Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Maki Ichinose is the fight between former 11th Division member, Maki Ichinose against his former captain, Kenpachi Zaraki. It is the battle that occurs as Ichinose tries to hold back and finish off the Shinigami sent to the Bounts' location while Jin Kariya attacks the Seireitei.
Prelude
As the Bounts prepared to enter Soul Society, Ichinose was present and helping the Bounts when they were trying to activate the world-connecting gate[1]. After Uryū Ishida arrived and used his Quincy powers to activate the gate, Ichinose followed the Bounts through the gate and into Soul Society.[2]While in Soul Society Ichinose, Gō Koga and Kariya talk with Tōba in an attempt to recruit some people from Kusajishi to help them in stopping the Soul Society.[3] The people are initially skeptical, but Koga and Ichinose are able to eventually convince them in helping them in their cause.[4] Ichinose and Tōba later talk about how large a gathering has come and Ichinose remarks that there is a great dislike of Seireitei in the area. Kariya later comes back after battling Captain Byakuya Kuchiki to help promote the cause of the Bounts and Ichinose tells him that he sent the other Bounts to observe Seireitei.[5]
Ichinose clashes with Hitsugaya.
Soon several Shinigami begin to head towards the location of Ichinose and the Bounts. As Koga tells Kariya that the preparations for attacking Seireitei are coming along nicely, Ichinose appears informing Kariya that several captain-level Shinigami are heading towards them. Ichinose requests that he stays behind and finish them off. Kariya allows it since things would be much easier if he took care of those Shinigami now and so Kariya takes the followers from Kusajishi and attack Seireitei. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya eventually reaches where the Bounts were and is confronted by a lone Ichinose. Hitsugaya asks him where the Bounts are, but he doesn't answer and the two of them prepare to battle. As they fight, Hitsugaya asks Ichinose why he is helping the Bounts when he's so skilled. Ichinose states that he saw justice in Kariya's beliefs. Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, Renji Abarai, Rangiku Matsumoto, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Ganju Shiba suddenly appear at the battle, along with the Kusajishi Bulls. As all of them talk with each other, Hitsugaya wonders why the Bounts aren't there. Sado states that one of the Bounts has the ability to manipulate dimensions. Ichinose tells them that they're too late, as Kariya and the others are already on their way to Seireitei.[6]
Battle
Hitsugaya accidentally clashes with Renji.
Maki releasing his spiritual energy.
Hitsugaya asks Ichinose how he can be so confident against so many people, and then tells Rangiku to head back to Seireitei. Rangiku agrees, and tells Renji to come with her as well. However, Ichinose doesn't allow them to leave and he releases his Zanpakutō, Nijigasumi, causing a bright light to form around him. Hitsugaya goes to attack Ichinose, but the person he attacks is revealed to be an illusion, and soon everyone around him disappears from his sight. Hitsugaya suddenly notices Ichinose again, and the two of them clash swords, but Ichinose suddenly turns into Renji, and the both of them are confused. Hitsugaya suddenly yells for everyone to stop moving as they might end up attacking each other, and Hitsugaya wonders if this is Ichinose's power. Ichinose suddenly speaks to them, and explains about his Zanpakutō's abilities letting him create an illusion with the light. The group realizes that despite Ichinose being a Shinigami, they can't sense his Reiatsu, and they wonder the reason why.[7]
Kenpachi appears and breaks the technique.
Rangiku is suddenly attacked by Ichinose, and Renji tells Hitsugaya that if they don't do something soon they'll all be defeated. Ichinose then goes to attack Sado, but his Zanpakutō is blocked by Kenpachi Zaraki, causing the illusion from the light to break. Uryū remarks that Kenpachi was able to break Ichinose's Reiatsu with just his own Reiatsu, and he states that Kenpachi is incredible. Renji tells Kenpachi that the Bounts are heading towards Seireitei, but that Ichinose has been getting in their way. However, Kenpachi tells Ichinose that if he wants to stop everyone from reaching Seireitei, then he won't stop him. Hitsugaya is shocked from this, but Kenpachi goes on to say that he'll fight Ichinose personally if he lets everyone go through, and he asks Ichinose what he's going to do. Ichinose thinks to himself that if he wants to support Kariya, he must stop the larger group of Shinigami. However, in the end he decides to fight against Kenpachi and he apologizes to Kariya.[7]
As the others head out towards Seireitei, Ichinose begins battling Kenpachi, but he is unable to gain the upper hand against the captain. Ichinose then envelops Kenpachi in light and uses the shadows to attack him. However, Kenpachi appears from the attack unharmed, and he tells Ichinose that he's going to finish this battle. However, Ichinose decides to get serious and he uses Saigyoku Nijigasumi, which causes his blade to become a different color. Ichinose begins attacking more fiercely now, and he is able to injure Kenpachi, but Kenpachi simply smiles at this. Ichinose begins to get angered and he asks Kenpachi how he was able to become a captain of the Gotei 13, despite his personality going against their ideals, and he begins questioning Kenpachi as to why he fights. As the two clash swords again, Kenpachi simply says that he fights because it's interesting, and that he needs no other reason. Ichinose tells Kenpachi that he has doubts about how Soul Society is run, and that he is putting everything on the line for Kariya, who shares his ideals, but Kenpachi tells him that if he wants to change how things are run then he should do it with his own power.[7]
Kenpachi's immense Reiatsu.
A multitude of twinkling lights suddenly surround Kenpachi, and Ichinose tells Kenpachi that this is his Zanpakutō's true power called Saigyoku Nijigasumi. Ichinose then tells Kenpachi to die, and the twinkling lights form together around Kenpachi, causing a huge sphere to form that engulfs Kenpachi and the surrounding area. As this happens, Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi escapes from the light and Ichinose informs her that Kenpachi has been killed. Yachiru tells him that he's wrong, but Ichinose states that he'll die when the light begins shrinking in on Kenpachi. As the light shrinks, Ichinose decides to head back towards Kariya, but he is suddenly stopped when the light breaks away due to Kenpachi taking off his eye patch and using his true power.[7]
Ichinose is injured.
Kenpachi appears directly in front of Ichinose and notices that his Zanpakutō is Kidō based, and he congratulates Ichinose for making him go all out, even if it was only for a second. Ichinose begins to get angered at the fact that Kenpachi has so much power, yet he doesn't even have a greater goal, and he begins attacking Kenpachi again. As he claims that Kenpachi is standing in the way of justice, Kenpachi is able to make a deep cut across Ichinose's chest. Kenpachi decides to quit on his fight, claiming that it isn't interesting to fight someone who is only fighting for someone else's goals and not his own. Ichinose asks Kenpachi why he fought with him in the first place, and Kenpachi tells him that if he really wanted to help Kariya out, then he would have stopped all of the other Shinigami, and that Ichinose really gained all of his power in order to defeat him.[7]
The final clash.
Ichinose apologizes to Kariya, believing that he won't be able to see his goals accomplished in the end, and the two fighters gather up all their strength before attacking each other again. Ichinose's Zanpakutō breaks in the clash, and Kenpachi lands a devastating blow on the Shinigami. Ichinose falls to the ground while calling out to his former captain, and Kenpachi remarks that Ichinose wasn't ready yet.[7]
Aftermath
Ichinose is then grievously injured despite all of his efforts to kill Kenpachi. Kenpachi is relatively uninjured. Kenpachi and Yachiru then both return to the Seireitei.