"Bankai… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
The moment the release command echoed—
a blinding radiance burst from Byakuya Kuchiki's blade.
The spiritual power sealed within the Zanpakutō surged out without restraint, crashing outward like a tidal wave from the abyss. It was so dense that it condensed into visible form—an ocean of Reiatsu spreading across the battlefield.
It was as if the heavens themselves had begun to rain spiritual energy.
Droplets of Reiatsu fell like a storm.
In an instant—
every Marine present felt an overwhelming pressure crush down on their chests.
Breathing itself became a luxury.
"Damn it… this power…"
Akainu's expression shifted.
Under the suffocating pressure of Senbonzakura's Bankai, even the magma flowing across his arm showed signs of faltering.
"…Is it that blade?"
His mind raced.
"He wields a sword just like Poison Blade… wears the same captain's haori… What exactly are they?"
Unable to piece it together, Akainu could only assume—
Gin Ichimaru and Byakuya Kuchiki belonged to some unknown, terrifying force.
All around them, the Marines could no longer endure the pressure.
One after another—
they dropped to their knees.
Worse still—
they couldn't even lift their heads to look at the sky filled with Reiatsu.
Their bodies had completely fallen under its control.
In the blink of an eye—
the tide of battle had reversed.
With the overwhelming pressure of Bankai alone—
Byakuya had seized the upper hand.
"Marine Admiral… look closely."
Byakuya's voice was cold and absolute.
"This is the true power of Senbonzakura."
As his words fell—
the ocean of Reiatsu vanished.
In its place—
an even more dazzling sea of cherry blossoms filled the sky.
The heavens changed color.
Petals swirled endlessly, as if the entire world had been consumed by them.
At first glance, it looked no different from Shikai.
But—
there was a fundamental difference.
In Shikai, only the blade itself transformed into countless fragments.
In Bankai—
the entire Zanpakutō, from blade to guard to hilt, shattered into those countless blades.
The scale.
The density.
The destructive power—
were on an entirely different level.
On Another Warship
"Damn it… his attacks are too fast!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo gripped his blade tightly, several fresh cuts already marking his body.
"Onigumo, stay sharp! We have to kill him!" Vice Admiral Doberman growled, his face twisted with brutality.
"We don't have much time—Sakazuki is already in trouble!" Dalmatian, in his spotted dog form, spoke in urgency.
"Oh my… Captain Kuchiki has already gone Bankai?"
Gin Ichimaru glanced sideways, his fox-like smile deepening with excitement.
"So he plans to end it quickly…"
If another Admiral fell—
this would become very interesting indeed.
"Bankai… Kamishini no Yari."
Gin reversed his grip on his Zanpakutō.
Reiatsu surged violently from his body, and a sharp gleam flickered along the blade.
"Do try to stay alive a little longer," he said softly. "If you fall too quickly… this hunt will become terribly boring."
In the next instant—
a flash of light tore through the air.
The three Vice Admirals were blown back simultaneously.
"Ugh—!"
Fresh blood sprayed from their bodies.
Yet none of them had seen the attack.
This wasn't a battle.
It was domination.
Even with three Vice Admirals working together—
they had no chance against Kamishini no Yari.
Back on Akainu's Warship
With Bankai unleashed—
Byakuya's presence soared to its peak.
A faint, confident smile appeared on his handsome face, lending an added elegance to his already noble bearing.
Cold eyes.
Refined composure.
Overwhelming power.
At this moment—
Byakuya Kuchiki radiated absolute certainty in victory.
"Marine Admiral," he said calmly, "now that you've witnessed my Bankai… do you regret it?"
"Don't be so arrogant!"
Akainu roared, fury blazing in his eyes.
"I will not allow personal recklessness to stain the dignity of justice!"
His arm surged again—
another magma fist erupted forward.
"Dai Funka!"
"To me…"
Byakuya's expression didn't change in the slightest as the molten fist closed in.
"…this level of attack is meaningless."
His gaze sharpened.
"Marine Admiral—"
"…you don't understand what true power is."
He raised his hand—
and clenched it.
At that instant—
the endless sea of cherry blossoms surged.
Under Byakuya's control, it transformed into towering waves, crashing down toward Akainu like a tidal storm.
The sky darkened.
The blossoms pressed down like a collapsing world.
Overwhelming.
Unavoidable.
When the magma fist collided with the ocean of petals—
time itself seemed to freeze.
A shockwave erupted outward from the point of impact, visible ripples tearing through the air like a storm.
The deck beneath their feet cracked violently—
fractures spreading like a spiderweb in every direction.
But the clash did not last long.
Crack—!
A sharp, shattering sound echoed.
And in that instant—
Akainu's fate was sealed.
The magma fist shattered.
And the storm of petals swallowed him whole.
"…Still alive?"
Just as Byakuya turned to leave—
he suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted back toward the ruins.
He had underestimated Akainu's resilience.
As the smoke slowly cleared—
a blood-soaked figure emerged.
Akainu stood there, grievously wounded.
Gone was the imposing image of the unyielding enforcer of justice.
His body was drenched in blood.
Even the coat bearing the word Justice had been stained crimson.
A Marine Admiral… had fallen.
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