Bleach Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Bleach Wiki

THE SLASHING OPERA is the twenty-ninth volume of the Bleach manga series.

Publisher's summary[]

Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends knew invading Hueco Mundo wouldn't be easy, but even the lesser Arrancar are pushing them to their limits! Can Ichigo, Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado find the inner strength to overcome the first line of attack, or will Orihime Inoue be stuck in Hueco Mundo forever?!

Tagline[]

"Hair and fingernails
Are beautiful ornaments.
So why do they seem so baleful
When removed?
The answer is simple.
They are
Previews of what is to come, of death."

Bleach All Stars[]

All-Stars
チルッチ
Cirucci
Ep151DordoniCharaPic ネル・トゥ
Nel Tu
Ep153CirucciCharaPic2 ドルドーニ
Dordoni
Ep146NelCharaPic

Ep158SadoCharaPic 石田 雨竜
Uryū Ishida
Ep216IchigoCharaPic2
茶渡 泰虎
Yasutora Sado
Ep269UryuCharaPic 黒崎 一護
Ichigo Kurosaki



Chapters[]

252. REBUT TO THE BARON'S LECTURE[]

Nel Tu joins Ichigo Kurosaki's battle against Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio.

Summary:

252Cover

The cover spread of 252. REBUT TO THE BARON'S LECTURE.

As he runs through a corridor in Las Noches, 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai notices someone's Reiatsu and assumes that it belongs to Ichigo Kurosaki, only to be shocked when he instead discovers it to be Dondochakka Birstanne tearfully running and wailing behind him. When Renji demands to know what he is doing here and calls him crazy for coming down the corridor as well, Dondochakka declares that he is looking for Nel Tu, only for Renji to question why Dondochakka is following him if this is the case and assume that he is lost. In turn, Dondochakka asks Renji where Nel is, prompting him to affirm in incredulous annoyance that Dondochakka really is lost and chose to follow Renji at random since there is no way he could know this, and asserts that he has to find her since she went running after Ichigo.

However, when Renji counters that Nel is safer with Ichigo than she would be with anyone else and tells him to stop crying, Dondochakka begins to explain that he has to find and stop Nel soon before she does something, but stops upon realizing that Renji is still running away from him, which Renji attributes to reflex from Dondochakka chasing him and Dondochakka's face triggering an instinctive fear in people. With Dondochakka telling him to stop running so he can hear the full story, Renji angrily orders him to stop first and go search for Nel instead.

Meanwhile, Ichigo is sent flying by a strike from one of the bird protrusions emerging from the Cyclones created by a maniacally laughing Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio's Resurrección, Giralda. With the bird protrusion slamming Ichigo into the ground and flinging him into the air, Dordoni directs it to jab at Ichigo several times with his kicks, which Ichigo blocks with his Shikai, Zangetsu, and encourages Ichigo to use his Bankai unless he wants to die because conserving his strength against Dordoni is incredibly foolhardy. Pinning Ichigo in midair with El Uno Picotear, Dordoni instructs him once again to perform Bankai so he can fight at his best, only for Ichigo to instead fire a point-blank Getsuga Tenshō at the head of the bird protrusion restraining him, obliterating it as Dordoni watches in amusement.

Suddenly, Ichigo reappears behind Dordoni with Shunpo and slashes downward with Zangetsu, forcing Dordoni to block the strike with his right wrist, before attempting to fire another point-blank Getsuga Tenshō. In response, an irritated Dordoni swipes his right hand to the side, sending Ichigo flying back with the resulting force, and chastises the latter for underestimating him prior to proclaiming that naughty boys must be punished while readying his hands in front of him to fire a Cero from between his fingers. Before Ichigo can defend himself from the beam, Nel appears in front of him facing the Cero with her arms, leaving both Ichigo and Dordoni shocked at her blocking it, and begins drawing the entire Cero into her mouth as though eating it, which stuns Dordoni in complete disbelief, before finally firing it back at Dordoni from her mouth with a burp.

With Dordoni engulfed in the massive blast, a panting Nel defiantly tells him to not hurt Ichigo, only to be sent flying back when Dordoni blasts her with a Bala from within the resulting dust cloud, causing Ichigo to call out to her in concern. Dordoni notes that being able to redirect his Cero is no easy task, though he does not know who Nel is, and refuses to permit it while sending his other bird protrusion hurtling toward Nel with the intent of obliterating her. However, the bird protrusion is cut completely in two as Ichigo grabs Nel, now wielding his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, and slashes Dordoni's left shoulder in one swift movement. As Dordoni's left shoulder horn falls to the ground, Ichigo declares that this is the Bankai which Dordoni wanted to see, pleasing the latter.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


253. Don't Call Me Niño[]

Ichigo Kurosaki accepts Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio's request to see his Hollow mask and finishes their battle.

Summary:

253Cover

The cover page of 253. Don't Call Me Niño.

Looking up at Ichigo Kurosaki, a tearful Nel Tu coughs in pain, prompting Ichigo to apologize for letting her get hurt over his ego and explain that he had intended to reserve his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, for the Espada since he did not believe that he could afford to use it on weaker Arrancar, only to call himself a fool as he stands up with Nel in his arms and Tensa Zangetsu activated. Upon hearing this, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio questions if Ichigo is sure about this and asserts that restraint in battle is required of those who seek great power, which he commends Ichigo for. When Ichigo counters that it is not worth letting a friend get hurt over, Dordoni deduces that he seeks power in order to protect his friends rather than for his own sake, which he considers to be saintly in its kindness.

However, Dordoni begins reforming one of the bird protrusions of his Resurrección, Giralda, and brings up Ichigo possessing other abilities before revealing that he knows about the latter's ability to use Hollowfication, to Ichigo's shock, and detailing how the Arrancar have monitored and analyzed all of Ichigo's fights in the Human World to learn that he possesses a technique which grants him explosive strength through the power of a Hollow. Demanding that Ichigo show this to him, Dordoni sends the bird protrusion charging toward Ichigo, who casually blocks it with his sword, causing the protrusion's mask to begin cracking from the force, and split it in half with an upward Getsuga Tenshō. Impressed by Ichigo's enormous Reiatsu, Dordoni reiterates his desire to see Ichigo's best and forces him to spin around to block another bird protrusion prior to leaping through the smoke and attempting to attack Nel directly in order to compel Ichigo to this end.

Ichigo barely manages to repel Dordoni in time, leaving Nel with a graze on her cheek from Dordoni's hand, and curses Dordoni, who observes that there is no reason for Ichigo to be angry since his purpose is to protect his friends and Dordoni's is to defeat Ichigo at his best, which simply means that he must go after Nel to accomplish this goal. When Ichigo questions if he has any shame, Dordoni proclaims that he would suffer great shame if he were unable to fight Ichigo at the latter's best as he initiates Ave Mellizos to generate several bird protrusions from his Cyclones. With Dordoni concluding that all other shame pales in comparison to this, Ichigo accepts this and sets down Nel, whom he tells to stand back and promises to not let even a trace of Dordoni's Reiatsu get past him. Turning to face Dordoni, Ichigo agrees to use his Hollowfication, but clarifies that he can only show it to Dordoni for a second, which Dordoni is content with.

As Ichigo dons his Hollow mask, further strengthening his Reiatsu, an astonished Dordoni laughs in joy and describes Ichigo's Reiatsu as marvelous prior to declaring that he is deeply honored to be able to fight someone so powerful and offering a toast to an exhibition of spectacular destructive force. Suddenly, Dordoni finds himself slashed vertically down his left side from afar by Ichigo, and as he stares in bewilderment at the blood gushing from his wound, Ichigo dispels his Hollow mask and reminds Dordoni that it would only last for a second, leaving Dordoni to grin and comment on the humiliation he has suffered while falling to his knees and collapsing.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


254. Deja Chocolate Aquí[]

Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio reveals his motivation in fighting Ichigo Kurosaki and lets him continue his journey.

Summary:

254Cover

The cover page of 254. Deja Chocolate Aquí.

While unconscious, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio recalls knowing for some time that the appearance of the Hōgyoku would make the Espada expendable and believed that he could accept this as a servant of Sōsuke Aizen, only to wake up to Nel Tu dripping saliva onto his face with Nel Shower, causing him to scream in confusion and alarm. With Dordoni backing up and demanding to know what she is doing, Nel cheerfully states that she is drooling on him, which he is left aghast by, and Ichigo Kurosaki tells him to calm down while misspelling his name, to Dordoni's chagrin. Ichigo explains that Nel's saliva has mild healing properties, and when Nel reaches into her mouth to trigger a cascade of fluid from her mouth by yanking her uvula, a disgusted Dordoni insists that this is vomit instead of drool and chastises Nel for casually doing this as a young lady, only for her to cover him in more of it despite his protests.

Following this, Dordoni lies on the floor and admits that he is almost relieved despite being completely defeated. As he details how his body was filled with power and his mind was coursing with the will to win, which made him sure that he could absorb any attack and strike back, Dordoni notes that he could not have foreseen this even though his preparation was complete and calls Ichigo strong, only for the latter to deny this. In turn, Dordoni reveals that he wanted to be a real Espada again and muses that, even though he knows Aizen only sees the Espada as weapons despite their loyalty to him, the view from the summit he reached within the group was one he could never forget and wanted to reclaim by defeating Ichigo at the latter's best, which he believed would please Aizen enough for him to rejoin the Espada.

After concluding that this is why he kept urging Ichigo to don his Hollow mask, Dordoni suddenly leaps onto his feet while unsheathing his Zanpakutō and declares that his desire remains unchanged. Seeing Ichigo's surprise at this, Dordoni asserts that he must expect a counterattack when healing an enemy's wounds, and despite Ichigo warning him against this due to his injuries, Dordoni declares that being wounded is a state of the spirit since physical injuries mean nothing when one's will to fight is strong before rushing forward with his Zanpakutō outstretched and calling Ichigo soft and sweet like chocolate. In response, Ichigo slashes through Dordoni's Zanpakutō, injuring him again in the process, and reappears behind him at the hallway leading out of the chamber with Nel in his arms before running off, leaving a chuckling Dordoni to observe that Rudbornn Chelute made it in time just as the latter appears before him with the Exequias.

With Dordoni welcoming them, Rudbornn states that they have orders to eliminate the injured intruder and declines to tell a curious Dordoni who gave this order, leading Dordoni to wonder if they wish to pass him. Though Rudbornn observes that Dordoni's Zanpakutō being broken and his Resurrección being inaccessible would make it hopeless for him to attempt to resist them in his condition, Dordoni merely grins and demands to know if this is so as he assumes a combat stance to meet the charging Exequias. In his mind, Dordoni thanks Ichigo for accepting Dordoni's request to Hollowfy despite knowing he could have won with just his Bankai and the act depleting his strength, which Dordoni has decided to repay him for with this. However, Dordoni mentally warns Ichigo that those he faces ahead will not be so kind and that he must kill them without hesitation because any wavering will cost him his life and healing those enemies will only give them an opportunity to kill Ichigo, whom Dordoni concludes must put all thoughts of mercy from his mind and leave his kindness behind in order to become powerful and ruthless like a demon because there is no other path to victory besides turning his heart to stone.

Simultaneously, an injured Yasutora Sado falls to his knees in exhaustion against Gantenbainne Mosqueda while a bloodied Uryū Ishida stares down Cirucci Sanderwicci and curses.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


255. DON'T BREATHE IN THE BUSH[]

Sōsuke Aizen learns of Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio as Uryū Ishida continues his battle against Cirucci Sanderwicci.

Summary:

255Cover

The cover spread of 255. DON'T BREATHE IN THE BUSH.

In Sōsuke Aizen's outdoor throne room, an Arrancar attendant informs him that Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio was defeated by an intruder moments ago, only for Aizen to casually note that Ichigo Kurosaki seems to have found it more difficult than Aizen expected him to as he gets up from his chair to stand next to Gin Ichimaru. With the attendant confused by this, Aizen clarifies that he believed Ichigo would defeat Dordoni quickly and dismisses this as irrelevant before exerting his Reiatsu and inquiring about who sent the Exequias after Ichigo because the information is being withheld, causing the attendant to begin quaking under the intense pressure.

As Aizen questions what is wrong, Szayelaporro Granz steps into the room and reveals that he gave the order, which Aizen acknowledges. Immediately kneeling, Szayelaporro emphatically apologizes and explains that he did not want to miss the opportunity to eliminate Ichigo while the latter was vulnerable and wounded before declaring that he is prepared to accept his punishment because he made the decision without authorization. However, Aizen assures Szayelaporro that it is alright while returning to his throne and states that he does not mind this so long as the latter had a good reason, which Szayelaporro thanks him for. Before Szayelaporro can leave, Aizen comments that he would have preferred a more complete report and brings up Szayelaporro extracting a record of Ichigo's Reiatsu from Dordoni under the assumption that it will help him in his research. In response, an unnerved Szayelaporro confirms that it will, which Aizen is pleased by.

After Szayelaporro leaves and Aizen stands up once more, Gin observes that Aizen seems to be enjoying this even though he has lost one of his subordinates, and when Aizen wonders if this is how it looks, Gin elaborates that he believes Aizen thinks the intruders defeating everyone in their way and getting closer by the minute is as fun as it gets, which Aizen admits is close to the truth. When asked by Aizen if this is strange, Gin denies this and admits that he feels the same way.

Meanwhile, Uryū Ishida frantically evades as the bladed disc of Cirucci Sanderwicci's Zanpakutō crashes down onto the ground where he was standing from the pillar she is standing atop, prompting a maniacally laughing Cirucci to proclaim that it is useless to hide from her and that there is no way Uryū can escape her, only to be interrupted when a Heilig Pfeil hurtles toward her from a pillar behind her. Yanking the blade disc back up, Cirucci blocks the Heilig Pfeil with it, causing the latter to disperse, and requests that Uryū not attack her while she is speaking with an annoyed expression. Holding the other end of the line holding the blade disc between her fingers, Cirucci begins rapidly spinning it through the air to her right and questions if all Human men are this rude prior to letting go of the line and sending the disc crashing down into the base of the pillar that Uryū was hiding behind, forcing him to dodge once more.

With Uryū calling her a hypocrite for insulting his choice in clothing, an unimpressed Cirucci yanks on her handle of her Zanpakutō, causing the blade disc to suddenly leap toward Uryū from the ground it was embedded in. When Uryū blocks the disc with his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, he struggles to protect himself while Cirucci points out that he is not wielding a shield and consequently cannot get too cocky before the disc rips through Ginrei Kojaku and slashes Uryū's shoulder, sending him flying back toward a nearby doorway. As Uryū gets to his feet and curses, someone stares at him from the doorway behind Uryū.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


256. Infinite Slick[]

Pesche Guatiche joins Uryū Ishida's battle against Cirucci Sanderwicci and demonstrates his capabilities.

Summary:

256Cover

The cover page of 256. Infinite Slick.

A babbling Dondochakka Birstanne runs along a corridor in Las Noches while carrying 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai over his had prior to slamming the latter head-first into the ground. When Dondochakka wonders what he is doing, Renji angrily kicks him in the head while still upside-down and reminds Dondochakka that the latter brought him here after getting excited from detecting Nel Tu's Reiatsu, only for Dondochakka to reiterate his excitement and state that he cannot help it, to Renji's disbelief. As Renji continues kicking Dondochakka for piledriving him and in an attempt to get him to keep going, Dondochakka suddenly realizes that Pesche Guatiche is not with him and begins tearfully asking Renji where he is, prompting Renji to hold him back and point out how Pesche was not even present when Dondochakka first showed up here. Interpreting this as Renji referring to when they first met, Dondochakka assumes that Pesche has been an illusion all along, to Renji's further chagrin.

Simultaneously, as a wounded Uryū Ishida faces off against Cirucci Sanderwicci, a frightened Pesche watches from behind a doorway leading into the chamber and chastises himself for following the weakest-looking member of the group, having ranked Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends from strongest to weakest as Yasutora Sado, Renji, Ichigo, Rukia Kuchiki, and Uryū. Pondering whether or not to help Uryū since Cirucci is so strong, which leaves him uncertain of whether or not he can do anything even though he cannot simply stand by and watch, Pesche notices how short Cirucci's skirt is and realizes that he can almost see her underwear. Atop her pillar, Cirucci mockingly asks Uryū if he has been hurt and assumes that he is too injured to respond prior to noticing Pesche attempting to sneak into the room. Annoyed by this, Cirucci yanks her Zanpakutō's blade disc upward and over Uryū to smash into Pesche's location, forcing him to evade by leaping to the side while she demands to know who he is.

After Pesche somersaults for several meters and comes to a halt while resting on his head and neck, Uryū addresses him by his full name, which leads Pesche to presume that Uryū has romantic feelings for him if he can remember this after only hearing it once, to Uryū's consternation. Sending them both flying with another attack, an irritated Cirucci wonders if Pesche is some sort of termite, and when an outraged Pesche proclaims that he is actually a stag beetle, an exasperated Uryū asks him if it even matters. In turn, Pesche asserts that stag beetles are cool due to their shiny black carapaces, but Uryū points out how Pesche is dressed entirely in white, though Pesche turns this back on him and observes that Uryū is also dressed entirely in white. When a flustered Uryū claims that there is nothing wrong with white clothing and that he takes pride in his, an unnerved Pesche notes that this makes Uryū sound like a commercial for laundry detergent, to the latter's chagrin.

Suddenly, Cirucci interrupts this by sending the two of them flying with another strike from her bladed disk, which she pulls back up to grind in place on the handle of her Zanpakutō, and determines that Pesche is with Uryū, who frantically denies this due to Pesche being a Hollow and tells the latter to shut up when he protests this due to thinking they were friends. Amused by this, Cirucci begins chasing Uryū and Pesche with her blade disc as Uryū clarifies that he said this in an attempt to prevent Cirucci from attacking Pesche, who is touched by his kindness. With Uryū demanding to know why he is even here when Ichigo told him to go home earlier, Pesche details how he is searching for Nel due to her running off after Ichigo and questions where she is, who Ichigo is, and how he will find her prior to inquiring if Uryū is Ichigo, to the latter's complete vexation. Uryū reminds Pesche that the latter just addressed him by name a second ago and that Ichigo is the spiky-haired Shinigami, only for Pesche to bring up how both he and Renji match this description, leaving Uryū flabbergasted by the workings of Pesche's brain.

Upon seeing the blade disc grinding through the wall next to him, Uryū realizes that Cirucci has caught up to them and narrowly dodges her subsequent attack while readying his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, but Pesche elbows him out of the way and tell Uryū to leave this to him. Though Uryū points out how much stronger Cirucci is, a trembling Pesche assures Uryū that he has a secret weapon in the form of a liquid he can spit out that makes anything it touches highly slippery, and as an aghast Uryū wonders how this could possibly be helpful, Pesche fires Infinite Slick at the blade disc, which is coated in the substance and bounces harmlessly off Pesche upon slamming into him, to Cirucci's surprise. Turning his gaze upward, Pesche fires more Infinite Slick at the top of the pillar Cirucci is standing on, which prompts her to leap into the air and mock Pesche for believing he could hit her with it.

However, Cirucci sees the Infinite Slick coating the top of every pillar around her and can only stare in shock as her foot slips off the top of another pillar upon landing on it, causing her to instead crash face-down onto the ground below while screaming. Upon seeing this, a triumphant Pesche criticizes Cirucci for underestimating him since he can release the Infinite Slick forever, which Uryū expresses pity toward her for, and announces the name of his technique, which Uryū is annoyed at due to it sounding somewhat cool. With Uryū urging Pesche to run away before Cirucci regains consciousness since he simply got a lucky shot on her, an enraged Cirucci activates her Resurrección, Golondrina, which clads her in a large pair of wings, a long tail, and lengthened arms and hands with a large mane of hair while cutting through the pillars surrounding her as she proclaims that she is going to crush the two of them rather than continue playing around now that they have made a fool out of her and introduces herself as Arrancar #105.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


257. The Slashing Opera[]

Faced with the power of Cirucci Sanderwicci's Resurrección, Golondrina, Uryū Ishida is forced to debut a new Quincy weapon.

Summary:

257Cover

The cover page of 257. The Slashing Opera.

Having activated her Resurrección, Golondrina, and cut through many of the surrounding pillars in the process, Cirucci Sanderwicci faces Uryū Ishida and Pesche Guatiche as she wonders who to slice up first. While Uryū and Pesche begin running, Cirucci uses one of her wings to attack them with Ala Cortadola, which chops through several more pillars as they evade, leading Cirucci to mockingly praise Uryū for being so good at running away. Leaping off a severed pillar, Uryū turns around in midair and forms his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, to fire several Heilig Pfeil down at Cirucci.

Upon seeing her deflect them with the blade feathers of one of her wings, Uryū deduces that the feathers are vibrating at high speeds due to the noise they are making and asks Pesche to use his Infinite Slick again, only for Pesche to not recognize the name and have to be reminded by an irritated Uryū that it is the strange fluid he spit out earlier. With Pesche taking offense to it being described this way, an exasperated Uryū demands that he use it again, but when a confident Pesche turns his head and attempts to do so, nothing comes out of his protuberance, leading him to note with embarrassment that he seems to have run out.

An aghast Uryū points out that its name indicates that Pesche has an endless supply of it, prompting Pesche to attempt to clarify this as a slight exaggeration since it seems like it is nearly infinite, though Uryū insists that it is a lie and Pesche eventually concedes to this. Continuing to run with Uryū, Pesche admits that he thought the technique sounded cooler that way and that he wanted to fit in with the vibe of the moment, only for Uryū to deny there being a vibe in the middle of a battle and call Pesche frustrating just before the latter slips on a patch of Infinite Slick on the ground, to Uryū's chagrin.

Suddenly, one of Cirucci's wings slams down onto Uryū and Pesche from behind, and as Cirucci revels in this, Uryū asks her if she hit her target as he reappears on an intact pillar behind her with Pesche clinging to him. After correcting Cirucci's assumption that this was Shunpo by asserting that his is called Hirenkyaku, Uryū warns Pesche that this may hurt and throws him off the pillar before firing a Heilig Pfeil after him that pins Pesche upside-down to the ground by his loincloth. Musing on Uryū's correction, Cirucci questions what is so special about Hirenkyaku and fires the blade feathers off her right wing toward him with Ala Cortadola Dispersion. Upon seeing the blades hurtling toward him, Uryū fires a Heilig Pfeil at one of them and disappears with Hirenkyaku after seeing it deflected without inflicting any damage, leaving the blade feathers to cut through the pillar he was standing on and embed themselves in the far wall.

While mentally noting that the blade feathers continue to vibrate even after being fired, Uryū senses Cirucci attacking him and evades with Hirenkyaku just before her other wing passes through the air where he was located, destroying a large chunk of the ground in the process. Annoyed at having missed again, Cirucci calls the embedded blade feathers back to her wing with her hand, causing them to slot back into place on it as Uryū observes how fast they reload and how they are preventing him from attacking at any range due to their vibrational properties. With Uryū concluding that he has no other choice, Cirucci gleefully fires the blade feathers from her right wing at him once more, but Uryū calmly pulls a Seele Schneider out of a pouch on his hip, activates it, and effortlessly cuts through all the blades, leaving their halves to harmlessly fly past him. As a stunned Cirucci stares at him and wonders what this is, Uryū admits that he did not want to use this yet and stands with the Seele Schneider held like a sword as he invites her to continue their battle.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


258. Seeleschneider[]

Uryū Ishida turns the tables on Cirucci Sanderwicci with the potent combat capabilities of his Seele Schneider.

Summary:

258Cover

The cover page of 258. Seeleschneider.

With pieces of the blade feathers from Cirucci Sanderwicci's Resurrección, Golondrina, falling around him, Uryū Ishida admits that he is glad he came prepared and had Kisuke Urahara help him retrieve the Seele Schneider from Karakura Hospital's secret storage area as he identifies it and reveals that it is the only Quincy weapon which has a blade. As Cirucci stares at Uryū in shock, an outraged Pesche Guatiche calls him a thief for borrowing the Seele Schneider without permission, and when an annoyed Uryū points out that he never said it was done without permission, Pesche indicates that this proves he is a thief, leading an exasperated Uryū to question whose side he is on anyway and tell him to shut up.

While Pesche addresses Uryū as Ichigo Kurosaki and asserts that this is no way to talk to someone who just saved his life, to Uryū's further consternation, Cirucci picks up on Uryū's mention of being a Quincy and responds to him claiming to be honored that she knows of them by mockingly describing them as only mattering due to being a race wiped out by the Shinigami. Acknowledging this, Uryū reappears behind Cirucci and slashes at her, forcing Cirucci to counter by striking at him with her left wing and its blade feathers. Though Cirucci questions why Uryū would involve himself with Shinigami if this is the case, Uryū declines to answer and suggests that Cirucci instead focus on her blade feathers, which Cirucci is shocked to see have all had their tips cut off as well.

Uryū lands and explains that the sudden rise in his Reiatsu was due to the Seele Schneider being designed to counter high-speed vibrations with even faster vibrations, functioning like a chainsaw with the Reishi comprising its surface vibrating at 3,000,000 cycles per second. With Uryū concluding that he is very sensitive to Reiatsu as a Quincy and knows that the Reishi vibration rate of the surface of her blade feathers is between 1,100,000 and 1,300,000 cycles per second, making the Seele Schneider more than twice as fast, Cirucci deduces that her blade feathers will not work against him now and detaches them from her wings alongside her elongated arms, leaving only her mane, tail, and bare wings. When Uryū comments on her being able to alter her released state like articles of clothing and wonders if this is true for all Arrancar, Cirucci clarifies that she has actually discarded those parts of Golondrina for good.

Explaining how the Resurrección of an Arrancar lets them regain their original fighting abilities from their time as a Hollow, Cirucci notes that they can only return to a fully humanoid form when those abilities are restored to the form of a sealed Zanpakutō and altering their form without reverting first causes serious damage akin to burning an arm off. After revealing that Golondrina hampers her by consuming much of her Reiryoku with her wings and blade feathers, a sweating Cirucci asserts that it is better to discard them and free up that energy to be used elsewhere if she cannot win with them as the tip of her tail splits apart to generate a large fan-shaped energy blade above it for Ala Cortadola Hachador, which she describes as focusing all of her power into one attack.

When an unnerved Uryū inquires if this war is really so important that she would risk everything to win it, Cirucci counters that they would not have gone to war in the first place if it was not important to them because Arrancar are soldiers and the Espada are their leaders, meaning that they exist to kill the enemy and win while defeat is always unacceptable, prior to lunging forward and attacking Uryū with Ala Cortadola Hachador. Upon seeing Uryū's Seele Schneider beginning to cut through the energy fan, Cirucci retreats and points out that there is no need to make herself vulnerable to an opponent wielding a sword as she reforms the energy fan into a large sword with Ala Cortadola Gradiator and concludes that a battle between two swords of equal power is won by the one with the longer reach.

However, Uryū picks up on her mention of equal power and states that she is a bit confused before clarifying that Seele Schneider is not meant for cutting through vibrating Reishi, but instead to weaken the bonds between Reishi and make it easier to steal. With a startled Cirucci looking up to see Ala Cortadola Gradiator being broken down from a section near the tip of its blade, Uryū informs Cirucci that a Quincy gathers the Reishi around himself to use as a weapon and that the Seele Schneider is the most powerful embodiment of that, meaning that most of her Reishi is his now. While an enraged Cirucci tells him to shut up and leaps forward, Uryū realizes that she was wrong about one other thing and reveals that the Seele Schneider is not a sword as he nocks it in his Heilig Bogen, Ginrei Kojaku, and declares that a Quincy only uses a bow and arrows. Apologetically telling Cirucci that she loses, Uryū confirms that victory was indeed a matter of reach and fires the Seele Schneider, piercing Cirucci through the chest.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


259. Flicker Flames[]

With Cirucci Sanderwicci defeated, Yasutora Sado finds himself overwhelmed by Gantenbainne Mosqueda.

Summary:

259Cover

The cover pages of 259. Flicker Flames.

With the deactivated Seele Schneider falling to the ground alongside Cirucci Sanderwicci, Uryū Ishida picks it up and looks down at Cirucci forlornly prior to dissipating the Heilig Pfeil holding Pesche Guatiche in place and telling the latter to leave with him. When Pesche points out that Cirucci is still alive, Uryū asserts that the victor gets to choose whether his foe lives or dies and that he will be playing by his own rules and not those of the Arrancar, even if letting Cirucci live is an insult to her. Uryū elaborates that he pierced Cirucci's Saketsu, the source of her spiritual powers, and that her anatomy being similar to those of Shinigami means that she will not be able to harm him even if she regains consciousness and pursues him. Content with this answer, Pesche agrees to go and addresses Uryū as Ichigo Kurosaki once more, to the latter's annoyance.

Shortly afterward, Cirucci's Resurrección, Golondrina, falls apart, leaving only her humanoid body lying on the ground as she curses Uryū for doing this to her. Suddenly, Rudbornn Chelute surrounds her with his Exequias and informs Cirucci that they have come for her as he unsheathes his Zanpakutō and requests that she not struggle, which Cirucci smiles grimly at before cursing one last time.

Meanwhile, Yasutora Sado is sent crashing through a wall and is embedded in another wall on the far side of the room as Gantenbainne Mosqueda walks through the hole and observes that he is no match for Arrancar #107. Having already manifested his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Sado channels energy into it and leaps toward Gantenbainne, only for the latter to move to him in midair with Sonído, grab him by the head, and declare that a Human who cannot even perform high-speed movement has no chance of catching him prior to throwing Sado into the ground and wondering how many times he must tell the latter this. In turn, a sweating Sado gets to his feet and channels energy into Brazo Derecha de Gigante again.

When Sado throws a punch aimed at his head, Gantenbainne easily evades it and initiates Uno Dos Cientos with his Zanpakutō gauntlets by first punching Sado hard in the stomach, then unleashing a barrage of punches across his body that leaves him coughing up blood before delivering a powerful downward punch that shakes the entire room and embeds Sado face-down in the ground. In the aftermath, Gantenbainne tells Sado to get up and reveals that he knows the latter is still hiding his true strength. Performing the sign of the cross on himself, Gantenbainne chastises Sado for concealing his abilities like this and suggests that they have an honest fight, but when Sado remains unresponsive, Gantenbainne states that his heart is broken and channels energy between the two prongs of his left gauntlet.

However, upon being attacked by Gantenbainne, Sado senses something about his right arm change and gets up just in time to block the attack as he apologizes to Gantenbainne and details how he was not trying to hide it, but has instead felt something strange ever since he came to Hueco Mundo and was initially confused by it to the point where he had to struggle to control it. After concluding that he finally has and can now fight Gantenbainne with everything he has got, Sado emerges from the dust cloud with the final form of Brazo Derecha de Gigante, a large shield emerging from his forearm that he identifies as his real right arm.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


260. RIGHTARM OF THE GIANT2[]

Having awakened the true form of his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Sado demonstrate his increased level of power by overwhelming Gantenbainne Mosqueda.

Summary:

260Cover

The cover page of 260. RIGHTARM OF THE GIANT2.

Stepping forward with the true form of his Fullbring, Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Yasutora Sado tells a stunned Gantenbainne Mosqueda that he did not realize until now, perhaps intentionally, that he felt his power stirring upon coming to Hueco Mundo in a manner that it did not when he visited Soul Society, with it growing stronger as he got closer to this place until it finally calmed down when Gantenbainne hit him for the first time. Sado theorizes that this stirring was excitement and that his power was longing to come home, with Gantenbainne's attack being akin to a rough welcome from a countryman that caused his power to remember what it was.

As he continues approaching Gantenbainne, Sado admits that he has wondered about the nature of his power ever since he acquired it because it is not like that of a Shinigami or Quincy, and after noting that he has finally figured it out, Sado reveals that it is more akin to the power of a Hollow and names Brazo Derecha de Gigante as his right arm's true form and true power before firing a stronger El Directo blast at Gantenbainne, who is sent crashing through the far wall and out into a hallway as blood pours down his face. Upon skidding to a halt, Gantenbainne sees Sado stepping out of the hole in the wall and moves to kick him with Sonído, but Sado effortlessly intercepts his kick with Brazo Derecha de Gigante and asks Gantenbainne if he slowed down.

With Sado sending Gantenbainne flying with a swipe of his arm, the latter lands on a nearby wall and is caught off-guard by Sado leaping toward him in the time it takes for him to look at his foot and back, resulting in Sado throwing a punch with explosive force that destroys the upper part of the column Gantenbainne was located near. While leaping out of the resulting dust cloud, Gantenbainne frantically questions where Sado got this power from and how his response time to Sonído has increased so much, only to be startled when Sado appears behind him in midair and charges another El Directo on Brazo Derecha de Gigante, which Gantenbainne realizes he cannot block just before Sado fires a massive blast of energy that engulfs him.

In the aftermath, Sado approaches the area where Gantenbainne landed as the latter admits that Sado was not kidding about using his true power, only to remind Sado that he has a true form too and emerge from the dust cloud with his Resurrección, Dragra, activated. After pulling down his visor, Gantenbainne holds out his fists together in front of him, asks God for forgiveness, and fires a massive blast of energy at a shocked Sado, leveling the surrounding area in the process. However, in the clearing dust, Gantenbainne raises his visor in astonishment when Sado apologizes to him for forgetting to mention something earlier. Clarifying that Brazo Derecha de Gigante is the true form of his right arm where Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa's soul dwells, as Oscar taught him to use his power to protect people and consequently concentrated his defensive power into his right arm, Sado reveals that he was able to unlock his offensive power through his training and displays his left arm, which has manifested the other half of his Fullbring, Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, as white armor with a spike protrusion on his shoulder that represents his offensive power.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


BLEACH on the BEACH!![]

Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends gather on the beach for a sand art-building competition.

Summary:

BotBCover

The cover page of BLEACH on the BEACH!!

At the first Seaside Art Competition, 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake announces a competition between those assembled to create the best work of art out of sand in groups of two or three. When 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai questions why they are playing in the sand at this beautiful beach and 10th Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto complains about not being able to play games instead, Ukitake informs them that the winner of the competition will receive a cash prize from Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, causing those assembled to immediately run off to begin as Ukitake notes that he knew this motivation would work.

Having teamed up with Rangiku, Orihime Inoue asks her if there is a bucket nearby since they need to get the sand wet first, but Rangiku informs her that they do not need a bucket because they can simply scoop up water between their breasts and let it trickle down onto sand they are straddling, causing a shocked Ichigo Kurosaki to demand to know what Rangiku is teaching Orihime. However, Renji and 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame tell Ichigo to not let the other teams distract him and draw his attention to a sand fortress they have built, which they invite him to join them in trying to reach the center of first. Though Ichigo attempts to excuse himself since this is a children's game, Ikkaku provokes him by assuming that Ichigo is afraid of losing, causing an irritated Ichigo to agree and dive into the fortress alongside Renji and Ikkaku, who has a crab placed in his loincloth by 11th Division Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi.

Meanwhile, Rukia Kuchiki finishes a blobby recreation of one of her bunny characters, only to see 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki having built a finely-detailed Wakame Ambassador next to her that leaves her in awe of his exquisite aesthetic sensibilities and ashamed of her comparative lack of skill. Shortly afterward, due to the heat leaving him exhausted, Ukitake tells his 3rd Seat, Sentarō Kotsubaki, that he will be lying down for a while and asks them to wake him when the competition is finished, which Sentarō agrees to. As Sentarō watches Ukitake sleep and begins building up sand around him, his co-3rd Seat, Kiyone Kotetsu, comes back from the restroom and questions what he is doing, which prompts Sentarō to explain that he made a wall of sand to keep the breeze off Ukitake. In response, Kiyone criticizes him for not focusing on blocking the sunlight instead and runs off to find flower petal to gently shield him with, and once Sentarō decides to light some incense so Ukitake can sleep even more peacefully, Ukitake is left lying in a flower bed with incense as though at a funeral, which results in Sentarō and Kiyone winning the competition.

During this, 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya is approached while eating shaved ice in an icy area he set up and bluntly states that he did not take part in the competition because he hates the heat.

Characters in order of appearance:

Episodes adapted from this chapter:


Author's Notes[]

Volume 29 Intro Image
A profile book will be coming out at the same time as this volume. It's a collection of funny stories set in the Soul Society that ran in a Jump-related game magazine for a little over two years. But that just wasn't enough pages, so we created a real Seireitei Communication [v26 p128]. It's filled with all kinds of features like "Go! Gotei 13!!" and "Okay, Seireitei Men." You'll find new comments from me in every feature. It was a lot of fun to do and I think you'll really enjoy reading it. Please pick up a copy.

-Tite Kubo

References[]

  1. Bleach 29 (Japanese). Shueisha.
  2. Bleach Vol. 29. Viz Media.
  3. This chapter originally appears as "The BirdHunter" in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
  4. This chapter originally appeared as "ゼーレシェナイダー (Zēre shenaidā, Seele Schneider)" in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

Navigation[]

BARON'S LECTURE FULL-COURSE THE SLASHING OPERA THERE IS NO HEART WITHOUT YOU

Advertisement