Chapter 6: Bursting Slash! Zoro vs. Nnoitra!
"Three Verse Humming…" Brook said, sheathing his sword. "Yahazu Giri!" Then Zommari was slashed across his chest and blood was dripping out of it. Franky came out of the smoke and charged up the air pressure in his arm.
"This is for our friend. Coup de…Vent!" Franky released a large amount of air pressure from his arms and send the espada through the wall, crashing onto the sand of Las Noches defeated.
"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."
"You're wide open!" Nnoitra shouted as he swung ax down and Zoro quickly blocked it his swords but the force of the attack pushed the swordsman back a few feet. Nnoitra charged toward Zoro again and the swordsman blocked the espada's attack again. "Blow away." Then Zoro felt a large amount of air pressure hitting his chest and was blown towards a nearby wall and crashed through it.
"Zoro!" Chopper shouted.
Zoro slowly started to get back to his feet to face Nnoitra. Nnoitra turned around and smirked at the swordsman. "Oh, you can still move." He said.
"Yeah, I won't lose to you." Zoro said, putting on his bandana and putting Wado in his mouth. "No matter what, I will defeat you."
Rukia slowly started to open her eyes and saw the ceiling the palace of the espada she defeated. "Thank goodness." A familiar voice said to her. It was Isane. "You're awake."
"Lieutenant Kotetsu, Hanataro, why are you here?" Rukia asked as she tried to get up.
"Wait, your treatment isn't finished. Please lie still."
"I'm sorry but she's right." Hanataro said. "You can't get up yet."
Rukia looked up and widen her eyes when she saw Byakuya. "Byakuya, my brother."
"Silence." Byakuya said. "Didn't you hear what Lieutenant Kotetsu said? Lie still until they're done."
Rukia looked at her brother then over and saw Franky and Brook. "Who are those two?"
"Who are we?" Franky repeated. "We're the guys that…"
"Consider them allies for now." Byakuya said irrupting Franky. "Right now, you must rest until you're healed completely. You need to prepare for the real battle that awaits us."
On Robin and Usopp's side, Chad stood up completely healed by Captain Unohana. He looked at the captain then looked over and saw the two straw hats pirates. 'So those two must be Ichigo was talking about.' He thought. 'That means there must be more.'
On Sanji's side, Mayuri put hand over one of his ear pieces and said, "Ah yes, I can still hear them. Those two barbarians." Mayuri looked to around what left of Szyael Aporro's palace until found something off. "What's this?"
On Zoro's side, Zoro continues his fight with Nnoitra. Zoro swung Shusui at to cut the espada but like before the sword created sparks on the espada's body and no damage. Zoro tried to cut the espada again but this time Nnoitra caught the sword with his hand and toss it back. "Don't make me have to repeat myself." Nnoitra said. "My hierro skin is the hardest among all of the espada."
"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed from inside Orihime's Shun-Shun Rikka watching the battle.
"Come on, Zoro." Chopper said.
"36 Caliber Phoenix!" Zoro fired an air projectile his sword at Nnoitra who easily deflected it with his zanpakuto. Nnoitra sonided toward Zoro and swung his zanpakuto at him. Zoro blocked it with his sword but the force the attack pushed him back and crashing through a wall.
"Ha, ha, ha, come on swordsman!" Nnoitra laughed. "This is getting to be too easy. At least try and put up a fight."
"I won't be laughing if I were you." Zoro said standing up and drawing Wado. "You're not getting a chance to defeat me, Espada."
Nnoitra smirked at Zoro's comment and said, "Prove it then, swordsman."
Zoro smirked and said, "Fine. Two Swords Style: Nigiri…" The pirate launched himself at Nnoitra, faster than before and shocking the espada. "Tower Climb!" Zoro slashed at the espada upwards but caused no damage. "Return!" Zoro slashed downwards and Nnoitra was still unaffected. "Flash!" Zoro slashed towards the espada but the attack was met the espada's zanpakuto and Zoro was pushed back.
"You're pathetic!" Nnoitra stuck up his touge and charged up a cero.
"Hey, move out of the way!" Ichigo shouted at Zoro. "That's a cero!" It was too late; Nnoitra fired the cero at the pirate causing an explosion.
"Zoro!" Chopper shouted. The smoke cleared and Zoro was still standing but was badly injured from the cero. Blood was coming out of his head, mouth, arms, and chest.
"So you're still alive, are you?" Nnoitra smirked. "Impressive."
"It'll take more than that to kill me." Zoro said, spitting some blood out of his mouth. "I told you before, no matter what, I will defeat you. First, I'm going to cut through that hierro skin of yours." Zoro sheathed both of his swords and put one of his sheathed swords on his left side. "Two Swords Style: Sword Draw…" Zoro got in a stance, ready to strike. "…Rashomon!" Zoro rushed towards and collided with his ax. The two started to cross blades again with neither one letting the other gain the advantage. As Zoro was going to cut Nnoitra in the cheek, Nnoitra moved his head away from the blade. Then Zoro aimed for the torso of the espada and jumped back a foot or two away from the blade.
"What happened?" Zoro asked the espada.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nnoitra responded.
"You said that my sword can't cut through that skin of yours. But seeing the way you dodged that last attack, I could say that you were lying."
Nnoitra leaped and aimed his ax at the pirate. "You don't what you're talking about." Nnoitra protested as he started to fall and lifted his ax. "That was a natural reflex a warrior gained through being in many fierce battles. No matter what, your swords can't me! That's why you're destined to lose this battle!"
"Even the hardest of shield have a weak point where they'll shatter." Zoro said in the smoke. "Everyone has a weak point, even you!" Then Shusui came out of the smoke and ran through Nnoitra's head.
"He got him!" Chopper shouted certain that Zoro won.
"No way." Ichigo said not believing what he saw. Then the espada looked at the swordsman disapprovingly.
"How many times do I have to say it before you actually believe me?" Nnoitra said surprising everyone.
"What?!" Zoro said surprised turning toward the espada.
"It doesn't matter what you do, I cannot be cut!" Nnoitra stabbed Zoro's side with his bare hand, making the swordsman cough up blood. When the hand was removed, Zoro fell to the ground. "I bet you're asking yourself this question. You ran me through with your blade and yet I'm still alive." Nnoitra lit up his patch and revealed a hollow hole where his left eye should be and where Zoro ran his blade through. "Do you see it? Your sword didn't injure at all. As matter of fact, it would straight through me. Do you understand now? You can't defeat me, swordsman. You don't have the power. You might as well stay down."
"Zoro." A female voice rang in Zoro's head. It was voice that Zoro recognized.
"Kuina!" Zoro identified the owner of the voice.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Awaken! Meet Your Zanpakuto!