Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Snap!!! 

The human-sized icicle shattered instantly. 

Shards of ice flew in all directions like sharp arrows, slicing through the air with incredible speed. 

In the blink of an eye, Rukia's bedroom was completely destroyed. 

But Rukia had no time to care about her surroundings. 

Aizen's spiritual pressure alone bore down on her with such intensity that it caused a suffocating sense of oppression! 

How was this possible? 

Her strength now was nothing like it had been when she first awakened her 'bankai' earlier that day. 

Even though she had never witnessed the full extent of her brother, Byakuya's power, her waveguide told her enough to be confident: 

Even if she couldn't defeat Byakuya outright, she would undoubtedly be able to hold her own against him! 

And yet... 

Here she was, trembling under the mere aura of another being. 

This man... 

How terrifying was his true strength?! 

"What are you thinking about, little girl?" 

A sinister voice suddenly echoed behind her, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Don't you know...?" 

"It's a taboo to lose focus on the battlefield." 

Rukia's entire body went cold. 

But Aizen's overwhelming spiritual pressure didn't give her a moment to react. In an instant, a seemingly simple but incredibly heavy slash landed on her back! 

"Not good!!!" 

Through her waveguide perception, Rukia saw what had just happened—Aizen, who had been standing in front of her, was suddenly behind her, as if he had teleported. 

Startled, Rukia instinctively summoned a spiritual platform beneath her feet. Activating her 'shave technique' in an instant, her body transformed into a streak of white light, darting forward to escape the strike. 

But even so... 

The slash, imbued with an immense spiritual pressure, was already closing in on her again. 

At this moment, Rukia could no longer afford to underestimate Aizen. 

Calling upon the waveguide energy she had recently acquired, she turned sharply, raising her hands. 

In an instant, a massive blue barrier materialized before her. 

"Waveguide Shield!!!" 

Boom!!! 

Aizen's terrifying slash struck the barrier with the force of a collapsing mountain. 

But this time, Rukia was prepared. She had anticipated Aizen's immense power and raised her shield in advance. 

Thanks to the vast strength of the waveguide energy she had just obtained, Aizen's sudden attack was halted entirely. 

The spiritual pressure in the slash clashed against the waveguide shield, its force slowly being neutralized until it dissipated into nothingness. 

"Hah..." 

Rukia exhaled in relief, but her face betrayed the fear simmering inside her. 

She looked up at Aizen, her eyes narrowing in apprehension. 

That attack—casual as it seemed—had forced her into such a desperate defense. 

It was clear: Aizen's power was far beyond anything she could handle alone. 

And yet, outside this battlefield, the Kuchiki family compound remained eerily undisturbed. 

The guards were still patrolling, family members were sound asleep, and nothing suggested a fierce battle was taking place. 

To Rukia, the sight was utterly demoralizing. 

If not for her waveguide abilities—if she couldn't use them to track Aizen's movements and pierce through his illusions—she would likely have ended up like the rest of the Kuchiki family: a helpless puppet, utterly controlled by him. 

At this moment, only one strategy came to mind. 

She had to expand the scope of this battle. 

Widen it enough that someone—anyone—not yet hypnotized by Aizen would notice the fight! 

Ideally, she needed powerful allies to join her and work together to take Aizen down. 

This man had been operating in the shadows of the Seireitei for years, which could only mean one thing: 

Something was deeply wrong here. 

Perhaps the last 'Men' siege had ties to him. 

But now wasn't the time for speculation. 

She needed help. Someone strong enough to confront this monster. 

Her thoughts raced as her gaze shifted into the distance... 

To the First Division barracks!

The Other Side 

As Rukia blocked his attack once again, the look of surprise on Aizen's face deepened, his eyes glinting with an almost palpable intensity. 

"Surprise! Truly, what a surprise!" he exclaimed, his tone carrying a strange mix of admiration and mania. 

"I must admit, Rukia, you are a girl full of mysteries. It's irresistible—the desire to peel back every layer of that enigma!" 

"What kind of power was that just now? It's neither spiritual pressure nor the power of a Quincy, and it bears no trace of a Hollow…" 

"I can't hold back anymore… I must have you on my experimental table!" Aizen declared, his voice rising with excitement. 

At the end of his statement, he abandoned all pretense, letting his mask of composure fall away. A crazed expression overtook his face as he gazed at Rukia with a disturbingly predatory intensity. 

His wolfish ambition was laid bare. 

Despite the palpable fear of Aizen's overwhelming strength, Rukia was no coward. She was not one to cling to life out of fear of death. 

Facing such a formidable adversary, she spat out her defiance. 

"You're nothing but a deranged fiend! Just because you possess some bizarre powers, you dare to disregard the great Seireitei itself?" 

"You will face retribution!" 

"Hahahaha…" 

"Retribution?" Aizen laughed wildly, his amusement ringing through the air. 

"That's the most absurd thing I've heard this year!" 

"Who in this world can make me face retribution? Even the exalted Spirit King is nothing more than a figurehead—a puppet sitting on a throne!" 

"Rukia, your understanding is pitifully shallow." 

"Why not submit to me? When I rise to the pinnacle of power, I will grant you a place of influence—a chance to build your own kingdom in the Seireitei. Imagine a powerful family of your own!" 

"With your talents, why tie yourself to the decaying Kuchiki clan? Why not unleash your ambitions and create a world of your own?" 

"A powerful family? Ambitions?" 

"Sounds… intriguing," Rukia mused, a sly smile tugging at her lips. 

Yet, she understood the reality. 

With Aizen's grand schemes, there was no place for anyone who could potentially see through his illusions. His words were a mere lure, baited with temptation to mask his true intentions. 

He sought the power she wielded—power from a different world entirely. 

And Rukia, fully aware of this, had no intention of accepting Aizen's offer. 

While he spoke, she carefully formulated her plan. The key was to expose the situation to as many people in Seireitei as possible. 

The Seireitei was vast, and the Kuchiki family's influence immense, yet even they had limits. Aizen's ability to manipulate events in secret relied on the shadows. 

But Rukia refused to believe that he could control the entire Seireitei. 

If that were the case, why would he resort to covert attacks under the cover of night? 

All she needed was someone capable of delaying him long enough… 

And she was confident she could strike the killing blow! 

Her decision made, Rukia let out a derisive laugh, a mocking glint in her eyes. 

"I must admit, Aizen, your offer is enticing…" 

"But someone as limited as you has no right to criticize my supposed lack of knowledge!" 

With those words, Rukia extended her palm. A massive, radiant energy missile began to form, its light casting sharp shadows across the room. 

She smirked and displayed the pulsating missile for Aizen to see. 

"Aizen, I imagine this is the first time you've encountered such power, isn't it?" 

"Indeed," Aizen replied, nodding with a calm yet sinister smile. 

"But…" 

"If this is your last resort, then I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed." 

"The attack you hold won't make the slightest difference to me." 

From Aizen's perspective, even though the wave missile in Rukia's hand was comparable to the strongest attacks of certain division captains, it was still no more than child's play. 

As a rare prodigy who had risen to unparalleled heights over thousands of years, his power transcended the imagination of ordinary beings. 

In the entire Seireitei, the only individual who might pose a threat to him was the one he could not fully gauge—the venerable captain-commander, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. 

Having said that, Aizen's eyes remained fixed on the wave missile in Rukia's hand, filled with an insatiable greed, as if he could analyze the wave's structure through sheer observation. 

No researcher can resist the allure of the unknown. 

And not even Aizen was immune to this temptation. 

Noticing this, Rukia smirked. 

"Attack you?" 

"Of course not," she said with a cool confidence. 

Under the silver moonlight, her white robes shimmered like frost. 

"I'm well aware of the gap in power between us. After all, wave energy doesn't lie." 

"But..." she continued, her voice dripping with mischief, 

"To deal with you, why would I attack you directly?" 

The moment she finished speaking, an icy aura exploded from her body. 

In an instant, a bone-chilling frost enveloped the Kuchiki estate, transforming it into a frozen wasteland. 

Even Aizen's movements were momentarily hindered by the sudden surge of frost. 

Seizing the opportunity, Rukia turned swiftly, both hands gripping the wave missile tightly. With a wild grin, she redirected the missile's aim toward the First Division Headquarters. 

"Watch closely!" she declared, her tone dripping with audacious mockery. 

"This is how I defeat you!" 

With a resounding roar, she hurled the wave missile—an enormous, mountain-like sphere of energy—towards the First Division Headquarters at lightning speed. 

"You…!!!" 

Aizen's expression shifted, disbelief flickering across his face. 

He hadn't anticipated such a reckless move from her. 

After all, if the energy-laden missile were to detonate in the heart of the Seireitei... 

The devastation would result in casualties so severe that Rukia would undoubtedly face execution a hundred times over. 

But then... 

What unfolded next made Aizen's expression darken further. 

From the direction of the First Division, an immense inferno suddenly erupted into the sky. The flames surged with titanic force, spreading out like a tidal wave. 

In moments, the entire First Division Headquarters was encased in a towering wall of fire. 

'Boom!!!' 

The wave missile collided with the inferno, and the two immense forces clashed violently. 

The explosion was cataclysmic. 

The night sky was illuminated as if it were midday, and blinding light engulfed the entire Seireitei. 

A torrent of flames mixed with wave energy spread out from the epicenter, turning half the Seireitei into a maelstrom of chaos. 

The shockwave from the explosion roared like a hurricane, ripping through the city and shattering windows across the realm. 

And then... 

A figure wreathed in flames emerged above the First Division Headquarters. 

It was none other than the Captain-Commander himself: Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni! 

Yet, despite his appearance, his expression was eerily blank. His eyes scanned the area, but it was as though he could not see either Rukia or Aizen, who hovered in the distance. 

Seeing this, Rukia's heart sank. 

Aizen's mastery over perception was even greater than she had feared. 

Even someone as formidable as Yamamoto was ensnared by the illusions of his Zanpakutō. 

The realization left Rukia momentarily breathless, overwhelmed by the suffocating weight of Aizen's power. 

Yet, in that same moment, Aizen himself felt a faint, unfamiliar sensation—an inkling of unease. 

It was the presence of Yamamoto's spiritual pressure, a force so overwhelming that even Aizen, with all his confidence, couldn't ignore it. 

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was the one individual in all of Seireitei capable of restraining Aizen. 

This was why Aizen had always exercised a degree of caution, never overstepping his boundaries. 

His Zanpakutō, Kyoka Suigetsu, could manipulate the five senses of anyone who had witnessed its release. 

However... 

There was something that transcended the five senses—a phenomenon known as the "sixth sense." 

It was an elusive, almost mystical perception that only a rare few possessed. 

No one could claim to have mastered this sixth sense. 

No one, except the Captain-Commander. 

Even though Yamamoto's five senses were completely ensnared by Aizen's illusions—leaving him perceiving only a tranquil, silent night—his sixth sense alerted him to the danger the moment Rukia launched the wave missile. 

Without hesitation, Yamamoto responded, erecting a perfect defense in the form of an immense flame barrier. 

This was what Aizen feared most about Yamamoto. 

The Captain-Commander was a man so formidable that even Aizen, who wielded god-like abilities, dared not underestimate him. 

Judging from the situation, it was clear to Aizen that it wouldn't be long before Yamamoto noticed something unusual happening at the Kuchiki estate. 

Aizen wasn't ready for an open confrontation with the Seireitei yet. 

The way he looked at Rukia suddenly shifted. 

The curiosity and experimental desire that had shone in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a flash of cold ruthlessness. 

"I didn't expect you to come up with such a clever way to break the stalemate, Rukia," he said, his tone calm but laced with menace. 

"And I didn't anticipate that your abilities would be this powerful." 

Rukia's response was icy and unyielding. 

"The strong always adapt," she replied. 

However... 

Even the strongest in the Seireitei were still within the reach of Aizen's illusionary control. 

This was the suffocating reality Rukia faced. 

Originally, her plan had been simple: engage Aizen just long enough for others to distract him, then escape to seek Hermes and trade all her resources for power. Once strengthened, she would return to face Aizen with a real chance of victory. 

But now, it was clear. 

Killing Aizen wasn't an option. 

Her Shunpo, Moonstep, and even Shave techniques combined weren't fast enough to outrun him. If she tried to flee to the First Division, Aizen would cut her down before she even got close. 

This realization brought a bitter mix of emotions. 

And yet... 

She had no choice but to fight. 

Whether she survived or not, only fate would decide. 

"Hah..." 

Rukia exhaled, her breath visible as the temperature around her plummeted. 

Her body began to radiate an intense chill, the cold so profound it seemed to reach below absolute zero. 

Within a hundred-meter radius, the world transformed into a frozen wasteland. 

The air itself crystallized, suspended in the grip of this bone-chilling cold. 

Along with the frost, Rukia's negative emotions—fear, doubt, despair—were frozen as well. 

What remained within her was a singular, unyielding resolve: a relentless desire to defeat Aizen. 

She gripped Sode no Shirayuki tightly, her killing intent sharper than the blade itself. 

"Absolute Zero: Frost World!" 

Rukia raised her Zanpakutō high, the frigid energy around her coalescing into an overwhelming force. 

The immense sword intent radiating from her blade intensified, and her mastery of Haki fortified the weapon's edge, sharpening and strengthening it beyond its limits. 

Her wave-guided power locked onto Aizen's position, while her observation Haki predicted his every move. 

This was her ultimate strike—every ounce of strength she possessed poured into one decisive blow. 

If the attack failed, the consequences could destroy the entire Kuchiki estate. 

'Boom!' 

In the heightened state of her Bankai, Rukia's emotions vanished entirely. 

As the frost energy reached its peak, she swung her Zanpakutō. 

In an instant, a massive wave of frost surged forward like an avalanche, crashing toward Aizen with unstoppable force. 

And yet... 

Aizen didn't seem to register the danger. His eyes remained fixed on Yamamoto, who was still scanning the area for anomalies. 

Clearly, despite Rukia's formidable attack, Aizen's greatest fear was the ancient captain—a man who had lived for millennia. 

It wasn't until Rukia's attack was nearly upon him that Aizen's focus shifted. 

"Hm?" 

As the glacial slash neared, Aizen finally reacted. He exhaled lightly, still showing no fear, and shook his head. 

"What a pity," he said, his tone almost dismissive. 

"I don't have time to play this little game of death with you." 

"In order to maintain my plans... I have no choice but to end this here." 

Boom!

Before the frost could reach him, Aizen unleashed an eruption of spiritual pressure. 

In an instant, he closed the distance between them, appearing directly in front of Rukia. 

In his hand was a vial—a reagent he had prepared earlier. 

It was the Hollowfication serum he had once intended to use for experimentation on her. 

Having expended all her strength in the attack, Rukia was left momentarily vulnerable. 

With lightning speed, the slender needle of the reagent pierced her neck. 

"I had hoped to study your secrets," Aizen murmured. 

"But since you seem so eager for death... I'll grant your wish." 

The Hollowfication serum, now beyond Aizen's control, automatically injected itself into Rukia's body. 

Meanwhile... 

The explosion of Aizen's spiritual pressure had finally drawn Yamamoto's attention. 

Using Shunpo, Yamamoto began closing in on their location at incredible speed. 

Aizen, sensing his approach, allowed a faint smile to creep onto his face. 

Watching as Rukia writhed in pain from the serum's effects, he spoke again, his voice calm yet mocking. 

"Let's see how the Captain-Commander reacts to 'you' after your transformation." 

As the words left his mouth, a garganta—a portal to Hueco Mundo—opened behind Aizen. 

Without hesitation, he stepped into it, disappearing into the void. 

The commotion would undoubtedly provoke Yamamoto's suspicions. 

For now, it was best for Aizen to remain out of sight. 

He had already cloaked his presence with the illusion of remaining in Seireitei. 

If anything unexpected occurred, he would be ready. 

Aizen was meticulous. He never acted without a plan. 

And he certainly never... 'never' acted unprepared.