It had only been moments since the roar of the thing that the so called Shinigami had called a Hollow had echoed out through the home of the teen bound on his bedroom floor by an unknown source. Yet, no matter the time that had passed, Ichigo was determined to protect his sister from the monster the Shinigami had come here to slay. He wouldn't let someone else do the job of the older brother. Having wiped the moustache she had drawn with a marker off with his shoulder smearing it across his school jacket he did his best to get to his feet despite the restriction his entire body was feeling at the presence of the unknown bindings.
Figuring it wasn't possible to get to his feet as he was, Ichigo struggled across the floor using his knees and head to manoeuvre himself, out his bedroom door taking a moment to check on Karin before heading for the top of the flight of stairs. Knowing full well this was going to hurt he braced himself before toppling down the first flight, it was uncomfortable and awkward as hell as he hit the midway platform with a grunt of pain as he forced himself up to his knees to stare down the second flight of stairs. No serious injury, he just needed to make it down the last flight and make the damn Shinigami release whatever it was she had done.
He could see the Shinigami at the bottom of the stairs, drawing her weapon that was sheathed at her hip as she assessed the situation that was out of Ichigo's line of sight. It was clear she could see whatever it was she called a Hollow, if it was anything like the other Hollow that he had seen earlier that day, Yuzu was in serious danger. Not wasting any more time, Ichigo threw himself down the last flight hitting the ground with a thud causing the Shinigami to look down at him in surprise.
Straining against the strange force binding him, he forced himself up body trembling under the pressure as he managed to get himself to his feet, teeth clenched as the invisible binds tried to restrain him further however something within himself was starting to overwhelm the Shinigami's spell. The Shinigami turned to him with wide eyes, astonished the human could even be standing before her now let alone moving while under the effects of her Kido spell. While not a high level spell, he was just a human. It should have been impossible for the teenager to move under the circumstances.
Gritting his teeth, Ichigo stumbled slightly but regained his footing as he turned, hearing the Shinigami speak.
"Fool, you'll only get in the way!" He heard her shout at him.
"Shut up!" Ichigo snapped, his attitude less than accepting at the moment, while he should have shouted at her to break whatever it was she had done to him, his words died in his throat at the scene before him, the living room was in a word shattered, his father lay on the ground his doctor's coat bloody just as Karin had described that he had been attacked there was even a massive hole in the side of the house. It was like something had forced it's way in, and with what he was seeing, that was precisely what had happened. Outside the ruined hole was a creature, not unlike the one he had seen earlier, he could see a fish-like mask and a dorsal fin on it's back. It's shoulders and arms were plated with what appeared to be a part of its mask and the rest of it's body was covered with dark grey stripes, resembling the scales of a fish.
But what made his blood run cold was what it held in his hand, Yuzu.
"Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted, the instinct that had been instilled him in since he was just a boy, to protect his sisters above all else, even above his own self rose to the surface, eyes brimming with the want to protect. Arms struggling behind his back as he grew frustrated as he watched helplessly as Yuzu screamed in the grip of the monster.
"Stop! The Kido is too strong for a human to break" The Shinigami shouted, hoping to get through to him. "If you keep trying you'll only cause damage to your soul!" The continued, trying to warn the teen to the danger should he try to continue. If there was damage to his Soul, who knew what would happen. But even as she was trying to warn him, she could see it. The seals of the Kido coming alive as the teen was doing whatever it was that he could to break free. She was completely stunned as the seals themselves began to break, one after another as if by an unnatural force of strength, but that was impossible.
The only way he should be able to break it was if he had an incredible amount of spiritual power, but there was no way a mere human would have enough to rival her own levels of spiritual power. But as she watched, he was doing the unthinkable as the seals grew in bright light before shattering one after the other and he was free from the Kido that she had cast.
With his body now free from the binds that had confined him, Ichigo wasted no time in running through the ruined portion of his home, heading straight for the monster that held his sister. Grabbing the baseball bat Karin had left out he dashed out of the hole in the wall hearing the cry of the Shinigami to stop but he paid no heed. Launching into the air, ready to bring the bat down on the creature he wasn't expecting the speed of the Hollow as a massive fist hit him in the side sending him flying away from his target, landing in the street.
Grunting in pain, never having been hit like that before. The bat in his grip was broken just above the grip, useless now he threw it away. It had at least protected him somewhat from the blow.
"Ichigo!" Yuzu's scream reached him once more as he turned only to see the Hollow looming above him as it began to reach for the teen. Rearing it's massive arm back Ichigo's body tensed before he let the instinct of battle take over, having been in many fights in his life he knew when not to freeze up no matter if he was facing down a thug, or this monster in front of him. Jumping out of the way as the massive fist crashed down into the street destroying a large portion of the road as Ichigo skidded to the side only to see the Shinigami appear taking her blade and slicing into the same arm that held Yuzu.
With a roar of pain, the Hollows grip on his sister lessoned and Yuzu fell from the creature's hand. Not wanting his sister hurt, Ichigo dashed forward, catching his sister as he slid across the ground on his knees not caring that his knees scraped as his uniform pants were ruined.
"Yuzu!" His panicked cry echoed out as the Hollows roar subsided as it disappeared into a black void. "Yuzu, answer me!"
"Don't worry." The calm voice of the Shinigami snapped him from his sisters unconscious form. "The Hollow didn't take either of your sisters Souls, nor your Fathers. They're just unconscious." She confirmed.
"Are you sure!?" Ichigo hastily asked his eyes scanning for the Hollow, unsure of where it had gone too.
"Yes, it's seeking a specific soul, one with a higher concentration of spirit energy." She explained, truly perplexed on this Hollows actions. "Hollows are drawn to high levels of spiritual energy, but they also attack opportunistically."
"What's that even mean?" Ichigo questioned still holding the form of his sister, unsure of what the Shinigami was trying to tell him.
"I've never known a human able to see a Shinigami, let alone break a Kido, I have never known a human to possess so much spiritual energy." Ichigo stared at the back of the Shinigami as she spoke, eyes widening as her words struck home, understanding now what she was telling him. "I believe that this Hollow, was looking for you the entire time." Gritting his teeth Ichigo's face was set with a scowl.
"All this, was 'cause of me." Looking back into the house, where his unconscious father lay. "Dad's dying over there." The weight of Yuzu in his arms grew ten fold with the burden he had placed on them. "Karin, and Yuzu injured… all of this!" He growled.
"Wait! That's not what I meant at all!" The Shinigami tried to explain he had taken her words the wrong way, he had done nothing to bring this horror onto himself or his family. However in her trying to explain this to him she was unaware of the Hollow reappearing behind her. The monster had no hesitation in returning the blow from Earlier crashing it's massive fist into the Shinigami's side sending her flying like it had done Ichigo earlier. Ichigo was stunned as he looked up the moment the hit connect, to see the Shinigami sent flying like a doll.
"Shinigami!" Ichigo shouted, still unaware of her name as he called out to her. Hearing the wail of the Hollow he looked up, eyes hardening as he glared at the one who had caused all of this. "I've had enough of you!"
Grunting in pain the Shinigami growled, more so to herself for letting her be caught of guard. She was a trained warrior, yet she had left her flank unguarded and in that moment the Hollow had seen her weakness and acted on it. Never had she been so careless, decades of training and she had slipped up, she had dishonoured the Kuchiki name in that moment. However right now she didn't have the time to think of dishonouring her family, no she had to end this Hollow and erase the memories of the humans involved. It was already getting out of hand.
However when Rukia looked up to assess the situation, seeing the teenager that had broken her Kido standing before her, before the Hollow, fear clenched her heart. How stupid could this human be? Was he really just stupid or was it something else?
"Coward!" Ichigo roared as he stood before the looming monster. "Quit attacking others! If it's my soul you want, then come and get it you ugly Bastard!" He finished as he thrust a thumb at his chest.
"You fool!" Rukia roared as she saw the Hollows neck extended, using all the speed she could muster she passed by the human, still not being able to follow the Hollows speed standing there like the idiot he was, not realising how he just about gave his life up. Rukia only had seconds to ready herself, her Zanpakuto before her as the jaws of the Hollow encased her. Rukia managed to lodge the blade of the Zanpakuto into the open mouth but she was also ensnared in the jaws causing her body to explode with pain as the Hollow screamed around her in it's own agony. With a sickening squelch, Rukia dislodged a part of the Hollows mask forcing it to release her as it backed away, holding its hands up to it's face as it gave out a muffled raw, blood dripping from behind it's hands.
Ichigo had barely been able to register what had happened as the Shinigami dropped to her knees before him.
"Shinigami!" Ichigo called out to her as Rukia coughed, blood splattering across the ground as she did so.
"You insolent fool!" She hissed through gritted teeth. "Did you think it would all be over if you gave it your soul? Then you are a fool, one soul doesn't satisfy them for long." She coughed as she attempted to push herself up to her hands and knees, the ground beneath her soaked in blood from the wounds given by the Hollow. Stumbling back into a sitting position against the wall lining the street she looked up at the stunned teen before her. She could only think of one thing that might save them and if it didn't… it wouldn't matter anyway.
"I'm too injured to fight, do you want to save your family!?" Rukia
"Just tell me how! I'll do anything! Tell me!" He pleaded, Rukia smiling to herself, truly an idiot but a brave one, if she had learned anything about this boy from her interaction with him, he was brave.
"There is a way..." She breathed out, resigning herself to what she had to do, no matter the cost. The Hollow would soon recover and they would be out of time. "I should say, there is only one way." Grabbing the hilt of her blade she poised it towards the teens chest as he stared at her with wide eyes, unsure of what she was getting at.
"What?"
"You must become a Shinigami yourself, you must take my Zanpakuto and run it into the centre of your being so I may run my powers into you. It will only be for a short time, but you'll gain the strength to defeat this Hollow." Rukia explained, wincing as another surge of pain ran through her body as she looked up at him, about to reveal to him the final detail. "I can't guarantee you that you will live, but if it doesn't work it won't matter." She told him, but she could see it in his eyes… he had already agreed to it.
"Then give me that blade, Shinigami." Ichigo smiled down at her, Rukia unable to hide her own smile, even with the now recovered Hollow approaching from the side.
"My name is Rukia Kuchiki." She introduced herself, her brother would be ashamed of the way she did it and how long it took her to do so. She only hoped she had the opportunity to apologise for her behaviour this night.
"Ichigo Kurosaki." Placing both hands on the blade of the Zanpakuto they stared at one another for a few moments, Ichigo feeling an unnatural cold from the blade as he held it, unlike the cold steel that it was and more like ice. As the roar of the Hollow came closer, Rukia pushed the hilt of the blade while Ichigo pulled the blade, piercing his own chest with it.
Everything in that moment, went completely white.
When Rukia recovered from the bright light she looked around stunned at how weakened she felt. Looking down at herself, seeing that her usual standard shihakushō now replaced with a plain white kimono. Her eyes widened in disbelief, even her Zanpakuto was gone.
"How could this have happened? I only intended to give him half of my power, but somehow he took all of it." She whispered as the dust of the explosion of power had created. That's when a chill swept over her as she sat in the street alone. The Hollow was gone, however, so was Ichigo Kurosaki…. not to mention, Sode no Shirayuki.
The Impact happened without warning to those on the deck of the ship. Monkey D. Luffy had been about to deal his final blow to the bloated woman who looked looked like a hippo on steroids however the sudden explosion on the ship halted him while drawing the attention of the other pirates, even the large pirate Alvida herself was forced to look upon the sudden disruption. It wasn't until one pirate shouted did Luffy come to realise the danger he was currently in.
"Captain! We're taking on water! The explosion ripped right through the hull, there's no way we could patch it!" Luffy's face decreased several colours at the thought of the approaching ocean below, not the pirates or the Marines that were firing upon them. It was the ocean that he didn't want to meet like this. The fact that he had never learned to swim despite waiting to live a long life of adventure on the sea was only part of his fear, the rest was that there was a reason he sank like an anchor.
"Perfect boys! This idiot ate a Devil Fruit, so the oceans the perfect grave for him!" Alvida laughed getting cheers from her crew as they saw Luffy already looking for a life boat to get away, panic clearly crossing the teens face. Coby was appalled as he watched the crew he had been a cabin boy of getting ready to exploit the weakness of their enemy, none of Alvida's men had any honour.
Gritting his teeth as he glared at the woman he had called Captain tears welling up in his eyes, how could anyone in this world be so cruel? Seeing the boy's glare, Alvida smirked while lifting her iron mace that she was named for and rested it over her shoulder as she headed towards him, she'd make the brat pay for what he had said.
"Coby!" Alvida called to the pink haired boy, grinning her usual sadistic smirk.
"Uh, Captain." One of her crew members called to her, causing Alvida to grit her teeth at being interrupted at dealing out the punishment for the crimes committed against her.
"What is it!?" Alvida snapped, turning to the pirate only to pause as she saw a group of her crew all staring down at the large hole now the cause of the ship's demise.
"Something is down there." One of the men told her nervously, Alvida hurrying to see what the commotion was about, forcing several of the members of the crew out of her way as she looked down into the depths of the hole, showing the innards of the ship. Searching the water she could only see floating debris, nothing else was down there. About to swing her mace at those who had wasted her time she stopped as a shadow appeared beneath the surface of the water, it's size and shape growing larger.
The only thing that came to her mind at what it could be… was a Sea King. Backing away as fast she could, sending herself off balance in the process as she fell onto the back, about to give the order to retreat to their own ship to escape the Sea King, a torrent of water blasted up from the hole in the deck giving her a view from where she was laying of what it was that had appeared. It was no Sea King. However, the monster that landed on deck before her certainly resembled a sea creature, perhaps a Fishman of some sought. However it housed no characteristics of a sentient being.
It stood taller than any man aboard as it lifted itself to it's full height and taking a sniff of the air as if an animal searching for something. Alvida, unsure what to do in this situation looked to her crew who were all nervously looked up at the unknown creature as it looked over them with golden eyes beneath its mask.
While the pirates had been distracted by the unknown monster, Coby quickly ushered Luffy away, even if his eyes were sparkling in amazement about the monster that had suddenly come up from the sea. Coby had been forced to remind him of the approaching danger he was in about the now sinking ship that would soon succumb to it's own weight and sink beneath the ocean's surface which had snapped the straw hat wearing teen out of his amazement and decided to follow along with the former Cabin Boy. Even if Coby had to keep reminding him as they made their way to a life raft.
Meanwhile, Alvida had gotten to her feet before the towering monster before her. It's focus now on the large Captain of the Pirates as she readied her mace ready to fight if this monster saw fit to even think of coming after her.
With an ear shattering screech the Hollow moved to attack, Alvida was forced to drop her mace as she rose both hands up to cover her ears from the powerful noise, the mistake cost her as her entire body was hefted up into the air, a powerful grip now wrapped around her entire body as she was lifted up like a feather in the grip of the monster. Struggling in the grip was pointless, unable to move even an inch in the powerful grip.
"Get me out of here!" Alvida ordered down to her crew, not only were they terrified of the speed of the monster, along with still suffering from the after effects of the screech. Simply the strength it displayed in effortlessly lifting their Captain was more than enough to know they were no match for it. Seeing the fear in their eyes and their lack of resolve to do anything to save their Captain she struggled further, using what strength she could muster however this simply caught the attention of the Hollow who turned to her before opening its maw petrifying the woman realising it's intention.
It was going to eat her.
"LIKE HELL!" The roar of someone else came from above, Alvida's shot her eyes up as the Hollow shut it's maw and did the same thing as the orange haired teen came flying down, massive blade rose high above his head. Alvida barely knew what hit her as she crashed ungraciously into the deck, still in the grip of the monster however the arm began to dissolve around her, freeing her from it's grip as it fully disappeared. Alvida pushed herself up onto shaky legs, still trying to understand the fact that that monster had the nerve to try and eat her.
As she looked up to the one who had lopped off the arm of the Monster, he had his back to her as he hefted the blade he used over his shoulder, it looked larger than her own mace. Ridiculously large in her own opinion due to the size of the one wielding it but the way the monster was clutching at it's now dismembered arm blood gushing out onto the deck of the ship, it wasn't just a prop of some kind.
Was this the bounty hunter she had heard of, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro? If it was, she would be in more trouble, the Pirate Hunter had gone after bounties far larger than her own, hadn't he? If he was here for her bounty, why not just let the monster kill her?
"This ends now!" The black shihakushō wearing teen shouted as he ran towards the monster, casting his sword out to the side as he did. The Hollow let out another raw as it charged back towards the newly created Shinigami, thrusting one foot out to stomp Ichigo beneath its foot however Ichigo jumped to the side, landing on the deck as the foot of the Hollow crashed through the boards getting stuck allowing Ichigo to leap from the deck and slice the Hollows leg clean off.
Alvida watched stunned as the teen effortlessly removed limbs from the monster that had easily overpowered her, making her look vulnerable before her crew, she could even see it on the faces of the members that made up her crew as they stared at the teen in awe. She had no idea if this guy was the Pirate Hunter or not, but it was clear this monster was no match for the teen, meaning she herself, pride be damned, had no chance at victory against him if he wanted the bounty on her head. About to order her men to retreat back to the Miss Love Duck she stopped and turned back to the teen as the Hollow began to tip towards him now unstable on it's feet.
"This is for attacking my family, you fished faced bastard!" Ichigo roared as he slashed down with his massive blade bisecting the Hollow right down the middle from the top of the mask to it's groin, both sides crashing around him leaving bloody smears on the deck as the two sides began to disappear. Alvida swallowed nervously as the teen stood there, silence reigned over the deck of the ship, the faint sounds of the passengers below deck making for the life boats. It was the sounds of cannons that snapped Alvida from her thoughts, her gaze shooting off the direction that the cannon fire had come from, only to spot three large ships with the same symbol on their flags.
"Back to the Miss Love Duck!" Alvida ordered frightening the pirates as they turned to her, having momentarily forgotten the woman they called Captain as more cannon fire rang out, the ships purposely missing the cruise liner. "Otherwise stay behind and be captured by the Marines! Move!" It didn't take much more convincing for the pirates as they all rushed to the side of the cruise liner with what they had already snagged from the passengers.
"Stop!" Alvida did so mid stride as she turned, she couldn't remember the last time she had followed an order let alone done so in fear. Her eyes widened as she saw the teens face for the first time, a faint blush rising up over her freckled cheeks. For a rough look guy he had an air of attractiveness, maybe she should thank him for saving her? No! Shaking her head fiercely she didn't need this right now! "Where am I?"
"I don't have time! Get away if you can the Marines need someone to blame this mess on, and I'm not staying another second!" Alvida growled, grabbing her mace from the deck of the ship. "If you're after my bounty, tough luck but I won't be sticking around!" Ichigo clicked his teeth in annoyance as he watched the large woman return to her own ship. Raising his sword up he returned it to it's sheath.
The cruise liner creaked underneath his feet as the ship began to slope at one end resulting in the deck beginning to crack down the centre. Ichigo's scowl increased as he witnessed 'Miss Love Duck' began to set sail the pirates aboard doing everything they could to get under way, he could already see one of the Marine ships changing course to head after them two still heading right for the ship he himself was on.
"Damn it!" Ichigo mentally growled, unaware of what had happened as he raced to the closest lifeboat. He wasn't about to go down with this ship and he sure as hell wasn't getting blamed for a mess he had no idea about. Jumping over the railing landing in the small boat it rocking slightly at the sudden movement, Ichigo looked for a lever or something to lower the boat however not having the patience to search for very long, grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto and sliced both ropes holding the boat up. In hindsight, he should have just kept look for as soon as his blade sliced through the ropes gravity took hold and sent him and the boat plummeting down into the ocean.
"I'm sick of falling today!" Ichigo grunted, having come crashing down onto the Hollow from above after being stabbed by Rukia's blade with no knowledge of what the hell was going on! Righting himself having landed awkwardly on the floor of the boat he sat up with a groan. Placing his sword back in it's sheath down his back he lifted his foot up and kicked off the cruise liner. As the boat drifted from the cruise liner, Ichigo fumbled with the numerous ropes he wasn't familiar with as he tried to undo the sail.
Finally managing for it to lower he let out a sigh as it began to catch the breeze, looks like he wouldn't have to use the paddles that were off to the side and could just focus on figuring out where the hell he was going let alone how he was suppose to get home. As the cruise liner and the Marine ships faded into the distance behind him Ichigo saw that he had no pursuit and soon even the ships were long out of sight.
Leaning back against the side of the boat he looked up to the sky, the white clouds drifting overhead. He knew what he had been doing when he had taken hold of Rukia's blade, had resigned himself to ending his life if only having a 1% chance of saving his family. He had done that, killed the Hollow that had threatened his family. But he wasn't dead… but he certainly was dealing with unknown after effects of what had happened. It was clear he wasn't some place he could just easily return to, his earlier encounter had made pretty damn sure of that.
"Damn..." Ichigo breathed out, shuffling down the side of the boat trying to get comfortable, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion begin to take over. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He muttered as he closed his eyes, resigning himself to the exhaustion that overcame him, the last fleeting thought through his mind was that for once, he wished his Dad would wake him up and he'd come to know it was all just a crazy dream.
Being fifteen in another world? Yeah, he'd rather have school in the morning.
Unbeknownst to Ichigo, deep inside himself his unknown power was swirling within him. Ichigo had no idea the power he held deep down, nor the power of the Zanpakuto on his back. However, Ichigo Kurosaki had no idea the adventure that awaited him either. This was just the beginning of what would become his story, and every pirate that sails these seas needed a crew.