Manga Bleach Manga [Warning: Spoilers]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Tombstone'][COLOR="Navy"]Indeed the strength is really confusing. (My main reason for picking on Toshiro lol) I'm not even certain if I get it yet, but the way I see it so far. From the [spoiler]Ichigo and Byakuya fight back in Soul Society, if I recall, Byakuya said something about Ichigo's Ban Kai only increases his speed, and then another confirmation from Grimmjow and Ichigo's first encounter.[/spoiler][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Hmm, I must have missed that, though seeing as there's a huge shrink in the size of his zanpakuto that it's easier to fight with. I'm not complaining, as [spoiler]Kenpachi is one of my favourite characters, so him squaring off against an Espada will be a good fight.[/spoiler][/SIZE]

[Magus]

[COLOR="Navy"]Hmm... I don't know where I stand with this chapter. I've made it no secret, that I'm no fan of Mayuri, but what's her name..... (man... memory lapse) his vice captain. [spoiler]If she's really dead, I didn't see that one coming at all.[/spoiler] I mean, with so many other titles like this, it's kind of rare to see someone stay [spoiler]dead[/spoiler].

But knowing Mayuri, he'll probably do a little bit of this and a little bit of that lol.

The chapter had it's funny moments, but I'm neutral about it. Hate Mayuri, but I have sympathy towards [spoiler]What is her name?[/spoiler] XD :animeswea[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Tombstone'][COLOR="Navy"]Hmm... I don't know where I stand with this chapter. I've made it no secret, that I'm no fan of Mayuri, but what's her name..... (man... memory lapse) his vice captain. [spoiler]If she's really dead, I didn't see that one coming at all.[/spoiler] I mean, with so many other titles like this, it's kind of rare to see someone stay [spoiler]dead[/spoiler].

But knowing Mayuri, he'll probably do a little bit of this and a little bit of that lol[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]I'm the same way on this chapter, when I read the "Battle of the Barbarians" title, I assumed it was going to focus on the fight between [spoiler]Kenpachi and Nnoitra[/spoiler] as opposed to there only being an off-hand reference to it made by Mayuri.

As for Lieutenant Nemu [spoiler]honestly, I don't think she's dead yet.[/spoiler] Call me crazy, but we all saw how angry Mayuri got the last time people questioned the durability of his creations. [/SIZE]

[Raiyuu]

[quote name='Tombstone][spoiler']Byakuya killed Zomari entirely too easy[/spoiler][/quote]Well, a couple of things contributed to that. One, Zommari was [spoiler]made of two hundred carat FAIL[/spoiler]. (I actually had him pegged as Espada #1 before he released and [spoiler]turned into a pumpkin[/spoiler].) No idea how he managed to rate [spoiler]higher than Szayel Aporro AND Aaroniero[/spoiler]. Two, his ability, which would have been a serious problem for most other characters in the series, just [spoiler]wasn't a match for Senbonzakura Kageyoshi[/spoiler]. Ordinarily, the ability to [spoiler]take control of fifty separate targets, either parts of the enemy's body or random other people in the vicinity,[/spoiler] would be formidable, but that's no good when you're being attacked by [spoiler]a million-odd tiny blades[/spoiler]. It was just a seriously unlucky match for Zommari.

I'm kind of indifferent to Mayuri, and was to Szayel Aporro as well until this chapter. Now I find myself simultaneously hating him ([spoiler]Nemu never did nothing to no one, and she got hacked up and kicked about by her dad all the time! She did not deserve explosive pregnancy as well![/spoiler]) and grudgingly respecting his tenacity. It's been a while since a baddie in Bleach refused so utterly to snuff it.

[Magus]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]You do have a point, Raiyuu, about Zomari, that is. However, the fight between the mad scientists is now over. [spoiler]With Mayuri beating Szayel far too easily[/spoiler], but then again, I guess you can say it's because he cheated and did research. :)

I just know somebody is going to talk about it so I might as well bring it up now. [spoiler]Mayuri, is um, weird...(that's not the word I'm looking for) I have a friend who said that he was going have a daughter, and wait till she was 18 so he could rape her. [/spoiler] I know some weird people lol.

Now hopefully there's no more stalling so we can get on with the main fight.[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]After that chapter, a particular Marvin Gaye song comes to mind. Yeesh, Mayuri is one weird guy. The only thing I'm mildly curious about is who exactly was hanging there in his "closet of mad science"

Seeing as it's finally moving on to the Kenpachi/Nnoitra fight, I can't wait for Kenpachi to really open up and start having, seeing as he doesn't seem to do serious. When that eye-patch comes off, Nnoitra is going to find himself smiling a whole load less. [/SIZE]

[Raiyuu]

Yeah, losing the eyepatch should be enough to get past Nnoitra's Hierro - and then I'm holding out for a Kenpachi shikai to beat Nnoitra's released form. (And maybe some Yachiru fighting as well - I really want to see her fighting seriously!)

[Magus]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]I also want to know what they were staring at. Some people are saying bodies. [spoiler]Dordoni and Chirucchi(sp?)[/spoiler] perhaps? "shrugs"

Another thing, I've never really cared for Pesshe(sp?) and that other thing, and no doubt, they're a funny dual, but they're becoming really annoying.

[b]Edit[/b]:

Kenpachi shikai eh, I can see that happening, but I don't know. Don't really have any words for it. The eye patch. I can't help but wonder if it was a one time thing seeing how he only used it on Ichigo and haven't removed it since. Who knows, perhaps Tousen and Komamura wasn't worthy enough for him to remove the patch again.[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Raiyuu']Yeah, losing the eyepatch should be enough to get past Nnoitra's Hierro - and then I'm holding out for a Kenpachi shikai to beat Nnoitra's released form.[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]I don't imagine even with the patch off shikai will be enough to beat Nnoitra, seeing as Kenpachi's sword is always released. That said, if he's actually learned his sword's name, I imagine even his shikai will have become a lot stronger. God help the Espada if he's actually achieved bankai.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]God help the Espada if he's actually achieved bankai.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Not just the Espada, God help the [I]world[/I]. Do we really need someone that maniacal and blood-crazed running around with bankai? He should just take on Aizen by himself if that happens. I mean, if his reiatsu is as crazy insane as it seems, and if we can base the jump one's spirit pressure takes when going from shikai to bankai off of Ichigo's growth from before and after, he would become an absolute monster, in every sense of the word. Man, now I want to see it. Tite, what would his bankai look like? How much more impressive would his appearance become? Is it [I]possible[/I] for someone to be more intimidating than him? Let me see it!

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Just read Chapter 308, and well, can't say it wasn't unexpected.

[spoiler]I thought Nnoitra for all his bragging about strength might actually pose a decent challenge to Kenpachi. His own little eyepatch trick was pretty clever, but in the end against a brutal fighter like the 11th Squad Captain it really wasn't going to work any more than one time.

I have to admit, the second Nnoitra cut off Kenpachi's eyepatch by accident with that strike, I just laughed, whatever chance the poor bastard had in his unreleased form against Kenpachi died at that second. I wonder will he just die now after that slash, or actually release ?[/spoiler][/SIZE]

[Magus]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]After that [spoiler]final slash Kenpachi dealt to Nnoitra[/spoiler], I'd say he's going to release. That just seems predictable, perhaps a little too predictable. I just hope they don't turn Nnoitra into one of them whiny villains (like Cell, Frieza) because he's on the losing end.

[spoiler]Nnoitra's hole in the eye... With teeth no less...[/spoiler]. Kind of funny for weird reason.

Err... I wait till the end of this fight before bringing up a certain issue again :)[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I just hope they don't turn Nnoitra into one of them whiny villains (like Cell, Frieza) because he's on the losing end.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]After all the trash-talking his done [spoiler]about how strong his hierro is, I really hope he doesn't just die straight away.

I mean seriously, Yamamoto is looking more an more foolish with every Espada that's killed, yeah I mean Yamamoto and not Aizen. His idea to wait until Winter and actually give Aizen time to awaken the Hyogoukou, due to the fact he assumed the Arrancar were so powerful to fight directly is backfiring badly. Had he supported Ichigo right away and assaulted Aizen before his powerbase was established, the war would have been averted entirely.[/spoiler]

Kei, can we we just do away with the spoiler tags same as we did with the Naruto thread and just add a warning in the thread title ? It's kind of annoying to have to spoiler one thread and not the other.[/SIZE]

[Magus]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]After all the trash-talking his done [spoiler]about how strong his hierro is, I really hope he doesn't just die straight away.

I mean seriously, Yamamoto is looking more an more foolish with every Espada that's killed, yeah I mean Yamamoto and not Aizen. His idea to wait until Winter and actually give Aizen time to awaken the Hyogoukou, due to the fact he assumed the Arrancar were so powerful to fight directly is backfiring badly. Had he supported Ichigo right away and assaulted Aizen before his powerbase was established, the war would have been averted entirely.[/spoiler]
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]If I recall, Kenpachi said that the old guy stated winter because he thought they needed 4 months to pass through that thing Urahara made, when Urahara only needed a month. Not the exact words, but it's something along those lines.[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Memphis'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]If I recall, Kenpachi said that the old guy stated winter because he thought they needed 4 months to pass through that thing Urahara made, when Urahara only needed a month. Not the exact words, but it's something along those lines.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]My bad, I'd completely forgotten it was to stabilise the Garganta.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]...I have to admit, the second Nnoitra cut off Kenpachi's eyepatch by accident with that strike, I just laughed...[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Does anyone besides me think Kenpachi shifted slightly to cause that slash to take it off? Isn't he insane enough to allow his opponent's blade to remove it for him? Quite the delicate procedure, but I'm sure he'd do it.

Oh, and I won't be using spoiler tags. This late in the game it would seem kind of ridiculous.

[Solo Tremaine]

[quote name='TwistedChick']Not just the Espada, God help the [I]world[/I]. Do we really need someone that maniacal and blood-crazed running around with bankai? [/quote][COLOR=#503f86]I really like the fact that he's stayed loyal to Soul Society, though, despite his monstrous power. I think being a Captain gives him too much purpose to just rampage around, a la his backstory.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503f86]By the way, have we established what happens when Shinigami die? Does their reiatsu just disappear or do they get reborn on Earth?[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine'][COLOR=#503f86]By the way, have we established what happens when Shinigami die? Does their reiatsu just disappear or do they get reborn on Earth?[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]I think that when Shinigami die, they're reincarnated back to Earth as new people, even the ones who were born in Soul Society in the first place. It's all part of that whole balance things, souls in motion between the two worlds, and Shinigami are really just powerful souls.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

I stand corrected. It [I]was[/I] an accident, ripping off his eyepatch. So, who's willing to bet (especially with spider-man referencing Kenpachi's sword) that this sequence truly will result in Ken's long overdue sword release? He doesn't give that final expression of wonder and surprise very often, so if ever a battle were to drive someone to a higher level, I think this would be it.

Or, Kubo might kill him. 50/50. We haven't had a "good guy" die in a while, neh?

[Gavin]

[quote name='TwistedChick']Or, Kubo might kill him. 50/50. We haven't had a "good guy" die in a while, neh?[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]I don't think it's going to happen, not only because if Kenpachi dies, then Ichigo and everyone else there apart from Orihime dies too, and that would bring the manga to a rather sudden close, but also because I can't see Kenpachi going down from a single sword strike, he's just too badass for it to happen.

Remember, the last time Kenpachi actually admitted defeat was when his sword was broken by Ichigo, Nnoitra may have cut him fairly deep, but until that sword breaks, I'm not counting Kenpachi as out. Hopefully TC is right and this will push Kenpachi to a higher level where he simply has to communicate with his sword.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]I don't think it's going to happen, not only because if Kenpachi dies, then Ichigo and everyone else there apart from Orihime dies too...[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

I'm sorry. Apparently, sarcasm is harder to express through text than I thought.:animesmil

There's no way he's dying. It would be stupid, pointless, and completely against Kubo's style. Plus, as you said, Gavin, one strike won't take him out. His interchange with Ichigo proved that. It will be much more cinematic to see him "level up" than anything else would.


I love how seriously people take me. Makes me feel valued.

[Gavin]

[quote name='TwistedChick']I'm sorry. Apparently, sarcasm is harder to express through text than I thought.:animesmil[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Heh, my bad, it didn't seem to read like sarcasm, as you made the point about despite the Espada being powerful, not one good-guy has died yet, as opposed to all the bad-guy fatalities.

You have to wonder if this isn't all just part of Aizen's plot, I mean obviously if his best troops are getting slaughtered, he shouldn't just disappear as if it doesn't affect him. He's already proven a master strategist after all.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]You have to wonder if this isn't all just part of Aizen's plot...[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

He sure does act like he has the whole in his hands. That little filler episode of the anime where those arrancar attempted to steal the hougyoku did raise a good point - surely not all the espada, or at least all the arrancar, are all hunky dorey about following Aizen's commands. That being the case, wouldn't it be far simpler for him to just create his own army using the fully developed hougyoku and then kill off all the original espada (or have them killed off by ryoka, perhaps?), that way his new army could be fully groomed according to his standards and methods and there would be no worry of insurrection? Doesn't that just feel like him? He might keep Gin around, though I think a standoff between those two would be highly intriguing.

It all comes down to Aizen's disposition. He's a betrayer - headstrong and puffed up with pride. He [I]is[/I] the world and the future, at least according to his opinion, and isn't that all that matters?

[Gavin]

[quote name='TwistedChick']That being the case, wouldn't it be far simpler for him to just create his own army using the fully developed hougyoku and then kill off all the original espada (or have them killed off by ryoka, perhaps?), that way his new army could be fully groomed according to his standards and methods and there would be no worry of insurrection? Doesn't that just feel like him? He might keep Gin around, though I think a standoff between those two would be highly intriguing. [/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Perhaps, after all, he does plan to eventually have all the Espada made up of Vasto Lorde class Arrancar, so perhaps him allowing the Shinigami to think they've crippled his ability to fight is exactly what he wants. It's a big gambit though, if that is the case, if too many of his Espada are killed off, it'll make him potentially vulnerable, and many great dictators have died from underestimating their opponents.

It'll be interesting to see where this all leads in terms of Aizen's ambitions.[/SIZE]

[TwistedChick]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]...if too many of his Espada are killed off, it'll make him potentially vulnerable, and many great dictators have died from underestimating their opponents...[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

One thing I don't think he would ever do is underestimate someone. Case in point: Aizen sent Ulquiorra and Yami to kill Ichigo, knowing him to be a threat; Ulquiorra determined he [I]wasn't[/I] a threat, and left him alive. Whose judgement was correct?

I don't doubt Aizen could find himself overwhelmed if he's not careful, but I just can't see him [I]not[/I] being careful. I think he's prepared himself against everything he's aware of his enemy having in their posession. What could do him in is going up against opponents who have matured and grown faster than anticipated since this series of fights began. Even he could never perfectly gage someone's potential, just their current strength, active rate of improvement, and [I]perceived[/I] final strength. If those both leap forward unexpectedly... he could be in for a world of hurt.

That being said, how many and which Shinigami do you believe 1. it would take to soundly but not overwhelmingly defeat him? and 2. will actually end up in the final showdown against him? Just wondering your opinions.