Yoruichi Shihoin had never been particularly fond of sitting still.
Even before abandoning her position as captain of the Second Division and commander of the Onmitsukido, she had preferred action to paperwork. Years of experience had only reinforced that preference. There was a certain satisfaction in moving through the world unseen, discovering what others desperately wanted to conceal, and returning with information that could change the course of an entire conflict. It was a skill she had cultivated long before her departure from Soul Society, and one she had never allowed to grow rusty.
The Nexus Guild offered her a new outlet for those talents.
Unlike the assignments she had once undertaken for the Gotei 13, Nexus missions could take her far beyond the boundaries of the Soul Society. Each world had its own rules, powers, conflicts, and secrets. Some assignments demanded overwhelming strength, while others rewarded patience, ingenuity, and the ability to recognize a lie hidden beneath several layers of truth. Yoruichi found the latter considerably more entertaining than most people expected.
She had come to the guild hall that day looking for another mission.
Baron Nash, the Guild Master responsible for the Bleach World assignment, was seated at a table when she arrived. Several documents lay before him, though he appeared to be studying one particular sheet rather than the collection as a whole. He looked up when Yoruichi approached and gestured toward the empty seat opposite him.
"So you want another mission?" he asked.
Yoruichi sat down and leaned back comfortably. "Is that a problem? I thought the guild was supposed to encourage its members to take missions."
"It does. I was simply wondering how long you intended to remain in the guild hall before becoming bored enough to cause trouble."
"That depends on how entertaining the trouble would be."
Nash gave her a measured look. He had known her long enough through the guild to understand that this was not an idle boast. Yoruichi had a talent for finding amusement in circumstances that left other people exhausted, irritated, or thoroughly humiliated. Fortunately, she also knew when to take a task seriously.
He slid a document across the table.
"I have a mission that I think would suit you particularly well."
Yoruichi's expression brightened with interest. "You have my attention."
"Read it first. Then you can decide whether you agree with my assessment."
She picked up the sheet and began reading.
Mission: The Secrets of the Blood Tavern
Commissioned By: Donquixote Doflamingo, Nexus Guild Member.
Details: Investigate Drug Peclo and his business operations, with particular emphasis on the organization known as the Blood Tavern. Obtain comprehensive intelligence concerning the Tavern's organizational structure, personnel, information-gathering methods, network of intermediaries, assassination-contract brokerage, financial operations, and relationships with influential individuals and organizations. Determine how information moves through the network, how contracts are negotiated and executed, and what safeguards protect its operations. Investigate Drug Peclo's movements, habits, security arrangements, and personal connections.
Requirement: The mission demands exceptional stealth, observation, infiltration, and intelligence analysis. Information must be verified wherever possible, with particular attention paid to distinguishing reliable intelligence from deliberate misinformation. The final report should provide a detailed account of the Blood Tavern's operations and identify its most important assets, personnel, vulnerabilities, and connections.
Duration: No fixed deadline. The mission concludes upon submission and acceptance of the final report.
Restrictions: The destruction of the Blood Tavern and the disruption of its operations are not mission objectives. The mission is strictly intelligence gathering, violence and altering the enemy will be considered mission failure.
Reward: Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Thunder Cat.
Yoruichi read the final line twice.
Then she lowered the sheet and looked at Nash.
"A Devil Fruit?"
"Correct."
"Okay. Since it is an espionage mission, I need some more details." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Who exactly is Drug Peclo, and why does Doflamingo want to know so much about his business?"
"Drug Peclo is an influential figure in the underworld of the world where this mission takes place. His business interests extend beyond ordinary commerce, but the Blood Tavern is the part that matters most for this assignment. It operates as an intelligence network and a broker for assassination contracts. Its value lies not merely in the money it earns, but in the information it collects, the connections it maintains, and the services it can arrange."
Yoruichi's expression became more attentive.
An organization capable of gathering information on influential people, tracking movements, and arranging assassinations was rarely just a business. Such an organization could become a weapon in the hands of whoever controlled it. Its members might never command an army or occupy a throne, yet their knowledge could determine which people rose to power, which alliances collapsed, and which individuals disappeared before they became dangerous.
"An information network with an assassination service attached," she said.
"Precisely. Its clients have reasons to value discretion, and its intermediaries have reasons to protect the network. The Blood Tavern has endured because it offers services that are difficult to replace and because its operations are not concentrated in a single location."
"So killing Peclo would not necessarily destroy it."
"That is one of the reasons the commissioner wants a thorough investigation rather than a simple elimination. Without understanding how the organization works, removing its leader might accomplish very little. Another person could inherit his position, or the network could fragment into several smaller groups. Either outcome might leave its most valuable assets intact."
Yoruichi glanced down at the mission sheet again. The assignment was more interesting than it had initially appeared. She had expected an investigation into a criminal organization to involve locating its headquarters, identifying its important members, and determining how it conducted business. This mission demanded something more comprehensive. She would need to understand the relationships that held the network together, the channels through which information passed, and the precautions that allowed its members to operate without exposing themselves.
In other words, she would have to learn how the Blood Tavern thought.
"How much does Doflamingo already know?" she asked.
"Not enough to make a reliable assessment of its internal structure. That is what he is paying the guild to obtain."
"And what does he intend to do with the information?"
Nash did not answer immediately.
"The mission does not require you to determine his ultimate plans. Your responsibility is to collect accurate intelligence and deliver your report. You should, however, understand that the commissioner is an influential underworld figure with interests of his own. You are not being asked to trust him, and you should not confuse a commission with an endorsement."
Yoruichi lifted the mission sheet again. "Tell me about the Thunder Cat."
Baron Nash appeared satisfied that she had asked.
"The Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Thunder Cat, is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. It grants its user the ability to transform into a thunder-associated feline and a hybrid form combining human and feline characteristics. Like other Zoans, it enhances the user's physical attributes, including strength, speed, agility, and resilience. Its particular advantage is its relationship with electricity. The fruit allows its user to generate and manipulate electrical energy, making it useful for both close combat and certain forms of ranged attack."
"Electricity, increased physical ability, and a feline transformation." Yoruichi considered the combination. "Someone certainly had a particular kind of fighter in mind when they created that fruit."
"The fruit's potential depends on the person who consumes it. Its abilities are not a substitute for skill, nor does possessing it automatically make someone a superior fighter. But a capable user could develop a formidable combination of speed, physical power, and electrical attacks."