"Hahaha, since we've been discovered, we won't wait anymore!" Roger stood up and said to Kirito, "This guy is yours. Setsuna Takemaru, Shanks, Kurome, let's go and ambush the procession now."

"Okay."

"No problem."

Kurome drew the Zanpakutō from her waist and released its ability.

Instantly, the ground beneath Kurome's feet bulged, and a giant Adjuchas-level Hollow over ten meters tall emerged from the earth, with Kurome standing on top of it.

"An Adjuchas-level Hollow?"

Sensing the reiatsu of the giant Hollow beneath Kurome's feet, Kensei's heart skipped a beat.

As a captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, he knew that above Gillians, there were two higher levels of Hollows.

The strength of an Adjuchas-level Hollow was enough to rival a captain. Vasto Lorde Hollows were existences surpassing even captain-level. This was Kensei's first time encountering an Adjuchas-level Hollow.

"Setsuna Takemaru, get on quickly."

Upon hearing Kurome's words, the general-like Setsuna Takemaru immediately jumped onto the Adjuchas Hollow.

Then, Kurome controlled the giant Hollow to follow Roger and Shanks, heading towards the procession escorting the King's Seal.

"Don't think you can escape!"

Seeing the four swiftly leaving towards the rear, how could Kensei not realize these unknown enemies were targeting the King's Seal? Kensei drew his Zanpakutō from his waist, ready to stop them. But in the next moment, a black-clothed youth stood in his way.

"Sorry, Captain, but I'm your opponent."

"Kid, get out of the way if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, I won't go easy on you." Although Kensei said this, his wariness was already at its peak.

"Blow it away, Tachikaze!"

Dense reiatsu erupted around Kensei, and the Zanpakutō in his hand transformed into a dagger.

Rings of whirlwind surrounded the dagger.

Swish!

With a wave of his dagger, Kensei unleashed the violent whirlwinds around it as blade gusts towards Kirito.

Facing Kensei's attack, Kirito drew his true form, Yozora, from his back.

"Meteor Impact!"

Blue sword skill light shone from Kirito, allowing Yozora to strike like a meteor and disperse Kensei's blade gusts.

White light suddenly burst from Kensei's dagger, with a massive amount of reiatsu condensing into countless tiny blade gusts spinning rapidly within the white light sphere. Then, Kensei fired this compressed wind bomb towards Kirito.

"Bomb Rush!"

"Whirling Shield!"

Boom!

Kensei's wind bomb and Kirito’s whirling shield collided, causing a violent explosion. Countless blade gusts scattered, shredding everything around Kirito.

Clang!

Breaking through the aftershock of the wind bomb's explosion, Kirito’s longsword clashed with Kensei's Tachikaze for the first time.

Clang clang clang clang clang—

"So strong!"

After a series of exchanges, Kensei and Kirito both acknowledged each other's strength.

Kirito’s swordsmanship was exquisite, with an attack speed much faster than Kensei's.

Although Kensei's Zanpakutō Tachikaze could manipulate surrounding whirlwinds to assist him, he wasn't at a disadvantage in the battle.

But now Kensei needed to defeat Kirito quickly and then go assist Captain Ailin. Because the four who just left seemed to be no weaker than this guy.

Thinking this, Kensei forced Kirito back with a sword strike and said solemnly, "Sorry about this. I don't have more time to play with you. Next, I'll have to show my true power!"

"Bankai—Tekken Tachikaze!"

Boom!

Kensei's reiatsu erupted, and his Zanpakutō transformed into jagged knives held in each hand, with his arms bound by treads connected to armor on his back.

"I'll defeat you in the shortest time possible!"

"Ah, I was just about to say the same thing. I'll defeat you in the shortest time possible, then go help those three complete their battle against XXX."

Kirito extended his hand and drew Dark Repulser from his back, taking an attacking stance.

"Starburst—Air Slash!"

***

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"Tsk, what a difficult pace for those palanquin bearers."

Because the procession was moving too slowly, Ailin almost fell asleep out of boredom. He cast Bokudo No.26: Kyokko to conceal his form, then brazenly sat atop the palanquin to rest, adding to the bearers' burden.

After sending Roger's group to Hueco Mundo, Ailin lost contact with them. Now, the only way Ailin could control Roger, Shanks, and the others was by forcibly recalling them into the Unlimited Blade Works.

However, Ailin could guess that Roger's group would strike during the first half of the escort route.

At the current pace, it might take several more days to encounter them. He might as well rest well during these few days. After all, even if it was just an act, he had to display proper strength.

Moreover, Setsuna Takemaru and Kurome were fine, but Roger and Shanks had always wanted to battle him.

After all, Ailin had bestowed them with the memories of their original selves—Roger as the Pirate King and Shanks as the Pirate Emperor, beings unwilling to submit to anyone.

Ailin even suspected that apart from wanting to leave behind a legendary tale like their original selves, their main reason for accepting this mission was to seize this opportunity to battle him.

Well, having been idle for so long, apart from the battle against Zaraki years ago where he got to enjoy himself a little, Ailin felt like he was starting to rust. It was just unknown how long Roger, Shanks, and Kurome could hold him off.

Crackle crackle crackle crackle...

Just as Ailin was wondering how much strength he should use in a few days, he heard sounds like countless bones colliding.

"Hm?"

Ailin opened his eyes and instantly saw a sea of skeletons before him.

"Is this Setsuna Takemaru's ability? How did they get here so quickly?"

Although surprised, Ailin still fulfilled his duty as a captain protecting the escort. Heimmediately dispelled Kyokko and shouted loudly, "Enemy attack, be on guard!"

"Vice-Captain Kuna Mashiro, you're in charge here. I'll go kill the enemies."

"Yes, Captain Ailin."

"Then I'll leave it to you.!"

After receiving Kuna Mashiro’s response, Ailin stepped into the air, instantly appearing before the procession and drawing his Zanpakutō.

Swish!

With a simple horizontal slash, Ailin unleashed a sword strike. The hundred-meter-wide strike directly bisected the skeletons in front. This single strike annihilated thousands of skeletons within hundreds of meters ahead. But the gaps were quickly filled by countless more skeletons.

Just as Ailin was about to unleash another strike, a powerful black-red sword strike suddenly assailed him.

Everywhere this strike passed, surrounding skeletons were instantly shattered, even the air was torn apart.

This was the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's strongest technique, a strike imbued with Haoshoku Haki—the Divine Avoidance.

"Bokudo No.81—Danku!"

Ailin rapidly chanted, and a translucent yellow barrier over ten meters tall appeared before him.

Boom!

The black-red lightning strike slammed against Ailin's Solid Barrier, erupting with a tremendous roar as shockwaves expanded, shattering the surrounding skeletons into dust.

Crack”

After withstanding this strike for a second, cracks began appearing on the Solid Barrier's surface.

Imbued with Haoshoku Haki, this attack possessed the property of "ignoring defenses", easily shattering the Solid Barrier that could block number 89 Binding Spells and below.

In other words, Roger's "Divine Avoidance" possessed power comparable to number 90 and above Binding Spells.

The next instant—

Boom!

After shattering Ailin's Solid Barrier, the strike continued forward, eventually smashing into a small mountain in the distance.

Rumble!

A tremendous explosion kicked up a mushroom cloud nearly a hundred meters high, with black-red lightning raging within.

Once the explosion's aftershock dissipated, that small mountain from before had completely vanished.

"So terrifying."

The Shinigami of the 9th Division beside the procession trembled in fear. Even the energetic Kuna Mashiro was drenched in sweat.

Since Ailin's attack was blocked, the sea of skeletons had now approached the procession.

"Don't be afraid, the strongest enemy has been stopped by Captain Ailin. We must stop the remaining enemies and not disappoint Captains Kensei and Ailin's expectations."

"Everyone, are you really afraid of these weak skeletons?"

Near the palanquin, while using her superb Hakuda to smash the surrounding skeletons, Kuna Mashiro encouraged her division members.

After attempting to battle the skeletons, the 9th Division Shinigami quickly regained their confidence.

The Shinigami brought by Kensei to escort the King's Seal were at least seated officers of the 9th Division who had achieved the first release of their Zanpakutō.

Though initially terrified by the battle between Captain Ailin and the powerful enemies, if their opponents were just skeletons, they wouldn't fear a million of them! Thus, these Shinigami valiantly fought, as if trying to make up for their earlier cowardice with bravery now.

Two more "Divine Avoidance" strikes came at Ailin, who released white reiatsu and channeled it into his longsword before slashing down.

Boom!

The blue sword strike collided and intertwined with the two black-red lightning strikes, then violently exploded.

This area seemed to turn blue and black-red, with Ailin's side blue and his opponents' black-red.

Swish!

Swish!

The sword strikes failed to achieve their intended effects, so Roger and Shanks, taking on their original appearances, swiftly approached Ailin.

Clang!

Boom!

Ailin's sword unleashed a powerful shockwave before even clashing with Roger's blade. Streaks of black-red lightning erupted between Ailin and Roger's Zanpakutō.

Their sword strikes stalemated, unable to overpower each other, with the aftershock ultimately erupting skyward and detonating in the clouds, shattering them into raindrops.

While Ailin and Roger clashed, Shanks had neared Ailin, his Zanpakutō shining with black-red lightning as he slashed down.

Facing Shanks' attack, Ailin extended his left hand, dense lightning condensing in his palm.

"Bokudo No. 88— Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!"

Boom!

A lightning blast over a meter thick tore through the sky, straight towards Shanks.

Shanks swung his longsword, the Haoshoku Haki-imbued strike colliding head-on with Ailin's casually cast number 88 Binding Spell.

Rumble!

Amidst the lightning, Shanks held his Zanpakutō as the immense power of "Kami" to split Ailin's lightning blast in two before shattering it.

Although his footing was like standing in mud, Shanks stubbornly advanced step-by-step, cutting through the Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Lightning Cannon to approach Ailin.

Boom!

Ailin's reiatsu erupted, forcing Roger back, then he flash-stepped away before Shanks could fully sever his lightning blast.

Boom!

Shanks' sword strike shattered the remaining lightning after Ailin retreated, smashing into the ground and cratering it over ten meters deep, with the shattered earth and rocks blown into the air before being pulverized by the "Godly Avoidance" aftershock.

Staring grimly at Roger and Shanks, Ailin's expression was solemn. As expected of the Pirate King and Pirate Emperor.

Although their swordsmanship might be inferior to Ailin's, with the addition of the Three Colors of Haki, they weren't without a chance against him.

Swish!

This space then became a terrifying forbidden zone. Each clash of blades unleashed immense shockwaves. The sky and earth were shattered, a scene of the apocalypse.

On the other side, thanks to the 9th Division's efforts, although numerous, the skeletons couldn't break through to the palanquin.

As they fought off the surrounding skeletal Hollows, the Shinigami couldn't help glancing towards Ailin's battle.

From tens of miles away, they could feel the terrifying reiatsu and thunderous rumbles transmitted over.

These Shinigami, including Kuna Mashiro, had never witnessed such an intense battle before. The strongest person they had seen should be their captain, Kensei.

But even Vice Catain Kuna Mashiro, who was closest to Kensei, began doubting if he was really a captain now.

However, recalling that Ailin was the “Knepachi” with the title of "Strongest Shinigami", Kuna Mashiro felt his title was well-deserved.

At the very least, she believed that idiot captain of hers wouldn't last three seconds in such a battle.