Bleach Speculation (Chapters 300+)

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Yeah, if Ichigo had faced Nnoitora instead of Kenpachi, and Kenpachi is getting his butt whooped, then...phew!

The story would've ended right then and there.

Oh, I keep on getting weird ideas about the Espada's Resureccion...

Maybe Ulquiorra'll be a bunny!
Then Rukia will have to fight him.
Then Ulquiorra will be glomped by Rukia.

>_>

I need mental help...[/font]

[Mave]

I just want this annoying Espada taken down. I don't care who does it....but come on, Kenpachi, what was that?!

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Okay then...someone REALLY needs to take out Nnoitora. He's getting WAY to repetitive like a stain you can't get out.

I mean, Another pair of arms?! C'mon!

(I was thinking Yachiru-chan would start beating up on Nnoitora, but I was wrong.)

By the end of this fight, Kenpachi will be so unrecognizable for the scars...*facepalm*

Sigh, this'll be forever...[/font]

[Mave]

I think I've been saying that since the last 10 chapters or more. I can't believe that he's THAT strong. He's like, gone through at least 4 opponents so far, right? Chad, Ichigo, Nell, Kenpachi....Gah.

Let Byakuya do all his arrogant-jerk-trash-talking or Mayuri do his weird-creepy-scientist thing just as long someone gets rid of him. PLS.

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Nah. They've already fought. So Kubo-san wouldn't use them again. =__=[/font]

[uc pseudonym]

While this fight drags on, I present everyone with this diversion:

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino linotype"]That was epic win.

Poor Unnamed Arrancar #1! We shall forever mourn your...okay, I'm done.

Musical chairs, anyone?[/font]

[MasterDias]

This is the fight that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends...

*coughs*

Anyway, I rather expect the fight will end in a few chapters. But then again...
How long did the battle with the scientist last?

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Zaraki starting fighting, and not knowing what it was, just kept fighting forever and ever JUST BECAUSE! XD

Eh, but at least there was some intelligence in Szayel's fight.
This is just mindless hack-and-slash bloody "I'mma gonna win!" "No, I'mma gonna win!" stuff.[/font]

[ich1990]

6 arms? This is getting a bit ridiculous. It seems that just sheer "spirit energy" is not going to be enough for this one. It looks like Zaraki is going to have to release his sword, or do something creative (like pull off Nnoitora's mask) in order to win.

As a sidethought, how did the captains get so powerful? Ichigo won against Zaraki without even using his bankai, yet Zaraki can stand up to Nnoitora without a problem? What am I missing?

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Ich1, that's called "Shonen manga". XD

The main character will become more powerful than the first enemies, but then said enemies will be as (if not more) powerful than the new and extremely-hard-for-the-protagonist-to-beat enemies that appear later.

Ehh, it happens.[/font]

[uc pseudonym]

As a sidethought, how did the captains get so powerful? Ichigo won against Zaraki without even using his bankai, yet Zaraki can stand up to Nnoitora without a problem? What am I missing?

Actually, I think there might be a logical answer to this. Bear with me for a moment.

During the Soul Society arc, Ichigo has a series of serious fights: Ikkaku, Renji, Zaraki, Byakuya. Since then, we've learned that Renji was only a step away from achieving Bankai and Ikkaku already had it. With this in mind, it seems to me that all of his opponents were at the highest level of power. Thus, Ichigo didn't really get all that much stronger during the arc, other than the major advantage of a Bankai.

Then also consider that he won the last two fights only with an additional advantage. In the case of Zaraki, Zangetsu apparently loaned him power - not sure how that works, but that's the language they use. With Byakuya his Hollow manifested for a moment and prevented him from losing. Thus you could argue that Ichigo actually wasn't as strong as either of them, despite his victories.

Since then, Ichigo has gotten a significant reiatsu boost with his Vaizard technique, but other than that he hasn't really improved. So one could argue that he's really just around the general Captain level, not significantly above it. Furthermore, though other Captains might not have Ichigo's reiatsu, they do have skill and experience that he lacks. So I can see them being able to fight with the current antagonists.

[ich1990]

Thank you for that explanation, it does make sense if you think about it that way. I guess I had always assumed that Zengetsu's "loan" was just an intermediate step to bankai, kind of like a "toned down" version. Once he had bankai, he had no need to use a partial bankai technique.

According to your reasoning, however, this "loaned strength" technique is on par with the Vaizard mask, and is much stronger than Ichigo's bankai (assuming that Zaraki and Byakuya have about the same power aside from Byakuya's advanced levels of bankai). If that is the case, it raises the question of what actually happened when Zengetsu "loaned his strength", and why hasn't it happen again? Unfortunately, I have the feeling that it may be a while before that question is answered, if ever.

Completely Unrelated to Previous Topic: It would have been really cool if the Vaizard had come to bail out Ichigo instead of the Captains.

[uc pseudonym]

It looks like in chapter 311 Zaraki and Noitora get a serious fight, so I expect this to be over relatively soon. Without a release, it appears.

I guess I had always assumed that Zengetsu's "loan" was just an intermediate step to bankai, kind of like a "toned down" version. Once he had bankai, he had no need to use a partial bankai technique.

According to your reasoning, however, this "loaned strength" technique is on par with the Vaizard mask

You know, it might be logical to consider this incident a partial version of the Vaizard mask. That would provide a logical explanation for the source of the power. I even seem to remember Zangetsu speaking to Ichigo's Hollow around that time, but I could be wrong. Consider also that a big power boost is useful against Zaraki, because he's cracked and not taking the fight seriously, whereas it might not be as effective against other opponents (as it hasn't been).

It's also possible it was Kubo Tite invoking Protagonist Power.

Completely Unrelated to Previous Topic: It would have been really cool if the Vaizard had come to bail out Ichigo instead of the Captains.

Right. There are a ton of characters and I would like to see more of them.

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Sorry for the bogus theory, Ich1-san! (XD! I made a funny...)

I actually miss Hiyori and Shinji. I really hope Kubo-san brings them in soon.[/font]

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Sorry for the double post, guys!! ((Don't hurt me...)))

But...NNOITRA'S FINALLY BEATEN! OMZ, YES!
It took FOREVER, but he's beaten by Ken-chan! Yosh!

...[/font]

[uc pseudonym]

I think the manner by which it happened wasn't bad, either. Lots of fans were crying for a Bankai, but I think this simple method fits Zaraki's character much better. It makes sense, though I'm not sure it would create that much of an improvement. But I prefer to believe that Zaraki was able to win because he stopped fighting like a maniac and actually concentrated on winning.

But the spoiler text: "a new threat appears" ...? No. Please, no.

Sorry for the double post, guys!! ((Don't hurt me...)))

Double posting is fine occasionally when it updates a topic.

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]"a New Threat..." Gosh, when will they ever get out of Hueco Mundo?!

This is just Filler-Fodder. That's the major reason I stopped watching and reading Naruto. Tidal Fllod Tsunami Monsoon Thingamijigger of Fillers!!

*hopes that BLEACH doesn't get to filler-y*[/font]

[ich1990]

Woot!!!

Aizen is back!

No filler here!

By the way, was that espada (Stark is his name?) 1, 2, or 3?

[uc pseudonym]

This is the first time I have been interested in Bleach for quite a while, actually. Hopefully the next few chapters will explain why Aizen decided to sit back and let many of his Espada die off. It seems as though he could have intervened at any time, so I hope now his plan will be revealed. He had better have a plan, given the number of shonen stereotypes recently.

Part of me expects this to turn into another big fight (Soul Society still hasn't brought out its strongest fighters), but another part of me wonders if Aizen isn't trying to bait Orihime into doing something with the Hogyoku.

By the way, was that espada (Stark is his name?) 1, 2, or 3?

Unknown. My long-standing prediction is #1, but we'll see.

[Bap]

Yessss. Finally, we're hopefully getting some action from the other captains next chapter... xD

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="palatino Linotype"]Mmm, yeah. I hope Soifon kicks major butt. >w<[/font]

[Bap]

...*next chapter

Or are they gonna keep pushing it off? xD

Perhaps show the fight between Ichigo and... Ulquiorra? D: I was kinda confused what happened at the end there... ._.;

[uc pseudonym]

Remember how Grimmjow trapped Ulquiorra in a sub-dimension? He just broke out (apparently he was waiting for Aizen to say something dramatic) and now he's the highest ranking Espada in Heuco Mundo. It looks like while the Captains fight in the "real" world, Ichigo and Pals will be trying to rescue Orihime... again.

I just had a terrible, terrible thought: what if they stuck with Ichigo until he gets back to the real world, where he would find the battle already over in Aizen's favor? It has been done before...

[Doubleshadow]

First arc: Ichigo goes to a new location to save female character taken away unwillingly.
Second arc: Ichigo goes to a new location to save female character taken away unwillingly.
Final arc: ...

I wonder if some of the captains and lieutenants that have not gotten to fight while get some screen time.

[Bap]

Lawl. xD Nothing like a grand~ entrance.

But on one panel, didn't it show Ulquiorra in the same place with Orihime? And I thought she was like... whisked away from Ichigo back to the main conference room thingy, so that's what confused me. xD;

The captains and lieutenants better get some screen time. T___T;;;

[ich1990]

Aizen: Mwa ha ha! You guys fell for my super awesome trap!
Aizen: Oh, wait. My trap fell into your trap.
Aizen: Eh, all this thinking is hurting my head. Come on Espada lets go slash something.

Seriously, though. There are enough powerful good guys to take out Ulquiorra, especially if the work together. I expect that giant egos will weaken their position, however. I.E. Ichigo: "It is my sworn duty to take on Ulquiorra all by myself, Ohrime got into trouble because of me. She is going to get out of trouble because of me." Kenpachi: "I wanna fight him all by myself 'cause he is a good fighter". Crazy scientist: "He doesn't interest me, so I am gonna watch him beat you all up". Healer: "I don't really like fighting, so you are on your own". Byakuya: "My pride dictates that I fight him all by myself, I won't be helped by the likes of you!".

As for the rest of the people fighting with Aizen, I can only hope that we get to see new Captains, Lieutenants, and Vaizard fight.

[ich1990]

+10 points for more background/plot information

-5 points for going to a new topic while leaving us at a cliffhanger

[uc pseudonym]

This is the information I want to see, so I approve. What worries me is the "-108" though... surely we won't be seeing that many chapters of flashback? I'm hoping that is a number of years and they'll skip as they go.

-5 points for going to a new topic while leaving us at a cliffhanger

I suspect that was exactly the intent. That almost makes me wonder if this won't actually be the climactic battle, but if these new elements aren't dealt with in the flashback I suspect not.

[Bap]

omg. <333

VIZARDS AND EIGHTH DIVISION.

best chapter evar. u_u

...but rly. if it were 108 chapters backwards... that'd be horrible. D: by the end of it, everyone would be all, "ICHIGO WHO!?"