Chapter 8: Nnoitra Bears his Fangs! Zoro's Overwhelming Attack!

"Wado Ichimonji!" Zoro said as the swords started to glow in a white light.

"Didn't you understand yet? You can't me with your swords!" Nnoitra charged towards Zoro, ready to finish him.

"Single Sword Style: Sword Draw…" Nnoitra got closer to Zoro as the pirate started to move. "…Lion's Strike!" The two ran past each other and stopped when they're a few feet from the other. Then a slash opened on Nnoitra's left side and blood gusted out of it.

"What?!" Nnoitra said surprised to see the cut.

"He got him!" Chopper shouted. Ichigo and Orihime widen their eyes at what they saw. Nnoitra fell down to a one knee and breathed heavily. He glared at the swordsman as he started to get up.

"Damn it! Where did he get that power from! No, I won't lose to a human. I'm not going to die here." Golden aura surrounds Nnoitra as he holds up his zanpakuto. "Pray, Santa Terasa!" Smoke surrounds the espada as his spiritual pressure changed rapidly. The espada appeared out of the smoke with his wound closed up, an extra set of arms that takes on an insect-like carapace and claw hands with a large scythe in each hand.

"His arms…" Ichigo said looking at the espada. "Somehow he doubled them. It's just isn't fair, damn it." Chopper and Orihime looked at the newly transformed espada in fear. Zoro narrowed his eyes as he redraws his swords.

"And his wounds, they've closed." Chopper said scared. "What happened? Zoro!"

Nnoitra smirked at the swordsman. "So tell me." He said. "What's it like to see an espada sword release for the first time?" Zoro didn't answer but kept his guard up. "Aren't you going to say anything, swordsman?"

'It's just like before.' Zoro thought back to his training. He looked at the espada and said, "That's an impressive new form, you got there. Now I wonder, can I still cut you like the last time?"

"Is that so?" Nnoitra said as he tightens the grip of his new weapons. "Then let's see you cut me. Attack me with your blades!"

"With pleasure." Zoro said as he crossed his arm and prepared to attack. "Charming Demon, Sleepless Night…" Then a ghost appeared hovering over Zoro, looming with the feel of death. Orihime and Ichigo looked at the ghost in awe. "Oni Giri!" Zoro charged at the espada in a fast pace and swung his blade at him but Nnoitra blocked it with ease using one of his scythes.

"What?!" Nnoitra said disappointed. "Is that really all you got?" Nnoitra swung his second at Zoro and slashed him in the shoulder, knocking him down. The others looked in disbelieve.

"Oh no." Orihime said worried.

"Zoro." Ichigo said in shock. Chopper looked with sadden eyes at what just happened.

"Those swords of yours…" Nnoitra said. "They had nothing behind them, swordsman." Zoro laid on the ground as blood was flowing out of his shoulder. "Heh, looks like he's out cold." Zoro was still motionless. "Is it over?" Nnoitra then turned his attention to the others. "Since he's done, I'll clean up the leftovers." Nnoitra started to walk towards Chopper.

"Chopper!" Orihime cried as she ran towards the little doctor.

"Ichigo, wait!" Ichigo shouted. As he tried to stop her, his hand was repelled by Orihime's shield. 'What was that?' he thought. 'Was I just repelled? That capability…is that a part Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka?'

Nnoitra continue to walk towards Chopper as the little pirate stepped back slowly and looked at the espada in fear.

"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime created an orange shield between Nnoitra and Chopper

"That's nothing!" Nnoitra said as he was about to destroy Orihime's shield.

"Three Sword Style…" A voice said, stopping Nnoitra in his tracks. "108 Caliber Phoenix!" Nnoitra turned around and saw three projectiles coming towards him. An explosion erupted when the projectile hit the espada. Nnoitra jumped out of the smoke with one of his hands cut off. The espada looked at the direction of where the attack came from and saw Zoro standing.

"Zoro!" Chopper shouted, happy to see Zoro still standing.

"Three arms left to go." Zoro said confidently.

"Damn it!" Nnoitra cursed. "You were playing dead? That was a cheap trick, pal."

"It wasn't a trick. I needed time to think. You had four arms at time which makes attacking you much more involved. So I was thinking of a way to keep you blocking me. I couldn't think of any ideas. I'm thinking that I should cut your arms one at a time."

"Is that right?" Nnoitra said with a smirk. "This is getting really stupid. Enough of this that arm of mine that you just cut off will be the last you'll ever touch. In fact, this will help you understand." Golder aura surrounded Nnoitra and the arm that Zoro cut off grew back. "You talk about how you're going to defeat cutting off all of my arms. That's a bit premature, don't you think? Even for someone who will be dead in a moment." Nnoitra charged towards Zoro and grabbed a scythe from his cut-off arm. "I'm about to prove something to you! You're weaker than me, pirate!" Nnoitra swung his scythes at Zoro, who blocks them with swords but is getting pushed back. Zoro blocked another one of Nnoitra's attacks but the force of it, pushed him back and made through one of the buildings behind him. "Ha, what a lightweight! Getting blown around like a leaf in the wind! That makes it hard to slash with my attacks!" Nnoitra jumped towards the destroyed building. "Maybe, you're afraid and simply running to hide!"

"Tatsu…" Zoro said, underneath the debris. "…Maki!" Zoro created a whirlwind of slashes, destroying the rubble. Nnoitra jumped in surprise, not expecting that attack. "Tiger…" Zoro prepared to attack again as the whirlwind disappeared. "…Trap!" Zoro charged at the espada and swung his swords at him. Nnoitra blocked the attack with his scythes but found it hard to push the swordsman back.

"What the hell?" Nnoitra said still putting pressure on the swordsman.

"What's the matter?" Zoro said with a smirk. "Shouldn't I be dead now?"

"Yes." Nnoitra responded. Then Zoro felt something piercing through his stomach and stared to cough up blood. "You idiot. You are so delusional. You can't cut off my arms. It's not that simple." Nnoitra smirked and jumped back a few feet revealing another set of arms, one of the arms covered Zoro's blood. "Here's the reality that is your fate. You're about to be slashed to pieces by all six of my deadly arms!" Zoro rolled to the back of his head and collapsed.

"Zoro!" Chopper cried as Nnoitra laughs at the swordsman manically.

Meanwhile, back at Sanji's position…

"Stop it, let go me." Uryu said trying to wiggle out of Nemu's grasp. "I won't put up with it. What are you going to do to me?!"

"Oh please, I think that would be oblivious." Mayuri said as he pulls out a needle. "I'm going to fix you." Then the word 'rebuild' appeared in Mayuri from Uryu's standpoint.

"Let me go!" Uryu shouted. "You're not talking healing! You want to rebuild me!" Mayuri looked the way in discuss. "I knew it! I'm not going to a guinea pig for your experiments!"

"Your squawking is very annoying. Come on now, quit fighting and think about it. You have internal injuries. And if they're not tended to, you might die. I'm doing you a favor. I'm willing to fix your wounds for free. It's reasonable to grateful no matter what you look like afterwards."

"Well guess what, I'm not grateful! And I'm not interested in any new look you're planning!"

Then Nemu forced Uryu to the ground by his shoulders. As Uryu looked up and saw Nemu's breast to his face.

"Too close! Too close!" Uryu shouted as his face turned a bright red.

"What do you mean?" Nemu said as she lowered her upper body, smothering Uryu with her breast.

Sanji looked at what is happening, red in anger with little red horns sticking out of his head, wishing it was him underneath Nemu, and shouted things no one could understand.

"Ah, very good Nemu." Mayuri said. "Stay on top of him until he suffocates. Even if his heart stops!" Uryu still tried to struggle but eventually his movements stopped. "Excellent, this should make everything so much easier."

"Captain Kurotsuchi." Renji said, getting Mayuri's attention.

"What is it Lieutenant Abarai?" The captain replied.

"Can you please heal me first?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to fight as soon as possible." Renji said. "I know that there are still espada out there who are a serious threat to my friends. I have to get on my feet so I can help protect them."

"You're not needed." Mayuri said as he injects Uryu with the needle. "There's only one big fight that is still going on. That is involving one of those pirates. Judging by the location, he's there helping Ichigo Kurosaki. You're be no help. You're only will be getting in the way."

Back in the battlefield, Zoro laid in a puddle of his own blood, motionless. Chopper's eyes watered in fear for his brother-figure's condition.

"Damn it." Ichigo cursed knowing that the situation is bad.

"This guy has six arms!" Orihime said scared, looking at the espada.

Nnoitra looked the swordsman with a wicked smirk on his face as he created two more scythes for him to wield. "It's all over, swordsman!"

"Zoro!" Chopper cried, wanting to help him.

"Don't move…Chopper." Zoro said panting, trying to get back up. "Don't try to interfere. This is my fight and my fight alone. It's going than a hole in my gut to beat me." Zoro got back to his feet and turned his attention to the espada. "Now where did we leave off, espada?" Nnoitra charged towards the swordsman to attack with his scythes again and Zoro blocked the attack. The two crossed blades again and to counter slashes with Nnoitra winning but Zoro started to push the espada back.

'What the hell?' Nnoitra thought as Zoro cut his cheek. 'I'm the one cutting him?' Nnoitra continues to slash Zoro but the swordsman continues to fight back. 'He's the one that's bleeding. And yet nothing works no matter how I hurt him. How does he keep coming back?' The two stood apart from each other as dark aura begin to surround Zoro. 'I am the strongest. I'm the strongest.' Both of them charged towards each other to attack. "This has gone on for too long!" Nnoitra shouted at the swordsman. "Hurry up and die!" Both went pass other and Zoro was cut again.

Both stood a few feet from each other, breathing heavily from that exchange. Zoro took a look at his injuries and saw that he's bleeding badly. "Huh if we keep this up, I think there is a chance that I'll die." He said.

"Zoro." Chopper said.

"I refuse to let happen. That means I have to end this battle now. And I know one move would do trick."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nnoitra asked angrily. "What the kind of damage you'll do in the shape you're in? Face the facts, you lost!"

"Have you ever heard of the nine sword style?"

'Nine Swords Style?' Ichigo thought confused. 'What's that?'

"Don't make me laugh, human!" Nnoitra shouted as he charged towards to kill him. "All I see are three swords. You could hardly touch me with them, what difference would nine swords make?!"

"Demon Spirit…" Zoro said as he started to change. He now has three heads with a sword in each mouth and six arms with sword in each hand. "…Nine Swords Style…" Nnoitra widen his eye seeing the swordsman suddenly changed.

"What the…" Ichigo said shocked. "He multiplied."

'What kind of trick is this?' Nnoitra thought as he closes in the swordsman. 'No matter, he still can't defeat me! I am the strongest! I AM THE STRONGEST!' He swung his scythes at Zoro, who blocked them with his swords and pushed them back. "What?!" Then Zoro charged towards the espada.

"You did well." Zoro said. "But it's over, espada!" Zoro spun in a circle, using his nine swords and cutting Nnoitra down, destroying his scythes in the process. "Asura: Nine Blade Flash!" Nnoitra fell to the ground bleeding from his chest as Zoro went back to normal and sheathes his swords.

"He won…" Orihime said.

"He won!" Chopper shouted happily. Zoro started to walk towards his crewmate until…

"Where do you think you're going?" Nnoitra said he got on his knees. "This is nowhere near over."

"Are you dumb?" Zoro said. "I believe it just ended. And I'm going to finish off somebody who can't fight back."

"Is that so?" Nnoitra got back to his feet. "I'll say it again this thing isn't over yet. In case you didn't notice, I can still fight you back." Zoro narrowed his eyes at the espada. "What's worng? Come on, say something. Or are you just too damn scared?" Nnoitra pointed his scythe at Zoro. "Answer me! Are you scared of me, pirate?!"

Zoro sighed in defeated and redrew his swords. "What a pain in the ass." Zoro turned towards Nnoitra and prepared to attack. "Oni…"

Nnoitra charged in towards the swordsman, ready to strike with the remaining scythe. 'I will not lose. There's no way I could lost. Everyone have so pity for me. Don't they know they're rubbing salt in my wounds? I will them no mercy. Whether they're strong or whether they're weak, whether they're a child or some monstrous beast, I will kill them with one blow so they will never to pity me no more. I am…' Nnoitra gotten closer to Zoro, ready to strike. "I AM!"

"…Giri!" Zoro charged towards Nnoitra and connect with his attack, breaking the espada's weapon and cut him down. Nnoitra was bleeding profusely as the swordsman ran past him. Nnoitra was slowly falling to the ground as he eyed Nel. Nel slowly opened her eyes and she saw the espada defeated.

"Nnoitra." Nel said as Nnoitra fell to his knees and collapsed.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Ambition Towards the Oken! The Hogyoku!