Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 268, Section 266: First Arrival at the Spirit King's Palace: A Glimpse into the Lives of the Zero Squad
The last time he went to the Spirit King Palace, Higashino Shuichi almost died on the way.

This time, when he came to the Spirit King Palace, Higashino Shuichi arrived on a large firework.

If asked what the difference was in his feelings between the two experiences, Higashino Shuichi's answer would be, "None."

Anyway, we've reached our destination!

"Monk, I've arrived!"

Jumping off the fireworks, Higashino Hideaki shouted loudly at the empty hall.

He knew that person could hear him.

Sure enough, less than half a minute later, a rather burly monk with a string of large Buddhist beads around his neck landed on the white pillar to the left of Higashino Shuichi.

He was the captain of the Zero Division, who had met Higashino Shuichi a few times before, and should also be the number one Shinigami in the world in terms of combat power, Hyosube Ichibei.

"It's been a long time since you last came here."

Hyobu Ichibei looked down at Higashino Shuichi on the ground and said.

"Isn't it true that I can only come here with peace of mind after I've finished dealing with all the trivial matters in Soul Society?"

"I answered with my head tilted back," said Shuichi Higashino.

"Is that a trivial matter?"

Hyosube Ichibei countered with a question.

"right?
Otherwise, you, monk, should have stepped in to stop me.

Since you didn't intervene, I think there's no objection to classifying them as trivial matters.

Higashino Shuichi replied with a smile.

"You were much bolder this time compared to last time."

Hyosube Ichibei immediately changed the subject; he was already very aware of how talkative Higashino Shuichi was.

"After all, I needed their help last time; this time, I'm just here to fulfill a promise."

Higashino Shuichi showed no fear whatsoever because of Hyosube Ichibei's words.

After all, no matter how strong Hyosube Ichibei was, he was just a loyal servant who worked for King Rei without any personal feelings.

Since the Soul King's core hasn't reached the point where it's beyond repair and needs to be replaced, Higashino Shuichi has nothing to fear regarding Hyosube Ichibei.

Even Higashino Shuichi knew that he could be even more arrogant.

Because he was quite certain that, in Hyosube Ichibei's eyes, he was now a high-quality candidate for Spirit King.

No, Higashino Shuichi even felt that he could no longer be considered a good candidate.

Having merged with the Quincy clone and obtained the Soul King's left leg, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a near-perfect candidate for Soul King.

Hyosube Ichibei is already busy treating such an excellent sacrifice well, so how could he possibly target Higashino Shuichi now?
To put it bluntly, if something were to happen to Shuichi Higashino, Ichibei Hyobu might actually step in and try to save him!

"Keep your promise!"
"You're going to find Kirinji Tenjiro and Nimaiya Oetsu to help you perfect your Zanpakuto's Bankai, right?"

Hyosube Ichibei pretended to recall something and said.

In fact, Higashino Shuichi knew very well that this guy definitely remembered everything!
That old man, he just loves to pretend.

But who isn't?
"Not only that, I also want to remove the limitations I have on myself!"

Higashino Shuichi's true intentions are revealed in the final picture.

Upon hearing this, Hyosube Ichibei's expression finally lost its previous joking and relaxed tone.

"what are you saying?
What restrictions do you still have on you right now?
Didn't you already defeat Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni?
If you're willing to tell anyone, the title of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society will be yours!

Hyobu Ichibei was still pretending to be stupid.

"Yes, but monk, you should know that's not what I meant."

I'm referring to the shackles that your Zero Division has artificially placed on all Shinigami ever since Oetsu Nimaiya began forging swords for them!

As he spoke, Higashino Shuichi raised his Zanpakuto towards Hyosube Ichibei.

"It was achieved through these Zanpakuto, am I right?"

"You're not wrong, you could even say you're completely right, but may I ask where you got all this information from?"

Just then, a man with long, black punk-style curly hair that reached past his neck, wearing wide-framed sunglasses, a grass-green shirt and slippers, and a sleeveless haori appeared below the white pillar to the right of Shuichi Higashino.

It was another member of the Zero Division, the creator of all the asauchi in Soul Society, Nimaiya Oetsu.

"If I remember correctly, the Great Spirit Book Corridor in Soul Society does not record such content, and among the five noble families, only the heads of the Tsunayo family, the Shihouin family, and the Kuchiki family know about this."

Those you know well are not included.

As for that so-called future you mentioned earlier.

I don't believe my future self would reveal such a secret to you.

Although Nimaiya Wang Yue's tone was still as nonchalant as ever, as if he didn't care at all.

However, from his approaching movements and serious gaze, Higashino Shuichi could already sense a hint of threat in his words.

This is normal, after all, it is one of the biggest secrets in the Soul Society over thousands of years.

If this gets out, the entire Soul Society could be turned upside down.

Does it matter how I know?
The important thing is, I know it now.

Higashino Shuichi released his spiritual pressure, which canceled out the oppressive spiritual pressure released by Nimaiya Oetsu.

"Yeah, you won't tell anyone anyway~"
If you wanted to say it, you would have said it long ago, and wouldn't have waited until now.

Suddenly, Nimaiya Oetsu was like a deflated balloon, his previously sharp aura vanishing instantly.

He even yawned loudly in front of Shuichi Higashino.

The main point is to have fun!
Higashino Shuichi was not surprised at all, because this was the personality that Nimaiya Oetsu should have. On the contrary, the murderous aura that Nimaiya Oetsu had just shown towards Higashino Shuichi seemed a little abnormal.

"Heh, as expected of the Sword God, your sense of proportion is just too good!"

After Nimaiya Oetsu withdrew his spiritual pressure, Higashino Shuichi naturally withdrew his as well.

"So you're planning to come here to completely Bankai your Zanpakuto?"

Wang Yue from Ermei House yawned and shed two tears as he spoke.

"This is just one of them; the main purpose is..."

Higashino nodded, acknowledging his purpose, but halfway through his sentence, he saw Nimaiya Oetsu wave at him.

"And the other one, don't look for me. Since you know so much about our Zero Squad, then you should also know..."

Limiting a Shinigami's potential can't be perfectly achieved with just one Zanpakuto. I don't really care~
Anyway, the results are all pretty much the same.
But you have to convince that woman.
Shutara Senjumaru!

Nimaiya Oetsu, in a very uncouth manner, passed this thorny problem on to another member of the Zero Squad.

Higashino Shuichi also knew that woman, and they were quite familiar with each other.

In that fictional future, he had once been disliked by Shutara Senjumaru.

At that time, Shutara Senjumaru believed that Higashino Shuichi was a disruptor of order, so he was very rude to Higashino Shuichi.

Among all the members of the Zero Division, it can be said that Shutara Senjumaru is the most orthodox Shinigami.

Shuichi Higashino even believed that, in Shutara Senjumaru's eyes, Seireitei was like her child.

Even the Seireitei's current security system was created by Shutara Senjumaru and is still in use today.

In the original storyline, Shutara Senjumaru held Aizen Sousuke in utter contempt and harbored hostility towards him.

Among the Zero Division members who advocate following the Soul King's will, Shutara Senjumaru can be considered a maverick.

However, Shutara Senjumaru's unconventional behavior was also based on her powerful strength.

He was able to single-handedly defeat all of Yhwach's fully-equipped bodyguards, plus Uryu Ishida.

Such a record is something even the current Higashino Shuichi can only dream of.

Keep in mind, that was the fully-fledged Yhwach's personal guard.
Even Higashino Shuichi wasn't sure what his chances of winning were if he were to fight these Quincy now.

He is confident if it's just a one-on-one fight, but if it's one against two, three, or even four or five, then Higashino Shuichi feels that he will most likely be overwhelmed.

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten that there's still the hurdle of Lord Oori no Kami Shutara Senjumaru to overcome."

Higashino Shuichi smiled somewhat reluctantly.

At the same time, he already felt that there was little hope left.

After all, this is the Spirit King's Palace, the Zero Division.

He usually only fools people like Kabuto Sayoko and Kisaragi Shusuke, but to try and fool Shutara Senjumaru?

He knows almost everything that happens in Soul Society, including all the dirty work that Higashino Shuichi did to please Aizen when he was with him.

To gain Shutara Senjumaru's approval, Higashino Shuichi thought killing her might be easier.

However, that's relatively simple.

Compared to Higashino Shuichi's current strength
Well, Higashino Shuichi still felt that he should first obediently follow Nimaiya Oetsu to fully obtain his Zanpakuto's Bankai.

But Cao Cao arrived.

While Higashino Shuichi and Nimaiya Oetsu were talking, the remaining members of the Zero Squad—"Hot Spring Demon" Kirinji Tenjiro, "Great Oriole" Shutara Senjumaru, and "Valley King" Hikifune Kiryu—all arrived.

"I thought it was someone suddenly visiting the Spirit King's Palace~"
So they're the henchmen of sin in Soul Society~

Shutara Senjumaru floated in mid-air, a disdainful smile on his lips as he spoke coldly.

A minion of sin? Is that referring to him?
Higashino Shuichi's brow furrowed for once. Could Shutara Senjumaru's ability to give nicknames be any worse?

What kind of weird title is this?
However, as long as Shuichi Higashino thought about how Shutara Senjumaru gave Aizen Sousuke the nickname "Incarnation of Evil" in the original story, he felt relieved.

Even Aizen's nickname is so low-class; he's just a mere lackey of sin, which doesn't seem like much.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Oori-no-kami!"

However, no matter how bad Shutara Senjumaru's attitude was towards Higashino Shuichi, Higashino Shuichi couldn't confront Shutara Senjumaru the way he confronted the monk Hyosube Ichibei.

Because these two are fundamentally different.

Hyosube Ichibei was truly an emotionless tool, like a piece of heartless program code.

But Shutara Senjumaru, he really does get angry!
When it comes to women, saying nice things and coaxing them is always a good idea.

"And Captain Kiryu Hikifune, it's been so long, I miss him terribly~"

After greeting Shuta Senjumaru, Higashino Shuichi immediately turned to the other side and greeted the female Shinigami with purple hair who was almost as fat as a ball.

Higashino Shuichi knew that this was not Kiryu Hikifune's original form; she was simply using this special form to store her unique spiritual power.

Once those special spiritual energies are exhausted, Kiryuu will revert to her original sexy and beautiful appearance.

But to be honest, there wasn't much interaction between Shuichi Higashino and Kiryu Hikifune.

Even though Kiryu Hikifune was the captain of the 12th Division when Shuichi Higashino was still the vice-captain of the 4th Division, the two did not have much contact.

This is the normal state of affairs among Shinigami in Soul Society.

The reason why the future captain and vice-captain seem to have a much more familiar relationship is...
It was purely because Aizen frequently and systematically used the Arrancar to cause trouble that most of the Shinigami captains and vice-captains had the opportunity to meet each other regularly.

Otherwise, like more than a hundred years ago, there was very little contact between different squads.

There might even be a situation where a vice-captain level Shinigami is completely unaware of the Shikai ability of the Zanpakuto of the vice-captain of the neighboring division.

The reason why Higashino Shuichi greeted Hikifune Kiryu so warmly was because he knew from Unohana Retsu that the latter had asked Hikifune Kiryu to investigate him.

Therefore, Higashino Shuichi was certain that Hikifune Kiryu knew him.

As expected, Kiryu Hikifune's greeting to Shuichi Higashino was much more enthusiastic than that of Oetsu Nimaiya and Senjumaru Shutara.

"Hey~ Isn't this Xiao Xiuyi?"
How did you end up in the Spirit King's Palace?
I heard you did something big in Soul Society recently. Could it be that Ichibei-sama transferred you up here because of that?"

Kiryuki waved his little hand, but unfortunately, he was too fat, and from a distance, Higashino Shuichi found him quite comical.

"No, Captain Yeozumi, I came here by myself~"
I think we'll have plenty of time to discuss the specifics later.
I will definitely visit you when I have time~

Higashino Shuichi smiled as if he were an innocent and well-behaved young man.

Everyone who sees this child will say, "This child is so well-behaved!"
But what Higashino Shuichi was actually planning in his mind was...

"If I can't win you over, Shutara Senjumaru, I'll win over all your teammates and have them whisper sweet nothings in your ear, right?"

Having emotions comes with its own drawbacks. Using the same method, Higashino Hideyoshi would definitely have no idea what Heisuke Ichibei would think.

However, Higashino Shuichi felt that he could still give Shutara Senjumaru a try.

Finally, only Kirinji Tenjiro was left. Just as Higashino Shuichi was about to speak, he found himself being put on the shoulder by a large hand.

"Hahaha, how long has it been since our Spirit King Palace has had a newcomer?"

I was too embarrassed to ask Kiryu for help last time, but you're different, Shuichi Higashino! Come on, let's go to the hot springs!

"."

Higashino Shuichi's face was filled with embarrassment.

Question: Does this count as a self-guided strategy?

(End of this chapter)