Bleach: Starting with Marrying Retsu Unohana

Araki kept his distance from the Zero Division. He had no intention of getting involved with them. Neither the "Sword God" Nimaiya Oetsu nor the "Eye Monk" or the one he called "True Name Monk" Hyosube Ichibei were people to be trifled with...

Staying away from those guys who harbor great "secrets" about the "Spirit King" has always been Araki's guiding principle! Anyway, he already knows enough.

"Araki, this time is different from the past. This time, it is said that the 'Spirit King' has personally requested to see you!"

Just as Araki turned around, intending to leave, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's voice rang out behind him once again.

"Huh? The 'Spirit King' wants to see me?"

Araki froze on the spot upon hearing this. The Spirit King, who had been torn to pieces by the ancestors of the 'Five Great Nobles,' wanted to see him?! No way! Was that 'Big-Eyed Monk' using the 'Spirit King' name to fool people again?!

"Let's talk about it then!"

Araki said, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, and left the hot spring where he was supposed to recover.

Thank you for your patronage! Welcome to visit us again!

Before leaving, the owner of the hot spring, a guy with what he thought was a cool pompadour hairstyle who looked like a biker gang member from the 70s or 80s, greeted Araki with a smile and said something.

"Oh, okay~"

Araki verbally responded, but inwardly he thought, "So this guy hasn't gone to the Zero Division yet?! Well, the effects of this hot spring are far from the 'resurrection' effects of the original 'Blood War Arc'! In that case, the Zero Division only has 'Sword God' and 'Mana-no-Kami' right now?! I wonder if Shutara Senjumaru, the creator of 'Shihaka', has gone to the Zero Division. No matter how I think about it, it's all so troublesome!"

After thinking it over, Araki disappeared from the spot.

Time flies, and several days later...

"It's done! Your leg has been reattached!"

As Araki's "room" slowly shrank, the last injured member was successfully healed by Araki.

"I've really recovered! It's as if I was never injured at all!"

The soldier jumped up excitedly from the ground and then landed heavily, his face beaming with happiness. Sometimes, only those who have lost something truly understand the value of what they had and cherish everything they haven't yet lost.

"No matter how severe the injury or how serious the physical disability, you can piece together the missing parts of the other person? That's truly an amazing ability!"

Just as Araki had finished healing the last wounded soldier and was preparing to take a good rest, a slightly rough voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Um?!"

Upon hearing this, Araki immediately drew his Zanpakuto from his waist and slashed behind him.

"Hey! Don't be so rough! I'm not your enemy!"

As Araki unleashed a cold slash, the person behind him retreated repeatedly, then raised his hands above his head in a gesture of surrender, while simultaneously offering Araki a benevolent smile.

"Tsk~"

At this moment, Araki also saw the person behind him clearly. The person had a bald, shiny head, bright and piercing eyes, and a thick beard that looked like an afro. The moment Araki saw the person's figure, he knew clearly who the person was.

"you are?"

Araki pretended not to know and asked about it.

"My name is Hyosube Ichibei! I'm a member of the Zero Squad!"

The man, who looked every bit the 'big monk' with a circle of fluorescent red Buddhist beads around his neck, smiled warmly at Araki and introduced himself with a cheerful laugh.

"Ah~ So it's a big shot from Squad Zero! I wonder what business the big shot from Squad Zero has with me?!"

Araki continued to play dumb; having lived in the Soul Society for so long, he was clearly a master of feigning ignorance.

"Actually, it's not that I have something to ask you, but rather that Lord Spirit King wants to see you!"

Hyosube Ichibei crossed his arms in front of him and continued to speak to Araki with a smile.

"The Spirit King wishes to see me? I am but a mortal; how could I possibly be summoned by the Spirit King?"

Araki feigned surprise, acting as if he was utterly unworthy of being summoned by the Spirit King.

"Um, actually I'm quite curious about your abilities... I wonder if you could reassemble Lord 'Spirit King'?"

Just as Araki continued playing the "pretending to be confused" game with Hyosube Ichibei, Hyosube suddenly changed the subject and looked at Araki with a smile, asking him a question.

Finally finished writing this chapter! Time to get to the main storyline! By the way, fellow readers, please give me some more votes in recognition of my hard work!

Chapter 48 Nimaiya Oetsu: Araki, come to the Zero Squad! He's here!

"Click~"

The moment Araki heard Hyosube Ichibei's words, he instinctively prepared to unleash his Zanpakuto.

"Hey, hey, hey! Araki-kun, wait a minute, let me finish what I have to say, okay?! I'm asking you this sincerely, let's talk things over, please don't draw your sword! Look, I didn't even bring my own sword from the 'Spirit King Palace' just to see you! That's enough to show my sincerity, isn't it?!"

When Hyosube Ichibei saw Araki's subconscious act of liberation, he retreated while lifting the haori (a type of traditional Japanese garment) over his shihachi (a type of Japanese clothing) that bore the insignia of "Royal Agent," also known as "Zero Squad." This demonstrated that he was not carrying anything that could be called a "murder weapon," which was enough to show his sincerity in meeting Araki.

"I'm a little nervous."

Upon hearing what Hyosube Ichibei said, Araki immediately stopped releasing his Zanpakuto. He knew that he had been too nervous in front of this 'dead monk' who gave him a great sense of pressure, and had revealed some things that he shouldn't have revealed, 'such as' his complete knowledge of the Soul King's situation.

However, this was inevitable, since the oppressive feeling that this dead monk gave Araki was even stronger than that of Yhwach, the 'King of Quincy,' whom Araki had just fought a few days ago, and his teacher, 'Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13,' Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni! Without a doubt, this dead monk was the strongest person Araki had encountered since arriving in Soul Society.

"Don't be nervous! His Majesty the Soul King's situation is no secret to the higher-ups of Soul Society! There are countless records in the entire Soul Society documenting the Soul King's current condition."

"Haha, at least the ancestors of the five great noble families always wanted their descendants to know what their five families had done to Lord Spirit King, didn't they?! So rest assured, I won't take action against you just because you know something, because doing so would be foolish and pointless!"

"Besides, if I were to really do something to you, that hot-tempered brat would probably lead his Gotei 13 in a rebellion! The Soul Society has just suffered Yhwach's invasion; if it were to experience another internal conflict, the next great calamity would likely be its destruction. That's not what I want to see, and certainly not what His Majesty the Soul King wants to see..."

Hyosube noticed Araki's nervousness and spoke with unusual composure.

"Okay! What exactly do you want me to do?"

Araki looked deeply at Hyonshube Ichibei before him, then smiled and asked.

Only after Hyosube told the truth did Araki lower his hand, which was about to unleash Bankai. He was now certain that Hyosube truly meant him no harm, at least not for the time being...

If the other party really had malicious intent towards him, they should have launched a surprise attack on him right after he had fought Yhwach, when his spiritual pressure and physical strength were both depleted!

At this moment, the initial probing between Hyosugi and Araki came to an end.

"First of all, the question I asked you earlier wasn't casual; I was genuinely curious about your abilities and wanted to know if it would be effective against His Majesty the Spirit King as well."

Hyosubu was the first to ask his own question.

"I don't know, I haven't tried it."

Araki answered quickly.

"Haha, that's true~"

Hyosube was taken aback, not expecting Araki's answer to be so simple, and then burst into laughter again.

"Secondly, as a member of the Zero Squad, I extend a sincere invitation to you! I hope you can join us and become a member of the 'Royal Special Agents' and the 'Zero Squad' that protects the 'Spirit King'!"

Hyosube then told Araki his second reason for seeking him out: he intended to invite Araki to join the Zero Division.

"I'm not interested in Squad Zero!"

Araki refused outright upon hearing this.

"Eh?!"

Hyosube seemed surprised by Araki's swift refusal.

"Aren't you going to think about it again?! Aren't you going to consider it further? Once you become a member of the Zero Squad, you can enjoy a near-immortal life! Isn't that tempting?"

Hyosube explained to Araki the benefits of joining the Zero Squad.

"Don't go."

Araki answered without hesitation that he didn't want to stay in the Spirit King's Palace all day. In Araki's opinion, staying in one place all day would make little difference between living and dying.

"Is that so?!"

Upon hearing this, Hyosugu's large eyes flashed with immense disappointment. Unfortunately, Hyosugu was a rough, burly man, and such attempts at cuteness would only make Araki feel nauseous, not a trace of shame or attraction.

"Araki, come to the Spirit King's Palace! Once you're here, I'll take you to have an impart every day!"

Just as Hyosube was about to give up on inviting Araki, a rhythmic voice suddenly rang out from behind Araki and Hyosube.

"Ok?"

Araki and Hyosube turned around upon hearing this and saw a dark-skinned man with an afro standing in front of them, speaking to Araki in a familiar manner.

"What are you suggesting I drive?"

Araki's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the newcomer. He moved closer to the person and asked with a serious expression.

"Open impart!"

The man looked at Araki, who had moved closer to him, and repeated with a similarly serious expression.

At this moment, what Araki and the man were discussing seemed to have moved beyond the issue of imprisonment; it was more like they were discussing a holy war! A holy war that all men understood! Araki was even more serious and earnest than when he faced Yhwach.

How often?

Araki inquired about the time.

"Open every day!"

The man gave a thumbs-up and replied with a smile.

"make a deal!"

Without hesitation, Araki swung his hand and slapped the man's hand away.

In fact, Araki is a decent person. He doesn't care about whether he's implicated or not. He just wants to do his part for Soul Society and for the Guardian Spirit King!

"Captain Araki, where are you going?"

However, before Araki and the man who was going to take Araki to have an impart every day could exchange a high five like true men, a cold and murderous aura came from the Eleventh Division Captain's office.

"I'm sorry, I don't have those worldly desires!"

Upon hearing this, Araki stopped his hand from colliding with the man in front of him who was about to take him to an impart.

"Really? That's a real shame!"

The man with 'dark' skin sighed helplessly upon hearing this, his eyes filled with disappointment.

Incidentally, this man with 'dark' skin is named Nimaiya Oetsu, a member of the 'Royal Family Special Agents' 'Zero Squad,' and also the forger of all Zanpakuto in Soul Society! (Some extremely 'special' and 'ancient' Zanpakuto, similar to the 'Enra Kyōden' of the Tsuna Yayoi family, and the 'Shinken Hakōken' of the Ise family, are not included.)

You know my situation.

Araki pointed to the beautiful woman behind him who exuded a cold aura.