As his words fell, the meeting room was dead silent.
The captains looked at each other, unable to digest this massive, sudden influx of information for a moment.
Occasionally, someone would glance at Yamamoto sitting at the head seat, but the Head Captain looked as if he was deep in meditation, showing absolutely no intention of responding.
It seemed he had completely handed this matter over to Naraku Sora to handle.
As the Head Captain, he was, after all, the guardian of order. Publicly violating the laws was already the absolute limit of what he could do.
If he were to step forward and support Naraku Sora in overturning the original laws, regardless of what others might think, he wouldn't even be able to get past his own conscience.
Right now, the best approach was to turn a blind eye.
Although doing so carried the suspicion of burying his head in the sand, it was still better than personally stepping out to lead the Hollowfication matter.
Yamamoto's eyes were half-closed as he quietly waited for everyone's opinions.
"Head Captain, I support Prison Warden Naraku's proposal."
Yoruichi was just about to voice her support, but Unohana Retsu next to her beat her to it.
"Although Prison Warden Naraku is not a member of the Gotei 13, everyone has seen what he has done for the Soul Society and the Seireitei over the years."
"If he truly had any malicious intentions, the Soul Society would have ceased to exist long ago."
"Therefore, I choose to believe him."
Looking at Unohana Retsu standing there, Yamamoto felt a bit conflicted.
Back in the day, she was the most unprecedented villain in the Soul Society, a butcher who slaughtered the major Zanjutsu schools almost to the point of extinction.
Although she had transformed into a gentle and peaceful medical captain over the last few centuries, the authority she occasionally displayed still made even the most unruly patients obediently follow her medical advice.
To think that such a dangerous figure would actively stand up for her rebellious disciple on such a major issue.
This kid's charisma seemed to be even stronger than his own as the Head Captain.
Meanwhile, a clear look of surprise appeared on Yoruichi's face.
Her gaze darted back and forth between Unohana Retsu and Naraku Sora. A hint of amusement flashed in her eyes, as if she had guessed a certain possibility.
After thinking for a few seconds, Yoruichi raised her hand to signal:
"Head Captain, I feel the same."
Next, Kyōraku Shunsui, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, sighed helplessly:
"Although Lord Baraggan is a bit extreme in certain matters, I can tell he isn't a radical person, nor does he hold any hostile intentions toward Soul Reapers."
"Based on that alone, I personally believe they can be trusted."
"I support Sora."
Kyōraku Shunsui's reasoning was simple.
How bad could an Arrancar who enjoys reading adult romance novels really be?
Now it was Ukitake Jūshirō's turn to be shocked.
He originally thought Kyōraku Shunsui would be the first to stand up and object, but he didn't expect this guy to fold even faster than he did.
Considering everything Naraku Sora had done for the Soul Society in the past, coupled with the fact that his own new lease on life was entirely thanks to this junior martial brother.
After pondering for a moment, Ukitake also chose to support him.
Now the pressure fell on Kuchiki Ginrei and the others.
A thoughtful look appeared on his aged face as Kuchiki Ginrei subconsciously tapped his fingers.
This was his habitual gesture when thinking.
He naturally trusted Naraku Sora one hundred percent.
But the one thing he was conflicted about was that he was now advanced in age and lacking in stamina; he had long harbored thoughts of retiring from his squad.
Kuchiki Sōjun's talent was decent, but his temperament was slightly lacking, making it difficult for him to bear such a heavy responsibility.
However, his grandson, Kuchiki Byakuya, had now grown up.
The last time they visited the Shino Prison, Naraku Sora specifically had Byakuya demonstrate his Shikai.
It was very good and very powerful.
Now that so much time had passed, even if he hadn't mastered Bankai, he should be very close.
*Hmm...*
*Could this so-called Hollowfication be passed on to Byakuya?*
Just as he was agonizing over this, a man suddenly stepped forward. This person had a resolute expression, and his brows exuded a sense of righteousness unmatched by ordinary people.
"I object!"
Hirako Shinji's eyes lit up.
*Well done, Captain Muguruma, that's exactly how it should be!*
*Severely crush Naraku Sora's arrogance and let this guy know that the Gotei 13 isn't his dictatorship, much less a tool for realizing his ambitions.*
The moment his words fell, several dangerous gazes landed simultaneously on Muguruma Kensei. Even Yamamoto opened his half-closed eyes, looking displeased at the Captain of Squad 9.
Sensing the unfriendly stares from the others, Muguruma Kensei subconsciously swallowed hard and feigned composure as he said:
"I personally believe Lord Naraku harbors no malicious intent, but if I remember correctly..."
"He isn't exactly a scientist, is he?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room instantly fell silent.
Soon, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō and Aikawa Love also voiced their support for Muguruma Kensei's point.
As for the few who didn't express an opinion, they either completely didn't understand or were entirely uninterested in the contents of the meeting.
For instance, Zaraki Kenpachi.
At this moment, he had his arms crossed and was leaning against a nearby stone pillar, drowsy and half-asleep.
Naraku Sora stroked his chin, deep in thought.
*Was this unit of measurement actually questioning his world-shaking intellect?*
*Such a dangerous matter naturally had to undergo multiple tests before it could be presented.*
*Otherwise, if an accident occurred, wouldn't the entire plan collapse?*
*Did they really think he, Sora, was devoid of intelligence?*
"Heh, Captain Muguruma's perspective is still too narrow."
Naraku Sora scoffed coldly. "How could a world-shaking intellect be such an inconvenient thing?"
"Come, Captain Hirako, show them what you can do!"
Hirako Shinji: '?'
*This bastard really wasn't planning on acting like a human being anymore, was he?*
*He was a living, breathing person, not some toy!*
Muguruma Kensei looked curiously at Hirako Shinji. His matching hairstyle with Head Captain Yamamoto made the meeting room seem a lot brighter.
Although he was extremely reluctant, seeing Naraku Sora's gaze grow increasingly dangerous, Hirako Shinji decided to do him a favor.
He reached out and grabbed the air. Countless Reishi gathered in the palm of his hand, condensing into a pale, armor-like mask.
Under everyone's curious gazes, Hirako Shinji slapped the mask onto his face.
In an instant, a tyrannical aura swept through the entire meeting room.
Jagged light radiated outward from his palm in all directions, causing the entire building to let out a groan as if unable to bear the heavy burden.
Cracks formed on the walls and spread toward the corners.
Kirio Hikifune watched the scene before her with great interest.
As a scientist, she knew exactly what the changes in Hirako Shinji meant.
Achieving a perfect balance between Soul Reaper powers and Menos Grande powers was not something an ordinary scientist could accomplish.
It was a pity that she was about to ascend to the Soul King Palace soon.
Otherwise, joining that Naraku research group seemed like it would be a pretty good choice.
Muguruma Kensei's eyes widened as he stared in astonishment at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
What was familiar was that the other party's appearance and posture were exactly the same as he remembered.
What was unfamiliar was that Hirako Shinji's Reiatsu and temperament had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Could Hollowfication really bring about such a massive change for a Soul Reaper?
Did this method of increasing strength truly have no drawbacks?
"Everyone, what do you think?"
Naraku Sora clapped his hands and gestured:
"Captain Hirako sacrificed himself for the greater good, willingly becoming a test subject to provide a near-perfect blueprint for the Hollowfication experiment."
"Now his strength has skyrocketed. He is who knows how many times stronger than before he underwent Hollowfication."
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō frowned and retorted:
"That is merely your side of the story."
"Whether his strength has actually increased can only be determined through actual combat."
Naraku Sora revealed a somewhat eerie smile, looking as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Well said, Captain Ōtoribashi."
"Why don't you be the one to evaluate Captain Hirako's Hollowfication?"
Rōjūrō hesitated for only a second before gladly accepting.
As a captain of the Gotei 13, he had an obligation to uncover the truth for his colleagues.
Furthermore.
Because they often sparred in private, not many people knew Hirako Shinji's strength better than he did.
Most importantly, after all these years of diligent training—
He was no longer the same Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō from back then.
This battle would serve to vindicate his name!
Soon, everyone arrived at the dojo, which had undergone countless reconstructions, much like the Ship of Theseus.
Hirako Shinji and Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō stood a distance apart, locking eyes. Their powerful auras swirled and clashed, stirring up visible currents of air.
Rōjūrō observed Hirako Shinji opposite him and found that, aside from the addition of a mask, there didn't seem to be anything different about him.
Oh right, he almost forgot—his voice had become more magnetic.
"Rōjūrō, be careful."
"Although I don't want to admit it, the current me is terrifyingly strong!"
Hirako Shinji revealed an incredibly chilling smile. Under Rōjūrō's shocked gaze, he erupted with an unimaginably massive amount of Reiatsu, sending a dazzling pillar of light shooting straight into the sky.
Accompanied by the humming sound of vibrating air, his figure instantly vanished from his spot.
The next second, the hideous, pale mask appeared right in front of Rōjūrō. Its jaws parted, and wisps of white steam seeped out from between the teeth.
Materialized light wrapped around his arm, spreading all the way to his Zanpakutō.
Stepping forward, Karatake!
The top-down slash crashed down like a collapsing mountain peak, carrying a bursting gale that suppressed everything in front of it. Faint sonic booms could be heard echoing from the strike.
Rōjūrō's pupils shrank, and his expression changed drastically. He instinctively raised his blade to block and subconsciously erupted with all his Reiatsu to resist.
The moment they collided, visible ripples swept out in all directions.
A terrifying force surged along the blade like an endless, rushing river, instantly crushing Rōjūrō's defense.
Holding on for less than a second, his entire body was blasted away, smashing viciously into the wall.
An uproar broke out in the dojo.
Although Hirako Shinji's strength wasn't the worst even before Hollowfication, his performance had always been unsatisfactory due to his inability to use Bankai.
But now, with just a single strike, he had completely defeated Rōjūrō, a fellow captain.
Was the boost Hollowfication provided to a Soul Reaper actually this terrifying?!
"That didn't count."
Rōjūrō shook his head in frustration. "I wasn't ready yet."
Hearing this, Hirako Shinji grinned:
"No problem. I'll give you plenty of time to prepare this time."
"Also, Kensei, Love, you two come at me together too. It'll save me the time of having you challenge me one by one."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone's breathing had already grown heavy.