NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 22: Gran Rey Cero
In the world of Bleach, there was a distinct difference between a Soul Reaper's Bankai and an Arrancar's Resurrección. Bankai represented a further evolution of a Zanpakuto's inherent power, while Resurrección involved releasing the sealed power of an Arrancar's original Hollow form.
Upon activating Bankai, a Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure and combat abilities surged dramatically. Depending on the individual, their power in Bankai could be 5 to 10 times greater than their Shikai state.
Bankai not only altered a Zanpakuto's appearance but could also change a Soul Reaper's clothing. In rare cases, even their physical appearance and abilities could transform.
However, this surge in power came at the cost of rapid spiritual pressure depletion. Therefore, most Soul Reapers avoided using Bankai unless absolutely necessary.
Most importantly, if a Zanpakuto was damaged while in Bankai, it would be permanently scarred, similar to an Arrancar's Resurrección.
By releasing the core of their being, which had taken the form of a Zanpakuto, an Arrancar could revert to their original Hollow form, significantly amplifying their power. If their Zanpakuto was damaged before releasing, their power would remain limited.
Fortunately, this wasn't a concern for Ian. He possessed the Dimensional Template System and a vast reserve of unabsorbed souls within him.
This was the price of forcibly activating his first Resurrección. Those souls would be consumed, and his fusion rate might even decrease, although hopefully not by much.
As his soul energy rapidly depleted, his form began to transform. Massive black wings, capable of blotting out the sky, sprouted from his back.
His tattered white clothing not only repaired itself but also transformed into a flowing robe, similar to Ichigo's Bankai, where his Shihakusho also changed, becoming an extension of his power.
Since it was composed of reishi, reconstructing it was a trivial matter.
His partial white skull helmet, with its single horn, became a complete, double-horned helmet, even more menacing than before. His fingernails lengthened into sharp claws, and his hair seemed to grow longer.
His tear marks deepened and widened, becoming even more prominent.
"Amazing… worthy of an Espada." Ian marveled at the surge of power coursing through him.
In this state, his speed, defense, and attack power were vastly superior to Ichigo in his combined Hollowfied Bankai form.
He clenched his right hand, and his spiritual pressure plummeted further as a unique weapon, resembling a lightsaber, materialized in his grasp – the Luz de la Luna (Moonbeam).
Formed entirely from reishi, it could be thrown at opponents or used as a melee weapon, possessing immense destructive power. In the original series, a mere graze against Ichigo's shoulder had sent him flying a considerable distance despite his dual Hollowfied Bankai state.
Its evolved form, Lanza del Relámpago (Spear of Lightning), unleashed during his second Resurrección, possessed even greater destructive power. Even a glancing blow created a shockwave that devastated a large area of Las Noches. ( IMG )
However, Ulquiorra seemed unfamiliar with this technique, unable to fully control its immense power.
After all, no one had ever witnessed Ulquiorra's second Resurrección. Among the Espada, only he possessed the ability to achieve a second release. He had gradually unlocked his true form during his final battle with Ichigo.
In this form, the upper half of his clothing vanished, black liquid flowed from his eyes, his tear marks extended downward, and even his sclera turned green.
Black feathers covered his abdomen, legs, arms, and even his back. The lower half of his robe split into two tails, his wings fully extended, revealing sharp, bat-like claws.
The horns on his helmet lengthened, sharpened, and curved, becoming even more menacing. A long, prehensile tail sprouted from his lower back, tipped with a blade-like bone structure.
Building upon the power increase from his first Resurrección, his spiritual pressure surged further, creating an oppressive weight that Uryu Ishida described as an ocean pressing down on him, surpassing any spiritual pressure he had ever encountered.
In this state, he was comparable to Barragan Luisenbarn, the former king of Hueco Mundo who commanded the power of aging, and Starrk, the Primera Espada, capable of infinite soul division and self-Hollowfication. After all, Ulquiorra was only a partial Arrancar.
In the official mobile game, he achieved a third Resurrección, an original form. His hair and tail turned white and lengthened, black flames shaped like horns erupted from the sides of his head, the black feathers on his arms receded, the feathers on his lower body transformed into a skirt-like structure, his bat-like wings were replaced with two pairs of black feathered wings, and his overall appearance resembled a fallen angel from Western mythology.
Ian was confident that in this brutal, expansive world of One Piece, teeming with Devil Fruit users and powerful individuals who wielded all three types of Haki, he would eventually unlock this ultimate form and reign supreme.
"Mr. Ian, what a Scary Power! It's astounding! Oh, I forgot I don't have eyes!" Brook, the skeletal musician, exclaimed from afar, covering his fleshless face with his bony hand.
"You've… awakened? No, this must be your Devil Fruit's true form!" Moria's realization dawned a moment too late. Had he been hiding his true power all along? He had underestimated Ian completely!
Facing the colossal, giant-like Moria, Ian's wings unfurled, creating a powerful gust of wind that lifted him high into the air.
In this state, he possessed the destructive power to cleave an island in two with a single blow. Moria, in his ultimate form, was a formidable opponent, but a swift victory was crucial.
This was the shared sentiment in both their minds. Moria required immense mental focus to maintain his transformation, or he would lose control and go berserk. In the original series, he had absorbed one thousand shadows, causing him to lose consciousness and rampage until Luffy bombarded him with Gear Second Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling, forcing him to expel half the absorbed shadows and regain control.
During the Paramount War, Moria had attempted to use his shadow horde against Jinbe, but he was easily defeated.
In the Bleach world, some Soul Reaper captains possessed incomplete Bankai, such as Komamura's Tenken and Renji's Zabimaru. However, through rigorous training, they had achieved their true Bankai forms, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō: Dangai Jōe and Sōō Zabimaru, respectively, significantly amplifying their powers.
*Clang! Whoosh!* Ian, wielding Luz de la Luna, relentlessly attacked Moria, his massive wings allowing him to swiftly maneuver between the giant's attacks.
His strikes landed on Moria's body, but they merely created showers of sparks and metallic clangs. Moria's defense and strength in this state were extraordinary.
Fortunately, Moria couldn't match the speed of Ian's first Resurrección, Murciélago. Otherwise, a single blow, even with Hierro's protection, which rivaled Armament Haki, would have reduced him to a pulp.
After another futile exchange, Ian soared high above Moria's reach, dispersing Luz de la Luna and raising his right hand.
"Cero Oscuras!" The surrounding, unabsorbed soul energy converged towards his hand, a black aura flickering ominously. Moria could sense the immense power gathering, a force that threatened his very soul.
This was the ultimate Cero, a technique exclusive to Espada due to its devastating power. It could even distort space and potentially destroy Las Noches, prompting Aizen to forbid its use.
Cero Oscuras was a technique unique to Ulquiorra in his released form, similar to Ichigo's black Getsuga Tenshō in his Hollowfied Bankai state.
Its power and range were immense. A single blast had shattered Ichigo's Hollow mask and pierced his chest.
"I acknowledge you. You possess the strength to stand before me." Moria's massive, toad-like mouth opened, his voice booming across the battlefield.
Conqueror's Haki, a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, and exceptional swordsmanship – this young man wasn't arrogant, he had the potential to become a king. This era would belong to him.
"Roar…" Moria, now resembling a venomous toad from Mount Myōboku, roared, his immense weight cracking the earth beneath him. While he lacked a Toad Oil Bullet…
The toad summonings, like the Tailed Beast Balls in the Naruto universe, the roars of powerful dragons in the Fairy Tail universe, the Gran Rey Cero of Espada, and the Kidō spells of Soul Reapers…
He had Armament Haki! As Ian's Cero Oscuras charged, a massive black beam of energy tearing through the air, Moria's right hand blackened with Haki, comparable in strength to Luffy's post-timeskip Gear Third.
He couldn't coat his entire body in Haki, and Ian's first Resurrección, Murciélago, wasn't as powerful as Ulquiorra's in the original series. After all, the top four Espada were Vasto Lorde-level Hollows, while the remaining six were the strongest Adjuchas, approaching Vasto Lorde level.
Ian's power was limited by the Dimensional Template System. At 40% fusion, he would only be equivalent to a weaker Adjuchas, comparable to a Soul Reaper captain, a Yonko commander, or one of Whitebeard's top three division commanders.
Specifically, Marco the Phoenix, King the Wildfire, and Katakuri, the master of Observation Haki who could briefly glimpse the future. The Espada were captain-commander level.
The absence of Ulquiorra's signature Lanza del Relámpago, spears of condensed reishi raining down from the sky, was a testament to his current limitations.
*BOOM!* The Cero Oscuras collided with Moria's Haki-clad fist, creating a massive explosion that engulfed the giant.
A blinding white dome, spanning a kilometer in diameter, enveloped the battlefield, silencing all sound… Ian had launched his attack from the air, while Moria had defended from the ground.
Ian held the advantage. As the world transitioned from silence to sound, and color returned to the landscape, a massive crater, hundreds of meters wide, remained where Moria had stood. The giant lay at the bottom, his body covered in wounds, unconscious.
Countless shadows erupted from his body, soaring into the sky, returning to their rightful owners. Even from a distance, their joyous cries could be heard.
They were finally free, no longer forced to hide from the sunlight like the zombies infused with their shadows.
The shockwave from the clash had dispersed the thick fog that had shrouded the Florian Triangle for countless years, sunlight finally bathing the land…