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For the episode of the same name, see The Battle.

THE BATTLE is the fifty-ninth volume of the Bleach manga series.

Publisher's summary[]

After the defeat of the Shinigami by the mysterious group of warriors calling themselves the Wandenreich, Ichigo heads to the Royal Palace to heal his wounds. With that accomplished, it's time to get stronger! But does Ichigo have what it takes to survive some super-intense training?!

Bleach All Stars[]

All-Stars
更木 剣八
Kenpachi Zaraki
Ep375ShunsuiCharaPic 二枚屋王悦
Ōetsu Nimaiya
Ep371KenpachiCharaPic 京楽 春水
Shunsui Kyōraku
Chap517Pg1NimaiyaCharaPic

Ep374HikifuneCharaPic 阿散井 恋次
Renji Abarai
Ep366IchigoCharaPic
曳舟 桐生
Kirio Hikifune
Ep363RenjiCharaPic 黒崎 一護
Ichigo Kurosaki



Chapters[]

521. A Piggy Party[]

Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai feast at the Gatonden.

Summary:

521Cover

The cover page of 521. A Piggy Party.

]

While falling through the air at high speeds, Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai struggle and argue over which of them should absorb the impact once they land based on their injuries and bravado, only for them to notice a beeping coming from Kon, who has nestled himself inside Ichigo's longcoat, just before the latter bulks up into a muscular form. Lamenting that he could not have been discovered at a worse time, Kon falls below Ichigo and Renji, who proceed to land directly on top of him once they crash into the Gatonden landing platform and walk away from a deflating and protesting Kon as Renji claims that it would not have been good for him to crash from that height just after getting healed, though Ichigo claims that he would have protected himself with a breakfall and assumes that Kon hid himself within Ichigo's shihakushō at some point, then stayed hidden since there were only muscular men in Tenjirō Kirinji's hot springs.

Suddenly, the two of them are sent flying when Kirio Hikifune boisterously greets them. While Ichigo and Renji struggle to hang onto the edge of the platform after nearly falling off it from this, Hikifune proclaims that she is happy they made it, but Ichigo simply demands to know if only idiots reside here. Some time later, with Hikifune cooking up large amounts of food, a stunned Ichigo and Renji find themselves sitting at the end of a banquet table piled high with food, where Ichigo admits that he thought Hikifune's method of taking care of them would involve more grueling training. Though Kon insists that they start eating because he is hungry, Ichigo grabs him by the head and asserts that Hikifune cannot be doing this for no reason. In response, Hikifune enters the room and muses that Ichigo grew up distrustful due to Kisuke Urahara prior to assuring him that the Gatonden is a palace of food and that her only job is to ensure that their bellies are full, since she is sure that they are hungry.

With their stomachs growling, Ichigo and Renji enthusiastically decide to eat and begin consuming entire plates of food, impressing Hikifune with their appetites while she leaves to make dessert. Though Ichigo claims that he cannot stop eating, Renji admits that he can and holds up what appears to be a fried centipede-like insect as he wonders what exactly it is. Despite this, once he takes a bite, Renji effusively praises the awesome taste belied by its strange appearance as well as its awesome texture before declaring that the way its awesome aroma spreads through his mouth is awesome, only for Ichigo to tell him to stop since his terrible food critique is ruining Ichigo's appetite. As Ichigo stops eating and sets down his chopsticks, Renji wonders if Ichigo is full and claims that he can keep going, though Ichigo insists that he can as well and is just taking a break prior to asking Renji if they should really be doing this when everyone in the Seireitei is training for the next battle.

With Ichigo pointing out that they are instead taking baths, eating food, and fooling around up here as he questions whether it will actually make them strong enough for the next battle, Renji calls him an idiot and recounts how they took the bath to heal their injuries from battle, then began eating because they got hungry, which he concludes makes perfect sense as a method of building up their strength for the tough training ahead. Awed by this, Ichigo admits that Renji makes a good point every now and then, and after expressing annoyance at this, Renji challenges Ichigo to keep eating as they resume feasting on the dishes. Suddenly, Hikifune interrupts Ichigo insisting that he can eat more than Renji by laughing and complimenting Renji as living up to the standard of a lieutenant for fully understanding what she was saying before parting the veil to reveal that she has slimmed down into a much thinner and more curvaceous form, causing Ichigo, Renji, and Kon to spit the food out of their mouths in astonishment.

Hikifune elaborates that what they are doing now is no different than preparing for any other training and is simply being done on a Soul King scale, with her observing that their rituals are infused with the Soul King's power and the million-year history of Soul Society. Once Hikifune concludes that they are on a whole different levels from the healing and diet options available in the Seireitei and encourages Ichigo and Renji to finish preparing their bodies for the next palace by eating the large cake she made for dessert, Ichigo, Renji, and Kon demand to know who she is, leading a bemused Hikifune to realize that she never explained this part to them.

Some time later, with Hikifune detailing how cooking uses up all her Reiatsu and causes her to lose a lot of weight every time, which forces her to remain bulked up most of the time, Ichigo and Renji step out onto the launching platform, where Hikifune warns them to be careful out there and reminds them of her statement about their rituals being packed with the history of Soul Society. Clarifying that each member of the Royal Guard has created something in Soul Society that the Soul King recognized as significantly contributing to its history and which led to them being invited to the Royal Guard to begin with, Hikifune explains that she invented Gikon and the technology to place them into bodies, with Gikongan being created using part of this invention, prior to detailing how the essence of Gikon is to increase one's level of power by infusing them with a foreign Reiatsu and revealing that the food Ichigo and Renji ate was filled with that essence, drastically increasing their Reiatsu, leaving Ichigo and Renji staring at their bodies in shock.

Though she is glad that Ichigo and Renji can feel this, Hikifune still tells them to proceed with caution because the man in the next palace, Hōōden, is Ōetsu Nimaiya, the creator of the Zanpakutō and completely unpredictable.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


522. Love it[]

Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai visit the palace of Ōetsu Nimaiya, inventor of the Zanpakutō.

Summary:

522Cover

The cover page of 522. Love it.

In a dark room, Mera Hiuchigashima informs Ōetsu Nimaiya that Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai have arrived at the landing platform, which Nimaiya acknowledges as he holds a sword.

Meanwhile, in the landing area of the Hōōden, Ichigo and Renji stand before a deflating Kon, where Ichigo observes that no one is here prior to Kon chastising them for using him as a cushion again. When Ichigo asserts that he has no right to complain because he came here of his own free will, Kon counters that he would have happily stayed at the Gatonden because it was paradise just before two spotlights shine down on them and a row of speakers activate on either side of the platform, to their confusion. With a microphone attached to his cheek, Nimaiya tells Ichigo and Renji to lower their heads because they are so high and identifies himself in English as the number one Zanpakutō creator before greeting the two of them with a finger gun.

Shortly afterward, Ichigo, Renji, and an overjoyed Kon find themselves before an assembly of beautiful women that comment on their attractive physical appearances. Though Renji is confused by this while they walk through the Galaxy Hōōden, Ichigo warns him to not let his guard down since the women are likely men and forcefully grabs an overjoyed Kon with both hands to restrain him prior to Nimaiya asking them if they liked his welcome show, introducing himself once more, and initiating a series of hand claps with Ichigo to greet him, resulting in Ichigo asking Renji to trade places with him since he cannot keep up with Nimaiya's energy while Renji admits that he cannot either. Unimpressed by this, Nimaiya criticizes their energy and wonders if they want to leave, which prompts Ichigo and Renji to bow and request to stay after quietly deliberating on whether or not Nimaiya is serious about this. However, Nimaiya wags his finger at this and claims that the formal way to apologize in Hōōden is to balance on one's head and forearms with one's body suspended vertically in the air above, which he demonstrates. Though Ichigo refuses to do this, Renji insists that they must, only for Nimaiya to take a picture of them with a smartphone once they assume the pose and show it to the women as they teasingly comment on it, to Ichigo and Renji's aggravation.

Suddenly, Mera demands to know how long Nimaiya is going to do this for and kicks him in the back of the head from the entrance of the Galaxy Hōōden, sending him skidding across the floor. With Nimaiya protesting this, Mera takes him, Ichigo, Renji, and Kon to the real Hōōden, a dingy wooden shack on the outskirts of the city, where she explains that Nimaiya built the Galaxy Hōōden because he does not want to accept that this is where he lives. As Ichigo expresses disbelief at this, Kon tearfully begs to go back to the other Hōōden because he does not want to be here, which Nimaiya agrees with while clutching Kon and asserting that the latter understands him. Upon walking into the shack, Ichigo and Renji discover that there is no floor past the doorway and shriek as they fall into a deep pit below. With Renji questioning what this is, Nimaiya reveals they have not met a single Shinigami besides him on their way through the city because all the women were Zanpakutō.

Once he sees Ichigo and Renji shocked by this, Nimaiya wonders if they cannot tell the difference between Shinigami and Zanpakutō, causing him to hold up their broken swords and attribute this to them being irresponsible enough to let this happen to their weapons. After shattering most of the remaining blades, to Ichigo and Renji's astonishment, Nimaiya muses that an unloved Zanpakutō is so easily broken prior to informing Ichigo and Renji that they are surrounded by the anger of Zanpakutō. While several pairs of glowing eyes appear in the darkness behind Ichigo and Renji, Nimaiya promises to consider repairing the swords if they make it out of the pit alive. When Renji expresses irritation at this, Nimaiya count down from ten to identify himself once more as the number one Zanpakutō creator and concludes that he does not make swords for losers before greeting an irate Ichigo once again.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


523. Swords of Origin[]

Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai fight for survival against the Asauchi as 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana begins her duel with 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

Summary:

523Cover

The cover pages of 523. Swords of Origin.

When 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai notes that there are a lot of figures in the darkness with them and Ichigo Kurosaki wonders what they are, Ōetsu Nimaiya identifies them as Asauchi, the Zanpakutō that can become anything, as several blank humanoid figures with mouths for eyes step forward and lunge toward Ichigo and Renji. Nimaiya explains that the Asauchi are the nameless Zanpakutō temporarily issued to members of the Gotei 13 during their time in the Shin'ō Academy and officially issued once they graduate and join a division. Detailing how every Shinigami eats and sleeps with their Asauchi, Nimaiya proclaims that they eventually imprint the essence of their Soul upon the Asauchi to create their personalized Zanpakutō through continuous training and reveals that he is the one who creates all these Asauchi.

Though Ichigo assumes they are the embodiment of Asauchi and demands to know why he and Renji have to fight them, Nimaiya asserts that he does not need to worry about what they truly are because all that matters is the Asauchi being angry with them for the way Ichigo and Renji treat their Zanpakutō, which Ichigo does not understand. After noting that this does not surprise him, Nimaiya dismisses this being the result of how they fight or swing their swords and rapidly questions if Ichigo and Renji have been treating their Zanpakutō like some sort of acquaintance or lover, and with the Asauchi leaking fluid from their mouths, Nimaiya declares that they are fundamentally different and suggests that they start by examining whether Shinigami or Zanpakutō are superior.

Meanwhile, in the Muken level of the Central Great Underground Prison in the Seireitei, an elevator reaches the bottom floor and opens to reveal 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, who walks forward with a grin and comments on how grandiose the stage is while admitting that he is surprised 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana was able to get permission to use it for their fight, prompting Unohana to note that it was Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku's orders as she stands with her back turned to him. Unohana observes that Muken is completely closed off and infinitely large, making it the only place suitable for Kenpachi to freely swing his sword, and asserts that this is the only reason why non-criminals like them were allowed to enter it. However, Kenpachi counters that the only thing the two of them would be is criminals were it not for their power, prompting Unohana to turn to face him with her hair down and a depraved grin.

When Unohana states that she suggested this place because she felt Kenpachi would fit in perfectly as someone with no power, Kenpachi admits that he figured as much and declares he is fine with living as a captain or dying as a criminal here. With Kenpachi proclaiming that he will be going to hell from fighting her no matter what, Unohana observes that he is talkative today and muses that she prefers it when he is quiet because the sound of his voice always makes the single scar he gave her between her collarbones begin to ache. In turn, Kenpachi points out that she is not the only one with an aching scar before the two of them rush toward each other with their Zanpakutō drawn.

Meanwhile, in his office far above, Shunsui recalls Yachiru Unohana as part of the original and strongest generation of Gotei 13 captains who created the Eleventh Division and defined what it is known as today. Following his noting that Unohana was the most infamous criminal in Soul Society's history prior to her recruitment by Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and gave herself a name meaning "Eight Thousand Styles" to reflect her mastery of countless swordsmanship styles, Shunsui apologizes for calling this a Zanjutsu lesson and admits either Unohana or Kenpachi will have to die once they cross blades, which he already knew, while Kenpachi and Unohana clash fiercely.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


524. THE DROP[]

11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki founds himself completely outmatched by 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana.

Summary:

524Cover

The cover page of 524. THE DROP.

As 4th Division Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu finds a note left to her by her captain, Retsu Unohana, and 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi finds Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's eyepatch, Isane weeps over Unohana's note and Yachiru expresses concern for a bloodied Kenpachi, who comes down on Unohana with a powerful slash, only for her to push his sword arm aside and cut through the side of his neck. Momentarily fazed by this, Kenpachi quickly recovers and attacks Unohana once more, and when she steps on the guard of his Zanpakutō to evade this and perform a slash of her own, Kenpachi spins around and kicks her in the side of her sword arm, sending Unohana flying back to land on the side of a pillar before springing off of it to clash with Kenpachi once more, creating a shockwave of force that radiates outward from them.

Though she commends Kenpachi for having his eyepatch removed from the start, Unohana points out that this just exposes the limit of his power, to Kenpachi's surprise, and stabs a dagger into his left shoulder, prompting Kenpachi to send her sliding her several meters back with a swing of his Zanpakutō. Calling Kenpachi weak, Unohana holds up another dagger and expresses disbelief at someone fighting with one arm not making use of the other before observing that Kenpachi cannot be enjoying this fight. However, Kenpachi criticizes Unohana for using such cheap tricks in battle, pulls out the dagger, and claims she has changed from the person he admired. In turn, Unohana berates Kenpachi for admiring his enemy in the middle of battle and rushes forward to disarm Kenpachi, leaving him pinned against a nearby pillar as his Zanpakutō flies into the air and embeds itself in the ground nearby.

Holding the tip of her Zanpakutō to Kenpachi's throat, Unohana reveals she has not changed at all and simply did not have the opportunity to use such cheap tricks during their first battle, leading Kenpachi to realize she is saying he has gotten weaker and recall how he admired her because he had felt so indifferent to cutting anything and everything in his youth that it was like he was swinging a sword alone in the dark. After recounting how he felt fear and the joy of battle for the first time while battling Unohana, whom he wanted to fight like, Kenpachi sheds a tear as he inquires if Unohana is saying he is going to die here without ever defeating her. In response, Unohana shoves her Zanpakutō through Kenpachi's throat, causing him to spit up blood that lands on her face while he mentally curses and loses consciousness.

Suddenly, Kenpachi finds himself alive and crossing blades with Unohana, who questions if he was distracted by something prior to Kenpachi forcing her back, wondering what that was, and dismissing it as irrelevant because he does not have time to think. With a manically grinning Kenpachi resolving to focus on the battle instead, Unohana internally declares that Kenpachi will not die because he grows stronger every time he is near death, which is both an unconscious limiter he placed on himself and her sin.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


525. Edges[]

4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana details how she inadvertently led 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki to suppress his power as the two continue to battle.

Summary:

525Cover

The cover page of 525. Edges.

Suddenly regaining consciousness while hurtling upside-down and backwards through the air in Muken, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki realizes that it has happened once again and flips over to slide back across the ground on his feet as he ruminates on having lost consciousness once again. With 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana standing several meters away from him, Kenpachi rushes forward and continues clashing with her while wondering how many times he has done this during their battle. After mentally noting that this brings back memories because he has never enjoyed his battles so much that he lost himself or fell unconscious during them, Kenpachi muses that this only happened on the day that he first fought Unohana.

Several hundred years ago, Unohana stands in the Rukongai as rain falls around her. Approaching Unohana from behind, one of her subordinates apologetically informs her that they are unlikely to find anyone out here strong enough to fight her, which leads Unohana to admit that she is impressed at him figuring out her true intentions. Suddenly, with the subordinate explaining that cutting down the gangs roaming the Rukongai would not have been proposed by Unohana if this had not been her true motive and that it will not do much to preserve the peace in the Seireitei, the subordinate observes that the mountain of bodies next to Unohana represents the size of her dissatisfaction, but an alarmed Unohana questions how long this mountain of bodies has been here, to his confusion, just before a young Kenpachi appears at the top of the pile with his Zanpakutō in hand.

As Kenpachi leaps off the pile toward her, Unohana internally observes that she was searching the Rukongai for opponents that could please her because she was bored with both her sword and with fighting, which she believes is the reason that fate drew her and Kenpachi together as two weary souls. Unohana crosses blades with Kenpachi, who overpowers her and stabs his Zanpakutō into the center of her chest between her clavicles, leaving Unohana astonished and elated at experiencing such unparalleled joy at crossing blades with a child while her blood spurts into the air and mingles with the rain. However, Unohana also admits that she never expected that child to place shackles on himself because of their battle.

In the present, Kenpachi lands across from Unohana and manages to cut her left arm with a slash, prompting him to realize that he can now counterattack rather than just react to each of Unohana's moves because he is feeling reborn every time he regains consciousness. Clashing several more times with Kenpachi and moving back to dodge a powerful downward strike from him that shakes the ground upon impact, Unohana mentally reveals that Kenpachi has been unconsciously restraining his own power ever since their first battle. As she questions why Kenpachi only barely lost his battle against Ichigo Kurosaki and barely won his battle against Espada #5. Nnoitra Gilga, Unohana asserts that while others attributed these outcomes to his opponents being strong, she knew he had suppressed as much of his power as he could during both fights.

Unohana recalls the two of them experiencing unparalleled joy during their first battle prior to musing that her sin was leading Kenpachi to learn the joy of fighting on the edge for the first time, since he must have been ecstatic after spending so much time without any opponents strong enough for him to test his sword against. In the past, Unohana continues clashing with Kenpachi and muses that she was the first foe he encountered who could rival his power, but admits that she was weaker than him despite this, which left him despairing at the idea of never experiencing true battle against by losing his first foe and resulted in Kenpachi slowly and unconsciously sealing his power into a deep part of his soul in order to bring himself down to her level, leaving a shocked Unohana devastated at her weakness driving Kenpachi to suppress his own power.

However, in the present, Unohana recounts how she noticed Kenpachi beginning to break his shackles and returning to his old self a bit more every time every time he came close to death against a powerful opponent and cuts open his chest with her Zanpakutō, leaving Kenpachi staggered. Internally concluding that she is stronger than anyone but him, Unohana resolves to kill and revive Kenpachi hundreds of times until he returns to his true level of power and surpasses her to reach even greater heights. Having been grievously injured once more by Unohana, Kenpachi recovers without being healed and slashes his Zanpakutō down the length of her body with tremendous force.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


526. The Battle[]

11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki concludes his battle with 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana.

Summary:

526Cover

The cover page of 526. The Battle.

With blood spilling from the slash down her chest, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana manages to cut 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki once more and brings her Zanpakutō down on him, forcing him to block it perpendicularly. Musing that he probably thought she was dead from this, Unohana leaps back, heals her wound with Kaidō, and reminds Kenpachi that this is why she learned the art prior to activating her Bankai, Minazuki, by dragging her clenched hand along the blade of her Zanpakutō and coating it in a deep red fluid while the surrounding area is drenched in the same fluid. After Unohana declares that playtime is over, an initially stunned Kenpachi roars with glee and rushes toward her.

As he proceeds to clash fiercely with Unohana, Kenpachi muses that he is melting while envisioning the right side of his body being reduced to a skeleton. Uncertain of why everything feels so different, Kenpachi sees Unohana's face reduced to a skull with stringy hair just as he realizes what this is and asserts that he has been asleep until now. While regaining his normal perception of the two of them, Zaraki observes that he has been playing out their exchange in his dreams this whole time and did not think there was a word for it until now, with Unohana having taught him what it is called. Attacking Unohana with great ferocity, Kenpachi thanks her for this and proclaims that this is what a real battle feels like.

Kenpachi continues to battle Unohana and declares that he cannot help loving battle as much as he does while they clash once more, with Unohana leaping over him and confirming that she knew this long before he did prior to musing that while Kenpachi learned to suppressed his own power so he could enjoy the battle forever, she learned to heal herself for the same purpose and now knows that she obtained her power for the sake of this single battle. After crossing blades with Kenpachi, Unohana mentally points out that there can only be one Kenpachi in any era, which is both a rule and an inevitable fate pertaining to the strong. With Unohana concluding that the strongest can no longer swing their blade for their own sake once they find the next strongest because they will always be working to kill or nurture that person, she separates from Kenpachi and recalls defeating him during their first battle, where she realized that he was worthy of holding the title of Kenpachi, before bidding farewell to the one man in this world who brought her joy while Kenpachi impales her on his Zanpakutō.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


527. Eliminate From Heaven[]

11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki hears the voice of his Zanpakutō Spirit for the first time as Ōetsu Nimaiya determines the results of the Asauchi test.

Summary:

527Cover

The cover page of 527. Eliminate From Heaven.

As her Bankai, Minazuki, disappears, 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana praises 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's performance and asserts that this battle is now over while dropping her Zanpakutō, which causes an alarmed Kenpachi to throw his own away. Holding up a collapsing Unohana as blood spurts from her back, Kenpachi expresses disbelief at the idea of her dying and frantically begs her to stay because he wants to keep fighting her, but a smiling Unohana calls him childish for crying over this because he is not in danger of returning to the old days where he had no one to fight when he has both foes and comrades that he can cross swords with equally, as well as a partner who has just awakened. As Kenpachi's eyes widen in shock, Unohana envisions all of her blood flowing into her Zanpakutō and it flying out of her grasp while she concludes that she has nothing left after passing everything on to him.

After musing that she has even been able to give him the title of Kenpachi that she was unable to pass on when they first fought, Unohana expresses bliss at dying in the act of carrying out her true purposes and passes away. Suddenly, a voice addresses Kenpachi by name, and when he demands to know who is speaking to him, the voice notes that her voice has finally reached him and identifies herself as the one who has watched Kenpachi longer and more closely than anyone else. With Kenpachi recalling his first encounter with Kenpachi Kiganjō, the spirit of his Zanpakutō tells him her name.

Meanwhile, in the Soul King Palace, Ōetsu Nimaiya returns to the pit in Hōōden and admits that he is impressed at Ichigo Kurosaki and 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai lasting for almost three days. However, though he announces that a bloodied Renji has passed, Nimaiya informs a prone Ichigo that he has failed. Despite Ichigo protesting that he can keep fighting, Nimaiya firmly asserts that he is done, and when Ichigo points out that there is no time limit, Nimaiya clarifies that there is instead an emotional limit and reveals that Ichigo simply was not chosen by an Asauchi before explaining that the last three days have proven that Renji is a Shinigami while Ichigo is not. With Nimaiya promising to open a way out of here so he can go home, a stunned Ichigo begs him not to do this as Mera leaps down into the pit and retrieves him at Nimaiya's behest.

Nimaiya further instructs Ichigo to never enter Soul Society again, since it is the land of the Shinigami and a Human without a Zanpakutō has no right to enter it. Despite Ichigo refusing to give up after coming this far and wondering what will happen to Zangetsu if he does, Nimaiya bluntly states that he will not fix Ichigo's Zanpakutō regardless of whether or not he stays and counts down from ten to introduce himself again as someone who does not make swords for fake Shinigami. With Ichigo rushing toward him in anger, Nimaiya restrains him with two Kidō rings fired from his fingers and activates the Chōkaimon. As Ichigo disappears in the vanishing portal, Nimaiya bids him farewell and solemnly asserts that Ichigo needs to go because he does not understand the significance of not being chosen by an Asauchi and fighting for so long without one before concluding that Ichigo must discover and understand his roots, even if doing so prevents him from coming back.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


528. Everything But the Rain[]

Isshin Kurosaki finally reveals his past to Ichigo Kurosaki.

Summary:

528Cover

The cover pages of 528. Everything But the Rain.

In Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki stands before the Kurosaki Clinic in the rain, where he realizes that he is back in his Human body despite leaving it at the Urahara Shop and initially calls out for Kisuke Urahara before realizing the latter is still in Hueco Mundo and questioning who brought his body here, which leads him to think of Isshin Kurosaki. When Isshin comes out to greet Ichigo, he finds the front porch of the house empty and observes that Ichigo has disappeared again while the latter runs through the pouring rain.

Some time later, at her apartment, Ikumi Unagiya dries out Ichigo's coat and expresses disbelief at him coming to her so shaken after not visiting her in months and compares him to a high-school girl who has had a fight with her parents. Standing in the closed shower behind Ikumi, Ichigo simply apologizes, to her concern, and ruminates on getting kicked out of the Soul King Palace without even getting his Zanpakutō repaired, which has left him unable to face his friends or even his father, leaving him grateful that Urahara, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado are still in Hueco Mundo. However, when Ichigo turns off the shower and exits the bathroom while thanking her, Ikumi throws him a hot dumpling that hits him square in the face, burning it, and tells him to eat it so he can warm up while pointing out the dry clothes Ichigo can put on to get home and lamenting the fit Kaoru Unagiya would have thrown if he learned that she let Ichigo take a shower here.

Once he gets dressed, Ichigo apologizes for not showing up for work and for coming to Ikumi like this, only for the latter to slam her hand into the locker next to Ichigo and headbutt him, causing Ichigo to fall to the ground as Ikumi claims that she would rather he come to work than apologize to her and explains that she has felt like an older sister to Ichigo ever since she hired him, which is why he can come to her at any time since children should be able to rely on adults for help. Despite this, Ichigo merely points out that Ikumi is stretching the idea of older sister when she is ten years older than him, prompting Ikumi to throw a kick that Ichigo barely blocks and berate him for not being moved to tears by her speech, though Ichigo counters that he believed Ikumi was setting him up for a punchline.

Suddenly, after the doorbell rings and a confused Ikumi discovers that no one is outside her front door following her aggravation at Ichigo shouting that she would be right there, a relieved Ichigo is stunned to find Isshin standing before him in his Shinigami form, and with Ikumi assuming that this was a prank, Ichigo tells her that he is going home and assures Ikumi that he is fine while leaving. Requesting that Ichigo take an umbrella, which he does, and frowning at this, Ikumi notices Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge lying underneath the towel he was using and leans out of the door to call after him about it, but sees that he has left and decides to deliver it to him tomorrow after recalling Ichigo's tired expression.

Back at the Kurosaki Clinic, Isshin brings up how it has been a while since Ichigo has been home and muses that him being gone for a few days at a time is nothing new before offering to make something for Ichigo to eat. In turn, Ichigo tells him to stop acting so cheery because he must know what is going on since he appeared in this form, and Isshin confirms that Urahara told him about what happened in Soul Society, including Ichigo's Zanpakutō being broken and the Royal Guard coming down, prior to assuming that the latter kicked Ichigo out and confirming that Ichigo has no chance of fixing his broken Bankai in his current state because he does not know anything about himself. When Ichigo angrily grabs him by the collar, Isshin stares solemnly at him and reminds Ichigo of his promise to wait until Isshin was ready to explain his past to him before concluding that the time has come. Telling Ichigo to listen closely, Isshin clarifies that while he is not a Shinigami, he is also not an ordinary Human and begins to tell Ichigo what his mother was.

In the past, a young Masaki Kurosaki runs over to a younger and wounded Isshin, who is wearing a captain's haori, in the rain, while asking him if he is alright. Confirming this and expressing amusement at a captain being helped out by a young girl as Masaki prepares to heal him, Isshin questions who she is due to her being able to take out that thing on her own, leading Masaki to introduce herself and informs Isshin that she is a Quincy.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


529. Everything but the Rain Op.2 "The Rudiments"[]

10th Division Captain Isshin Shiba heads to Karakura Town to investigate a series of murders.

Summary:

529Cover

The cover pages of 529. Everything but the Rain op.2 "The Rudiments".

Outside the Hōōden in the Soul King Palace, Ōetsu Nimaiya infers that 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai also noticed it would be pointless for Ichigo Kurosaki to continue battling the Asauchi. With Renji looking away, Nimaiya reveals that he knows the location of every Asauchi he has ever forged and details how Shinigami transform them into personalized Zanpakutō through continuous training, which is the foundation of the relationship between the two and an absolute truth. After musing that this is true for the Royal Guard in addition to the Gotei 13 and that even a stray outlaw like Kenpachi Zaraki gained an Asauchi by retrieving it from the corpse of a Shinigami, Nimaiya asserts that not a single Shinigami has awakened their own Zanpakutō without an Asauchi that he forged since the beginning of Soul Society and admits that this method was obviously never going to work for Ichigo, which both he and Renji knew while Ichigo did not, before concluding that this is why Ichigo needs to know the whereabouts of his soul.

In the past, at the Tenth Division barracks, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto searches for her captain while two of her subordinates watch from a nearby walkway, with one of them expressing sympathy for her and the other noting that she has to do this every day. Upon noticing a rustling tree, Rangiku grabs a tray out of the hands of one of the Shinigami and hurls it into the tree as she proclaims that she has got her captain, who cries out in pain and falls to the ground. Though her captain holds the tray in front of his face and claims that she did not hit him because he caught it in time, Rangiku simply stomps the tray into his face, causing him to shriek about having to take the day off because she broke his nose. Bluntly observing that this was a hit, Rangiku asserts that they will be getting back to the office now and addresses her captain, Isshin, as Captain Shiba.

While Isshin hands the tray back to his subordinate and apologizes for her cracking it, Rangiku refuses to be blamed because Isshin is always running around and trying to avoid work. When Rangiku asserts that he will disgrace the main family of the Shiba Clan by acting like this even if he is just from a branch of it and tells him to improve himself, a bemused Isshin points out how unusual it is for Rangiku to be talking about family honor and deduces that she actually just wants him to do more work so she has more free time for herself, which leaves her sweating as Isshin brings up how she has slowly been increasing his workload and calls her a devil. Suddenly, with Rangiku whirling around and telling him to shut up, Isshin grabs her arm and sternly addresses her, but after a startled Rangiku straightens up, Isshin solemnly reveals that her breasts are glistening with sweat because of how she has been chasing him around and praises this, which results in an aggravated Rangiku smacking him several times despite his apologies.

Shortly afterward, at the Tenth Division barracks, a younger 10th Division 3rd Seat Tōshirō Hitsugaya reveals that he has finished all the paperwork, prompting Isshin to lift him into the air and praise him as the future captain of the division. When Rangiku protests that she should be next in line for the captaincy due to her rank, an unimpressed Isshin counters that the division would be ruined if she took that office and Hitsugaya states that he should do just fine in the position since he is making progress on his Bankai training. With Hitsugaya and Rangiku pulling on each other's lips in irritation, a chuckling Isshin tells them to take it easy and opens a nearby cabinet, only to discover that the manjū he left inside is missing and inquire about what happened to it. Alarmed by this, Hitsugaya quickly brings up a report about an incident in Naruki City that caught his attention, though Isshin insists that they discuss his manjū first, and claims that it does not matter even though it was delicious, leaving Isshin to express disbelief at him trying to brush the topic aside in addition to being the culprit and angrily call him a dirty thief while a resigned Rangiku watches.

Despite this, Hitsugaya asks Isshin if he remembers the report from two months ago and details how one of the Shinigami stationed in Naruki City died, which prompts Isshin to confirm that he does remember and muse on the cause of death still being under investigation. Suddenly, Hitsugaya holds up the report from last month and reveals that two more Shinigami died in Naruki City during this time, leading a startled Isshin to rush outside and inform a bewildered Rangiku that he is leaving to investigate. As Isshin tells her to cover for him until he returns in two days and disappears with Shunpo, Rangiku protests this. Bringing up how they should at least inform Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto first, Rangiku tells Hitsugaya that they should go after Isshin, but Hitsugaya declines and elaborates that Isshin chose to leave alone because he believes this investigation will be dangerous, which Rangiku claims she knows, prior to concluding that they should wait here because they will only get in his way at their current level.

Meanwhile, in a hidden laboratory, 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen enters a room filled with gestating masses floating in capsules and asks about their progress, only for 3rd Division Captain Gin Ichimaru to deny any being made. In turn, 9th Division Captain Kaname Tōsen details how the Souls of Gotei 13 members have been unable to withstand Hollowfication induced by the Hollows they have altered just like common Souls, but Aizen asserts that they are close to narrowing down the location of Shinji Hirako and the others while conducting Hollowfication experiments in the meantime and concludes that they do not need to worry because everything is in the palm of their hand.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


530. Everything But the Rain op.3 "Dark of the Moon"[]

As Ryūken Ishida ruminates on Masaki Kurosaki's future within his family, 10th Division Captain Isshin Kurosaki discovers the perpetrator of the murders in Naruki City.

Summary:

530Cover

The cover page of 530. Everything But the Rain op.3 "Dark of the Moon".

At nighttime in Naruki City, two Shinigami move through the air as one comments on the sky growing cloudy and the other ruminates on the previous two Shinigami stationed here both dying on a rainy day. However, with the first Shinigami complaining that they should not talk about this, 10th Division Captain Isshin Kurosaki notes that it is good to know rainy days are dangerous and that he got here at the right time as he appears behind the two Shinigami, who express shock at his arrival and wonder why he is here. Claiming to have gotten lost while looking for the bathroom, which the Shinigami immediately realize is a lie, Isshin assures them that they can go home if it starts raining because he prefers to pee alone. Elsewhere, White stands on a rooftop while the clouds gather above.

Simultaneously, at the Ishida residence, Izumi Ishida eats dinner with Masaki Kurosaki and inquires about the latter's progress at school. When Masaki cheerily claims that she goes there every day, Izumi clarifies that she is asking about the school rather than about Masaki herself, and with Masaki recalling how she recently discovered that cabbage and pickles are free in the cafeteria, Izumi wonders how her Seiren is progressing, only for Masaki to nervously assert that it is going okay. In response, an angered Izumi slams her hand down on the table and demands to know what Masaki means by this, prompting the latter to apologize. Izumi berates Masaki for not understanding the situation and reminds her that she is the last of the Kurosaki clan with her predecessors dead and with no siblings before claiming they only took her in because she is a fellow Quincy.

Suddenly, Ryūken Ishida opens the door to the dining hall and asks Izumi to calm down since he can hear her from outside. Annoyed by this, Izumi decides to return to her room while Kanae Katagiri cleans up after them and informs a curious Ryūken that Sōken Ishida is training at Fünft Feld, though she does not know when he will return. With Izumi departing, Ryūken requests forgiveness on her behalf from Masaki and explains that she is taking her loneliness out on the latter, but Masaki claims that there is nothing to forgive since she is not mad and declares that she will retire as well, though she stops to mockingly tell Ryūken that tonight's dinner was excellent before running off.

Shortly afterward, Katagiri sets up Ryūken's dinner for him in the dining hall with his permission while he stands next to the window. Drawing Katagiri's attention, Ryūken brings up Masaki knowing that she was only brought into the family because Izumi wants to protect the Echt blood of the Ishida clan, and when Katagiri inquires about whether this is what Izumi told her, Ryūken counters that Masaki is smart enough to know this without being told outright and questions if she would be happy marrying him. In response, Katagiri muses that Ryūken believes happiness is crucial for a marriage between Quincy and asserts that his kindness would be enough to make Masaki happy, only for Ryūken to wonder what is so kind about him when he only wants Masaki happy so they can look to the future. With Masaki curled up in a ball on her bed, Ryūken concludes that he is referring to the future of the Quincy rather than their own, leaving Katagiri to look down solemnly.

Meanwhile, near the south gate of Naruki City, Isshin stands on a rooftop, with the two Shinigami observing him from below and musing that the rain is coming down hard. When one of them questions what they should do and brings up Isshin telling them to leave, the other reminds him that it would be crazy to go back to Soul Society since they would just be punished for it and asserts that they should stay here for now since they will be safe with Isshin present. Simultaneously, Isshin internally theorizes that the enemy is either targeting Shinigami or just reacting to high Reiatsu, leading him to decide to lure them out by exerting his own powerful Reiatsu. Upon seeing this on the ground below, the two Shinigami are awed by Isshin's Reiatsu, but one of them has his head cut horizontally in half from behind. Alarmed by the cries of pain from below, Isshin stops exerting his Reiatsu, realizes that the size of the Reiatsu is not what the enemy is attracted to, and sees two bloodstains on the ground just before White crashes into the rooftop behind him. When the dust clears, Isshin is astonished to see a black Hollow standing before him while White looks back at him.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:

Author's Notes[]

Volume 59 Intro Image
I was invited as a guest to the Leipzig book fair in Germany. It was amazing! The German fans were super polite and passionate. Also, I had heard over and over about how German food is bad, but it was great!

-Tite Kubo

References[]

  1. Bleach 59 (Japanese). Shueisha.

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THE FIRE THE BATTLE EVERYTHING BUT THE RAIN