Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Golden Lightning Palace, Nami's Desire to Grow Stronger

As the words of Vice-Captain Chōjirō Sasakibe fell, his katana in hand was tainted with a purple thunderbolt. Wrapped in the purple thunderbolt, the appearance of the Zanpakuto katana transformed into the shape of a Rapier.

At the same time, about ten meters in front of Chōjirō Sasakibe, strange creatures with white bone masks, over five meters tall, appeared.

Seeing this incomprehensible scene, Nami couldn't help but hide behind Rosen. She peeked out, trembling, observing the standoff between Chōjirō Sasakibe and the creatures with bone masks.

"Don't worry, Nami. None of this is real and won't harm us," Rosen said, patting Nami's head reassuringly.

"But... but, it all seems too real," Nami replied, her voice quivering with fear.

Rosen explained, "Those are 'Hollows.' Just think of them as evil spirits."

"Hollows?!" Nami shuddered at the thought.

Then, Chōjirō Sasakibe pointed his weapon, the Zanpakuto, towards the location of the Hollows in the sky. A layer of dark clouds formed above them, and purple thunderbolts descended, shattering the Hollows into pieces.

"Woah, amazing! He can really control lightning?!" Nami's eyes widened in amazement as she envisioned herself wielding the sword against the Arlong Pirates.

"After the release of the Zanpakuto, 'Gonryumaru,' it can not only summon thunderclouds above enemies to directly call down lightning but also wrap thunderbolts around its blade for direct attacks," Rosen explained. "Of course, these are just the basic applications of Gonryumaru. With enough strength, it can display even greater power."

After the ordinary Hollows dispersed, gigantic creatures, entirely black with white masks on their faces and towering nearly a hundred meters tall, appeared opposite Suzumiya Ichiro.

Although Nami knew it was an illusion, seeing such colossal creatures was terrifying. She instinctively clutched Rosen's arm for comfort.

"Rosen... are those also the 'Hollows' you mentioned?" Nami asked nervously.

"Yes! But those are special among the Hollows, known as 'Menos Grande,'" Rosen explained.

"Menos Grande?!" Nami wanted to ask more about them, but her attention was drawn to Chōjirō Sasakibe's next move.

Chōjirō Sasakibe raised his Zanpakuto towards the sky, emitting a powerful aura. Nami couldn't comprehend why Rosen called it an illusion when she felt the pressure from Chōjirō Sasakibe so vividly.

"Bankai, Golden Lightning Palace!" Chōjirō Sasakibe shouted, raising his Zanpakuto high. Suddenly, the clear sky was enveloped in dark clouds. Golden lightning began to streak through the clouds. The lightning seemed to be drawn to Chōjirō Sasakibe's raised blade and struck it directly.

The golden lightning, channeled through the Zanpakuto, formed a magnificent canopy above Chōjirō Sasakibe's head. After the canopy formed, Chōjirō Sasakibe swung his sword in a half-circle on the ground. The golden lightning in the sky formed into thick bolts, each about a meter thick, and struck the Menos Grandes.

After eleven lightning bolts struck the Menos Grandes, the dark clouds gradually dissipated, and the sky returned to clear.

...

"Wake up, Nami, it's over," Rosen said, patting Nami's cheek gently.

"Huh?!" Nami blinked, realizing that she and Rosen were back in the Sword Enlightenment Room.

Immediately, she looked at the Zanpakuto 'Gonryumaru' in her hand.

"Captain Rosen, is... is this sword really capable of summoning golden lightning like just now?" Nami asked eagerly.

"When will I be able to summon such powerful golden lightning from the sky like the man in my imagination?"

At that moment, Nami was incredibly excited. She felt confident that with the ability to summon that golden lightning, she could easily defeat several Arlongs.

"To release Bankai 'Golden Lightning Palace' with Gonryumaru is not an easy task," Rosen explained. "You need rigorous training and practice. Only when your stamina reaches A-level and your swordsmanship reaches the level of 'Mountain-Cutting' will you be able to achieve what you saw just now."

"But don't worry, Nami. You don't need to use 'Golden Lightning Palace' to deal with the Arlong Pirates. Even the power after the release of Shikai, Gonryumaru is more than enough to handle them."

"So, Nami, would you like to start training now?" Rosen asked, handing her a bottle of 'E-grade Nutrient Potion' with a smile.

"Of course, Captain Rosen!" Nami replied eagerly. "Although I don't understand what stamina level or the 'Mountain-Cutting' realm of swordsmanship means, I will work hard."

As she took the E-grade Nutrient Potion, Nami's eyes gleamed with a strong desire to become stronger.