Chapter 1: Project S: Ambassador Seaweed's Challenge

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your interest in joining Team Seaweed.

The time has come for your auditions to begin.

What the hell is this?

Can't you be more polite, idiot! We are the ones auditioning, after all.

I never said I wanted anything to do with this.

To begin with, I will have you all take on the super-hot seaweed soup challenge!

I refuse.

Give it up, Ichigo. The only way we are going to make it back alive is if we get through this audition.

If you don't take part, you...die?!? No one said anything about that!

Quit complaining! It's your fault for sleeping like a log all this time and not paying attention.

I thought I was at asleep at home but now I'm in the Soul Society! I have a right to complain!

Ichigo Kurosaki, let's seaweed what you can do.

Tell me what is going on here first.

Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, you both fail.

What is wrong with you two? You are so disappointing.

Trying to drink piping-hot soup while wearing a haori coat... It's like some kind of cheap variety entertainment TV show. What is the point of all this?

It is part of my master plan. In ways like this, Team Seaweed will show what it is made of on the new field of battle in the world of the living.

"Ambassador Seaweed's Vlogger Debut Master Plan"?! What the hell is that?

Don't you know what a vlogger is? It's one of the most popular jobs among young people these days.

I have heard that in the world of the living, vloggers take on new bodies in order to spread all kinds of information and vie for supremacy on the world stage.

In order to enter this fight, I have prepared a fake body and am using my seaweed catchphrase to differentiate myself from the competition, seaweed.

I also heard that you need to demonstrate various skills and gain followers to support you if you want to seaweed victory.

Team Seaweed on its own lacks the necessary resources, so I decided I need to recruit some suitable candidates to join us. Hence the auditions.

You shouldn't believe everything that Rukia tells you about the world of the living...

Well, I failed, so I'll be going. Good luck, you guys.

Wait! The audition isn't over yet, seaweed!

Why not?! You're the one who said I failed.

Seaweed sparring audition failed!

*Pant* ... *Pant* ... That was just a fistfight.

But why didn't my attacks have any effect? Isn't that fake body some kind of Gigai?

That Ambassador Seaweed is a 3D hologram made with the help of the Department of Research & Development.

A 3D hologram?! Then who's controlling it and doing the talking?

Haven't you realized that Ambassador Seaweed is talking with Byakuya's voice?

Byakuya is controlling Ambassador Seaweed's movements and providing the voice over from another room.

What...the...

So, you mean that all this time this "Ambassador Seaweed" has just been Byakuya?!

Now we understand what you are capable of.

I was advised that enlisting the help of the Substitute Soul Reaper stationed in the world of the living would be useful for accomplishing my plans. That is why I invited you here.

However, I did not foresee my Ambassador Seaweed handing you such a crushing defeat.

There is no way I would want to win against something like that.

Shall I tell you the difference between you and Ambassador Seaweed?

It's class!

Shut up! And you forgot your catchphrase.