Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Yamamoto raised his head abruptly. 

At that moment, his expression turned cold as ice, his face exuding the terrifying aura of a demon from hell. 

"It's not your decision to make, Rukia!!!" 

Boom! 

The burning Zanpakutō struck the spiritual ground in the void like a hammer. 

In an instant, flames surged outward like tidal waves, morphing into a roaring demon as they hurled toward Rukia. 

"Wait! Lord Captain!!!" 

"There may be some misunderstanding here!" 

Byakuya's pupils constricted as he reached out a hand to stop Yamamoto's attack. 

But just as he moved, he froze mid-air. 

Because at the exact moment the hellish flames were about to engulf Rukia, an overwhelming surge of frost erupted, intercepting the fiery waves. 

"I told you, you've all been fooled by Aizen!!!" 

"Can't you understand plain language!?" 

"You're so old, and yet you've let all that wisdom go to waste!" 

Even amidst the bone-chilling cold, Rukia's fury burned brighter than ever. 

Raising her Zanpakutō, she pointed it directly at Yamamoto's face, unleashing a torrent of sharp words. 

"You've spent centuries leading this place, and yet you're blind to everything happening right under your nose! What a disgrace! And you call yourself the protector of Soul Society!?" 

Rukia's tone was fiery and unrestrained, her anger unfiltered. She had grown up in the rough streets of Rukongai, where vulgar language was second nature. Over time, and with the etiquette lessons drilled into her by the Kuchiki family, she had learned to rein it in. 

But now, her patience had reached its breaking point. 

If not for her recent training, she might have unleashed even harsher words! 

How infuriating! 

Rukia had never imagined herself this angry before. 

It was Seireitei's incompetence that allowed Aizen to orchestrate his schemes in the shadows. 

Now, not only had she become a victim of his treachery, but this old man had the gall to march her to Central Room 46—straight into Aizen's trap! 

If she hadn't been fortunate enough to have the Dimensional Transaction as her safeguard, someone else would have already fallen victim to Aizen's deadly games. 

Even now, it was clear Yamamoto was beginning to doubt himself. 

But his stubbornness, his unyielding need to follow protocol, kept him pressing forward. 

Such leadership. Such blindness. 

Seireitei was nothing but... 

waste. 

"You insolent child!!!" 

Yamamoto's thunderous roar reverberated through the heavens as fury erupted within him. 

In all his centuries of existence, no one had dared point at him and speak in such a manner. 

"How dare you show such arrogance!!!" 

"With that Hollow aura emanating from you, there is no way I can believe a single word you say!!!" 

Boom! 

The violent flames erupted anew, blazing with such intensity they lit up the entire Seireitei as though it were midday. 

Yamamoto raised his long blade, his spiritual pressure surging as the inferno closed in on Rukia. 

But Rukia refused to back down. 

Frost surged from her blade, blanketing the heavens with an icy chill. 

The sky above Seireitei transformed into a battlefield of opposites—on one side, blazing flames like the sun itself; on the other, an icy frost colder than death. 

The sheer magnitude of power awakened the sleeping denizens of Seireitei. 

One by one, Shinigami emerged from their homes, their eyes turning to the sky. 

At the 10th Division Headquarters 

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stared at the spectacle, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. 

The frost emanating from above bore a resemblance to his own powers—but this was something else entirely. 

"That figure..." 

His voice faltered as he squinted through the icy haze. 

"If I'm not mistaken... that's Rukia, isn't it?" 

"She... She's this powerful!?" 

Similar thoughts rippled through the minds of many across Seireitei. 

In all its nearly ten-thousand-year history, no one had ever witnessed such a clash—someone standing their ground against the overwhelming might of their Captain-Commander, Yamamoto.

Among all the onlookers, none were more astonished than Byakuya, who stood frozen near the battlefield.

Watching Rukia stand her ground against Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, sword in hand, his brow twitched uncontrollably.

Who could have imagined that his wife's younger sister possessed such terrifying strength?

Faced with the overwhelming display of raw power, Byakuya couldn't help but think: if Rukia ever decided to turn against him, he probably wouldn't last more than a quarter of an hour.

Quietly, he took a few steps back, his mind racing with possibilities.

To be frank, he found Rukia's story difficult to believe.

Aizen—a captain who hadn't even achieved Bankai—someone who had all but stumbled into his position as leader of the 5th Division, a low-profile figure in the Gotei 13...

Could someone like him really be capable of orchestrating such a terrifying conspiracy?

If Rukia hadn't voiced these claims herself, Byakuya would never have entertained the thought.

But if her words were true...

It would mean that Aizen had not only infiltrated the Kuchiki family estate undetected but also manipulated its members without anyone realizing it.

Such an ability was horrifying beyond measure.

Cold sweat began to bead on Byakuya's brow.

Meanwhile, the clash between Rukia and Yamamoto was nearing its conclusion.

Though Rukia had gained immense power through her dimensional transactions, Yamamoto was still the commander-in-chief—a warrior whose strength had been forged in countless battles over millennia.

No amount of borrowed power could bridge that gap.

After all, only a small fraction of the resources Rukia had acquired had been used to augment herself.

Boom!

A massive blade of flame split the heavens, cutting through the night like a fiery comet and hurtling toward Rukia.

Unable to evade in time, Rukia resorted to her defensive techniques—Waveguide Barrier, Awakening Ice Wall, and Armament Haki.

But these defenses, which even faltered against Aizen's power, were no match for the fury of Yamamoto, a figure feared even by Aizen himself.

Under the onslaught of fire, Rukia's body was sent hurtling like a black meteor toward the Kuchiki family mansion.

Crash!

A violent impact shook the earth as the mansion collapsed in a thunderous roar of destruction.

Byakuya's lips twitched at the sight, his composed facade slipping ever so slightly.

Rukia, battered and buried in rubble, remained silent for a long moment before finally stirring.

Yamamoto dispersed the flames surrounding him, stepping through the smoke and ash to the ruins of the Kuchiki mansion.

Under the glow of lingering embers, his piercing gaze found Rukia struggling to her feet, her movements unsteady but defiant.

Resting his Zanpakutō against the ground, Yamamoto's expression softened ever so slightly, his earlier rage now tempered.

In a voice as deep and resonant as an ancient bell, he spoke:

"Rukia, I am willing to overlook your previous insolence."

"But you must face the trial of Central Room 46 and fully explain the source of this Hollow power within you!"

Rukia, despite her injuries, let out a bitter laugh.

"You stubborn old man. You really just don't get it, do you?"

"Central Room 46... Central Room 46..."

"How many times must I tell you? Aizen has already taken control of them!"

Yamamoto's face remained stoic, though his grip on his Zanpakutō tightened.

"Then we will wait for the trial to prove whether there is corruption within Central Room 46," he replied, his tone unyielding.

For Yamamoto, the ancient rules of Soul Society were sacred—unchangeable even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Those rules, he believed, were what allowed the Gotei 13 to grow from a few scattered divisions into the powerful force it was today.

It was his duty to uphold those laws, no matter the personal cost.

"Enough!"

Rukia's patience finally snapped.

Realizing further discussion was pointless, she cast Yamamoto a cold, unyielding glare.

Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a strange red-and-white object—a Pokéball.

Her frosty smile returned, sharp and cutting like a winter's chill.

"If you refuse to listen, then I'll show you the consequences of your stubbornness!"

"Come forth, Kyūbi!"

"Let the world witness your true power!"

Flash!

A brilliant red light burst from the Pokéball, and the temperature around them plummeted.

Snowflakes began to fall gently through the air.

From the light emerged a creature as elegant as it was fearsome—an ethereal being seemingly born of ice and snow.

Its majestic presence captured the attention of everyone present, leaving even the stoic Yamamoto momentarily stunned.