User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 637 - BABY, HOLD YOUR HAND/@comment-24726378-20150730092918/@comment-8669536-20150730103319

Well, someone else came up with the theory that Pernida is an actual Quincy having done something similar to Ukitake. Supposing that would be true, I would theorise Pernida still had some of its original body when they came up to the palace but it has since changed completely into the hand.