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The First Division is located on the side of a mountain in the center of Seireitei, hanging on the mountain like a suspended temple.
This is the true center of Seireitei, and the other twelve Squads are basically distributed throughout Seireitei in a circular pattern, with the First Division at the center.
Upon entering the Squad grounds, there is a long corridor to the left.
This corridor does not lead to the First Division's barracks, but to the Gotei 13 Headquarters, which is connected to the First Division's barracks, and is also where Commander Yamamoto issues orders and holds Captains' meetings.
Ishikawa and Ōmaeda walked side by side, following behind Soi Fon, through the long corridor, and stopped in front of a building with a huge door, in the center of which was carved a large character for 'one'.
Standing in front of the door, Soi Fon did not knock or call out; instead, after standing quietly for more than ten seconds, she directly pushed open the large door in front of her.
Buzz—
The dull air seemed to find a vent, gushing out through the cracks; even though everyone inside the building had restrained their Reiatsu, the gathering of more than ten Captain-level and Vice-Captain Shinigami still made the air incredibly heavy.
Ishikawa's expression stiffened, and the slight relaxation he had felt due to his advancement to Captain-level instantly vanished.
It's true that he possesses Captain-level Reiatsu…
But in front of these people, he was just a rookie Captain-level Shinigami.
Soul Society has never lacked talent; many Squad Captains are replaced every few decades, or even every century; among those present, even if he put all 240,000 experience points into Reiatsu, he would probably only be on par with the Captains who have served for a shorter period, and that's without Bankai.
Ishikawa looked up and saw a group of Captains lined up in two rows according to their Squad numbers, and behind each of them stood their Vice-Captains, pressed against the wall.
"The handsome guy from the Thirteenth Division took sick leave, and the research fanatic from the Twelfth Division locked himself in his lab and couldn't be notified."
Seeing Soi Fon walk in, a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat and a flowery outer robe over his Captain's haori smiled slightly and said in a playful tone, "All the remaining Captains are here, so can we start the meeting? I've only drunk half my sake; if I don't go back soon, it'll get cold."
"Well, well, well, being able to see a new face with Captain-level Reiatsu, this meeting has already been quite fruitful."
A gentle voice came, and the person who spoke was a bespectacled man standing second in the left column. His gaze was gentle, naturally giving people a strange sense of closeness. He seemed… very similar to how Ishikawa spoke to women, the only difference probably being that he treated everyone, regardless of gender, with the same attitude.
Behind the bespectacled man, Hinamori secretly winked at Ishikawa.
Besides her, Matsumoto Rangiku, standing behind a white-haired elementary school student, also waved boldly at Ishikawa. Fortunately, she knew that this was not a place where one could shout freely, and she did not, as usual, shout to go for a drink as soon as she saw Ishikawa.
"That's true."
The flowery-robed middle-aged man who first spoke nodded, "If the handsome guy were here, he'd probably be very interested in him."
"Oh dear."
A young man standing first in the left column, with narrowed eyes and a fox-like expression, chuckled, "To possess such powerful Reiatsu without a sound, today's young people are truly terrifying."
The bespectacled man standing beside him shook his head and said, "That statement would be appropriate coming from anyone's mouth, but it's very inappropriate coming from you and Hitsugaya."
"Boring."
The white-haired boy in front of Matsumoto Rangiku said impatiently, "Don't drag me into your conversation."
Soi Fon stepped into the hall, and Ishikawa instinctively moved to follow, but before he could take a step, he was pulled back by Ōmaeda from behind.
"Hmm?"
"Take off your shoes!!"
Ōmaeda whispered, pointing speechlessly to the bottom of the meeting hall steps, where a row of straw sandals and a few other shoes were neatly arranged on the floor. Ishikawa looked up at the hall and only then realized that… all the Captains and Vice-Captains in the hall were barefoot, some wearing tabi socks, others completely bare feet.
Even Soi Fon, who had just walked in, had left her shoes outside at some point.
"Ah, sorry, I'm used to it."
Seeing this, Ishikawa quickly took off his long boots: "I'm used to staying in Rukongai; they don't have the custom of taking off shoes when entering a house there, and I didn't notice just now… Hmm?" Ishikawa stopped mid-sentence because he noticed that everyone in the meeting hall was looking at him for some reason.
Their gazes clearly revealed a hint of disdain.
Ōmaeda, beside Ishikawa, moved a few steps away and whispered, "How long has it been since you washed your feet, you guy?"
Ishikawa heard this and subconsciously looked at his own feet. They were very white and tender. Although he hadn't washed his feet for a month in Hueco Mundo due to lack of water, any dust on his body would disappear with a shake of Reiatsu, making them look as if he had just washed them.
"You may enter with your shoes on."
Just then, the old man at the head of the meeting hall spoke in a steady tone.
Hearing this, everyone in the hall finally withdrew their 'don't come in' gazes.
How inexplicable.
Ishikawa put his black long boots back on, showing no expression on his face, but he couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Is it not allowed to not wear socks?
Kenpachi Zaraki isn't wearing any either, and his feet don't look as clean as mine.
Ishikawa and Ōmaeda walked into the meeting hall together. Once inside, Ōmaeda pushed Ishikawa from behind, signaling him to continue forward, while he walked along the wall, passing behind the Captains, and stopped behind Soi Fon.
So many rules…
Ishikawa's long boots clacked on the polished floor, causing a vein to subtly throb on Soi Fon's forehead. She suddenly regretted not teaching this guy some manners before coming!
"How was it? Was Hueco Mundo fun?"
Kenpachi Zaraki's rather excited voice came: "Ikkaku said you seemed to have met a very good enemy. Next time you go, take me with you."
"Crude small talk ends here. The Captains' meeting was not called for you to chat idly."
A tall figure beside him, wearing a wooden, bucket-like mask, turned to look at Kenpachi Zaraki: "If you want to chat, you can wait until after the meeting."
"Mind your own business!"
Kenpachi Zaraki squinted at the other party, saying irritably, "What I say to him is none of your business. Or do you want to fight me?"
This scene did not attract the attention of the other Captains, as if they were already used to it.
What's wrong with them.
Ishikawa quickened his pace, swiftly walking past the two Kenpachi Zaraki, who were already preparing to unleash their Reiatsu, pretending not to hear anything.
"Hey, you seem to have gotten stronger again."
Kenpachi Zaraki grinned, his fighting spirit growing more intense: "Let's fight again when we go out later, or just fight in the old man's dojo."
At these words, Ishikawa's mouth twitched.
Although many people already knew about him being beaten up by Kenpachi, it wasn't common knowledge.
However, Ishikawa didn't pay too much attention to it.
Anyway, he would have to truthfully report his experiences in Hueco Mundo to the Captains, or rather, to Aizen, which would also attract attention.
Because of this, Ishikawa did not conceal his Reiatsu, but directly appeared here with his initial Captain-level Reiatsu.
"Silence!"
Commander Yamamoto, referred to as 'the old man,' forcefully struck his cane on the floor, and his narrowed eyes opened a slit: "Kenpachi, return to your position. Don't make me say it a second time."
"Tch—"
Kenpachi Zaraki snorted, but he didn't continue to fool around.
Ishikawa walked, pondering where he should stop, occasionally glancing at Soi Fon in the front row.
Fortunately, Soi Fon didn't abandon him for embarrassing her. When Ishikawa walked between the first and second rows, she spoke: "Ishikawa, please report your experiences and the enemies you encountered in Hueco Mundo to the Captains."
"Yes!"
"Start from the beginning, first explain the reason for going to Hueco Mundo."
Soi Fon added, and the Captains had no reaction, but the Vice-Captains along the wall who didn't know Ishikawa couldn't help but show curiosity in their gazes towards him.
Is this unfamiliar face with powerful Reiatsu from the Second Division?
They had attended more than one Captains' meeting, and they had basically never seen Captain Soi Fon discuss matters unrelated to the meeting, let alone instruct others on how to report.
"You don't need to be too nervous. Commander Yamamoto calling you here is just a routine inquiry."
Unohana Retsu, standing beside Soi Fon, timely comforted Ishikawa, saying, "I see that your injuries haven't fully healed yet. After the meeting, go to the Comprehensive Relief Station for a check-up. Isane has been quite worried about you these past few days."
Unohana Retsu's words made everyone who had previously guessed that Ishikawa was a Squad Member of the Second Division couldn't help but murmur again.
"Yes, Captain Unohana."
Ishikawa didn't pay attention to the gazes of the Vice-Captains. He respectfully replied, then nodded to Isane behind Unohana Retsu, adjusted his stance, and began his report with a steady tone.
"Before I speak of my experiences in Hueco Mundo, please allow me, Captains, to introduce myself. I am Ishikawa, who runs the Everything Store in Rukongai District 38. I also have a branch in the Seireitei's Commercial Street. My main business accepts all kinds of requests. If any of you present have needs, whether it's house repairs, cleaning, searching for people, or items..."
"Stop with the nonsense!" Soi Fon interrupted with a cold tone.
"..."
Ishikawa's mouth twitched slightly, and he gave up on continuing to advertise his store. Instead, he said, "Uh... due to the nature of my work, besides taking on commissions from residents of Rukongai and Seireitei, my Everything Store also cooperates with the Golden Seal Association. They entrust me with troublesome noble affairs in the form of commissions. My trip to Hueco Mundo this time was precisely for this matter."
Getting straight to the point, Ishikawa first explained the content of the Golden Seal Association's commission, and then recounted everything he had previously told Urahara Kisuke from beginning to end.
"Hollows wielding Zanpakuto?"
"Arrancar?"
Ishikawa's words caused more or less a stir on the faces of the Captains and Vice-Captains present.
"If what you say is true, that Arrancar with the crescent scythe defeated you instantly." The white-haired youth known as Hitsugaya frowned and asked, "Then how did you escape?"
Ishikawa's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, and he calmly said, "I believe you Captains should also know that I have some connection with the Onmitsukidō, and I possess some unique techniques in concealing Reiatsu. I used these concealment techniques, exploiting the opponent's underestimation, to escape into the Forest of Menos."
"I can vouch for that," Soi Fon interjected.
Ishikawa cast a grateful glance at Soi Fon. He hadn't mentioned that he had released his Zanpakuto during the battle. Anyway, if no one asked, he had no intention of revealing his trump card. Even if someone inquired about his Zanpakuto's abilities, Ishikawa would try to be as vague as possible.
Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on the Arrancar, and no one asked Ishikawa in detail how he escaped.
Hitsugaya nodded and continued to ask, "Can you describe the opponent's Reiatsu intensity and specific abilities?"
"As for the Arrancar who arrived later, the one wielding the 'scythe,' I couldn't ascertain his exact strength, but his Reiatsu intensity was probably much stronger than Captain Kenpachi's when he fought me previously."
"Oh?"
Kenpachi Zaraki didn't get angry upon hearing this; instead, he suddenly became interested, "That sounds truly exciting."
"As for the first one..."
Ishikawa was silent for a moment, carefully organized his words, and then said in a deep voice, "He claimed to be 'Shiba Kaien' in front of the Fujiwara siblings."
"What!?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in the flowery robe, who had remained largely impassive, spoke with a chilling tone, "You said he claimed to be what?"
"Please, Captain Kyōraku and all Captains, hear me out first."
Ishikawa paused, then continued, "That Arrancar who claimed to be 'Shiba Kaien' possesses the ability to devour other Hollows. According to him, he has already devoured nearly thirty thousand Hollows; and as for how Lord Kaien died, I learned about it from Sister Kukaku. I speculate that he must have consumed the Reiatsu of the Hollow that merged with Lord Kaien and returned to Hueco Mundo, which is why he possesses Lord Kaien's form and abilities."
"His strength is not particularly strong, but his ability is extremely terrifying. After releasing his Zanpakuto, he once claimed in front of me that he could simultaneously exploit the abilities of over thirty thousand Hollows, with a complex and powerful Reiatsu." Ishikawa described the battle process in meticulous detail, then scanned the faces of each Captain, appearing as if he wanted to see their reactions.
The bespectacled expert among them didn't seem to have much of a reaction.
The other Captains reacted differently: some frowned, some were indifferent, and some were deep in thought.
"Possesses the Reiatsu of a Shinigami?" Soi Fon, having thought of something, spoke with an extremely cold tone.
"No wonder Commander Yamamoto called this meeting; it is indeed a crucial piece of intelligence worth being vigilant about." The man with glasses, who was Captain Aizen Sōsuke of the Fifth Division, nodded and said in a deep voice, "Though it's just my personal opinion, I feel that the description of the Arrancar by Ishikawa-sama and... the incident a hundred years ago have some similarities."
Boss...
He didn't know why, but being called 'Boss' by this person made his heart skip a beat. After all, a certain 'boss' who was his collaborator was sent to the Human World by this very person.
Aizen's words caused several Captains who had served for over a hundred years to frown, while those who had become Captains within the last century showed puzzled expressions.
The incident from a hundred years ago had not been recorded.
Aside from relevant personnel conducting investigations, which were later banned by Central 46, the specific details were extremely limited, even for many Captains who had experienced the event.
Ishikawa's face also showed a timely expression of confusion.
"This topic ends here."
Commander Yamamoto glanced at Aizen, then turned to his adjutant beside him and said, "After the meeting, send the meeting minutes to the Twelfth Division and instruct the Technology Development Bureau to constantly monitor the movements in Hueco Mundo." With that, he turned back to the Captains, "All Squads must also remain vigilant."
"Do not underestimate Ishikawa just because his Reiatsu isn't strong; his actual lethality is far greater than you imagine. Furthermore, the Technology Development Bureau analyzed the Reiatsu data fed back from Ishikawa's Denreishinki, and Ishikawa's description of those two Arrancar was far too conservative."
"Especially the second Arrancar, if what Ishikawa says is true, then even without releasing his Zanpakuto, his Reiatsu is already stronger than most of the Captains present."
Commander Yamamoto's words made the faces of the Captains present stiffen.
If these words had come from Ishikawa, they wouldn't have paid too much attention. Firstly, Ishikawa's Reiatsu was too weak compared to the Captains present, and secondly, he didn't understand the strength of the Captains.
Moreover, someone possessing Captain-level Reiatsu, while surprising, was only surprising; in reality, it was just that.
After all, Captain-level Reiatsu and Captains of the Gotei 13 are two different concepts.
But these words coming from Commander Yamamoto's mouth were different. All Captains, before assuming their positions, undergo Commander Yamamoto's assessment, and he pays close attention to their subsequent progress.
Since he said so, it meant that after reviewing the data analyzed by the Technology Development Bureau, Commander Yamamoto had confirmed that many Captains present had weaker Reiatsu than the opponent.
Although a simple analysis of data for horizontal comparison doesn't prove anything.
But just as they can increase their Reiatsu after Bankai, those Arrancar can also do the same with their sword release.
However...
Some Captains also noticed Commander Yamamoto's evaluation of Ishikawa and couldn't help but look at Ishikawa with a somewhat strange expression.
Ishikawa's face showed no unusual expression, but his heart couldn't help but feel a chill.
Commander Yamamoto's words must not have been baseless; it was highly likely that all the battles he had experienced in Soul Society had been observed by him.
Commander Yamamoto looked at everyone's reactions, nodded, and then said to Ishikawa, "The intelligence you brought back this time is extremely important to us. As a reward, I will request Central 46 to allow you to freely move in any area of Seireitei, except for the noble districts and various important areas, with your 'Special Pass.'"
Upon hearing this, Ishikawa's eyes lit up, and he respectfully said, "Thank you, Commander Yamamoto."
"The meeting is adjourned."
Commander Yamamoto glanced at the long sword on Ishikawa's back, then retracted his gaze and said, "The rest of the Captains, upon returning, should make their preparations. Now that we know of the Arrancar's existence, we must have a response; do not wait until you encounter them to frantically devise countermeasures."
"Yes!"
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