Kenpachi Zaraki

Personality:   Kenpachi Zaraki (更木 剣八, Zaraki Kenpachi) is the current captain of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13. He is the eleventh Kenpachi to hold the position. His first lieutenant was Yachiru Kusajishi and his current lieutenant is Ikkaku Madarame. Appearance: Zaraki is a very tall, muscular Shinigami with a wild and aggressive appearance. He has a long face with high cheekbones, enlarged canine teeth, and pronounced, hairless brow ridges. He has green eyes and stringy black hair reaching past his shoulders. A noticeable trait in his appearance is a long, thin scar running down the left side of his face and across his left eye, inflicted on him by Retsu Unohana while he was still a child. Since becoming a Shinigami, he wears the standard, black shihakushō, with the addition of white bandages across his midsection and a short-sleeved captain's haori (which he took from the previous captain after defeating him), with ragged ends on the sleeves and back flap. He styles his hair into stiff strands, attaching small bells at its tips, and wears a special black eyepatch over his right eye. During his first battle with Ichigo, the eyepatch is more elegant, having a gold-like lining and a chain as one of the straps. He also wore a black choker necklace. Later, he removed the choker and gave his eyepatch normal straps. Personality: Although he is known to be a violent man who fights for his own interest, Zaraki's actions tend to be for the best. Zaraki lives for battle, and enjoys a good fight more than anything. He even holds back in an effort to make any fight last longer. He claims injury and death are nothing but the price one pays for a good fight. Despite his tendency to be brutal, Zaraki usually stops a fight if his opponent is too injured to fight back, not interested in fighting "weaklings who can't fight anymore", and he does not feel obligated to deal a death blow to anyone who cannot fight any longer. However, he will unhesitatingly kill his opponent if they refuse to stop fighting, such as during his battles with Kaname Tōsen and Nnoitra Gilga. He also takes his title as Kenpachi seriously, telling Gremmy Thoumeaux that there is nothing the latter can create that he cannot cut because the power his title implies is not to be taken lightly. Zaraki strongly believes fun comes before working. One example is when Zaraki sends his 5th seated officer, Yumichika, to fend off the Bount in Karakura Town, as he is the only high-ranking officer who is not busy, or rather, busy having fun, as Yachiru was snacking and Ikkaku was napping. During his free time, Zaraki always takes his afternoon nap. He does not have a particularly favorite dish, but he particularly hates nattō. Zaraki regularly shows great respect to those who can push his limits or even defeat him. Ever since Ichigo Kurosaki handed him his first known loss since against Retsu Unohana, Zaraki has considered Ichigo a member of his Division. Despite Ichigo's refusal to engage in a rematch with Zaraki as he considers him an ally, Zaraki constantly expresses his desire for it every time they meet. He also aided Ichigo in his fight against the Bount, doing so as it would make Ichigo stronger for "their anticipated fight". Zaraki also holds great respect for Unohana, the only person he ever admired, as she was the first person to make him experience the thrill of battle, readily acknowledging they are very much alike, and is brought to tears at the thought of being unable to beat her before he dies. Upon inadvertently killing Unohana, Zaraki was reduced to screaming and begging for her to not die. Zaraki sometimes contradicts his own logic in fighting. While wishing to grow stronger, he use various methods to restrain his might to make the fight longer and tougher, including fighting with only one hand. Although he thrives for battle, Zaraki is capable of showing complex emotions. Zaraki and his lieutenant, Yachiru, have been close ever since they met, and have a father-daughter-like relationship, making Yachiru one of the few people he cares for. However, he has stated if his subordinates interfere in his fights, he will "cut them up first". Aside from Yachiru, Zaraki deeply gives meaning to his name. Following his fight with Ichigo, Zaraki talks about the pain of not having a name, as he lived his early years without one. This causes him to feel guilty his sword is not acknowledged by its own name. Since then, he has strived to learn its identity. After killing Unohana and knowing he could never cross blades with his admired foe again, Zaraki for the first time in his life felt remorse in his actions. This experience, combined with finally learning the name of his Zanpakutō, made Zaraki became somewhat calmer and more focused. Though he retains his desire to battle and is not overly interested in the details, he is more willing to listen to reason, having backed down from searching for his missing lieutenant on his own when Nanao Ise explained it would be more practical to have his division conduct the search. Likewise, he shows far more concern for Yachiru than previously; when he discovers she is missing, Zaraki frantically orders his men to begin looking for her. Plot: Zaraki and Gin Ichimaru both tease Byakuya Kuchiki about his sister Rukia Kuchiki being sentenced to death, saying he is depressed, as a noble family would not stand to have a criminal as a member. Byakuya, retaliating, says lower-class people do not understand the feelings of nobles. Zaraki, admitting he does not really, says he is very bright, and since he is so bright, Byakuya should allow him to finish Rukia off before she is executed. When Byakuya states he did not know Zaraki, at his level, could actually kill people, Zaraki tells him to try him, and before the two can engage in combat, Gin, stopping Zaraki, ties him up and drags the protesting man away. After Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends arrive in Soul Society, Zaraki tells Ichimaru a captain should have no problem killing a Ryoka. When Zaraki asks Yamamoto where the Ryoka are heading, an invasion alarm goes off, and Zaraki runs out of the captains' meeting. He begins to hunt the strongest Ryoka, but his lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, guides him in the wrong direction for some time. While he is lost, he, coming across the 4th Division's compound, finds and stops Mayuri from "interrogating" his 3rd Seated Officer, Ikkaku Madarame. Once Mayuri leaves, Ikkaku tells Zaraki the Ryoka he fought is getting stronger, and is fully aware of the captain. Ikkaku tells an excited and curious Zaraki that the Ryoka's name is Ichigo and what he looks like. After a while, Zaraki, having figured out where Ichigo is heading, waits there for him to arrive. While Ichigo, Ganju Shiba, and Hanatarō Yamada run through the Seireitei, they feel Zaraki's tremendous Reiatsu. As he tries to discern who among the three is the strongest, he finally realizes it is Ichigo. Introducing himself, he tells Ichigo he has come to kill him. As the others, trying get away from his strong Reiatsu, cannot get far, Zaraki confronts Ichigo. Zaraki is determined to fight Ichigo no matter what the issue may be, showing himself to be unconcerned with his friends or Rukia's fate. Zaraki, seeing Ichigo's battle stance, compliments him on it, though noting it has openings, and admits he likes his spiritual pressure. Zaraki, acknowledging he understands why Ikkaku lost to him, notes Ichigo is still weaker than him, so he decides to give Ichigo a fighting chance. Zaraki, baring his chest, tells Ichigo to cut him anywhere and not hold back. When Ichigo refuses to attack an unarmed opponent, Zaraki, while commending him, states it is simply a handicap, and while he appreciates the thought, Ichigo should save his sympathy for someone else. Zaraki tells him to either kill or be killed. Ichigo, attacking Zaraki's exposed chest, causes no injury, much to his confusion. Zaraki, disappointed, begins to unsheathe his Zanpakutō, and, telling Ichigo it is his turn, asks him to not die too quickly. When Ichigo's hand starts to bleed, Zaraki, asking him why he is surprised his sword cannot cut him, pushes Ichigo back, using his arm against his blade. Zaraki, explaining why Ichigo's sword cannot scratch him, takes out his own sword and tells Ichigo he should try, at the very least, to place a dent upon his sword. Ichigo, trying to run away from Zaraki, cannot seem to shake him, and ends up running into him at every turn. Eventually, Zaraki, growing bored of chasing after him, sits down. When Ichigo confronts him, he, finally seeming happy, asks if Ichigo is preparing to die or if he is surrendering. Ichigo refuses to do either and, attacking, finally succeeds in injuring Zaraki. Zaraki, extremely excited Ichigo can actually injure him, telling Ichigo to keep his spiritual pressure up and not relax, attacks Ichigo. The two clash and the battle continues, with Zaraki, while having the upper hand, happy to see Ichigo improving. When Zaraki comments on how Ichigo is using the sounds of his bells to determine his position, Ichigo asks if he is underestimating him, as he has not released his Zanpakutō. Zaraki explains his Zanpakutō has no name and, having never had a seal on it, is currently in its true form. As Ichigo, relieved to hear this, attacks once more, Zaraki, stopping him, further explains his Zanpakutō's state. He, thrusting his Zanpakutō through Ichigo's, breaking right through it, stabs Ichigo in the chest. Zaraki tells Ichigo he warned him not to relax his spiritual pressure, and it has become weak because he saw a chance to win. He, frustrated the battle was so easy and is now over, retracts his sword. Eventually, much to Zaraki's surprise, Ichigo gets up, accompanied by a large burst of spiritual pressure. Ichigo, attacking Zaraki, surprising him further, deals him a serious injury to the left side from his shoulder down the side of his torso. Zaraki, deflecting Ichigo's next attack, stabs his sword into a nearby building. Zaraki, beginning to laugh, becoming extremely excited, says now the fight is just getting started, noting they should drag out the fight. He, lunging at Ichigo, lets his face get cut by the blade just to get close to Ichigo. As the battle escalates even more, Zaraki, despite his injuries, continues to fight, teaching Ichigo the drive behind his personality. Zaraki, realizing both he and Ichigo are evenly matched, enjoying the feeling and euphoria of the moment, takes off his eyepatch, noting he considers Ichigo a worthy opponent, so it only makes sense to fight him at full power. Zaraki's spiritual power skyrockets as he removes his eyepatch, prompting Ichigo to wonder what is going on. Zaraki, explaining to him what the eyepatch does, takes out his Zanpakutō and, cutting a nearby building in half with a single slash, tells Ichigo he will use all his power to kill him. When Ichigo, increasing his power, greatly impresses Zaraki, Ichigo, explaining he can do so by borrowing Zangetsu's power and fighting side by side with him, states he will never lose to someone like him, who only fights by himself. Zaraki asks if Zangetsu is Ichigo's Zanpakutō, fighting side by side with it and borrowing its power, as he finds it ridiculous. He believes Zanpakutō are just tools of war, and fighting side by side with one are words for weak losers who are afraid to fight on their own. They, both releasing their spiritual pressure, run at each other to make a final strike, releasing enough spiritual pressure to collapse all the buildings around them. The battle ends in a draw, with Ichigo falling first apologizing to his friends as Zaraki looks down on him. With blood shooting out his shoulder, Zaraki questions Ichigo's apology, calling him stupid as he gives him the victory of the fight before falling down shortly after. As Yachiru calls for Retsu Unohana to heal Zaraki, Zaraki tells Yachiru he lost, but needs to pay him back. He, raising his sword, acknowledges he ignored it for a long time and wants it to communicate with it. Zaraki, not hearing it speak, faints, which scares Yachiru. Equipment: Eyepatch Power Seal: While unneeded, Zaraki wears an eyepatch he requested the Shinigami Research and Development Institute to create. In addition to reducing his depth perception and range of vision, it also seals the bulk of his Reiryoku. He wears this because he loves fighting so much that he cannot fight most opponents at full strength and enjoy it, as he would defeat them too quickly, to which he is still at least on par with most opponents while wearing it. Reiatsu Bells: In order to further give the enemy an advantage, Zaraki wears bells on each spike of his hair. These bells can only be heard by enemies whose Reiatsu is concentrated to the point where it can actually defeat Zaraki. Sometime after Aizen's defeat, Zaraki stopped wearing them. Powers & Abilities: Specialized Combatant: Zaraki did not attend the Shin'ō Academy, and thus has a limited skillset, especially for a Gotei 13 Captain. Despite that and even before accessing any of his Zanpakutō's power, he more than made up for this fault with his sheer might, resilience, and ingenuity. Training himself into a masterful combatant, he uses basic and direct, but effective methods to overwhelm his opponent. Fighting solely on instinct, reflexes, and present observation, he has no set pattern of attacks and likewise steadily improves with each exchange. From this, he can instantly change his approach and tactics, making it almost impossible for his opponents to anticipate him. Against Tōsen's Bankai, which left him with only a sense of touch, he was able to adapt and dodge Tōsen's attacks at the moment the latter's blade touches him to avoid serious injury and counter-attack with increasing accuracy. These traits, combined with his monstrous power, easily make him one of the strongest Shinigami in the Gotei 13's history. His immense fighting prowess is the reason why Zaraki was recognized as one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich, proving himself as such by having easily defeated three Sternritters back-to-back, who are said to possess above-Captain level might, early in their first invasion. Master Swordsman: Due to the lawlessness of the Zaraki district, Zaraki's sword-fighting skills were strengthened to essentially a masterful level, letting him strike multiple times with changes of attack type (from slash to pierce) without any difficulty. While still a child, he single-handedly kill hundreds of adult fighters and wound Retsu Unohana, the 1st Kenpachi, in battle. His unpolished skill, but immense might with his sword allows him to always fight with one hand free, only using both hands against opponents he feels will beat him otherwise, such as with Nnoitra and momentarily Ichigo. Likewise, he has equal might with either hand. As the captain of the 11th Division, which specializes in sword fighting, he is among the most, if not the most, proficient swordsmen in all of Soul Society. Zaraki possesses some knowledge and skill in Shinigami Zanjutsu, which Yamamoto forced him to learn before officially joining the Gotei 13. He is particularly advanced in Kendō, able to defeat several Shinigami at once with it. However, the training only lasted a day out of Central 46's fear that Zaraki would become too powerful of a threat to the Seireitei if he ever rebelled while having fully completed and mastered his training. Also, Zaraki despises using skills and techniques learned from another source, only using his formal training as a last resort. Ryōdan (両断, Bisection): A technique which Zaraki uses when he is gripping his sword with two hands. It allows one to split an opponent down the middle, even being able to overcome the powerful Hierro of the fifth Espada. Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While preferring to use his blade in battle, Zaraki has proven several times to be very dangerous while barehanded, showing considerably effective brawling prowess. He can easily catch an opponent's attack with a single hand, perform powerful punches and kicks, and easily subdue opponents with throws and take-downs. Immeasurable Spiritual Power: Even by a captain's standards, Zaraki's Reiryoku is monstrous. Even as he subconsciously suppressed the majority of his true power for centuries, his spiritual power was of such a degree that his fighting prowess is never noticeably hindered even with his energy-sealing eyepatch, as Zaraki could challenge two captain-level and Bankai-wielding opponents in succession. Ganju Shiba estimated his sealed power to be close to or at the same level as Byakuya Kuchiki's Reiatsu. Retsu Unohana, one of the most powerful captains of the Gotei 13, stated she was weaker than him even while he was still a child. During the Invasion of Hueco Mundo, he defeated the Fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, and could overpower Yammy Llargo, the strongest of the Espada. After defeating Unohana and removing his mental limits, Zaraki becomes powerful enough to fight on par with and defeat Gremmy Thoumeaux without taking off his eyepatch, and pressure Gerard Valkyrie while the Sternritter was vastly empowered by The Miracle and previously defeated several Shinigami in a single attack. When unleashing a strong enough surge of energy, it becomes visible and yellow in color, sometimes appearing as a skull. Unruly Reiatsu Control: By his own admission, Zaraki has poor control of his spiritual energy as it constantly remains very potent, forcing him to rely on his eyepatch to keep it at a more manageable level. Despite this, he is able to make liberal use of it in a variety of ways. It can affect large areas, spanning miles, and cause others within that area to enter a state of paralysis and confusion. When exerting his energy, the sheer magnitude of Zaraki's energy can cause considerable damage, destroying the area around him and launching away weaker opponents. Likewise, this can repel or disrupt most enemy attacks and abilities. After defeating Unohana, Zaraki gains considerable control over his Reiatsu; prior to fighting Gremmy, Shinigami in the nearby area were completely unable to detect his Reiatsu. He can also use his Reiryoku for more basic feats, such as standing in midair like other Shinigami. Damage Resistance: The intensity of Zaraki's Reiryoku also acts as a sort of armor, making it impossible for him to be harmed by anyone not at least at his level of power. This is first demonstrated when he faced Ichigo. At the start of the fight, Zaraki allows Ichigo to strike him, yet despite leaving himself completely unguarded and not resisting, not only did Ichigo fail to cut him, but Ichigo's hands started to bleed because of the recoil from the attempt. Highly Perceptive Combatant: Despite his seeming disregard for any strategy and self-admitted aversion to thinking, Zaraki has regularly displayed a surprisingly keen understanding of various situations. Even Byakuya was impressed by Zaraki's ability to understand things he has no personal experience with. He is likewise able to quickly see through his opponents' attack patterns and battle methods, finding and exploiting weaknesses in his opponents' techniques, and likewise quickly adjust and alter his own methods to better counter them. Against Gremmy Thoumeaux, Zaraki correctly deduced that Gremmy Thoumeaux's The Visionary was limited by concentration and can have its effects removed if his attention is diverted. He is also insightful to people's nature, able to notice subtle traits in people and see what drives a person's actions; he correctly singled out Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru as the only captains who are afraid to die.He possesses sharp intuition towards incoming danger, which allowed him to repeatedly dodge Tōsen's assault while still affected by his Bankai. Immense Strength: Zaraki possesses an extreme degree of physical strength, most commonly displayed by his ability to push back his opponent's attacks with a single arm, even if the opponent's weapons and attacks are gigantic in size. When Pernida Parnkgjas began warping and damaging his arm, Zaraki ripped it off effortlessly. He can launch full-grown men through buildings with a kick, as well as grab Ichigo's large sword to reel him in for an attack. He can also ram clear through a solid wall unscathed. He blocked the stomp of an enormous Gerard Valkyrie and throw him back a tremendous distance, and even succeeded in tripping Gerard with just one arm when the Quincy was even larger. With just his bare hand, Zaraki grabbed and deflected Nnoitra's Cero. His attack strength allows him to launch opponents back during a weapons clash and slice apart a skyscraper with a mere flick of his wrist. He can easily cut through an Arrancar's Hierro, which is harder than steel, including Yammy's while he was in his released form, where Zaraki cut off his leg and knocked the enormous Espada off his feet in a single strike. Against Gremmy's imagination powers, Zaraki claims that the Quincy's powers cannot come up with anything that he cannot cut, proving so by slicing through Gremmy's hardened body. Shunpo Practitioner: Though Zaraki originally possessed no known skill in Shunpo, after his battle with Unohana he developed it to some degree. Most notably, after recovering from the injuries inflicted by The Compulsory, Zaraki managed to instantly appear in another part of the Wahrwelt city and attack Gerard Valkyrie before the Sternritter could even defend himself, with Ikkaku and Yumichika shocked that Zaraki arrived before they did. Immense Speed: Prior to learning how to perform basic Shunpo, Zaraki displayed deceptively fast physical speed for his size and build. Thanks to the tremendous raw strength in his legs, Zaraki's natural acceleration more than made up for his lack of Shunpo, allowing him to move fast enough to instantly close a huge gap of space between him and his opponent, and even seemingly disappear from sight. In battle, he can strike with incredible speed in rapid succession, making it highly difficult for his opponents to find an opening and counterattack. During his short battle with Byakuya, Zaraki manages to keep up with his opponent's incredibly fast Shunpo, a feat which shocked and impressed Byakuya. Immense Endurance: His physical prowess is equally displayed by his resilience. Zaraki often ignores most of the injuries he sustains in battle, not suffering any debilitation despite having multiple slash and puncture wounds on his body and rarely any signs of pain much like a berserker. While battling Sajin Komamura and Kaname Tōsen, he took a hit from Komamura's Tenken and stabbed by the projectiles of Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō and shrugged it off, claiming it wasn't even enough to wake him up. He allowed himself to be stabbed by Tōsen just to grab Tōsen's sword to dispel his Bankai's effect. During his first battle with Nnoitra, he suffered numerous slash wounds, was even impaled and almost beheaded with no visual impairment of his fighting performance; Nnoitra noting most people would have already been dead by then. Even after receiving grievous injuries which left him in a comatose state, he healed enough to return to training only days later, showing a high recovery rate as well. Even after Zaraki suffered severe organ damage from his battle with Gremmy, it took the combined effort of four Sternritter to finally defeat him, rendered immobile from his injuries but still fully conscious. Despite having his arm mangled by Pernida's The Compulsory, Zaraki still managed to nonchalantly hold his sword with that arm. Immense Durability: As resilient as Zaraki is, he is just as hard to damage. During his battle against Yammy, as Zaraki was focusing his attention on Ichigo, Yammy delivered a powerful blow with his massive fist, launching Zaraki several meters and smashing him into a large pillar. Despite the impact, Zaraki quickly emerged unfazed, unimpressed by the "decent punch" Yammy threw at him. During his battle with Gremmy, Zaraki remained unharmed after being fired upon by dozens of firearms and having missiles thrown at him, and later withstood the cold vacuum of space and having several clones of Gremmy self-destruct at point-blank range with only moderate injuries. Nozarashi (野晒, Weather-Beaten One; Viz "Weather Beaten"): As a young boy living in the Rukongai, Zaraki came upon a dead Shinigami. He took the Asauchi, imprinting his soul upon it to become his own Zanpakutō. While still a wanderer, he would carry the sword across his back by a rope, over his right shoulder and at the left of his waist under his sash while a Shinigami. The blade is much longer than most Zanpakutō, roughly the size of a nodachi, with a relatively narrow, but long tsuba shaped like a serrated, eliptical bicone. The hilt and braid are both white, though they are mostly wrapped in white bandages, as is his sword's brown saya. Originally, Zaraki was the only captain in the history of the Gotei 13 to not know the name of his Zanpakutō, nor could he perform either of his blade's releases. Zangetsu noted Zaraki's disharmony with his sword caused the two to damage each other's powers; consequently, Zaraki could not hear the cry of his sword. Their disharmony left it with little spiritual energy and easier to damage; the blade is chipped and worn-down upon its edge. Despite this, Nozarashi can easily cut through most targets: Zaraki stabs straight through Ichigo's Zanpakutō, and later slices a building in half with no apparent effort after removing his eyepatch. After his fight with Ichigo, Zaraki wished to learn more about his Zanpakutō because he wanted to become stronger and could identify with the pain of not having a name. Later, upon defeating Retsu Unohana in battle and awakening his true strength, Zaraki finally heard his Zanpakutō's voice. Shikai: Before Zaraki knew its name, Soul Society believed that Zaraki's overwhelming Reiatsu was forcing Nozarashi into a constantly released state due to its more elaborate design. Its release command is Drink (呑め, nome). Upon release, Nozarashi takes on the form of a great axe/war cleaver hybrid with a long, cloth-wrapped handle. The top of the blade has a brass cover with a green tassel attached to the backside. Shikai Special Ability: In its released state, Nozarashi possesses tremendous additional attack power, easily destroying a huge meteorite with a single attack. Its cutting power is also greatly enhanced, able to effortlessly cut even through space itself. Bankai: Unnamed: Upon activation, Zaraki's Bankai releases a huge wave of energy powerful enough to level nearby buildings. In this form, Zaraki's skin turns red, and he gains multiple black markings across his face and horns on his forehead, causing him to resemble an oni. His blade becomes an altered version of its Shikai state, with a shorter, more jagged blade resembling a rough cleaver. Bankai Special Ability: Zaraki's Bankai grants him a tremendous increase in physical strength and cutting power, allowing him to effortlessly topple a gigantic Gerard Valkyrie with a single blow, rip off his arm in a single motion, and cut him completely in half from a considerable distance.

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First Message:   (Just let it flow)

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