Zaraki Division's Secret Story! The Lucky Men

'''Zaraki Division's Secret Story! The Lucky Men''' is the one-hundred-nineteenth episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: March 21, 2007
 * English Airdate: May 23, 2009
 * Opening Song: Rolling Star
 * Ending Song: Sakura Biyori
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 206.
 * Kanji: 更木隊秘話！ツイている男たち
 * Romaji: "Zaraki tai hiwa! Tsuite iru otokotachi"
 * Arc: The Arrancar arc

Summary
Many years ago, Ikkaku Madarame had wandered around the Soul Society fighting thugs and feeling that he did not have a place where he belonged. Fighting and pain were the only truths for him. On one particular day, accompanied by Yumichika Ayasegawa, he had been looking for someone strong to fight when he had encountered a young girl who told him that he should go home because “Ken-chan” was in a good mood. Ikkaku had then been faced with Kenpachi Zaraki’s imposing figure, and neither man was willing to back down from the fight. Zaraki started the battle with a charge followed by a series of strong attacks that keep Ikkaku on the defensive. Both of them had found great fun in the fight, but Ikkaku was the one who was thoroughly beaten by the end.

As he struggled on the ground as Zaraki walked away, Ikkaku had questioned why Zaraki did not finish him off and demanded that he himself be killed. Hearing this, Zaraki had grabbed Ikkaku and made it clear that he should not be begging to be killed. Zaraki felt that Ikkaku should not want to die because he was defeated, but rather he should admit defeat only after he dies. He should live, think about killing the person who did not kill him, and then go after Zaraki again. As Zaraki started to walk off again, Ikkaku asked for his name, and Zaraki had said that he was Zaraki’s Kenpachi (Zaraki’s strongest person).

Ready to go to hell if Zaraki is there, Ikkaku and Yumichika joined the Shinigami and were present when Zaraki explained to his new 11th Division that he wanted strength out of his men - people who could fight. Now on the same side, the two were involved in one particular battle against a tough Hollow. Zaraki had cut it to pieces, but several more rose up where the first had fallen. Yachiru then suggested a competition to see who could cut the most Hollow tails, and all of them had happily participated.

Sometime later that Ikkaku was approached by Renji Abarai who asked to be taught to fight. Renji got beat left and right in the training that followed, but he wanted to keep going. When Ikkaku asked Renji why he wanted to become strong, Renji had replied that there was someone he wanted to surpass. The two eventually got to the point where Ikkaku had taught Renji everything he knew and their training ended. Renji had known that Ikkaku had achieved Bankai and had wanted to see it. Because Renji had questioned why he did not use it, Ikkaku had claimed that it was his style. He then went on to reveal to Renji his full name and explained how it is a courtesy to give your name to the person you are going to defeat. Despite achieving Bankai, Ikkaku refused to put himself forward for a captain promotion after Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen left. He explained that did not want other people to know he had Bankai so that no one else would ask him to be a captain. The reason was because if he became a captain, then he could not fight under Zaraki any more. Ikkaku’s only wish was to fight and die under Zaraki.

Back in the present, Ikkaku’s blade falls to the ground and he tumbles down soon after. The Arrancar Edrad Liones, who had a huge chunk of his body taken out by Ikkaku’s attack, expresses how glad he is to have heard Ikkaku’s name, but then he falls from the sky and crashed into the ground. Still alive, Ikkaku struggles back up and finds Yumichika standing over him. Yumichika says that he had thought that Ikkaku would live, and Ikkaku replies that he was really lucky today.