'A swordsman who comprehends the [Breath of All Things] can unleash Flying Slashes.'
'Such a swordsman is also known as a great swordsman!'
'Right now, I have a foundation in swordsmanship and have awakened Observation Haki. Using Observation Haki as a basis to reverse-engineer the comprehension of the [Breath of All Things] will significantly reduce the difficulty for me.'
'A great swordsman capable of unleashing Flying Slashes would, in the Bleach World, at least be comparable to a seated officer or even higher in terms of combat power.'
'This is also the fastest way for me to improve my strength.'
Although the swordsmanship systems of the One Piece World and the Bleach World are not the same, there are some similarities between them.
In the One Piece World, the Flying Slashes unleashed by great swordsman primarily rely on their [swordsmanship mastery]… their comprehension and application of the [Breath of All Things].
In the Bleach World, the Flying Slashes unleashed by Shinigami are mostly highly condensed Reiatsu.
From this perspective alone, the swordsmanship of great swordsman in the One Piece World is superior to that of Shinigami in the Bleach World.
To some extent, the Reiatsu of Shinigami is similar to the Haki in the One Piece World.
For example, figures like Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom unleash powerful slashes in a manner similar to Shinigami… by channeling their immense Haki.
The strength of a swordsman's flying slash is related to their swordsmanship mastery.
On the other hand, the strength of the flying slash from these top-tier fighters is tied to the intensity of their Haki.
Of course, if someone possesses both an exceptionally high mastery of swordsmanship and formidable Haki, they would naturally rank among the world's top-tier powerhouses.
Take, for instance, Dracule Mihawk, the world's strongest swordsman in the One Piece World.
A powerhouse like him, even if placed in the Bleach World, would undoubtedly be a Captain-level existence.
'For my training at the Shin'o Academy from now on, I should focus primarily on swordsmanship, with Kido as a secondary focus.'
'Additionally, I should strive to earn more achievement rewards.'
Kyoya understood that even if he never received another reward from the One Piece Achievement System from this point onward, his current mastery of Observation Haki would ensure that he could at least reach the level of a Master Swordsman comparable to a seated officer or even a lieutenant. (T/N: Master Swordsman > Great Swordsman.)
Achieving a level rivaling a Captain-level might be uncertain, but it wasn't impossible.
However, now that the system had started to prove reliable, Kyoya naturally hoped to grow even faster and reach greater heights!
By combining the powers of both the One Piece and Bleach Worlds, he might just break through the constraints of the world and become a 'god' surpassing even the Soul King!
Filled with these grand visions for the future, Kyoya drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
…
"Kyoya, over here!"
The next day, when Kyoya arrived at the classroom, he saw Rangiku waving at him.
Instantly, he could feel the unfriendly gazes of some of his classmates directed at him.
Seeing this, Kyoya smiled faintly.
'It seemed that even though Rangiku hadn't fully matured yet, she already had quite a few admirers.'
'If I were to sit next to her, it would undoubtedly provoke displeasure among some of the students.'
'But who cares?'
Without hesitation, Kyoya walked straight to the empty seat next to Rangiku under the watchful eyes of his classmates and sat down.
"Good morning, Rangiku-nee."
After sitting down, Kyoya leaned slightly towards her and whispered, "By the way, Rangiku-nee-"
"After returning to the dorm yesterday, I asked some of the upperclassmen about it."
"According to them, last year, the Shin'o Academy produced a once-in-a-century genius who mastered all the academy's teachings in just one year and graduated early."
Graduating from the Shin'o Academy was no simple feat.
Especially for early graduates, the difficulty of their final exams was even higher than that of regular graduates.
"And this genius's name is Ichimaru Gin!"
"What?"
If before Kyoya spoke this name, Rangiku had merely treated it as an interesting story-
After all, in the eyes of the Shinigami who conducted the entrance exams, she herself was considered a genius.
But the moment Kyoya uttered that name, Rangiku was stunned.
Why had she come here in the first place?
Wasn't it precisely because Gin wanted to become a Shinigami? She had come here to become one as well, to stand beside him again.
Just last night, Rangiku had been wondering… if she encountered Gin in the academy, how would he react?
Would he be shocked? Surprised? Or would he ignore her?
But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that before she could even begin her own inquiries, Kyoya would already have found information about Gin.
Though this revelation shattered her earlier fantasies, at the very least, it confirmed Gin's whereabouts.
"Thanks, Kyoya."
Kyoya shook his head. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you, Rangiku-nee."
"If it weren't for me holding you back, you could have entered the Shin'o Academy a year earlier."
"Then, perhaps, you would have been able to meet Gin-senpai."
In truth, Kyoya knew full well that his presence hadn't delayed Rangiku's enrollment in the Shin'o Academy… if anything, it had accelerated it by several years.
But this was something only Kyoya was aware of.
He wasn't sure whether, upon learning that Gin had graduated just last year, Rangiku would resent or regret bringing him along on her journey to become a Shinigami.
Kyoya didn't want their relationship to suffer because of such doubts, so he deliberately took the blame upon himself with a few self-deprecating words.
"No."
Hearing this, Rangiku gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "If it weren't for you, Kyoya, I don't know how many more years it would have taken me to get here."
"Besides…"
At this point, she trailed off, turning her gaze toward the blue sky outside the window.
'Should I say, as expected of Gin?'
'Even as a Shinigami, you shine the brightest.'
At this moment, Rangiku's heart was filled with both regret for not having been able to see Gin and heartfelt joy for his success in becoming a Shinigami.
Seeing that Rangiku truly harbored no resentment toward him, Kyoya sighed in relief.
Though she appeared carefree on the surface, Kyoya deeply cherished the bond he shared with Rangiku… the woman who had saved his life and brought him to the Shin'o Academy.
If possible, he hoped their current relationship would endure.
This wasn't because Kyoya had developed romantic feelings for Rangiku… that was impossible.
In Kyoya's heart, Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku are a perfect match.
And he sincerely wished for them to find happiness in the end.