One Piece: The Living Devil

"Captain Kyoraku, the reason you can't understand it is because you were deceived by his acting. Or rather, because your perspective is still stuck at the level of a Shinigami captain."

Urahara Kisuke opened his folding fan, half-covering his face. His tone became somewhat deep and shadowed.

"The bad taste Rosse shows, that arrogance, those little tricks of manipulating people's hearts, they really are part of his personality. But that's only the surface. They're just entertainment he uses to pass the time during a long layout."

"Whether it's Rosse, the Hollow King, the Quincy King Yhwach, or Aizen…"

"Existences like them who stand at the very top, no matter what methods they use, no matter what race they belong to, what they ultimately desire is actually the same destination reached by different roads."

The folding fan in Urahara's hand snapped shut and pointed toward the distant, intangible sky.

"That position."

"That empty seat above the throne in the sky."

"The reason Rosse wants to purge Soul Society isn't to rule over the Shinigami. It's to clear away the final obstacle on the path to the Soul King Palace. He wants to sweep away everything blocking his path there."

"And coincidentally…"

A slight curve appeared at the corner of Urahara Kisuke's mouth.

"That Quincy emperor who has slept for a thousand years, his ultimate goal is also to kill the Soul King and ascend the throne in the sky."

"This is a zero-sum game about becoming a god."

"On this chessboard, there can only be one winner. Rosse doesn't want Yhwach to wake up and interfere, and Yhwach will never allow Rosse to reach the top first."

"The enemy of your enemy is a temporary ally."

"For those Quincies, the one occupying Soul Society now and preparing to move against the Soul King, Rosse, is a far greater threat than us defeated remnants."

"So…"

Urahara Kisuke looked at everyone, his gaze firm.

"As long as we can prove that Rosse's threat has reached an uncontrollable level, even that arrogant Quincy King will choose to cooperate with us first and kill this biggest monster."

["So the target is actually the Soul King?"]

When that name, which only existed in myths and legends, was spoken aloud, even the most carefree Hirako Shinji involuntarily stopped breathing for a moment.

The air seemed to freeze.

But soon that shock was replaced by a chilling realization.

Of course. That man already possessed both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.

So aside from the Soul King Palace hanging high in the sky, aside from the throne of the creator, there was indeed nothing else left worth plotting for.

"With Rosse's unrestrained personality, that actually makes sense."

Kyoraku let out a complicated sigh. There was even a trace of absurd agreement in his eyes.

"To be honest, putting his character aside, Soul Society really has undergone earth-shaking changes under his leadership these past few years. If he had even a little conscience, letting him become that god might actually be a good thing for this rotten world."

That was the truth.

Rosse had ability, strategy, and boldness.

Compared to the conservative nobles and Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he really did seem more like a true ruler.

But the problem was… with Rosse's terrible personality, he probably wouldn't treat ordinary Shinigami like people at all.

["Kyoraku, don't be so naive."]

Hirako Shinji narrowed his eyes slightly on the screen, his voice cold.

["Placing your hopes on a demon suddenly growing a conscience is the fastest way to die miserably. Someone who can cooperate with a guy like Aizen, do you really think he'd show mercy to people like us?"]

"In fact, the situation is probably far more terrifying than just a simple coup."

Urahara Kisuke lowered the brim of his hat, his voice becoming low and hoarse.

Since he had already said this much, he didn't mind saying a little more.

"As you all know, the Soul King is not a king in the normal sense."

"He is the foundation that stabilizes the three realms and maintains the cycle of life and death. Or rather, he's a wedge that had its limbs cut off and its organs removed in order to maintain the balance of the world."

"Whether it's Rosse or Yhwach."

The folding fan in Urahara's hand snapped shut again, pointing into empty space.

"They will never be satisfied with being nothing more than puppet-like guardians. What they seek is the ultimate realm known as omniscience and omnipotence."

"And if they want to take that final step, if they want to truly evolve into a creator, there is only one way."

"That is to devour the Soul King."

"To swallow that wedge that maintains the world whole, skin and bone together, and completely transform that divine power used to maintain balance into their own private possession."

When Urahara Kisuke finished speaking, the basement fell into a deathlike silence.

Everyone understood what that meant.

Once the Soul King was devoured, the balance of the three realms would inevitably collapse.

At that point, whether Rosse or Yhwach won, would they choose to use that power to maintain the old world?

Or simply destroy everything and casually create a new world that belonged only to them?

That decision would depend entirely on a single thought of theirs.

And no matter which choice they made, in that world ruled by a new god, there would absolutely be no place for people like them.

"So…"

Kyoraku took a deep breath and looked at Urahara Kisuke seriously.

"Your plan is for us to actively go find that Quincy emperor and cooperate with him? Use them to exhaust the seemingly stronger Rosse, then look for a chance to contact Squad Zero, and finally stab Yhwach in the back?"

This was a gamble walking on a tightrope. If they lost, it would be eternal damnation.

"That's right. So first we have to find a way to contact Yhwach, and then reach a cooperation agreement with them."

Urahara Kisuke nodded slightly.

"Very impressive reasoning. I accept your proposal for cooperation."

At that moment, a majestic male voice filled with authority, as if carrying its own echo, suddenly exploded inside the sealed basement without any warning.

"Who?"

Everyone was shocked. They immediately took fighting stances and locked their gazes toward the source of the voice.

"N–not me! I didn't say anything!!"

Being stared at by more than a dozen pairs of eyes like sharp swords, Ishida Uryu's face turned pale as he stumbled backward in panic.

The voice had indeed come from his direction, but he swore it definitely wasn't his!

Rip!

Like ink dripping into clear water. Right before everyone's eyes, the shadow beneath Ishida Uryu's feet suddenly began to wriggle, boil, and stretch like a living thing.

Then a mass of pitch-black reishi rose up from the shadow, quickly forming the outline of a human figure with only the upper body.

It was the image of a middle-aged man with thick facial hair and long hair draped over his shoulders.

Even though it was only a vague shadow projection, the terrifying pressure of someone looking down on all living beings like an emperor still made everyone's hearts sink.

"Yhwach?"

Urahara Kisuke's pupils shrank sharply. The folding fan in his hand instantly turned into Benihime, and every muscle in his body tensed to the extreme.

This was completely beyond his expectations.

He had only intended to lure out the big fish Ishida Ryuken.

He never imagined he would attract a deep-sea whale instead.

'This monster from a thousand years ago is actually fully awake?'

'And he can project himself directly through the connection of bloodline onto Ishida Uryu?'

"That's correct."

The shadow nodded slightly. Those crimson eyes, though only projections, seemed to pierce through the screen and space itself, looking directly at everyone present.

"As expected of the man with the most methods in this world, Urahara Kisuke."

Yhwach's voice carried undisguised admiration and recruitment.

"Your intelligence is impressive. Rather than struggling in this old world destined for destruction, why not serve under me instead? In the new world I will create, I can leave you a seat."

"Haha! I'm honored by your appreciation."

Even though cold sweat covered his back, Urahara Kisuke still laughed lightly, his tone slippery.

"But matters like that should probably wait until you really become the only one left. Right now, you don't seem entirely safe yourself."

"Heh!"

Yhwach chuckled softly, the sound filled with contempt for mortal intelligence.

"I will not fail. Because the future lies within my eyes."

He didn't dwell on Urahara's refusal. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Kyoraku and the others, his tone becoming cold.

"I have watched your performance in Soul Society. Though you have some small cleverness, it must be said that with your pitiful strength and intelligence, you truly are no match for that man."

"Rosse…"

Kyoraku didn't deny it. They had truly fought with everything they had, but in the end they hadn't even been able to touch Rosse, let alone defeat him.

Gritting his teeth, he took the opportunity to ask.

"What exactly is that guy Rosse? A Hollow? A Shinigami? Or the incarnation of some part of the Soul King?"

Since the main figure had appeared, they might as well speak openly.

The fact that Yhwach had exposed himself to seek cooperation meant Rosse was putting far more pressure on him than anyone had imagined.

"Rosse…"

When that name was mentioned, a rare trace of gloom and wariness appeared in Yhwach's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through the future.

"He is a man without a past."

"In every timeline my omniscient eyes can see, in the long history of the three realms, there is no trace of him."

"He is like a ghost that suddenly jumped out of nothingness, descending into this world without warning, and forcibly rewriting all destiny in an unreasonable way."

["So… even you can't see through his background?"]

Hirako Shinji couldn't help interrupting.

'After boasting so much about himself, he still doesn't know anything?'

He really didn't think Yhwach was that capable.

'If he truly has ability, why cooperate with us?'

'If he truly has ability, how did he lose to Captain-Commander Yamamoto a thousand years ago?'

"Yes," Yhwach actually admitted it directly, his voice rumbling like thunder, "But the only thing I can be certain of is that he holds no goodwill toward this world."

The moment those words were spoken, the room fell silent.

Though no one said it out loud, everyone complained inwardly.

'Isn't that obvious?'

'As if you have any goodwill toward this world yourself.'

This was clearly just two tyrants fighting over the same toy.

One grabbing it openly, the other trying to seize it secretly.

And they, the original inhabitants, were nothing more than ants trembling between them.

But the sad truth was that compared to Rosse, unpredictable and already standing above their heads, the Yhwach before them, who could at least communicate and who also urgently wanted Rosse dead, had become their only lifeline.

Under the suffocating shadow cast by Rosse, they had no choice.

———

That night, the Ishida residence—

"Why are you back so late today?"

At the dining table, Ishida Ryuken sat upright before a table filled with dishes prepared by the housekeeper.

The housekeeper had already left after cooking, so the entire Ishida house now contained only the father and son.

"I ran into some things."

Ishida Uryu replied absentmindedly. Even while changing his shoes, he glanced at Ishida Ryuken sitting at the table at least five or six times.

It was hard to imagine that his father, who looked like nothing more than a businessman, was spoken of so highly by those Shinigami.

In Ishida Uryu's memory, although his father had inherited the Quincy bloodline, he had long ago abandoned it for the ridiculous reason that it didn't pay a salary.

'But if what Urahara Kisuke said is true… then over all these years, what exactly has this man been hiding? And what has he been planning?'

After washing up quickly, Ishida Uryu walked to the table full of doubts and sat down.

He had just picked up his chopsticks and hadn't even had time to speak when the cold voice across from him, sharp like a surgical knife, suddenly spoke.

"When you came through the door, you looked at me four times. When changing your shoes, five times. When washing your hands, you looked three times through the mirror."

Ishida Ryuken didn't even lift his head. He precisely cut a piece of steak and placed it in his mouth. Only after chewing and swallowing did he speak calmly.

"Uryu, since there's been so much eye contact, don't you have something you want to say to me?"

Uryu's hand froze. His chopsticks almost fell onto the table.

'This terrifying observation ability…'

"N–No!"

He denied it instinctively. His voice came out a little too loud, as if trying to hide something.

The upheaval in Soul Society. The arrival of Yhwach. The Shinigami asking for help. Instinctively, he didn't want to tell the man in front of him.

He was himself. Ishida Ryuken was Ishida Ryuken.

Even though Urahara Kisuke had been hinting both openly and secretly that he should drag his father into this, he refused!

If he said it, it would feel like admitting his own incompetence, admitting he was the kind of kid who could only run home crying to his parents whenever he encountered something he couldn't solve.

Even that idiot Kurosaki Ichigo could charge alone into Soul Society just to save a friend.

He, Ishida Uryu, the last Quincy, why should he rely on this man who had already abandoned their honor?

"If there's nothing, then eat."

Ishida Ryuken said calmly, showing no intention of pressing further. He picked up his chopsticks first and began enjoying the meal.

He didn't need Ishida Uryu to tell him anything.

Or rather, Ishida Uryu's silence was exactly what he preferred.

Yhwach could not and would not win. As for whether Rosse won in the end or the natives of Soul Society won, it didn't matter to him.

If Rosse won, he would take Ishida Uryu and follow him to the new world.

If Soul Society won, it would only mean his own death. But Ishida Uryu, who had helped Urahara Kisuke and the others all along, would never be purged.

Since he had already prepared both escape routes, Ishida Ryuken naturally had no worries.

From the very beginning, he had never been in a position where he could lose.

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