Madarame's expression became somewhat awkward.
He didn't hate Tokikaze or anything. In fact, he even developed some sort of respect for him.
A powerful person who could defeat him head-on and, to some extent, change his perspective. Madarame couldn't bring himself to hate such a person even if he wanted to.
During his days in the prison, he even thought that if he had encountered Tokikaze instead of Genshiro Okikiba in Rukongai, he might have already become a member of the Ninth Division.
In a certain sense, both Tokikaze and Zaraki had played a role in changing Madarame's mindset.
This led to a complicated look in Madarame's eyes when Tokikaze stood before him.
However, what Madarame didn't anticipate was that Tokikaze's second sentence would cause a jolt in his heart, almost breaking his composure.
"You've probably learned Bankai by now, haven't you?"
Tokikaze smiled, as if mentioning something trivial.
Bang!
Madarame abruptly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes widened. Subconsciously leaning forward, his bald head got wedged tightly between two railings.
"How did you know this? Even Tetsuzaemon-san and Yumichika don't know. How did you find out?"
This was a secret he had buried deep in his heart, vowing never to reveal it easily to others.
But even before he could mention it to Tetsuzaemon Iba or Yumichika Ayasegawa, Tokikaze had already exposed it.
This inevitably left Madarame speechless.
"So, you really have learned Bankai."
Tokikaze exclaimed, "You're quite talented in this regard."
Hearing these words, even if Madarame were dumb, he would realize that Tokikaze was just testing him just now.
Hearing his secret being revealed so suddenly, Madarame couldn't maintain his composure.
Especially considering that Madarame had already shown some signs of mental imbalance when facing Tokikaze.
"Now that you've learned Bankai, it makes things easier."
Tokikaze spoke in a tone that didn't give room for refusal, "Regarding your punishment, you'll serve as the instructor for the Ninth Division. You'll be conducting extreme training for my men."
"As long as they don't die, you can train them however you wish."
Hearing these words, Madarame was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend how things had taken such a strange turn.
Instructor for the Ninth Division members?
Could this be considered a form of punishment?
He couldn't quite understand it at the moment.
"After I took over as the Captain of the Ninth Division, I've handled two tasks."
Tokikaze explained, "One was you, and the other was the incident involving the lower noble Kuragawa Clan."
"Although they were only two simple tasks, they highlighted the shortcomings of the Ninth Division."
"In situations where Captain or Vice-Captain was absence, they could only handle extremely basic tasks."
"But whenever they faced a decent opponent, they seemed useless."
This was evident during the Shakkaho clash between them and Kusakawa Ryo.
Even with a Vice-Captain and a Third Seat, along with ten Soul Reaper squad members, they couldn't even overwhelm the enemy.
It was a bit too disappointing.
The Ninth Division squad members not only failed to make a positive impact, but they also seemed to be hindrances.
In this situation, it was likely that Tokikaze would have to personally intervene in solving both major and minor tasks in the future if he didn't do anything now.
Without a doubt, Madarame might not be that strong, but he was undoubtedly a good teacher.
After all, he had taught Abarai Renji.
Admittedly, Abarai Renji himself was talented, but Madarame's teaching skills were also commendable.
Make the best use of every tool.
If there was such a useful tool available, why would Tokikaze bother getting involved? He'd rather spend this time drinking on Junrinan.
The geishas were more appealing than these rough guys anyway, right?
"This kind of request..."
Madarame's veins bulged, "is nothing but a waste of time!"
"Mind one thing."
The atmosphere in the prison suddenly chilled, and Tokikaze's face still had a smile, but it sent chills down one's spine.
"I'm not negotiating with you; I'm issuing punishment as the Captain of the Ninth Division."
Tokikaze placed his hand on Madarame's bald head and lightly patted it. "You better be sensible. Otherwise, next time, it won't be a prison; it'll be Muken..."
Facing the chilling smile in front of him, Madarame forced a smile:
"Haha, leave this matter to me. I guarantee that you will be satisfied!"
Tokikaze nodded, "Then I'll leave it to you. The special training will begin tomorrow."
With that, he turned around, preparing to leave.
"Oh, there's one more thing." Madarame's voice came from behind, "Can I trouble Captain Tokikaze once more?"
"My... my head is stuck between the railings."
Tokikaze turned around, only to see a round and brightly red bald head, shining between two railings under the light.
...
First Division barracks.
A bearded figure sat cross-legged on the wooden floor. Under the unobstructed sunlight, which bathed him without any cover, the figure enjoyed the warmth.
"The sunlight today is as pleasant as ever."
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, during his vacation, most enjoyed basking in the invigorating sunlight around noon.
To him, it was the most relaxing way to spend time.
"I apologize for disturbing your relaxation, Lord Yamamoto."
Genshiro Okikiba appeared behind the wooden floor, kneeling with his head lowered, showing an unusually respectful attitude.
He was First Division's Third Seat, and it was safe to say that he was an all-rounder. His powerful execution ability made him more than qualified even to serve as the Vice-Captain in other divisions.
Because of this execution power, Yamamoto placed a lot of trust in him.
"There's a new information about the Captain of the Ninth Division, Tsunayashiro Tokikaze."
Hearing these words, Yamamoto rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, and an expression of helplessness appeared on his aged face.
If he remembered correctly, Chojiro Sasakibe had just reported a similar information not too long ago?
That brat was quite something, making his Vice-Captain and Third Seat continuously report information!
Seeing that Yamamoto did not respond, Genshiro Okikiba continued in a low voice:
"Ninth Division's Former Fifth Seat, Kaname Tosen, challenged Captain Tsunayashiro Tokikaze over the Captain's position. He was severely injured and on the verge of death. He has been sent to the Coordinated Relief Station."
"Yesterday, Captain Tokikaze, along with his Vice-Captain, Third Seat, and several squad members, forcibly demolished the main gate of the Kuragawa Clan in the Noble District before arresting most of the Kuragawa Clan members."
"Even Kuragawa Zanosuke was among them..."
Hearing this, the eyes of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni suddenly opened, and the initial expression of helplessness on his elderly face was replaced by astonishment.