How many people's hearts were left with an eternal ache over Gin quietly passing away in Rangiku's arms?
After the Aizen incident, even though Rangiku still appeared carefree and cheerful on the surface, seemingly unchanged-
Was that really the case?
Only when she was drunk would the sorrow between her brows become visible.
Perhaps that was the real Rangiku!
Gin died, leaving everything behind.
But Rangiku, who lived on, had to carry the weight of her memories for the rest of her life. How utterly tragic was that?
Shaking his head, Kyoya suppressed the thoughts swirling in his mind.
'Right now, I'm still far too weak.'
'No matter what I wanted to change in the future, the most important thing for him at this moment was to follow my plan and first master enough strength before anything else!'
…
On the training grounds, Kyoya gripped a bamboo sword with both hands, swinging it in accordance with the Zanjutsu Instructor's guidance.
For first-grade students at the Shin'o Academy, their primary training focused on two of the four core Shinigami combat skills: Zanjutsu and Hakuda.
In this regard, the instructors didn't demand that students master both.
Those who preferred Zanjutsu trained under the Zanjutsu Instructor.
Those who favored Hakuda practiced with Hakuda Instructor.
For Kyoya, there was no way he would waste time on Hakuda.
Though he had unlocked the primary achievement reward and gained a month's worth of swordsmanship training experience from the One Piece World, he didn't let his mind wander during the Shinigami's Zanjutsu Training.
Instead, he diligently followed the instructor's guidance, focusing on the foundational training of Zanjutsu in the Bleach World.
The Zanjutsu of the Bleach World and the swordsmanship of the One Piece World shared similarities but also had their differences.
The swordsmanship of the two worlds each had its own strengths.
In the One Piece World, swordsmanship heavily relied on the swordsman's 'insight'. Once one comprehended the [Breath of All Things], the power of their swordsmanship would undergo a tremendous leap.
In the Bleach World, the existence of Reiatsu as a supernatural force meant Shinigami didn't delve as deeply into the intricacies of swordsmanship as in One Piece World.
However, the Shinigami's lifespans, spanning hundreds or even thousands of years, allowed their swordsmanship to develop in a different direction.
If the swordsmanship of One Piece World represented the pinnacle of 'technique', then the Zanjutsu of Bleach World embodied the pinnacle of 'power'.
Of course, this wasn't to say the two were incompatible… they simply emphasized different aspects.
Whether technique or power was superior remained uncertain.
But Kyoya harbored the ambition to merge the essence of swordsmanship from both worlds.
For the swordsmanship of One Piece World, he could train through the achievement rewards in the system.
As for the Zanjutsu of the Bleach World, Kyoya had no choice but to rely on his own efforts.
That said, Kyoya already had a foundation in One Piece's swordsmanship, and his awakened Observation Haki gave him an overwhelming advantage in Zanjutsu training.
Though everyone had only just begun their Zanjutsu training, and the instructors hadn't yet arranged sparring sessions, both the teachers and students could tell just from the sound of their swings that no one in Class 1-A could match Kyoya in Zanjutsu.
"Hah!"
"Hah!"
"Hah!"
Kyoya focused his mind, using Observation Haki to observe the trajectory of each swing, constantly fine-tuning his movements to make each strike more powerful than the last.
At the same time, he attuned himself to the airflow caused by the friction between his 'sword' and the air as he swung.
In the One Piece World, the Tempest Kick of the Rokushiki was a powerful kicking technique that could unleash slashing attacks similar to those of a swordsman.
Kyoya's current physical abilities were far from capable of executing Tempest Kick.
But with his awakened Observation Haki, he could use his 'sword' to sense the 'breath of the wind' and unleash slashes akin to Rankyaku.
It can't be helped.
A month had already passed since Kyoya became a student at the Shin'o Academy.
In this month, Kyoya had completely mastered the foundational Zanjutsu taught by the Zanjutsu Instructor.
He had even sparred with the instructor.
In that match, Kyoya could tell that the only advantages the instructor had over him were strength, speed, and Reiatsu.
As for more advanced Zanjutsu… even the instructor himself didn't know it.
Perhaps, if Kyoya wanted to learn higher-level Zanjutsu in the future, he would have to seek out that woman.
The fierce winds stirred by Kyoya's sword swings forced the students practicing around him to keep their distance.
Those directly in front of him scrambled away even faster.
The looks they gave him were no longer just surprise… they were outright astonishment.
The combined noise of so many students practicing Zanjutsu couldn't compare to Kyoya alone.
Even the Zanjutsu Instructor's eyelids twitched.
'Are you kidding me?'
He had been an instructor at the Shin'o Academy for decades.
The number of students he had taught might not have reached ten thousand, but it certainly exceeded three thousand.
Yet, in all these years, he had never seen anyone whose mere sword practice could cause such a reaction in the surroundings.
No… correction. He had never seen Zanjutsu that could produce such an effect without even using Reiatsu!
'Is this what a true genius looks like?'
For a moment, the Zanjutsu Instructor felt as if he was witnessing the rise of a future Zanjutsu Master.
'What can I even do for him?'
Someone like this was already beyond his ability to teach.
Having made up his mind, the Zanjutsu Instructor left the training grounds.
He needed to report Kyoya's existence to Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
…
"Kyoya-san, please take care of me!"
On the sparring platform, a young man in a white student uniform gripped a bamboo sword with both hands and bowed deeply.
At the Shin'o Academy, every grade underwent a comprehensive exam every three months.
This was a unified assessment for all students, regardless of whether they were in Class A or Class D.
Shinigami are the strongest military force in the Seireitei.
Naturally, the students' exams revolved around combat.
After three months of training, even a student from Class D, if they worked hard and had some talent, could defeat a Class A student and earn a promotion.
Meanwhile, those already in Class A had no intention of being demoted to a lower class.
Therefore, unless the gap in strength was truly overwhelming, the matches on the platform were fiercely contested.
Kyoya didn't recognize this student.
He probably wasn't from Class A.
But Kyoya wouldn't underestimate him for that.
Once he held a sword in his hands and entrusted his life to it, he would never treat it as a joke.
Indeed, first-grade students had only been taught the basics of Zanjutsu and Hakuda.
But the enemies Kyoya might face in the future would make these skills seem like child's play.
Against bizarre and overwhelming abilities, the slightest carelessness could mean death and destruction.