"Soul Power: Level 3!"
Outside the Seireitei.
A Shinigami dressed in black raised his head with a regretful expression and glanced at the young man stepping down from the examination platform. Despite having spiritual power, not all souls are qualified to become Shinigami.
According to the decision of the Central Underground Council, only those whose soul power reaches level 5 or higher can be considered qualified to become a Shinigami.
Seeing the young man leave in frustration, the Shinigami tasked with recording shook his head helplessly. Coming from Rukongai himself, he understood the boy's disappointment.
He had been lucky back then, scraping through with a soul power of level 5. After years of training, he had finally become a Shinigami. Though he was still of the lowest rank, often assigned tedious tasks, it was still far better than wandering the streets of Rukongai.
"When will the nobles of Seireitei care more about Rukongai?" the Shinigami sighed to himself.
At that moment, three figures approached along the towering walls of Seireitei: a red-haired boy, a pink-haired girl, and a shorter girl walking between them.
"Hmm?" Before the recording Shinigami could greet them, another Shinigami in charge of the examination stepped forward, rushing over with Shunpo, eager to take the lead.
"Hello! Are you here for the entrance exam to Shin'ō (Spiritual Arts) Academy?"
One of the Shinigami greeted them with an eager grin, his eyes locked on Linlin. His gaze lingered a little too long.
But Linlin didn't seem fazed by it.
"Hello," she replied with a soft smile.
Although her greeting was simple, her regal demeanor made the gesture appear even more charming.
After exchanging a few words, the Shinigami, clearly entranced by Linlin, led the trio to the soul-measuring stone that would test their spiritual power.
"Just place my hand on it, right?" Linlin asked with a smile.
"Yes, yes!" the Shinigami nodded eagerly. "Once you touch it, your soul level will display here. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, and if your soul power reaches level 5 or higher, you can enter the academy."
He hesitated, then added, "Even if you don't reach level 5... if I work hard for another 50 years, I might..." His voice trailed off.
Because, at that moment, a bright 10 appeared on the crystal ball.
"Soul power... Level 10!!"
The Shinigami responsible for the test cried out in shock, his casual demeanor vanishing. When he looked back at Linlin, his eyes were trembling.
A level 10 soul power was an exceptionally rare talent—one seen only once every few decades. Anyone with this kind of power could, upon graduating from the academy, easily secure a seated position within their division.
However, this "level 10" reading didn't mean Linlin's soul power was limited to that—it merely meant the device could only measure up to level 10!
In Rukongai, those capable of surpassing this level were often destined for greatness, with the potential to rise to vice-captain or even higher ranks after a few centuries.
Remembering his earlier behavior, the Shinigami's face paled, and he quickly lowered his head, hoping Linlin wouldn't remember his face.
Linlin, however, paid him no further mind. She simply licked her lips in excitement.
"Level 10? Interesting," she murmured, pleased but unsurprised by the result.
Over the past few days, Linlin had gradually regained some of her strength. Though not back to her peak, her Soul-Soul Fruit powers were functioning again.
Finally, she realized why she had felt such intense hunger upon arriving in this world. Everything here was composed of a mysterious energy known as Reishi(Spirit Particles).
Reishi existed in three forms: solid, fluid, and biological.
The solid form constituted the buildings and objects around her. The fluid reishi filled the air, though in small amounts. The biological reishi formed the living beings—the souls—moving around the streets.
According to Rukia, souls themselves were formed from condensed reishi.
This revelation shocked Linlin, an outsider to this world.
Even more astonishing was that, as a user of the Soul-Soul Fruit, Linlin could sense and manipulate reishi!
Though she had only regained a fraction of her former power, she could already absorb the reishi from the air and use it to strengthen herself.
What made this even more remarkable was that this newfound strength wasn't just a temporary recovery of her abilities—it was a permanent boost. Even if she fully regained her original strength, the power from the reishi would make her even stronger than before!
For someone like Linlin, this world was the perfect training ground.
She even wondered whether, once fully restored, she might have the power to dominate this entire world.
Of course, Linlin was careful to keep these thoughts to herself. This world was strange, and its combat capabilities might rival, or even surpass, those of her own world.
Remembering her overconfidence and the defeat she suffered in Wano, Linlin decided to remain cautious in this new realm.
"If there are warriors here as strong as Zoro, even at full power, I won't be their match..." Linlin whispered to herself, as she stepped aside and watched Rukia and Renji take their turns at the spiritual device.
But even as she watched, Linlin made a plan.
This world wasn't a low-tier one—it might even be more powerful than the pirate world. Until she fully recovered, it would be wise not to reveal her identity as a dimensional merchant.
After all, as the Dimensional Merchant's Manual warned:
"Danger lurks everywhere. Never underestimate a world you cannot fully understand!"
However, Linlin also knew that when the time was right, she wouldn't hesitate to make a few deals. After all, no matter where you are, the power of points reigns supreme!
Even if there was only a slim chance, she could use the power of points to temporarily enhance her strength, or transform it into a dimensional reduction attack, capable of erasing her enemies entirely.
"As expected, points are the ultimate safeguard for dimensional merchants!"
At this moment, Linlin had a clearer understanding of the Dimensional Merchant Manual.
And just then...
The test results for Rukia and Renji were revealed.
What was astonishing was that both of them, like Linlin, had also reached the tenth level of soul power!
The two Shinigami handling admissions didn't dare waste any time. Leaving behind the other Rukongai applicants still waiting in line, they rushed off into the Seireitei in a panic.
After some time, an old man with snow-white hair and dressed in white robes hurried out.
Guided by the two Shinigami, the old man quickly spotted Linlin and her companions, and with an overwhelming spiritual pressure, strode toward them.
"Are you three the ones with tenth-level soul power?"
At this moment, Rukia and Renji were already paralyzed with fear, overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the old man. But Linlin, well-versed in the ways of the world, was unfazed. She pointed toward the spiritual measuring device.
"If that thing's not broken, I believe so."
"This spirit detector is maintained by me personally—it doesn't break!" the old man replied, his eyes flashing with surprise as he saw Linlin remain unaffected by his spiritual pressure. He softened slightly and added, "I am Hirata Fangaki, the admissions instructor for Shin'ō Academy."
"Since you plan to enroll, follow me!"
Despite his attempt to appear stern, a smile tugged at the corners of the old man's mouth. He was clearly trying to maintain a serious demeanor, but his joy was hard to contain.
It wasn't surprising that he was so excited!
Typically, Shinigami were drawn from noble families within Seireitei, meaning the academy was largely dominated by the nobility. Even the instructors had to defer to these noble heirs. It was a stifling situation for many.
However, after Tōshirō Hitsugaya graduated and immediately became captain of the 10th Division, there were whispers at the academy. Some faculty, frustrated by the dominance of the noble families, petitioned the Central Underground Council to focus more on cultivating talent from Rukongai.
The council, pressured by Hitsugaya's unprecedented success, reluctantly agreed.
But, in the decades since, Shin'ō Academy hadn't produced anyone who reached even a third-seat rank. The academy's leadership was feeling the sting of embarrassment.
Though a few decades might not seem long to beings with millennia-long lifespans, if the academy continued its failure, it risked becoming entirely overrun by noble heirs again.
The appearance of Linlin, Rukia, and Renji was a blessing that solved the academy's most pressing concern.
How could the old man not be overjoyed?
---
Under Hirata's guidance, Linlin and her companions were soon led to the dormitories of Shin'ō Academy.
Though the term hadn't officially begun, exceptional students always received special treatment.
Rukia and Linlin were assigned to the same dormitory, while Renji, much to his dismay, was sent to the boys' dorm with tears in his eyes.
There were no further obstacles. The three successfully became students at the academy.
---
Night fell quickly.
After dinner at the cafeteria, the trio regrouped to explore the campus and get familiar with their new surroundings.
Inside Seireitei, Rukia and Renji had become noticeably quieter. Perhaps it was the sudden change in their status, leaving them feeling out of place as they curiously took in the sights.
Linlin, too, was uncharacteristically quiet.
However, a closer look would reveal a deep sense of fear hidden in her eyes.
"This place... it's terrifying!" Linlin thought to herself as she followed Rukia and Renji, waves of dread surging through her mind.
Her heightened perception, a gift from her Soul-Soul Fruit abilities, allowed her to sense this world more acutely than others. Even without her full strength, her ability to detect spiritual pressure had surpassed normal levels of haki.
According to her senses...
There were no fewer than ten individuals in Seireitei with power equal to, or even greater than, what she had at her peak.
Each presence was more daunting than the last.
It was only when she got close to Seireitei's walls that she realized they blocked out spiritual energy, which was why she hadn't sensed these terrifying powers earlier.
"You can never underestimate any world!"
"I'll need to be extremely careful with dimensional trades here."
"For now, it's best not to provoke anyone in Seireitei lightly."
Linlin glanced at Rukia and Renji walking ahead. Despite the dangers surrounding her, she could still see opportunities. In a world teeming with such powerful figures, there were also plenty of rare items to be traded for points.
In this world, even something as mundane as a stone could hold significant value when appraised by the system.
Compared to Seireitei, with its overwhelming power, Rukongai, outside the walls, seemed like the perfect place to start making trades.
But...
"There's no rush."
Linlin thought to herself.
"Before I act, I need to fully understand the way this world works..."
"And since the Shin'ō Academy offers foundational training, I might as well learn from it."
Linlin was certain that this world, filled with individuals of immense spiritual power, must have its own unique cultivation methods.
With her ability to absorb reishi and strengthen herself, Linlin planned to first follow the world's rules, learning its cultivation techniques to grow stronger.
Once she had done that, she imagined fusing the powers of the pirate world, the Pokémon world, and this one together.
Linlin was convinced that when the time came, she would become an unparalleled force!
At that moment, she made her decision:
"Step one: Become a Shinigami and master the power of this world..."