Just from the voice outside and the name mentioned, Yecheng already knew—trouble had come knocking.
The one who stepped into the 4th Division's recruitment area was a towering, fierce-looking man. A scar marked the left side of his face, while an eyepatch covered his right eye. His black hair was tied up in spiky locks like a porcupine, each tip adorned with tiny bells.
On his shoulder sat a pink-haired little girl wearing a miniature version of the shihakushō (Soul Reaper uniform), who looked no older than ten.
Trailing behind him were Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa—new recruits of the 11th Division.
"Yecheng said before that he wanted to join the 4th Division the most, so he should be here first."
Ikkaku, being the shameless friend he was, sold Yecheng out without a second thought in front of his idol.
Both Ikkaku and Yumichika knew Zaraki Kenpachi—they'd been beaten down by him back in Rukongai.
Why Zaraki showed up personally at the recruitment event was anyone's guess, but when Ikkaku saw him, he got excited and challenged him again on the spot.
A freshly graduated Soul Reaper challenging the man known as Kenpachi of the Soul Society—something most wouldn't even dare to imagine. But Ikkaku did it without hesitation.
His "steel ball head" believed that after years of training at the Shin'ō Academy, he had improved in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and flash step—even if his Kidō was still lacking.
So naturally, he wanted to test how far he'd come against the strongest.
For most Division Captains, a newbie's challenge would be brushed off.
But Kenpachi Zaraki was not most Captains.
A battle maniac through and through, Zaraki didn't care much about rules or titles. The reason he even came to Seireitei in the first place was for the chance to fight stronger opponents.
Ikkaku remembered Zaraki.
But Zaraki didn't remember Ikkaku—because for Kenpachi, only those who made his blood boil were worth remembering.
And the Ikkaku he beat back in Rukongai clearly wasn't one of them.
Faced with a new challenge and the familiar glint of battle-lust in Ikkaku's eyes, Kenpachi naturally accepted.
The result?
A one-sided beatdown, again.
Though Ikkaku had improved over the years, he was still no match for Kenpachi's overwhelming strength.
This time, however, Ikkaku's performance was just good enough to pique Kenpachi's interest. He even remembered his name afterward.
Unfortunately, in his frustration after losing, Ikkaku blurted out Yecheng's name—saying that if anyone could stand up to Zaraki, it was him, maybe even land a hit.
An offhand comment.
But one that instantly grabbed Kenpachi's attention.
"Where is this Yecheng guy you mentioned?" he asked with a grin, clearly excited.
There were plenty of strong people in Seireitei, but the rules of the Gotei 13 forbade Captains from dueling each other outside of formal duels, due to the sheer destructiveness of their power.
But if this "Nanye Cheng" was just a new graduate—not even a seated officer—then those rules didn't apply.
No Captain restrictions.
No politics.
Just a proper fight.
And so, that's why the 11th Division had now marched into the 4th Division's recruitment center.
Kenpachi strode in with all the swagger of a thug boss—Zanpakutō slung over one shoulder, pink-haired girl on the other, flanked by his two followers.
"Which one of you is Nanye Cheng? Come out and fight me!"
Yecheng's sidekick, the fresh-faced rookie Isane Kotetsu, was frozen in shock.
Sure, she'd heard of Divisions competing for new recruits.
But never in her wildest dreams did she expect a Division Captain to storm in personally to poach someone!
"Is this what they mean by the battle division's style? It's completely lawless!"
"Captain Zaraki, this is the 4th Division's recruitment area. What is the purpose of your visit here?"
Though many would have been intimidated by Kenpachi's presence, there was one person in the room who remained calm.
Unohana Retsu—the woman once feared as the greatest monster in the history of Soul Society—stood unshaken.
Eyes narrowed into a gentle smile, she addressed the 11th Division casually.
"Ken-chan is looking for someone named Little Yeye. He wants to duel him,"
Before Kenpachi could even speak, the pink-haired girl on his shoulder—Yachiru Kusajishi—cheerfully raised her hand and answered.
"Lieutenant, his name is Yecheng, not Little Yeye…"
Ikkaku tried to correct her helpfully, but the response he got was anything but gratitude.
"Shut up, Steel Ball Head. Don't interrupt me! Ptooey!"
Yachiru spat on Ikkaku's carefully polished bald head.
Ikkaku was stunned.
Not only did his correction go unappreciated, he'd now been saddled with the nickname "Steel Ball Head," and his sacred bald head had just been spit on.
"Yumichika, don't hold me back—I'm gonna teach this smug little gremlin a lesson!"
To a bald man, their shine is their pride.
And Ikkaku's pride had just been trampled.
Normally, Ikkaku wouldn't raise a hand against women or kids.
But this time, he was livid.
"Calm down, Ikkaku," Yumichika said. "She didn't mean anything by it. And honestly… we might not even be able to beat her."
Yumichika wasn't just offering words of comfort—he was stating a fact.
Sure, Yachiru looked like a child.
But her power was very real.
When Yumichika had once tried to test her, she appeared behind him in the blink of an eye—so fast he couldn't even react.