"Today, before all of you…"
"Since I personally proposed it, Bai Chen will be promoted directly to Captain of Squad Nine without any additional examinations, filling the vacancy left behind by the death of the traitor Tōsen Kaname!"
"Does anyone here have any other thoughts or objections?"
The Head Captain tapped his staff lightly and made the announcement in a low, resonant voice, emphasizing every word.
Although the Captains had already been informed of this matter beforehand, the moment those words were spoken, the meeting hall still stirred with commotion.
The reactions among the Captains varied, and low discussions quickly spread through the room.
"I never thought I'd see the day! How long has it even been? Not even a year, right?"
"Bai Chen actually skipped straight from a brand-new student to a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen!"
"This kind of promotion speed… in such a short time, his status has undergone an earth-shaking transformation!"
"Bai Chen has broken history once again! He's created another miracle that no one will ever be able to surpass!"
Kyōraku Shunsui could not help sighing in amazement.
In his memory, even Ichimaru Gin, who had once been acknowledged as the greatest prodigy before Bai Chen appeared, had not risen this quickly.
Gin had become the Third Seat of Squad Five the moment he joined the Gotei Thirteen.
Even so, it had still taken him decades to climb from lieutenant to Captain of Squad Three.
And Gin had been the undisputed number one genius of his era, with talent and power beyond question.
With someone like Gin as the comparison, Bai Chen's rise only seemed more outrageous.
After becoming Captain of Squad Nine, Bai Chen's status would soar even higher.
From now on, he would be able to attend Captains' Meetings and would officially become one of the core pillars of the Gotei Thirteen.
He would be respected and admired by countless seated officers and ordinary Shinigami alike.
At that moment, the most impatient man in the room, Zaraki Kenpachi, spoke up bluntly.
"Objections? What objections could there be?"
"Bai Chen already explained it to me before. There are three ways to become a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen."
"And the first two apparently require Bankai."
At that point, Kenpachi curled his lips and slung the chipped blade of Nozarashi over his shoulder.
Then he deliberately swept his gaze across the room, passing over the faces of every Captain present except the Head Captain.
Finally, in a rude, overbearing tone, he said:
"If any of you aren't convinced, then go challenge him yourselves. In a one-on-one fight, I don't think there's a single one of you here who can beat him."
As someone who had once been defeated by Bai Chen, Kenpachi had long since experienced Bai Chen's strength firsthand back in Zaraki District.
So even though he knew those words would offend people—
even though he knew they would make the other Captains lose face—
Kenpachi did not care in the slightest.
That was simply his nature: direct, savage, and unfiltered.
In his eyes, the most important thing right now was to hurry up and prepare Bai Chen's Captain's haori, then conduct the formal inauguration ceremony as soon as possible.
That, to Kenpachi, was the highest respect one could show a true powerhouse.
Once Kenpachi finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.
Including Aizen, every Captain present looked rather displeased.
But Bai Chen's achievements and strength were simply too overwhelming.
So although the reactions were ugly for a moment, no one actually voiced any opposition.
And just like that, the matter was settled by special exception.
"Bai Chen…"
"I assume you already know that every newly appointed Captain has the right to choose their own vice-captain."
"You may promote a seated officer from within your own squad, or select someone you favor from any of the other twelve divisions."
"Once you have made your choice, the formal inauguration ceremony will be held."
When the Head Captain looked at Bai Chen again, his eyes were filled with approval and recognition.
It was almost as though he were looking at a personally chosen future successor.
Yet in response to that reminder, Bai Chen unexpectedly asked:
"The candidate… is only limited to seated officers?"
"What about ordinary squad members? Or even students from the Shin'ō Academy who haven't officially joined the Gotei Thirteen yet?"
"Are they not allowed as well?"
The moment Bai Chen asked that question, another uproar erupted.
Especially when the words "Shin'ō Academy student" were mentioned, many of the Captains wondered if they had misheard him.
"What?"
"Is Bai Chen serious? Is he actually planning to choose someone who isn't even a Shinigami yet to become the vice-captain of Squad Nine?"
"That's way too ridiculous!"
Of course, because Captains had the direct authority to appoint their vice-captains, and because that relationship was fundamentally a two-way choice, outsiders theoretically had no right to interfere as long as both sides agreed, even if the decision caused controversy.
So if Bai Chen truly wanted to ignore all convention—
if he really meant to skip over all current seated officers and instead choose a rookie student from the Academy to become his vice-captain—
then no one had the authority to stop him.
Not even the Head Captain.
At that point, the only people who would suffer would be the members of Squad Nine.
"So, Bai Chen…" the Head Captain asked with a slight furrow in his brow. "Are you saying you already have someone in mind?"
Bai Chen nodded without hesitation.
Then he turned slightly and stepped toward the line on the left, shifting his gaze onto the noble young man standing there—
Byakuya Kuchiki.
"As I said just now…"
"The person I want to choose is not currently a Shinigami. She is a fellow rookie student from my own generation."
"Even if this decision sounds absurd, it is not a spur-of-the-moment whim."
"The name of this rookie student is…"
"Rukia."
The instant Bai Chen's voice rang out clearly through the hall—
Byakuya Kuchiki, whom Bai Chen had just glanced at moments earlier, suddenly changed expression.
That cold, elegant, ice-like face of his shifted violently at once.
At this point in time, Byakuya had not yet officially carried out his late wife Hisana's dying wish by bringing Rukia into the Kuchiki Clan.
But it was obvious—
he had already been secretly watching over her for quite some time.
So Bai Chen's sudden decision caught him completely off guard.
His first instinct was to object immediately.
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