Previously, when Kyoya fought Zaraki, he primarily relied on powerful swordsmanship skills and slashes.
But in this battle between Kyoya and Zaraki, he abandoned swordsmanship techniques and didn't use the slashes of the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Instead, like Zaraki, he relied solely on his physical attributes to swing his sword, fighting with his body's instinct.
Without a doubt, this was Zaraki's favorite way of fighting.
Even his battle with Unohana Yachiru hundreds of years ago hadn't allowed Zaraki to enjoy such primitive slaughter so much.
After all, back in his youth, although Zaraki was still young, both his physical attributes and Reiatsu were at their peak.
At that time, forget Unohana Yachiru, even if Yamamoto had encountered the young Zaraki without releasing his Zanpakuto, he probably would have had to be carried out.
Thump thump thump...
The pain in his body didn't make Zaraki feel fear.
On the contrary, in the fight with Kyoya, every time his body was cut by Kyoya's Zanpakuto, Zaraki could feel his body and soul craving more intense slaughter.
Following his instincts, Zaraki, like a wild beast, used his Zanpakuto as fangs, biting and tearing towards Kyoya.
Facing Zaraki's attacks, Kyoya didn't retreat half a step.
At this moment, Kyoya also seemed to have turned into a beast like Zaraki.
Besides his Zanpakuto, his fists and feet also became his weapons.
One slash cut across Zaraki's chest.
One punch knocked Zaraki's head sideways.
One kick sent Zaraki flying.
Of course, Kyoya hit Zaraki so many times, he himself couldn't avoid Zaraki's attacks either. However, compared to Zaraki, Kyoya's physical strength and defense were simply not on the same level.
Kyoya's sword could cut Zaraki's body.
Kyoya's fist could knock out Zaraki's teeth.
Kyoya's leg could make Zaraki cough up blood!
Yet, Zaraki's Zanpakuto failed to leave even a single scratch on Kyoya's body.
Only the tattered Shihakusho and the remnants of the Admiral's Justice Cloak on Kyoya's body bore witness to Zaraki's prowess.
"Hahahahaha!"
However, even though Zaraki seemed to be the one getting beaten, he was incredibly excited.
How long had it been since he enjoyed such exhilarating slaughter?
He couldn't remember.
Would he be able to fight Kyoya like this again next time?
He didn't know!
What Zaraki did know was that he wanted to continue fighting Kyoya.
Even if it meant death, he would keep fighting!
'Power, I need even more power!'
This was the first time Zaraki genuinely craved power from the depths of his heart.
As if responding to Zaraki's expectations, a more immense Reiatsu erupted from his body. A golden pillar of Reiatsu shot into the sky, blasting a cloudless hole in the sky above the Seireitei.
'1st-Class Reiryoku?'
Sensing Zaraki's current Reiryoku level, Kyoya narrowed his eyes.
'Indeed, activating the power unconsciously sealed within Zaraki didn't require Unohana Retsu's death at all.'
'As long as Zaraki could experience the same feeling he had during his battle with Unohana Yachiru, his combat instincts would gradually release the sealed power.'
'And if Zaraki could enjoy a battle even more thrilling than that one, then the speed of unsealing would increase dramatically.'
Zaraki's Reiryoku had been stuck at 2nd-Class for decades. Before his fight with Kyoya was even over, he had already re-entered the ranks of 1st-Class Reiryoku!
Of course, Kyoya also knew this wasn't Zaraki's peak.
There were differences even within 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Yamamoto was 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Unohana was also 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Kyoraku and Ukitake were also 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Aizen Sosuke was also 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Would they dare say their Reiryoku intensity was the same?
What a joke.
The gap between different levels of 1st-Class Reiryoku was no smaller than the gap between 3rd-Class and 1st-Class Reiryoku.
Among these people, only Yamamoto and Aizen stood at the very peak of 1st-Class Reiryoku.
This was the limit for Shinigami.
Among them, Yamamoto could, with the power of his Zanpakuto, transcend the Shinigami limit after Bankai and enter a higher dimension.
Unohana, Kyoraku, and Ukitake were basically on the same level.
And Zaraki at his peak was on the same level as Yamamoto, able to use his Zanpakuto's release to elevate his strength to a higher dimension.
However, Zaraki's mastery of Bankai was inferior to Yamamoto's.
After Bankai, Yamamoto could completely control Ryujin Jakka, compressing its 36 million degree temperature, comparable to the sun's core, entirely into his Zanpakuto.
Whereas Zaraki would lose his rationality, and might even injure his own sword-wielding arm due to his inability to control the explosively increased attack power.
If Zaraki could fully control his Bankai, he might very well be able to rival Yamamoto.
Right now, although Zaraki's Reiryoku had reached 1st-Class, it was still considerably weaker than Unohana and the others, let alone compared to Yamamoto.
'In that case, I'll add a bit more force!'
'If I can completely remove your seal, adding another powerhouse to the Gotei 13 could mean fewer sacrifices among the Shinigami.'
Was Unohana strong?
Very strong.
But in Kyoya's view, Unohana's greater strength lay not in her combat ability, but in her Kaido healing ability.
During the Reigai Uprising caused by the split body of by Yushima Oko's creation, Inaba Kageroza, Unohana's Reigai could completely heal Kyoraku and Ukitake's Reigais, who had been severely injured by Yamamoto, within seconds, allowing them to continue fighting Yamamoto.
If during the Thousand-Year Blood War, Unohana could maneuver across the battlefield with such methods, allowing the Gotei 13's Captains to 'eat Senzu Bean', then the Wandenreich's Quincies would never have been able to inflict such heavy damage on the Gotei 13.
Furthermore, if Zaraki could master his Zanpakuto earlier, he might very well achieve control over his Bankai within two or three years.
At the very least, even if Zaraki couldn't fully master his Bankai, he could likely avoid injuring himself, or his arm could withstand a few more swings of his sword...
Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom-
"This Reiatsu-"
"It's Captain Zaraki!"
On Sokyoku Hill, the many Shinigami fighting their own Zanpakuto quickly recognized the owner of the soaring Reiatsu Pillar.
"Even from this distance, I can feel my body trembling..."
"Is this Captain Zaraki's Reiatsu?"
"Captain Zaraki is so strong!"
For a moment, the Shinigami's morale surged greatly.
As for the Captains, while sensing Zaraki's Reiatsu, they naturally also sensed Kyoya's Reiatsu, who was fighting Zaraki.
Unlike Zaraki's berserk release of Reiatsu, Kyoya's Reiatsu was very stable.
So stable that it seemed as if he wasn't fighting at all, but merely playing around.
It seemed that even though Zaraki's Reiatsu had grown so strong, in Kyoya's eyes, it was nothing special.
Unohana lowered her head, placing her hand on the center of her chest, hidden by her thick braid.
Every time she sensed Zaraki's Reiatsu, the wound on her chest ached faintly.
Unohana had once practiced Kaido because she wanted to sacrifice herself to allow Zaraki to rediscover the joy of battle and to unlock the Reiatsu he had unconsciously sealed.
This had become a wish engraved into Unohana's very soul.
The name [Kenpachi] was established by Unohana.
The strongest Shinigami could only ever be one!
Therefore, the emergence of the next Kenpachi required the previous Kenpachi as a sacrifice!
Only thus could the Seireitei's [Kenpachi] become stronger with each generation.
However, what Unohana never expected was that the rule she herself established would fail on her.
In that battle that night, the moment her chest was pierced by Zaraki, she had already lost.
According to the [Kenpachi] succession, she should have died at the hands of the young Zaraki, and the young Zaraki would have taken the title of [Kenpachi] from her, becoming the new Captain of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13.
But who could have predicted that the young Zaraki, greedy for the pleasure of slaughter, would unconsciously seal his own Reiatsu, causing himself to become progressively weaker in battle, until he was finally defeated by Unohana.
So, Unohana also won.
However, Unohana could not accept such a victory at all.
She even believed it would have been better if she had died when the young Zaraki pierced her chest.
That way, the Seireitei's new [Kenpachi] would have been a Shinigami even stronger than herself, the unprecedented and unrepeatable great villain.
The Zaraki who had unconsciously sealed his own Reiatsu was, in Unohana's eyes, utterly unworthy of the title [Kenpachi].
Precisely because of this, Unohana abandoned the names [Kenpachi] and 'Yachiru', resolutely devoting herself to the practice of Kaido, solely so that she could heal herself during battle, allowing Zaraki to enjoy the fun of combat a little longer, while simultaneously, in life-and-death battles, gradually unraveling Zaraki's seals step by step.
But now, it seemed Zaraki's seals didn't need her anymore.
So what meaning did her existence still have?
For a moment, Unohana felt lost.
"…"
"Ah!"
A sword shadow flashed by, and Kotetsu Isane's cry of pain reached Unohana's ears.
Unohana realized that Isane had just stepped in front of her, taking the Zanpakuto attack meant for her.
But Isane herself was also wounded by her own Zanpakuto.
"Bakudo #80, Danku!"
Unohana snapped back to attention, immediately creating a pale yellow defensive barrier. She then quickly moved to Isane's side.
"Are you alright, Isane?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Captain."
Isane, clutching her wound, her face pale, replied to Unohana.
"How can you be fine with injuries like this?"
Unohana shook her head, extended her right hand, and enveloped Isane in the green light of Kaido.
Soon, the wounds on Isane's body healed under Unohana's Kaido.
"Isane, you don't need to participate in the rest of the battle."
After healing Isane's injuries, Unohana took her away from the combat zone and placed her in the rear.
"But..."
Seeing Isane about to say something, Unohana raised her hand to stop her.
"Isane, we are the medical squad!"
"Our battlefield is not on the front lines, but here!"
After saying this, Unohana pointed at the injured Shinigami in the rear, speaking to Isane.
These words were spoken by Unohana to Isane.
Simultaneously, they were also spoken to 'Unohana Yachiru'.
The current her was not the strongest Shinigami of the 11th Division, [Kenpachi], but the Captain of the 4th Division, Unohana Retsu!
Her duty was not to sacrifice herself to make Zaraki the true strongest [Kenpachi], but to rescue these Shinigami, fighting desperately for their lives, from the brink of death!
"Yes, Captain Unohana!"
Isane was overjoyed.
She could feel that Unohana had now regained her composure.
Earlier, the confusion in Captain Unohana's eyes had been very worrying.
Even losing focus during battle, as if she had lost her reason for living.
Isane didn't know why Unohana had suddenly become like that.
But she didn't want to lose Unohana.
Now, Unohana was back!
"Sigh..."
Seeing the smile on Isane's face, Unohana sighed inwardly.
'If I died, Isane would probably be very sad, right?'
'Even if just for Isane's sake, I must rediscover my own reason to live!'
'Who would have thought that after all these years in the 4th Division, I had actually grown soft-hearted.'
'Could a self like this still wield the sword that would make Zaraki remove his seals?'
Unohana had no answer in her heart.
But she also knew that often, having no answer was itself an answer.
'Kyoya, thank you.'
'Whether it's for making Zaraki remove his seals, or for allowing me to see myself clearly...'
'It's all thanks to you!'
After confirming her duty, Unohana indeed no longer continued fighting on the front lines.
Instead, she walked among the wounded in the rear. One by one, injured Shinigami recovered under her hands, thanked her, and then returned to the battlefield...
On the other side, after sensing Zaraki's Reiatsu break through to 1st-Class Reiryoku, Yamamoto immediately looked towards Unohana.
As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto had a deep understanding of the members he recruited.
Unohana was someone he had personally defeated and subdued.
Of course, Yamamoto also knew that he hadn't made Unohana submit through swordsmanship means. Therefore, Unohana proclaiming herself the strongest Shinigami, Kenpachi, was undoubtedly a form of defiance against him.