Hearing that unexpected question, Ben was shocked, he didn't believe it, that he Aizen really talked about it.
But first he wants to clear something, "What are you going to do about Nnoitra? He tried to kill my friends."
"I will deal with him in due time, Ben." Aizen answered. "Although I am very certain the punishment he received from you was more than enough."
But Ben didn't feel that was enough, if Nnoitra had done that same thing in his world, he had made him nude, and paraded him the whole street, before giving him death punishment.
"What is the meaning of this, Aizen?" Baraggan's voice boomed, bringing back Ben out of his thoughts about Nnoitra.
Out of the shadows stepped seven of the Espada. The three who were absent were Grimmjow, Yammy and Nnoitra. Grimmjow for being demoted and Nnoitra because of the pounding Ben had given him as Way Big. But why Yammy was missing, Ben had no idea. Baraggan was glaring at Aizen furiously.
"It was bad enough you let this little insect into our midst, then you let him become a Fraccion, and now you want to make him an Espada? You go too far, Aizen! I will not allow…"
At the word "insect," Ben's eyes darkened with anger, a cold, dangerous aura rising around him, he was just going to say something, when Aizen talked.
"Oh but you will," Aizen said coolly. "I have decided that Ben has the potential to be an Espada." Baraggan looked like he wanted to say more, but merely kept his mouth shut.
"Good," Aizen said to him before addressing all the remaining Espada. "Would anyone else like to tell me any reason why Ben should not be an Espada?"
Aside from the obvious fact that Ben was a human, no one could think of any reason why Ben shouldn't be one. Although she was less emotional than others (except for Ulquiorra), Harribel couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride within her at the thought that one of her Fraccion was Espada worthy.
However, she did think that Ben rather deserved Nnoitra's rank since the fifth Espada was the one who Ben defeated. But Nnoitra had not been the demoted one, Grimmjow was. It was a pity that Nnoitra had not been the one demoted. She could tolerate Grimmjow far more than Nnoitra.
"Aizen-sama!" an obnoxious voice yelled. "You can't be serious!"
Everyone turned to see Luppi barge into the room. Ben looked at him and thought, how this idiot even arrived here.
"Greetings, Luppi," Aizen said. "So you have arrived."
"If I knew what you were going to do," Luppi replied. "I would've been here already. How could you offer the position of any Espada, let alone the 6th one, to a human?"
Aizen just smiled. "I believe that Ben far exceeds that of a human with his powers. As you are no doubt aware of, Ben defeated Nnoitra just recently. That clearly shows that Ben is more than deserving of a high rank among the Espada, regardless of the fact that he is a human."
"But I'm next in line for the 6th!" Luppi yelled. "And I'm not going to allow a stupid human to take it from me!"
Ben blinked at this. Luppi couldn't even handle Spidermonkey. But if Luppi wanted the rank, that was okay with Ben. No need to make such a big deal about it. Since he has not fucked Harribel till now, he was not going to become an Espada currently.
"Indeed, you were next in line," Aizen corrected. "But it has come to my attention that you had engaged Ben in combat recently and then come out the worst of it."
"He ran away!" Luppi shouted. "He just tied me up in some webbing and ran off. He's just a coward!"
Aizen raised an eyebrow amused. "Really? That is not what Gin told me when he saw your battle on the monitors."
Luppi's eyes went wide while Ben turned to look at Aizen. They had monitors? Where? He had never seen cameras or anything.
"He told me that you had attacked Ben, forcing him to transform," Aizen continued. "Despite your attempts, Ben was able to make a complete fool of you. When you attempted to harm his teammates, he became one of his "Ultimate forms" that I have been told about. He incapacitated you and knocked you out, and left you groaning there."
Luppi's face was pure rage. Aizen was amused by this.
"He cheated!" Luppi shouted.
Ben was already angry about the Baraggan calling him an insect, and now that's another idiot.
"You idiot guy, whose name is Luppy, it better be sounded puppy, if I want, I can turn you into dust."
Luppi shouted at Ben. "How dare you say this?"
"That is enough, Luppi," Tosen's voice said as he and Gin walked into the room. "If Aizen-sama believes that Ben is more deserving of becoming the 6th Espada, then it is because he is more deserving."
Gin turned that creepy smile of his in Ben's direction. "Boy, you are truly something," He said to Ben in amusement. "You broke into Las Noches, have managed to hold your own against some of the strongest Arrancar here, and now you're being offered the position of Espada. You're doing pretty good for yourself, kid."
Aizen nodded. "Ben continues to impress me far beyond anyone else has ever been capable of doing. That is to be admired."
"Aizen-sama!" Luppi yelled. "Let me fight him again! I'll crush him this time!"
"I doubt it," Szayel told him. "The kid's got that giant form that trashed Nnoitra. He could just use that."
This surprised Ben, his eyes widening. How could Szayel have…?
"All of the Espada had witnessed your transformation into the creature that you call Way Big," Ulquiorra told him. "You had such a powerful form with you and yet you did not unleash it until now. Or rather, you had no reason to unleash it until now. It is rather…interesting, Benjamin Tennyson."
Luppi had reached his boiling point. Everyone had to keep talking about that stupid human, Ben Tennyson. He was more determined than ever to bring that human down.
"I think poor Luppi just won't take no for an answer," Szayel said with a dramatic sigh. "So it looks like Ben is once again thrown into the heat of battle."
"Ben will win," Harribel said in her calm voice. Ulquiorra looked at her. The others may not have noticed it, but he of all the Espada could easily read the emotions of anyone no matter how easily they concealed it. He could sense the smallest hint of pride and fondness in Harribel's voice.
But Ulquiorra had been truthful when he had spoken about Ben. Ben had proven himself resourceful enough with all of his previously used forms that he didn't need to use Way Big at all. And the fact that Ben had gotten far without having to use Way Big until now only furthered his belief that Ben was far greater threat than Ichigo. After all, if Ben had such a powerful form like that tucked away, who was to say that he didn't have something even more powerful hidden away. Keeping one's true power hidden was something that he could relate to, actually.
Luppi sneered at Harribel. "He got lucky, that's all. Now I'm ready for him."
"Hold on," Ben shouted all of sudden. "If he wants the rank, he can have it. I don't even want it."
Now everyone was looking at Ben in surprise, shock, interest, or any combination of the three.
"Are you sure, Ben?" Aizen asked, interested by Ben's actions. "Do you not want a rank of the Espada?"
Ben shrugged. "No, I just want to stay in the Harribel team."
Most of the Espada were baffled by this. Most of the people in Las Noches would've jumped at the chance to become a high rank like the Espada and happily kill each other for such a rank. But he just thrown the rank.
Tosen turned his head in Ben's direction. "Are you sure that you do not want the rank, Ben?"
Ben grinned. "Yeah, I am." He said. "I don't need a rank among the Espada."
Tosen nodded as he contemplated this. During Ben's time in Hueco Mundo, he was able to figure some things out about the boy.
Ben's willingness to protect Harribel's Fraccion showed that he held a soft spot for his friends. It really touched Ben's sense of justice. The punishment that he had dealt Nnoitra had all but proven that.
"Ha!" Luppi laughed. "So the great Ben Tennyson shows his true colors." He pointed at Ben. "You're a coward who doesn't want to admit that I can beat you."
Ben looked at Luppi. "I beat you before, Luppi," He said. "I could do it again."
"You ran away before we could finish our fight!" Luppi snapped.
"You were caught up in Spidermonkey's webbing, and nearly out of breath," Ben shot back. "You could barely move."
"Being tied up isn't the same as dead," Luppi replied coldly.
"Dead?" Ben yelled.
"That is enough," Aizen interrupted. "I'm sorry, Ben but it seems that Luppi is far too determined to let this go. I'm afraid that you'll have to battle."
"Thank you, Aizen-sama," Luppi said with a hasty bow of respect. "I'll put this human in his place."