"It's…"
"Broken…"
A sharp, cracking sound echoed through the air, like a mirror shattering.
"What!?"
All the Shinigami fighting over Karakura Town froze, their expressions changing as they turned toward the giant energy pillar in the southwest.
That pillar was one of the four barrier cores placed at the edges of Karakura Town.
These four pillars were what kept the real Karakura Town hidden—protecting the human world from the destructive effects of their battle.
But now, one of them had been destroyed.
"That's the direction Ikkaku was guarding!" Ayasegawa Yumichika's eyes widened in panic. Without hesitation, he turned and started rushing in that direction to help.
"Wait!" Hisagi Shūhei stepped forward, stopping him with a firm voice.
"Calm down. If the barrier's already broken, it's too late. What good will it do if you go now?"
"Don't give me that!" Yumichika growled, furious. He placed his hand on his Zanpakutō's hilt.
"If you're going to stand in my way, I'll force my way through you!"
Before Yumichika could act, Kira Izuru, standing at a distance, raised his finger and flicked a drop of green liquid toward him.
The moment it touched Yumichika's cheek, he fell unconscious.
"Kira, what the hell—" Shūhei turned toward him, shocked.
"Relax," Kira replied, holding up a small bottle. "It's just a mild sedative. He needs to calm down right now."
But both of their expressions suddenly darkened as they turned toward the broken pillar.
From that direction, a pale green glow began to shine, and the previously hidden Karakura Town slowly started to reappear—no longer protected by the barrier.
Even people on the street were now clearly visible.
"Damn it…" The two captains looked grim.
They knew exactly what this meant. Aizen Sōsuke's plan required the souls of 100,000 humans.
"You really refused to use your full strength, even at the end?"
At the broken pillar, one of Baraggan's five elite subordinates—Chinon Bo—stood over a defeated Madarame Ikkaku, slowly lowering his massive fist.
His Hollow mask rested on his jaw, with two rounded horns sticking out on each side. He was massive, his entire body covered in white robes.
During their fight, Chinon Bo had clearly sensed that Ikkaku was holding back a hidden power.
But even now, Ikkaku still hadn't used it.
Ikkaku, bleeding and struggling, forced himself to his feet. He lifted his broken Zanpakutō, Hōzukimaru, and gave a stubborn grin.
"You think a little beating is enough to take me down, Menos Grande?"
With a roar, he charged again, weapon in hand.
But the power gap was far too wide.
Even though Ikkaku gave it his all, Chinon Bo easily overpowered him and stomped him back into the ground.
Looking down at him, Chinon Bo said calmly:
"If you're still alive, then show me your true strength. Come on, say it. Admit you have a hidden power… or you'll die right here."
Ikkaku cried out in pain under the crushing pressure but still gritted his teeth.
"Don't kid yourself… I don't have any hidden power."
"Is that so?" Chinon Bo sighed. He raised his giant foot again and prepared to crush him completely.
But just then—
BOOM!
A massive blade slashed down, knocking Chinon Bo away.
Standing tall before Ikkaku was Komamura Sajin—the very captain Nanaya once joked was the unit of measurement for strength.
Komamura held his Zanpakutō in both hands and said in a calm, deep voice:
"I'll take over. Fall back."
"Captain Komamura!"
Ikkaku's face lit up with relief—but then quickly twisted into frustration.
"No… I want to be the one to finish that guy off."
"Stop being stubborn. If you keep fighting, you really will die," said Tetsuzaemon Iba, Komamura's lieutenant, with a serious tone.
"Don't waste the captain's time. Come with me, now."
As they spoke, Chinon Bo slowly got up. He tilted his head, eyeing Komamura curiously.
"So you're a captain. Not bad."
Komamura calmly replied:
"I'm Captain of Squad 7. Menos Grande—prepare yourself."
"Hahaha…!" Chinon Bo laughed loudly. He pulled a small sword from his sleeve—a Soul-Slaying Sword that looked like a toothpick in his massive hands.
"Captain or not, you're just a Shinigami. Let me show you what real power looks like."
He raised his Zanpakutō and activated his Resurrection:
"Breathe, Giant Wrist Whale!"
His transformation began. First, his head grew larger, then his arms. The sheer size of him crushed the walls of the surrounding street.
His entire body expanded and reshaped into a semi-oval form, with the texture of a whale's belly stretching from his jaw to his upper limbs.
Now fully transformed, Chinon Bo didn't hesitate.
He raised one massive fist and brought it down with terrifying force—
"BOOM!!"
That punch blew apart two whole streets.
Seeing the destruction, Iba Tetsuzaemon's face grew even more serious. Without wasting time, he grabbed Madarame Ikkaku and dragged him away, ignoring the man's protests.
"If I took a direct hit from that thing, I'd be dead…"
Once the two were gone, Komamura Sajin gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutō tightly and declared:
"Bankai."
"Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"(Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King!)
The towering, armored giant god appeared behind him once again—massive, and equal in size to the monstrous whale-form of Chinon Bo. Now, two colossal beings faced off in the middle of Karakura Town.
Every Shinigami and Hollow nearby turned their attention to the battle between the giants.
Komamura swung his blade, and the giant god behind him mimicked the motion. The swing was so powerful it split the clouds overhead.
Chinon Bo didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his huge fist and struck directly at the sword of the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King.
BOOM!
The blow landed with a deafening crash.
Chinon Bo—still in his giant whale form—was thrown backward by the force. A massive wound opened up on his arm.
"H-How… how is this possible?" he muttered in disbelief, staring at Komamura.
He had believed that Shinigami were weaklings—especially after defeating someone like Ikkaku, who had likely already used his Bankai.
He never imagined Komamura would take him down with just one strike.
Komamura slowly raised his blade again. A memory of Nanaya flashed through his mind.
"After being defeated by a human so many times… I've gotten stronger, too."
He swung his sword again.
Just as it was about to land—
"DIA!!"
A massive hand grabbed the blade mid-swing.
The newcomer: Yammy Llargo, an Arrancar Menos Grande who had never appeared in the original Karakura battle.
He radiated intense red Reiatsu, gripping the blade of the Heavenly Punishment King with a single hand. Blood dripped from his palm, but he didn't seem to care.
Laughing wildly, he shouted:
"Interesting! I love fighting big guys like you. Forget that loser—come fight me instead!"
Komamura's expression tightened. He stared at Yammy's hand in shock.
"He caught the old man's sword… with just one hand!?"
Yammy laughed louder, his spiritual pressure growing stronger by the second. His voice boomed across the battlefield:
"Shinigami! Lord Aizen said this battle is important, so even though I hate to admit it… I'll end this fast!"
His body began to change.
Thick legs sprouted from his lower half—twelve in total—and a long tail grew from his back.
Looking closely, his Espada tattoo had changed—from 10 to 0.
When Komamura saw the number, his eyes widened in disbelief. His pupils dilated as he muttered:
"Espada… You're the strongest Menos Grande?"
"That's right!!!" Yammy roared. "This is my Resurrección. Listen up!"
"Get furious—Ira!"
As his voice echoed, all twelve legs stomped the ground at once. He charged forward, straight at the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King, and slammed into it.
BOOM!
The same towering god that had just overpowered Chinon Bo was now sent flying in nearly the same fashion.
Komamura's expression turned grim. He raised his sword again, commanding the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King into a fierce clash with Yammy.
The battle between them shook the entire area.
Because of their sheer size, every blow they exchanged destroyed dozens of city blocks.
High-rise buildings were flattened like paper. Streets were torn apart. Craters appeared with every hit.
All the Shinigami and Hollows nearby watched in awe and fear.
This was the most brutal clash between a Gotei 13 captain and an Espada they had ever witnessed.
After a prolonged, intense fight, both giants were covered in wounds.
But strangely, the more Yammy bled, the angrier he became. And the angrier he got, the faster his Reiatsu continued to grow.
Finally, as that pressure reached a terrifying peak—
Yammy let out a thunderous roar that echoed across the battlefield.
His body transformed again.
Two white bone-like spikes shot out from the back of his head. A black, armored spike grew from his tail, resembling that of a prehistoric beast.
Then, with one more devastating punch—
CRASH!
The Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King shattered into pieces.
In that moment, every Shinigami nearby felt their hearts sink.
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