One Piece: Kaido's adopted son, starts with the Eight Gates Formation.

He is none other than the Sternritter, "J"—Kilge Opie of "The Jail."

"Investigating the Seireitei?"

Kiruje wiped the sweat from his brow, his face revealing undisguised arrogance and contempt.

"Have the wails of those Grim Reapers finally reached His Majesty's ears? What incompetent fellows, unable to even defend their own territory."

He put away his spirit bow, straightened his crisp white military uniform, as if he were about to head not to an unknown battlefield that had undergone tremendous changes, but to an inspection tour in which victory was assured.

"Very well, let me go and see what kind of scum dares to disturb His Majesty's slumber. Hopefully... it will be a little more interesting."

He sneered, and the shadows around his body began to twist and extend, like an open black curtain that instantly swallowed his figure.

The next second, in a secluded corner of the ruins in the Soul Society, the space rippled like water as Cheruge Opie slowly emerged from the shadows.

He took a deep breath. The air was filled with the strong smell of blood, sulfur, and... countless chaotic spiritual pressures.

"It's a complete mess."

He pushed up his goggles, his gaze sweeping across the ravaged land. In the distance, he could even see several Shinigami dressed in tattered Shinigami uniforms, carrying rubble under the supervision of a few fierce-looking pirates who were clearly not benevolent.

A contemptuous smile appeared on Kiruje's lips.

"Has Death fallen so low? Enslaved by a bunch of scum who look like mere mortals?"

His gaze searched through the ruins. He needed to find the source of the most powerful spiritual pressure; that must be the epicenter of the anomaly.

He quickly identified a direction.

Near the ruins of the First Division barracks, an area was enveloped by a scorching and domineering aura. That aura did not belong to spirit particles, but was a pure, violent physical energy, like an active volcano that could erupt at any moment.

What interested him even more was that in the center of that area, he vaguely saw a... statue?

A skull statue, fixed on a magnificent throne, exuding a faint yet desperate aura of "aging".

"Interesting collectibles."

Kiruje's curiosity was piqued, and he began to walk in that direction. He wanted to see who possessed such terrible taste and such immense power that they could turn a Rule-level being into a mere decoration for others to admire.

He was completely unaware that he was approaching not a "collector," but a vicious dog from hell, who was extremely displeased because it was ordered to guard the toys.

---

Above the ruins of the First Division barracks, the air was distorted by the intense heat.

Sakazuki, the Red Dog, stood there motionless.

He crossed his arms, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his face etched with impatience. The admiral's white cloak of justice had long since turned to ashes in the previous battle, and now he was shirtless, revealing muscular physiques covered in dark red tattoos and countless scars. Lava-like patterns flowed slowly beneath his skin, radiating a suffocating heat.

His task was to guard the "Balgang" statue.

This was an order Lynn gave off off the cuff; it was simple and left no room for argument.

For Sakazuki, this was agonizing. He was a soldier, an executioner who would burn everything for "absolute justice," not a guard watching over spoils of war. He would rather be on the front lines fighting stronger enemies and eliminating so-called "evil" than stand guard here like a fool.

But an order is an order. The authority of that two-year-old child was heavier than any of the Five Elders or Celestial Dragons he had ever seen.