Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 524 Ulquiorra vs. Zoro.

As the battle raged on, more and more Hollows and Shinigami were drawn into the fray.

After Grimmjow made the first move, the Vastods, who were above Adjuchas, also became restless.

When Harribel saw that the Adjuchas-class Hollow Grandson she was protecting was being suppressed by Isshin Shiba and was about to be killed, she finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He became the second Vasto Lorde-class Hollow to make a move, following Grimmjow.

"Step back, you are no match for him, grandson." Harribel spun around and stood in front of grandson, holding the Imperial Shark and blocking Shiba Isshin's Zanpakuto, Scythe Moon.

"Oh my, Vasto Lorde, you're really giving me face," Shiba Isshin said casually, but he was actually under a lot of pressure.

A violent flame rose from his Zanpakuto, Kengetsu, but before it could unleash its power, a large amount of water mist surged from behind him.

After exchanging blows for several rounds, Shiba Isshin used Shunpo to create distance, while secretly thinking, "This isn't good. It seems like my Zanpakuto is being countered?"

At this time, Shiba Isshin had not yet reached his peak.

Or perhaps, his true peak was when he broke through and rose again, losing the power of the Grim Reaper and then regaining it, at which point he truly transformed himself into an absolute powerhouse.

Currently, although he is a captain-level expert, he is not particularly outstanding.

"Conquer him, Queen Shark!" Harribel remained relatively composed. Realizing she couldn't quickly defeat the Grim Reaper, she immediately began her Resurrección.

Immediately afterwards, a large amount of water shot into the sky, as if to transform the surrounding area into a body of water.

Several jets of water burst forth from underwater and shot towards Shiba Isshin.

Shiba Isshin reacted extremely quickly, flames ignited on his Zanpakuto, and he swung it through the air, the crescent-shaped flames whistling past, somewhat reminiscent of the "Getsuga Tenshou".

Flames collided with water, and the rising steam created a white mist that obscured the vision of both sides.

However, since they were both using spiritual pressure to observe their opponent, this was not an obstacle.

But just as Shiba was intently staring at Harribel, a sudden sense of alarm flashed through his mind, as if some deadly crisis was about to strike.

This made Shiba Ichishin dare not be careless. Without the slightest hesitation, he used his Instant Step to escape and break away from the fight with Harribel.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he seemed to see out of the corner of his eye two terrifying and deep black wings unfurling on either side of him!

When?

Did they anticipate my actions?

Another Vastod? He even instinctively felt that this Vastod-class Hollow was even more terrifying than the woman he had just fought!

At this moment, Shiba Isshin had no time to make any move, and even if he used Shunpo to create distance, he couldn't catch up!

And appearing behind him was Ulquiorra Cifer, who directly activated the first stage of his Resurrección and transformed into the Blackwing Daimyo!

Ulquiorra was a very calm person. He had been observing the battlefield all along. He didn't move when Yammy died. When Halibel and Shiba Isshin were fighting, it meant that the Vasto Lorde-class Hollows were entering the fray. He was observing at that time, wondering whether to choose the right time to attack Grimmjow's prey or Halibel's prey.

After a brief moment of thought and observation, Ulquiorra decided to eliminate Halibel's prey first!

The reason is actually very simple: he realized that with his own speed, he probably couldn't handle that dark-skinned female Grim Reaper. However, after a brief observation, he was certain that he could keep up with Shiba Isshin's speed!

So he took action!

And the timing was perfect!

Almost the instant the attack was made, Shiba Isshin was plunged into a desperate situation!

The long sword, formed from highly concentrated spiritual particles, was rapidly raised in his hand and slashed diagonally down at Shiba Isshin's neck and shoulder from behind. Without a doubt, if this strike hit, Shiba Isshin would be torn to pieces on the spot!

Inside the camp, Bane had no intention of interfering, and even had the leisure to observe the commander-in-chief beside him.

As expected, before Ulquiorra could even make a move, the moment he activated his Resurrección, a murderous glint flashed in Yamamoto Genryusai's eyes, and a faint heat emanated from the cane-sword in his hand.

The moment Ulquiorra made his move, the "cane skin" of Ryujin Jakka in Yamamoto Genryusai's hand had already begun to disintegrate.

However, the moment Ulquiorra appeared behind Isshin Shiba, Genryusai Yamamoto, who was about to make a move, stopped. The agitation that had been emanating from him vanished instantly, and he could no longer sense anything.

"Thirty-six Winds of Troubles!!!"

The moment Ulquiorra made his move, a whirlwind slash imbued with the power of lightning struck him instantly, sending him flying.

Shiba Isshin seemed to have seized the opportunity at this moment. With a quick step, he created distance, but before he could even stand firm, the high-pressure water jet brought up by the Queen Mermaid descended from the sky, as if trying to drown him.

"Sandstorm."

At this moment, the boundless yellow sand of Hueco Mundo stirred, transforming into ocean waves that surged skyward, protecting Isshin Shiba as they crashed fiercely against the oncoming torrent of water.

Then, Fubuki emerged from the yellow sand, her expression cold, and said, "Captain, your performance is far too disappointing. How about I become the captain from now on, and you become my vice-captain?"

"Miss Fubuki, I'm really saddened by what you're saying. What can I do when I'm targeted by two Vastod-class Hollows in an instant?" Shiba Isshin said, pursing his lips.

Despite her complaints, Fubuki still felt immense pressure facing the Vastod-class Hollowfied Arrancar.

Judging from spiritual pressure, there is still a big gap between her and Harribel. Not only her, but also Shiba Isshin's spiritual pressure is much inferior to Harribel's.

After all, that's Vasto Lorde's broken face!

Moreover, it is a fire-type Zanpakuto, which is exactly what it is countered by.

In the original story, although Toshiro Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure could not compare to Harribel's, Toshiro happened to wield the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto in Soul Society, which completely countered Harribel in terms of attributes. In the end, he only narrowly won and had to thank Aizen.

But at that moment, a blue light appeared in the darkness, and a blue phoenix flew through the sky, attacking Heribel!

"Three against one, we should be able to hold out," Fubuki thought to herself, a sense of assessment flashing through her mind.

At the same time, the azure phoenix in the sky suddenly accelerated, its spiritual pressure exploding violently. Nami's figure broke free from the phoenix, unleashing a flying kick and shouting, "Eight Gates Released Formation: Heavenly Phoenix!!!"

On the other side, Ulquiorra, though knocked away, was not injured. He had regained his footing and remained calm, his eyes looking at the figure who had attacked him earlier.

Unlike most Shinigami, that guy's Shinigami uniform looked a bit more 'heavy', somewhat like what people in the mortal world wear.

He had short, emerald-green hair, a resolute face, and three Zanpakuto at his waist. His eyes were cold, and being stared at by him was like being watched by a ferocious wild beast.

"As a Vasto Lorde-class Hollow, why did you choose to launch a sneak attack? Don't you think that's a bit too despicable?" Zoro said, looking at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra calmly replied, "Glory, despicable acts—these emotions are worthless. Besides, isn't this a battlefield? The only measure here is victory or defeat."

"I'm not very good with words, so I won't argue with you about this, Vasto Lorde. I've been in this world for so long and I haven't killed anyone yet. I hope you can be a little more durable." Zoro said, placing his hands on the three Zanpakuto at his waist.

Like Bane, Zoro is one of the few Shinigami in Soul Society who did not use Oetsu Nimaiya's asauchi (a type of sword), but instead forged his own Zanpakuto.

He originally had four swords, but in the end, because he was a three-sword style practitioner, it was impossible to forge four Zanpakuto. So he gave up Yubashiri, removed it, and it became a decoration in his home.

Now, the three swords at his waist are Wado Ichimonji, Shusui, and Sandai Kitetsu.

The moment their eyes met, Zoro instantly drew his Sandai Kitetsu from his waist, and at the same time, his spiritual pressure erupted, proclaiming, "To endure suffering without weariness is the essence of Ashura."

Without a doubt, this was Zoro's Shikai. A chilling aura emanated from the Sandai Kitetsu. After taking only two steps forward, a phantom of a Shura had already materialized behind Zoro.

As he took his third step, he pushed off with his feet and charged rapidly toward Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra held a longsword imbued with spiritual energy in his hand, his eyes filled with seriousness. Almost instantly, he had already determined Zoro's movement trajectory, and then he raised the longsword.

However, in the next instant, Zoro transformed into lightning and vanished from his spot. This speed was much faster than his Instant Step, causing Ulquiorra, who had just calculated the trajectory, to frown.

Before he could think any further, a fierce slash, carrying a dense ghostly aura, came hurtling towards him.

"One-Sword Style: Evil Bird!"

The strike came, but no one was seen.

Ulquiorra flashed his longsword, deflecting the attack, but at the same time, a strange chill ran through him, as if a trace of fear had involuntarily arisen within him.

"A ghostly aura?" Ulquiorra thought to himself.

But there was no time to think about the reasons and how to deal with it. The next second, Zoro's figure emerged from the lightning and was already behind him. By the time Ulquiorra turned around, Zoro had already drawn his second sword, Wado Ichimonji.

"My heart is set on Shimotsuki," Zoro whispered again.

His spiritual pressure, along with this whisper, rose once again.

This surprised Ulquiorra, who thought, "A dual initial release?"

However, Zoro didn't respond. Instead, he bit Wado Ichimonji between his teeth, lowered his gaze, placed his hand on Shusui, and whispered, "Sever all things that cannot be severed, great world!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zoro unleashed his Three-Sword Style attack, charging towards Ulquiorra.

At that moment, the moonlight shone directly on Ulquiorra, making him appear as if he were draped in a layer of frosty moonlight. This moonlight seemed to stir up the ghostly energy within him, causing a look of fear to appear in Ulquiorra's originally empty eyes. And when this fear was revealed, it was as if he saw the vast world!

This is Zoro's true Shikai: Great Thousand Worlds!

A flash of blood, and Ulquiorra's arm spun twice in the air before crashing to the ground. At the same time, a cross-shaped cut appeared on his chest, bleeding profusely.

However, Zoro, who passed by, showed no intention of turning back to look. Without a word, he vanished from the spot, flashing with lightning.

The next second, a black Cero flash instantly covered the spot where Zoro had just landed, blasting it into a mess.

It was Ulquiorra. In that instant, the wound on his chest had completely healed, and as his severed arm shattered into spirit particles on the ground and dissipated, a brand new arm grew from his wound at an extremely fast speed.

He was completely unharmed, and even his spiritual pressure had not decreased.

At the same time, Zoro appeared not far from Ulquiorra, sheathing all three swords. He clicked his tongue and said, "I shouldn't have copied that guy Bane with his Triple Shikai. It's become a burden. I'll have Orochimaru modify it for me later."

As he finished speaking, the three swords at his waist seemed to begin to merge.

Zanpakuto are the connection of souls and are no longer bound by 'physical form'.

At this moment, Zoro is combining his three swords into one.

Ulquiorra didn't rush to make a move; instead, he watched with a hint of confusion.

After the Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui were fully integrated into Wado Ichimonji, Zoro grabbed the hilt and slowly drew it from its sheath. At that moment, Wado Ichimonji was covered in brilliant lightning, making it appear extremely majestic.

Zoro whispered, "Bankai: Takemikazuchi."

At that moment, a dazzling bolt of lightning exploded in the sky above Hueco Mundo, followed by a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire battlefield!

(End of this chapter)