Nami hurried from her room and down the corridor that would lead to the stairs to the bottom of the fortress. She didn't know why, but just the thought of seeing Ichigo again was raising her spirits. Someone she had come to think of as a friend and mutual sufferer among Luffy's crew of misfits. When was the last time she could actually say that she saw someone as a friend? A true friend? While she didn't know everything there was about the orange haired teen she hadn't spent that much time with him or anyone aboard the Merry, she knew that there was something special about him. She didn't know what it was, but it was there.
As Nami headed down the numerous staircases towards the lower levels she could hear those of her crew celebrating. Making some big show of welcoming her back from her trip. They did this every time she returned, whether it was to just make the nightmare worse or in some sick way the Fishmen had actually come to think of her as one of their own crewmates she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure which was worse in that scenario. Making sure she had the badge she had lifted off of Ichigo in her pack pocket she headed out into the chaos of the ongoing Fishmen festivities. As soon as she showed her face, the Fishmen cheered and hurrared. Doing her best not to get caught up in anything she headed for the exit of Arlong Park.
"Nami! Come have a drink! It's your party after all! Shahahahaha!" Nami grit her teeth as she turned and put on that fake smile she had used so many times in her life.
"Sure, why not." She stated, walking over to the large Fishmen still seated in his so called 'throne', it's not like she could refuse. That would only lead to her being forced to stay. A chair was quickly made available and Nami could see Kuroobi and Chew eyeing her warily, they never trusted her and probably never would. Not that she cared that they did, she didn't trust a single one of the Fishmen in return.
"So tell us Nami, where did you go, who'd you steal from?" Arlong asked leaning forward in his chair. "Anyone we know? Shahahahaha!"
"Probably not." Nami shrugged as she took the offered beer from Hatchan, the only one Nami could actually tolerate, not that they were close but he was too stupid for her to actually be able to hold a grudge against him. "Just some small time pirates." She shrugged, her tolerance for alcohol could at least be said to be because of her position in this crew.
"Well you're back now, that's all that matters, right Brothers!" Arlong declared getting a massive uproar as Arlong grinned at her making her spine tremble with silent rage. How she hated his overbearing gloating looks. This continued on for a while, Nami being forced to sit and listen to the horrifying news of what they had done to Gosa Village. Having been away for so long, she didn't know of the fate of the once small town. She did her best to hide the pain, but Arlong only laughed harder and harder causing her to tremble in rage. How she hated him.
'Knock' 'Knock' 'Knock' 'Knock' 'Knock'
Nami blinked at the sudden sound filling Arlong Park, even the Fishmen looked around quieting down at the tapping coming from the otherside of the entrance of the park. Was someone seriously knocking on Arlong's door? Who had such a death wish and would be stupid enough to come… here.
"Oh no." Nami's face whitened considerably, the weight of the badge in her back pocket feeling way to heavy as she realised just how much of a moron her fellow orange haired teen was. Arlong scowled as he glared at the door, however after a quick glance around he caught sight of Nami's face.
"Expecting someone Nami?" He growled, Nami once more felt powerless as she sat under his glare. How many times had he made her feel like she was nothing? She began to tremble, she couldn't watch Ichigo die, not now. She had pushed herself to deal with a lot over the years but the friends she had made in the previous days had started to break through.
'Knock' 'Knock''Knock'
Arlong's face grew viscous as he turned to two Fishmen.
"You know what to do." He growled making the two nod and head for the Gate of Arlong Park. Nami could do nothing but watch through the gathered Fishmen, Arlong keeping an eye on the navigator making sure she didn't miss a single thing that was about to happen.
"Who the hell are you!?" One of the Fishmen called out as he pulled open the gate of the park, Nami couldn't see but it had to be him, right? Nobody else on the island would dare come to Arlong Park.
"Man, they weren't kidding when they called you fish faced Monsters, huh?" Nami's gut dropped. There was no denying it now, his voice was clear as day. "You look like you just crawled off the set from Creature from the Black Lagoon."
"Huh?" It was clear both Fishmen were unsure what to make of the movie titled causing the teen before them to let out a sigh.
"I was calling you ugly."
Bell-mère was actually scared. Since becoming a ghost, she had felt a range of emotions but she didn't often feel scared. Not for herself at least, she was already dead. No she was scared for the scowling teen beside her. The Gates of Arlong Park stood right before him and he didn't even seem the least bit bothered by that simple fact. In saying that, he didn't know the true strength of Fishmen or their brutal nature. She may have told him of their actions over the years but a story is one thing, seeing it in person was another. But even so, he was going against a full force of being's he had never encountered… unarmed.
Instead, Ichigo just scowled at the structure before them, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Was he curious to know how to get in? She was curious how all this was going to play out herself. She just wished she herself could do something to help, but she was an intangible being. Other then rustling a few bushes, she couldn't do much. What happened to haunting people, making crap fly across rooms and that natural scaring nature of ghosts? Being a ghost sucked if there was no fun in it.
What frightened Bell-mère the most was the unknown. They hadn't spoken much since leaving her former home where she had done her best to raise Nojiko and Nami when she had been alive. Meaning she didn't have the faintest idea of what Ichigo's plan here was. Sure when alive, even when she was in the Marines she was reckless, probably more so than most but she always had some kind of plan. Did he have a plan? Standing here unarmored and in her eyes, while having a decent physique didn't look like he could take down a single fishmen let alone an entire crew.
"Bell-mère." Ichigo began snapping the woman from her thoughts as she focused on his face, gone was the scowl replace by a serious expression as he looked at her. "Where I come from, ghosts that hang around too long turn into monsters called Hollows."
"Hollows?" Bell-mère questioned getting a nod from Ichigo.
"A monster based on the desires they originally had when they were living, it didn't matter if they were good desires or not. Eventually they would change and seek to devour souls." Bell-mère's eyes widened in surprise. "Their unfilled desires turn them into Monsters. Bell-mère frowned slightly, knowing what he was getting at. "I don't know where it is you'll go, but I'd rather you try and pass on then turn into a Monster."
"I see." Bell-mère now understood why, when they had first met he had asked about the corrosion of the chain on her chest. He had been stunned when he had learnt that she had been dead for quite some time, so that must be why.
"If helping out here doesn't at least do something for ya, I'll do what I can to help you pass on."
"What, got some experience in that field or something?" She asked, Ichigo gaining a small smile that she almost missed.
"Or something." He walked the last few feet up to the gates of Arlong Park, the obvious sounds of a party or some kind of festivities going on behind it. "You might want to stand back, they might not be able to see or hit you, I can and I wouldn't want to do that."
"I'll just stand off here to the side then and let you do your thing then." Bell-mère smirked slightly. "Don't worry, if you die we'll keep each other company for a while longer and haunt these bastards." Ichigo shook his head in amusement as he turned back to the gate and rose his fist knocking on the gate loud enough to be heard over the commotion on the other side.
"He's just knocking?" Bell-mère sweat dropped as she watched him knock, the other side of the gate quieting down as he repeated the process and knocked again. About to knock again however the gates swung wide open revealing to large beings that even Ichigo considering his tall height had to look up at. He blinked as he took in their features, they really were Fishmen, or fish creatures… fishy dudes?
"Man, they weren't kidding when they called you fish faced Monsters, huh?" Ichigo started hiding his smirk, the best way to piss someone off was by insulting their looks. "You look like you just crawled off the set from Creature from the Black Lagoon." He should have known that the movie reference wouldn't catch on, but he had gone with it anyway. Turns out they couldn't even understand the fact he was insulting them by their reaction.
"Huh?" It was clear both Fishmen were unsure what to make of the movie title causing the teen before them to let out a sigh.
"I was calling you ugly." That hit home.
They didn't hesitate after that, they both growled as the first one lunged forward both arms stretched out to grab at his neck. But with a bit of extra boos from his leg that surrounded in green luminescent light his foot connected straight up into the fishmen's chin causing the tongue that was hanging out of his mouth to be severed by the sharp rows of teeth the creature had.
Blood burst out of the Fishman's mouth as he collapsed to his knees before face planted the ground and the other one was stunned for a moment before Ichigo's hand covered his face and with the extra help of his bringer light ability he forced him backwards smashing his skull into the pavement causing it to crack around them.
All of this happened in the span of a few seconds, both Fishmen were on the ground long before any of the others could actually process what had happened. It wasn't until Ichigo was on his feet, walking forward further into the Park that Arlong rose from his seat, hatred in his eyes at what the teen had done to his comrades.
"Who are you!?" He growled, grabbing his chair and smashing it into a wall as he stalked forward, his height would have been intimidating to anyone else Ichigo assumed but he had fought worse looking monsters ten times his size. A sword fish that walked on two legs was nothing really in the larger scheme of things.
"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo told him straight up looking directly into his eyes. "I came here to get something that belongs to me." Arlong narrowed his eyes at the teen before Ichigo turned his gaze from the Fishman to Nami who was on her feet, completely stunned that Ichigo had taken out two Fishmen.
"So, Nami stole something from you?" Arlong asked, eyeing the teen in front of him before turning to face Nami. "Well Nami, look's like you've been caught out! Shahahahaha!" Arlong laughed. "Now what could it be? Money? Jewels? I'm interested in why a human would walk into their own death?" He grinned savagely. "It must be valuable."
"Not really." Ichigo simply stated walking towards Nami who just stared at him, trembling slightly. "But, it's the only thing I have from where I came from." He told Nami directly, staring straight into Nami's eyes as he stood a few feet in front of her. She knew it was precious to him by his words alone, but he'd risk everything to come get it back. Nami slowly reached back into her pants pocket and pulled out the wooden badge, eyeing it's frame as she rubbed her thumb over its surface. At least if he had it, he'd have a chance to get out of here. He could make the blade come from it after all.
"It really was useless, huh." Nami said softly raising it up to offer it to him. "Sorry, Ichi-!" Her words were cut off as Arlong appeared behind Ichigo, hatred and anger so clearly written on his face at the actions of the teen, his massive arm already in mid swing. The massive backswing sent Ichigo hurtling off his feet, under the balcony where Arlong's chair once rested and crashing into the fortress.
"Shahahahaha" The park was filled with not only Arlong's laughter but of the other Fishmen as well. Nami was trembling in shock, hand half raised out the badge still in her grip. Eyes wide in terror tears threatening to form. Her grip loosened on the badge and it fell from her grip, only to be snatched out of the air by Arlong and inspected the wooden object?
"Huh, such a thing holds no value." Arlong sneered. "He was his life for such a useless trinket? Pathetic, even for a human!" He growled before setting his gaze on the trembling Nami, a sickening smirk coming to his face at the expression on hers. Raising his hand he placed it on her head, grinning. "Don't worry Nami, you're safe now. Shahahahaha!"
Arlong's laughter filled arlong Park, even drifting into the ruined fortress. Ichigo grimaced slightly as he pushed a piece of rubble off of himself, sitting up as he dusted his hair off chunks of the building he had been smashed into coming from his orange hair. The teen unaware of the blue line's similar to veins disappearing from his body as the unknown ability he possessed deactivated.
Something was wrong here, he had felt the weight of that punch and the intention behind it. Sure he had used his bringer ability to defend himself against the blow having been fully expecting it but there should have been more damage right? A cracked rib, hell even bruising. But with a quick observation under his clothes he didn't see and discoloration of his skin, he barely felt the damn hit at all, let alone colliding with the building. Was his Fullbring ability that good at defending, or was it something else? Either way, he'd figure it out later.
Getting to his feet he could hear Arlong laughing outside, probably thinking that the blow had killed him. Had it been any normal person it might just as well have, or at the very least put them down for a good while. Bell-mère hadn't been kidding when she said that Fishmen were tougher than humans. That was raw brute strength he had been hit with.
Looking around the destroyed room he had wound up in, a grin came to Ichigo's face. He might not have his badge right now but he knew how to handle a sword and since Arlong was so kind to throw him into what looked to be his armoury, why shouldn't he take one? Looking around at the extensive collection of weapons only one stood out to him.
Walking over to the wall it was situated on, he gripped the handle. It was large, bigger than even his former Shikai, without a doubt no normal human would be able to lift it normally, let alone use it effectively.
But a blade like this, with his prior experience as a Shinigami, he had gained strength which allowed him to easily lift a weapon of this size, while he didn't have the full strength he had as a Shinigami he had more than enough. Gripping the handle he let his bringer light flow over the blade, reaching out for the soul within the weapon and connecting it with his own. By no means could he manipulate the weapon like he did with his badge, but it would be easier to use.
Easily hefting the massive weapon onto his shoulder in a familiar fashion he smiled softly. He missed Zangetsu's weight, his Zanpakuto had been a perfectly balanced weapon while this was clearly not. Hearing movement coming through the wreckage that he had been thrown through he spotted three Fishmen that were clearly there to dig his body out of the rubble for whatever purpose. Reaffirming his resolve, his usual brown eyes glowing blue, he readied himself.
Arlong stood with folded arms as he waited for the three to return. They were taking an annoyingly long time. He shouldn't be to far buried in the rubble and even if he was alive after that hit, which was not probable, he wouldn't give them any trouble. Glancing down at Nami who was on her knees trembling, tears falling down her face. Arlong making sure she knew that nothing that happened would ever change her position. Hearing movement in the rubble Arlong smirked, he'd make a statement of this boy. Hang his body from the top of Arlong Park like a flag and make sure nobody ever thought to go against him again.
That thought soon stopped dead as one of the three Fishmen he sent in there stumbled from the rubble, bleeding profusely as if he had been attacked by some kind of wild animal. Cuts littered his body as he fell to the ground in a bloody mess. Arlong's eyes were wide as Ichigo made himself known as he stood in the hole he had been thrown through. Barely a scratch on him, the only effect of Arlong's attack showing in some scuff marks on his clothes.
"There was one other thing I came here to do." Ichigo stated hefting the blade on his shoulder, Kiribachi. The sight of the weapon in a human's hands drew Arlong's eyes into slits. Even the other fishmen who knew of Arlong's rage took a step back from him as Nami starred at Ichigo in shock, he was alive? "You see fish freak, when someone hurts my friends. I tend not to hold back."
"How dare you!" Arlong roared. "Get your filthy human hands off of that!" He charged forward, however was pulled back by Chew and Hatchan while Kuroobi jumped in front of Ichigo.
"Don't do it Arlong, you'll destroy the entire park!" Hatchan tried to calm his Captain as Arlong struggled in their grip, both Fishmen struggling to restrain him.
"Let me go! I'll rip him apart!" Arlong roared. "I'll rip his damn arms off and feed them to the sharks!" Ichigo scowled at Kuurobi who blocked his path but it didn't change anything. All of these Fishmen were responsible and therefore he needn't hold back against any of them. Sliding his feet into a familiar stance, he pulled the blade to his side.
"Like you could use a weapon of that mastery." Kuroobi sneered. "I'll bring you down with my Fishman Karate!" He shouted dashing forward, missing the intensity in Ichigo's eyes as his feet glowed green. Ichigo dashed forward at a speed Kuroobi wasn't expecting, the luminescent light flooded the ground at Ichigo's feet as he swung his sword. Kuroobi rose his arms just in time, his fins acting as a shield but against Ichigo it wasn't enough three of the protruding blades of the Kiribachi sunk into his fins and arms and with massive force Ichigo dug in his heels and crashed Kuroobi into a pillar before dragging the blades from the Fishmen's arm severing massive tears in the limbs leaving them completely useless.
Ichigo didn't have time to waste as another group of Fishmen were on top of him, dropped the top of the Kiribachi to the ground he used it to swing his body around, wide arcs of green spiritual light crashed into the approaching Fishmen blowing them away as Ichigo landed on his feet in one fell motion he used his momentum to drag Kiribachi around digging up the ground and slashing through the air. Arcs of blood splattered around him. This was when Arlong broke free from Chew and Hatchan, both who were stunned at the defeat of Kuroobi. Arlong charged the unsuspecting Ichigo and tackled him to the ground, his eyes filled with bestial rage, his maw open as he lunged forward diving straight for Ichigo's neck.
'Crack' 'crack' 'crack' 'crack'
Arlong's teeth shattered, not just surprising Arlong at the loss of his teeth, but also the teen underneath him as he felt a pulse of spiritual energy in his neck. Blue veins covering the area affected littered with broken shards of teeth that had tried to penetrate through it.
"What is that mark!?" Arlong roared, his teeth immediately growing back as he gripped Ichigo's entire face with his webbed palm only leaving a single eye visible to the enraged Fishman as he smashed Ichigo's head into the ground causing him to grimace at the pain. He needed to do something, pinned to the ground like this he couldn't use the Kiribachi effectively. Throwing a punch with his left hand it was easily caught and slammed to the ground once more again with his head.
"You're nothing but a pathetic human! You caught us off guard with your surprising strength and skill but you're nothing more than that! I'll crush your head, until there's nothing but paste left!" Ichigo glared, holding Arlong's animalistic gaze.
"Do something!" Ichigo shouted at himself as his head was slammed into the ground again, already feeling blood leak from each impact. He clenched his eyes tight at the pain throbbing in his head. "You're not going to die here! You've been through to much shit to get killed by a damn swordfish!" His eyes heated in an enraged glare Arlong surprised as they flashed a black and gold colour.
Feeling a spiritual spark in his uncovered eye as he glared at Arlong. Before a familiar feeling burst forth from his eye crashing into Arlong in a blast of black and red spiritual energy sending Arlong into the air, crashing through the canopy and outward. Ichigo heard a splash as he most likely ended up in the water somewhere.
"A cero…" Ichigo grimaced, he had somehow released a Cero from his eye. His entire vision in his left eye was blurry after the release of the Cero but he didn't let that stop him as he got to his feet, his head was pounding but he had learnt long ago to block pain so that he could focus on a fight. "Nami! My badge! Now!" He ordered.
"A-Arlong has it!" Nami cried back, totally bewildered by what was happening. Ichigo grit his teeth as he saw the surrounding Fishmen ready themselves. Taking the only direction he could, Ichigo dashed for the edge of the water. "Ichigo don't!" He heard Nami cry before he broke through the waters surface. The instant he did, several other Fishmen did as well, all darting for him with speeds that far surpassed olympic swimmers, their bodies tuned for the water. This was their domain. His body was struck several times from all directions that he barely knew which way was up, and when he did come to the right direction and tried to make for it, something grabbed his leg and dragged him down.
He tried to kick but more Fishmen came and restrained him as they dragged him down, Ichigo feeling his ears pop as the depth began to grow and grow, the pressure of the ocean water starting to rise. His eyes stung due to the salt water and every now and then a Fishmen would take a cheap shot to his stomach forcing him to release all the air he had making his lungs burn with the need of oxygen.
Finally they reached the ocean floor, light barely there due to the distance to the surface. But what was waiting was Arlong, having calmed somewhat as he floated in the water arms crossed as he grinned savagely.
"Do it!" Chew and Hatchan immediately followed Arlongs orders, swimming around the ship graveyard that lay on the ocean floor and grabbed two massive chains connected to anchors and began to enricle Ichigo with them. Ichigo was doing his best to remain calm but with the lack of oxygen his body's natural instinct of panic was setting in. Arlong swam over to him, grinning.
"Can you feel it yet? Your lungs filling up with water?" He grinned. "You'll die and be left for fish food. All you humans think you're the top of the food chain, when you're the furthest thing from it." The chains tightened around Ichigo's body and Arlong planted his fist in Ichigo's gut to force the remaining air from him, bubbles spewing from his mouth as the Fishman left him there. "You'll never see the surface again, human." Arlong reached into his shirt and pulled out the wooden object and dropped it to the ocean floor. "Might as well die with the reason you came here." With that, Arlong turned and shot for the surface after the other Fishmen.
The moment they turned away Ichigo struggled in the chains, his mind frantic as he tried to bust out of them. His vision began to blur as black splotches clouded his mind and his body jolted due to lack of air as water began to fill his lungs. Finally his body succumbed to unconsciousness and he was back where he found himself so many times.
Wrapped in chains as he was in the real world but now not on the bottom of the ocean, instead in an all to familiar sideways city. Still underwater showing how bad his emotional state was as his body wrapped in chains. He may have gained some of his spiritual powers back after training for his Fullbring but he didn't have the freedom in his inner world as though he was a Shinigami.
Head resting against a window, unsure of what to do. He would just be in the same position if he were to force himself out of his inner world. No. He was sick and tired of giving up. There had to be a way. Groaning he sat up, the chains around him heavy to restrict his movements in his innerworld. They were a manifestation of his powerless nature. If he gave up now, he'd never be able to face Zangetsu again, or any of his friends.
He did his best to try and come up with a plan, his badge was only a few meters away resting on the ocean floor. If he could just get out of the chains he could get it, use his fullbring and deal with the Fishmen, and now that he knew he could do a Cero he wasn't not going to use it to his advantage. There was also that strange mark that had protected him from Arlong's teeth and presumably Arlong's first blow towards him. No that could come later he just needed to get his badge right now.
All he had was his bringer abilities, the manipulation of an object's souls. That's when it hit him, the first time he had seen Ginjo use the strange ability on his alcohol to drink it out of the cup via lifting it's soul.
Instantly, Ichigo's eyes opened to the real world, focusing on the water around him green light began to form on small particles of water. Before they enveloped towards him covering his nose and mouth. He coughed up water into the bubble, the water being expelled from his lungs by the sudden intake of oxygen. He was manipulating the miniscule levels of oxygen in the water to be breathable. In essence it was just like he was diving now. New oxygen flowed into the bubble while the recycled air was thrust out into the water.
Now that he wasn't fighting to survive, he could focus better. His mind was clearer and he wasn't overthinking everything. He calmed himself down and took in the heavy chains that were wrapped around him. Focusing in the souls of the chains it only took a slight nudge towards them to cause them to loosen and fall to the ocean floor leaving him free. He swam over to where his badge was and picked it up, smiling as he focused directly on the soul linked to the badge.
In a burst of spiritual power he was fully equipped in his Fullbring, sword in hand. Utilising his bringer light around his feet he shot straight for the surface, the bubble he had used to breath underwater diminished as he broke through the surface, a massive burst of water following him up from the surface, along with the shocked looks of the Fishmen that had dragged him to the bottom. Spotting Arlong looking up at him in rage, Ichigo used bringer light to shoot straight for him at incredible speed, now fully equipped with his Fullbring he knew his movements were faster than usual.
He appeared before Arlong in a crouch, Sword already brimming with Spiritual energy, a blue gathering of reiatsu forming on his blade as he glared up at Arlong. This would be it, he wasn't holding back.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo's blade carved upwards from the ground to the sky releasing the torrent of power built up. Arlong, having no natural defence against the reiatsu infused attack was helpless as it struck. The entire park shook at Ichigo's signature attack, the massive force of the power in that single strike, to Ichigo it was nothing compared to what he was once capable of wielding but it had everything he had behind it.
When the light died down, Arlong was a mess, the massive Fishman collapsed to his knees eyes lifeless a massive wound going from shoulder to hip, Ichigo watched on as the top half of Arlong's body slid down as his body had been bisected in two from the Getsuga. The moment Arlong was revealed to the rest of the park, Chaos erupted behind the Fullbringer and Ichigo didn't hesitate, turning on his heel sword slashing at his own hand, blood dripping down as black sparks of reiatsu formed in his palm.
"Gran Rey Cero!" The cero blast arched out in a wave completely incinerating several Fishmen, others who were lucky enough to survive back peddled, the power of the teen was unthinkable. It wasn't natural, it was dark and his eyes were hard with resolve. If they stayed, he'd kill them all. Ichigo didn't think to go after the ones that ran. What he had done terrified them enough that they gave up fighting. He wasn't merciless. He didn't come here to kill, he came here to make sure that the people of Conomi Island could rest easy. Hopefully that wouldn't come back.
"I-Ichigo." Nami was stunned as she stared at him, his armoured form was something to take in. It almost looked like bone over a bodysuit. He glanced her way, a serious expression on her face. She had just witnessed him do something she never thought possible. He turned and began to walk towards her, raising his sword up and sheathing it on his back. Standing before her she looked up at him, realising for the first time their height difference.
"Thank-" That's all she got out before Ichigo's hand came down and chopped her forehead causing her to cry out as she crouched down holding her head.
"Stop stealing crap!" He growled at her as his Fullbring dispersed into the badge once more. "Do you know how much of a pain in my ass you've been today!? Huh!?" He yelled. "Gah! I'm so telling Luffy you stole his ship when he gets here!" He huffed before Nami couldn't help it, she laughed.
She laughed like she was back on the Merry with everyone. It was just so ridiculous. Here he was berating her for having stolen when he just took down Arlong's crew. Ichigo hid his smile well as he watched her laugh. She smiled up at him with the biggest smile that he had seen from her to date.
"Thank you Ichigo, you have no idea what this means." She told him as she rose to her feet.
"Yeah, I kinda do." He added mentally as he glanced over his shoulder at Bell-mère who was just smiling and gave him a small applause. Ichigo simply shook his head, which in hindsight was a bad idea after the head smashing Arlong had put him through. Feeling Dizzy he felt consciousness leave him before he collapsed hearing both Bell-mère and Nami calling out his name.
When Ichigo awoke, it was late. The sun was up but it was clear that it was setting and it would be coming on dark soon. The noise outside was what awoke him. The sound of the celebrations going on were expected. Sitting up in the bed he rose a hand to the bandage wrapped around his head and he sighed gently. He didn't enjoy killing, most of the time he had been fighting Hollows, his Zanpakuto might have killed them but it sent their Souls onto a better place. There were times where he had killed and the only time he had ever truly wanted to kill was when Tsukishima had changed the memories of his family and friends.
He knew what was coming should he head out those doors. He didn't want to be celebrated for what he had done to Arlong and his crew. Standing up, he found his shoes and he slipped them on. One glance out the window showed that Luffy and the rest of the crew had showed up and they were in on the festivities already, no doubt they had been told what had happened. Hell, Luffy had even gotten that blonde prince charming cook here somehow. He'd learn about that later though.
Slipping out the backdoor, he headed down a few paths following the familiar trail he had followed with a certain ghost up to an old grave. He wasn't surprised to find her there waiting for him. She smiled as he walked up to her, both now looking out the ocean.
"You never said you were some kind of badass." Bell-mère chuckled.
"Honestly, I've never considered myself one." Ichigo told her. "Plus, you never asked." He added as Bell-mère shook her head while Ichigo smiled. "How are you feeling?" He asked, the ghost raising a hand up to her chest.
"Yeah, I can tell something has changed, but there is still one thing I want to do before I go." She confessed.
"Yeah, I know." Ichigo smiled softly. They talked for a bit, mostly Bell-mère telling him stories of Nami and Nojiko when they were children. They were both waiting and as the sun set and the moon began to rise they came.
"Ichigo? You're up!?" Nami asked shocked as she stood with Nojiko who was just as surprised as her sister to find the orange haired teen on his feet. Ichigo gave one glance at Bell-mère who was smiling at her daughters.
"I won't be able to give you long." Ichigo confessed softly. "I've never done this before."
"As much time as you can." Bell-mère smiled softly getting a nod from Ichigo, Nami and Nojiko were both confused as to who Ichigo was talking to and was surprised when he approached them. He stopped in front of them eyeing the two.
"Someone wants to say a proper goodbye." Both were surprised when Ichigo passed between the two and pressed his hands into the centre of their backs. They both felt a jolt through their systems as Ichigo pushed his reiatsu into them and turned to face Ichigo however he was already walking away.
"You've both grown up." Bell-mère's voice brought their heads swinging forward at the familiar voice causing their eyes to widen at the sight of her. Tears welled in both of their eyes as Ichigo glanced back at the ghost who smiled softly, a quick nod from the teen and he continued to walk away from them, leaving them to their last true goodbye.
