Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

[Eye of Samsara—Hell Path] 

[Description]: A biological artifact originating from the Hell Path, one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the Reborn World. 

[Effect]: This artifact uses illusions to trap targets in endless nightmares, gradually destroying their mental strength. When the illusion becomes hyper-realistic, it can even cause physical damage to the target. 

[Price]: 2,000 points 

[Purchase Requirement]: VIP2 or above 

--- 

[Heart of Enlightenment (Mist)] 

[Description]: A power-enhancing artifact inspired by the Dying Will Flame system of the Reborn World. 

[Effect]: Grants non-Reborn World beings the ability to awaken the Fog Attribute Power. The awakened power includes the "Construct" characteristic, significantly enhancing illusion-based abilities. 

[Price]: 5,000 points 

[Purchase Requirement]: VIP2 or above 

--- 

[Hypnosis Fruit] 

[Description]: A unique artifact from the Pirate World that provides potent hypnotic abilities. 

[Effect]: Upon consumption, grants the user powerful hypnosis powers. By locking eyes with a target, the user can hypnotize them. The effect's intensity depends on the mental strength gap between the user and the target. 

[Price]: 3,000 points 

[Purchase Requirement]: VIP3 or above 

--- 

[Aura Power] 

[Description]: A power-granting artifact exclusive to the Pokémon World. 

[Effect]: Bestows abilities such as teleportation, illusion-based hypnosis, energy barriers, and supercharged projectiles. Greatly enhances psychic-type Pokémon abilities. The artifact's strength depends on the user's mental capacity and psychic affinity. 

[Price]: Starts at 2,000 points 

[Purchase Requirement]: VIP4 or above 

--- 

[Pokémon: Abra (Casey)] 

[Attribute]: Psychic 

[Ability]: Magic Guard (immune to all additional effects of attacks, such as hypnosis and confinement) 

[Level]: 3 

[Price]: 1,500 points 

--- 

[Bond Evolution] 

'[Details unavailable]' 

--- 

Shinji scrolled through the list of items displayed on the Rotom Phone. With every passing second, his heart raced faster. 

"If these are real…" 

He subconsciously licked his dry lips, his gaze moving from the Rotom Phone to Pinocchio. 

"Sir Pinocchio," he murmured, "I think I've decided what to purchase." 

After a brief exchange, the transaction was finalized. 

"Thank you for your patronage!" 

Pinocchio tipped his straw hat with a sunny, almost unsettlingly bright smile. Then, in an instant, his wooden form twisted and shrank, morphing into a slender branch that burrowed into the earth beneath the warehouse, vanishing entirely. 

In the now-empty warehouse, only Shinji and Hiyori remained, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. 

Minutes passed in silence before Hiyori turned to look at Shinji, her steps unsteady. 

What she saw left her speechless. 

A mysterious purple mist coiled around Shinji's entire body, blurring the lines between illusion and reality. His form appeared ethereal, as though teetering on the edge of both worlds. 

Throughout the entire transaction, Hiyori had remained silent, like an observer in the background. 

But now, witnessing Shinji's transformation, she knew— 

A miracle had occurred. 

And all she could do now was wait. 

Wait until the miracle fully awakened!

  ...

  ...

Ten minutes later, the purple mist that had been swirling around Shinji began to condense. Slowly, it seeped into his body as though being absorbed. 

He opened his eyes, and in his left eye, a blood-red pupil gleamed ominously. Engraved upon the pupil was a dark, abyssal symbol resembling the character "—." 

"Hiyori…" 

Feeling the newfound power surging through his body, Shinji called out abruptly. 

Startled, Hiyori stammered, "W-What's wrong!?" 

Bang. 

A warm palm landed gently on her head, softly ruffling her hair. 

With a calm smile, Shinji said, "It's nothing." 

"It's just…" 

"The horn of our counterattack is about to sound." 

If he had harbored any doubts about dimensional transactions before, those doubts were now gone. Shinji had become a true believer. 

No one could fathom the earth-shaking changes his body had undergone in just an hour. And now, he had hope—hope of defeating Aizen. 

Of course, Shinji wasn't blindly confident. 

He knew that if Aizen had also engaged in dimensional transactions, with his vast knowledge and resources, the world might very well be at Aizen's mercy. 

Shinji's current focus was on mastering his newfound powers. 

From his newly awakened consciousness powers, the illusionary abilities of the Hell Path, the hypnotic powers from the Hypnosis Fruit, or Abra, to the proficiency of bond evolution and mastery of the power of aura, he had spent all 20,000 points in one decisive move!

And the rewards were astonishing. 

Within his body, powers from various dimensions now intertwined, awaiting his command. A new, grand world was opening its doors to him, and all he needed to do was step through. 

"Let's go, Hiyori," Shinji said with a slight tilt of his head. 

"It's time to return." 

"What?" Hiyori blinked, confused. 

But when she saw Shinji walking out of the warehouse without looking back, she huffed and quickly caught up with him. 

"Wait for me! Hey! Baldy!!!" 

——

At the same time, as Shinji completed his transaction and began to explore his newfound powers, another story unfolded. 

Above Karakura Town, the storm of chaos finally came to an end with Rukia's unexpected bankai release. 

The teachers began gathering the students from the Shino Academy who had scattered during the attack, reorganizing their ranks. 

The experience had left both students and teachers shaken. 

If it hadn't been for Rukia's sudden bankai release, obliterating all the Menos Grande, their survival might have been in question. 

And, astonishingly, just as the Menos Grande were vanquished, contact with Seireitei—previously impossible—was suddenly restored. 

"Yes... Yes... Understood!" 

"I'll ensure the students return safely. Please don't worry!" 

Aizen set down the communication device and turned to address the students with an air of gravity. 

"Students, I regret to inform you…" 

"Your current training activity will end here." 

"Next, I will open the Senkaimon and escort everyone back to Seireitei. Please form an orderly line." 

In light of the incident, continuing the training was no longer an option. Seireitei's immediate recall order made it clear: the students' safety was the priority. 

But it wasn't just safety on Seireitei's mind. 

Rukia's miraculous performance had ignited a wave of excitement among the Seireitei elite. A student who had only been training for three months had awakened bankai—a feat so unprecedented it shattered records spanning thousands of years. 

The captains of the Gotei 13 were abuzz with speculation, already vying for her placement in their divisions. 

The 10th Division sought to replace her vice-captain. 

The 11th Division admired her raw strength. 

The 8th Division, known for its fondness for promising young talent, showed interest. 

And, of course, the 6th Division, led by her brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, was keen to keep her within their ranks. 

Rukia's talent had ignited a storm of ambition within Seireitei. And amidst it all, her destiny remained unwritten.

  ...

  ...

In the conference room of the First Division, 

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood on a stool to match the height of the other captains and addressed the Commander-General with determination: 

"Commander, sir…" 

"The former captain of the 10th Division has vanished without explanation. I've been managing the division alongside my third seats, but it's clear that the 10th Division is in urgent need of personnel." 

"I propose assigning Rukia Kuchiki to the 10th Division to bolster its combat strength." 

"Hey, hey, hey~" 

Shunsui Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat with a playful grin. 

"That's a bit much, Tōshirō-kun! Everyone knows you're the 10th Division's prodigy, a genius the likes of which Seireitei hasn't seen in a thousand years. How could your division possibly be lacking in strength?" 

"On the contrary, my dear Eighth Division, responsible for intelligence work, is perpetually short-staffed." 

He leaned back lazily. 

"Our poor vice-captain, Nanao-chan, is practically drowning in work." 

Before Shunsui could continue, Komamura Sajin interjected with a gruff tone: 

"Nanao-san wouldn't be so overworked if her captain were more reliable." 

He leveled a pointed look at Shunsui. 

"And speaking of responsibility, Captain Shunsui, I saw you in the red-light district last night. Perhaps your negligence explains the mishaps during this freshman training exercise." 

Shunsui froze for a moment, then chuckled nervously before quickly shutting his mouth. The "Rukia transfer debate" had been little more than entertainment for him, but now he regretted his carelessness. 

"Tch. I didn't think anyone saw me last night… careless," he muttered under his breath. 

"Oh my, how curious," chimed in Unohana Retsu, the gentle yet unsettling captain of the Fourth Division, her sharp eyes narrowing. 

"Tōshirō-kun, how exactly did you come to see Captain Shunsui in such a place?" 

Her serene smile sent chills down Tōshirō's spine. 

"Could it be that you too…" 

"Ahem! Passing by! I was just passing by!" Tōshirō hastily clarified, his face flushed red despite his near-century of life. 

Soon, the unreasonable Kenpachi Zaraki from the 11th Division joined the fray, and other captains, each with their own agenda, followed suit. 

Though the possibility was slim, the thought of Rukia joining their respective divisions enticed them all. After all, having a talented recruit like her would undoubtedly lighten their workload. 

No one liked working too hard, after all. 

In mere moments, the First Division's conference room devolved into noisy chaos. 

Meanwhile, in the human world, Rukia was oblivious to the events unfolding in Seireitei. 

With the power of her glacier-element Bankai, she had managed to avoid any harm from its side effects, allowing her to remain in its heightened state. She persisted not out of arrogance but in her quest to understand the frozen reiatsu coursing through her. 

However, her thoughts lingered on a strange event. 

She had subdued the Menos Grande earlier, yet Captain Aizen had suddenly appeared and killed them all. His actions left her puzzled and unsettled. 

Unbeknownst to Rukia, her sharp instincts would soon lead her into unforeseen danger. 

For now, she quietly followed her team through the gate back to Seireitei, gathering the cold energy within her as she went. 

And she remained unaware that, as she stepped through the gate, a pair of calculating eyes followed her every move. 

"Did the illusion fail? Was it her Bankai's abilities that disrupted it?" 

Aizen Sōsuke's gentle demeanor concealed the dark thoughts running through his mind. Adjusting his glasses, he scrutinized Rukia's retreating figure, a brief glint of light flashing across his lenses. 

For the first time in a long while, Aizen set aside his arrogance. 

His near-divine hypnotic abilities had always made him feel untouchable. But if someone could disrupt his illusions, the game might take an unexpected turn. 

Cheaters, after all, fear nothing more than being outmatched even when bending the rules. 

And the potential Rukia had displayed was enough to unsettle him. 

Aizen's lips curled into an evil smile. 

"This just got interesting," he murmured as he turned toward the dark, mysterious gate before him. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, disappearing into the shadows.

  …

  …

Night.

Everything had settled. 

The real-world practical training, filled with conspiracies, had concluded—though it felt like it had neither a true beginning nor an end. 

But the one who gained the most from this tangled web of schemes... 

...was neither Rukia, who awakened her zanpakutō, nor Aizen, the wily old fox who unearthed hidden dangers. 

No, it was the one who quietly paddled through the entire ordeal without drawing any attention. 

The Dimensional Merchant—Charlotte Linlin! 

"Mamamama... I didn't expect to collect all the Kidō so quickly," she mused. 

"Now, if I can just figure out the source of the Zanpakutō, I could submit the Shinigami's entire power system to the Chamber of Commerce!" 

"God must be smiling on me today! Mamamamamama!" 

With that thought, Linlin returned to the dormitory in Seireitei, where she lived alone. After receiving some brief consolation from her teachers, she immediately dove into her plans. 

Looking at the carefully organized Kidō knowledge on her phone—summarized by Rotom—she couldn't help but blush with excitement.

Her trip to the human world had been a resounding success. Not only had she managed to keep herself completely under the radar, but she'd also planted the seeds for future dimensional trades. 

Though only a handful of people in this world were qualified to engage in such transactions, their exclusivity gave her the freedom to act boldly. 

The 20,000 points she had earned were enough to make her stand tall with pride. 

Her next mission was clear: uncover the origins of the Asauchi(Nameless Sword), compile the abilities of the 'Shinigami' system, and present her findings to Sir Leo. 

If she succeeded, she would gain a fully realized power system from the very first world she'd chosen for her trading ventures. 

It was undeniable—this world was her lucky break! 

As these thoughts raced through her mind, a determined glint flashed in her eyes. 

Her spiritual senses picked up on Aizen's presence, slowly advancing toward the Kuchiki mansion. 

"So eager to act… That man is truly a natural-born hero." 

"Mamamamamama..." 

"But Rukia… she was my very first trader as a Dimensional Merchant." 

"At the very least, I should give her some proper consideration." 

"After all…" 

"She's the first temporary subordinate I've tentatively appointed!"