CHAPTER 67: The Shark Queen

Mila Rose felt Apacci's Reiatsu spike in the midst of her mock battle with Cirucci. She halted abruptly, signaling Cirucci to cease as well. "Absurd."

Cirucci cast an envious glance at Apacci. "She has surpassed both of us."

"You mentioned Baraggan having a cult, right?"

"Yeah. They'll try to avenge their leader when they find out Baraggan is dead."

A wicked grin split Mila Rose's face, revealing her sharp, predatory fangs. "Not if I devour them first. We're storming the doors of Las Noches when we return to Hueco Mundo!"

The ferocious lioness set her eye on the poor Hollows under Baraggan, intending to use them as fuel for her growth. Harribel wouldn't be able to say anything if those Hollows attacked Mila Rose first during her tour to Las Noches.

'My plan is impeccable.'

Cirucci's eyes widened at the audacious plan. Entering Las Noches also meant a potential encounter with Szayel. She was unsure if her heart was prepared for his smug grin. "I think I'll sit this one out…"

"Stop being a pussy. I'll protect you."

"...Okay."

The goth Arrancar changed her mind at Mila Rose's insistence.

'Kazuya wouldn't let me die, right…?'

…

Harribel approached Apacci and patted her back with her sword arm. "I don't plan on stagnating… Kazuya, do me."

"Oh my. You should ask us to leave before giving him an order like that~," Kisuke said as he winked at Kazuya. "You struck gold, Kazuya-san."

The chance of a man having multiple partners — a harem — was highest in the Hollow race since their race mostly followed the law of the jungle. He had hardly seen a man having a harem outside of the noble families of the Seireitei.

Kazuya smiled. "Isn't it natural to fully enjoy my life after my death?"

"I wasn't the only one who saw this as a harem gathering," Yoruichi added, her golden eyes glinting with mischief. "This kid went from a side mob to a main character. This is shitty writing I expect from teenagers, not the gods sitting in high heavens."

"Gods aren't real, Shihōin-san," he said. "Even the one ruling over the Soul Society is a husk."

Kisuke narrowed his eyes. "You know about that too."

"Yup."

Yoruichi pawed Kisuke's face. "What did he mean?"

"I can't tell you now."

"Stop hiding things from your childhood friend!"

Kazuya fiddled with the Hōgyoku and looked at the tomboy who kept clinging to him. "Apacci, how about we cuddle during the night?"

"You heartless goose, I'm naked… Do you want everyone to see my private parts?"

She told a convincing lie to cover up her ulterior motive of feeling his warmth — a skill she completely learned from him.

Leaning closer to her, Kazuya whispered in her ear, "This body is mine. I won't let anyone else defile it with their lustful gazes."

"Excuse me, I feel like you're calling me out!" Kisuke jested. "Yoruichi-san, I feel like we should leave."

"I kinda have that feeling too."

The black cat and the merchant felt awkward but they couldn't leave before retrieving the Hōgyoku.

Kazuya held Apacci close and started Harribel's transformation process. As the blinding light enveloped her, the surrounding moisture coalesced and rushed towards her, forming a massive, heart-shaped cocoon that lifted her into the air.

Kisuke's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh no, she will flood my poor shop!"

With Yoruichi sitting on his hat, he rushed up the ladder, stopping halfway along its height. He found the current the safest location to protect him from a flood.

Yoruichi, meanwhile, watched Harribel's transformation with intense interest. "This woman embodies the phrase 'Still waters run deep.' The heart shape must represent her emotions."

She tried to decipher the symbolism behind Harribel's transformation with the information at her hand. Speculation was all she could do.

Kisuke shrugged. "It could be anything."

Meanwhile, Kazuya floated a safe distance away from Harribel's water cocoon, holding Apacci securely in his arms. "Harribel sure knows how to leave a lasting impression."

"She wouldn't be your mommy if she didn't do your way… the flashy way."

"How do you know about our secret relationship?"

"It's not a secret anymore. Harribel confessed she treats you like her son."

"Huh? When did that happen?"

"Sometime ago. Oh, she is here."

Suddenly, the tip of a white blade pierced through the cocoon, slicing it in half. As the water splashed down in a massive wave, Harribel emerged, levitating in mid-air. Her expression was as serene and cold as the deepest ocean depths.

Gripping her Zanpakutō, she held it up, examining it with a focused gaze. "This power... it should be enough to make my dream a reality."

Kazuya observed Harribel's transformation with a smile. Her Resurrección form had revealed her gorgeous face, adding two lightning bolt tattoos on either side of her face. Her golden hair was just as wild as it was in her Vasto Lorde form.

Her Hollow Mask had evolved into a fascinating form, with a bone collar encircling her neck and extending to cover her chest. Additional bone structures appeared on her shoulders, resembling shark fins. A spine-like formation ran down her stomach, and she now wore a bone mini-skirt and knee-high white boots. (Check paragraph comment)

Her Zanpakutō had morphed into a large gauntlet that resembled a giant shark's tooth, marked with three gill-like lines.

Unlike Apacci, he couldn't spot any differences in Harribel from her canon version.

'Strange. I thought her personality shift was just as big as Apacci.'

As she turned to him, her features softened, her lips curling into a soft smile. "Kazuya, I wish we had the Hōgyoku for your transformation. You would have avoided so much agony."

Rather than reveling in her new power, Harribel was lamenting the agony Kazuya had endured during his own transformation, which had been a much more grueling process without the Hōgyoku.

Kazuya shrugged off her concern with a grin. "No point worrying about it now. By the way, you're looking pretty deadly right now."

She looked at herself, as though observing her physical changes. She had shed her bone armor, which had become redundant after gaining Hierro, the defensive skill of Arrancars. The sensation of the air against her bare skin was actually quite refreshing.

A hint of excitement flickered in her eyes. "I want to test my new abilities. Will you spar with me?"

Kazuya knew a small spar between could lead to hour-long battles, especially since they both were considerably stronger compared to their last spar. "Let's do that after I get you all some clothes."

He wanted them to take the time to appreciate and adjust to their new forms, particularly Apacci, who experienced a rough time lately.

Harribel narrowed her eyes. "I don't need clothes. I have…" She trailed off, placing a hand on her chest and closing her eyes in concentration.

A thin layer of water emerged from the gills on her Zanpakutō and enveloped her in a smaller version of her heart cocoon.

When the water subsided, it revealed a significant change in Harribel's appearance.

Her blonde hair was now elegantly tied in a relaxed ponytail, and she wore a crown featuring four horns. A translucent veil covered her mouth, unlike her vicious mask in the original canon. For attire, she was dressed in a pristine white coat trimmed with black fur, draped over a revealing, high-collared white top. A grand cape of white with a royal purple interior cascaded from her shoulders, the base decorated with black fur. Her outfit was completed with loose white pants cinched with a water droplet-shaped golden belt accessory. (Check paragraph comment)

Harribel's aura was commanding and demanded awe and respect, making her seem every bit the regal queen. Yet, there was a wild edge to her persona, a queen who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

Her Zanpakutō hanging by her waist followed her regal appearance. While the blade retained its unique shape from the anime, it was no longer hollow in the center. The purple Zanpakutō with a massive hilt seemed like a broadsword when seen from afar.

'It'd make sense if she became more mother-like, but she turned into a queen.''

He understood her inclination to remove her iconic mask since it made her seem more Hollow than a human. However, the rest of her aesthetic changes went over his head.

'Shark Mommy transcended to Shark Queen Mommy.'

Apacci's pinch at his waist snapped him from his thoughts. "Stop staring at her."

"It's natural to admire beauty."

Pulling down her veil, Harribel offered a soft smile. "I didn't expect these kinds of clothes."

"Neither did I," he whispered. "It's like an exclusive perk for Vasto Lorde Arrancars."

Some Arrancars gained clothes in their Resurrección form but only Kazuya, Harribel, and perhaps Baraggan gained new spiritual clothes in their base Arrancar form.

***

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