Ichigo and his friends traveled to Hueco Mundo to save Orihime and Chopper. One by one, they were defeated by the powerful Espadas. Fresh off their instance training with Kisuke Urahara, Luffy and his crew arrived in Hueco Mundo and challenged his espada. Franky and Brook encountered Espada #7, Zommari Rureaux. The two pirates found in trouble trying to keep up with the espada's sonido, which was to be the fastest among the espadas. Catching to the high speed technique, Franky was able to strike the espada. Then, Zommari released his zanpakuto, Brejuria, which him the ability to control anything his eyes stares at. He turns to Rukia, who was still unconscious after defeating Aaroniero, and pitted against the two pirates. Reacting quickly Brook used his violin and put the soul reaper to sleep and gave the opening he needs to defeat the espada. Meanwhile, Sanji was in a tough battle against Espada #8, Szyael Aporro. Realizing the espada relies on using a doll to control Sanji's senses, Sanji turned the tide of the battle, taking the fight to the espada.

Chapter 4: The Tables has Turned! Witness the Power of Perfection!

Franky fell on his knees exhausted from that battle. "Damn it, that made me use up all of the cola I had." Franky said. "Kisuke was right when he said that these espadas were no joke."

"I thought I was going to die." Brook said. "Even though, I'm already dead. SKULL JOKE!"

"Now is not the time for that!" Franky shouted, make Brook falter a little bit. "Anyway, do you have that I bag I gave you?" Brook handed Franky a bag full of cola and Franky quickly refueled. "There, that's more like it." Franky then turned his attention to the sleeping soul reaper. "What do we do with her?"

"What's this?" A new voice said, surprising Franky and Brook. They turned around and saw a man with black hair down to his shoulders with strange hair pieces and wore a green scarf around his neck (Soul Reaper Squad 6 Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki).

"Who the hell are you?!" Franky said getting in a defensive position, starting down the new figure.

Back to Zoro, the pirate hunter continues his battle against Nnoitra…

The two continue to cross blades, neither one of them giving up a single inch. Ichigo continue to watch intently, as the battle quickly intensifies. Orihime watched and the battle as well while healing both Nel and Chopper.

Nami looked at the two and said, "Don't worry about Zoro." That caught Ichigo and Orihime's attention. "If I know him, he won't lose."

"You got a rather unusual body, don't you?" Zoro said.

"You noticed." Nnoitra said. "Among all of the espada here in Hueco Mundo, my hierro skin is known to be the hardest. You're him, the swordsman Lord Aizen was talking about. You're also the pirate who turned down an invitation to join the espada some few years ago and cut down Gantanbainne when he was No.7 at the time."

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Zoro, an espada?" Chopped said with the image of his brother figure as one of the espada enters his mind.

"Ha, that's a story that takes me back. That little misunderstanding was your No.7's fault for not accepting the terms I offered him. As I remembered it I gave him generous proposition. I said, 'Sure I'll join as long as you make me your boss.'"

Nnoitra smirked and said, "Is that so? You're quite a comedian, aren't you?"

"Instead of agreeing to my terms, he rather rudely took a shot at me. So naturally, I put him in his place. Now would you like to invite me too? Because right now you guys look so ridiculous, I wouldn't even accept the job."

"You think you make a fool out of me. You, some swordsman from a pathetic pirate crew? "

"Maybe, I am. But what you think you guys are? Puppets with no will of your own being manipulated by Aizen into doing whatever he wants, or you all are just little tin soldiers. All shine and no steel."

"You little prick. Fine then, I'll kill you quickly and then I think I'll eliminate your friend with the orange hair."

Zoro's eyes widen and turned around. "Nami, look out for…" When he turned around Nami was gone. "Okay, she's gone."

"What the…" Ichigo said, noticing that Nami disappeared as well. "Where did she go?"

Zoro turned around and saw Nnoitra charging towards him again and the two crossed swords again.

Meanwhile, Robin and Usopp are in a confrontation with the exequias as they stand guard over Chad and Gantenbaine.

"It certainly appears that a very sensible pirate stands before us, I'm convinced of that." Rudobrn said to his soldiers. Usopp looked at the exequias with a scared look on his face as Robin kept her cool, calm look. "Fall back." Usopp was surprised when the order was given and the exequias started to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Usopp shouted as the exequias disappeared.

"Forget about them, long nose." Robin said to Usopp. "For now, we need to tend to these two first."

"Okay, how do you suggest we do that? We're not exactly doctors you know."

"No, but we are." A new voice said, catching the two pirates' attention. Robin and Usopp turned around and saw two figures standing a few feet from each other. One of them is a woman with long black hair tied into a bead in front of her body and wore a white jacket over a black kimono (Soul Reaper Squad 4 Captain, Retsu Unohara). The figure is a woman with silver hair, and she wore a black kimono with her sword strapped on her left hip (Soul Reaper Squad 4 Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu).

"What the…Who are you?" Usopp asked in a defensive manner.

"Relax, we're not here to fight you." The woman with black hair said in a kind voice. "I am the captain of Soul Reaper Squad 4, Retsu Unohana. And this is my lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu."

"Nice to meet you." Isane said, bowing her head to the pirates.

"It's nice to meet you too." Robin said, responding in kind. "I'm Nico Robin. And this is Usopp. We're both members of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"I see, so you're the group of pirates that Kisuke told us about." Unohana said.

"Wait, you know about us?" Usopp said surprised.

"Yes, we do." Unohara said. "For now let's treat the injured, Isane."

"Yes, ma'am." Isane said as the two prepare to heal Chad and Gantenbaine.

Meanwhile, Renji and Uryu were still in shock from what they just saw. "Uryu, tell me that I'm seeing things." Renji said.

"I wish I could." Uryu said. "I can't believe what I saw myself."

"A human able to do that much damage to an espada, let alone him. Who is this guy?" Sanji turned towards Uryu and Renji.

"Now, would you two mind telling me where my friend is?" Sanji asked.

"Your friend?" Renji questioned then remember what Ichigo told him and Rukia before entered the palace. "Oh, you must those guys Ichigo was talking about."

"Sorry, we haven't seen your friend." Uryu said.

"That's just great." Sanji said irritated. "It's going me taking forever to search damn place."

"What does his friend look like?" Renji whispered to Uryu.

"I only saw the picture of him." Uryu whispered back. "But from what I saw, his friend looks like an animal of some kind wearing a pink hat."

Then an arrancar popped out of the rubble of what's left Szyael Aporro's palace and opened its mouth, surprising the three.

"What the hell is that thing?" Sanji asked.

"That's a fraccion of that espada you just beat." Uryu said.

"What is it doing?" Renji asked. Then a maniacal laugh echoed around the area and a purple cloud came out of the arrancar's mouth. "What the hell is that?"

"You really thought you've beaten me." Szyael Aporro said in the cloud as some cells appeared and began to bond together.

"Wait, I know that voice." Uryu said.

"Szyael Aporro!" Renji said.

"I hate to break it to you but you're wrong. Now beyond La Lujuriosa's most brilliant technique, Gabriel!" Then the espada started coming out of the cloud, fully recovered from the beating gave him, land on his feet as the arrancar fell to the ground, dead. "Now how about we reintroduce ourselves, 'Black Leg' Sanji."

"That guy is an animal!"

"How did you…" Sanji said furious.

"You appear to not have grasped the concept of what you saw now." Szyael Aporro said. "Allow to explain in a way that you could understand. They see that the phoenix is immortal. When it grows too old, it throws itself into the fire. And from the flame, it rises again anew. Do you understand now? That is immortality. That is perfection. It's not about transcending death. It's about incorporating into the cycle of life. And a being who existence that cannot be interrupted by death, someone such as myself, who thrives in the cycle of demise and rebirth. That is what you call 'a perfect being!' The concept of mortality does not exist for me. Even if those kick manage to kill me, I would rise again without an infinitive end. Understand this, I cannot be killed. Even if you try for all eternity, you cannot defeat me 'Black Leg' Sanji."

"You talk too damn much, you know that." Sanji said. "I don't care if you call yourself perfection, immortal, or unstoppable. That fact that I'm going to kick your ass and get my friend back still remains!" Sanji started to spin in a circle and his right leg was on fire

"Don't you get it yet?!" Szyael Aporro sends his 'wings' towards Sanji again. "No matter what you do, you won't be able to get your friend back!" Sanji stopped spinning and jumped in the air to avoid the wings

"Diable Jambe…" Sanji lanced his foot toward the espada.

"You fool! You can't defeat me!" Szyael Aporro send his 'wings' at Sanji and they connected with his foot but were pushed back. "What?!"

"…Premiere Hache!" Sanji fired a barrage of flaming kick at Syzael Aporro's stomach and a one kick on the espada's head, causing floor beneath Szyael Aporro to collapse and making the espada fell several feet. Renji and Uryu watched with widen eyes as the pirate landed on the ground on his feet. "Perfection, huh? Sorry, you weren't even close."

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Tragedy of the Blue Sea! The Terror of the Hollows!