One Piece: The World King Who Emerged from the White Town

And then he really left.

He's not stupid, so naturally he won't stay and get in the way like a third wheel.

"Your name is Ichigo, and your full name is Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Huh? You know me? And who are you?"

Abel suddenly felt as if he had obtained it without any effort.

However, just to be on the safe side, he looked at the girl who was pressing her entire body against Ichigo.

"So you're Rukia Kuchiki?"

Rukia's expression changed instantly. She jumped off Ichigo and stared at Abel with great vigilance.

"Who are you? Why do you know my name?"

"Those who know me call me Abel. As for why they know your name, that's a long story. In short, you only need to know one thing: I am not your enemy. I have been entrusted to protect you."

"Protect me? I don't need anyone to protect me."

“That’s right, Rukia only needs me to protect her.”

Ichigo rubbed his arm and stood up from the ground.

Abel suddenly laughed. "Really? Are you sure someone who just gained the power of a Shinigami can protect you from someone from Soul Society?"

The power of death!

Soul Society!

Upon hearing these two terms, Rukia's expression immediately turned extremely ugly.

She immediately took out gloves and put them on, ready to blast Ichigo's soul out of his body at any moment.

"Who are you? Who sent you?"

"I've already explained my identity, and I don't like to repeat myself. All you need to know is that I'm not here to arrest you, but to protect you."

Rukia paused for a moment, and a certain figure suddenly flashed through her mind.

She was a little excited, "Could it be that you are my older brother...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Abel interrupted him, "Although it may sound cruel, it's clear that your sworn brother would never do such a thing. He'd be more likely to personally clean house."

Rukia's face turned deathly pale instantly, and her hands clenched into fists.

Although she was unwilling to admit it, based on her understanding of her brother, he would never do anything for her sake; on the contrary, it was more likely that he would put aside his own family for the greater good.

In other words, what the other party said is correct.

"Hey, Rukia, what's going on with this guy? Do you have a brother? Who's trying to capture you?"

Ichigo stood there listening for a long time, but the more he listened, the more confused he became.

Rukia wanted to explain, but didn't know how to begin, so she could only manage a wry smile.

Abel didn't mind explaining it to him: "Don't you understand yet? The Grim Reaper next to you violated the laws of Soul Society by giving you the power of a Grim Reaper without authorization."

"It won't be long before Soul Society sends people to arrest him and put him in prison for trial."

Rukia immediately snapped, "That's enough! Stop talking!"

Ichigo finally understood, and he also understood why Rukia had been inseparable from him all this time, and why she had been so eager to regain her Shinigami powers every day.

What would happen if Rukia were taken back?

"I'll probably... die," Abel said quietly.

Ichigo froze instantly, staring wide-eyed at Rukia beside him, as if wanting to ask why she hadn't told him something so important.

"Don't listen to his nonsense, it's not true. I am a member of the Kuchiki family, one of the four noble families in Soul Society, and I have a very high status. Besides, given the emergency situation at the time, I only made a choice that I had no other choice to make, and the trial will definitely be lenient. Furthermore, these things have nothing to do with you; you are just an ordinary person who was implicated by me."

Rukia's weak explanation did not gain Ichigo's approval.

In contrast, he was more willing to believe this guy who suddenly appeared and said he would protect Rukia.

Faced with Ichigo's questioning gaze and Rukia's pleading expression, Abel chose... to tell the truth.

"She's fooling you. If she were really that confident, she would have gone back to Soul Society to seek her family's protection long ago, instead of staying by your side and playing this childish game of being a substitute Shinigami."

Chapter 982 A Feast for the Senses

Abel's first meeting with Ichigo and Rukia was absolutely perfect.

Ichigo has finally stopped being naive.

No matter how Rukia explained, she was convinced of one thing: if Rukia were captured and taken back to Soul Society, she would die.

The root cause is that Rukia gave him the power of the Shinigami, but he can't take it back.

Given Ichigo's personality, he would naturally take this matter as his responsibility.

Rukia was touched, but she didn't want to see Ichigo get hurt, or even... die, because of her!

No matter who Soul Society sends to capture her next, a true Shinigami of that level is far beyond the reach of Ichigo, a mere amateur.

It's better for her to die alone than for two people to die.

Why can't I understand?

It's all because of that bastard who suddenly appeared!

Rukia glared at Abel, wishing she could rush up and bite him to death right then and there.

Even now, she still doesn't believe that the other party has any ability to protect her.

After all, she had never seen or even heard of such a vice-captain in Soul Society.

Well, someone who dares to boast about protecting her must at least be at the level of a vice-captain.

As for the captain... she didn't dare to even think about it.

Moreover, each team leader has a specific role to fill.

All captains are powerful individuals who have completed [Bankai], and such powerful individuals cannot remain unknown.

As it turns out, Rukia has a very good eye for people.

Abel was not; he wasn't even Death.

On this day, Ichigo's desire to become stronger was exceptionally strong, and he worked very hard and seriously during his special training.

Rukia saw all of this.

But some things can't be achieved just by trying.

That absolute gap in strength was enough to make one despair!

However, Rukia didn't discourage Ichigo's ambition; it's always good that he can strive to become stronger.

On the contrary, Abel, who was sitting to the side pretending to be asleep, was someone she could never figure out.

She could not sense any trace of death from the other person.

However, the other party was very knowledgeable about the Soul Society, and even knew the situation of each captain.

No matter how much she asked, this guy refused to tell her who had commissioned him to protect her.

After all, she only knew a few people in Soul Society.

If we exclude his older brother, could it be Renji?

impossible.

Renji, who was always by his older brother's side, would not do that.

Who would that be?

With these questions in mind, Rukia returned to Ichigo's house after finishing her evening training and couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The next day.

Rukia, sporting huge dark circles under her eyes, went to school with Ichigo.

Although Abel believed that the people from Soul Society wouldn't make a move in broad daylight, he still followed them secretly just to be on the safe side.

As a result, after school, Ichigo and Uryu Ishida's competition began.

Uryu Ishida is one of the few remaining Quincy in the world, and he hates the Shinigami because of past grudges.

Therefore, he regarded the substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki as a rival, which led to this showdown to hunt Hollows.

As Uryu Ishida crushed the Hollow bait and let it drift away in the wind, the Hollows hidden in Karakura Town were all attracted out.

"Come on, let me witness the power of death."

A beam of spiritual light shot out immediately, hitting a hideous monster precisely and killing it instantly.

"Damn it, do you know how dangerous this is! Ichigo, get him!"

Rukia angrily shoved Ichigo's soul out of her body.

Wearing his Shinigami uniform, Ichigo immediately drew his long and wide Zanpakuto and began to fiercely slay Hollows.

Each arrow of spiritual light annihilated a Hollow. These ordinary Hollows couldn't even get close. In terms of efficiency, they completely crushed Ichigo.

At this rate, Uryu Ishida is almost certain to win.

But gradually, Ishida Uryu's expression became increasingly grim.

Because he discovered that the situation was gradually spiraling out of his control.

More and more virtual creatures are being lured in by the 'false bait'!

He could only increase the speed of his arrow shooting, but the price was that his fingers were cut and became covered in blood.

Even worse was yet to come; his spiritual pressure was running low.

Once he stops attacking, not only will Ichigo, who is at the forefront, be surrounded by hundreds of Hollows, but he will also have difficulty escaping.

Even if he could escape, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Therefore, he could only mechanically fire the spirit beam arrows again and again.