Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 441 The daily life of the Ninth Division, the seated officers and Bane's Zanpakuto Shikai.

"I've read and studied your article 'Spiritual Particle Composition and Vessel Transformation' published in this issue of the academic weekly in detail. It has many similarities to the topic I'm currently researching. We can discuss many ideas together!" Kisuke Urahara said earnestly as he sat in front of Orochimaru.

"Discussions are welcome, but I have no intention of joining the Gotei 13 right now, so don't even mention inviting me to the Second Division," Orochimaru said, waving his hand.

Unlike Bane, who possessed extraordinary talent and whose spiritual pressure was unbelievably strong after arriving in Soul Society.

Although Orochimaru has been in Soul Society for fifty years now, his spiritual pressure is not particularly outstanding, and his Zanpakuto is only in Shikai form. If he were placed in the Gotei 13, he could at most become a seated officer, and he wouldn't even be qualified to be a vice-captain.

But putting that aside, he is outstanding in every other aspect, especially in the art of demonic arts, which he is absolutely obsessed with. Combined with his existing foundation, this is what allowed him to secure his position as a teacher at the Demonic Arts Academy.

In this academy, he also has his own research lab, and he has plenty of time to study the combination of Kido and Ninjutsu, and to develop and innovate new techniques.

Life is simply wonderful, why bother going to the Gotei 13 if you have nothing better to do?

"That side is definitely more convenient," Kisuke Urahara muttered. Seeing that Orochimaru showed no sign of wavering, he changed the subject, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's discuss the composition and transformation of spirit particles and vessel particles."

Soon, the two began exchanging academic ideas.

Meanwhile, within the Central 46th Room area, lies the Ninth Division's barracks.

Shinji Hirako, Kensei Rokusha, and Hiyori Sarugaki were standing in the courtyard of the team barracks.

Directly in front, a middle-aged man with a resolute face sat cross-legged on a futon, holding a roster in his hand and said, "The Spirit Lord has something to do today and will not be going to the Great Prison for inspection. The three of you will be in charge of today's inspection."

"Yes, Vice Captain," Hirako Shinji replied softly.

As soon as he graduated from the academy, he was recruited by Bane and became a member of the Ninth Division.

He has now become the third seat of the Ninth Division.

Kensei Muguruma and Hiyori Sarugaki are ranked fourth and fifth in the 9th Division, respectively.

Currently, the entire Ninth Division only has these three seated officers.

As for Aikawa Raibu, Ootori Ryujuro, and others who graduated around the same time as Hirako Shinji or within two years before or after him, they went to work in other squads.

After arranging today's patrol, Genjiro Okiya turned to Hiyori Sarugaki and said, "Hiyori, regarding the 12th Division, Vice-Captain Shino Motomura is unable to continue his duties due to illness, and the Captain-Commander has approved his leave of absence. The 12th Division Captain, Kiryu Hikifune, has a very good impression of you, and you two have a good personal relationship. She hopes to recruit you from our unit to become the 12th Division's vice-captain. What do you think?"

Hiyori Sarugaki also came from Rukongai, but unlike Aizen Sousuke and Kenpachi Zaraki, who were born in high-numbered areas, she was born in the first district of West Rukongai, "Junrin-an," which is the closest area to the west of Seireitei.

The order was good, and although life was somewhat difficult and could not compare to the Seireitei, it was still quite good.

Kiryuu Hikifune discovered Hiyori Sarugaki's talent while strolling around there, and then brought her into Seireitei and recommended her for admission.

If things continue as they are, Hiyori Sarugaki will likely go to work for the 12th Division after graduating from the Shinigami Academy.

But who told Bane to be so unreasonable back then? He used the excuse that "the Ninth Division is in decline and needs talented people to take the lead" to take the initiative and bring Hiyori Sarugaki, Shinji Hirako, and others into the Ninth Division.

Indeed, thanks to their addition, the Ninth Division was quickly brought back on track, and now it has some prestige among the Gotei 13.

Upon hearing this, Shinji Hirako slapped Hiyori Sarugaki on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Hey, you're about to make it big! Your Kiryu mom is going to promote you to vice-captain!"

The moment those words left her lips, Hiyori Sarugaki flung away Shinji Hirako's hand from her shoulder, then leaped up, expertly removed her slippers, and slapped Shinji across the face, sending him flying as she yelled, "You bald bastard, I've told you a million times, don't call me Radish Head!"

Kensei Rokusha, standing to the side, scratched his head with a helpless expression, clearly used to this kind of thing.

Even the usually serious Genjiro Okiga appeared quite calm.

Overall, the atmosphere in the Ninth Division is quite relaxed, because Bane himself is not a serious person, and this influence gradually spreads from top to bottom.

Fortunately, there's Genjiro Oki to balance things out, otherwise the Ninth Division would be even more outrageous.

After sending Hirako Shinji flying with a slipper, Sarugaki Hiyori composed herself and looked at Okiga Genshiro, asking, "Vice-Captain, does Lord Spirit Lord know about this?"

"Captain Kiryuu of Hikifune naturally extended the invitation to you after communicating with Lord Spirit Lord," Genjiro Okiga nodded.

"What is Lord Spirit's opinion?" Sarugaki Hiyori asked again.

Genjiro Okabe chuckled, then said, "Of course the Spirit Lord doesn't want to, otherwise why would he be angry today and say he wants to go out for a walk?"

Hearing this, Hiyori Sarugaki smiled and scratched her head, saying, "Well, I knew it. After all, that bald guy is usually so irresponsible and carefree, and Kensei is too rigid. Without me, this Ninth Division would have disbanded sooner or later."

At this point, as if just realizing something, she quickly added, "Of course, I didn't mean to look down on you, Vice Captain."

"Haha, don't worry about it." Genjiro Okabe waved his hand, but then his expression turned serious and he said, "But the Spirit Lord also knows that you and Captain Kiryu Hikifune are like mother and daughter, and that your promotion to vice-captain of the Twelfth Division is also a good thing for you. Therefore, although he is reluctant, the Spirit Lord still hopes to fully respect your thoughts and opinions and told me to make sure you consider it carefully and not to have any psychological burden. Even if you eventually choose to serve in the Twelfth Division, he will bless you and thank you for your contributions to the Ninth Division for more than a hundred years."

Kensei Muguruma chimed in, "Yes, in Hiyori, we Gotei 13 are all of one mind. We're colleagues wherever we are, and it's normal for us to transfer between teams. Don't feel burdened. You know how magnanimous Lord Rei-sama is."

It's common for members of the Gotei 13 to be transferred between each other, just like Hiyori Kuchiki, who married into the Kuchiki family right after graduation.

He initially joined the Sixth Division, but seventy years ago, he was transferred to the First Division, where he now serves as the captain of the special forces.

This was actually Kuchiki Ginrei and Yamamoto Genryusai working together to pave the way for him, accumulating better qualifications.

Recently, Kuchiki Ginrin has been preparing to apply for a leave of absence from the team on the grounds of "advanced age," so that Kuchiki Sojun can succeed her as the next captain of the Sixth Division.

Kuchiki Sōjun has always been in poor health, so he definitely needs a strong assistant to help him manage the Sixth Division.

This candidate is undoubtedly Kuchiki Kyouga, who currently serves as the captain of the Special Operations Unit of the First Division.

Once Kuchiki Ginryu steps down as captain and Kuchiki Sojun takes over as captain of the Sixth Division, Kuchiki Hibiki will transfer to the Sixth Division as vice-captain the next day.

If Kuchiki Sōjun accumulates enough experience and is unable to continue serving as the captain of the 6th Division due to health reasons, then Kuchiki Kyouka will essentially be the designated captain of the 6th Division, given that Kuchiki Byakuya has not yet been able to take on the responsibility.

And he has indeed lived up to expectations, now fully mastering Bankai and qualifying as a captain.

"I understand, I'll think about it carefully," Hiyori Sarugaki replied earnestly.

He then looked at Hirako Shinji, who was feigning death to the side, and said, "Baldy, what are you pretending for? We're on a mission, patrolling the Grand Prison!"

"Vice Captain, I'm dizzy and have a fever. It's obvious that this radish-headed guy hit my head. Can I ask for a day off?" Hirako Shinji said, lying on the ground and covering his head.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

However, it was clear that Genjiro Okiga had no intention of paying attention to him. He got up from the futon, turned around, and left the courtyard.

"There's no humanity in them," Hirako Shinji said, standing up helplessly.

Soon, the three left the barracks and headed to the underground entrance of the Central Room 46.

The Ninth Division's barracks are very close to this underground entrance; they were rebuilt right next to it. Just turn left after exiting the building and walk to the top of the wall, and you're there. It's very convenient for commuting.

Routine patrols are quite simple: just go into the first seven floors of the large prison to check the condition of the prisoners, see if there are any oversights, and supervise the guards.

As for the eighth level, the Abyss, that is an area that cannot be entered unless one possesses Bane's warrant.

The three of them had carried out this kind of mission countless times over the past hundred years, and were already very familiar with it.

Once underground, Shinji Hirako casually remarked, "Hiyori, don't hesitate. If the Spirit Lord doesn't agree, you won't even hear this message, will you? His meaning is already quite clear."

"Yes, the Spirit Lord is not the kind of captain who would block his subordinates' path to advancement," Kensei Muguruma said.

"Of course I know, but I'm still a little reluctant to leave, especially since you two are both so unreliable. If I leave, the Ninth Division will fall apart sooner or later because of you two," Hiyori Sarugaki muttered.

As they were saying this, the group happened to pass by the main entrance of the Great Spiritual Book Corridor.

"Looks like Captain Kyoraku skipped work again today," Hirako Shinji said, glancing at the Eighth Division members standing at the entrance to the Great Spirit Book Corridor.

"Yadomaru-senpai must have had a tough time taking care of such an unreliable captain," Hiyori Sarugaki remarked.

Because the 8th and 9th Divisions are now connected by their barracks, they are practically neighbors. In addition, the 8th Division also controls the Great Spirit Book Corridor, which is located one floor above the Great Prison.

So the members on both sides are very familiar with each other and have a very good relationship. Yadomaru Lisa and Hirako Mako and others often go out for drinks after get off work and complain about their own "unreliable" captains.

Without much delay, the three of them quickly arrived at the second basement level, which was the entrance to the underground prison.

Completely different from when Bane first took over this place, at the entrance of the underground prison, fourteen members of the Ninth Division are lined up on the left and right sides, their faces serious and their attitudes earnest, indeed in the posture of guards.

Meanwhile, directly in front of the gate, a Zanpakuto is stuck in the ground!

The dragon pattern and the dragon-mouth hilt are clearly the heart of Bane!

A majestic and ferocious azure dragon materialized and coiled above the gate, completely blocking the prison entrance. Its eyes were closed, and its whiskers trembled slightly with each breath. Its domineering body continuously emanated a chilling spiritual pressure.

This is the pattern of Bane guarding the underground prison: the man may not be there, but the knife is!

Under Hana's patient guidance, Bane successfully "forged" Shindo into his own Zanpakuto and mastered Shikai and Bankai.

Because of his immense spiritual pressure, coupled with the uniqueness of his spiritual release, his Shikai directly achieved the "normal release type," meaning that once he Shikai is released, he can maintain the Shikai state indefinitely unless Bane's spiritual pressure is exhausted or he releases it on his own.

The first manifestation of the Heart Crossing's initial release is the complete transformation into a blue dragon, and the sharing of spiritual pressure with Bane.

It was recorded by the Seireitei as the "strongest Zanpakuto of the biological type".

At the same time, Hana was very happy that Bane, like her, wielded a "biological" Zanpakuto.

After that, Bane was "liberated" from his duty of guarding the Ninth Division. He didn't need to come; he could just stick his sword in there and that would be it. He had his own heart to help him guard the division!

Their souls are one, and they share spiritual pressure. If any problem arises, Bane can summon Shindo to his side instantly at any time. At the same time, Shindo can also summon Bane to bring him over.

"No matter how many times I see it, I still feel that the Azure Dragon is too majestic and domineering, especially its spiritual pressure. I feel like I'll probably never catch up to it in this lifetime," Hirako Shinji remarked.

"That's known as the strongest biological-type Zanpakuto in Soul Society, possessing the might of heaven in wind, water, thunder, and fire. When Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth Division led the Sixth Division to Hueco Mundo to investigate Saito's immortality, he specifically requested this sword from the Spirit Lord to accompany them. It's said that as soon as it was released, it cleared a path through the Great Hollow Forest and killed dozens of Gillian with a single breath of heat," Hiyori Sarugaki said with a tone of admiration and respect.

(End of this chapter)