T/N: Please don't use your brain too much when reading. The author have written this story long ago so there may be mishaps with timelines.
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In the very next instant, Gion—already worn down like soybeans in a grinding mill under Yahn's relentless assault—was hit with a sudden surge of ferocity several times stronger than before. Her already fragile defenses crumbled instantly.
"Ah—!"
A soft cry escaped Gion's lips as blood sprayed violently from her body. In mere moments, her peach uniform was stained a deep crimson.
Yahn calmly withdrew Senbonzakura's hilt, recalling the cherry blossoms from Gion's body. The fluttering petals gathered gently around him, drifting through the air like spring snow.
"Don't worry, Captain Gion," he said warmly. "All my attacks avoided your vital points."
But as Gion slowly pushed herself up from the ground using Konpira, one hand clutching her chest, Yahn's expression changed.
He suddenly realized her uniform had been thoroughly shredded, leaving large portions of her fair and delicate skin exposed. Her face was a furious shade of red, both from pain and humiliation.
Crap... That looks way worse than it actually is!
Yahn swallowed hard and instinctively raised a hand to his forehead, trying to cover his eyes. Yet despite his effort, the gaps between his fingers betrayed him—he could still see her face twisted in shame and rage.
"Oh, sure, 'avoided all the vital points,' huh…"
Gion's chest rose and fell rapidly with anger. She clenched her teeth. "Yahn, is this what you use your Devil Fruit powers for? Lewd ambushes like a common thug?"
Before Yahn could offer any explanation, Gion vanished with a flash of Navy Six Styles: Shave, disappearing from the training grounds entirely.
"Sigh…"
Yahn let out a long, helpless breath. As the cherry blossoms reformed into a blade and returned to his scabbard, he tilted his head forty-five degrees toward the sky with a deeply regretful expression.
He couldn't help but rue the day he chose Zanpakutō: Senbonzakura as the surface-level cover for his real ability to trick Sengoku.
Years ago, Yahn had been born with a frail body—much weaker than most. In an effort to boost his strength, Sengoku had gone to great lengths to gather several Devil Fruits for him. Ultimately, Yahn had been presented with a choice: a low-tier Logia, a Zoan-type fruit, and one unknown fruit. He had been allowed to pick freely.
He chose the unknown fruit.
It wasn't a gambler's impulse—it was calculated. Yahn had chosen the unknown fruit to hide his true power: the Zanpakutō.
From years of research and personal observation, Yahn had realized that on his birthday each year, a new Zanpakutō would awaken within him. Each had a unique name, ability, and nature. Most were mediocre at best—useless junk blades. Only a few had real value, familiar names like Senbonzakura, Tenken, Hōzuki, Gonryōmaru, and Kazeshini.
These Zanpakutō began in their initial form—Shikai. The more powerful Bankai state could only be unlocked under two conditions: one, Yahn had to have memory of that Zanpakutō's Bankai; and two, he had to infuse it with a sufficient amount of spiritual pressure.
But Yahn wasn't truly a Shinigami. He had no idea how to cultivate reiatsu naturally. His only method was to shatter the useless Zanpakutō and absorb the spiritual pressure they left behind.
Through his calculations, a single basic Shikai-level Zanpakutō yielded the equivalent of one Lieutenant/Assistant Captain Unit of spiritual pressure.
Senbonzakura's Bankai required at least 15 Lieutenant Units to activate. Tenken needed 13.
As for the third Bankai-capable blade, Kazeshini, Yan had already broken it down in an earlier experiment. Surprisingly, it had yielded 6 Lieutenant Units.
Coincidentally, Kazeshini's original wielder in the Bleach anime was Kensei Muguruma—a man whose name included the kanji for "six car/wagon." For simplicity, Yahn began calling each Lieutenant unit of spiritual pressure a "wagon."
Thus, Yahn currently had a total of nineteen wagon of spiritual pressure. That was just enough to activate Senbonzakura's Bankai—but nowhere near enough to simultaneously release two Bankai-level Zanpakutō.
Understanding his own frailty, Yahn was content with the long game. The longer he lived, the stronger he could become. There was no need for reckless heroics.
As Yahn stood there brooding, Sengoku suddenly appeared beside him with a few flashes of Shave/Soru, smiling like a proud father.
"You rascal. Congratulations on defeating Captain Gion," he said cheerfully. "You just might be the strongest rising star in the Navy's new generation."
"Old man, don't try to butter me up," Yahn replied with a sigh. "You know what my situation is. My potential is limited—this is probably the best I'll ever be."
He lowered his voice and looked away.
"Captain Gion, on the other hand, has unlimited potential. She's got the makings of an Admiral. And now that I've humiliated her like this, I'm probably in for some serious payback. To avoid conflict, I think it's best I retire from Navy life and go become a humble farmer."
Sengoku's face darkened.
He grabbed Yahn by the collar. "Enough nonsense. Today proved you're fully capable of protecting yourself. No matter how fancy your excuses sound, you're joining the Navy. That's final."
Yahn rubbed his forehead. "So there's no room for negotiation?"
"There is," Sengoku said, releasing his grip. "We can discuss your position."
Yahn paused, studying Sengoku's face. Beneath the firm and unwavering gaze, he saw something unexpected: a hint of pleading.
"…Fine," he said with a resigned sigh. "If that's your condition, old man, I'll accept."
Sengoku let out a long breath, finally relieved.
He had spent the last decade managing Navy affairs and hadn't had time to be present every day for Corazon or Yahn, his two adopted sons. But he knew them both well.
Corazon was gentle and kind by nature.
Yahn, however… Sengoku never fully understood him.
From the moment he pulled the boy from the sea, Sengoku had sensed something different in his eyes—something he'd never seen in anyone else. Despite Yahn's fragile body, Sengoku believed someone with that gaze was destined for more than obscurity on the high seas.
So, driven by compassion, he had adopted Yahn and Corazon.
And Yahn had proved his worth.
Whenever Sengoku faced difficult decisions about the Navy's direction, Yahn always offered insight. His grasp of systems and policy was unparalleled—he saw things others missed.
Thanks to Yahn's input, Sengoku had been able to refine the Navy's recruitment system, promotion protocols, and merit evaluation processes. These accomplishments became highlights in Sengoku's résumé, recognized even by Fleet Admiral Kong. They were key qualifications for Sengoku's eventual rise to Fleet Admiral.
Which is exactly why Sengoku insisted on having Yahn join the Navy.
Because Sengoku knew: if they lost him, and Yahn ever stood on the opposite side…
He might not be able to stop him.
And Sengoku would rather die than be the one to send his son to Impel Down.
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Currently at chapter 50 on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27