One Hit Kill, Suì-Fēng, Bankai!

One Hit Kill, Soifon, Bankai! is the two hundred and seventy-sixth episode of the Bleach anime.

Statistics

 * Original Airdate: June 22nd, 2010
 * English Airdate:
 * Opening Song: ChAngE
 * Ending Song: Stay Beautiful
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 358, Chapter 359, Chapter 360
 * Kanji: 一撃決殺、砕蜂、卍解！
 * Romaji: "Ichigeki kessatsu, Soifon, bankai!"
 * Arc: The Fake Karakura Town arc

Summary
Baraggan Luisenbarn, Soifon and Marechiyo Ōmaeda are watching the Respira's effect on Soifon's severed left arm. When the flesh and bone disintegrate into nothing, Baraggan remarks sarcastically that it's amusing to find that Shinigami are afraid of death. Ōmaeda leans close to Soifon to ask her if she's alright, but she backs away, ordering him to stay away because he makes her sick. Ōmaeda ponders that while he's seen his share of opponents, Baraggan is by far the most dangerous, even more so than Aizen. They can't get near enough to attack or hope to defeat him, and since his Respira caught up with Soifon, there is no one in the Gotei 13 that can outrun him. Soifon reminds her lieutenant that he said it was his duty to assist her. Ōmaeda acknowledges that, saying it's obvious it will take both of them to win. Soifon tells him he must fight Baraggan on his own for a while. Ōmaeda protests, saying he couldn't possibly fight Baraggan alone. Baraggan grows tired of waiting and threatens to attack unless they come at him. Ōmaeda takes this as proof that they should fight him together, but Soifon departs, warning Ōmaeda to make sure not to let his right hand get hit, so that he'll be able to cut off any part affected by Respira. She then uses Shunpo to leave the battlefield, leaving Ōmaeda to face Baraggan.

In a nearby part of fake Karakura Shunsui Kyōraku is concerned mostly with dodging Starrk's Ceros. Starrk tells him he won't get closer to winning by constantly running away. Kyōraku responds with a surprise attack, which Starrk blocks and fires another Cero, which Kyōraku once again dodges. Starrk reminds him of his promise to raise the level of the battle if he used his Cero, demanding to see Kyōraku's Bankai, but Kyōraku tells him he would like to see his Resurrección before he considers increasing his own level. Hearing this, Starrk remarks that the captain is quite a relaxed character, Kyōraku responds as he attacks that the Espada is the same. As he blocks, Starrk's attention is drawn to a skirmish going down on a rooftop beneath them, where his Fracción, Llynette, is trying to retrieve her Zanpakutō, taken from her by Jūshirō Ukitake. The captain eggs the young Fracción to attack, only to dodge and trip her at the last second every time she charges. Kyōraku assures Starrk that Ukitake won't harm Lilynette, but the Espada insists that this does not concern him. He attacks again, prompting Kyōraku to block and respond, pushing Starrk back. Kyōraku admits he doesn't fully understand the relationship between Espada and Fracción, but says at the very least Arrancar and Shinigami have the same feelings when their subordinates die. He tells Starrk he believes if Lilynette were in real peril, he wouldn't be able to remain as calm as he is. Starrk asks if Kyōraku is threatening to kill Lilynette, but the Captain calms him down. As Kyōraku's attention is focused on the roof, Starrk suddenly begins to rapidly shift around with Sonído. Kyōraku is surprised but manages to connect with Starrk's uniform, cutting his cape off. However, the Espada surprises him by appearing below him and launching a Cero.

Ōmaeda is at a loss as he is facing Baraggan. Baraggan taunts him, but Ōmaeda refuses to bite, realizing he has to keep a distance between himself and the Espada if he hopes to live on. He turns his back on his opponent and flees to the street level, lamenting his captain's decision to let him fight alone. Baraggan follows closely behind, asking the lieutenant to at least make it interesting for him. When he reaches the ground Ōmaeda turns back and faces Baraggan, although he has no game plan. As the Espada descends to face him, Ōmaeda decides to throw caution to the wind and releases his Gegetsuburi to attack. Baraggan tells Ōmaeda he must wish his Zanpakutō to rot away. Seeing in his mind's eye his flail rotting into nothing, Ōmaeda has a change of heart and he switches the focus of his attack to a nearby building, bringing a shower of debris down on his own head. Baraggan mockingly asks if he was trying to kill himself, but Ōmaeda replies that he was merely warming up but miscalculated the strength of his attack.

Ōmaeda's misfortune, however gives him an idea and he turns back again to implement it straight away. Ōmaeda surrounds the building, hiding in an alley behind Baraggan. He uses Gegetsuburi to launch pieces of concrete from the building's wall at Baraggan; this attack fails since the concrete dissolves as it approaches Baraggan. The Espada commends Ōmaeda on his idea to attack using other objects, but says such an attack is futile. Ōmaeda isn't deterred and uses his flail to scrape glass off the front of an office building. The glass has the same effect as the concrete, and Baraggan tells him again that this line of attack will be useless, but Ōmaeda claims he knew from the start those attacks won't have any effect and uses Gegetsuburi to topple an entire building on Baraggan's head. Ōmaeda emerges from the rubble scuffed but unharmed. He believes this would buy him some time to come up with a good plan, but as he is about to leave, he hears Baraggan laughing. Baraggan tells him 'buying time' won't do him any good against him, as his powers grant him control over time. He says the time has come for Ōmaeda to suffer the dying breath, Respira.

Lilynette charges at Ukitake, but when he effortlessly dodges her attack, she lies on her back frustrated and listens to him. Ukitake tells her she must face the reality, that she cannot even take back her sword from him. He says even if the Fracción have infinite loyalty to their Espada masters, it is no reason for her to get herself killed needlessly. Lilynette objects to the captain's preachy attitude, referring to him as an 'old fart', to which Ukitake takes offense, asking her to address him properly. Lilynette replies that she doesn't know what loyalty means or what the relationships between other Espada and Fracción are, but Starrk and herself are not the same. Kyōraku is unharmed by Starrk's Cero, except for a slight charring on his Kimono, over his left shoulder. He tells Starrk that he registered his unusual response when he believed Lilynette was in trouble. Starrk replies that such a cheap taunt is beneath Kyōraku, and won't bring him closer to his goal. Kyōraku however insists that Starrk's relationship with Lilynette seems different from those of other Espada and their Fracción. Starrk replies that he sees no connection between this point and their fight, unless the captain intends to win by dwelling on it. Kyōraku says he isn't sure, but he thinks this might be the key to victory over Starrk. Stark says Kyōraku will soon find out, if he finds him worthy.

Ōmaeda does his best to avoid Baragga's Respira, until he smashes into a building and climbs on its side to take shelter around its corner. Thinking he is safe, Ōmaeda stops to take a breath, but is forced to move again when Baraggan destroys the entire building he was hiding behind. Baraggan tells the lieutenant that if he hides, all Baraggan has to do is destroy all of his hiding places. If this happens he is bound to find out eventually where Soifon is hiding. Ōmaeda sees no other alternative other than running at this point, but wishes his captain would come out of hiding already. As he is running, Ōmaeda laments the fact that his Zanpakutō isn't a Kidō type, which would enable him to attack from a distance; but once again this gives him an idea: he could reach Baraggan using Kidō. Ōmaeda stops and tries a 21 level Bakudō, Sekienton to slow Baraggan down and confuse him, but the spell blasts in his face, leaving him worst off than when he started. He resumes his escape as he is reminded that he was never any good at Kidō. Seeing his death approaching fast, Ōmaeda cries out in despair for his captain to save him.

Soifon hears her lieutenant's cry from her hiding place in an alley; she curses Ōmaeda's ineptitude, but decides she's ready to make her move nonetheless. Baraggan says Ōmaeda no longer amuses him, even though he allows him to run free. He decides to end the battle and pulls out his Gran Caída, telling Ōmaeda it is a Guillotine that's too good for him. As he is about to make use of it, Soifon's voice is heard calling for Bankai and a blue surge of energy erupts towards the sky. Intrigued by this development, Baraggan stays his attack. Soifon climbs slowly up the fire escape stairs, dragging with her something so heavy it leaves a dent in every step. As she reaches the top, Soifon's Bankai, Jakuhō Raikōben is revealed to be a huge weapon, strapped to her right arm. Ōmaeda notes that even he, her lieutenant, is seeing her Bankai for the first time. He asks himself how she could fight with such a huge instrument, and then notices she has a ginjotan, a steel sash worn under armors, strapped around her waist; something as heavy as this could slow down even someone as swift as Soifon. Soifon says she wanted to avoid using her Bankai if possible. It offends her pride as the head of the Onmitsukidō as it is too big to hide with, too bulky to carry around and its attack is far too flashy to be called 'an assassination'. With those words, she aims the weapon at Baraggan and fires. Soifon's Bankai is an enormous rocket launcher! The power of the launch causes Soifon's legs to pin into the concrete roof. The projectile makes its way towards the surprised Baraggan and explodes with such force that fire engulfs the sky above fake Karakura.

Shinigami Illustrated Picture Book
Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu are busy doing administrative work at the 13th Division's HQ in Seireitei. Kiyone wonders aloud how their captain is doing and Sentarō raises the notion that they both should be fighting at Ukitake's side. Kiyone agrees and Sentarō runs off to prepare for batlle. While she waits, Kiyone begins to imagine Ukitake's possible fates, moving from bad to the worst case scenario in a matter of seconds, but all she can focus on is how dashing the captain looks. And so, when Sentarō returns all geared up for battle, Kiyone is taking out her camera.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Baraggan Luisenbarn
 * 2) Soifon
 * 3) Marechiyo Ōmaeda
 * 4) Shunsui Kyōraku
 * 5) Coyote Starrk
 * 6) Lilynette Gingerback
 * 7) Jūshirō Ukitake
 * 8) Izuru Kira (flashback)
 * 9) Avirama Redder (flashback)
 * 10) Findor Carias (flashback)
 * 11) Charlotte Cuuhlhourne (flashback)
 * 12) Nirgge Parduoc (flashback)
 * 13) Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (flashback)
 * 14) Mila-Rose (flashback)
 * 15) Sun-Sun (flashback)
 * 16) Apache (flashback)
 * 17) Tia Harribel (flashback)

Fights

 * Shunsui Kyōraku & Jūshirō Ukitake vs. Coyote Starrk
 * Soifon & Marechiyo Ōmaeda vs. Baraggan Luisenbarn

Powers and Techniques Used
Kidō used:  Techniques used: Shinigami techniques: Hollow techniques: Zanpakutō released
 * Bakudō #21
 * (flashback)

Shikai: Bankai: Resurrección used:
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