3-2 -

We have an emergency!

Investigations by the Stealth Force have revealed that the traitor Kenpachi Azashiro has gone missing from the Muken.

There is no evidence of Sosuke Aizen, or any of the other prisoners, having attempted a prison break. All the members of the Patrol Troop are now searching for Azashiro.

Now, that's a name I haven't heard in forever. He was captured before I became a captain, yeah?

That was when we became Seat Officers, right? When that guy landed himself in the Muken for starting a revolt or something?

I never thought I would hear Kenpachi Azashiro's name again so soon.

(What a mess.)

(Maybe that girl was a bad omen or something.)

(No, it's more than that. She must have something to do with this. That would make more sense.)

I've never heard of the guy. Is he called "Kenpachi" as some sort of sick joke, or is it just a coincidence?

If I recall, the name "Kenpachi" is only passed down once the current one is slain by whoever will become their successor. There cannot be two Kenpachis at the same time.

However, I've heard that there was one exception to this in the eleven-generation history of the Kenpachi name.

Yes, and that exception is Azashiro.

He challenged the 7th Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki, to a duel. He won and assumed the title, but no one has been able to defeat Azashiro himself.

After he committed his terrible crime, he was doomed to rot in the bowels of the Muken.

The Kenpachi name was thus passed down to the lieutenant of Squad 11 at the time, and he became the 9th Kenpachi.

And the 9th Kenpachi was cut down by a fierce warrior from the Rukon District who called himself Kiganjo.

And the one who defeated the extremely powerful Kenpachi Kiganjo was Captain Zaraki, who is our current Kenpachi.

Let me just ask you straight up. Do you think this Azashiro guy is tougher than Zaraki?

I wish I could give you a straight answer. Both former Captain Azashiro and Captain Zaraki are in a class of their own.

Besides, we don't even know the names of either of their Zanpakutos. In fact, we've never even seen Azashiro's blade before.

What? So, you've never seen his Shikai?

No, that's not what I meant. He literally doesn't have a Zanpakuto.

Well, it's more like he does have one, but it was never seen by us, I suppose.

He never once revealed that secret to us. Even when Central 46 tried to investigate, he insisted that he'd already shown it to them.

What? And Central 46 just accepted that?

Yeah. It just goes to show how much you can get away with as the Kenpachi, the strongest Soul Reaper of us all.

I would say that's getting away with a bit too much.

Anyway, my point is that a Kenpachi has special privileges within the Seireitei.

Now that I think about it, maybe that's why Azashiro wanted to become a Kenpachi.