Chapter 16: Full Power Luffy! Ginjo's Desperate Attack!

Luffy and Ginjo clashed in the skies of Karakura Town as they went past each other. They turned around to face other as they prepared to attack again.

"Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, balling his fist as Ginjo prepares to attack. "…Jet Pistol!" The two collided again, sending shockwaves to the Straw Hats below. The Straw Hats closed their eyes and started to walk away.

"Hold on, where are you going?" Rukia asked, stopping them.

"We're about to head back to our world." Zoro said, confusing Rukia. "Have you forgotten Rukia? The Soul Society asked us to see what Ichigo will decide when this is over."

"The soul society was aware that when the next substitute soul reaper would appear, he would be a target." Robin explained. "Ginjo would set his sights on him and make contact. The Soul Reapers planned to use him to track Ginjo. When that happens, they would plan to eliminate the both of them when the time comes. Then the Head Captain told us what Ichigo had done for them before we came into the picture and how their view on him changed. Instead of killing him, they found themselves sharing their power with him. We were sent to watch his actions. Rukia, I'm share that you remember how vividly you objected keeping watch on Ichigo."

(Flashback)

"Impossible! That cant' be!" Rukia shouted. "Ichigo wouldn't…he would never succumb to the temptation of the enemy!"

(End of Flashback)

"You were right about him." Robin said. "Now that he learned, he made his choice. The Ichigo Kurosaki that the Soul Society knew decided to make the same choice that the Ichigo Kurosaki made. Despite all that has happened, he still remains the same person." Robin looked at the battle between Luffy and Ginjo. "In a way, I can see how he and our captain are similar. They fight to protect, not destroy."

"I agree." Rukia said. "From the moment I've met him, he has never wavered. It's so amazing that the soul society's centuries of inflexibility were transformed by the iron will and determination of just one man."

"Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted. "…Jet Gatling!" Luffy fires a volley of rapid-fire sound speed punches at the Xcution's leader. Ginjo released a wave of black and purple spirit energy and the two attacks collided, creating an explosion. Both Luffy and Ginjo jumped out of the smoke, showing the effects from explosion. Blood coming from the graze on Ginjo's cheek and blood coming out of the cut above Luffy's left eye.

'I don't understand.' Ginjo thought, looking at Luffy's eyes as they clashed again. 'You should know by now that my goal is to crush the Soul Reapers who betrayed me. I expected to you oppose me and yet you're not doing that. This makes no sense. Why wouldn't you?! That looks in your eyes in the look of someone who's trying to understand me, someone who's trying to see things through my perspective being putting yourself in my place. Are you trying to understand my position after everything that I am?!'

"Straw Hat!" Ginjo shouted, putting his sword at Luffy. He charged up a cero at the tip of his sword and fired at the Straw Hats' captain. The blast engulfed Luffy and exploded. The smoke started to clear and revealed Luffy unscathed with arms forming an X in front of him, black after being imbued with his armament haki.

"Gum-Gum…" Luffy stretched both of his haki-imbued arms as they were lit on fire from the steam of his Second Gear. "…Eagle Bazooka!" Luffy's attack was fierce as the air was rushed out of the fullbringer and the flames scorched him in the process. Both Luffy and Ginjo crashed to the ground below and they both landed on their feet. Ginjo lifted his sword and lowered it, trying to cut the rubber boy but Luffy easily moved out of the way and prepared to strike back.

"Gum-Gum…" Luffy cocked his haki-imbued arm as the steam from his body lit it on fire. "…Red Hawk!" Ginjo tried to block with his sword but Luffy's fist broke through and hit the fullbringer. Ginjo stumbled back a few feet before he fell to his knees and collapsed.

Ginjo looked up and saw two people walking towards him. They were Luffy and Ichigo. 'Ichigo…' he thought, looking at the substitute soul reaper as his eyes turned back to normal and his vision starts to blur. 'If our roles would've been switched, if you had been the one appeared first, would you have become like me? If something as simple as timing had changed our destinies completely. Ichigo, if you were the first substitute soul reaper instead, things might have been very different.' Ginjo's vision turned black as he closed his eyes for the last time.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Changing History and an Unchanging Heart