Chapter 73

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Ryūjin Jakka's 'Bankai' is extremely powerful! Now that the dark clouds have dispersed, sunlight bathes the battlefield. With a swift movement of his right hand, Bai Ye flings the flames away from Ryūjin Jakka's blade. It reverts to its normal state, an unremarkable sword, and he slides it calmly back into its scabbard.

As he looks around, the ground has been carved out layer by layer, creating a massive depression that stretches for kilometers - a truly terrifying sight on the battlefield. He thinks to himself, "The matter here is settled," enjoying the warmth of the sun. His calm gaze then shifts towards the Sabaody Islands, or more accurately, towards the World Government controlled by the Celestial Dragons behind those islands.

"It's time to get on with business," he mutters to himself. The Summit War does not pique his interest, and he has no intention of interfering. This time, the Red-Haired Pirates are lucky; his focus is on overturning the World Government. There's no time to waste with Red-Haired Shanks and Benn Beckman; they will not get a chance to leave.

The World Government had plans to use the Summit War to capture the world's attention and then conduct the 'Magic Slaughter Operation' to intimidate the entire Grand Line with his head. Their intention was to begin a "cleaning" operation across the first half of the Grand Line.

On the contrary, the outbreak of the Summit War is an opportunity for him. Any government lackey under the World Government no longer stands a chance of becoming an obstacle to him! The only real 'obstacle' now would be the World Government itself stepping in!

As Bai Ye heads towards the Sabaody Islands, a gust of wind hits him, and he stops to find that his large black shirt is almost destroyed. His powerful muscles are visible through the tattered fabric. He pauses for a moment and then shakes his head. It doesn't matter. The shirt is already ruined, and the next 'war' might destroy any new clothes as well. He might as well keep wearing it.

Moreover, the Sabaody Islands, a territory under Celestial Dragon rule, doesn't require much concern over attire. Looking at the sea island that was lowered by several levels due to the extreme heat of Ryūjin Jakka's 'Shikai', he is confident that upon arrival, someone will 'prepare' appropriate attire for him. He is more than ready to confront the forces of the Celestial Dragons in the Sabaody Archipelago.

At the same time, this battle will put him up against the strongest in the One Piece world. Although he has exerted himself more than ever before and is down to probably about a quarter of his strength, his vitality is quickly recovering, and the gains from defeating Kong, Kaido, and others are substantial.

Here is the current status of his template progress:

[Host: Bai Ye]

[Current template: 'Yamamoto Genryūsai']

[Zanpakutō: Ryūjin Jakka, Unlocked]

[Shinigami Ability: 'Kidō'... Unlocked]

[Physical Technique: 'One Bone'... Unlocked]

[Current template unlocking progress: 68.5]

[Next Zanpakutō form change progress: 70]

This is a significant leap compared to the progress after fighting Akainu and Kizaru. The battle continues.

Bai Ye's template certainly caused a small sensation. It contributed to the unlocking progress more than two or three times compared to Akainu's efforts. This suggests a connection between the template's progress and combat or enemy defeat.

Moreover, Bai Ye noticed, "Zanpakutō's form changed again?" He looked at Ryūjin Jakka in his hand, the first image that came to mind. With Ryūjin Jakka's current power, if it changes shape again, the only possibility would be the 'Bankai' Remnant Sword! Even Bai Ye couldn't help feeling astonished.

If a typical template's unlocking progress results in a rise in Reiatsu and swordsmanship, a form change for Ryūjin Jakka could signify a true 'qualitative' change. Even Bai Ye did not anticipate that 'Yamamoto Genryusai's' template would only need to hit 70% unlocking progress to reach Zanpakutō's second stage of release, the final form 'Bankai', after the first stage, 'Shikai'.

In Bai Ye's understanding, looking across all of 'Soul Society' within Shinigami, there are very few who can perform Bankai in each era. 'Bankai' involves using Zanpakutō's abilities more thoroughly and is much more challenging than most can handle.

Thus, once a Bankai is achieved, the Shinigami's name will be forever remembered in the Soul Society annals. Imaginably, Ryūjin Jakka, being the strongest of the Yan family and known as the oldest and most powerful Zanpakutō, would typically require at least 90% unlocking progress, if not higher, to reach 'Bankai'.

But here, Bai Ye, contemplating Ryūjin Jakka, realized that 'Yamamoto Genryasai Shigekuni's' immense power is the reason he's recognized as the strongest Shinigami by Soul Society. While many Shinigami spend their lives striving just to reach 'Shikai', 'Yamamoto Genryūsai' possessed such formidable personal strength that he could surpass others with merely 'Shikai'.

Thanks to his overwhelming strength, the template needed only 70% progress for him to stand on a peak untouchable by most Shinigami in their lifetimes. Effortlessly, he mastered the second stage of liberation, the ultimate form of 'Bankai'.

With the template unlocking continuously, Bai Ye could feel the strength it provided growing day by night. He began to sense Ryūjin Jakka's deeper, hidden power. If the World Government knew whether it was their pawns, the Marine Government's "Admiral Combat Force Obstacle," or the "Operation Demon Slaughter" meticulously architected by the Generalissimo, all these hurdles are just hastening their own downfall.

At this moment, Bai Ye could already predict the outcome. Mariejois, the 'holy land,' is fated to become nothing more than ruins.