However, the most comfortable period in this so-called "leisurely" life was when Gosuke Shigure served as the vice-captain—when the title of Kenpachi still belonged to Mole City.
At that time, Gosuke Shigure only had to handle internal division matters.
For battle? That was always Kenpachi Mole City's domain.
But now, everything had changed. He had become captain. With no vice-captain currently assigned to the Eleventh Division, there was no one to share the load. So now, not only did he have to fight, he had to handle team affairs on top of that.
Still, even this modern frustration paled in comparison to his former life—when he literally lived with death licking at his throat.
After being reborn into Soul Society, Gosuke Shigure had come to value order. But this wasn't some simple office job with structured hours and predictable outcomes. Far from it.
The responsibilities of the Eleventh Division often kept him working far past "closing hours."
Sometimes, deep in the night, when he was fast asleep, a Hell Butterfly would slip into his quarters, carrying an urgent mission.
More than once, Gosuke had been roused from his bed and thrust into combat before the moon set.
This sort of repeated disruption could take a toll on anyone.
"So why is it that someone like Zaraki Kenpachi, who ran the Eleventh Division for centuries, made this look so easy?" Gosuke Shigure muttered bitterly.
Zaraki, as portrayed in the original timeline, never seemed like the sort of man suited to administrative work.
Yet under his command, the Eleventh Division didn't just function—it thrived. It became so synonymous with him that it was often referred to as the "Zaraki Squad."
Of course, that might also be due to his "secret weapon"—his deceptively childish but shockingly dependable lieutenant: Kusajishi Yachiru.
True, she had a terrible sense of direction and often got them both lost on missions.
But at critical moments, she was resourceful, fearless, and shockingly capable.
And Zaraki didn't stop there. He had a small cadre of strong, reliable subordinates.
Madarame Ikkaku, who had even achieved Bankai, could take on major battles without assistance.
Ayasegawa Yumichika, stylish yet dangerous, was both clever and strong.
It was perhaps thanks to these individuals that Zaraki Kenpachi could focus entirely on fighting. He didn't need to think about logistics or administration—his subordinates had it covered.
Could Gosuke Shigure say the same?
The current Eleventh Division had changed. Thanks to its lineage of captains, many female members now populated its ranks.
But these women were anything but fragile. They were tough and battle-hardened—but not exactly office material. He couldn't expect any of them to help manage squad logistics.
Especially not the Third Seat.
Traditionally, a division's Third Seat supports the vice-captain in administrative duties. But in the Eleventh Division, things didn't run that smoothly.
Their current Third Seat had never once helped Gosuke Shigure with paperwork back when he was still the lieutenant.
"Eventually, I'll need to think about replacing that old man," Gosuke muttered. "What's the use of a Third Seat who doesn't support the chain of command?"
But for now, he let it be.
After all, Nitta Kazunosuke had served under three successive captains—Kuruyama Makoto, Mole City, and now Gosuke himself.
It wouldn't be politically wise to eject him without cause.
More importantly, the Third Seat answers to the vice-captain.
And the truth was—there was no vice-captain.
Gosuke himself had once held the position. Now promoted, he left behind a vacant desk and an increasingly chaotic administrative vacuum.
"I need to get a new lieutenant," he realized.
Yes, his salary had increased significantly as a captain. But now he was doing the job of two people for the price of one.
He wasn't that generous.
"Wait... what if I flipped the logic?" he thought suddenly.
Traditionally, the captain of the Eleventh Division is the face of combat. The vice-captain handles the internal matters.
That's how it had worked when he was lieutenant. The previous Kenpachi fought; Gosuke did the rest.
So when he initially considered selecting a vice-captain, he focused on someone capable of handling logistics.
But what if he did the opposite?
What if he appointed someone who could take over the combat responsibilities entirely—leaving Gosuke free to manage internal affairs as captain?
After all, the Eleventh Division was combat-oriented. Its administrative demands weren't as heavy as other divisions.
Gosuke's mind began to race.
Almost immediately, a name surfaced.
Zaraki Kenpachi.
In the original timeline, Zaraki was already centuries old when he met Unohana Retsu, the First Kenpachi, as a boy. That meant he had lived for hundreds, if not over a thousand years, before even entering the Seireitei.
Yet he only joined the Gotei 13 sometime before the Pendulum arc, during a time of captain turnover. Drawn by the thrill of battle and the promise of worthy opponents, he entered the Eleventh Division and promptly killed its captain, Kenpachi Kiganjō, in single combat.
Claiming the title of Kenpachi, he took command.
"I should try to track him down," Gosuke thought. "He's still out there—roaming, fighting, hiding."
---
The Zaraki District—the 80th district of North Rukongai—was his destination.
When Mole City Kenpachi had plotted a rebellion, he had used this place as a testing ground, sacrificing countless souls for his twisted experiments.
It was here, in the wilderness of Zaraki, that Gosuke Shigure had first clashed with Mole City in a cataclysmic battle. After defeating him, Kyoraku Shunsui had arrived to escort the traitor back to Seireitei for judgment.
Mole City had surrendered only after being completely outmatched.
Now, Gosuke returned to the Zaraki District once again.
The first thing he noticed was the oppressive heat. The sun blazed far harsher here than in any other district. And that wasn't an illusion.
The ground was cracked and dry. Water was rare. Every drop was fought for.
Survival in Zaraki required brutality. Compassion was a weakness. The souls here had adapted into ruthless survivors.
It made perfect sense that Mole City Kenpachi had chosen this district for his human experimentation. The people were already hardened by life and required little conditioning to become viable subjects.
Though it was just one of 320 Rukongai districts, each quadrant of Rukongai was massive. The Zaraki District alone could be considered a city by modern standards.
Finding Zaraki Kenpachi within it would be like finding a needle in a desert.
But Gosuke Shigure had methods of his own.