He left no bowl untouched.

He left no grain of rice alone.

He left no noodles to be slurped.

Bewildered, Toshiro looked on in his captain's quarters while Goten decimated his food. Bowls upon bowls came to his face, and he cleaned each one in seconds. Once the carnage ended, Toshiro looked in astonishment at the dishes that towered over the table.

Goten let out a heft exhale. "That really hit the spot." He looked at Toshiro, who only ate half a plate. "You okay? You barely touched your food."

"I'm fine. I… wasn't that hungry in the first place, and after this, I don't think you'll be hungry for a week."

"Trust me, I can put away food."

The door flew open. A redhead woman moaned and entered. "Captaaiiin, why didn't you tell me that there was a meeting?"

"I tried to wake you," Hitsugaya said. "But you were too drunk to open your eyes."

The women stretched out her arms and yawned, but perked when she saw a new face. "Huh? Who's this, Captain?"

"Rangiku, this is Goten. Goten, this is my lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto."

Goten leaped out of his seat and stuck his hand out. "Hi, it's nice to meet you, Lieutenant."

She grasped his hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, too. Captain, if you told me you were bringing handsome men over, I would've been more prepared."

Goten chuckled until his eyes met her chest. From up close, he couldn't believe it. Were they even real? They were bigger than his head.

Toshiro cleared his throat, and Goten snapped back to reality. "I think this would be a good time to discuss the matter at hand."

"Oh, yeah, of course." Goten bounced back to the table. "I'll just get these out of our way. I'll wash them after we're done."

He picked up the plates and bowls and stacked them near a sink. Once Goten and Rangiku sat at the table, the two Soul Reapers listen to Goten's tale. He did his best to elaborate on the situation and explain his identity along with where he came from. After he finished, Toshiro filled him in on the structure of the Soul Society and how the Thirteen Court Guard Squads operated. Goten did his best to keep up, but the plethora of information hurt his brain. Some things didn't stick until repeated a few times. Toshiro then inquired about his powers. He wondered if Yamamoto placed his hopes in the right individual.

"Hmm." Goten pondered. "Maybe it would be better if I just show you guys what I can do."

Toshiro nodded, and the three of them left for the training grounds. Once there, Goten stepped out in front and faced them. "So, do you wanna see my techniques first or my transformations?"

"You have transformations?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'll start with that. You, uh… probably wanna stand back a little for this."

After Toshiro and Rangiku took a few steps backward, Goten powered up and transformed into a Super Saiyan. The captain and his lieutenant both awed at his golden glow.

"So, this is a Super Saiyan," Goten said. "What do you think?"

"It's impressive, but I'm guessing you have more to show."

Goten nodded and powered up once more. A large strand of hair in the front of his head spiked, and electricity danced across his aura. "This is Super Saiyan 2. Personally, I like the look of this one better than a regular Super Saiyan."

"Is this your full power, or is there a Super Saiyan 3 that you have up your sleeve?"

"Only my dad knows how to use Super Saiyan 3, and I'm ninety percent sure he only learned it because he was dead for seven years. It's really stressful on a living body. Oh yeah, I guess I can do it, too, if I fuse with Trunks."

"Your father… was dead?" Rangiku asked. "As in, he was dead for seven years, but now he's alive?"

Toshiro furrowed his brows. "Fusion?"

"Yup," Goten said. "I'll explain those later."

"Since you can't achieve Super Saiyan 3 on your own, I'm guessing this is your full power."

"Nope, I have something better, actually." Goten took a deep breath and then eased into his next transformation. Toshiro and Rangiku gasped at the incredible amount of energy that Goten put forth.

"I infused god Ki into my Super Saiyan 2 form. I named it Pseudo Blue because it's not complete yet."

"It's so strange," Rangiku said. "It's powerful, yet it's so calm. I've never felt anything like it."

"It's incredible," Toshiro said. "You truly are everything the Head Captain said you'd be. Would you mind if I test my strength against yours for a moment?"

Goten nodded, and Rangiku cleared the area. Toshiro drew his Zanpakuto and chanted.

"Ban-kai."

A frosted dragon enveloped his hand; his feet became claws of ice. His back sprouted wings of ice and three flower-like structures with four petals on them appeared behind them.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru."

Goten's mouth parted open. "Woah, so your Zanpakuto controls ice?"

"That's partially correct. I can manipulate all water to become my weapon. In addition, my spiritual pressure increases by tenfold its original amount."

"That's awesome. No wonder you're a captain."

"So, are you ready to spar?"

Goten nodded and summoned his Zanpakuto. He tucked the scabbard into his blue sash and prepared for battle. Toshiro charged at Goten with a flurry of sword strikes, all of which Goten blocked with little effort.

Toshiro backed down and asked, "So, do you plan on attacking me at all?"

"Sure," he said. "I guess this would be a good time to show you my signature technique." Goten thrust his Zanpakuto into the ground and put his hand out in front of him.

"Kaaa," he chanted. His hand cupped by his waist. "Meee..."

"What kind of attack is he charging?" Toshiro asked.

"Haaa... Meee..." A blue beam of energy formed from his palms. "Haaaa!"

Goten shot his Kamehameha wave at Hitsugaya, who stood frozen by the sheer size and magnitude of the beam.

"Bakudo #81, Danku!" He summoned the Kido barrier to protect himself from the blast, but it never impacted. It pass beside him and erased a distant rock formation from existence.

Toshiro's head sank. "Dammit, you knew I couldn't block it. I'm still too weak."

Goten powered down and picked up his Zanpakuto. He tucked it back into its scabbard, then walked over to Toshiro. "You alright?"

"It's so frustrating." Toshiro balled up a fist. "I've spent countless hours training, and yet, I'm still not remotely close to where I need to be. I still can't protect- Dammit!"

Goten absorbed the silence for a few seconds. "Is Aizen the reason you want to get stronger?"

"He hurt someone I care about, and I want to make sure that he never gets the chance to do it again."

"That's a little short-sighted, don't you think?"

Toshiro raised his head and glared at Goten. "What would you know about it, huh?! You come here and look like you don't have a care in the world. What would you know about seeing people close to you get cut down?!"

Goten's expression did not change, to Toshiro's surprise. "For me, they weren't cut down, but I still have my fair share of experiences. A monster turned my mom into an egg and stepped on in front of me, while the rest of my friends turned into candy and got eaten. On the same day, the entire population of the Earth was wiped out in my sleep, and I was too weak to stop it. I was only seven, but it's one of those things that live in the back of your head, ya know?"

Once Toshiro's expression softened, Goten's lips curled into a soft smile. "I guess the reason I don't let it mess with my life is because… I have so much to be grateful for. My mom's alive, my dad's alive, my brother's happy, my best friend is okay…" Goten paused before he extended his hand and smiled. "And I get to come here and make new friends, hopefully."

Toshiro shook Goten's hand. "I guess you have a point."

"You'll get stronger so that you don't have to worry about any enemy, not just Aizen. I'll teach you all my moves, too. I'm still mastering a few of them, but who says we can't learn together?"

"We should address the primary matter at hand. We need to activate your Zanpakuto. After that, I can inform you all about Hyorinmaru."

"Sounds like a plan."

Goten took his Zanpakuto from his sash and handed it to Toshiro. Unbeknownst to both of them, they both emitted a hint of spiritual pressure from their hands, and a bright light emerged from the Zanpakuto. They both screamed as an intense feeling overcame them and the light grew. As it dissipated, Toshiro and Goten looked at the sword, and how it had changed.

"Amazing," Toshiro remarked. "It's an exact copy of Hyorinmaru."

"Wow," Goten said as he inspected the Zanpakuto. "Thanks, Toshiro. This is awesome."

"So, this is where you went off to," a deep voice said from behind.

Goten turned around to the voice that spoke to him. Toshiro looked past Goten and scowled when he saw who had approached them.

"May I help you, Captain Zaraki?" Toshiro asked.

"Sorry for intruding," Kenpachi said. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood when a certain spiritual pressure tickled my fancy." He stopped in front of Goten and smiled. "I'm Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of Squad Eleven."

"I'm Goten," he said. "Nice to meet you."

Kenpachi towered in over Goten with bloodlust. "So, kid, how about it? You and me, right here."

Goten gave Kenpachi an innocent smile. "Sorry, I don't think I can do that, at least not today."

"Hmm? And why is that?"

"Because if we fight, I would probably have to kill you."

Kenpachi laughed, then grinned from ear to ear. "You really think you can kill me?"

Goten nodded. "Mhm, but how about we hold off until we beat Aizen, and then we can-"

"Keeeennnyyyy!" a child-like voice yelled from the distance.

Kenpachi shouted back. "Yachiru! Where did you go?"

Yachiru Kusajishi waved her arms in the air. "Kenny, you said we were gonna get food, and then you disappeared!"

Toshiro smiled. "You better take care of your lieutenant, Captain."

Kenpachi grunted, then faced Goten. "I guess we'll have to settle this another day."

"Sure, I'll look forward to it," Goten said. Kenpachi Zaraki left the two to tend to Yachiru.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone speak to him like that," Hitsugaya said.

"I've noticed him since the captain's meeting. He's pretty intense, but he's not that scary."

"Anyway, I think it's time to get back to the barracks. If you're going to be staying, then you might as well meet the rest of the squad." He lifted his eyes to a nearby cliff. "Rangiku! Let's go!" His voice echoed, but he heard no reply. "Hmph, probably nodded off again."

"Do you wanna prank her?" asked Goten.

"What kind of prank?"

"Hmm. How about I hide and you roll her off the cliff? I'll fly in and catch her once she falls halfway down."

"Wait, you can fly?"

"You can't?"

"Pass me the socket wrench, please?" asked Urahara.

Trunks grabbed the wrench and handed it to Kisuke, who then tightened a bolt in the wall. For the last two days, Kisuke, Tessai, Jinta, and Trunks hustled to construct the gravity chamber in the shop's basement. After leaving his job, Ichigo would meet Rukia to go to Urahara's. However, when Ichigo and Rukia arrived that day, Trunks sat outside on the shop's porch and gulped down water.

"Hey," Ichigo said as they approached. "You're looking a little worn out there, big guy."

"You think so?" Trunks asked. He covered his mouth and yawned. "I guess it's because I haven't slept much in the last three days."

"How about we swap in and take care of the rest of the work? After we're done, we can skip training today and grab something to eat."

"I'm down for the last part, but you guys don't have to do anything. The chamber's done."

"Really? You guys finished that much since yesterday?"

Trunks nodded. "Kisuke's checking over everything now, and then he's gonna run some tests to make sure it doesn't cave in on itself."

"I could be the guinea pig if you're not up for it right now."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll have both of us go in, anyway." Trunks stood up and looked up towards the rooftops in the background. "I should probably go let her know we're done."

"You want me to come with you, you know, as a wingman?" Rukia elbowed a chuckling Ichigo in the arm.

"Haha, hilarious." Trunks rolled his eyes and floated into the air. "I'm just extending an olive branch. This shouldn't be long."

Trunks took to the sky and flew towards the buildings. He landed in the middle of a rooftop and walked towards the front. A short amount had passed since Trunks fumbled his way through their first conversation, but now that he had broken the ice, he felt much more collected when he spoke to her. The captain, however, had not changed her attitude towards him at all.

"New building today, huh?" Trunks asked.

Soi Fon groaned and faced him. "You're becoming very annoying. What do you want now?"

"The gravity chamber's done. We're gonna be running some tests today to make sure it's stable, but if everything works out, it should be fully operational."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Trunks stuck his hands in his pants pocket. "Well, you might as well get stronger while you keep tabs on me. Training at hundreds of times normal gravity can work wonders."

Soi Fon turned away and remained silent. Trunks approached the edge of the building and stood next to her.

He sighed through his nose. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that. Sorry for bothering you." Trunks jumped onto the railing on the edge of the building and turned towards her. "By the way, Yoruichi says hi."

Trunks smiled when Soi Fon gasped and glanced away. He waved his hand, then hopped off the railing and sailed back to Urahara's. Now that she stood alone, she shook the surprise off her face.

After she withdrew from their first encounter, Soi Fon lingered in Karakura Town in case of any suspicious activity Trunks could partake in. When nothing came of it, she prepared to return to the Seireitei. Just as she opened the Senkaimon, she sensed a massive amount of spiritual pressure coming from Urahara's store. Its very existence boggled her mind. Because the source of the power had no familiarity to it, she assumed it to come from Trunks.

In a rare instance, Soi Fon expressed more curiosity than caution. She laid awake at night and tried to theorize how he attained such strength, but figured it'd be better to watch him if she sought to gain insight. However, now that Trunks offered her an opportunity to train like him, she felt conflicted on whether to accept.

She couldn't trust what he said, but if he told the truth, then this would be too good of an opportunity to pass on. She needed more power, especially when Aizen continued to draw breath. He made a fool of her once; he wouldn't get another chance to do it again.

On his way down, a familiar face conversed with Ichigo and Rukia. "Goten!"

"Hey Trunks," Goten said. "You've been here for three days and you fell in love with a captain? Since when did you become such a charmer?"

Trunks rolled his eyes at Ichigo. "That's what you told him?"

Ichigo grinned with his arms crossed. "Hey, 'extending an olive branch' can mean a bunch of things. Sometimes, a couple of minutes is all you need when your olive branch is extended."

Goten and Ichigo burst out in laughter. Even Rukia let a giggle escape her lips.

Trunks gave a fake chuckle. "You've known each other for all of thirty seconds and you're already cracking jokes about me. And you, Rukia. I am ashamed that you're even entertaining this nonsense."

Before they could go on, the door to the shop flung open to reveal Yoruichi at the entrance. "Kisuke's asking that you all come down to the basement."

Goten's eyes bulged. "Trunks, is there something in the water in this universe or…"

"We're not having this conversation," Trunks said.

"I'm just making observations, that's all. Is your new girlfriend shaped like that, too?"

"Shut up."

They all walked in and traveled to the basement. Near the entrance at the bottom of a rock formation, Urahara stood next to a door. The group hopped down and gathered around Urahara. Kisuke introduced himself to Goten, and vice versa.

"With blood, sweat, and tears from Jinta, we have completed the construction of our first gravity chamber," Kisuke said. "We will now begin the testing phase, and since we now have two people who I assume are experienced in intense gravity training, I would ask that you both be the test subjects. You two can spar in there and increase the gravity to your liking."

"Are energy blasts okay in there?" Goten asked.

"Yes, but please don't blow up the room."

Once Trunks and Goten agreed, Urahara opened the door for them to enter. After the entrance sealed, Ichigo and Rukia gathered to watch through the window in the door.

Goten marveled at the chamber. "Wow, it looks just like the one back home."

"Yeah, but we didn't implement voice commands into it, at least not yet." Trunks walked over to the center console and started the machine at 10 G's.

"I'm surprised you built one of these. Three days ago you were talking about how much you hated it."

"With my dad, I do. If I'm gonna be training here, I might as well do it efficiently." Trunks faced Goten and widened his stance. "I'm ready when you are."

Goten lowered his posture and raised his fists. "Let's go." They charged at each other and battled under augmented gravity.

On Beerus' planet, Goku and Vegeta sparred each other in the air under the guidance of Whis. However, a telepathic message interrupted them.

"Goku, Vegeta!" the Supreme Kai called out. "You need to head to Planet Namek right now!"

"Huh?" Goku asked. "What's going on with Namek?"

"The inhabitants… they're all disappearing."

Goku gasped and turned to Whis on the ground. "Whis! Which way is Namek?"

"It's to your right," he said.

Goku searched with two fingers planted on his head. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself. "There!" Once Vegeta grabbed onto his shirt, the two Saiyans teleported away.

They touched down on an island on Namek, but what they saw stunned them. Namekian clothes laid on the ground with no people in sight.

"How is this possible?" Vegeta asked. "They've all been sucked out of their clothes? The only person we know that did something like this was Cell."

"Well, I guess you could compare this to Cell if it would help you understand."

Goku and Vegeta spun around to see who spoke to them. Two men approached, both carrying swords and wearing the same outfits as Grimmjow and his partner. The Saiyans remained on their guard.

A bald, hulking man grinned. "Would you like me to handle these two, my lord?"

The brown-haired man standing next to him held up his hand. "No, Yammy. That won't be necessary. I'd like to speak with them first before we take any hasty actions."

Goku narrowed his eyes. "So, I take it you're the one who's behind all of this?"

The man smiled. "Yes, you're correct. But first, I would like to say that it is an honor to meet both of you. Son Goku and Prince Vegeta the Fourth, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sosuke Aizen."