Chapter 38: Angry Explosion! Luffy vs. Muramasa! How It Ends!
The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto.
As the soul reapers, the sphere continues to grow and expand. "What?!" Uryu said shocked. "That thing is still expanding?!"
"Nothing has changed!" Chad said.
"What about Ichigo and Luffy?" Orihime asked. "Can we save them?"
"I don't know." Rukia said. "The fact is that we can't take the chance of getting near that thing so we're stuck leaving it up to those two to save themselves."
"That's awful." Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and the Straw Hat Pirates looked at the sphere, hoping that their friends will be able to escape from the sphere alive.
The unconscious bodies of Luffy and Ichigo were falling through the unstable spirit energy until the two landed in water. Ichigo opened his eyes and grabbed Luffy by his wrist. He jumped out of the water and saw a wide open ocean with pillars sticking out of the water. He landed on top of one of the nearby pillars and started shaking Luffy.
"Hey Luffy, wake up!" Ichigo shouted, shaking the pirate captain to wake him up but with no results. "WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT!" Ichigo hit Luffy hard over the head. That did the trick.
Luffy opened his eyes and saw the substitute soul reaper, standing over him. "Huh, Ichigo?" he said. He looked around at the new surroundings. "Where are we?" Then the sound of footsteps caught the boys' attention. They looked behind their shoulders and saw Muramasa walking on the surface of the water.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, Monkey D. Luffy." Muramasa said. "I'm surprised to see the both of you. How did you get here?"
"I don't know." Ichigo said. "Where the hell are we?"
"Can't you tell? Just as your precious zanpakuto has a home in the world that is your mind, I also had a place to call my own."
"Then this is…but Koga's dead!"
"I don't understand it myself. How did I end up in this place? Did my reunion with Koga somehow summon me here? Or is this whole thing a figment of the imagination? Or either case, this place will soon fall apart." Then one of the pillars fell into the ocean. "But no matter what, I am eternally grateful of the destiny that connects you and I. But that destiny will allow me to finish our battle." Muramasa stuck out his hand and his sword appeared. Muramasa appeared in front of Ichigo and their swords clashed.
"But why?!" Ichigo shouted as their swords collided again. "There's no longer any reason for us to keep fighting each other!" Ichigo pushed the zanpakuto back but Muramasa easily stopped himself.
"Don't you see?" Muramasa replied. "The power you possess will nourish me, Ichigo. And until I obtain that power, I will never stop fighting, understand?" Muramasa was about to charge towards Ichigo again but he quickly stepped out of the way as a sound speed punch nearly hit him. Ichigo looked at where the attack came from and Luffy with his Second Gear active.
"Luffy?!" Ichigo questioned.
"Ichigo, let take care of this guy." Luffy said, taking a stance. "If it's a fight he wants, then it's a fight he's going to get." Muramasa charged towards Luffy, swinging his sword at the pirate. Luffy quickly dodged the zanpakuto's attack and jumped back from the pillar. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy stretched both of his arms back. "…Jet Bazooka!" Luffy fired another sound speed attack, causing an explosion.
Luffy looked behind his shoulder and saw an unarmed Muramasa sticking his hand out towards him. "Nice try." Luffy jumped back away from Muramasa. "But I'm not going to let you use that! Not this time! Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!" Luffy fired a jet speed punch at Muramasa but the zanpakuto disappeared. Then Luffy felt something tightly grabbing his wrist. "What…" Soon he felt an invisible force grabbing his neck and his entire body. His body pulled down by that force as Muramasa appeared in front of him.
"It's useless." Muramasa said. "Flailing your arms around like an idiot won't be enough to protect you from my onslaught."
Luffy tried to move his body so he could fight back and quickly realized that he couldn't. "No, damn it!" he cursed. "I can't move!" He looked down at the water and saw a reflection on him being held by arms extending from Muramasa. His eyes widen as more arms started to wrap around his body.
"Good bye, Straw Hat." Muramasa said with a smirk as his sword appeared in his hand. Luffy gritted his teeth in frustration, knowing that there's nothing he could do. Then an explosion erupted as a piece of a destroyed pillar fell into the water. Suddenly, Luffy felt his arm moving again. He looked down and saw water moving, using up the reflection. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, trying to move his free the best that he can. "…Jet Pistol!" Muramasa widen his eyes as Luffy fired a sound speed at the ocean surface, messing with the reflection even more and freeing himself from Muramasa's grip. "Gum-Gum…Jet Gatling!" Luffy's hands disappeared in a barrage of sound punches as he targeted the water, continued messing with the reflected image. "I told you, I'm not letting you use that technique again! Gum-Gum…" Luffy rushed towards Muramasa with his arm cocked back and twisted. "…Jet Rifle!" Muramasa's eyes rolled in pain as Luffy hit hard him in the gut, pushing him back. "You're mine now!"
Muramasa widen his eyes as Luffy charged towards him again. Then the zanpakuto smirked as he disappeared as he disappeared from Luffy's sight. Luffy watched shocked as the zanpakuto disappeared in front of him. Muramasa appeared behind the pirate and slashed in the back as the Second Gear wore off. Luffy charged towards the zanpakuto again but Muramasa disappeared. Luffy spotted Muramasa and started to throw punches at the zanpakuto, who dodged them.
"I cannot utilize my technique to its fullest extent right now." Muramasa said as he continued to dodge Luffy's attacks. Luffy threw a punch at Muramasa but the zanpakuto caught the punch with his free hand. "But that's not the only ability that I possess." He pushed Luffy back and left himself wide open for a counter attack. Luffy charged towards the zanpakuto but Muramasa disappeared again. Then multiple clones of Muramasa appeared around Luffy, surrounding the pirate. "I had you placed under my spell the moment we faced each other in battle."
Luffy punched one of the Muramasa's but he disappeared. The pirate captain looked behind his shoulder and jumped out of the way as another clone lowered its sword at him. Then another clone appeared and slashed Luffy's shoulder. The clone disappeared as Luffy tried to fight back. Another clone appeared and cut Luffy's above his eye, pushing the pirate back and forcing him down to a knee. Luffy looked above him and saw Muramasa lowering his sword at him, sending him crashing into the pillar below.
"Luffy!" Ichigo shouted. Muramasa looked down at the pirate with a smirk on his face, pointing his sword at him.
Luffy glared at the zanpakuto, breathing heavily as blood ran down his face from the cut over his eye. "How do you beat him?" He asked himself, wiping the blood off of his face. He slowly got back up to his feet, looked up at Muramasa.
"You're going to try again?" Muramasa taunted. Muramasa rushed towards the pirate and started swinging his sword at him. Luffy dodged Muramasa's sword swings and started to counter with punches of his own. Muramasa smirked, disappearing from Luffy's sight as the pirate threw another at him. Muramasa appeared behind Luffy, ready to slash his back again. But Luffy turned around and punched the zanpakuto in the face.
'How did he see me?' Muramasa thought shocked as Luffy started to throw more punches at the zanpakuto. Muramasa grabbed Luffy and kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing into another pillar. The smoke cleared and show Luffy standing. Muramasa appeared behind Luffy, ready to cut him again.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, turning around and stretching his leg out. "…Whip!" Muramasa's eyes widen as Luffy's leg hit him in the stomach and sends him crashing into the pillar behind him. The smoke cleared and showed Muramasa using his sword to help stand back up. Muramasa charged towards Luffy and lowered his sword at him again. But Luffy grabbed the zanpakuto's arm and slammed him to the ground. Muramasa glared at Luffy as he struggle to get back to his feet.
"I think that I get what he was trying to say." Luffy said, surprising the zanpakuto.
"What?!" Muramasa shouted.
"Recognizing and accepting each other's existence is the relationship between a zanpakuto and a soul reaper." Luffy turned towards Muramasa. "But I bet that you already knew it."
Muramasa looked at Luffy with widen eyes. Then the look of surprise turned into a look of pure anger. "What do a human like you know about anything?!"
"Why won't you just accept it?!" The ground beneath Luffy and Muramasa started to shake as the pillar they're standing on was destroyed. Luffy quickly stretched his arm to one of the nearby pillars and rocketed himself to the top of it. Muramasa appeared in front of Luffy and the two started to exchange blows with each other.
Ichigo watched on as the battle continued to intensify. "Ichigo…" Zangetsu called from Ichigo's mind. "We must leave this place. This is a maelstrom of deep seated hatred here driven by the hollow that Muramasa consumed all of those years. And at any moment, they will rise up and destroy him."
Muramasa continued his sword at Luffy, trying to cut him down but the pirate continued to avoid his attack. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy stretched both of his arms back. "…Bazooka!" Muramasa felt the air rushed out of his body as he was sent flying once again, crashing into another pillar.
"We don't have much time, Ichigo." Zangetsu warned.
"Yeah, I know." Ichigo said, still watching the fight. Muramasa stood back up to his feet, glaring at the pirate captain. Then the pillar collapsed and sends the zanpakuto falling into the ocean. Luffy and Ichigo watched with widen eyes as the zanpakuto plummeted deep into the ocean
'His voice…never reached me.' Muramasa thought, thinking back to when Koga was sealed away to him consuming hollows to maintain his existence to when he freed Koga to his prison and to Koga's betrayal.
"Muramasa!" Ichigo's voice shouted, causing to widen his eyes.
"Ichigo, you and Straw Hat must get out of here." Zangetsu said from Ichigo's mind. "If you two stay here, you'll be trapped forever." Then a figure came out of the ocean and landed on top of one of the pillars that were still intact. It was Muramasa. The zanpakuto held his chest as he tries to catch his breath.
"Muramasa…" Ichigo said, getting the zanpakuto's attention. "Why can't you just let this go?"
"It's none of your business." Muramasa said.
"Luffy told that he didn't need you anymore. Just give up already."
"Koga's abilities were so immense that he could over the entire soul society. I was always so proud of that. He possessed such amazing power. That's why I would never stop!" Muramasa appeared in front of Luffy and swung his sword at him. Luffy widen his eyes as he quickly avoided Muramasa's blade.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Luffy shouted. "What about your mission to free the zanpakuto from captivity?!"
"You'll believe almost anything, won't you?" Muramasa questioned with a smirk. "That was a phony ploy to trick you idiots!" Muramasa slashed his sword at Luffy, who quickly dodged it.
"Is that the truth?!" Luffy shouted as he jumped back from the zanpakuto. "You even told us that you killed your master! But it comes right down to it, your master never as anything but his weapon! You knew that but you still struggle to exist, all so that you could free Koga from his seal. Face it, you did all of that just so Koga could appreciate you for once!" Muramasa widen his eyes at the pirate's word. He looked down at his hand and saw that it's slowly fading away.
'It was a lofty goal.' He thought, balling his fist. 'It wouldn't have lasted long.' Muramasa's eyes widen in pain as a hollow hole tried to appear on his chest. Muramasa looked back at his opponent, breathing heavily after suppressing the hole.
"Ichigo, time is running out." Zangetsu said. "If he becoming a hollow, the pockets of reishi in the World of the Living will become dangerously unbalanced and Karakura Town be destroyed."
"Don't worry, he won't become a hollow." Ichigo said, looking at the battle. "Muramasa!" The zanpakuto looked over at Ichigo. "My zanpakuto and I, we'll be together until the end. Not worry only me, Luffy, all of our friends and even the captains, to each soul reaper and zanpakuto alike, they each irreplaceable to one another. You knew better than anyone else. How could you betray the honor you once fought of?!"
"You have to stand there and judge me!" Muramasa refuted. "I knew what I was doing all along."
"Taking what you want and when you want it isn't how to treat a zanpakuto." Muramasa widen his eyes at Ichigo's words.
"He's right." Luffy said. "They should free will just the rest of us!"
A hollow mask started to form on Muramasa's face. "Well, it appears that my time is up." The zanpakuto said.
"Luffy!" Ichigo shouted.
"I know!" Luffy shouted, biting down on his thumb. "Third Gear: Bone Balloon!" Luffy blew on his thumb and his arm became incredibly large. Muramasa ripped the mask from his face and charged up the spirit energy he had left.
Back in the World of the Living, the Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto attacked the last of the menos and destroyed them. "Captain that was the last of them." Rangiku said to Toshiro. Toshiro nodded and looked at the dark crimson sphere as it continued to expand.
"What's going on?" Toshiro questioned.
Back in Muramasa's world, Luffy and Muramasa charged towards each other for one final attack. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, cocking his giant arm. Muramasa let out a fierce battle cry as he was getting closer to the pirate. "…Giant Pistol!" Luffy punched Muramasa hard with his fist, sending him crashing into the ocean. The dark sphere started to crack and glow a bright light. The Straw Hats, Soul Reapers, and Zanpakuto covered their face from the light as it covered the area.
Muramasa fell deeper and deeper into the ocean after being defeated by Luffy. "Muramasa…Muramasa…" Ichigo's voice cried out.
'How ironic…' Muramasa thought. 'After all of this, it was your voice that reaches me.' As Muramasa was descending even further, he felt someone grabbing his hand and pulling him up.
"What happened?" Nami questioned as the dust started to clear.
"I don't know why but the hollow's spiritual pressure is all gone." Sode no Shirayuki said.
"Then Karakura Town is safe now?" Chad asked.
"Ichigo…Luffy…" Orihime said, feeling some familiar presences.
"What?!" Rukia said shocked.
"That's definitely their spiritual pressure." Uryu said.
On the small island in the middle of the lake, Luffy and Ichigo looked over the defeated Muramasa. "This feeling…" Muramasa said weakly. "Is this what you were trying to explain to me all along?"
"Yeah." Ichigo said.
"I see. I round up making quite a mess with Koga, didn't I?"
"Everyone makes mistakes." Luffy said. "That means someday you'll fix it." He looked behind his shoulder and saw Rukia and Orihime walking towards them.
Muramasa tightened the grip on Ichigo's hand said, "I hope…someday…" Before he could finish his sentence, he let go of Ichigo's hand as his body changed into a broken and disappeared into dust.
"Luffy…Ichigo…" Rukia said, getting Ichigo's attention.
Ichigo turned towards his friends and said, "Is everyone alright?"
"Yes, we're safe."
"Is Muramasa really gone for good?" Orihime asked.
"Yeah." Luffy answered. "And he kept his pride as a zanpakuto to the very end." Then Byakuya appeared surprised Luffy and the others.
"Byakuya…" Rukia said, looking at her brother.
"Are you ok?" Ichigo asked. Byakuya didn't answer Ichigo's attention as rain drop started to fail down the sky.
"It's raining?" Nami questioned as the rain started to pour down. The zanpakuto looked at the raindrops with confusion and wonder since it's their first time seeing the rain.
"What is this?" Snake asked as he and Monkey look and feel the raindrop.
"I don't know." Haineko said. "It feels strange."
Tobiume smiled and said, "Let's go home." Then the zanpakutos' bodies began to glow as they disappeared and returned to their masters' swords.
"It's good to have you." Ikkaku said to his zanpakuto.
"Welcome home." Momo said to hers. The other zanpakutos began to disappear and return to their masters.
"They're gone." Rangiku said.
"Yes, well it's about time." Toshiro said.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, this is the second time I am thanking you." Byakuya said, walking away. "I appreciate your help. The same will be said for you Monkey D. Luffy."
"Sure." Ichigo said as Byakuya disappeared.
The end…
It's finally over! Thank you all for reading! Like I said in the last chapter, there will be one more story with the Straw Hats in the Bleach universe and that starts on October 7th. There is a poll on my profile about what crossover I should do to start 2016. Go there and vote now. Good bye!