination. The Hollows that had descended into the Human World were being wiped out at a visibly rapid pace.
If things continued smoothly, everything would soon return to normal.
Unfortunately—
Fate had other plans.
The rift in the sky abruptly tore wider. From within, a pair of enormous hands stretched out, gripping the edges and forcing them apart.
The sky looked like a sheet of paper ripped open from the middle, revealing a vast void.
From deep within that void, a Hollow hundreds of meters tall emerged, its gaze locked firmly onto Ichigo and the others.
Though its face was hidden behind a mask, Ichigo felt certain—
that Great Hollow was laughing. Laughing wildly and arrogantly.
Uryū Ishida was trembling.
After so many years as a Quincy, he had exterminated countless Hollows.
But he had never seen one of such colossal size.
Not just him.
Even Rukia, who had served as a Shinigami for decades, had never encountered one personally. She had only seen it briefly in textbooks back when she studied at the Shinō Academy.
A Menos Grande.
When a Hollow continuously devoured others of its kind and reached a certain threshold, it evolved into a Menos.
Menos typically resided in Hueco Mundo and were divided into three stages.
The first stage was called Gillian, a lower-class Menos. Its defining traits were an enormous body, sluggish movements, and intelligence comparable to a beast—its actions driven mostly by instinct.
The second stage was the Adjuchas, a mid-class Menos. Its combat power far exceeded that of a Gillian, and it possessed higher intelligence, often acting as a leader commanding large groups of Gillian.
The method of evolution remained the same: constant consumption of its own kind.
After becoming an Adjuchas, if it failed to continue devouring Hollows of equal rank, it would regress. An Adjuchas that regressed into a Gillian would never be able to evolve again.
Even Adjuchas that reached their limit did not necessarily evolve further; many remained in that form permanently.
Only a very small number completed the metamorphosis, breaking through the limit to become upper-class Menos.
The third stage—upper-class Menos—was known as Vasto Lorde.
Compared to the previous two, Vasto Lorde were much smaller in size. The higher the Hollow's rank, the greater its power—and the closer its form resembled that of a human.
At this level, a Hollow already possessed combat power exceeding that of a captain-class Shinigami.
The massive Hollow emerging from the rift in the sky was a Gillian.
Enormous in size, low in intelligence, yet possessing terrifying destructive power.
The spiritual pressure formed from the fusion of hundreds of Hollows alone was enough to suppress everyone present.
Rukia intended to step in and help, but Kisuke Urahara pinned her in place, telling her not to interfere.
A cluster of red light gathered in front of the Gillian's mask—eerily similar to the state used by Tailed Beasts from the ninja world when firing a Tailed Beast Ball.
Cero!
"When spiritual pressure is highly concentrated and condensed into a beam, its destructive power becomes extremely terrifying."
Cero possessed enough power to directly obliterate the park where Ichigo and the others were standing.
The red light grew brighter and brighter.
Just as Ichigo Kurosaki was about to rush forward to block the attack, an extra figure suddenly appeared in front of the Great Hollow.
Chu Yang—wooden sword in hand—charged excitedly toward the Gillian.
Bathed in the crimson glow, Source Breathing erupted with dazzling silver radiance.
Chu Yang looked like a meteor tearing through the night sky.
The next second—
The Gillian suddenly stepped back, showing signs of retreating straight into Hueco Mundo.
It possessed no true intelligence—only a Hollow's instinct.
And that instinct was screaming fear.
However—
Its massive body made its movements extremely sluggish.
Before it could retreat halfway, Chu Yang was already right in front of it.
The Gillian could only unleash Cero with all its might.
When the crimson light reached its peak, a sky-full of red radiance crashed down above Chu Yang's head!
Chu Yang gripped his sword with both hands and slashed upward!
From bottom to top, the brilliant silver light surged like a soaring dragon, tearing apart the crimson glow formed by the Cero with unstoppable force!
Like a band of starlight from the Milky Way, the silver radiance coiled upward around the Gillian's massive body!
"ROAR!!!"
"AAAH!!!"
From within the Gillian came hundreds of different screams—some sounded human, others beastlike; there were voices of men and women, young and old.
All kinds of cries intertwined together.
Countless voices wailed right beside one's ears, sending chills down the spine.
"What… what is this?"
Even Kisuke Urahara was stunned by the scene before him.
Hollows were either cut down or purified—both happened in an instant. Never before had there been such a scene of prolonged torment.
Unless it was hell…
"What kind of pain could make a Hollow scream like that?"
Rukia Kuchiki was trembling from head to toe, terror filling her eyes.
If even the two of them were like this, it went without saying how shaken Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryū Ishida were.
After spending more than half a semester together, Ichigo now looked at Chu Yang's back and felt an unfamiliar sense of distance.
The Gillian was collapsing—disintegrating.
Countless Hollows burst out from its body.
Each one was wrapped in bands of light; looking around, it was like a sky full of stars.
The Gillian failed to escape back into Hueco Mundo.
Its enormous body scattered like foam blown apart by a violent wind, gradually fading away.
"His attacks seem to cause extreme pain to spiritual bodies…"
The echoes of those screams still seemed to linger. Urahara's expression was grave—Chu Yang kept overturning his assumptions again and again through sheer action.
"What kind of impact will this guy have on Soul Society in the future?"
Alongside his concern, Urahara found his curiosity toward Chu Yang impossible to suppress.
He decided to have a proper talk with this human.
Late at night.
Kisuke Urahara took the initiative to seek Chu Yang out.
This time, he knocked before entering.
Before Chu Yang could ask his purpose, Urahara spoke first.
"Kid, are you interested in making a deal with me?"
...
"Even after transmigrating, I still couldn't escape the fate of being a corporate drone…"
Dressed in a black suit, Chu Yang stood on the rooftop of the company building, holding a cup of coffee, his face full of gloom as he complained,"Hah—right, it's not called 'corporate drone' here. It's called a corporate slave."
The weather was great that day. The sunlight was warm and pleasant, but Chu Yang's heart felt cold—because his salary from last month and the month before still hadn't been paid.
"As expected, you're here again."
A heavy, weathered voice sounded behind him, calm and indifferent, as if nothing in the world really mattered.
Chu Yang turned around and saw a blond man wearing glasses walking over.
He waved weakly and replied, "Oh, it's Nanami-senpai. You startled me."
Nanami Kento walked up beside him and gazed at the bright weather as well."Nice weather like this is annoying…"
"Hahaha." Chu Yang couldn't help laughing.
In the entire company, this was the only person he found even remotely interesting.
Nanami asked, "If you hate your current life so much, why don't you just leave?"
Chu Yang stretched lazily and sneered."Senpai, other companies are pretty much the same. It's just jumping from one pit of mud into another."
Nanami nodded. "Well said. It's all a pile of crap."
Chu Yang scratched his head. "You really like using 'crap' to describe everything, don't you, senpai?"
Nanami replied flatly, "Work is crap. Labor is crap."
Curious, Chu Yang asked, "You seem to hate working even more than I do. Then why stay in this line of work?"
Nanami answered honestly, "The financial industry pays well. I plan to earn a bit before forty, then live in a low-cost country and enjoy life."
Chu Yang gave a noncommittal comment. "That kind of dream actually suits you pretty well."
Nanami glanced at Chu Yang and prepared to leave. Just before heading downstairs, he added,"If you're not planning to jump off the building or change jobs, you'd better get back to work."
With that, he left without looking back.
"A cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside guy… He came up here because he was worried I'd jump, didn't he?"
"Relax. I'm not that fragile. This is nothing."
Chu Yang grinned, stretched, and casually tossed the paper cup from his hand away.
After work.
Once everyone else had left, Nanami-senpai suddenly appeared by Chu Yang's desk.
Chu Yang was shocked.
Normally, Nanami would leave the moment work ended.
After all, his life motto was no overtime.
"Yang-kun, I'm planning to resign."
"Don't joke around, senpai."
"I'm serious. Before I go, I wanted to tell you—if you can't take it anymore, just leave. The outside world is also crap, but at least you can find a pile of crap that looks more agreeable."
"Senpai… why so suddenly?"
"Yesterday, like usual, I went to the bakery to buy bread. The clerk there had sore shoulders, so I helped her a bit."
"And then?"
"She said thank you."
Chu Yang stared at Nanami for a long moment before cautiously asking,"Nanami Kento-senpai… are you planning to go work at a massage parlor?"
Nanami Kento: "..."
"Hmph!" Nanami snorted coldly and turned to leave.
He now knew his worry about Chu Yang had been unnecessary—this guy was far tougher than he looked.
"Resigning…"
Chu Yang sat there for a while, turning those two words over and over in his mind. The more he thought about them, the more restless his heart became.
In the end, he grabbed his briefcase and hurried downstairs.
"Nanami-senpai! Which massage parlor are you going to? I want to check it out too!"
Already at the company entrance, Nanami Kento heard Chu Yang's voice and was so irritated his eyelid twitched.
He snapped his head up, ready to curse—but then he realized Chu Yang's presence had abruptly vanished.
Nanami's expression changed instantly, a flash of killing intent crossing his eyes.
With one hand, he loosened his tie; with the other, he dropped his briefcase and reached toward his waist.
"Even if I haven't officially returned to being a jujutsu sorcerer yet… it's already after work hours. And the thing I hate most is overtime."
Nanami pulled out a weapon wrapped in a cursed binding from his waist and strode back into the building, brimming with menace.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang was still going downstairs.
His calves were already starting to ache, yet he still hadn't reached the bottom.
This staircase suddenly seemed endless.
Sensing something was wrong, Chu Yang slowed down and leaned forward to look below.
What he saw was a spiraling staircase, winding endlessly downward in concentric loops.
"Our company only has five floors…"
Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, Chu Yang turned around and started back up, muttering to himself, "It's still early… might as well go back and work some overtime, cultivate my character a bit."
One floor…
Two floors…
Three floors…
He counted silently. Soon he had passed five floors, yet he still didn't see his familiar workstation. He remained trapped in the stairwell.
"Shit!"
"I've really run into something supernatural!"
On the verge of tears, Chu Yang's whole body began to tremble. At the same time, the surrounding temperature dropped. Ripples spread across the stairwell walls, and a massive black shadow condensed upon them.
Then, a pair of hands stretched out from the rippling wall and landed directly on Chu Yang's shoulder.
Chu Yang's body shuddered. He took a deep breath.
He didn't turn around like the doomed protagonists in movies. Instead, he lowered his head and bolted downward.
The reason was simple—running down was easier than climbing up, and with his stamina, he could keep it up for a long time.
Chu Yang sprinted like mad.
Even when he twisted his ankle from a misstep midway, he didn't slow down for even a second.
The shadowy monster in the walls pursued relentlessly!
"Damn it!"
Pushing his body to the limit under extreme fear, his organs felt like they were about to burst out of his throat. He was on the verge of vomiting.
Gradually, the hands reaching out from the wall were about to touch Chu Yang's shoulders.
He kept running as his consciousness began to drift.
It felt as though his soul had left his body, floating far away.
When Chu Yang came back to his senses, he found himself standing inside a majestic palace.
Turning around, he saw rows upon rows of thrones behind him!
Some shone brilliantly; others were dilapidated and broken.
Where was this?
Just as Chu Yang was utterly confused, surprised voices rang out nearby.
"Yo! Another newcomer!"
"Let me see—wow, a white-collar worker!"
"Doesn't matter what he does, as long as he's not a student!"
"We finally have an adult among us!"
As unfamiliar figures continued to appear before him, Chu Yang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and closeness.
"Haha, being confused is normal. You'll understand what's going on soon enough." A boy in a wizard's robe that looked oddly familiar patted him on the shoulder.
Then, countless memories surged into Chu Yang's mind.
"So your world is Jujutsu Kaisen." Magic Chu Yang patted Jujutsu Chu Yang's shoulder and sighed. "Your timing for entering the Soul Palace was really down to the wire."
Jujutsu Chu Yang let out a long breath and laughed. "I really envy you for having a normal start, without going through something this intense."
Soon after, the other "Chu Yangs" gathered around as well.
They began sharing memories from recent times, along with the dramatic boosts in their abilities.
"Conqueror's Haki Coating!"
Naruto-world Chu Yang stared at Pirate-world Chu Yang in shock. "You actually mastered Conqueror's Haki coating? Doesn't that put us at Yonko level?"
Pirate-world Chu Yang chuckled. "Not that exaggerated. The raw strength of the Haki is still a fair bit short."
"Give it some time. Now that there's another one of us, Haki growth will accelerate even more. We might really catch up to Yonko-level eventually."
Demon Slayer Chu Yang patted Naruto-world Chu Yang's shoulder with a grin. "You didn't come up empty-handed either—you learned plenty of secret techniques."
"Ultra-Lightened Boulder Technique, puppet techniques, Gengetsu Hōzuki's Steam Imp, Explosive Might, and so many Lightning Release jutsu…"
Naruto-world Chu Yang sighed. "Too bad I couldn't get Dust Release. That thing's the real trump card."
"Next time, maybe." Magic Chu Yang spread his hands and laughed at himself. "After learning the Ultra-Lightened Boulder Technique, my broomstick is probably going to gather dust."
Naruto-world Chu Yang asked curiously, "Can you break down the broomstick's flight principle and combine it with the Ultra-Lightened Boulder Technique to optimize it? I think it could have amazing results."
Magic Chu Yang sighed. "Figures—we really are the same person. If spells weren't so dependent on wands, I'd want to dismantle them together with ninjutsu and try fusing our own spell arts."
Bleach-world Chu Yang leaned in at that moment. "I'm about to enter Soul Society. I plan to find a way to stay there and become a Shinigami. When the time comes, I can try adding Kidō into the mix."
Magic Chu Yang said in surprise, "Become a Shinigami? Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"No choice," Bleach-world Chu Yang replied helplessly. "At first, I wanted to avoid Soul Society and live a more stable life. But now there's no avoiding it."
"I overlooked one thing—my soul is an abnormal existence in the Human World."
"As more and more newcomers join, my spiritual pressure will keep growing. My very existence will naturally suppress Shinigami. If I don't become one, Soul Society will sooner or later treat me as a Hollow and deal with me."
Magic Chu Yang nodded in realization, then smiled. "Becoming a Shinigami isn't a bad choice."
Pirate-world Chu Yang frowned. "If you become a Shinigami, what about the Thousand-Year Blood War later on? You're not planning to bet your life on Ichigo Kurosaki, are you?"
Bleach-world Chu Yang shook his head. "Of course not. I won't entrust my life to anyone. That's why I need your help."
At that, every "Chu Yang" focused their gaze on him. Bleach-world Chu Yang looked at Naruto-world Chu Yang and said solemnly:
"I need the power of the Six Paths."
Naruto-world Chu Yang frowned. "Six Paths power? You mean the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki's power?"
Bleach-world Chu Yang teased, "Can you get the Ten-Tails right now?"
Naruto-world Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "In your dreams."
Pirate-world Chu Yang chimed in, "Set a small goal. If it somehow comes true, we can all just lie flat and enjoy life."
Demon Slayer Chu Yang smacked his lips. "I'm already lying flat. What do I do?"
"Enough messing around." Bleach-world Chu Yang laughed. "I don't mean the Sage of Six Paths at full power. You can think of it as Naruto's late-stage form."
Magic Chu Yang thought for a moment. "That special state where Six Paths chakra activates under Sage Mode—where Yin–Yang Release becomes usable."
"Creating all things from nothing and granting life. Far more terrifying than Wood Release."
"The nine tailed beasts were created by the Sage of Six Paths using Yin–Yang Release."
"Exactly," Bleach-world Chu Yang said. "If we exclude the Ten-Tails, that's practically the Sage's strongest state. As descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, we can trace that power back through bloodlines."
Magic Chu Yang froze. "You're not thinking of copying Madara Uchiha, are you…?"
Bleach-world Chu Yang nodded. "He obtained the Rinnegan through partial Hashirama cells. That proves this idea is feasible—and we'll do it better."
Naruto-world Chu Yang asked skeptically, "On what basis?"
Bleach-world Chu Yang pointed at Pirate-world Chu Yang with a grin. "Because the pirate world has lineage factor technology. Whether it's Vegapunk or Sanji's father—Vinsmoke Judge—they're both more advanced in this field than Orochimaru."
The other Chu Yangs all sucked in a sharp breath.
Pirate-world Chu Yang stared wide-eyed. "You're really bold enough to think that far!"
Bleach-world Chu Yang looked around. Since they were all the same person, he could tell what everyone was thinking just from their expressions.
Everyone was tempted.
Bleach-world Chu Yang smiled smugly.
"It's completely worth trying."
As the strategist and logistics researcher, Magic Chu Yang was the first to nod in agreement.
One Chu Yang after another followed suit.
Only Pirate-world Chu Yang said with a pained expression, "Lineage factor tech isn't easy to get. The Vinsmoke family wanders all over the seas with no fixed base, and Vegapunk is even worse—he's a core researcher for the World Government!"
Bleach-world Chu Yang waggled his eyebrows at him. "Shanks has an extraordinary background. If all else fails, pull some strings through him."
"Get lost. Why don't you pull strings through him?"
"We're all the same person—if you do it, that's the same as me doing it."
"I've got no interest. If you want to, do it yourself."
"You two had better be talking about legitimate 'strings.'"
The group burst into overlapping complaints and banter.
In the end, the plan was set. After all, the power of the Six Paths was right there—who wouldn't covet it?
The Sage of Six Paths stood at the pinnacle of power in the Naruto world, surpassing that world's combat framework and touching the level of the soul itself.
On the same tier as the Bleach world.
He had even transcended reincarnation. His true combat power was immeasurable—and if the Ten-Tails were added on top, it was impossible to imagine just how strong he'd be.
It was just unclear who would be stronger at their peak—the Sage of Six Paths or the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
But one thing was certain: if Bleach-world Chu Yang obtained Six Paths Mode, combined with Source Breathing and Conqueror's Haki Coating, he would surpass most Shinigami captains.
Surviving the Thousand-Year Blood War should not be a problem.
"I really envy you guys—your lives are so full of flavor," Marvel-world Chu Yang sighed.
"If it really doesn't work out, how about joining my logistics group?" Magic Chu Yang chuckled.
The two of them had relatively ideal research environments—one at Hogwarts, one at Stark Industries—one representing magic, the other technology.
"Magic plus technology sounds even more promising?" Bleach-world Chu Yang's eyes lit up as his imagination ran wild again.
"My situation isn't exactly stable either," Marvel-world Chu Yang scratched his head. "I've caught Nick Fury's attention. He keeps trying to rope me into S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been completely infiltrated by Hydra. Should I copy Captain America—go in shouting 'Hail Hydra' and play a game of double agent?"
Magic Chu Yang reminded him, "I've already found an alternative formula for wand cores. Once I master the three Unforgivable Curses, you can use the Imperius Curse to control Hydra."
Marvel-world Chu Yang was immediately intrigued.
Unlike other worlds, the Marvel world had plenty of ordinary humans—none of whom could resist the Imperius Curse.
Using it there wouldn't bring punishment, though it might attract the attention of the Sorcerer Supreme afterward.
The Cruciatus Curse had no restrictions either.
"Let's talk after you've mastered Imperius," Marvel-world Chu Yang said. "I don't want to wade into that mess yet. For now, learning is more important—especially knowledge about Iron Man suits and arc reactors."
Magic Chu Yang grinned. "I saw you in college in our shared memories. Didn't look bad."
Marvel-world Chu Yang shrugged. "Pretty much the same as you at Hogwarts."
Magic Chu Yang added, "Here's a small suggestion. If you ever gain control over Hydra, try to get your hands on the Tesseract and the Scepter."
"The Tesseract's energy can create a Captain Marvel, and the Mind Stone in the Scepter can create Vision. That kind of power is absolutely usable for us."
"The other Infinity Stones can be ignored—for now—so we don't attract Thanos too early."
Marvel-world Chu Yang nodded.
At that moment, mist began to rise throughout the palace. Everyone knew it was time to leave.
(End of Chapter)