Bleach: Drinking Makes You Stronger

However, before Kenpachi Onigoroshi could make a move, Bai Ye's figure vanished in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Ye appeared right in front of him!

The restrained spiritual pressure around Bai Ye suddenly erupted, surging like a tidal wave. Its intensity was no less than Kenpachi Onigoroshi's, and perhaps even heavier and more overwhelming.

A single fist drew closer to Kenpachi's face.

"Not good!"

Kenpachi Onigoroshi's heart tightened as he instinctively dashed to the side, attempting to evade the strike. He hadn't expected the usually laid-back Bai Ye to launch such an abrupt and explosive attack!

But Bai Ye was simply too fast!

His proficiency in hand-to-hand combat and shunpo had both reached the limits of a captain-level Soul Reaper.

Even more, after unlocking the Void Step God, Bai Ye's movements became so refined that even an ordinary shunpo gained an unprecedented burst in speed.

"Bang!"

A dull, resounding blow echoed as Bai Ye's fist landed squarely on Kenpachi Onigoroshi's face.

The sheer speed of the punch created a piercing whistle as it cut through the air. The force of the strike sent Kenpachi flying backward, bones cracking audibly under the impact.

Kenpachi Onigoroshi's body hurtled over a hundred meters through the air before crashing into a building, creating a massive, human-shaped hole in the wall.

It was only then that the onlookers began to process what had just happened.

The previously lively and noisy crowd fell into a stunned silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Bai Ye, their gazes filled with a mix of awe and fear at his overwhelming power.

The entire sequence had happened in a flash. Many didn't even see what had occurred clearly before Kenpachi Onigoroshi was sent flying with a single punch.

No one had expected this outcome.

Bai Ye, whom many had underestimated, had unleashed such terrifying strength.

Members of the Eleventh Division, in particular, were dumbfounded.

Their captain, whom they had revered like a god, had been so effortlessly bested by Bai Ye.

It was almost unbelievable.

After all, this was "Kenpachi"!

In the distance, perched atop a tree, Kyōraku Shunsui and Hirako Shinji both gazed intently at Bai Ye.

As captain-level Soul Reapers, they could tell that Bai Ye had used no flashy tricks. His raw speed and strength alone had been enough to overwhelm Kenpachi Onigoroshi.

Both his hand-to-hand combat and shunpo were undoubtedly at a captain's level, perhaps even exceptional among captains.

"Truly terrifying," Hirako Shinji muttered, exhaling deeply.

Even though Shinji had little respect for Kenpachi Onigoroshi, the man was still a captain-level combatant and the current Kenpachi, the face of the Gotei 13. Yet he had been so effortlessly crushed by Bai Ye...

Behind them, Sōsuke Aizen, wearing his signature square glasses, also turned his attention to Bai Ye. A slight, intrigued smile played on his lips.

In the wreckage of the building, a bloodied Kenpachi Onigoroshi struggled to his feet, his face a grotesque mess of blood and exposed bone.

He pushed aside the rubble weighing him down, breathing heavily as his cheeks throbbed with searing pain.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Bai Ye, glaring with a mixture of fury and disbelief.

One hit.

Just one hit.

He hadn't even been able to block it...

At this point, Kenpachi Onigoroshi abandoned all traces of arrogance. He now regarded Bai Ye as a true adversary.

"You… you're good. Worthy of seeing my Bankai."

"To force the current Kenpachi to this point—it's an honor you should cherish."

Kenpachi Onigoroshi's voice was cold and menacing.

However.

Bai Ye merely shook his head lightly, looking at Kenpachi with an expression of utter disdain, as though he were a mere clown.

"A title gained by pure luck… and you think you've earned the strength to back it up?"

"..." Kenpachi Onigoroshi's words caught in his throat, but his eyes burned even colder.

The word "luck" was his greatest shame—a reverse scale that no one dared to touch.

After Kenpachi Michibane had been imprisoned in Muken, the title of Kenpachi had fallen to his vice-captain, Gojo Kenpachi.

At the time, Gojo had only possessed vice-captain-level strength.

Kenpachi Onigoroshi, a captain-level Soul Reaper, had naturally challenged and defeated Gojo with ease, claiming the title of Kenpachi for himself.

It had been opportunistic, to say the least.

Throughout his tenure as Kenpachi, no one had ever dared bring it up. But now Bai Ye had exposed this humiliating truth in the most brutal way possible.

It was a direct and merciless jab at Kenpachi Onigoroshi's pride.

"You've done well."

Kenpachi Onigoroshi's bloodied face twisted into a sinister grin, muscles trembling with barely contained rage.

"But youthful arrogance must be tempered. Let me show you the price of your insolence!"

With that, Kenpachi Onigoroshi's thick arms bulged, veins pulsating violently. With a sharp **"clang"**, he unsheathed his Zanpakutō. A surge of overwhelming spiritual pressure erupted, spreading wildly in all directions!

The blade in his hand shimmered under the sunlight, writhing as though undergoing a horrifying transformation. The sheer weight of the spiritual energy emanating from it caused the very air to distort.

Kenpachi's icy gaze locked onto Bai Ye as his lips parted to whisper,

**"Bankai: Unbreakable Iron Fangs!"**

**"Boom!"**

The long blade in his hand morphed into an enormous weapon, towering over him at nearly twice his height. Its edge bristled with jagged, sinister fangs that radiated an icy chill.

The weapon resembled a colossal spiked mace, its very presence exuding an aura of indestructibility and devastation.

Even the faintest swing of the weapon sent shockwaves rippling through the air, accompanied by deafening sonic booms.

The sheer pressure of Kenpachi Onigoroshi's Bankai was suffocating, carrying a weight that spoke of unparalleled destructive power.

---

At that moment.

The onlookers held their breath, watching as Kenpachi Onigoroshi unleashed his Bankai in front of everyone.

The members of the Eleventh Division, trembling where they stood, were the most shocked of all.

They knew better than anyone just how terrifying their captain was, even without his Bankai. He could suppress the entirety of the Eleventh Division with ease.

Now, with his Bankai unleashed, Kenpachi Onigoroshi resembled a primordial beast, exuding a barbaric and unmatched oppressive aura.

This was the power of a captain's Bankai!

---

"Kenpachi's Bankai…"

The whispers among the crowd grew louder as the spectacle unfolded.

For many, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. It wasn't often that they had the opportunity to witness a captain's true power in action.

"This is bad for Bai Ye. Bankai provides an explosive increase in strength. A Shikai might raise spiritual pressure by five to ten times, but a Bankai does so again by an additional five to ten times."

"Even though Bai Ye's Shikai is impressive, comparable to some Bankai, the difference in spiritual pressure is an undeniable gap."

The crowd shook their heads, sympathy and doubt clouding their expressions.

In the world of Soul Reapers, battles were fundamentally determined by spiritual pressure.

No matter how extraordinary Bai Ye's Shikai was, or how skilled he might be, the disparity in spiritual pressure between the two was a chasm that skill alone could not bridge.

To them, it seemed inevitable—Bai Ye was destined to fall against Kenpachi Onigoroshi's overwhelming might.